Dear Academy families and friends,
The summer days have been challenging with much to learn and much to plan and much to put in place in order to be ready for a return to school as scheduled on August 17. Throughout this time, I have been accompanied by the words of Philippine Duchesne:
I am where God wills me to be,
and so I have found rest and security.
His wisdom governs me,
His power defends me,
His grace sanctifies me,
His mercy encompasses me,
His joy sustains me
and all will go well with me.
I share this with you so that you too may be comforted by these words, rooted in faith, which form the foundation of Philippine’s courage and confidence. In these days of challenge and uncertainty let us draw from our foundress’s strength.
Across the summer months much has been done to ready our spaces for the return of students and teachers. I look forward to welcoming our families to campus on August 13th for a new version of Open House which we hope will promote the appropriate spacing of people and still deliver the excitement of being back to school! When on campus, you will find the classrooms look a little different with chairs facing the same direction, and the relocation of cubbies for our Lower School students. Hand sanitizing stations and HEPA filters are now a part of our interior landscape as well. These changes and many others (that may not be quite as noticeable) have all been enacted to ensure the health, wellness and safety of all learning and working in our buildings.
The unique spirit of learning in a Sacred Heart School is not dictated by the beauty of the building and grounds, it is not determined by the placement of desks or chairs. The unique spirit is brought by the community supporting the school- the teachers, the families as well as the administration and staff all working together on behalf of the students. An example of this is found in the formation of the Parent Athletic Council this summer. My thanks go out to Brad Harris for getting this group up and running (please see more details below).
Together we will make the 2020-2021 academic year not only possible but a success. We count on all in our community to support the children and teachers by making the best decisions regarding their own family’s health and safety. I believe we can ensure a sustained ‘in-school learning’ experience for our students if we all work together and follow the policies and procedures outlined to date in our Return to School Plan.
I look forward to seeing you on August 13.
Dr. Susan Dempf
