WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

• SWEETHEART DANCE - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 WALK-INS WELCOME!
• VALENTINE'S DRESS DOWN DAY and CELEBRATIONS - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
• ASH WEDNESDAY - FEBRUARY 14 - DRESS UNIFORMS
• $1 PRETZEL DAY - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15
• NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 TEACHER PROF. DEVELOPMENT
• NO SCHOOL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19 - PRESIDENTS' DAY
• SATURDAY, MARCH 2 - SHS OPEN HOUSE 1PM-3PM & BURLINGTON CO. ST. PATRICK’S PARADE 1PM

Dear SHS Parents and Guardians,

Thank you to those parents/guardians who attended last night’s State of the School Parent Meeting. The evening was filled with important academic, enrollment, and financial information. For those of you who were unable to attend, we sent your family’s re-registration packets home with your children. Please read through the packet and complete the necessary information to re-register your child(ren) for the 24/25 school year. To secure a spot in the classroom, and to avoid an increase in your registration fee, I highly recommend you re-register by March1st. Additionally, I have attached a copy of my presentation for reference as you read through the packet. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Have a wonderful weekend!

Many Blessings

Mrs. Joanna Barlow

Principal

Due to Ash Wednesday services at Sacred Heart Church, this Wednesday, February 14, ALL students (including PreK 3 & 4) must be dropped off to the SIDE ENTRANCE of the Gym. PreK teachers will meet their students in the gym. All other students will proceed to class.

PARENTS and CAREGIVERS: Please plan to ENTER the parking lot by making a RIGHT TURN into the lot from Bartram Avenue. Follow the traffic pattern shown in BLUE. Please plan to EXIT the parking lot by making a RIGHT TURN onto Bartram Avenue.

Parents: If you would like to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, February 14, ashes will be distributed at Sacred Heart Church at the following times: 7:00 AM (Mass), 8:30 AM (Mass), 12:15 PM **Prayer Service with Distribution of Ashes (Not a Mass), 4:00 PM **Prayer Service with Distribution of Ashes (Not a Mass), and 7:00 PM (Mass).

The Beginner Band Concert was held this past Tuesday. Thirteen students performed a number of songs for parents, relatives, friends, teachers and principal. Each child also performed their very own solo piece. Kudos to Mrs. Blair who did an excellent job conducting. Our next concert is scheduled for May 13 and will include the entire band.

In an effort to keep the school calendar as up to date as possible, we have replaced the previous PDF monthly calendar with a live Google Monthly Calendar. Check out this new calendar on our website. The great thing about this calendar is that you can sync it to your phone or computer and quickly see in real time what is happening at SHS. All you have to do to sync is click on the + icon in the bottom right hand corner of the calendar.

This week for Black History Month our SHS Students were busy learning about The Civil Rights Movement. One class read excerpts from Through my Eyes, Ruby Bridges' autobiography. They also watched an interview with Ruby Bridges and read her newest book, I am Ruby Bridges. Speaking of books, Mrs. Asch, our Librarian, has created a Black History Month display chock-full of books about prominent Black Americans, as well as books by Black Authors. Students in our primary grades talked about famous black athletes such as Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens. Our 6th - 8th grade science classes viewed the film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. This is a true story about how a 13-year-old African boy created a windmill to save his whole village from famine. After the film the classes discussed the STEM and engineering concepts behind windmills and how they produce electricity. Stay tuned because our teachers have more exciting lessons planned for next week.

The Alison Colonna Memorial Scholarship application is now open for the 2024-2025 school year. Jeff Colonna, Sacred Heart School class of 1980, has established a memorial scholarship in memory of his mother Alison Colonna. Click here for the scholarship criteria and application. Deadline to apply is Friday, May 3,2024. Completed applications can be delivered in person or emailed to schooloffice@sacred-heart-school.org

See below for important dates for students in 2nd and 8th grade preparing for 1st Reconciliation, 1st Holy Communion, or Confirmation.

• 2ND GRADE - FIRST RECONCILIATION - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Congratulations to Mrs. Mary Schmid for winning the TV Raffle! She and her husband can’t wait to watch the Super Bowl on their new 50 inch Pioneer Class LED 4K Smart TV! Thank you to everyone who supported the 8th grade class by purchasing a chance to win.

Coming Soon - Friends of Sacred Heart School 8th Grade $500 Scholarship

• Sweetheart Dance - Saturday, February 10th at 6:30 pm in the SHS Auditorium. This is a Valentine's event for students in grades Pre K - 4th grade. Walk-ins welcome!
  
• SHS Beef and Beer Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day with us on Saturday, March 16th! Traditional Irish buffet dinner by Cathy’s Catering, music, prize baskets, super 50/50 and so much more. Tickets on sale now.
• Gertrude Hawk Chocolate Fundraiser - New this year, a prize incentive program. Sales begin today and run through February19th. Online sales with Direct ship to buyer continue until March 17th. Gertrude Hawk Brochure

It is time to order yearbooks. New this year, Booster Messages. All parents and families are invited to send a message of love and congratulations to their Sacred Heart Student to be included in the Yearbook Booster page. Ordering information is below.

