Athol Murray College of Notre Dame

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame is a private, independent, co-educational boarding high school rooted in the Catholic tradition open to students of all faith backgrounds. The program of the College is developed according to the teachings, morals and liturgical practice of the Roman Catholic Church. The College maintains an ecumenical outlook and encourages all to seek God, put their faith in Him and live in accordance with their belief. Athol Murray College of Notre Dame is committed to developing young men and women to become purposeful leaders with virtuous character. Athol Murray College of Notre Dame provides an exceptional educational and boarding experience with a balance of strong academic, athletic and spiritual growth in a safe and caring prairie environment.

If one could picture Father Athol Murray walking down the main street of Wilcox, Saskatchewan, one can easily envision Pere approaching a young student in a gruff, but warm, fatherly tone welcoming the new student to Notre Dame College. Father Murray left this earth in 1975 but the Notre Dame that he built together with the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis remains with us to this day as it has since its inception in 1920.

Rooted in the Catholic tradition, but open to students of all faiths, Athol Murray College of Notre Dame puts a strong emphasis on delivering an education and character formation based on the beliefs and principles of Christian Humanism. We have a balanced approach as we pay attention to the development of the mind, the body, and the spirit all within a community environment. The underlying beliefs that there is a God, that God has revealed Himself to us in the flesh and the Word and that God wishes to grace us or help us are absolutely fundamental to life at Notre Dame.

"To Him who does what in Him lies God will not deny His Grace" –the great quote from St. Augustine of Hippo, not only inspired Father Murray but also is the driving inspiration that assists our students. Our students are challenged to achieve with character in all that they do. Father Murray's many letters, speeches and lectures have left us with a beautiful little paradigm in regards to fulfilling this.

The academic program at Notre Dame is an integral part of the development of the complete Notre Dame Hound. Graduates from Notre Dame are regularly accepted at top universities in Canada, the United States and abroad. At Notre Dame, our academic strength lies in the philosophy that all students benefit from a positive learning environment. It is more than the delivery of the curriculum that is important. Our students excel in an environment that is supportive and demanding, challenging each student to strive for growth and understanding in all academic areas.

A professional, highly educated and highly motivated academic faculty provides students with a unique learning experience. The creation of a positive classroom environment where students are challenged to think and speak for themselves contributes to the education of our students. The Notre Dame academic program demands excellence from students and prepares these same students to achieve greatness beyond Notre Dame.

Meets once a week, and explore a variety of different artistic techniques in regards to art such as pottery, painting, etc. The choral and music department organizes several performances throughout the year, including a choral trip that takes place in the spring. This department also helps students develop an interest in music with individual instrument instruction. Our Notre Dame Canadians Choral Group does several concerts throughout the year locally and across Western Canada. The Drama Club produces two major productions each year. The first production, held at Christmas, features a classic Christmas story. The second production in the spring features a different story type each year. Auditions are open to all students.

The Multi-Media Club offers opportunities for students to become involved in the digital world of photography, film, iMovie, yearbook and Stevia (immediate video analysis tool for coaches). Thousands of digital photographs fill Notre Dame’s campus boards, webpage, yearbook and iMovie productions and our family photo portal - Vidigami. Students digitally document every activity on campus and take great pride in being the ‘memory keepers’ of this generation of Hounds and their families. Through thousands of hours of volunteer work, our Multi-Media Club members can be seen with cameras in hand at the arena, on the field and in the classroom. Multi-Media Club members earn a Saskatchewan Learning Special Projects credit that is combined with their academic credit total for graduation. Students need to complete the required skills and earn a percentage grade.

The goal of the Outdoor Education program is to expose students to leadership based and team building experience in the outdoors of western Canada. Students learn to plan, pack and work together on various challenging trips in all four seasons. They learn basic survival, backpacking, canoeing and meal planning, putting these skills to use in a real outdoor setting. At the end of the year, a five-day fly-in canoe trip on the Churchill River system completes the outdoor education experience. The Yearbook Club produces the year of memories for our Hounds in an outstanding publication.

A professional, highly educated and highly motivated academic faculty provides students with a unique learning experience. Faculty create a positive classroom environment where students are challenged to think and speak for themselves. An average class size of 16 students allows for healthy debate and individual attention. Faculty offer extra help daily during scheduled office hours. Students address faculty and staff by their first names, fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect. All of our faculty have earned their Bachelor of Education, and a number are equipped with a post-graduate degree.