Academy of Notre Dame | 2026 LOVE Award Winner – Excellence in Education
The Academy of Notre Dame is a premier all-girls Catholic, college prep school offering academic excellence, leadership, and faith-based education.
Academy of Notre Dame | 2026 LOVE Award Winner – Excellence in Education
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The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur is an independent Catholic school for girls that inspires young women to grow in faith, leadership, and intellectual curiosity. Guided by the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the school fosters a strong sense of purpose, compassion, and service — encouraging students to become courageous leaders who care for others as reflections of the Good God.
Read these stories from the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur: Summer Adventures Await at Academy of Notre Dame’s Premier Camps
As Seen in the Main Line Parent Best for Families Guide
Family Focus Media is dedicated to Building Community with Main Line Parent, Philadelphia Family, and Bucks County Parent. Our annual LOVE Awards celebrate the BEST local resources for families.
- 2024 LOVE Award Winner: Excellence in Education
Has your child attended the Academy of Notre Dame? Share an endorsement below to show your support.
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Jennifer S
The Academy of Notre Dame has had a tremendous impact on both of our daughters. During their time at Notre Dame, they grew in confidence, formed meaningful relationships with their teachers, built strong friendships, and fully embraced all that the school had to offer. We were seeking a close-knit community with rigorous academics, small class sizes, abundant leadership opportunities, and a place where our girls could be both challenged and truly happy—and we found all of that and more at the Academy of Notre Dame!
Maria B.
I am a deeply grateful parent of two Notre Dame graduates. Both of my daughters are happy adults who have found their place beyond the ND Gates. They continue to live out the mission of Notre Dame by supporting others and giving back to their communities. Probably most impressive to me is that they have grown to be incredible advocates for themselves which was a challenge during their grade school years. I continue to recommend Notre Dame as the best of the best for young women. My daughters ultimately made the decision to attend Notre Dame and as I look back, I am incredibly grateful that they did.
Kristen T.
Notre Dame has been pivotal for our daughter’s educational experience. The school provides a supportive environment where students are nurtured academically, socially and spiritually. Notre Dame instills strong core values, strengthens students’ faith, builds confidence and fosters healthy relationships. Students feel comfortable, respected and empowered to be themselves. The school creates a foundation not only for academic success but for becoming a compassionate and confident young woman.
Michele G.
Gives young women opportunities to lead and build confidence. Couldn’t be happier with my daughter’s experience!
Main Line Community Parent
We recently switched our daughter to The Academy of Notre Dame to begin her sixth grade year. She is a smart girl with many strengths, but she was getting lost in the large public school classrooms. Her confidence as a student was faltering. Our daughter’s transformation at this school has been truly remarkable and I credit the amazing community we have found at Notre Dame with rekindling her love of learning.
NDA’s intentionally small class sizes mean my daughter’s teachers truly know her- her strengths, her needs, HER as a person. My daughter has learned to advocate for herself and actively seeks help from her teachers and there is built-in time for her to do this on a daily basis. Her confidence has grown exponentially- her teachers have reported that she readily participates in class and has been challenged to give several oral presentations in front of her peers. All girls at the school take dance as an elective for part of the year, allowing them a chance to explore their creativity and to perform in costume on a stage in a final performance, furthering their well-rounded education and challenging them in new ways. The language program is another incredibly unique aspect of this school as sixth graders are exposed to 4 different world languages in a survey course throughout their sixth grade year before selecting a language for further study in 7th. They also have small group time built in to their schedules where they meet with their school counselor and discuss topics such as mental health. The athletics are also top notch and have given my daughter an opportunity to meet older girls and to represent the school in competition. And this is all on top of a rigorous academic program where my daughter has been challenged and supported in equal measure. The Head of School, Dr. Laura Hotchkiss, is incredibly approachable and involved with the students. She is a poised public speaker and she regularly attends and engages with families at school events. My daughter will often even pop by her office during the school day to say hello. We feel so incredibly fortunate that our daughter and our family found this special school where we expect she will continue to thrive for the next 6 years!
