As the second oldest Catholic school in the Diocese of Palm Beach, Sacred Heart Catholic School has an established history of excellence in education. As a faith community enthroned in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the school’s mission is to provide students—of diverse cultures and abilities—an education of excellence in a Christ-centered environment, encourage them to live the Gospel values of love, peace, justice, respect, and service and prepare them for success in higher education and life.
Notable Academics and Extracurriculars
Sacred Heart Catholic School surpasses contemporary national trends in curriculum. It offers low teacher/student ratio, the William B. Finneran Montessori Academy for Early Learning and a variety of learning programs.
As an addition to the enrichment program, the school has selected a group of students to participate in the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Program, where they will learn the assembling and programming of the "EV3 Bricks," the computer memory that executes commands in a robot. A main objective is to prepare for the first LEGO League competition next year.
The school also offers a 3D Design and Printing class which teaches students how to use a browser-based CAD software system and discusses the application of 3D printing in many industries. In addition, Sacred Heart Catholic School participated in the Hour of Code in April. Students were engaged in an hour of activities following instructions on how to code movements for their character in the MineCraft world of coding.
Fourth and seventh grade students participate in activities related to saving the Everglades and learn the importance of the Everglades National Park. For these activities, students learn to use digital cameras, as they spend the day taking photographs to document what they find in the Arthur R. Marshall Everglades Refuge. The photos are then framed and exhibited at the Wally Findlay Gallery on Worth Ave. Students have the opportunity to earn scholarships for winning first and second place in the gallery.
Individualized Attention Tailored to Each Student
The Cathleen Mcfarlane Ross Learning Lab at Sacred Heart School provides remedial and/or intensive instruction in Language Arts and Mathematics. Students attend the lab from one to three periods per day and the remainder of the day is spent in mainstream classes.
The Learning Lab is designed for students identified as having exceptional learning needs such as speech and language impaired, a specific learning disability, Autism spectrum disorders or other conditions.
The Learning Lab staff consists of full-time ESE certified teachers, educators trained in the Orton-Gillingham and Wilson Reading Programs, and a gifted endorsed teacher who confers with the lab teachers regarding the gifted students on campus. The teachers in the lab use a variety of resources and methods designed to help these students become academically successful and increase their grade level abilities. Instructional materials are researched based and highly effective, and technology is also used with the implementation of computer-based reading, writing, and math programs.
Fostering of Spiritual Growth in Faculty and Students
Prayer is an integral part of the school day. Students begin each day with prayer, and pray at the beginning of each class, before meals and a final prayer concludes each day.
Students attend weekly liturgy at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, including any holy days of obligation and Ash Wednesday. Each week, an individual class prepares the liturgy, with students in fourth through eighth grade participating as altar servers. Parents and family members are invited to attend Mass.
In addition, students spend quiet time with Jesus through adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, praying the rosary and reconciliation. Each class is scheduled for a specific time throughout the school day to participate in these religious activities.
Initiatives in Support of a Wholistic Education
Students at Sacred Heart School participate in classroom and school-wide service projects. Last year, students raised one full truckload of canned goods that helped put food on the table for 100 needy families in Palm Beach County. In addition, the National Junior Honor Society hosted a school-wide cleaning supply drive. The cleaning supplies were donated to Adopt a Family of the Palm Beaches to help families that have recently found residences after being homeless.
