Reflections of Sacred Heart School

Sacred Heart School should always be remembered as a thriving, beautiful, and vibrant school which educated the best and brightest students for 53 years.

In the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sacred Heart Elementary School’s commitment has always been to develop the spiritual, intellectual, physical and social development of each child – and that it did!

From the day I first stepped into the school building back in 2000 with my three-year-old in tow, it felt like home. My daughter was blessed to have gone from nursery to eighth grade at Sacred Heart School and couldn’t have been more prepared for high school.  We know that her academic success started with the teachers and the educational foundation she received at Sacred Heart School.  

Sadly, my son’s last year at Sacred Heart School is seventh grade, so he cannot graduate from our beloved school, but he too could not have been better prepared for his future. My children excelled scholastically, but more importantly, they, like their classmates, have been molded into respectful, giving, caring and truly empowered people who will continue to do good in the world. 

Sacred Heart School was a school where the children learned respect for themselves and others and learned to give of themselves to those in need. Each class worked on stewardship projects throughout the year. They collected food for the hungry, clothing for the homeless, visited nursing homes, sent care packages to our military, etc. They took pride in their service to others and worked hard to follow the teachings of Jesus.   

The school calendar was always filled with both celebrations of our faith and fun-filled events such as family bingo, breakfast with Santa and field day.  It felt that we lived at Sacred Heart School sometimes. And, who wouldn’t want to spend time at such a wonderful school? We had a dynamic principal, Kerry Kahn, and dedicated teachers and staff who not only provided the children with an outstanding education, but truly nurtured each and every one of them.

Shockingly, despite a steady increase in enrollment for the past three years and during the worst economic time this country has seen in years, Sacred Heart School was still slated to close, leaving a hole in our community, our parish, and our hearts.   

As my husband and I console our children, and ourselves, I take comfort in the friends we have made, the lessons we have learned, the school family we have become, and the love we have shared within the walls of Sacred Heart School that will endure forever in our hearts, just as the Sacred Heart of Jesus does.

Signed,

Diane Walhoff