Main Line Community Parent
My husband and I recently helped a business colleague navigate middle school options for his daughter next year. We are delighted that this colleague’s daughter will be joining the Academy of Notre Dame community next year. Helping with this process and having multiple conversations about all-girls’ education reminded us of the incredible experience that our two daughters carry with them from their time at Notre Dame. One now in college and one a recent college graduate, our daughters’ time at Notre Dame gave them all the opportunities we wanted for them while providing unparalleled support and encouragement for their confidence and growth. Most important to us, our daughters woke up happy, looking forward to getting to school every day. Now as young adults, we see the many gifts that they took from their years at Notre Dame — giving back to their communities, lifting up other people, dedication to their work, and resilience when not everything goes exactly as they wish.
I would specifically like to give a nod of appreciation to the college counselors at the Academy — they are the reason that over 95% of the graduates get into one of their top three colleges. Mrs. Laura Losey was the college counselor for both of our daughters and even though she had 30 or so other seniors to work with, our family felt like she was a dedicated consultant working for our family. She reviewed dozens of essays and responses at all hours to help our girls; she connected them with key individuals which helped their applications; and most importantly, cared for our daughters whenever they reached out. The Notre Dame college counseling department is second to none!
While many students in this region are drawn to athletics, my husband and I did not gift our daughters with natural talents in this area. Both of them pursued athletics in middle school but cut back once they got into high school. What really made a difference for them at Notre Dame was the top-tier Arts program. First, I do not know of other schools who have a dedicated building to the Arts as Notre Dame does. Whether students are drawn to the performing arts like our girls or the fine arts — students thrive in these areas at Notre Dame. My older daughter was in every theatre performance and a member of the award-winning Women’s Chorale before majoring in theatre at Northwestern University. Our younger daughter played piano in the ensemble and started Notre Dame’s fashion club. Today she is a fashion major at Marist University — one of the top ten fashion universities in the US. A special shoutout to Mrs. Pam Devenney who has been at Notre Dame for 20 years and chairs the Arts department at Notre Dame. Her vision and ideas continue to make the students shine as they pursue their passion for the Arts.
Thank you for this opportunity to share our love for an organization that has meant so much to our family!
Main Line Community Parent
Notre Dame is a school that not only excels academically but also deeply and intentionally invests in the well-being of every student. Under the leadership of Head of School Dr. Laura M. Hotchkiss—whose long-standing commitment to girls’ education inspires every corner of campus—the school continues to elevate what it means to educate, empower, and care for young women. At the heart of this mission is the exceptional Student Support & Well-Being Team, whose guidance, compassion, and expertise support students, faculty, staff, and families alike. Their holistic approach ensures that every girl is known, valued, and equipped to thrive. Together, this leadership and support create a truly transformative educational environment worthy of recognition.
Community Parent
Notre Dame is a school that not only excels academically but also deeply and intentionally invests in the well-being of every student. Under the leadership of Head of School Dr. Laura M. Hotchkiss—whose long-standing commitment to girls’ education inspires every corner of campus—the school continues to elevate what it means to educate, empower, and care for young women. At the heart of this mission is the exceptional Student Support & Well-Being Team, whose guidance, compassion, and expertise support students, faculty, staff, and families alike. Their holistic approach ensures that every girl is known, valued, and equipped to thrive. Together, this leadership and support create a truly transformative educational environment worthy of recognition.
Jim G.
An education at the Academy of Notre Dame was the gift of a lifetime for our daughters. They thrived both in and outside of the classroom, and they found friends for life during their years at Notre Dame. Most important to my wife and I was a school community where they could continue their faith-based education. Now as young professionals, our daughters are happy, confident women that are making positive contributions to the world around them. Thank you, Notre Dame!
Lizzy
The Academy of Notre Dame offers an environment where students not only excel academically but also grow socially and emotionally, ready to face the challenges of the future with confidence and empathy. It’s a school that truly prepares its students for success in all areas of life
Nina Fite '75, US Ambassador to the Republic of Angola
One of the best things Notre Dame provided for me was the knowledge that I could do anything; since we were all girls, the girls were the elected leaders, athletes, and scholars.