Devoted Couple Exemplifies NDA/CLS Union NDCL ... - eSchoolView

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTSr. Margaret M. Gorman,One of my favorite scenes in The Music Manis the moment when the River City childrenturn into the smartly uniformed marchingband of “76 Trombones.” Whether the townsfolkhave been conned, or whether the “thinksystem” really worked, what they believedtogether became real. That is what I see happeningat NDCL. Our school – the whole village that it takes toraise a child – is a community focused on an intangible missionthat is constantly being realized before our eyes.My five years at NDCL have given me a privileged view of thatintangible center of our community. People come to a school likeNotre Dame-Cathedral Latin — as parents, teachers, volunteers— out of the best and the deepest that is in them. They comeout of love for their children, desire to make a difference, a faiththat has grounded their adult lives and seems the best gift theycan give to the next generation. A school created out of valueslike these is more than a school. It becomes the village in whichour young people live and grow and absorb the sense of howthe world ought to be. And when they graduate and meet peopleand situations based on different values, they have both thevision and the skills to “do the truth in love.”So as the time comes for me to move on from NDCL, myoverriding feeling is one of gratitude to the many people whosepersonal commitment has made NDCL that kind of village.Notre Dame laid the foundation for NDCL, from the educationaltradition that has influenced hundreds of our parents,teachers and alumni to the beautiful campus we treasure.Women from Notre Dame Academy on Ansel Road and here inGeauga County are role models of independence, competenceand conviction for our students. Alumnae loyalty and affectionfor each other and for the Sisters enriches NDCL. Both as acommunity and as individuals taking on new roles of service,the Sisters of Notre Dame have actively embraced and supportedeach new stage of NDCL’s growth.Our founding partners in the Cathedral Latin AlumniAssociation are equally supportive. They have become a regularpresence on campus, passing on the Hall of Fame tradition,and generously supporting many other activities. The multi-generational ties established here give our young people alarger history and sense of tradition. And what could be moreinspiring than meeting men whose love and loyalty to theirhigh school still impels them to service today?The marriage of our two parent traditions has produced ahealthy blended family of coeducational school life, interconnectionsthroughout the Cleveland community, and amuch stronger legacy of Catholic education for today. Ourvillage has become a small city!The quality of day-to-day life in the NDCL village is determinedby our faculty and staff, and here our students are truly fortunate.Their teachers are creative and talented professionals whocare deeply about young people, who enjoy young people,and whose personal goodness creates an open culture whereour students thrive.Our parents have repeatedly inspired me with their depth offaith and determination to give the very best to their children.Parenting is difficult, but the commitment to good parenting isthe norm at NDCL. The generosity that makes strong families alsomakes a strong school community, and everyone’s children benefit.Today our organizational structures more clearly express thebroad community of lay and religious, women and men thatsustains NDCL. We are blessed with an energetic and dedicatedboard of directors, and experienced administrators eager toserve, including NDCL’s first lay principal. The organizationalchanges are easier to see than the invisible qualities of heartand spirit, but those intangible essentials are driving NDCL’sprogress just as surely. It has been a real joy to work withleaders of this caliber.Visitors to NDCL often comment that their first impression ofthe school is – energy! Our students are alive to everything, eagerto learn in and outside the classroom, ready for each new experiencelife offers, genuinely spiritual in their direct response. Whenthe intensity of youth meets the passionate commitment ofall the adults in our NDCL village, then our community“ignites a spirit of energy and pride that will last a lifetime!”Everything we are building together arises from that spark.Thank you for contributing your love and generosity to bringthat spirit alive!A FondFarewellEvery season brings with it naturalchanges and signs of growth.NDCL is now in the seasonof an important presidentialtransition. Sr. Margaret Gormanwill conclude her five-year stint atthe end of this academic year bywelcoming Sr. Jacquelyn Gusdane,SND, as her successor and NDCL’ssecond president.Under Sr. Margaret’s leadership, NDCL hasrestructured its organizational governance, formeda board of directors, completed a strategic planthat has moved the school forward, adopted thepresident-principal leadership model, hiredan outstanding Catholic administrator inJoseph Waler, and prepared the way forthe school’s first comprehensivecapital campaign. Sr. Margaretleaves NDCL poised for successwell into the future.2 Seasons Spring 2007 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin