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Why the Academy?

Exceptional Academics

Exceptional AcademicsBeyond STEM, international language, art, music and daily PE, Academy students are recognized in high school for their strong foundation in literature and writing. With high school-level Algebra 1, Eighth Class students are well prepared for honors math. Graduates consistently place into advanced level classes and are known as leaders in their secondary schools. Graduates are admitted to their top choice high schools.

Our Community

Our CommunityBuilding a community that is warm, welcoming, and inclusive is integral to Sacred Heart education. Students learn to celebrate the accomplishments of each other and support one another through challenges. Geographically, the Academy draws students from 24 zip codes from across the St. Louis/St. Charles metropolitan area.

Student-Teacher Ratio

Student-Teacher RatioAn 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio and an average class size of 14 students ensures that each child receives individualized attention and is known deeply. Our small-by-design class model supports differentiated instruction and fosters relationships which encourage personal growth. 

Confident Communicators

Confident CommunicatorsFrom their youngest years, students have the opportunity to practice and grow in their communication skills with peers and adults. In addition, students regularly present to their classes and to the wider school community.

Faith

FaithA Catholic school for children of all faiths, the Academy instills a personal and active faith in God. Through an education infused with faith, students grow in their relationship to God. Faith is expressed through prayer, liturgies, religion and theology classes and in espacio, a daily practice that allows all members of the community to still themselves, reflect and pray.

Service Learning

Service LearningEach year, students are commissioned to be service learners: the hands and feet of God in our community. An Academy education awakens students to the needs of others and a desire to make a difference in the world. As part of a robust service learning program, Middle School students spend one morning a month at area agencies, organizations and assisted living residences and look forward to building relationships.

Traditions

Customs, traditions, and feast days are a major part of  life at the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

  • Traditions, Class of 1968Monthly First Friday Liturgies bring everyone together to celebrate and express our love of Jesus and our love for each other.
  • Surprise Congé play days come when least expected! On this day the Eighth Class have an opportunity to exercise skills of planning and organizing fun activities for the younger ones.
  • Traditions, MaypoleMay Crowning keeps the tradition of honoring Mary, the Mother of God, by having the children frequently say the Rosary before the start of school days in May. The culmination of May’s dedication to our Blessed Mother is the formal May Crowning ceremony.

Learn more about our history, customs, and traditions here!

Alumni Connections

“My Academy education guides me every day as a teacher, a person, and a citizen.”

Academy alumni give back to their school and in their communities. Alumni have pursued successful careers in a wide range of professions, including medicine, law, business, politics, engineering and the arts. There are filmmakers, published authors, social workers and some who have entered the religious life. Many have followed the pathway to education, and dozens have returned over the years to teach at their alma mater. No matter their career path, these men and women remain loyal and supportive to their alma mater and return when they can to the place they call home.

Once they graduate, Academy alums become members of the Associated Alumnae and Alumni of the Sacred Heart (AASH) with unlimited connections for career networking, travel and friendships.

STEM

At the Academy, students receive more than 300 total hours of dedicated STEM instruction. From State Robotics competitions to personalized, engaging math instruction, Academy students graduate with knowledge in coding, engineering, life and physical sciences, and math skills so that they are well-prepared for high school and beyond.

To learn more about STEM at the Academy, watch our Middle School STEM Zoom presentation!

https://vimeo.com/884884256

ASH Graduates in High School

GraduatesAcademy graduates are accepted to their high schools of choice and are placed in advanced or honor classes. Graduates consistently receive recognition from high school administrators and faculty who often tell us they can recognize an Academy graduate by his/her academic preparation, impressive writing and communication skills, organization and time management. More importantly, they stand out for strong faith foundation and moral character, demonstrate courtesy and respect, as well as generosity of service and leadership.

See what area high school administrators say about Academy graduates.

To learn where are recent graduates are, visit our Graduates’ Gallery.

Connect with a Current Family

Would you like to talk with a current Academy family? Send a message to one of our Ambassador Families!

Welcome from the Director of Admissions

Envision a school where students walk through the vibrant hallways feeling confident, cared for, and respected: that’s the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Saint Charles, Missouri, founded in 1818 by Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne. In our school students truly develop a love of learning while developing wise freedom. Beyond the school walls, students graduate as community builders who care for others.

We invite you to tour our school and see our exemplary educators in action. They are engaged with our young learners, and they are tailoring learning to meet their individual needs. As parents, this is what you hope for your children – to be seen and to meet their God-given potential, and that’s exactly what our teachers work toward with skill and sincerity.

This year, we have a variety of admissions events to showcase our Sacred Heart education. Please register for our admissions events and schedule a tour to see and experience a school with HEART.

Best regards,

Alexandra Sanchez Little
Director of Admissions
admissions@ash1818.org
(636) 946-6127, ext. 1108

Admissions Updates

December at the Academy
December 20, 2024

December at the Academy has been full of holiday cheer! We had our Silver Tea performances last week and it brought me joy watching our students shine as they sang and dance! These Christmas programs are a long-standing tradition for which students practice diligently and present it as a loving gift to their parents.

