Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

Journalism Students, Staff Writers, Journalism I

Dear Editor, 

I simply wanted to express how much I appreciate the services provided by NDA. I’d like to thank Student Services for all of their efforts, such as De-Stress Fest.  It was a good way to focus on the students’ mental health while taking a break from all the stressful homework and studying for upcoming finals. I would also like to thank the students that lead the morning announcements. I appreciate them because they keep me up to date on what’s going on at school. 

Sincerely, 

Gabi Gallardo ‘26

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Dear Editor:

As a freshman here at Notre Dame, I am currently taking Introduction to Chemistry and Physics, better known as ICP. ICP is the honors science course that freshmen may take in place of physical science. Many people will tell you that there is no need to take the class and that it is extremely difficult, not to mention how it will destroy your GPA. Others will tell you that it is good to challenge yourself, and some will say that if you study, it isn’t that bad. Some students will even say the class isn’t even that hard. 

In my personal experience I am glad that I chose to take this course, even if I have to spend hours at a time on lab reports and studying for tests. The reason that I am glad that I took it is that it will prepare me to take other difficult science courses.Alumni and teachers have said that college students taking advanced science courses will get their notes out from ICP to help them study. I feel that this course is preparing me to continue with honors science courses and helping me learn new study methods and what works for me. 

Sincerely,

Reagan DeGroot ‘26

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Dear Editor:

I performed in the choir concert on Dec 15th. We had been practicing our songs for the past several months. I had a solo in the song “Last Christmas.” I have always loved being in choir and music. I played in the band in grade school, and now I’m in the choir.

 It was nice to hear a mix of all the different bands and choirs. It ended with the band and the choirs singing “Silent Night.”  I loved hearing how different we all could be separately, and once we all came together the sound was absolutely beautiful. 

It definitely is a great way to start the Christmas season and get in the Christmas spirit. My favorite song of the whole concert was called “No Room.” Overall it was a wonderful evening. 

Sincerely,

Matthew Stein ’25

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Dear Editors,

As the finals are approaching, I would like to address the importance of study tables and how helpful they are for students to do well in their exams.

It is a very stressful time for everyone because many students don’t know how to study, and that is exactly what study tables will help with. Instead of being distracted at home, students who go to study in the library get a lot more work done. They are instructed by teachers on what to do for each subject, and they are more motivated to study. Attending one hour a day can even make a difference. It also makes students less anxious about the tests because of the environment there. 

So, I would really recommend students going to study tables because it will make them motivated to learn, and they will get a lot of studying done and be very ready for their exams. Plus, it’s always more fun to be with other people while being productive too!

Sincerely,

Emma Zankoul ‘25

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Dear Editor:

As a freshman here at NDA, this is my first year taking finals. As the assignments, tests, and studying builds up, so does the anxiety and stress. Finding a balance between my well-being and academics has been a struggle for me and most freshmen as well. 

I have very much appreciated Student Services for holding the Destress Fest last week. Taking a bit of time during my day to relax and enjoy all of the fun activities was greatly appreciated. The therapy dogs, crafts, and orbeez released much stress and anxiety before heading into finals week.

Sincerely, 

Cami Pakkala ’26

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Dear Editor:  

As a freshman this year, I have enjoyed all the festive days at NDA so far, such as De-stress Fest. De-stress Fest was a great way to take a break from finals and relax for a bit. Plus the activities were really fun, such as the tattoos, the coloring, and meeting the therapy dogs. I just wanted to appreciate how much the school does for us and the volunteers who took out time to help out. I hope we will be able to have a De-stress Fest in future years too. 

Sincerely, 

Misha Narendra’26 

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Editor of the Tritonian:

I am writing this to you to tell you how much I and many others appreciate all the work you do. Our school just wouldn’t be the same without such a great way to document things. From school dances to sporting events and everything in between the Tritonian has it all. I just cannot imagine our school without the paper to keep us informed. It helps us stay up to date on the things happening at school. It has been a really useful tool as a freshman to stay in the loop. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Caroline Broberg ’26

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Dear Editor,

As a freshman at Notre Dame Academy, I would just like to say a few words about snow days. With finals coming closer this winter season, more students and teachers are getting anxious and nervous about the exams. Around this time of year, families are busy getting organized for the holidays and rushing to get things done. It can be stressful, and the final exams are now right around the corner.

Students spend countless hours preparing for these tests, and it really makes everyone feel exhausted. Wouldn’t it be great if you woke up early in the morning to get ready to go to school and found out that it was a snow day? For me, that would be amazing – just another day to relax and get re-focused on what needs to get done.

Snow days can be a great way of studying. With the whole day now unexpectedly open it’s the perfect opportunity. Students can now be in the comfort of their own homes and still get work done.

For the teachers, it’s a great opportunity to catch up on grading before the end of the semester. They can post work for students in Google Classroom just like they normally would during an in-school day.

This is why I think snow days are helpful and useful surprises.

Sincerely,

Alaina Nimmer ’26

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Dear Editor: 

The school should institute a policy if you finish the semester with an A and good attendance you shouldn’t have to take that final exam. Students are most likely to get better grades and attendance at the idea of not having the stress of final exams. This could contribute to more of a more positive school environment and give students more motivation to get good grades. With the idea of finals, I would be appreciative if the school could look at this idea. 

