The Eagle Way - Faith & Spiritual Development

In 1912, the Sisters of Mount St. Benedict formed Sacred Heart School, “that in all things, God may be glorified” (Rule of St. Benedict #57). The Rule of St. Benedict was written in the 6th century to govern the community life of monks who wanted to seek God together. This time-tested wisdom is still useful today for guiding the life of any community that seeks God together.

Beyond traditional faith-based curriculum, Sacred Heart School leaders looked for a way to remind and teach students of the most important values needed to live a life that glorifies God. “I wanted to provide staff with a common language so that students in grades K-12 would understand what they were working to achieve over their years at Sacred Heart,” explained Miss Joanne Wilson, Dean of Academics and Assistant Principal. “That meant finding a way to identify what these values would look and sound like throughout the school, within our families and in our community.” 

In 2017, after brainstorming with staff, it quickly became evident that those qualities and values we desired in students and graduates of Sacred Heart tied into the Benedictine values originally followed by the school’s founders. This tieback to Sacred Heart's foundation became the core for the principles that guide daily interactions and instruction at Sacred Heart to encompass our school mission.

The school asked teachers to incorporate methods of helping students visually identify and celebrate these Benedictine values. To help refine their usage further, one of the high school theology teachers, Roger Pieper, drew a correlation between the values and the growth and development standards of the elementary report card. Teachers found common themes that they used to tie lessons to behaviors, words, thoughts and actions in the classroom. 

To create additional visual reminders, the school features the Benedictine values on banners around the school. We have also incorporated them into existing curriculum, reworked requirements for recognition programs such as Student of the Month and Year, and read values out loud as expectations from coaches, fans, and athletes before home athletic events. 

The school renamed the system of identified Benedictine values to be lived by students and graduates at Sacred Heart as the “Eagle Way,” tying the values to the school’s mascot.
 

Founded upon our Benedictine heritage of prayer and work, Sacred Heart Catholic School promotes faith in Jesus Christ, educates youth and ministers to all.

Our students develop values that guide them for life.

Here at Sacred Heart, we are not merely about education. We are about formation, and that involves the whole person: body, mind, and soul.  “Who do we want this person to be when he or she walks across the stage at graduation?” Fr. Matt Schmitz, Associate Pastor, asked teachers during the Fall of 2018. “People who encounter our graduates should be able to say, “That person must have graduated from Sacred Heart because he knows how to listen; she’s a woman of hospitality; he’s humble.” 

Sacred Heart educators know that personal success and spiritual growth can only come with a deep understanding of self. With just the right mix of textbook learning and self-esteem building, our students leave our school better equipped to make good life choices. Our dedicated instructors teach the fundamentals of discipline and self-awareness – the basic morals and values necessary to become adults who understand how their individual actions can make the world a better place.

The Sacred Heart theology department’s purpose is to form holistic Christian thinkers and evangelical leaders. We engage our students in specific Catholic studies, including Sacred Scripture, Theology and Church History. Students are assessed for academic rigor within the Catholic tradition. Various teaching strategies are employed including traditional assessment methods, group projects and class discussions. The ultimate goal is to form a community of disciples for the New Evangelization.

Does my child have to be Catholic to attend?

• We welcome families of all faiths and backgrounds at Sacred Heart School! 20% of our current preschool through grade 12 student population is not Catholic.

In the spirit of living by our Benedictine values, we are called to action.

• Through Service, students encounter Christ as they meet the needs of others in the example of Jesus, the servant leader. “The member should serve one another.” (Rule of Benedict 33).

• As a Community of learners, students work together for the common good as they grow deeper in their relationship with God and one another. “Let all things be common to all.” (Rule of Benedict 33).

• By putting into practice, students recognize God in every person and honor their giftedness and limitations. “Honor everyone and never do to another what you do not want done to yourself.” (Rule of Benedict 4).

• Building Integrity, students work side by side across grade levels for a cause that betters their community and supports the school. “Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else.” (Rule of Benedict 4).

• By demonstrating Dignity of Work, students share in the fruitful experience of work that enriches the life of others through their action. “…they live by the labor of their hands.” (Rule of Benedict 48).

In the areas of Catholic life and character development, the school works to enrich prayer opportunities at Sacred Heart. A campus minister helps oversee school prayer, school retreats and Faith Family activities.  In addition to regular school Masses, Sacred Heart provides time during the day for student prayer. This includes a formalized schedule of Lectio Divina, rosary, adoration, prayer journaling and regular meetings of the school Faith Families, where junior and senior leaders guide their Faith Families, comprised of a group of students who meet weekly for prayer, discussion and other faith based activities.

Elementary and high school students attend weekly Mass and all grades offer daily prayer. Praise & Worship is held at various times each month, which allows students to gather to sing songs of praise. 
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A small chapel is located on the high school’s second floor. Here, students can find a quite moment to reflect and they can add their own requests to the prayer box.
 

Sacred Heart School provides for the formation of our students through the Disciple of Christ - Education in Virtue® curriculum.

At Sacred Heart School, God, Jesus and faith are not relegated to just one class but are woven into everything we do.

In the school setting, the call to discipleship is extended not only to the students but also to their parents, the faculty, the staff, and the administration. It is the fruit of a personal encounter with Christ which affects one’s intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social life. “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it” (CCC,1816).

Prudence, Justice, Courage, Moderation, Faith, Hope and Love: These are the standards we seek to live by. They provide a target to shoot for when behavior falls short so that as we grow, we grow towards strength, autonomy and freedom to do that which we were made for. We seek to help your child practice and eventually master these excellences to the best degree they can while with us, knowing that this is a life-long journey.

Sacred Heart School is pleased to provide for the formation of its students through the incorporation of the Disciple of Christ – Education in Virtue curriculum. At Sacred Heart School, your child will join many others in putting their faith into action as we live the virtues together, guided by the curriculum brought to our school community by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. We are committed to the academic and moral excellence of our students because Christ is the center of our lives.

“The Disciple of Christ – Education in Virtue® is a Christian curriculum structured on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It aims to provide a consistent structure and systematic instruction for youth to learn about the virtues so that that they may form the habits and dispositions necessary to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. This curriculum emphasizes Christian discipleship as indispensable toward human flourishing and the quest for joy. It has been developed in response to the call for a New Evangelization, firmly conveying the reality that happiness is found in a life of holiness.”

– p. 6, Educator’s Guide