This is what we are working on for the upcoming school year.

Updated and Published School History

Sacred Heart School opened its doors in September 1929 and will begin a new school year in August for the 89^th year. It has been my vision to restore the historical presence of the school; with renovation to the facilities, updated published history, historical pictures, banners and milestones show cased in our halls and alumni outreach in preparation for our Centennial Celebration in 2029.

The most obvious place to start is by finishing the history of the school; publishing the history on the website and displaying the history at the school. Professor Timothy Cook says “whenever someone enters a school, walks through the halls, and carefully observes what is displayed, the experience should reflect a keen sense of what the school community holds sacred” (Cook, T 2001 p. 74). This year, we would like to incorporate the history of Sacred Heart school into our weekly newsletter, classroom social studies curriculum and Catholic Schools Week Celebrations.

Founders Day- Sacred Heart School was completed in April of 1929 and it would be so fun to celebrate Founders Day each year. We could invite the community to a day of prayer and remembrance for the school which has been a pillar in the community for almost 90 years. It would be a great way express to the church community that we are grateful for the sacrifices and donations made to keep the school operating. The students can learn the history of the school they attend with the hope that they continue to be a part of our growth in the future.

I wanted you to know that we will be working on our Action Plan and will be contacting many of you for input.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

Stay Bold on Your Journey

It is hard to put a finger on why we feel a certain way about certain people. Sometimes you meet someone and you just hit it off. Sometimes you know someone for years and are thrown into circumstances that change the way you see them. We view the world through a lens that is filtered by experience and vision. As we grow, so does the way we see the people God has put on our path. One of the beautiful things about the Catholic Church is the sacraments. The sacraments make us holy and impart Grace as they are teaching us of Christ’s love. When we celebrate the sacraments with our loving community it deeply changes us. Not only are we filled with the Holy Spirit but we are forever changed to be closer to God. To see the world in a Divine light.

We are meant to be out in the world, gaining experience and knowledge; maybe spreading around a little wisdom of our own. This isn’t always easy and sometimes we are very guarded (we all have good reasons to protect ourselves). Giving ourselves to things that are new can be difficult. Embracing change takes a lot of courage and faith. Facing new challenges has very little to do with the work involved, it the risk of rejection or failure. In these times, we can turn to our “forever people” who make us feel safe and warm. But we also know when it is time to boldly head out for new experiences again. We are meant for adventures; challenges and we have been given all of the gifts that we need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. You might fail. You might be rejected but by sheer virtue of this happening, you develop a clearer lens to look through when you see God’s people on your path. Take a deep breath. Open your eyes and get out in the world. You were made to be a part of something bigger than you.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

This week the 5th/6th graders went to camp for 3 days. We had so much fun exploring, hiking, trying new things and pushing past our fear to experience things that are scary. We will definitely be going back to Kimball camp in the future.

Please stop by the Food Fair on Saturday, June 2. We would love to share a relaxing evening sampling food, laughing with friends and       enjoying our wonderful community that we are blessed to live in. It is guaranteed to be a good time.

Don’t forget our Annual 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, June 9.  Racers of all fitness levels are welcome to participate, whether you walk the course or run it!  Registration begins at 7:00am in the school basement.

1K begins at 8:30am ~ $13 entry fee

5K begins at 9:00am ~ $20 entry fee

Truckin’ Tot begins at the completion of the 5K ~ FREE

Thank you for your continued support of our school!

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

The Power of the Holy Spirit

When we make the sign of the cross (which we do often) we are asking to be filled with God. God as our father and guide, full of perfect advice. God the son, who teaches, loves and sacrifices for us and God the holy spirit who gives us energy and a path to follow His plan. At Sacred Heart we trust the holy spirit. There are very few things that happen here that we doubt. The people who are here, are here for a reason. The struggles that are in our way are meant to be there. The obstacles that we must climb are there because God knows we will become stronger and wiser by climbing them.

Being Catholic means that we believe God’s presence and power is everywhere. The world is not just the things we can see and feel but the energy that touches us: a bright sunny day, a sparkly winter evening, a mother’s devotion, the patience of true love, the faith that all will be okay and our call to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

The existence of a small private Catholic school in this small town proves the power of faith and trust. It is difficult to keep tuition-based schools open but the holy spirit continues to guide Sacred Heart. We have many challenges but the enduring faith of this community, the staff and our families is what keeps us moving from year to year. The effect of this faith on the student’s we have graduated is immeasurable. Although many of our high school graduates (this year included) will go on to have success in college and life, it is the strength of their soul that we cannot measure. That is God’s energy, that is the holy spirit. We have plenty of the holy spirit at Sacred Heart because we ask for it everyday in prayer but we could use more. Please continue to pray for us as we finish the school year and look forward to opening our doors in August for the 90th year. God has been very good to us!

Anne Atkin, Principal

Prudence – Independence but with virtue

“What happened?”  It is that simple. If it is a first-time offender, it might take a while for them to talk.  The mind is racing, I can almost see it. Taking in the emotion of “being sent to the office,” and the trauma of having your day go upside down and sideways can make kids clam up. That’s okay. They are thinking and, by taking the time to think, we are already making progress. When a student is sent to my office, I do not like to know why the student is there. It is best if we begin the conversation with an open heart and mind. What the student is thinking about is right from wrong. They are using the common sense that they have learned from their parents. Most of the time, the child can figure out their big mistake as they are explaining.

