Our school was founded in 1950 by people who desired to revive education in Hiroshima, which had been devastated by the atomic bomb. The seed was planted more than 200 years ago when, in the devastation caused by the French Revolution, St. Julie Billiart founded a group of Sisters to promote education. St. Julie received her inspiration from the love of Jesus Christ, and she named her educational institute after his Mother Mary, Notre Dame.
Now, we continue to face various difficulties and trials, and while accepting anxiety and worries, we cherish the lives that we have been given and continue to live together. At our school, guided by the school motto “Purify your heart and be a person of love,” and by the prayers of our predecessors, we are studying hard to build the new era in union with the Notre Dame Family that is spreading all over the world. For example, the Student Life Committee is focused on activities involving SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) , and each student individually pursues a research project. By doing so we all generate what we call “Nadeshiko Flower Power (the school emblem is the nadeshiko flower which, though small, is known for its strength ). Also in 2021, we started using a digital library, and the students made such good use of it that our school became the number one user in Japan *, and together with the number of books lent out, we set a new record. As stated in the passage of the Bible, “Ask, and it shall be given to you.” (Matthew 7: 7), we would like to develop the independence of the students, deepen their learning, and expand their possibilities together.
From the seeds that have been sown, I hope that through the joy of school life and collaboration, along with the important challenges they encounter, the students can develop a rich “social conscience” and share a harvest of love. Through our relationships together, we will strive to be a school that shines with the light of hope while taking a new step toward the future.
The Principal Shiori Kamigaki
