SSND In the News
Notre Dame Middle School Staff Members Receive Local and National Recognition
Sister Jean Ellman, SSND, Principal of Notre Dame Middle School, was awarded the Marquette University Law School's Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI) Starfish Award for her work as an Urban Unsung Hero in Milwaukee. The honor was presented to her on November 10 at the sixth annual Restorative Justice Initiative Conference held at Marquette University Alumni Memorial Union..
Following is an excerpt from the the 11/08/2009 blog posting of Janine P. Geske, former Wisconsin Supreme Court, describing award recipient, Sister Jean:
Sister Jean Ellman, SSND has an incredible generous heart and is a tower of faith and stability in challenging neighborhoods. She has shared her gifts through the years as a teacher, principal and minister all in the Hispanic community. In 1996 Notre Dame Middle School (school for Latina youth) opened with Sister Jean’s help. She taught at the school and then became principal in 2008. She works to know each child and each child’s family personally. She observes families and she meets needs as she sees them: warm clothes, food, advice, spiritual guidance, encouragement—whatever will bless the family and empower students. In her service to others, she also models faith, wisdom, and compassion.
Here is a link to the Geske's blog, entitled Bullying in Schools—Teaching Respect and Compassion through Restorative Processes.
Melissa Melendez, a current staff member and a former graduate of Notre Dame Middle School (NDMS), was recently chosen for the 2009 NativityMiguel Network Guiding Star Award for her exceptional success and dedication to the mission of Notre Dame Middle School. The award was presented to Melissa on October 15, at the NativityMiguel Network Conference in Chicago.
The Guiding Star Graduate Award honors graduates who reflect the authentic mission and embody the hopeful spirit of NativityMiguel Network schools. The winners are the “success stories” of these schools: men and women who have persevered despite enormous challenges; who have grown into faithful, productive, loving members of society; and who have transformed others in their personal and/or professional lives.
Melissa graduated from Notre Dame Middle School in 1999 in the first class to graduate after the founding of NDMS in 1996. When it was time to think about high school, her choices were limited to the financial ability of her family. Her dream was to attend Divine Savior Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee, and with the guidance of Notre Dame Middle School and counselors at DSHA, she began attending DSHA in the fall of 1999.
She had come from a middle school where the students were mostly Latina and from low-income families and she was now a minority in a higher income suburb.
Melissa had a strong motivation to get to college and was able to focus on her studies and develop an interest in social justice. She volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Milwaukee coordinating and teaching various after school activities. Upon graduation from DSHA, Melissa began coursework at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
She is currently a senior at UW-Milwaukee, with a major in Spanish and minor in Portuguese. She came back to Notre Dame Middle School this year, now as a staff member, to work in the Development Office. She also coaches the soccer team, and serves as an invaluable role model for the current students.
– Katie Meylink, NDMS director of development
Congratulations to these two outstanding women!
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