Martin’s Dream

February 11, 2014

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Congratulations to Rollin J., Fifth Class, who won first prize in the K-5 category of the Martin Luther King, Jr. “Dream Project” competition organized by the St. Charles Human Relations Commission and the Foundry Art Centre, for his artwork, “Martin’s Dream.” The work of all participants is on display in the lobby of St. Charles City Hall through Feb. 28. Awards will be presented to Rollin and five other winners on Tuesday, Feb. 18 during the council meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall. All are invited to attend.

Wear Red for Heart Awareness

February 10, 2014

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The Academy school community will wear red on Tuesday, Feb. 11 for heart health awareness.  Students may wear a red shirt over their uniforms at no cost.

100 Days

February 10, 2014

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Students in Mrs. Metcalf’s First Class entered their classroom through the first zero in this jumbo poster. It was the 100th day of school for students in Classes 1–8.

Hearts for Haiti

February 7, 2014

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Education opens doors to a better way of life.  The Academy is proudly uniting with the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Fl., the University of Miami, and Partners in Health to build Notre Dame de La Colline School in the impoverished country of Haiti. We want to help provide Haitian children the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and become all God has created them to be.

uniformsIn support of Goal III of Sacred Heart Education, A Social Awareness Which Impels to Action, the Fourth Class is sponsoring a BAKE SALE on Thursday, FEBRUARY 13. All treats will be sold during lunch periods for 50 cents each. Proceeds will be used to purchase school uniforms.

Congé!

February 6, 2014

conge-video-thumbThis was the chorus of our Eighth Class students as they ran through the Academy hallways this past Monday. Whistles blowing, horns blasting and shouts of glee rose to create a crescendo of JOY as students, faculty and staff became aware that, yes, this was the yearly surprise day of fun! Books, lessons, tests, essays, quizzes and projects were set aside, allowing the whole school to engage in a day filled with fun activities organized and orchestrated by our amazing Eighth Class leaders!

If you are new to Sacred Heart education, you may wonder why we do this. What is the educational point? St. Madeleine Sophie Barat’s hope was that on days such as Congé, our students would learn, through experience, about the bountiful nature of God’s love!

Helping our students come to know themselves as deeply, completely and unreservedly loved is the BIGGEST lesson of a Sacred Heart education. It is also the source of the courage and confidence which we talk about so often. I once observed a dramatic example of this kind of lesson when I was a young administrator. I walked into a religion class of an older RSCJ and, to my surprise, she was flinging M&Ms out into her classroom as if they were confetti. The children were squealing, shrieking, giggling and diving for them! At the end of a few moments of seeming chaos, this wise RSCJ gathered the children around her and, with twinkling eyes, explained that this is how God wants to love us—abundantly and extravagantly!

In our secular society, it is a particular challenge to figure out how one helps children understand that the CREATOR of the stars at night (and the Creator of everything in the material universe) yearns to love them and have them know themselves as Beloved! Well, CONGÉ is one of the many aspects of life at the Academy, all of which conspire to create an atmosphere and ambiance of love and acceptance, the goal of which is to do that very thing: educate to God’s Love.

A HUGE thank you goes out to the Eighth Class students for the work, time, energy, effort and  LOVE they provided for the whole school community!

United in the Heart of the One Who yearns for us to know ourselves as deeply loved,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

Early Dismissal

February 4, 2014

Based on afternoon weather predictions and recommendations of MODOT, we will have early dismissal at 1 p.m.

  1. We will use normal dismissal procedures during the 1:00–1:30 time frame.
  2. If your child is normally in late dismissal and you come through the line between 1:00–1:30, we will send a runner to retrieve your child from the late dismissal location.
  3. If you are not able to make it to the Academy to pick up your child by 1:30, be assured that your child will be well cared for until you arrive.
  4. All after-school activities are cancelled.

 

Partnership and Collaboration

January 30, 2014

Thank you so much to all of you who attended the General PCC Meeting last Thursday. I know that as parents of young children who are also juggling work and family, you are making choices, and making true sacrifices to attend these meetings. Your presence is essential to our partnership and collaboration.

One VERY IMPORANT piece of information which was disseminated at the meeting had to do with our mission accreditation process. We asked every Academy parent to attend a special THIRD General PCC meeting on THURSDAY, MARCH 27. We will be using the evening to gather information regarding our living of the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education. More information will follow! Please mark your calendar now. Additionally, third quarter report cards will be distributed.

We also used last Thursday’s PCC meeting to talk about the Capital Campaign. Mr. Eric Schaefer provided us with some great follow-up stats. Having just begun the Campaign publically three months ago, we are currently just under 60% of our goal. This is a HUGE SUCCESS. Mr. Schaefer invited everyone to think about what it would take to push us to 100% of goal!

Much interest was garnered when some of the current drawings for the facility/site planning were shown. For the sake of campus security, student safety and clarity regarding way-finding, the plans are to reorient the ‘front’ of the school BACK to our historic front (the Second Street side) and, in the process we will begin to create a safe play and walking space in the interior/center of our campus. As we hit certain targets regarding the cash received for the campaign we will be enthusiastically sharing more information regarding the plan.

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for your support in every way! As I always say, I am convinced that the world will be a better place as we send children of the Sacred Heart forth into the world to reveal God’s Goodness, Grace and Love!

Maureen Glavin, rscj

PCC Meeting

January 23, 2014

Tonight is our second General Parent Coordinating Council meeting of the year. Your attendance at these meetings is very important. It is not only an opportunity to pick up your child’s report card (for Primary–Eighth Class parents); it’s also an important vehicle of information, communication and collaboration in this educational journey we are taking together.

Tonight’s agenda:

Welcome
Troy Schuster, PCC President

Capital Campaign Updates
Maureen Glavin, rscj, and
Eric Schaefer, Campaign Co-Chair

Chemin de Fer Announcements
Mike Todt and Bob MacDonald

ASH 500
Bob Yanics

Sacred Heart Commission on Goals
Sandy Ahlheim, Joan Runge and Jerry Stauder

Final Prayer

See you this evening,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

Tuition Assistance

January 17, 2014

The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2014. This means that, by Feb. 15, FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment must receive:

  1. your application,
  2. a copy of your tax return, as submitted to the IRS, and
  3. a copy of your W-2 forms.

To begin the application process, click here.

While we are aware that the IRS has delayed the opening date for individuals to file their 2013 tax returns, this does not affect our Tuition Assistance application deadline. Your tax return does not need to be processed by the IRS before you can apply for assistance; it just needs to be submitted to the IRS. You can submit your 2013 tax returns as in any normal year. It is simply that the IRS does not plan to begin reviewing returns before Jan. 31 (according to the Dec. 18, 2013 IRS news release IR-2013-100).

Most of us were not even aware that a similar situation existed last year. The IRS did not begin reviewing returns until Jan. 30, following January tax law changes made by Congress on Jan. 1 under the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA). The extensive set of ATRA tax changes affected many 2012 tax returns, which led to the late January opening.