Dear Sacred Heart Families,

We are off to a very good start. The school year has begun and we are clear about one thing. God is good! We are so blessed to have sweet, smart and well behaved students in the building. We are excited to have Bishop Boyea here next Friday at 11:00am for our Children’s Mass. A special thank you to Catholic Charities for hosting the Senior Mass at Sacred Heart Church this year. If you are a senior, please join the children as we celebrate. Lunch will be provided after Mass for the seniors.

This week we celebrated the feast days of St. Monica and St. Augustine during morning prayer. It is inspiring to hear how a mother’s love and dedication can change the life of her son and give him the strength he needs to be amazing. The life of Augustine reminds us that we are not only given the gift of mercy but when we accept it, we can make the world better. St. Augustine was one of the smartest people who ever lived, but even after changing his sinful ways, he could not forgive himself enough to be a saint. It was only because of St. Monica’s relentless prayer that he was accepting of God’s unconditional love. It is this love that inspires us to do great things. So this week, we remember to pray and to never give up on praying for people who need our prayers. We are reminded that, even sin cannot keep us from being loved by God.

Our goal for this year is to increase our Catholic identity and to share our faith with our families as often as possible. Father Todd, Deacon John and I have scheduled special events that begin with Mass, confession for students in 3rd through 6th grade, Adoration and Holy Hour, and an Instructional Mass. We are adding beautiful artwork to our halls to inspire us to put Jesus in all parts of the day. As always, faith is woven into the instruction in the classrooms by our teachers and the students are encouraged to grow in virtue. The staff attended the KERYGMA retreat, 4 Levels of Happiness and Echo the Good News together this summer. We have had the chance to become more prayerful and to grow spiritually.

Be sure to look at the upcoming events for more information on growing in faith!

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

Dear Sacred Heart Families,

It is time to come back to school. Our journey through the school year is about to begin and the beauty of God’s love and grace can already be felt in the halls of the school and in the smiles of the SHS community. We are blessed to be together; and through the Holy Spirit, we will grow stronger and closer to God.

We are continuing to grow in enrollment and we are excited to welcome many new families for the 2019-2020 school year. It is our vision to serve the community. We are proud to have more than 50 families who entrust us to educate their children to be confident learners who know virtue and who understand the Catholic faith and the unconditional love of Jesus.

This school year we want to be connected to our school families! We have established 6 new councils: parent, hospitality, facilities, marketing, technology and Catholic identity. Parents and staff joined a council at our Care and Share Dessert Night and we are excited to work together this year.  Please come to our next Care and Share Wine and Cheese on September 17th. We need and value your input and the council meetings are a great way to be together and have some fun!

I dare say, the school has not looked this good in a long time. With a lot of help, we have cleaned and refreshed much of the school. Our seminarians, Dan and Randy, Christie LaRussa, Jennifer and Kyle, our mulching volunteers, Steve Kope and many others have poured their efforts into making our school a beautiful place that inspires learning. We have made huge gains in our school improvement efforts and we are grateful for all of the support that has made this possible. We will continue to implement our strategic plan and meet the goals that will take SHS far into the future.

Enjoy these last days of summer and remember to ask God for his guidance as we start a brand new year. Pray with your children. There is no better gift you can give them. This will keep them calm, give them strength, and show them the beauty that makes each of us a special gift.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

Sacred Heart Families,

Sacred Heart School is the best gift you can give your child. Enrollment is still open for the 2019-2020 school year for DK through 6th grade. Call 517-448-6405 to set up a tour and see why SHS is a great school for your family.

Sacred Heart developmental kindergarten/ kindergarten is a program that puts your child ahead. As our children develop, it is necessary that they grow closer to God. As they learn the days of the week, the colors of the rainbow, the letters of the alphabet and the joy of books, they are also learning how to behave in a way that brings their soul closer to God. Sacred Heart has a formula of academic readiness and child development that works. It is a mixture of obedience, courtesy, self-control and prayerfulness mixed with learning and play. By the time our students are in 1st grade, they are already on the path to being eager learners who meet academic challenges. 100% of our kindergarten students test proficient in reading and math. This is significantly higher than state standards and is higher than other kindergarten classes in the diocese of Lansing. We are proud to offer a wonderful readiness program to our community. We still have room for a few more students in our kindergarten classroom.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, principal

*Upcoming SHS Summer Events*

August 12-16

Vacation Bible School

9:30-11:00am

All kids grades Pre-K thru 6th are welcome to attend.

