Convent of the Sacred Heart

Outreach: Social Justice

The Outreach Program enables the School “to be linked in a reciprocal manner to ministries with the poor and marginalized.” Since 1991, Sacred Heart has been able, with the help of several generous donors, to make the School’s facilities available free of charge for children’s outreach programs during the summer and on Saturdays during the School year.

Tuesday HeadStart Enrichment Program

The children from the Carver Center Day Care/HeadStart Program, accompanied by the staff, spend Tuesday mornings at Sacred Heart. Our purpose is to support the curriculum of the program and to provide additional enrichment activities for the children. The volunteers from Sacred Heart are present and past parents and retired CSH faculty. Educational games, story reading, crafts and rhythmic exercise are elements of the program.

At least once or twice a month the children are taken on field trips. They visit museums, the town firehouse and library, farms and, their favorite, the Maritime Center in Norwalk. Guest speakers and specialists come to Sacred Heart to make presentations to the children.

Summer of Learning

Each summer, we welcome children from low-income families living in Greenwich and Stamford, Connecticut, and Port Chester, New York, to our Summer of Learning programs. As part of these outreach programs, transportation for the children as well as lunch and a snack are provided. The programs are staffed by experienced teachers and professionals, thanks to the generosity of parents, alumnae and friends. Upper School students at Convent of the Sacred Heart, together with parents and alumnae, volunteer in the programs.

Summer Academy

For boys and girls in Grades 2 through 6, the Summer Academy offers academic and enrichment opportunities designed to strengthen academic skills—especially in writing, math, science and computers—and encourage creative thinking and shared learning. Swimming and sports classes are also part of the program.

Humanities

We developed this program to provide additional opportunity for the young girls in our Summer Academy (grade two through six) to continue their enrichment experiences at Sacred Heart beyond the sixth grade. The Humanities Academy is a program that allows interested students to develop their potential as young writers, scholars and artists and to explore opportunity in fields that retain their popularity, but which have become eclipsed and devalued in an increasingly technological society. In so doing, we are preparing these young minority women to take their place in the world, fortified with a strong academic grounding and greater confidence in their ability to succeed.

Summer Science Academy

Girls in Grades 6 through 8 who have a special interest in science, and are recommended by their teachers, participate in the Summer Science Academy at Sacred Heart. The curriculum focuses on biology, physics and mathematics.

“Saturday-at-Sacred Heart" (SASH)

Saturday-at-Sacred Heart is a program for children from low-income families many of whom attend the Sacred Heart Summer Academy. For 20 Saturday afternoons during the School year, fourth, fifth and sixth grade children attend an educational and recreational program at Sacred Heart. Their time is divided into three classes: theme class, computer class and swimming and sports. Sacred Heart students volunteer to assist the staff in all of the activities. Visiting specialists are invited to make presentations to the students.