Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Dear SHS Parents and Guardians,
During this season of gratitude, I give thanks to God for the many blessings He has provided our Sacred Heart School Family. I give thanks for the Sacred Heart School faculty and staff. Our dedicated and talented educators serve the mission of our school on a daily basis. The passion they have for their job and what they teach is contagious!
A special thank you to our parents. I am truly grateful for the sacrifices you make financially, and in so many other ways, to send your children to Sacred Heart School. We see the love and support you provide to your children and I give thanks for all that you do.
I give thanks to our students. Every day, our students remind me of why I entered the sacred vocation of Catholic education. Their smiles, energy, laughter, wisdom, and joyous youth are all signs of God’s love.
As you gather around the table on Thanksgiving Day, may God bless you and your family, and may we all thank God for the many blessings in our lives.
With sincerest gratitude,
Mrs. Joanna Barlow
Principal
(The next edition of the Weekly Newsletter will be sent Friday, December 1, 2023.)
We will be participating in two toy drives for the Christmas season. The first is Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Gift Drive. Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child delivers great joy and the Good News of Jesus Christ to children in need around the world through gift-filled shoeboxes. Each shoebox is packed full of quality toys, craft activity, school supplies, personal care items and a personalized note from the class. The gift becomes a tangible expression of God's immense love for the child. For many, it is their first gift ever! We hope to fill one shoebox per homeroom.
The classes should fill a shoebox for:
Pre-K 3 - Boy 2-4 years old
Pre-K 4 - Girl 2-4 years old
Kindergarten - Boy 5-9 years old
1st grade - Girl 5-9 years old
2nd grade - Boy 5-9 years old
3rd grade - Girl 5-9 years old
4th grade - Boy 5-9 years old
5th grade - Girl 10-14 years old
6th grade - Boy 10-14 years old
7th grade - Girl 10-14 years old
8th grade - Boy 10-14 years old
The shoe boxes should be filled and ready to be shipped by November 20. It costs $10 to ship each box so monetary donations are also welcomed.
The 2nd toy drive is for Joey’s Little Angels. Joey’s Little Angels is a local toy drive in memory of Joseph Thomas Angiolino who passed away at age 14 months from Hurler's Syndrome. Joey spent much of his short life in hospitals. As such, each year his family holds a toy drive specifically for children who spend Christmas in hospitals. They have collected over 46,000 toys which have been distributed to Duke University Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, RWJ New Brunswick, Capital Health, Boston Children's Hospital, Rutgers Cancer Institute, St. Christopher's Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital and many more. To participate in this drive please drop off an unwrapped toy by November 21.
Finally, on Wednesday, December 20, The Sacred Heart School Choir will be holding a Christmas Sing Along at the Samuel Miller Christian Retirement Home. After Thanksgiving, Mr. Wooden will review specifics and send home permission slips with our Choir members. Our students are looking forward to spreading some Christmas Cheer with our neighbors at the retirement home.
Earlier this year I announced our school wide goal to prioritize school safety by raising
awareness through professional development, enhanced communication, and detailed plans. As we come to the end of the first trimester, I wanted to update you on a few items we have been working on. On September 29, I attended a professional development day which focused on Reunification: the process of uniting students with parents after an evacuation or crisis. We are currently in the draft stage of this plan. Once complete, it will be turnkeyed to faculty and staff and included in our School Safety and Procedures Manual. On November 14, Robert Sensi from the New Jersey Office of School Emergency Preparedness, presented a professional development to our front office staff. The presentation focused on security considerations specifically for front office staff personnel.
On October 10, we successfully conducted a school evacuation drill to our offsite location, the Holbein Middle School. As with all of our drills, once completed, the security team, faculty, and staff discussed what went well and what could be improved.
As a constant procedural reminder, we have crafted Security Drills at a Glance Cards. These cards will be placed inside our teachers’ lanyards with their school identification. The at a glance card gives faculty and staff quick important procedural tips at the ready during lockdown, shelter in place and evacuation drills.
Finally, I have been working with Critical Response Group (CRG) to build critical incident maps of our campus. The maps are made available to law enforcement and first responders. They provide emergency response teams clear, unified location data to coordinate and communicate quickly and decisively in a crisis situation.
The Sacred Heart School Choir has been invited to sing at the Mount Holly Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday December 1st. The Choir will perform their songs and then march in the parade. The evening will end with the tree lighting. All Sacred Heart Families are welcome to come out and support our Choir and enjoy this kick off to the Christmas season. Festivities begin at 6pm in downtown Mount Holly. Mr. Wooden will be giving specific information and permission slips to our Choir at their next practice.
The PTA St. Nick’s Shoppe will run December 4-7. During their designated shopping day and time, students will be permitted to purchase Christmas gifts for their friends and loved ones. Starting prices are as low as $1. The shopping schedule will be communicated home by your child’s classroom teacher.
Christmas Bazaar - December 2
Moe's Ornament Fundraiser -Sale ends December 2
St. Nick Shoppe - December 4-7
Breakfast and Crafts with Santa - December 9
The Sacred Heart School Marketing Department is looking for volunteers to help us take Sacred Heart on the Road. Interested parents and their children are asked to help us spread the word about our awesome school.
Who: SHS Parents and Students
What: Be a presence at local events to showcase and spread the word about our school.
When: Tentative Events
12/1/23 - Mt Holly Tree Lighting
1/27/24 - Mt. Holly Fire & Ice Festival
3/2/24 - St. Patrick’s Day Parade
July 2024 Burlington County Farm Fair
If you are interested in being part of the SHS Show on the Road Committee please email schooloffice @sacred-heart-school.org. 7 & 8 grade students who participate with their parents can earn service hours.
Additionally, parents, if you have some time on your hands and would like to volunteer one day a week to assist with lunch or recess duty, please email schooloffice@sacred-heart-school.org. Please be advised that all volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and fingerprinted. If you need to start the process to be fingerprinted and/or VIRTUS trained please email ptaevents@sacred-heart-school.org. Any day you could offer assistance would be welcomed.