August 15

Holy Day Mass at 6pm, followed by Share & Care Dessert Reception at School

August 22

Open House & Back to School BBQ, 6pm

August 25

Fr. Todd Installation Mass at 11am

Followed by reception in Parish Hall

Sacred Heart School is accepting resumes for the position of Gym/Tech/Art Teacher for the 2019-2020 School year.  This position will be approximately 16 hours per week.  Applicants should be energetic, dedicated, outstanding, and certified in the State of Michigan.  Applicants must support Catholic Education and carry out the Mission of Sacred Heart School.  Teaching experience in Elementary Education is strongly preferred.  We are looking for an exceptional individual who seeks teaching as a vocation, not just a job.

If you are interested, please contact Anne Atkin at 517-403-2824 or email your resume to aatkin@sacredhearthudson.org.

Sacred Heart School is accepting resumes for the position of Gym/Tech/Art Teacher for the 2019-2020 School year.  This position will be approximately 16 hours per week.  Applicants should be energetic, dedicated, outstanding, and certified in the State of Michigan.  Applicants must support Catholic Education and carry out the Mission of Sacred Heart School.  Teaching experience in Elementary Education is strongly preferred.  We are looking for an exceptional individual who seeks teaching as a vocation, not just a job.

If you are interested, please contact Anne Atkin at 517-403-2824 or email your resume to aatkin@sacredhearthudson.org.

Dear Sacred Heart families,

We are under construction again this summer. With the help of Steve Kope, Dan LaCroix and Randy Koenigsknecht, we are making a lot of much needed updates to the appearance of the school.

Thanks to a generous donation, the flooring in our big room downstairs has been replaced with water-proof, vinyl flooring that should last several decades. The room is very functional and we will be able to use it for many events in the future.

We are also giving Mrs. Schutte’s 3^rd/4^th grade room a much needed remodel. The room will get new carpet, paint and fresh ceiling tiles.

The front of the school is scheduled to receive new landscaping and fresh mulch. It is a beautiful habitat and we are excited to have the donated funds to make it fresh and new.

Along with the new security updates and routine maintenance, it is a very busy summer at Sacred Heart. We have been so blessed this year by our community who supports Catholic education. The school is really starting to shine and we are very excited to show off the finished product at the beginning of the school year.

Also, we still have a few spots left in preschool and kindergarten. Be sure to stop in and register to ensure your child’s enrollment for next year.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

Dear Sacred Heart Families,

Last weekend we all came together to support Sacred Heart school and church. With three community events; 25 Cent Event, SHS 5K and the 2nd annual Taste of Summer Food Fair and Raffle, we were able to connect and have a lot of fun! We are so grateful to our sponsors, event coordinators and volunteers. As Sacred Heart school continues to grow, so does our desire to bring the community together in ways that are creative and inclusive. If you have ideas or are willing to help in the future please reach out to me.

Mark your calendars for July 13th. It is the annual Golf Outing to support SHS at Evergreen Golf Course. Get a team together or bring the family out for lunch and ice cream.

We are so very blessed to be a part of the Hudson community and we thank you for all of your continued support. May God bless you!

Anne Atkin, Principal

It is Time for Summer

Summer vacation hasn’t always existed. In 1842 Detroit city kids hit the books 260 days of the year. It is commonly believed that summer vacation was not a vacation at all, but a time when kids stayed at home to work on the farm. This is a misconception. Kids went to school during the hottest and coldest months of the year and worked the fields in the spring and the fall. As cities were growing, the brick and concrete became very hot in the summer sun and families were traveling to the cooler countryside for relief from the heat. At the same time, Americans were enjoying more leisure time as labor unions were able to instill the eight-hour work day. Attendance was dwindling in the summer as classrooms were too hot, and by the turn of the century, schools had cut 60 days off of the school year. Businesses saw the opportunity for summer vacation and schools have been operating with a long summer break ever since. It is funny, at the time, the argument was being made that the brain is a muscle(correct) that could suffer from overuse(incorrect) the way workers were incurring injury resulting from repetition. (Reilly, L. 2017, May 3.).

No matter how we have ended up with summer break, it seems to be an important formula for child development. The students are ready to kick off their shoes and sleep in. They are ready to get dirty and lose track of the days. They want to catch frogs, ride their bikes, see the stars; to dream and imagine. We need to let them. Kids are using their brains in the summer in a way that is important. Independence is gained from making your own decisions without the constraints of a schedule and boundaries. Mix in some good reading time and work through a summer math book; voila! We are ready and eager when school begins again in August. Summer vacation is not only practical, but necessary.