Last night I went to our Alumni Christmas Basket Gathering, an alumni event that happens the evening before Christmas Basket Mass, another favorite Academy tradition. Families and alumni prepare baskets of food for those in need and these are gathered during Mass before our students go on holiday break. Baskets are then distributed to multiple agencies to ensure that families have enough for a holiday meal. This example of Goal 3 of Sacred Heart education — a social awareness which impels to action — is one of the most special experiences for our students and for our community. It was fun to be with fellow alumni last night to prepare over 80 baskets and then to celebrate with our entire Academy community at Christmas Basket Mass today where we collected over 300 baskets. I particularly loved seeing the students, parents, staff, faculty, and alumni take the baskets out of the gym and load them up into cars. It is a moment where you realize the value of community here at the Academy (another Sacred Heart goal) as well as realizing it is larger than us. We are all working together as a community to make an impact on our greater community. It makes me feel grateful and recognize how much I love this time of year. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2025!

It has been a joy meeting families at Philippine’s Playgroup twice a month! Philippine’s Playgroup is an open, free, and casual playgroup for children 3 years and younger with their caregivers on the first and third Tuesday of every month. This past Tuesday we had a surprise guest reader, Mrs. Pearce, our Little Acorns/Lower School Science teacher! She got us in the holiday spirit when she read “Santa’s Stuck.” At our next playgroup on Tuesday, December 17th, Ms. Weiss, our Pre-Primary teacher, will read another holiday book!

We invite you to campus to enjoy this relaxed setting for children to engage in play with peers as caregivers socialize, supervise, and join in play. We invite younger siblings, friends and families to come on the first and third Tuesday of every month 8:15-9:30 a.m. We will continue playgroup in 2025 with more surprise guests! Mark your calendar for January 7th and January 21st!

Country Fair!
October 17, 2024

Country Fair was a BEAUTIFUL DAY this year, as far as the weather and the gathering of our community! I love Country Fair. As a student, I remember coming each year with my family and going around with my Academy friends to play carnival games. As an alum, I would still come back to Country Fair in hopes to see those same friends or visit with teachers from my time at the Academy. In more recent years, the alumni of the Academy provide a BBQ Booth and Bloody & Bubbles Bar, so I have volunteered at those booths, and it is a great way to spend the day seeing families and old friends! This year I spent it talking with families at the Admissions Booth, as well as catching up with friends. A friend in my graduating Academy class has a child here now and it is such a full circle moment watching him play with his friends. It was truly a wonderful day!

Admissions Updates

December at the Academy
December 20, 2024

December at the Academy has been full of holiday cheer! We had our Silver Tea performances last week and it brought me joy watching our students shine as they sang and dance! These Christmas programs are a long-standing tradition for which students practice diligently and present it as a loving gift to their parents.

Last night I went to our Alumni Christmas Basket Gathering, an alumni event that happens the evening before Christmas Basket Mass, another favorite Academy tradition. Families and alumni prepare baskets of food for those in need and these are gathered during Mass before our students go on holiday break. Baskets are then distributed to multiple agencies to ensure that families have enough for a holiday meal. This example of Goal 3 of Sacred Heart education — a social awareness which impels to action — is one of the most special experiences for our students and for our community. It was fun to be with fellow alumni last night to prepare over 80 baskets and then to celebrate with our entire Academy community at Christmas Basket Mass today where we collected over 300 baskets. I particularly loved seeing the students, parents, staff, faculty, and alumni take the baskets out of the gym and load them up into cars. It is a moment where you realize the value of community here at the Academy (another Sacred Heart goal) as well as realizing it is larger than us. We are all working together as a community to make an impact on our greater community. It makes me feel grateful and recognize how much I love this time of year. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2025!

It has been a joy meeting families at Philippine’s Playgroup twice a month! Philippine’s Playgroup is an open, free, and casual playgroup for children 3 years and younger with their caregivers on the first and third Tuesday of every month. This past Tuesday we had a surprise guest reader, Mrs. Pearce, our Little Acorns/Lower School Science teacher! She got us in the holiday spirit when she read “Santa’s Stuck.” At our next playgroup on Tuesday, December 17th, Ms. Weiss, our Pre-Primary teacher, will read another holiday book!

We invite you to campus to enjoy this relaxed setting for children to engage in play with peers as caregivers socialize, supervise, and join in play. We invite younger siblings, friends and families to come on the first and third Tuesday of every month 8:15-9:30 a.m. We will continue playgroup in 2025 with more surprise guests! Mark your calendar for January 7th and January 21st!

Country Fair!
October 17, 2024

Country Fair was a BEAUTIFUL DAY this year, as far as the weather and the gathering of our community! I love Country Fair. As a student, I remember coming each year with my family and going around with my Academy friends to play carnival games. As an alum, I would still come back to Country Fair in hopes to see those same friends or visit with teachers from my time at the Academy. In more recent years, the alumni of the Academy provide a BBQ Booth and Bloody & Bubbles Bar, so I have volunteered at those booths, and it is a great way to spend the day seeing families and old friends! This year I spent it talking with families at the Admissions Booth, as well as catching up with friends. A friend in my graduating Academy class has a child here now and it is such a full circle moment watching him play with his friends. It was truly a wonderful day!

Hear Our Stories

Cameron’s Testimonial
https://vimeo.com/923088179
James’ Testimonial
https://vimeo.com/923088207
Naila’s Testimonial
https://vimeo.com/923088237

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