The Friends of Sacred Heart School cordially invites you to the Blue and Gold Gala and Basket Auction. Come out and celebrate 80 years of education excellence. Saturday, April 20, 2024 at Deerwood Country Club. Cocktails will be served at 6:00 p.m. Tickets will be available for purchase January 5, 2024 - March 2, 2024.Ticket price: $80 per ticket or 2 for $150. Dinner, dancing, a super 50/50 and a fantastic basket auction are some of the highlights of what will be a wonderful evening. Looking forward to seeing you there! Click this link for the Gala Ticket Order Form.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity, when people make donations to all kinds of organizations. Tuesday, November 28 marked the 5th year SHS participated in this global day of giving. Giving Tuesday is not just about money, people can donate time, food and even parts of themselves. With this in mind, we saw Giving Tuesday as a teachable moment for our students. On Giving Tuesday our students pledged to give back by doing something good for others. We reinforced the idea that giving and kindness isn't about a day, it is a way to live our lives.

Sacred Heart School would like to thank all of those people who participated in our Giving Tuesday Campaign. If you missed out and would still like to participate in Giving Tuesday please click here or scan the QR code. Our Campaign runs throughout the school year. Your contribution, no matter how small, will make a difference. Your financial gift will directly contribute to offering the students of Sacred Heart School a dynamic, faith-filled, values centered curriculum that fosters creative thinkers and problem solvers. Thank you for being a part of the Giving Tuesday movement with us!

Over the past few months, we have increased our social media presence. Make sure to follow us and like all the great things happening at Sacred Heart School!

Instagram: sacredheartschool_mtholly

Facebook: sacredheartschoolmt.holly

General Information - For Families with Children Attending Catholic Schools in The Diocese of Trenton. Tuition assistance is awarded each year to families with children in our Catholic schools in grades K-8. Awards are made based on financial need.

How is the determination made? Information contained in the application along with the supporting materials is used to determine financial need. The formula utilized has been especially designed for families with children attending Catholic school. This calculation is based on a moderate standard of living for the geographic area of the applicant, further ensuring a realistic result. This formula determines the ability of a family to pay for private education. FACTS includes a comprehensive review and verification process ensuring the accuracy of the data.

Award Amount - Families who apply can receive up to one-half of the school’s in-parish tuition

Rate. Click here to learn how to apply.

MySchoolBucks is a convenient online service that allows you to securely pay for your student’s meals online using your credit/debit card or electronic check.

You can:
- Set Up Automatic Recurring Payments
- Track & Review Meal History
- Create Low Balance Alerts
- Make Payments with the Mobile App
- And More…
Sign up now! Registering for your FREE account is easy, go to https://www.MySchoolBucks.com. Create a secure account and never worry again about sending cash or checks with your student(s) to school again!
https://www.MySchoolBucks.com | (855) 832-5226

Have a smartphone? Get the MySchoolBucks Mobile App:

iOS (iPhone) - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myschoolbucks/id661878685?mt=8
Android -
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hss.msb&feature=search_result

Morning Care (6:30am-7:30am) and Extended Day Program (EDP) is available. If you are interested in either of these programs, please be sure to visit the website to get all the information you need. This is also where you can register your child for the programs.

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

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. 7th & 8th 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 is welcomed.

Mrs. Fortin, our Art teacher, is excited to introduce the SHS Virtual Art Gallery. This year we will be showcasing the student's artwork through a new online website called Artsonia. We recently began uploading student art to their portfolio. We will be adding to each student's portfolio throughout the school year. If you do not see any artwork for your little Picasso do not worry, we are just finishing up additional projects in each class.

Please take a moment to scan the code on the flyer to access your child's artwork. If you love your little Rembrandt's piece; this site allows you to purchase it as keepsake. Full giftshop options including ornaments, shirts, mugs etc. Twenty percent (20%) of all proceeds will be donated back to Sacred Heart School!

Genesis credentials were sent to new users. These credentials come from Genesis SIS – not Sacred Heart School. Existing users should use the credentials they already have. If you have forgotten your credentials, click on the Forgot Password link. If you attempt to access an account 5 times using incorrect credentials, NO PASSWORD, even one sent from the Forgot Password link, will work until the account is re-enabled. Accounts are re-enabled Tuesday – Friday, sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. If your parent account is disabled please:

· Wait until midnight

· Go to https://parents.dioceseoftrenton.org

· Click on forgot password link

· Wait for a new password to be sent

· To avoid errors, copy and paste the new password

If you do not think you received credentials, please check your SPAM before posting a parent access support request.

*** If you did not complete and sign off on the start of school forms:

• Sacred Heart School 2023-24 Photo Release Form
• Sacred Heart School 2023-24 Student/Parent Handbook & Acceptable Use Policy

Your Parent Access Account has been deleted. You can no longer access your child(ren)’s assignments, grades, or report cards. Your Parent Access Account will not be restored until you provide physical copies of the forms.***

To view our great products click SHS SPIRIT WEAR to enter the website. Remember all your purchases support our school and show our Chargers Pride!

Let’s show everyone all the amazing things happening at Sacred Heart School! Have you taken some great pictures of events or activities at SHS? If so, share your photos with us. Your photo(s) could be used to promote our school via our website, newsletter and our social media accounts. We will also use the photos for our 23/24 school yearbook.

To share, email photos@sacred-heart-school.org and use the following guidelines:

● Try to include more than one SHS student in the photo

● Email photos with name of event or activity in the subject heading

● Include names of students and grades

If you are happy with our school, please consider giving us a 5 star review on google and yelp. If you are not happy, please let us know at schooloffice@sacred-heart-school.org