May God bless you all this summer. Remember that your child is accustomed to praying every day at school. Pray with them this summer and feel the powerful effects of putting God into all situations.

We have truly been blessed this school year with so much joy and grace from our school and church families and we are grateful. Sacred Heart School is solid for next year! Our enrollment is growing and the facilities continue to be upgraded. Stop by and visit us this summer as we work to make the school excellent for the coming year!

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, principal

References: Reilly, L. 2017, May 3. Why Do Students Get Summers Off? Retrieved from mentalfloss.com

Dear Sacred Heart Families,

Our students pray every day for our veterans. It is always an intention offered by our students during morning prayer. They seem to truly understand the great sacrifices that have been made by our brave men and women throughout our history. We have talked this week about the importance of Memorial Day to our country. I wanted to share some of what we talked about with you.

National Moment of Remembrance-established by Congress in 2000, asks Americans, wherever they are at 3:00pm local time on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for a duration of one minute.

• Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember all of the men and women who died fighting for our country. These men and women dedicated their lives so we can be a free nation.
• Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May.
• The original name was Decoration Day because family members of fallen soldiers decorated their graves with flowers.
• Decoration Day originally only honored the soldiers who died in the Civil War. After World War I, it was changed to all soldiers who lost their lives in war.
• In 1950 Decoration Day was changed to Memorial Day.
• President Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.
• The official flower of Memorial Day is Red Poppies.

People celebrate Memorial Day by placing flowers on soldier’s graves, flying the flag at half- staff, attending parades and remembering soldiers who lost their lives.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, Principal

References: kidsplay and create, retrieved on May 22, 2019. Memorial Day Facts For Kids.

Our Sin Is What Makes Us Human?

This week in morning prayer we have been talking about what makes us human. The students quickly know it is our ability to use free will, to love, to sin and to forgive. In a nutshell, it is our ability to think. To think ourselves in or out of any situation. The students also realize this is a huge responsibility. I can make absolutely any decision I want to? Yes, you can. You can choose to be kind or happy. You can choose to be lonely or sad. You can choose to be helpful or lazy. You can choose to lie, or say bad words. You can choose to be hard working or be a good friend. You can choose to gossip or be negative. You will do good things and you will do sinful things, because that is makes us human.

Our soul is connected to God. From the moment we were conceived, we are being called back to the Divine. It is a gentle tug at our hearts and we feel it growing as we live and breathe and thrive and struggle. Without this constant pull we would be lost. Sin is everywhere. Even for children. They must be raised in an environment that allows them to be completely human. It is so important for adults to understand that their children will sin and the children around them will sin. The Devil loves to come for us in the doubt we feel when sin is involved. This sin feels terrible and makes joy seem impossible. It is not uncommon for parents to want to believe that their child is the good one and other kids are causing all of the trouble. Does that mean your child is not human? We must own the fact that our children are going to sin and others will hurt them with sin. The bigger their world gets through sports, bigger schools, different friends, social media etc., the more challenges they will meet. So how do we parent this? What do we say to our children whose friends have turned on them or who have been left out of something very important? What do we say to our children when they commit a pretty big sin and we find out about it? Tell them to:

1. Talk to God first. Forgive yourself. Make things right with God. Really reconnect with your maker and your soul.
2. Think. Think about what got you into this mess in the first place. Think about what you have already learned from it and what you can learn now that God is involved.
3. Pray for God to be with you as you heal from your latest sin.
4. Go to reconciliation.
5. Pray for the people who have hurt you and/or the people whom you have hurt. This takes a strong soul. That is why we are given the fruits of the spirit. Use them.
6. Pray for grace. Grace for yourself and for the people God gave you to learn from. They are not in your life by accident. They are a gift to help you grow in spirit.

Remember, that being human means we have endless chances to grow. If lived well, your life will be full of new and challenging people and situations that help you grow closer to God. This is wonderful! We all have the chance to make it to sainthood. We just didn’t know that “girl drama” or “overly competitive boys” might be just what we need to help keep our kids on the path to march with the army of saints. Believe it or not, it is by design. We can handle this struggle, but we have to have God’s help fighting the Devil and his false promises. Just ask, and you will have it.

God Bless,

Anne Atkin, principal