Student Life

Faith & Service

Guided by the examples set by our founders, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, a commitment to service work and global citizenship is at the heart of our daily life.

As the Daughters of the Heart of Mary are known for living in the midst of the world so that they may better respond to the needs of God's people, Nardin students broaden their horizons and explore new perspectives through expanding service-learning opportunities both in our Buffalo community and in communities across the globe.

At Nardin, we educate in the Catholic tradition, yet seventeen faiths are represented across our three schools. All students are welcome and have the opportunity for leadership in schools liturgy or prayer service. Retreats allow students time for camaraderie and reflection.

Montessori

Service

Our Montessori is committed to serving our local community. Each year, boxtops for the Ronald McDonald house are collected throughout the year and every winter holiday season, presents are collected for at risk youth served by Gateway-Longview.

Liturgy

Our Montessori Elementary students join in Liturgy and prayer services are led by Fr. Dave Richards.

Catchesis of the Good Shepherd

All Montessori students receive instruction in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This instruction, rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and educational principles of Maria Montessori, is an approach to the religious formation of children which keeps children engaged and learning about their faith.

Lower Middle

Service

Each grade from K-8 participates in a variety of community service activities both in school and in the larger Buffalo community.

Liturgy

All grade levels attend and participate in school masses and prayer services throughout the year. Prayer services focus on liturgical seasons and include but are not limited to Advent, Lent, and Stations of the Cross. Students in Grades 3 - 8 take ownership to help plan and participate in masses, and lead all prayer services.

Retreats

Each grade from K-8 participates in a retreat throughout the school year. Below are the following themes for each grade level:

  • Kindergarten: The World God Made
  • Grade 1: The Mass 
  • Grade 2: Forgiveness (First Reconciliation)
  • Grade 3: Loaves & Fish (First Communion)
  • Grade 4: The Ten Commandments 
  • Grade 5: The Seven Sacraments
  • Grade 6: Creation & Stewardship of God's Earth 
  • Grade 7: Servant Leadership 
  • Grade 8: Leadership/Attitude of Grace

High School

Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry is a vibrant component of our High School community encompassing liturgy, service, and retreats, and promoting each student’s faith and spiritual formation.

Service

Our High School students are committed to service in our community and volunteer with dozens of organizations including:

  • St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy
  • Catholic Charities
  • Response to Love Center
  • The Teacher’s Desk
  • Vive Shelter
  • Journey’s End Refugee Services
  • FeedMore WNY (Food Bank)
  • Ronald McDonald House

Each student completes 80 hours of community service as a graduation requirement, with specific requirements for each year. Students use the online platform Mobileserve to log and keep track of their service hours. More information on service requirements can be found by clicking here.

Service-Immersion Experiences

Nardin Academy High School students have the opportunity to participate in week -ong "Nardin Serves the World" service immersion trips domestically around the United States and internationally in Central America.

  • International Service: For the last several years our students have traveled to Granada, Nicaragua with International Samaritans. As part of this transformative service-learning experience, students engage in hard physical labor building concrete block homes for the community's poor.
  • Domestic Service: Week-long service trips to areas such as Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, and right here in Buffalo, NY serving the hungry, the homeless, and the marginalized.

Liturgy

We celebrate mass as a community about once a month and on Holy Days of Obligation. We also hold several liturgical services throughout the year, including our Thanksgiving interfaith prayer service, Lessons and Carols, Advent Prayer Services, and Reconciliation Services during Lent. Students take primary roles in both liturgy and music ministry.

Retreats

Each student at Nardin has the opportunity to attend a retreat every year they attend Nardin. Each retreat is student-led by seniors and allows each student to pause, reflect, and grow. The sequence of retreats is highlighted below:

Freshman Retreat
The Freshman Retreat is a class retreat that encourages students to reflect on their first year at Nardin, paying particular attention to the relationships in their life.

Sophomore Retreat
The Sophomore Retreat is a class retreat centered around the Gospel story of the Two Foundations (Matthew 7: 24-29). Students reflect honestly about the “foundations” in their life

Kairos
The Kairos retreat has a long history in Catholic high schools and colleges. Kairos is new to Nardin and is offered to juniors three times a year. Kairos is a three-day, two-night retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. On Kairos, students will reflect on their relationships with others, self, and God. The retreat also challenges students to heed the call to servant leadership. 

Senior “Portrait of a Graduate” Capstone
This unique, individual retreat allows students to reflect on their time here at Nardin in the context of traits of the “Portrait of a Graduate.” Each student creates a 10-15 minute presentation based on their reflection and presents to their classmates in their religion classes.

Any questions can be directed to Tom Whalen, the Director of Campus Ministry, at twhalen@nardin.org
A private, independent, Catholic school in Buffalo, NY, with coed Montessori, Lower and Middle Schools and a college preparatory High School for young women.

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