Welcome from the Head of Schools
A remarkable education comes from the heart
Dear Prospective Parents,
“Coming to a Sacred Heart school, you have entered into a family and have come to a home.” This sentence begins one of Sacred Heart Schools’ guiding documents, “Life at the Sacred Heart.” We receive affirmation of this sense of community daily from parents, teachers, students and alumni. Sacred Heart’s education provides a tremendous academic program, coupled with an environment in which children (and their parents!) are known as individuals, thoughtfully cared for and loved for the rich gifts each brings to the community.
Since 1876, Sacred Heart Schools has educated young people in Chicago to be the best for the world. Drawing on the vision of our foundress, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, and over 200 years of educating young people around the world, Sacred Heart provides a transformative education that seeks to develop character in students, inspiring them to become active, informed and responsible citizens. Sacred Heart education blends tradition and timeless values with innovative educational practices, always bearing in mind St. Madeleine Sophie’s conviction that each child is an expression of God’s love. Sacred Heart is part of an international network of more than 150 schools, and also has a warm, inclusive community that represents and celebrates the richness of the Chicago area. Students leave our halls curious, confident, compassionate and with a self-knowledge that allows them to go out into the world and impact it for the better.
As a Catholic, independent PK-8 school, Sacred Heart benefits from both these identities. Our Catholic identity leads us to encourage each student to explore his or her relationship with God. As a Catholic school for families of all faiths, we enjoy the richness of the variety of faith traditions in our community and support each student’s deepening knowledge of their own faith.
As an independent school, Sacred Heart has the freedom to develop an innovative, flexible curriculum that challenges and inspires a wide range of learners. We hold ourselves to a high standard of academic excellence and ongoing evaluation of our programs. Our 8th grade graduates leave well prepared for the rigors of academics and also quickly become contributing members of their new high school communities. Over and over again, high schools report that Sacred Heart students are their leaders in academics, extracurriculars and community life.
When it comes down to it, Sacred Heart is so special because of the transformative mission left to us by our founding mothers, which guides us to this day. This mission seeks to prepare students to embark on a lifetime of meaning, continuous learning, community contribution and compassion for others. Founding mother Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ, wrote, “We bring up the children for the future, not for the present, not that we may enjoy the fruit of our work, but for others. Our education is not meant to turn the children out small and finished but seriously begun on a wide basis.”
It is this great work to which we educate. I invite you to walk through our doors and feel the energy, spirit and tradition of Sacred Heart. You will quickly understand why a young person’s journey of the heart and mind here at Sacred Heart Schools is so profound. Ours is an education that prepares students for all that the future needs and holds, and it is a place that will quickly feel like home.
Sincerely,
