FramingourFuture TODAY
TOMORROW AND FOREVER
“ The spirit of St. Madeleine Sophie is very much alive at Sacred Heart. I encounter it among all those who work so hard and steadily to ensure that our School provides only the very best education for ‘our’ children of the Sacred Heart.” Paula Tennyson, Chair of the Board of Trustees 03
Investing in Our Students At Convent of the Sacred Heart we invest in our girls’ future by providing a premier education that encourages academic progress, spiritual growth, and the discovery and development of individual potential. Recent investments include enhancements to classrooms and technology, STEM and STEAM initiatives, charter membership in Cold Spring Harbor’s DNA Learning Center, and membership in the Online School for Girls for advanced courses. As part of the Framing Our Future campaign we are initially seeking $25.5 million in new gifts and pledges to provide our girls with first-class facilities to match our academic excellence. Our goal is to physically transform our campus by creating spaces that encourage values such as faith, character, community, courage, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking and reflection. In meeting this goal we will build on the legacy of a Sacred Heart education. We will construct, redesign and renovate to create contemporary, environmentally and community driven spaces that will enrich each girl’s experience from her daily activities and social gatherings, to her participation on the competitive courts of basketball, volleyball and squash. Our campaign has short and long term goals to secure our future for “Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.” Our most pressing focus is the athletic facility, dining room and common area. That is the current need of “Today.” In the future, “Tomorrow,” we would like to recover the $9-million purchase of the land from the Society, and for “Forever,” we want to grow our endowment. For the first time in our 165-year history, we now hold title to the land on which our School is built. With the purchase of our beautiful campus in Greenwich, which has served as our home since 1945, our future is literally in our hands…to imagine, to shape and to determine as we see fit. We can plan with confidence, and our plans for new and reconfigured facilities and spaces are both bold and true to our mission and heritage. In the pages that follow, we share these plans and the motivations that drive them. I am confident that you will find them as inspiring as we do. We invite your questions and comments. Above all, we ask that you join with us in making this “framework for our future” a reality. With Gratitude,
Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 Head of School
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Setting Our Daughters’ Future “ After our fi rst visit to Convent of the Sacred Heart in 1999 looking for a school for our four-year-old daughter, Stephanie, we knew it was the perfect school for Stephanie. CSH was committed to reinforcing the values that we, as parents, were striving to teach our children – to be critical thinkers, to be socially aware, to make wise choices and to have an active faith in God. Stephanie is now a junior and will graduate from CSH next year as a ‘lifer.’ Throughout the years that Stephanie and our younger daughter, Nicole, have been at CSH, we have seen how the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria are incorporated into each day. Their years at Sacred Heart have helped to set the future for our daughters and in turn, through the Framing Our Future campaign, we hope to help set the future for CSH for generations to come.” Anne Marie and Douglas Mellert, P ’14, ’20 Douglas is a trustee and co-chair of the Framing Our Future Capital Campaign
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A Perfect School for Us “ Our four children are at three different schools because we have found that there is a ‘right school’ for each child. When we chose Sacred Heart for our daughter, Sarah, who was only fi ve at the time and going into kindergarten, it was hard to tell at that age, what her ‘right school’ would be. We hit a homerun with CSH. She has never woken up and said she didn’t want to go to school. She jumps out of the car each morning with a big smile as she runs into school. All of her teachers tell us that she smiles all day long. How could she not be smiling? Sacred Heart is a beautiful school, but it is the foundation of CSH that makes it so special. Its mission and goals, are what we love. Sarah is not only receiving one of the strongest academic educations possible, but also developing important personal characteristics such as values, faith, morals, and independence. She has gained such a strong sense of her own self-worth and it will make her an invaluable member of society in the years to come.” Kim and Neil Augustine, P ’22 Neil is a trustee and co-chair of the Framing Our Future Capital Campaign
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“ Students with a passion for science become engaged in original research in preparation for a future that is highly technological, sophisticated and full of endless possibilities.� Mary Musolino, Science Research Program Director
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Educating Young Women Successfully Since 1848 Our School was founded in 1848 in Lower Manhattan and moved to Greenwich in 1945 with an enrollment of 95 girls. Today, our 700 students in preschool through twelfth grade enjoy these impressive, picturesque and historic grounds. After years of anticipation and planning, in 2011 we negotiated with the Society of the Sacred Heart to purchase the entire 118 acres of land upon which our School is located, the largest, contiguous campus of any school in Fairfield or Westchester Counties. Holding title to the land gives us the extraordinary opportunity to create a physical environment that reinforces our academic mission and educational philosophy, while securing our future in perpetuity. For nearly 70 years, we have added and re-purposed facilities to help meet the needs of a growing student body. We have been constrained, however, in what we might undertake by having to negotiate with the Society about any additions or changes to the campus. Now we have both the opportunity and autonomy to strengthen our core facilities—a long-standing goal. As our enrollment continued to grow, owing to the success of our academic program and reputation, the need for expanded and improved facilities for our girls heightened. We also sought to create a more cohesive and community-focused campus to underscore the special attributes of a Sacred Heart education. 7
