November 15, 2019

Three Notre Dame Academy student-athletes sign National Letter of Intent to play at collegiate level

(Hingham, MA) – Three student-athletes at Notre Dame Academy signed a National Letter of Intent during a ceremony at the Hingham school on Wednesday. The first day of the NCAA’s signing period, Cara Charette ’20 (Norton), Ellie Hilsabeck ’20 (Hingham), and Margot Osterman ’20 (Scituate) joined hundreds of other high school athletes across the nation by putting pen to paper, finalizing their commitments to play collegiate sports at the Division I level next year.

Two lacrosse players signed, with Charette making her commitment to Colgate University official and Hilsabeck heading to Vanderbilt University. Both two-sport captains at NDA, Charette and Hilsabeck helped the Cougars capture the lacrosse D1 State Championship just five months ago.

Charette is a lacrosse attacker, clocking in an impressive 157 goals and 90 assists during her NDA career. At the center of the offensive action, Charette also achieved 97 ground balls, 39 caused turnovers, and 39 draw controls. She was selected as a sophomore and junior to represent Massachusetts/Rhode Island at the US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament.

A key defender, Hilsabeck’s level of play kept the team going throughout tournament season the past few years. Her ability to score from a defensive position has been most impressive to watch. She currently has 50 goals, 19 assists, 54 ground balls, 50 caused turnovers, 104 draw controls on her record—with more to come this spring! Hilsabeck represents NDA at the state level as a MIAA student ambassador.

Lacrosse coach Meredith McGinnis shared: “Congratulations to Ellie and Cara on this terrific accomplishment. Signing the National Letter of Intent is a wonderful representation of tremendous hard work in the classroom and on the playing field. Ellie and Cara have been excellent teammates and leaders over the past three seasons. Ellie’s versatility, coachability, and humility have helped shape her into a dominant midfielder who impacts the play from anywhere on the field. Cara’s fearlessness and field vision are the perfect ingredients for a dangerous and successful attacker. I am thrilled to be able to follow their careers at Vanderbilt and Colgate.”

Osterman signed her National Letter of Intent to play golf at New York’s Siena College. A two-year golf captain at NDA, she will be beginning year five on the varsity squad this coming spring—with the goal of bringing home a state championship banner. Osterman has been a two-time Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic in 2018 and 2019 and rounded out the 2019 season as a “triple threat” with Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Ledger All-Scholastic titles. She has received all-star status at the Mass Bay League for golf and led the team to two league championships. Osterman was a key player in the foursome that led NDA’s 2018 golf team to a D1 State Championship, and she finished as the #2 golfer in New England that spring.

Coach Jay Durfee describes Osterman as a very good, pure golfer. “She has great speed and distance which will translate well to college golf. Her competition level rises to the top each time she plays. Siena is lucky to be getting such a great player.”

Notre Dame Academy’s Director of Athletics Kristen McGill shared: “Notre Dame Academy could not be prouder of Cara, Ellie, and Margot. The discipline, the intellect, and the commitment it takes to play Division I collegiate athletics at some of the finest academic institutions in the country is extraordinary. Their example will continue to inspire so many girls here.”

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Notre Dame Academy, the first all-girls school in Massachusetts, is a Catholic, college preparatory school for young women in grades 7-12. Located in Hingham, Massachusetts, the Academy enrolls approximately 450 students from more than 40 communities.

NDA athletics is a highly successful and regionally recognized program, a key part of over 80 percent of the student body's experience. A staff of over 50 coaches lead interscholastic teams in 18 sports and 35 levels.  NDA is proud of its 37 state championships, multiple league and conference titles, and Coach of the Year awards, but it is most proud of winning the Neil Singelais Award 27 of the past 32 years that is presented to the all-girls school that has amassed the highest winning percentage and exhibited the most admirable sportsmanship.

The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution. The high school athlete agrees to attend the institution full-time for one academic year and the institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year.