When we raise our children, we spend the time it takes to keep them safe, to make reading a part of their day, to feed them healthy food, to give them love and patience; we are giving them the gift of Prudence. Prudence is a Cardinal virtue under the theological virtue of faith, love and hope. The virtue of Prudence gives us independence. This resonates with many parents because we want our children to be independent and be able to make good decisions for themselves as they grow and mature.

Prudence is the answer.  It is our job to give good counsel. It is so important that we be that stable, rock-solid presence in their lives; so as we guide our children, they have the ability to, not only think about their situation but to think about it the right way. Teaching children virtues builds your relationship. They will trust that you know struggles happen as they grow but you can teach them patience, self-control, courtesy- the list goes on. Being prudent means that children will develop common sense, right from wrong, and they will choose to do the right thing.

This week in prayer, we talked about how our Moms are such a blessing. They are our role models, mentors, and confidants and we pray to grow up to be just like them. Prudent.

Happy Mother’s Day to all!!

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

May – the Month of Mary

On Tuesday, May 1st all of the girls at Sacred Heart were invited to attend a crowning of Mary. The event was planned and hosted by Bev Applegate and it was a lovely chance for our girls to experience and adore Mary as the  mother of Jesus and the Queen of Heaven. The girls were taught the history of this tradition and were invited to bring wreaths of flowers to our statue of Mary and lay them at her feet. We all sang an adoration together and finished the ceremony with prayer. The girls were given an invitation to attend the Crowning of Mary hosted by the Alter Rosary Society at the Church on May 7th.

As we enter into May, all of the students are shown the power of prayer to our mother Mary. We have been praying to Mary all year and asking her to intercede with all people and situations that are near and dear to us. It is so comforting to be able to start our day by sharing the things that are heavy on our hearts, with our friends at school. We rely on Mary to guide us, to love us and to open our mind to the faithfulness that can heal all things.

“When you see the storm coming, if you seek refuge which is Mary, there will be no danger of your wavering or going down.”   –St. Josemaria Escriva

Act of Love

O my God, I love you above all things with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me and I ask pardon of those whom I have injured. Amen.

This is our Act of Love prayer that we sometimes pray during morning prayer. Love is such a common word and we use it all of the time. This week, I asked the students to tell me what love is and the answers were varied. We understand that love is caring and providing for each other. “Love is giving presents. It is providing shelter and food. Love is disciplining your children and forgiving them.”

I asked them to make the sign of the cross. The sign of the cross is a reminder of true love. “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). Another passage in the Bible that gives us a definition of God’s love is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” So, we can say that the act of giving is love. But not just a present wrapped in a bow but giving of the things that are closest to us. Love is giving of our time, our resources and ourselves.

God is love, and His love is different from human love. It is not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn’t love because we are loveable or because we make Him feel good; He loves because He is love.

He is not waiting for us to be good to love us. He doesn’t say, “I’ll wait until you clean up your act, then I’ll love you.” His love is ALWAYS there. He did all of the giving and sacrifice long before we were even aware that we needed His love.   (allaboutGod.com/god-is-love).

God Bless,  Anne Atkin, principal

Father, I pray my child’s confidence

 and hope is found in You

Romans 15:13

Dear Sacred Heart Families,

What a blessing you are to us! As we jump into the fourth quarter of the year, it is so lovely to think about  how blessed we are to have such wonderful children and such kind loving families at Sacred Heart School.  The teachers and staff are able to be creative, push academics and grow independent learners because you support our values at home. The mission of SHS is to be structured and diligent so that students become confident of mind, academics and faith. To be confident does not mean that you are not challenged or that you can not struggle. It means that you have met challenges with the understanding that you can be the best you that God intended. The students at SHS are growing in confidence every day. When they struggle, which is often, we guide them and support them. They support each other. That is the school culture here. And it is only possible because you support us. There is something very special happening here. We want everyone to stop in and be a part of it. Our doors are always open and we love when you can be a part of the school.

This past week we were so fortunate to share an evening together learning about the night sky. A special thank you to the Henning family for the generous support of the evening. Both viewings were full and we ate all of the ice cream from the Ice Cream Social. I can not thank you enough for taking the time to be apart of our events. It really helps us to grow together and to be God’s light.

Please feel free to stop by or call with any input or questions about the school. We are here to serve you and our community.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, principal

Playground Update

Phase two:  Upon approval from the finance committee and our insurance company, we will be ordering  the new playground equipment from www.cabinfield.com. This Amish playset is outdoor play equ

ipment made with kids in mind, it has smoothly finished surfaces and the accuracy of kid-size seating. The playground area will be expanded to include the south side of the property next to the existing swing set.  All areas with play equipment will have the required playground mulch for soft landing. In addition, the existing metal play structures and swing sets will be painted and updated. 

Phase three:  The addition of a transparent boundary fence by the new Noah’s Ark and a playhouse/gazebo on the north section of the playground.

We have also received grant money to purchase stencils and paint for the black top that can be refreshed each summer.  The SHS families are selling Discount Cards which were developed by the Parent Group.

With that additional funding, we are planning to begin and complete Phase 2 and Phase 3 during the summer.

It is only because of the generosity of people like you, that we can continue the beautiful tradition of putting God into all parts of the school day. Your gifts ensure that our Catholic tradition is passed on to the next generation.

God Bless you and thank you for your support of the school.

Anne Atkin, principal