From the Head of School

Building Community from the Heart

The theme of this magazine “Building Community: From the Heart” is a reflection of the remarkable journey of this academic year. It’s hard to express the magnitude of impact experienced by the Stone Ridge students, faculty, and staff when we returned to campus last August. Not only were we grateful to be together as we continue to navigate COVID, but the revitalized spaces on campus breathed new life into our mission. So many heartfelt sentiments come to mind: Joy. Relief. Excitement. Hope.

Gratitude. Awe. Inspiration.

Our nation has been engaged in important work over the past two years as we prioritize public health and continually strive to be a land where all people are treated with the inherent dignity, respect, and opportunity they deserve. Stone Ridge has faced this moment with an open heart to explore the question: “Where is God calling us as a Sacred Heart community during this important time?” This period of disruption has heightened our awareness of Goal IV: the building of community as a Christian value, and transformed our appreciation for the importance of mental and physical health, in-person school programming, and the great blessings of a strong and diverse community. Though there has been so much change and unpredictability in our students’ lives, our faculty and staff have been a constant source of encouragement and support, guiding our students and challenging them to keep growing in their intellect, skills, faith, and friendships.

On these pages, you will see just a small sampling of stories that share insight into our amazing Stone Ridge community. Read on to be inspired by the hard work of our world-class teachers, counselors, administrators, and coaches. Read about alumnae who have impacted lives by serving on the front lines of the pandemic and through outstanding leadership in their careers. Read about engaging and relevant projects that our students are working on in various content areas, including religion, art, and STEAM. Read about our work towards fostering a just community and our ongoing commitment to racial justice and to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programming as a fundamental expression of our Sacred Heart identity.

Included in this magazine is a special section about the Cor Unum • One Heart Campaign that we have just completed. This campaign was the largest ever accomplished at Stone Ridge, and we could only achieve our goal because of the phenomenal generosity of our community. In addition to raising funds, one of our goals in this campaign was to change the culture of philanthropy in our school. We know that future generations of Stone Ridge students need the ongoing investment and vision of our community—including current families, faculty and staff, alumnae, and past families—to keep Stone Ridge at the forefront of Catholic and Sacred Heart education. I could not be more grateful for the generosity of the hundreds of people who supported this project, and I promise you that we will keep pushing our mission forward with aspirational goals so we will be ready to serve future generations.

On that same note, I leave you with a reminder of the importance and excitement of what is to come next. We are preparing for our Centennial Celebration which will take place throughout the 20222023 academic year. It will be an opportunity to reflect on our storied and beautiful past, while also planning together for an even brighter future. Please stay tuned so that you can join in the fun, and also to support Stone Ridge during this historic moment for our mission!

With gratitude and love,

Catherine Ronan Karrels ’86 Head of School