Dear Parents,

This morning our Eighth Class students wowed the school with their amazing leadership in an all-school prayer service. Some of them launched the prayer by explaining, in both word and image, what spoke to them of God in the front yard (Second Street side) of the campus. As each student stood, he or she shared insights with rich, descriptive and sophisticated vocabulary and incredible depth of thought. They were not only poised and well prepared, which would have been impressive enough for a 13- or 14-year-old, but, it seemed to me, they were wise beyond their years.

What I kept thinking was that THIS is why you send your children to the Academy – so that, in the end, they are THIS kind of human being, displaying these qualities and characteristics. You want your child to be a person who has:

• the poise and confidence to stand and speak in front of a group of people
• the interior courage and strength to share something of his or her depth
• the skill to write clearly, with rich vocabulary and sophistication in syntax and structure
• the judgment and maturity to not get lured by our toxic cultural norms
• the heart capacity to SEE with the eyes of love
• the spiritual savvy to be awake to and aware of God in the world around them

As each child’s journey brings both successes and struggles, growth in the direction of the above happens as we continue to love their BEING and invite them to BECOME what we know and believe they can become. I certainly saw the PRODUCT of years of growth in this morning’s prayer and presentation!

Immediately after returning from the prayer service, one of the Primary students ran up to his teacher and said with all sincerity, “Now I know where to find God!” Their message was heard by even the smallest hearts today.

Our Eighth Class students found God in the front yard. I found God in our Eighth Class students.

Where will you find God today?

— Maureen Glavin, rscj

On this very special day of national remembrance—a day which is becoming known as one when people of goodwill engage in service and in the building of community—I want to thank each of you, not only for the inspiration you provide this world by the good that you do, but for supporting the aspect of our Academy’s mission which fosters our students’ growth in leading lives of love and service.

In living out this aspect of Academy life, we officially launch our “In the Footsteps of Philippine” program tomorrow. This year-long program provides our Middle School students with the opportunity to grow in:

• An awareness of the need for service to others
• Practice in providing service to others

The “launch” occurs in the context of a liturgy with a specific and special “commissioning” or sending forth of our students. As each Middle School Class states in the ceremony, they will voice a conscious attempt to respond to God’s love in the following ways:

5th Class —
By trying to see the Face of God in the elderly in our community and by trying to respond to the Face of God with sensitive and understanding hearts.

6th Class —
By trying to see the Face of God in those that experience hunger in our neighborhood and world and by trying to respond to that Face of God with empathetic and generous service.

7th Class —
By trying to see the Face of God in the physically and mentally challenged in our neighborhood and in our world, and by trying to respond to that Face of God with understanding and respectful hearts.

8th Class —
By trying to see the Face of God in all creation and the most vulnerable in the world around us, both here and far, both now and in the future, and by trying to respond to that Face of God with compassionate and courageous action.

Let us pray for our children and for our world today:

• May our children continue to grow in their experiences of and practice of service!
• May our children’s hearts grow in revealing and reflecting God’s Goodness in our world!
• May our collective educative efforts reap the benefit of increasing the amount of goodness, generosity, compassion and service in our world, through the children we educate!

Amen. Amen. Amen.

This is my daily prayer, my deepest hope and my most earnest desire as Head of this Academy named after God’s Heart,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

What a spectacular beginning we have had! The school-wide enthusiasm has been palpable!

The beautiful tone of our beginning has been set by our Principal, Mrs. Renken. With her characteristic combination of reflection and energy, Mrs. Renken has been meeting lots of parents, engaging in grade-level teacher team meetings, launching student grade-level assemblies, and stewarding the school in her classic Sacred Heart manner: thoughtfully, lovingly and strongly secure of the direction and path.

Following Mrs. Renken’s lead, the teachers have been working hard to create that perfect balance of safe, nurturing, loving home and engaging place in which students are invited to try, to stretch, to grow, and to courageously delve into something new. Students are learning the new year’s routines and procedures, learning about each other, learning new expectations, learning about their teachers, and becoming poised to learn a lot about themselves!

Along with the joy of launching a new academic year, we also had the joy of a very exciting Shrine visit on Monday. I share it with you because the visit reminds us that our life of love and learning at this Academy is connected to a much larger network of relationships. Two relatives of Saints (St. Louis and St. Philippine Duchesne), two Bishops (Archbishop Thierry Jordan and Bishop Edward Rice), and two Royals (Prince Louis de Bourbon and his wife, Princess Margaret) were among our visitors on the City of St. Louis’ namesake’s 800th birthday.

