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Sacred Heart Schools
Academy of the Sacred Heart for Girls
Hardey Preparatory for Boys

An education for the head and the heart

In 1876, during the building boom that followed the Great Fire, The Academy of the Sacred Heart for Girls opened in Chicago on Dearborn Street. The school moved to its present location on Sheridan Road across from Lake Michigan in 1929, and Hardey Preparatory for Boys was added to the complex in 1935.

Since its beginnings, Sacred Heart Schools have educated children in accordance with the ideals and intentions of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, who founded the first Sacred Heart school in France in 1800.  St. Madeleine Sophie’s vision of education was deeply concerned with development of the whole person. Her goal was to instill in each of her students a deep love of God, a strong sense of integrity, a respect for the inherent value of every person, and a curious mind open to new ideas.  The intertwining of intellect and soul – of the head and the heart – was central to her philosophy.

Today, St. Madeleine Sophie’s vision of education is shared by 21 Sacred Heart schools in the United States and nearly 130 Sacred Heart schools world-wide through the Goals and Criteria that for us form a creed, a living mission statement, that is celebrated and advanced on a daily basis. Important virtues are promoted through honoring these goals, and students gain in the process: a sense of personal responsibility, a concern for others, a willingness to serve and to lead.  They also gain the skills and intellectual vitality to succeed in life.

A challenging curriculum, small classes, individual attention and quality teaching together shape in environment in which children can grow and take hold of possibly the most valuable lesson.  They learn to love learning.

“Our goal is to prepare students to engage life with an open heart and to become strong, independent individuals who make a difference.”
– Sr. Susan Maxwell, RSCJ, Director of Schools

The Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education

Schools of the Sacred Heart educate to:

• A personal and active faith in God,
• A deep respect for intellectual values,
• A social awareness which impels to action
• The building of community as a Christian value
• Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.

The Goals and Criteria are the principles that express the values, intentions and hopes of the Sacred Heart tradition.

Sacred Heart Schools
Academy of the Sacred Heart for Girls
Hardey Preparatory for Boys
The best of both worlds

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