Dear Sacred Heart Family,
It is hard to believe that May is here, and there are only a few short weeks remaining in this remarkable academic year. I sincerely hope that you and your family are enjoying the beautiful springtime weather!
Special thanks are owed to Libby Orr, auction co-chairs Heather Anne Longo and Adrienne King, and the entire auction committee for putting together such a fabulous event last weekend. The food, decor, and fellowship were fantastic. It has been quite some time since we’ve been able to gather, and it was wonderful to see everyone. Thank you for your generous support of our school. While we are still tallying the numbers, I’m proud to report that this year’s auction has grossed over $100,000 for our school. Well done, and thank you to everyone, especially our generous donors.
-Academic Dean:
To better serve our community through leadership transition, Father David, Sedonna Prater, and I have decided to create a new administrative position of Academic Dean. We believe that having a proven, committed leader in this role will greatly increase the level of support we offer our students and teachers and be a blessing to the future Principal of our school. Among other responsibilities, the Academic Dean will oversee student progress monitoring, will coordinate the on-boarding of new teachers, and oversee our federal funding programs.
I am excited to announce that one of our first-grade teachers, Valerie Hanks, has been selected to serve in this position. Mrs. Hanks is a fantastic educator, and she has recently finished her Catholic school leadership credentials through Loyola Marymount University, where she was one of two students selected to receive the prestigious Tony Sabatino Scholarship. Mrs. Hanks not only brings a wealth of experience as a classroom teacher, but she has served as chair of numerous committees, and is a graduate of our Diocesan Leadership Academy. Most importantly, she demonstrates an active, deep Catholic faith and genuine love and commitment to this community. On a personal note, her remarkable talent has been abundantly evident to me this past year as she has been a chief architect of our school’s re-accreditation process. Valerie’s work as chair of this effort has been invaluable. She will finish out the school year with her current first-grade class and will assume full-time administrative responsibilities this summer. Please join me in congratulating Valerie! This is great news for Sacred Heart!
-First communion at the Cathedral is this Saturday! Congratulations to our 2nd graders and their families on reaching this important milestone in their sacramental journey. Special thanks to Abigail Blatchford, Lisa Iman, and Deacon Walt for their care and preparation with this. I especially want to thank our priests for how they have shepherded our students–praise be to God!
-Some folks have inquired about masks in light of the recent lifting of the mask mandate. At this time, we plan to continue requiring masks for the remainder of this academic year. That said, we are hopeful for a return to more normalcy next school year, and the diocese will be sharing plans regarding this in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more information, and let us know if you have questions in the meantime.
Lastly, I want to pause briefly to celebrate our 8th-grade class. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how proud we are of this wonderful group of students. Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, they have demonstrated the heart, courage, and leadership we expect of our graduates. They will go on to do great and wonderful things, but most importantly, they will leave our halls with a firm foundation academically and spiritually. 8th graders, the finish line is near! Press on!
Grace and peace,