ADOM :: Curley Notre Dame rings in 60 years

By Lisa Morales - Archbishop Curley Notre Dame HS

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | ACND Prep

Father Daniel Kent presides over the Orientation Day Mass held on August 19 at ACND Prep.

MIAMI | When the bell rang Aug. 19 for the start of classes at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep, it also marked a moment in history: the start of the school's 60th year. Back in 1953, students carried heavy textbooks and used typewriters. Now students carry iPads with ETexts stored inside.

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | ACND Prep

Today, iPads and ETexts have replaced typewriters and textbooks. All students at ACND Prep receive an iPad. Archive photo from Archbishop Curley 1956 yearbook.

"We are excited to celebrate our diamond anniversary," said Douglas Romanik, ACND's principal. "Our school has endured and flourished long past the merger of Notre Dame and Archbishop Curley. And, with the rapid growth of Miami's urban core, we are happy to be part of a community that focuses not just on residential and commercial development, but also on culture, academics, and lifestyle amenities."

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | ACND Prep

Orientation Day provides students an opportunity to acclimate to their new environment. ACND Prep just embarked on its 60th year as an archdiocesan Catholic high school. For the past four years, ACND has included a middle school.

From the founding of Archbishop Curley High School and Notre Dame Academy in the 1953-54 school year and through their merger in 1981, the now 6 to 12-grade school has been enriched by the educational traditions and charism of the priests of the Archdiocese of St. Augustine and Miami; Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; Sisters of St. Joseph; Brothers of Holy Cross; and Congregation of Christian Brothers. In 2012, ACND welcomed , Romanik, a graduate of the school's class of 1983, as its first lay principal.

"Our motto this year is: faith, family, excellence," said Romanik. "Whether it's Food Truck Knights, the Hall of Fame Gala, or Heritage Day, our graduates continue to return home. We are family."

The anniversary celebration will officially begin with the opening school Mass at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29. The Mass will be held at the former site of the Notre Dame Academy for Girls, now Notre Dame d"Haiti Catholic Church, 110 N.E. 62 St., Miami, 33138.

To know about all of the 60th anniversary events at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep, visit www.acnd.net or contact Monica Metcalf , '09, alumni and special events coordinator: 305-751-8367 , ext. 19, or [email protected].

Comments from readers

Richard DeMaria - 08/21/2013 10:18 AM

What an important milestone for ACND and for the Archdiocese. I have always been proud of ACND and its commitment to its students. One can feel the spirit of community from the moment he steps foot onto the grounds. Congratulations to Principal Rumanik and to all the staff of ACND. May this be a year of celebration and growth.

Richard DeMaria - 08/21/2013 10:18 AM: What an important milestone for ACND and for the Archdiocese. I have always been proud of ACND and its commitment to its students. One can feel the spirit of community from the moment he steps foot onto the grounds. Congratulations to Principal Rumanik and to all the staff of ACND. May this be a year of celebration and growth.

School News | Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Curley Notre Dame rings in 60 years

Archbishop to celebrate anniversary Mass Aug. 29 at former site of Notre Dame Academy

By Lisa Morales - Archbishop Curley Notre Dame HS

Comments from readers