Notre Dame Academy is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
, all-girls
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
in
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham ( ) is a town in metropolitan Greater Boston on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts in northern Plymouth County. At the 2020 census, the population was 24,284. Hingham is known for its colonial history and location on B ...
. It is located in the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Archdiocese of Boston ( la, Archidiœcesis Bostoniensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New England region of the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the whole of ...
.
History
Notre Dame Academy (NDA), sponsored by the
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (Congregationis Sororum a Domina Nostra Namurcensi) are a Catholic institute of religious sisters, founded to provide education to the poor.
The institute was founded in Amiens, France, in 1804, but the opposi ...
, is the oldest Catholic day academy for girls in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. Located in Hingham, MA since 1965, it has its roots in two earlier academies: Notre Dame Academy, Boston (Lancaster Street, Berkeley Street, the Fenway, Granby Street) begun in 1853, and Notre Dame Academy, Roxbury, opened in 1854.
Sisters
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
of Notre Dame traveled to the east coast from
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
to found the academies. The Boston Academy began in a simple wooden structure (Lancaster Street) and, within ten years, the flourishing school needed to move to a larger facility. For the next fifty years, the academy radiated a strong religious and intellectual influence from its Berkeley Street campus. As the area became a booming industrial center in the city, it was no longer conducive for the Academy and so the school moved once again. In 1916, the school moved to 400 The Fenway and, by 1919, shared the location with the new Emmanuel College. As the college grew, the Academy moved once again, to Granby Street. The Boston Academy continued to flourish at this site until 1954.
Notre Dame Academy at Washington Street in the
Roxbury section of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
began in 1854 as a day school and
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
. In 1954, the students from the Granby Street School joined the students at the Roxbury campus and there was one Academy in the city. As the city changed and the needs of the south shore increased, the school relocated to the present Hingham campus. Today, to meet the needs of the current student body, NDA is rebuilding at the Hingham campus and expanding its facilities.
For over 155 years, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and their lay colleagues have provided a
college preparatory
A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...
education to young women, encompassing the spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical development of their students.
Campus
The school is located on a campus. The academic building consists of a chapel, auditorium, classrooms, science labs, art rooms, music and choral rooms, library, computer labs, the Maribeth Merrigan Multi Media Learning Center, guidance center, gymnasium, cafeteria, offices, and meeting rooms. The campus includes a memorial garden; three
athletic fields for soccer, field hockey, softball, and lacrosse; an eight-lane track; and five tennis courts.
Student body
Students come to NDA from over 40 towns across the
South Shore and surrounding areas. They travel south from
Norwood,
Westwood, and Boston. Some travel northeast from the
Brockton area and others travel north along the
Route 3 corridor from towns such as
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
,
Kingston, and from
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
. Students come from a variety of public, private and parochial schools.
Notable alumnae
*
Geneva Duker
Geneva M. Duker Schissel (March 5, 1905 – July 14, 1976) was an American dancer, actress, and diver. She appeared on the vaudeville stage, and in several Broadway productions, in the 1920s.
Early life and education
Duker was born in Boston ...
, dancer
*
Maura Tierney
Maura Therese Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on the sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), Abby Lockhart on the medical drama '' ER'' (1999–2009), ...
, actress
Notes and references
External links
School Website
{{authority control
Girls' schools in Massachusetts
Catholic secondary schools in Massachusetts
Schools in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur schools
Educational institutions established in 1853
Buildings and structures in Hingham, Massachusetts
1853 establishments in Massachusetts