“All the system converges to this—to give personal worth to each child, worth of character, strength of principles, and anchorage in faith.” Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ (1857-1914) Sixth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart
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Framing Our Future Convent of the Sacred Heart has embarked on a $25.5-million capital campaign to construct and renovate buildings and spaces on our campus that will enhance the educational experience of our students for years to come. Our priorities flow from our current strategic plan and addresses critical capital, endowment and other academic program objectives. The campaign, which is co-chaired by Neil Augustine, P ’22, and Douglas Mellert, P ’14, ’20, reflects our strong heritage as a Sacred Heart school, and will provide an expansive environment for academics, athletics and the arts, while strengthening our pervasive sense of community. Our campaign objectives reflect our educational values and our defining heritage as a Sacred Heart school. • Athletic Complex: Our goal is to grow and enhance an already excellent athletic program by providing indoor and outdoor facilities to maximize individual and team potential. Educating the mind, body and spirit is a hallmark of Sacred Heart. Our athletic facilities must be consistent with the School’s ideals and educational philosophy, large enough to accommodate the current program and future growth. • Dining Room: As a gathering place, the Dining Room will reflect our strong sense of community. It will provide an attractive, more spacious setting to encourage healthful interactions and nutritious eating habits. Comfortable seating around an outdoor hearth will add to the enjoyment for students. • Outdoor Commons Area: Located in an attractive setting behind the main building in the northern part of our campus, the Outdoor Commons Area will consist of a new, communal space for gathering outside. An amphitheater will be built within a expanded courtyard. Playgrounds will be relocated to the Outdoor Commons Area from the periphery. To create this centralized green space and a safer traffic flow, current roads and parking lots will be relocated.
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Premier Educators of Women Ensuring a student’s academic success, as well as her development as a leader, woman of faith and responsible citizen requires a multi-faceted educational program and the right facilities to support this philosophy. Our commitment to our students requires that we invest in the facilities where they will learn, explore their individual talents and interests, compete, and interact as a vibrant and cohesive community. The current gymnasium, constructed in 1990, is the only central gathering place now for all-School liturgies and assemblies. The new Athletic Complex will provide more suitable and accommodating spaces for our School community to gather for such important events as the Mass of the Holy Spirit and special events for the entire School. Expanded space for physical education and team sports will promote mutual responsibility, self-discipline, balance, health, and well-being. The Dining Room and the Outdoor Commons Area will be places where community, hospitality and healthy living will be fostered and embraced. This reects the core values of our Sacred Heart heritage that have inspired generations of our students and continue to resonate today with our alumnae, current families and friends.
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“ We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it knowing that God does not require great achievements, but a heart that holds nothing back.”
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865) Foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart
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Left to right: Sr. Rosemary Sheehan, RSCJ; Sr. Kathleen Dolan ’56, RSCJ; Sr. Kaye Cherry ’53, RSCJ
For Generations to Come The life of our student community is framed by distinctive facilities and an environment that enriches their educational experience. This campaign is shaped by a profound vision of our foundress, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, to create an educational system for generations to come. As we focus on the present and build for the future, we have highlighted three key spaces for improvement. First, there is the outdated single court gymnasium, constructed in 1990. It is inadequate for Middle and Upper School competitive sports. Built for a smaller enrollment, it provides a cramped setting for all-School assemblies and liturgies. Secondly, the Dining Room, constructed in 1993, when enrollment was 372, is too small and out-of-date for the 700 students who dine and gather there daily. The Dining Room also serves another 200 faculty and staff in a cramped and hurried environment during one of the most important breaks in a student’s day. An expanded and modern Dining Room and kitchen would allow us to offer a greater range of healthy food choices and nutritional selections, which our students, as well as faculty and staff, increasingly request. Finally, there is no common ground outdoors where students can gather before and after classes or during breaks to share stories, laughter and concerns or to engage in unhurried conversations. The proposed Outdoor Commons Area would create a cohesive green space adjacent to the main buildings and the new Athletic Complex. By creating the proposed Outdoor Commons Area, we would also be able to address safety concerns related to campus traffic on the road behind the main buildings. This road would be removed to make way for the Outdoor Commons Area.
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“ My years at Sacred Heart enabled me to develop the character, motivation and focus that allowed me to pursue my goals during my college years and beyond. The environment is unique, and provides the ideal setting for young girls and women to learn the skills, confidence and compassion that they’ll need to excel in an increasingly competitive world.” Cathleen Mendelson Daly ’85, CSH’s first All-American lacrosse player and Denison University Hall of Fame inductee for lacrosse and field hockey
Athletic Complex First Floor Plan $20,500,000 14
A Place for Excellence Our goal is to grow and enhance an already vibrant and successful athletic program that provides student-athletes in all disciplines with a platform to maximize individual and team performance. We will continue to carry out our promise to educate the mind, body and spirit as we improve our athletic facilities and large-scale, indoor community gathering places. The new Athletic Complex will be attractively appointed for sports and physical education and can accommodate future growth and changing emphasis.
