Nardin Academy

Celebrating Founders Week

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Celebrating Founders Week
Celebrating Founders Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week of November 14 - 18 is Nardin Academy's Founders Week. It is a time of reflection and celebration of our foundresses, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary (DHM) and the history of our Academy.

The Daughters of the Heart of Mary:

The DHM were founded in 1790 in Paris, France during the height of the French Revolution by Fr. Pierre Joseph de Cloriviere, SJ and Marie Adelaide de Cice. Both dreamed of a new way of living an authentic, vowed religious life in the midst of the world, without any distinguishing sign, habit, or cloister.

Today, the DHM continue to work to build a world in which the primary values are equality and justice for all God's people, endeavor to be a community in which each member's God-given gifts are appreciated and nurtured, and work for an earth that is protected and restored.

Following this example, Nardin Academy students develop their talents and cultivate their intellect, character and courage so that they too can make a difference in the world.

Nardin's History of Tradition:

Nardin Academy was founded in 1857 as the first Catholic Academy and free school in Buffalo, NY by Ernestine Nardin, Victorine Boucher, and Eliza Smyth. Endeavoring to help educate the children of the diocese, particularly girls, in a faith-based culture, the DHM opened both the Academy during the day and funded a free school for girls without means at night.

While it was officially named "St. Mary's Academy and Industrial Female School," the school was known in the community as "Miss Nardin's Academy." The name was changed to “The Nardin Academy” in 1917 and finally to “Nardin Academy” in 1951.

How Students, Faculty, and Staff Will Celebrate

Throughout Nardin’s history the Daughters of the Heart of Mary have permeated life on campus, both as staff and as guidance on the Board of Trustees. Today, the remaining members of the DHM no longer reside on our Cleveland campus, but take this week to visit the campus and interact with the Nardin Community.  

Leading up to this week, our faculty and students throughout the Academy have been preparing for the DHM's visit by incorporating our rich history into their curriculum. Our campus will be filled with events and activities to celebrate the history of Nardin, and the DHM such as:
  • Our Montessori students have prepared a song to preform for the DHM.
  • A Nardin Founders story/coloring book was made by our Lower School friends.
  • 1st and 4th graders wrote a Thanksgiving story together, that reflects the DHM's ideal of helping children learn to read & write.
  • Our Middle School students have prepared an art project that addresses the theme, “Keep the Sea Free of Debris.”
  • Our Upper School students prepared an escape room based upon biography of Adelaide de Cice.
  • There will be an all-Academy Founders Day Mass on Friday, November 18.
  • And of course we will be celebrating Ernestine Nardin's birthday with cake for everyone! 

In the spirit of the DHM and our commitment to service, the Academy is having a food drive to support families served by FeedMore WNY. There will be barrels set up at each school collecting non-perishable food items from November 14 - 18.

We are excited to celebrate Founders Week with all of Nardin's community!

Tom Whalen

Director of Mission Integration