It just so happens that the Cathedral where King Louis IX was crowned King is the Cathedral in Reims, France, where Archbishop Jordan serves. He is a descendant of a cousin of Philippine Duchesne. Photos of their visit, including photos of our Fourth Class students greeting some of our guests, are shown below and on our website.

I look forward with delight to this year of love and learning, balancing the blessing of the beings before us with our invitations to have them become their best selves. This is my theme for the year, BALANCING BEING and BECOMING. To balance both is to educate with that perfect, artful combination which marks us with the stamp of the holy and wise educators in whose footsteps we walk!

Blessings on these first days of a new academic year,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

Congratulations to one and all for this year’s JOURNEY OF GROWTH! Through the joys and struggles and ins and outs and ups and downs of daily life, our students have grown in:

• their relationship with God (Goal 1)
• their relationship with themselves (Goal 5)
• their relationships with each other (Goal 4);
• their capacity to be open to relationships with those who are in need (Goal 3), and
• their relationship with learning (Goal 2).

May we give thanks to God for ALL of that growth. May we give thanks to you, dear parents, for being open to supporting the growth. May we give thanks to the teachers who helped to facilitate the growth. And, may we give thanks to the students for choosing to engage in the journey of growth!

And, now, may you all, during your summer, find time to engage in…

     …a little rest,

          …a little reading,

               …a little playing,

                    …and a little praying.

We will see you in August as THE JOURNEY OF LOVE AND LEARNING CONTINUES!

Blessings,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

Lots of gratitude is flowing this week! Tuesday night at our annual Eighth Class Dinner, our soon-to-be-graduates thanked their parents for the sacrifices they have made over these past 10 years, gifting them with a Sacred Heart education. Then, yesterday, the Eighth Class students paid tribute in word and song (and, at times, gales of joyful laughter) to their teachers, thanking them for the efforts they have made in fostering their education! And now, today, the Eighth Class will lead the whole school in thanking God, and in a special way, thanking and honoring Mary, the Mother of God, for all that we have been gifted. This will be a particularly poignant moment for our oldest students for whom it will be their final May Crowning and Maypole Dance.

Tomorrow and Saturday, the gratitude will flow in the opposite direction. Tomorrow, the Academy’s graduating class of 2014 will ALL be honored in their final Prize Day Ceremony. Prize Day is the MOST formal, most special and most historic ceremony in which we engage (well, not counting the mass, which is, of course, THE most special and most historic). At Prize Day each and every Eighth Class student will come forward to be honored for the gift he or she is to the world! Each will receive a gift from the school and a card honoring them as a person. To be able to honor each one after watching them grow (many for 10 years) is one of my most satisfying moments as Head of School!

The second half of tomorrow’s ceremony allows us to honor particular successes. As we do so, I always like to remind the students of what we say at the beginning of every Prize Day Ceremony:

Honor and Glory to God Alone!

Ultimately, each and every one of us is a reflection of some aspect of the Divine in whose image we have been made. So, I honor our students! I honor them for the God they reflect and I thank God for the reflection of that Divine spark which I see in each one! But most of all, I honor them for glorifying God through the choices they have made to develop the gifts they have been given.

United in the joy of seeing God shine through our Eighth Class students so brightly,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

I have some exciting news to share. We have made the decision to shift to a one principal model, and Mrs. Marcia Renken has said “yes.” As the newly-appointed “principal of the whole,” Mrs. Renken will be taking on an expanded role as curricular and instructional leader of the Academy.

Of the many advantages in this move, the two most notable will be the consistency in communication to faculty, students and parents, and the strengthening of the vertical articulation of the curriculum.

The “gift” of Mrs. Renken in the Lower School to students, faculty and parents will continue as she now offers that gift to those who already know her, trust her and respect her inspiring, visionary, clear and loving leadership. Mrs. Renken’s superb judgment, her wise advice and her prayerfully-considered decisions will continue to strengthen the Academy’s ability to educate to critical thinking and compassionate action!

In making this move, we are sadly bidding adieu to Dr. Roger Stock, who has shared his many years of experience and expertise with us. The epitome of a professional, he has been a true gentleman and a good man. Most of all, Dr. Stock brought his deep love of the Sacred Heart. We have LOVED and respected these qualities and hope he stays connected with us.

Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Renken while we thank Dr. Stock for all he has done for us.