Thank you, 

Ian Johnson ‘26

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Dear Editor,

I write this to you to inform you how I and the rest of the school  feel about the lunch periods when it comes to the scheduling and the different classes of each year to be mixed up. We feel that it would be only reasonable to have the seniors and juniors eat together and the freshmen and the sophomores eat together.

As you can see or should be informed, those classes separated together for their lunch would be more appreciative of being with their year-older class counterparts instead of freshmen dealing with a senior or a senior dealing with a sophomore. 

I hope you take this into consideration in scheduling us how we would like it.

Sincerely,

Joel Ortega’23

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Dear Editor:

As a student at NDA, I think that if we have a snow day tomorrow we shouldn’t have to zoom in. When I was little we never had to do work on a snow day. Waking up to your parents telling you that school is canceled is a part of being a kid.

Since finals are around the corner, if we have a snow day we should be able to study for our finals instead of zooming into our class. The snow day would be very beneficial to students because a lot of people have sports and don’t have time to study for finals on a normal school day. This time of the year is very stressful so having a study snow day would be great!

Sincerely,

Madeline Patrickus’23

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Dear Editor,

As a National Honors Society member, I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who made the NHS induction mass possible and to all those who attended it. The mass and ceremony were a lovely and amazing experience that made me feel extremely honored for being able to be a part of this. Everyone got their time to shine and as one of them, I felt honored that the hard work of my peers and myself had been recognized.

I am also humbled that I have the ability to help those who need help through tutoring. To help others is a true pleasure in life and having this opportunity is an eye-opener. Being able to help and teach others has always been a dream of mine and I am thankful to NHS for giving me the opportunity. I encourage those who are on the fence about joining NHS next year to deeply consider it for the honors of experiencing the NHS mass and helping others. 

Sincerely, 

Ben Wolcanski ’24

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Dear Editor:

As a senior here at Notre Dame, I’ve had my fair share of stress. It is great we get one day to relax during the most stressful time of the year. I have learned firsthand how stressful it is to feel at ease at the end of the semester. 

I have very much appreciated the last two years of De-Stress Fest. I think many teachers are starting to recognize the stress and anxiety of students during finals. I speak for all when I say thank you for De-Stress Fest. I encourage the school to continue the great tradition of De-Stress Fest. 

Sincerely,

Jayden Smits’23

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Dear Editor,

As a student of NDA I love this school and the teachers along with the reminders of wearing our ID´s and shaving. But the situation of shaving goes deeper in conflict with students and teachers along with Mr.Masarik checking on everyone and making them have a meeting with him if he sees a problem. 

I am very appreciative about the teachers reminding us every time, but it goes without saying that students receive referrals on not shaving more than a week later. For some teachers who think that giving a referral to a student that did not shave for the first time, I encourage the school to rethink shaving policies.

Sincerely, 

Esteban Rubio’23

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Dear Editor,

As a student here at NDA that transferred here my sophomore year, I am grateful for the ability to grow my education, friendships, and extracurricular activities. Currently, the bathroom in the priory hallway is closed due to the pipes bursting. While mechanical accidents are understandable, it has been brought to attention that the pipes have not been replaced since 1954. In short, those pipes are 68 years old.

Notre Dame Academy provides excellent Catholic education, but it is unexpectable that students and faculty cannot trust the durability of the mechanics that keep our school functioning. Upon speaking with other students, issues such as a lack of temperature stability between classrooms due to the ancient boiler, is another example of our school being physically and mechanically dated compared to other fine schools. I strongly encourage Notre Dame to look into the mechanical areas of our school with components that are old in order to enhance our learning environment.

Sincerely,

Mason Tumpach ’24

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Dear Editor: 

I am a sophomore at Notre Dame Academy, and I think we should have off-campus lunch. Students could benefit from it by being able to take a break from being in the building. Underclassmen can ride with upperclassmen to restaurants or drive-thrus close to campus. It would also give the restaurants more money that they may not get during the lunch hour. 

This would also give more time for kids to eat lunch. Twenty-five minutes is not enough time for kids to eat and get the nutrients they need to survive the rest of the day. Twenty-five minutes is also not enough time for kids to catch up with their friends on what has been going on in their day and talk. Having open campus lunch can allow more time to eat and talk with friends while getting a break from classes and being in the building. Going from class to class without a real break can be stressful sometimes. 

I really hope this is taken into consideration. 

 

Thanks, 

Lily Arkens’25

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Dear Editor:

As a student of the junior class here at NDA, I have always loved unexpected snow days. Right now, we are all wondering if there will be a snow day tomorrow or if we will have to zoom in. Snow Days used to give the best feeling of waking up and being able to go back into a warm bed. Now, the school is talking about having to zoom in from home or at least have the teachers post assignments. I personally think we should not be doing that on snow days. When I was younger, waking up and looking out the window with that feeling of a snow day was the best. 

It is not a daily occurrence when a snow day happens, so they could just give us a day off instead of zooming in or doing work. Therefore, if we have a snow day, we should keep them the way they have always been, especially since we have built-in days for this reason already. 

Sincerely, 

Sienna Callaway, Junior