Award-winning author Sandra Dallas visited NDA as part of the One Book One School program. Ms. Dallas met with various classes and enjoyed lunch with a small group of students to discuss Tall Grass, her novel set in a small Colorado town during WWII after the placement of a Japanese-American internment camp. The day concluded with an assembly in the auditorium.

February is Heart Awareness Month and the NDA community is participating in several activities (both in and out of the classroom) to learn more about heart disease: Cougars for the Cure is sponsoring a Valentine's Day dress down day, the Science Club monthly meeting discussed issues related to heart health, and the Varsity Basketball players are wearing red shoelaces this month!

Seventeen students from the NDA Neuroscience Network (N3) competed at the seventh annual MIT Brain Bee, a competition which encourages interest in neuroscience. The day included an intense written exam, a live competition (Anne Nonnamaker '12 was awarded 6th place!), a networking luncheon, and presentations from scientists and researchers. We are also pleased to share with you that the Brain Bee honored N3 advisor Ms. Simms with the Excellence in Teaching award.

On February 4, NDA's top relay team – Shauna Owen, Kelsey Whitaker, Kaleigh Erickson, and Marypat Henry (one of the top four relay teams in the state!) – will participate in the 2012 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, a premier track and field event which features Olympic and world champion runners. The four Massachusetts teams will compete against the top New York teams. The event will be televised on ESPN before the Super Bowl.

English Department Chair Mrs. Norton is pleased to congratulate three winners of the Boston Globe Scholastic Writing Awards: Julianne McShane received a Gold Key for Journalism, Kathleen Tevnan received a Silver Key for Poetry, and Cassidy Cataldo received an Honorable Mention for her Personal Essay

The 2011-2012 school year has been an outstanding year for student achievement in the arts. Twenty students received awards at this year's Boston Globe Scholastic Art Competition. Please open the full story for a link to view artwork.