With JOYFUL union in the Heart of Christ,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

Sometimes I feel as if a large part of my job is to thank those who surround me. And, this week I am particularly conscious of people I wish to thank! I am lingering with gratitude for so many and for so much!

This week, I am grateful for the hard-working employees with whom I am proud to rub elbows every day:

• Our dedicated, talented and loving teachers, especially during this Teacher Appreciation Week
• The Academy staff (office staff, business staff, advancement staff, maintenance men and cleaning ladies) who, behind the scenes, quietly and efficiently help with everything that happens at this place

As we continue to wrap up Chemin, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for our big event volunteers, sponsors, volunteers, benefactors and high bidders:

• A special and huge gratitude go out to our Chemin Chairs (L-R in photo) Robert and Karen MacDonald and Michael and Michelle Todt, as well as our Chemin Committee Chairs who gave so generously of their time over the course of the year.
• ALL who worked hard to create our Chemin experience!

As we enter into this last month of school, I begin to think about ALL the volunteers who help in so many ways:

• The PCC Reps, who volunteer for school events—with a special thanks to those PCC reps who are cycling off.
• The Hospitality Committee, without whose help we would not BE the Academy!
• The Mothers’ Club, who, behind the scenes, quietly and efficiently do SO MUCH for this school

I am particularly grateful for the selfless gifts that were given at Chemin for the Fund-A-Need, which this year was for our Sacred Heart School in the Congo that experienced a fire. The Academy community raised over $20,000 in 10 minutes! I could not have been more proud! Our Chemin guests were NOT donating money to something that would directly benefit them; they were donating money to be sent across the ocean to benefit children they will will never meet!

I celebrate you all, I thank you all, and I pray in gratitude for you all!

See you at Field Day,

Maureen Glavin, rscj

Dear Parents,

• This time of year always fills my heart with deep gratitude.
• I am deeply grateful for the efforts of the Academy’s faculty and staff as I walk these holy halls and see them working tirelessly and earnestly to form hearts and minds.
• I am deeply grateful for parents who have donated sponsorships, purchased ads or gifted items to our annual auction.
• I am deeply grateful to faculty who have gone above and beyond the call of duty by facilitating the grade level or class creation of auction items or who have donated their time as an auction item.
• I am deeply grateful to parents who are spending/have spent countless hours of their time here working hard for the sake of the school and the students’ education.
• I am deeply grateful to staff who are working many hours above and beyond the normal work day, to help make this auction a success.
• I am deeply grateful to NEW parents who courageously come to chip in and help with set-up and decorations.
• I am deeply grateful to past parents who keep coming to help set up, even though their children are in high school.
• I am deeply grateful to students who, at the drop of a hat, assist with whatever they are asked to do.
• I am deeply grateful to parents who have sent in paper bags and papers and caps and bottles and whatever is listed in Thursday Mail.

In sum, I am awed by the generous hearts of this community! Through your generous hearts I see the Heart of Christ!

With deep, abiding, prayerful and loving gratitude,

Sister Glavin

Dear Parents,

As we continue to celebrate the greatest Feast of our Faith, let us do so with JOY, HOPE and CHARITY!

This is a perfect week to celebrate the anticipated feast of the foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Madeleine Sophie Barat. Mother Barat had a deeply personal connection with Jesus Christ whom she loved and from whom she experienced being loved, thus filling her heart and life with great joy. Because she related to others from this heart-filled place, others experienced her as a woman of deep charity. And, it is certainly true that the foundational strength of this relationship was the source of Sophie’s “courage and confidence,” allowing her to live her life with great hope.

These characteristics are exactly what we want for our students! We hope to instill them by doing two things:

1. Inviting students to open their hearts to God’s Great Love for them and to be in relationship with the Risen Christ. Tomorrow’s meal of love (Eucharist) is one (of many) invitations to heart-openness so that each one can experience for themselves God’s deep and abiding love.
2. Inviting students to open their eyes and SEE Christ all around them in those they encounter. Tomorrow’s opportunity to be helpful and giving of their time and energy and effort for the sake of the recipients of the Mission Day monies, is an opportunity to see the Risen Christ in those in need in our world NOW and respond accordingly.

The connection between these three celebrations (Easter, St. Madeleine Sophie’s Feast and Mission Day) is a perfect partnership as we continue to celebrate, educate to and live lives of JOY, HOPE and CHARITY.

In Union in the Heart of Christ,

Sister Glavin

The study of mathematics is, and always has been, a vital part of education. Today’s increased focus on STEM (Science, Technoogy, Engineering and Math) learning emphasizes its importance.