October 15, 2019

Flatley Foundation Awards Scholarship Grant to Notre Dame Academy

(Hingham, MA) – The Flatley Foundation has awarded a $50,000 scholarship grant to Notre Dame Academy, the first all-girls Catholic day school in New England established over 165 years ago. The scholarship grant will put an NDA education within reach for the school’s most deserving prospective and returning students.

The Flatley Foundation was founded by the late Thomas J. Flatley, real estate tycoon and philanthropist, and Charlotte Flatley to provide ongoing support to local and national causes, particularly related to education, health care, and Roman Catholic organizations. The mission of the foundation is carried on by trustees Daniel T. Flatley, Mary Margaret Flatley Darling, and John J. Flatley.

Notre Dame Academy has a rich and storied heritage focused on developing young women of faith, character, and scholarship. The Academy was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and its pedagogy remains deeply rooted in the Sisters’ mission. The Academy guides young women in their personal faith formation, challenges them to pursue academic excellence, and encourages social responsibility with a strong emphasis on global justice. The grant from the Flatley Foundation will position NDA to continue the school’s critical work in preparing women as global citizens and the next generation of leaders.

"When girls are inspired, supported, and given the space to figure out who they are and who they can be, leadership comes naturally,” said President Annemarie Lynch Kenneally ’80 P’13 P’15. “There are no limitations to what they can achieve. Through its gift to scholarships, the Flatley Foundation is creating an opportunity for more girls to find their voices at NDA."

September 29, 2019

Notre Dame Academy installs third president, Annemarie Lynch Kenneally 

Kenneally announces Billiart Leadership Institute 

Notre Dame Academy officially installed Annemarie Lynch Kenneally, a Hingham resident and 1980 graduate of the all-girls Catholic school, as the Academy's third president in a ceremony held on Friday.  

The school's board of directors, advised by a search committee that included board members, alumnae, students, parents, faculty, and staff, approved the appointment of Kenneally in April 2018 after an extensive national search. She assumed the duties of president just over one year ago.  

In her installation speech, Kenneally called attention to the critical need to cultivate leadership skills in girls in order to ensure they succeed and excel throughout their lives: "American girls and women outpace their male counterparts at every level of education. But they lag in nearly every professional arena."  

Women make up only five percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and they remain broadly underrepresented in senior leadership roles. Women still make up just 25 percent of the U.S. Senate and 23 percent of the U.S. House of Representatives. Only 26 percent of university presidents in the U.S. are women. Among the largest global non-profits, a slim 19 percent are led by women. 

A gender gap still clearly exists in leadership positions. 

“We must change the perception of what it means to be a leader starting with how we educate and nurture girls. Educating young women today requires ingraining in them the very things they have been taught not to do … Leadership is knowing who you are, what you believe, and being able to express yourself effectively to influence people … These skills are essential for female leaders and will be foundational to an NDA education.”    

Kenneally went on to announce the Billiart Leadership Institute at Notre Dame Academy. Named after NDA's founder, Saint Julie Billiart, this institute will augment academics with leadership development. "To produce the next generation of female leaders ... we must go beyond teaching, and transform students into leaders who can solve crises," Kenneally said.  

Upcoming fall programming for the Institute will include establishing a partnership with Notre Dame Girls' Academy in Abuja, Nigeria; a senior seminar on power, gender, and inequality; and professional shadow day experiences for juniors and seniors. Director of the Billiart Leadership Institute at Notre Dame Academy is Christina Kappel. 

“I’m certain that establishing the Billiart Leadership Institute and developing the next generation of female leaders is what we need to do as a school and what we must do as a community committed to faith, service, and social justice.” - President Annemarie Lynch Kenneally ’80 P’13 ’15 

Kenneally's connections to Notre Dame Academy go beyond being an alumna. Her mother, Anne Lynch, is a former chair of the science department and worked as a faculty member for 24 years. Other family NDA alumnae include her sister and two daughters. 

Notre Dame Academy has long been a leader in providing an excellent all-girls liberal arts education. Roughly 450 students from over 40 communities are enrolled at NDA, which teaches grades 7 through 12. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur opened the academy in Boston’s North End in 1853. The school was at four other Boston locations before the religious order moved it to Hingham in 1965.