The curriculum at SJND is a challenging four-year sequential program consisting of core studies and a broad range of electives. The SJND core curriculum provides a sequence of courses fundamental to a contemporary high school education and to college-bound students. 

SJND has high expectations for all students, encouraging them to maintain consistent, high-level performance in academics while emphasizing personal and spiritual development and active citizenship. The school requires its students to participate in its community service program. All students are encouraged to participate in the athletic program, with options to pursue a complete array of competitive athletics.

Classes are small, allowing individual attention. Students are placed in sections appropriate to their abilities. Through the availability of honors and advanced placement sections, students have the option of progressing at a rate commensurate with their own abilities and ambitions. SJND offers 10 advanced placement courses in six subject areas.

Students normally carry seven courses per semester. A minimum of 270 semester units over four years is required for graduation. In the four-year program, students should distribute these courses to satisfy the following departmental requirements:

• English: 40 units (4 years)
• Religion: 40 units (4 years)
• Mathematics:* 30 units (3 years)
• Social Studies: 30 units (3 years)
• Science: 30 units (3 years)
• Modern Language: 20 units (2 years)
• Visual or Performing Arts: 10 units (1 year)
• Physical Education: 10 units (1 year)
• Christian Service: 80 hours

* Not including Pre-Algebra

Additional courses to complete a student’s program may be selected from electives in the academic departments.

Christian Service Requirement

The Christian Service Program (CSP) is designed as an integral part of the moral and religious education that SJND seeks to give its students. The CSP project has as its goal to instill in each student the Catholic Christian values of faith and service as exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ. To this end, students participate throughout their four years of high school in non-paid service projects that are monitored by the departments of Campus Ministry and Religion.