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“ Let us be thankful for the past and hopeful for the future, striving in the present to realize the purpose for which Sacred Heart has come into being.�
Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ (1857-1914) Sixth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart
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Dining Room $2,800,000
A Place for Socializing and Relaxation The newly renovated Dining Room will, by design, foster an intimate sense of community, while providing more space to encourage healthful interactions. The additional square footage will also provide a comfortable seating area around a hearth. This attractive room will create an enjoyable setting at this most social time of the day for our students.
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“ They learned the language of the Sacred Heart… they learned how to win hearts.”
Sr. Catherine McMahon, RSCJ writing about the first students St. Philippine Duchesne taught in America
Outdoor Commons Area $2,200,000 18
Outdoor Commons Area To more fully utilize our beautiful grounds and foster a greater sense of peace and community, we will create an expanded courtyard setting with an amphitheater in the northern part of the campus located behind the main building.
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“ In my 20 years at Convent of the Sacred Heart, I have seen remarkable growth in the area of technology and in the breadth and depth of the programs that we are able to offer to our students, and our community remains as dedicated to the timeless mission of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat as when I fi rst walked through these doors.� 20
Gail Casey, Upper School Assistant Head
Framing Our Future Campaign The Framing Our Future Campaign was launched April 2013 with a goal of raising $25.5 million in cash gifts, pledges and commitments. Building plans and capital campaigns can state the urgency of fundraising and the desired momentum of giving, but ultimately the pace of the campaign will be determined by those who give, by the size of pledges, the schedule of their payments, and their commitment to ensuring a campaign’s success.
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“ This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow.” Archbishop Oscar Romero (1917-1980) 22
Success Depends on Each of Us During the course of our campaign, each trustee, parent, alumna, and friend of Sacred Heart will be asked to consider a gift to support our campaign objectives. We know that the circumstances of each family and each individual are different, and that the economy at this time is quite challenging. If each person and each family stretches within their capacity to give, we are confident that will meet our campaign goals.
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Your Participation Is the Key Raising the $25.5 million for the Athletic Complex, Dining Room and Outdoor Commons Area presents an extraordinary opportunity to promote the educational accomplishments and goals of our students today and in the future. This campaign, which will produce a physical transformation of our campus, making possible enhancements to our educational programs at every grade level, is an essential first step in securing our future. With the acquisition of the title to the land that has been our home since 1945, we are now poised to enter a new era in the history of our School. It is a journey we hope to take together. For when we come together as a community, a community mindful and informed by our heritage as a Sacred Heart school, we can realize the highest aspirations for our daughters and for generations of girls to come. We invite you to join with us on our shared journey by making your best pledge for our exceptional School.
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Our Legacy Dear Mrs. Hayes, I am often asked by parents and their daughters what I love about Sacred Heart. I rave about the teachers I’ve had and the friends I’ve made. I talk about how I love coming up the long driveway and seeing our school and how moving it is to stand on the front steps and look at the beautiful grounds. I try to explain why I love religion class and why I even like wearing uniforms. I talk about it and I use the word “home.” It would be almost impossible, though, for me to capture what it means to be a part of the Sacred Heart Network. How can I easily explain the bulletin board with the notes from faculty, students and alumnae asking for prayers for a loved one? Or how to make someone understand that a girl from Mexico can arrive on my doorstep through the exchange program and it feels like I already know her? I hope you know that I am more than grateful for your willingness to reach out to the Sacred Heart Network on behalf of my efforts for Maasai girls. I know that it was the Network that made winning the grant not just a possibility, but also a reality. I am forever grateful. Love, Mary Grace Henry ’15 (In 2013, Mary Grace won a $10,000 grant from Kids Who Care for her foundation, Reverse the Course. The grant will be used to educate Maasai girls in Kenya.)
Board of Trustees 2013-2014 Chair Paula Tennyson Vice Chair Imma De Stefanis, RSCJ Treasurer William D. Hirshorn, P ’11, ’13, ’15 Secretary Joseph N. Walsh, III Neil A. Augustine, P ’22 Bridget Bearss, RSCJ James T. Bretzke, S.J. Dreux Dubin Claiden ’77, P ’13 Lisa Burke Fallon ’89, P ’22 Lorena Ferrara, P ’04, ’09, ’14 Charles A. Fishkin, P ’13 Donald E. Foley, P ’09 Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes ’64 Kimberly J. Huchro, P ’11, ’14 Frances de La Chapelle, RSCJ Parents’ Association President Janine Larkin, P ’18 Douglas M. Mellert, P ’14, ’20 Mandy Dawson Murphy ’85, P ’17, ’23 Bernadette Prato, P ’18, ’21 Alumnae President Shannon O’Leary Pujadas ’87, P ’24 Christopher R. Ryan, P ’12, ’16 Joseph A. Tranfo, P ’11, ’18 Patreece Williams Creegan ’84
1177 King Street, Greenwich, CT 06831 www.cshgreenwich.org 203.531.6500