This week, Mr. Bob Lampen shares the process of the Sacred Heart Commission on Goals (SHCOG) and the purpose of the Action Plan Steering Committee. Mr. Lampen teaches Seventh and Eighth Class math and also helps out during Little Acorn and Pre-Primary recess, where he’s a favorite with our littlest learners.
Before I speak about the Action Plan Steering Committee, allow me to put on my teacher hat and give a brief summary of why this committee exists.
The Network of Sacred Heart Schools is an association of the 25 Sacred Heart Catholic independent schools in the United States and Canada, united in one mission expressed in the Goals and Criteria. The Sacred Heart Commission on Goals (SHCOG) oversees a reflective process whereby each school community holds itself accountable for living these Goals and Criteria. The process is referred to as “SHCOG.” So, this acronym is both a commission and a process.
The SHCOG process runs in a five-year cycle. Each Network school is committed to adhere to the cycle which includes a self-study and reflection document written by the school, a visit from a SHCOG visiting team made up of Sacred Heart community members from across the Network (they provide recommendations and commendations at the end of their visit), a plan of action in response to the self-study and the visiting team’s report, and an ongoing review of this plan – thus, the Action Plan Steering Committee.
Three years ago, Mr. Horner asked if I would chair this committee. I accepted his invitation and have been working ever since with my colleagues to ensure our plan of action keeps moving forward. The committee meets three times throughout the school year to track and update the progress of the Action Plan. Current members of the Action Plan Steering Committee are Alli Alarcon, Mary Charlotte Chandler, RSCJ, Tim Horner, Bob Lampen (chair), Sharon Mitsler, Mary Reepmeyer, Lisa Tebbe, and Sam Weiss.
From a personal perspective, this committee has been an engaging experience with my colleagues. With our committee comprised of Sacred Heart members from different areas of the community, hearing different perspectives stimulates conversation and allows for us to gain a more complete understanding of the entire community.
Of all the work we do, there is one underlying focus that permeates every discussion and every decision – the children. The foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, once said, “For the sake of one child, I would have founded the Society.” This single quote sums up nicely why so much work is put in inside and outside of the classroom each day. The children are the reason why we all do what we do: faculty, staff, parents, alums, etc. The Action Plan Steering Committee is here to ensure we stay on the path laid by those before us and continue moving forward for those who will come after us.
