The History of Notre Dame Elementary
Notre Dame Elementary School is conducted by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a congregation of teaching religious founded in 1804 by Saint Julie Billiart. The congregation was founded in Amiens, France, and the seat of government was transferred in 1809 to Namur, Belgium.
Education at every level from pre-kindergarten though graduate school in parishes comprises the apostolate of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who now number over five thousand with foundations in Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Kenya, South Rhodesia, Scotland, Union of South Africa and the United States.
In 1851, at the invitation of Most Reverend Joseph Sadoc Alemany, O/P., the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur established themselves in San Jose, California, where, at the suggestion of the Jesuit Fathers, the Sisters erected a school for girls designed to give them educational opportunities similar to those provided for boys by the Society of Jesus in Santa Clara. By 1923, the San Jose foundation included the Provincial House, novitiate, a college, secondary and elementary schools for both resident and non-resident students. But the expanding commercial district of the city of San Jose had virtually surrounded the sisters' property making a move to a less congested area imperative. Thus the historic Ralston estate in Belmont was purchased and it became the nucleus of Notre Dame, Belmont, which was eventually to include a four-year liberal arts college (Notre Dame de Namur University), a college preparatory high school (Notre Dame High School), an elementary school (Notre Dame Elementary School) and, most recently, a Montessori school for young children (Early Learning Center at Notre Dame de Namur University).
The elementary school was housed in a wing of the high school until the present building was erected in 1957. The next big step was admission of boys into the school in 1963.