Under the LOUD program, students in middle school attend 18 sessions of a songwriting class. Everywhere from lyric writing to composing, the students learn the elements of a song and the emotions they evoke. This class is held twice a week during the school day. The songs in the NDS Soundcloud were co-written by NDS Students and Brahm Genzlinger, their instructor. Enjoy the listen!

Under the generous support of the Audacious Foundation, our 4th grade students participate in an annual overnight field trip to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum through their Spirit of Dana Point program. Our students have the opportunity to become immersed in early California history while working with a variety of dynamic historical characters from  Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. They gain skills in cooperative learning, teamwork, and communication as they hoist cargo, row long-boats, raise sails, stand night watch, swab the decks, and sing shanteys. 

Under the generous support of the Audacious Foundation, our 4th grade students participate twice a month in the Bridge to Nature Program through the Santa Barbara Wilderness Youth Project. The students spend four hours a month in nature as a class practicing conflict resolution and problem-solving skills while exploring God's creation around the Santa Barbara area. 

Each year, students from 6th through 8th grade compete in an Archdiocese-wide academic competition. Consisting of individual competitions in academic subjects as well as a team competition in Super Quiz and Logic, the competition takes month of preparation and dedication. In the 2019-2020 school year, Notre Dame student Alfredo Contreras placed 2nd overall in Science.