As I write this Thursday Mail letter, all four of our Middle School Math teachers are attending the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) — the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to improving mathematics education for all students. NCTM has been on the leading edge of math education for years, and are proponents of the kind of math education that we try to implement. We aspire to their promotion of:

• Conceptual understanding
• Mathematical reasoning
• Skill fluency

In line with NCTM’s philosophy, the math curriculum we use in Lower School emphasizes conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning. Understanding the IDEAS of numbers and what they represent, understanding the relationship between numbers, seeing patterns in numbers, being able to manipulate numbers and understand the mathematical CONCEPTS to THINK through a problem (as opposed to memorization of routines or plowing through step-by-step procedures without the understanding of WHY) are some our math education goals.

To illustrate these philosophical goals, here are three examples of conceptual math learning:

1. For our youngest learners, we want them to understand that the 1 in 12 MEANS 10. We promote this understanding by providing many opportunities putting together groups of 10s and relating those groupings to numerals as they develop their conceptual understanding of what each numeral represents.

2. For our intermediate level learners, we want them to understand that ½ of ½ is ¼ by being able to visualize the relationship. We promote this understanding by providing opportunities to play with fractional tiles of various colors and sizes, thus allowing the students to SEE and KNOW what it means before they follow the multiplication of fraction “rules.”

3. For our oldest learners, we want them to understand that the solution set of y = 2x + 1, when graphed, IS a line. We want them to KNOW that VISUALLY and understand the relationship between the set of numbers which makes this math sentence true and the PICTURE of that solution set on the Cartesian Coordinate system!

If we provide our students with a solid conceptual understanding in mathematics, we will not only be developing good thinking skills, but we will be poising them well for their future!

United in that aspect of our mission which inspires us to launch our students into high school and into life as good thinkers,
Maureen Glavin, rscj

One of the hallmarks of a Sacred Heart education has always been that our students transition into high school with strong writing skills. What is the magic behind that?

To begin with, the Academy has a whole-school emphasis on a development of the love of words, story and reading. This is a goal because we know that voracious readers become excellent writers!

Building on that, the Academy has a vertical curricular emphasis on sentence structure and rich vocabulary development. We still diagram sentences and we love to insert new “Wordly Wise” words into classroom conversations.

Finally, the Academy believes that good writers develop when children write! From our youngest learners who are encouraged to write using “creative spelling” (i.e., let nothing get in the way of the flow of ideas) to our older learners who write drafts and drafts of drafts to hone words into thoughts and thoughts into compositions, we ask student to write. The key here is that writers become writers by writing! Just as importantly, development and growth in writing occurs with ongoing feedback and revision as part-and-parcel of the writing process.

One reason writing is so critical to our curriculum is that through the development of good writing, we are engaging in helping our students to develop good thinking. The beauty of writing is that it not only provides an outlet for depth, clarity and creativity but writing is a TOOL for deepening, clarifying and creating. In other words, writing is not JUST a product, but it is a tool—a tool for growth in the skill of thinking! And, as you know, more than anything else, one of our aspirational goals is to develop THINKERS!

With this as a backdrop, our Seventh Class students have not only been reading, thinking about and analyzing great poems—including works by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Edgar Alan Poe, William Earnest Henley, Gwendolyn Brooks, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Blake and Alfred Lord Tennyson—but they have engaged in some amazing creative poetry writing of their own. In fact, under the tutelage of Seventh Class Language Arts teacher Mary Claire Russell, two students are receiving recognition for their work:

Michael Drabelle was entered into the 7th Grade Poetry Competition through the 7th Grade Poetry Foundation. He is the first seventh grader to have his poem chosen to be published within the 7th Grade Poetry Curriculum. Michael wrote an American Sonnet titled “Beauty of the Night” that will be read by administrators, educators, and students nationwide next year. The Sonnet section of the curriculum opens with Michael’s poem on the first page and with a Shakespearean sonnet on the second page.

Harry Coons was entered into the Grannie Annie Story competition. His story was one of 35 chosen to be published in a book of short stories from a large pool of global applicants. His story is called “Slavery Escape” and the action centers around the true story of his grandmother who was, at one point, a slave. Currently, he is making the final corrections and clarifications to his story prior to its publication.

Congratulations to Michael and Harry, who represent our school very well! CLICK HERE to read their poems as well as others by our Seventh Class students.

United in our mission, an aspect of which is to educate to a respect for intellectual values,

Sister Glavin