On August 21 the Academy was thrilled to receive a $9,500 grant from Gateway To Innovation (G2I) as part of their community giveback program. Their annual one-day conference for technology professionals that returns conference proceeds to the community awarded nearly $270,000 to 28 St. Louis area organizations and we are grateful to be among the award recipients again this year.
Over the summer, we were honored to receive our 50th five-star review on Niche. Fresh reviews help The Academy reach prospective parents and bolster our marketing efforts. You can read more about sharing your Academy experience here.
As a parent, I have a deep appreciation for the development of the whole child. The loving community fosters growth, academic excellence and strives to constantly improve and excel. We have found a school home that focuses on good manners, being prepared and showing empathy but also provides academic rigor and extensive programming. The teachers and staff at ASH go above and beyond to provide a loving, structured environment. We couldn’t be happier with our experience at the Academy of the Sacred Heart.
All the students were welcomed back on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Students were excited to find their new classroom and see their teacher and peers. We celebrated the Feast of the Assumption on Thursday in the Shrine of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne. I enjoyed seeing 1st through 8th grade together in one place. Being an alum, I had flashbacks of myself singing in mass in my green and blue jumper. In this moment, it made me grateful for the values and traditions we have here at the Academy. Then and now, we are living out Goal 1 of faith and we continue to come together as a community (Goal 4) and practice our faith.
We had another opportunity to come together as a community on Friday at our Back-to-School Assembly. We kicked off the new year and celebrated being back together, as well as introduced all the new students, faculty and staff. We ended the celebration dancing to the Cha Cha Slide! Happy new school year! Look forward to sharing all the exciting learning in the classrooms! Stay tuned!
Faculty and staff were blessed to begin this year in prayer and reflection with Sisters Margaret Munch and Mary Charlotte Chandler, RSCJ. To proceed from time with the RSCJ to the smiles of our students, greetings of friends, students hugging their teachers on the first day of school, I can think of no better way to begin any year.
Our school is fortunate to enroll more than 40 new students this year; scholars and students of faith and character supported by good families. I speak with them as they inquire, and believe that all families share of wanting to join a vibrant community. I reply that our community is exceptional, that the people are a key differentiator compared to other schools. However, I then immediately add that our academic preparation, our faith development, our faculty are also exceptional and well beyond the norm, just like our community. I am confident that each of these aspects of our school is extraordinary.
We had a wonderful first day to kick off the 2024-2025 school year. Students shared stories of their summer adventures and were excited to meet their new teachers and friends. Everyone at ASH is looking forward to all the love and learning the new school year will bring!
The Showtime! Presents Camp performed “As If! A Flashback to the 90’s” with songs “Vogue,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and my personal favorite “I Want it That Way.” The camp participants created their own characters and a script with their camp leader/director. Then, they prepared for the play and performed it for an audience of parents and friends! It was indeed a flashback to the 90’s and had me singing along! From Showtime! Presents to Christmas in July Camp to Camp Invention, the Academy campus has been full of summer activities for Academy students and friends.
I have enjoyed seeing the campus so active even during these summer days! If you are interested in visiting the campus, reach out to me at admissions@ash1818.org, as it is not too late to apply for 2024-2025 school year.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is our pleasure to share the Strategic Plan: Embracing our Rich Heritage, Creating our Bold Future.
The past two years have been marked by data gathering, analysis, and planning. We appreciate the participation of alumni, parents, the faculty and staff, and the Board of Trustees in crafting this vision for the future. The plan will guide our direction moving forward, and work has already begun in key areas.
Shawn Leight, Board of Trustees Chair
Tim Horner, 46th Head of School
For our final From the Heart of the school year, Mrs. Renken reflects on the year behind us and the special moments of growth it held. As she concludes her time as Principal at her beloved school, please keep her in your prayers for a restful, fulfilling, and fantASHtic retirement!
As we greet the summer days that lie ahead, we are given the opportunity to reflect on the days we have spent at the Academy for the past ten months. It is safe to say, everyone is ready for summer – the change of pace, the freedom to sleep in and stay up late, barbeques, ballgames, and vacations near and far.
It has been a great year – #thebest year ever! Beginning in August and throughout the school year, students have eagerly come to school, some even running to class. Excitement and joy filled the hallways and classrooms because learning is fun and there has been something new to experience and learn every day. Perhaps that eagerness waned from time to time, but overall students and adults appreciated the days in this very special “home away from home.”
“Your example, even more than your words, will be an eloquent lesson to the world.”
— St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
On Saturday, the Class of 2024 will be graduating in the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne. This year, graduation falls on May 25, the feast of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in France in 1800. Her vision, wisdom and deep faith inspired her to send Philippine Duchesne to this country in 1818 to found the Academy, and it is especially fitting that we will celebrate graduates on her feast day.
Some students have spent 10 years at the Academy, and others have joined along they way. Not only have they grown spiritually, academically and personally, but they have grown together in a supportive community. Their experiences may have been different, but they share a deep gratitude for their Sacred Heart education.
Ms. Jennifer Quick, Director of Admissions, shares exciting updates from the Admissions Office. The spring has been buzzing with tours and shadow visits and we look forward to continuing the momentum in the summer!
As the ASH Admissions Director it’s such a pleasure journeying with students and their families from the inquiry phase throughout the enrollment process and then as they thrive during the year. We are pleased to announce that we currently have more new students enrolled for the 2024-25 school year than as of the first day of school in August of 2023. We couldn’t do this without the ASH community as we continue to receive strong inquiries, often through referrals. Not only are we ahead in enrollment, we continue to have opportunities to grow even more during the summer.
To help us grow during the months ahead, please spread the word about upcoming events like our Lunch ‘n Story next Tuesday, May 21 at 11:30 a.m. for prospective students under 5. On Saturday, June 1, the Academy is hosting the Kids’ Area at 636 Day, a fun family event in Frenchtown, so please stop by and say hello (and be sure to wear your ASH gear). Also, our Midsummer Pool Party on Saturday, July 13 at Wapelhorst Park is sure to be a splASH for our inquiring and new families. Please invite interested and new families and introduce them to all your ASH friends.
As we continue through the busyness of May, Mr. Horner eagerly anticipates celebrations and milestones and looks ahead to the 2024-2025 academic year. Below, he shares plans and exciting initiatives.
I often consider May the highlight of the year. Yes, it is certainly busy, but more so it offers culminations, celebrations, and joy-filled experiences, from Mission Day to Field Day, May Crowning to Prize Ceremonies. The Eighth Class Graduation Dinner, Maypole and Graduation are milestones.
May is also the time when early plans for the next year come into clearer focus. I am pleased to share the following developments.
