| A Day in the Life: Upper
School
Overview
The Upper School program is designed to challenge students who possess a wide range of interests and skills. A Sacred Heart education provides students with a strong, broad-based college preparatory curriculum, while also providing opportunities for the exploration of special talents and interests through advanced classes, special projects, study abroad, summer programs and independent study.
The course of study for each Upper School student is individually planned with the help of her academic advisor, her parents and the Upper School academic dean. Honors and Advanced Placement courses typically require teacher recommendations for enrollment.
Community service is also an integral part of Convent of the Sacred Heart’s academic program. Under the supervision of the director of community service, each student selects and arranges to do a service project accessible from Convent of the Sacred Heart or her home. A yearly plan and an annual minimum of 25 hours are required.
To receive a diploma, students must complete a minimum of 25 credits, physical education/health and elective requirements and 100 hours of community service.
Upper School students compete in local and regional athletic leagues, as well as participate in academic and artistic competitions and symposia on local, regional and national levels. Sacred Heart students are actively involved in Student Council, community service projects and School clubs. A variety of School social events are scheduled each year to provide students with an opportunity to bond in a relaxed atmosphere including game and movie nights in the gym, dances with local boys’ college preparatory schools, the Father-Daughter Dinner Dance and the Junior-Senior Prom.
Four-Year Program
In order to help students and parents plan the high school program, a four-year program is listed below. This program can and does vary from student to student, especially as each student moves into the higher grades and her education becomes more specialized. In most departments, College Preparatory and Honors sections are offered.
Grade 9
- World Religions
- Foundations of Literature and Composition
- World Cultures
- French I or II (College Prep and Honors sections), Spanish I or II (College Prep and Honors sections), Arabic I, Chinese I or Latin I
- Algebra I or Geometry (Honors available in Geometry)
- Conceptual Physics or Physics 9
- Physical Education
- Choice among: Art Fundamentals, Broadcast Journalism, Chorus, Drama or a second world language
Grade 10
- Christ in the Scriptures
- English Literature and Composition (College Prep and Honors sections)
- Modern European History (College Prep, Honors or AP sections)
- French II or III (College Prep and Honors sections), Spanish II or III (College Prep and Honors sections), Arabic II, Chinese II or Latin II
- Geometry or Algebra II (College Prep and Honors sections)
- Chemistry (College Prep, Honors and AP sections)
- Health
- Speech
- Choice among: Broadcast Journalism I or II, Chorus, Madrigals, Drama I or II, Design, Drawing and Painting, Photography or a second world language
- Additional Electives: Journalism Reporting, Science Research, Seminar in Mathematical Problem-Solving
Grade 11
- Christian Ethics and Morality
- American Literature (College Prep and Honors sections)
- U.S. History (College Prep, Honors or AP sections)
- French III or IV (College Prep and Honors sections), Spanish III or IV (College Prep and Honors sections), Arabic III, Latin III or Chinese III
- Algebra II or Precalculus (College Prep and Honors sections)
- Biology (College Prep, Honors or AP sections)
- Physical Education/College Guidance
- Choice among: Broadcast Journalism I, II or III, Chorus, Madrigals, Drama I, II or III, Design I or II, Drawing and Painting I or II, Photography I or II, or a second world language
- Additional Electives: Journalism Reporting or Editing, Science Research II, Seminars in Mathematical Problem-Solving
Grade 12
- Faith & Reason or Social Justice & Spirituality
- World Literature (College Prep and Honors sections) or AP English Literature and Composition
- World Since 1945 (College Prep and Honors sections), AP Comparative Government, or Psychology (College Prep and Honors sections)
- French IV (College Prep and Honors sections), French V or AP French; Spanish IV (College Prep and Honors sections), Spanish V or AP Spanish; Arabic IV, Chinese IV, Latin IV or AP Latin
- Precalculus (College Prep and Honors sections), Calculus (College Prep and Honors sections), AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Probability/Statistics or AP Statistics
- Physics (College Prep and Honors sections), AP Physics B, AP Physics CAP Chemistry, AP Biology, Environmental Science (College Prep, Honors and AP sections)
- Health/College Guidance
- Choice among: Broadcast Journalism I, II, III or IV, Chorus, Madrigals, Drama I, II, III or IV, Design I, II or III, Drawing & Painting I, II, or III, Photography I, II or III, AP Art, or a second world language
- Additional Electives: Journalism Reporting or Editing, Science Research III, seminars in Mathematical Problem-Solving, Microeconomics, Peer Leadership
A Day in the Life of an
Upper School Student
School days begin for most Upper School students at 8:25 a.m. with a 10-minute morning meeting in the auditorium moderated by the president of the student body. The agenda includes a prayer and School announcements. Some students come to School early to practice for Madrigals at 7:30 a.m. or to attend specially scheduled classes.
Sacred Heart’s Upper School has an eight-day academic cycle with six periods each day, one 30-minute mid-morning break and a 50-minute lunch break. Students meet with their academic advisors three times during each eight-day cycle. Once every eight days, students also attend Chapel. The other six to eight academic and elective courses in which they enroll in change meeting times each day to enable students to achieve their maximum learning potential.
Clubs meet during the mid-morning break once per cycle. After Period 6 ends at 3:25 p.m., many Upper School students participate in after school activities that include sports, the arts, for example, rehearsals for drama productions, or community service projects. Other students continue working on projects for School clubs or receive special permission to continue supervised use of the art or photography studios.
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