February 28, 2021 Dear Members of the Sacred Heart School Community, In evidence around campus is the persistent urge of life, springing up through the Japanese Magnolias in full bloom, the peeking out of the azaleas, and in the sultry weather of this past week. The freezing fleeting moments of winter seems to have backed away, giving New Orleaneans a break for the outdoor learning and living experiences we all so fully enjoy. With the change in the season, there seems to be a sense of something new coming forth—the “eastering” of life--as we begin the 3rd quarter of the school year. In this letter, I share a few important items about “life at the Sacred Heart” at this time. I hope that you can see the marvelous unfolding of grace happening in the most interesting of ways.

EXCITING NEWS from “THE HEART” Rosary Campus Complex Project  With tremendous expectancy, we are making plans to embark on a next major capital development of our Master Plan for the “transformation of learning spaces.” As many of you know, our work is being guided by the vision of aligning our indoor and outdoor spaces with the best educational and instructional practice for our students and the faculty. In March of 2020, the signature project on the Mater Campus—the addition of a new entrance vestibule, a new courtyard space, and a complete renovation of the Nims Fine Arts Center—was completed. Graced by the unexpected, we have learned so much this year about how our spaces need to be designed and constructed for safety and health, educational excellence, advanced technology, and for that comfortable home-like experience that has always characterized Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart is now positioned to turn our focus to our vision for the transformation of the Rosary campus. While the details of this project are still being concretized, the first phase of this multifaceted project will include a Global Education Center for our signature ASH program, as well as newly envisioned classrooms on the 2nd Floor. We are anticipating the start of work at the end of this school year. With excitement, the emergent future calls us forward! With so much more to share in the months ahead on this project, please keep this important work in your prayer. All of this is made possible by the magnanimous hearts of our generous donors and the hard work of our volunteer leaders. As always, if you can support our Capital efforts in any way, please let me know.

COVID-19  More than halfway through the school year, we continue to feel so blessed by offering on-campus, in-person teaching and learning. Interpersonal dynamics are critical to growth—spiritual, cognitive, and social. Each day through presence—or in absentia—we recognize the profound significance of our need for relationship and for community. Navigating this past year has drawn into even greater focus the visceral need for embodied human connections, and of how these animate our sense of life with a sense of the “lightness of being.” Being together in new and different ways, and navigating this foreign terrain has happened through the community-focused efforts of our all our school families, faculty and staff. During challenging times such as these, we realize every day more about the power of our shared resolve and the true beauty of our strong resilient community at ASH. Not only are we are creating a powerful narrative as a school, but we are also building real muscle on every level. Generous donors within our community have stepped up to help us respond to various special needs during this time. To them: we are grateful. By their thoughtfulness and generosity: we are humbled and blessed.

Looking to the days and weeks ahead, ASH is excited to share that all faculty and staff will have the opportunity to receive vaccinations from The Urgent Care on campus beginning this past Friday, February 26. The Urgent Care has offered the flu shot for our faculty and staff for years, and we are thankful for their partnership in protecting our school. As we learn more about the vaccination rollout for students, we will keep you informed every step of the way.

School-wide Performance and Positioning Rating  Do you wonder about the Academy of the Sacred Heart's positioning in the landscape of other schools in the country, state, and city? One vehicle for assessment is the Niche ratings and review firm. With nearly 100,000 schools and districts in its data collection system, Niche collects massive amounts of data including “…acceptance rate, quality of professors, as well as student and alumni surveys regarding academics at the school.” Using their algorithm, ASH’s performance this year was compared and ranked against the best schools in the country and local community. Where is ASH positioned by performance with other Catholic schools? Independent/private schools? All girls schools? I am proud to share that ASH received an A+ rating this year, the highest possible rating. In the category of Best Catholic High Schools in Louisiana, Sacred Heart was surpassed only by the all-boys Jesuit High School. Click here to learn more about Sacred Heart's ranking, and if you'd like to contribute a review from your ASH experience, you may do so here.

Celebrating Our Strengths  In the 2019-2020 Annual Report, we celebrate the many dimensions of Sacred Heart's strengths, beginning with the strength of open hearts. This gift of our mission, our spiritual charism, expresses itself in a countercultural, almost paradoxical, view of strength: the strength that is revealed with our eyes focused on God; the strength of our global vision for young people; the strength that of our school family united in their joys and struggles; the strength of each woman who has come through the gates of Sacré-Cœur on whose shoulders we stand; the strength of our faculty and staff who “stand and deliver” each day; and the strength of our numbers which complete our story. We share our Annual Report here, with tremendous gratitude for the many in our community whose generous support makes this story possible.

Academic Accolades  We were recently notified that three seniors have been named National Merit Finalists, advancing from their Semi-Finalist status that was announced last fall. In addition, there are two commended scholars in the Class of 2021. For perspective: 1.5 million students entered this scholarship competition, 50,000 were recognized as Semi-Finalists or Commended Students, 16,000 were named as Semifinalists and 15,000 moved on as Finalists. These achievements reflect so positively—first and foremost on the commitment of the students and their faculty. In most cases, students do not advance to this level of achievement without a strong continuous platform of educational accompaniment over many years of well-defined vertical and horizontal articulation in educational programing.

AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award   For the second time, ASH’s Upper School earned the AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award. The first time we received it, it was to recognize the AP Computer Science Principles Class. This time, we have received the award for expanding young women’s access to AP Computer Science A (CSA). This award acknowledges 1,119 schools for their work toward equal gender representation during the 2019-20 school year—nearly 37% more than the 818 schools recognized last year. ASH is one of only 232 schools to be recognized for achieving this important result in CSA.

Traditions and Celebrations: Mardi Gras and all that...  We knew that our typical parades and Mardi Gras celebrations would have to take on a new format, and like so many around the City of New Orleans, we got creative. We invited in Chief Montana, we made masks, floats, and for the first time, Krewe of Fluff krewe pins. We paraded around the block, rather than the courtyard, with face masks instead of eye masks. With this spirit, we are also preparing for a different type of Congé next month, bringing back the old tradition of celebrating during the school day instead of over the weekend.  If you want an inside view of Mardi Gras 2021 at ASH, please enjoy a glimpse of our celebrations as we brought down the season of the Epiphany. Yes, it was more than lots of King Cakes! Not the same; still lots of fun for all with our immutable New Orleans spirit.

Athletics  Despite the challenges and curve-balls of navigating sports programs and precautions during COVID, our ASH Cardinals have performed remarkably well this year. You might have heard that our Volleyball Team were State Champions, our Middle School Basketball and Soccer Teams took the NOAL championships, and State Runner-Ups in Varsity Soccer, after a grueling and extremely close state championship game that was tied until overtime. ASH was also represented at the Indoor Track and Field State Championships by two athletes who placed #3 in Shot Put and #6 in the 3200 Meter race. Amazing job, Cardinals, and we are excited to begin the Spring sports season!

A giant “thank you” to ASH’s Booster Club that supports all of these activities and events in a variety of spirited ways throughout the year. This year has been especially challenging and, as ever, the Club members meet faithfully to plan much loved events and ways to support our teams. If you want to join the Club, please do so here.

In Closing  As we turn towards the spring months ahead, we face forward with hope and a strong positive focus: Congé, Camp, Graduations, Celebrations and possibly Ground-breakings. We will continue thoughtfully navigate the many issues and questions around these special moments, rituals and events. Of course, we count on your continued collaboration and, most importantly, prayer for each one in our school community. Our shared prayer provides the foundation for everything we do, and, though it, we discover a path of grace each day at “the Heart.”

In CJM,

Sr. Melanie A. Guste, RSCJ Headmistress