Middleburg Academy (formerly Notre Dame Academy) announced today that the Board of Trustees has approved new visual symbols and a motto that will identify the school as it formally shifts to its new name by July 1, 2010. Included are a redesigned school shield, and the new motto: "Learn, Lead, Serve," (Cognoscere, Ducere, Servire). The new symbols will be used on all school stationery, publications and signage. Athletic uniforms and related clothing will feature a gold-colored letter "M" in block form, outlined in blue.

"We have kept the school's colors, blue and gold, and our mascot, the dragon, as they connect us to the past, and the ethical and spiritual values that we have inherited from earlier days," said Elizabeth (Libbi) Murray, head of school since January, 2009. She added: "The shield retains the classical Lamp of Learning featured on previous Notre Dame identifiers, and adds a heraldic dragon, the school's date of founding (1965), and a tree representing both knowledge and our commitment to protecting the environment. Where appropriate, the shield will be accompanied by a banner bearing the new motto."

Notre Dame Academy, founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame, has shifted over time from its origin as a Catholic girls' boarding school, to a co-educational Catholic day high school, to its present status as an independent, non-sectarian, college preparatory high school. Murray added: "We see establishing this new set of visual representations as yet another step towards achieving our stated vision of 'instilling in our students the ambition and desire to embrace opportunities in leadership and service as stewards of a fragile planet'."

Creation of the new designs was assisted by graphic designer Evan Brown, with input from many individuals in the school community. They will be phased in, as appropriate, over the coming months.