WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

• RE-REGISTRATION FORMS DUE - FRIDAY, MARCH 1
• FIRST FRIDAY MASS - MARCH 1- WEAR DRESS UNIFORMS
• END OF TRIMESTER 2 - FRIDAY, MARCH 1
• SATURDAY, MARCH 2 - SHS OPEN HOUSE 1PM-3PM
• SATURDAY, MARCH 2 - BURLINGTON CO. / MT. HOLLY ST. PATRICK’S PARADE
• READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK - MARCH 4-8
• FRIDAY, MARCH 8 - 1/2 DAY FOR STUDENTS - TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• REPORT CARDS AVAILABLE - FRIDAY, MARCH 8
• CONFIRMATION -THURSDAY, MARCH 14
• PTA BEEF & BEER - SATURDAY, MARCH 16

Dear SHS Parents and Guardians,

We blinked and we surpassed our 100th day of school for this school year! Last Thursday, our 100th day, our younger students celebrated by dressing up as centenarians and participating in 100 themed activities. Time is going by so fast. Next Friday is the last day of the 2nd trimester. Below is important Genesis end of the trimester Information:

• March 1 marks the close of Trimester 2.

• To allow teachers to input trimester grades, Parent Access will close sometime between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm on March 1.

• Elementary report cards are distributed on March 8.

• Parent Access will re-open at 12:45 pm on March 8.

• If a parent tries to access the portal 5 times with incorrect credentials, the account will be locked and no credentials – even ones sent from the Forgot Password link – will not work until the account is re-enabled.

• Parents are advised to click on the Forgot Password link after 2 unsuccessful attempts. This may decrease the chance of being locked out of your account.

Please take some time this weekend to remind your children to finish this trimester strong and start the next one even stronger!

Many Blessings

Mrs. Joanna Barlow

Principal

2024-2025 re registration is now open. Click on the register now button on the SHS website for all of the forms and information to register your child 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.

Sacred Heart School is excited to announce Summer Enrichment Camps 2024. There are camp offerings for all rising PreK - 8th grade students. We will be holding sessions during the weeks of July 8th and July 15th Monday through Friday from 9AM-12PM. Click on the Sacred Heart Summer Enrichment link below to learn more about our exciting summer offerings.

Sacred Heart School Summer Enrichment Camps

This week for Black History Month our 7th graders were busy learning about African-American Hero Chrispus Attucks was so much more than the first casualty of the American Revolution. He was a freed slave who moved to Massachusetts and became a successful whaler.

Students in Kindergarten read Henry’s Freedom Box, a true story of Henry Box Brown, a 19th-century Virginia slave who escaped to freedom at the age of 33 by arranging to have himself mailed in a wooden crate in 1849 to abolitionists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a follow-up activity, students created their own class books about Henry’s bravery and fortitude.

This week our Pre K- 3 students read and talked about the book I Can Be. Together they learned about Mae Jemison, an African American who reached for the stars and became an astronaut.

First grade learned about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement and in religion class our 8th grade students spent a few days researching black activists in history who have helped make an advancement. Students wrote about how the activists exemplify our Virtues from the Virtues in Practice Curriculum. Finally, in art class our lower grades learned about black graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquait and created ink printing art pieces modeled after Basquait’s unique style. Stay tuned because our teachers have more exciting lessons planned for next week.

Sacred Heart School will once again be marching in the Mt. Holly St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Date/Time: March 2 at 1:00, please arrive no later than 12:30. We would like as many families as possible to march with us so yes, parents are invited to march and the class with the highest participation will win a pizza party!

All STUDENTS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT

Please sign-in your child/children with Mrs. McNally who will have the class lists so your child’s class can get credit for his/her attendance.

Location: Fairgrounds Plaza (Acme, AutoZone, Staples) The same parking lot as Fitness Friday.

We are # 35 in the Parade Line-up. Our group will line up Woodpecker Street. There should be a number visible with 35 to mark our group.

Route: The Parade begins at the Fairgrounds Plaza at the top of High Street and continues the length of High Street ending at the reviewing stand located at the corner of Washington and High Streets.
Dress: Please wear either your St. Patrick's Day SHS Shirt from last year, or green shirt, or as much green as possible. Green Hats, gloves, scarf etc. Please wear your navy blue gym pants or blue jeans with no holes.

Parent Information and Permission Slips:

St. Patrick's Day Parade Parent Information Sheet

St. Patrick's Day Parade Permission Slip

Read Across America week is almost here. The week and month of March will be filled with fun activities. Along with our themed dress days, students will create their own Dr. Seuss Character, participate in Reading Buddies, Reading Theatre and our Tournament of Books. Teachers in grades Pre K- grade 4 will be reaching out regarding a Classroom Mystery Reader. Throughout the Month of March we will run our Booksmiles Service Project. Families are asked to donate gently used books (no writing in the books) and we will deliver them to BookSmiles. Booksmiles.org helps to promote literacy and the joy of reading by giving books to Philadelphia and New Jersey children who need them most. See below for our themed dress down days.

As always dress and costumes must be appropriate for a Catholic School. Dress down guidelines can be found in the Student/Parent Handbook.

• SHS Beef and Beer The PTA’s Beef & Beer fundraiser is just around the corner. 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. If you need extra books of tickets to support our raffle please email ptaevents@sacred-heart-school.org.
• 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

In addition, to our STAR assessments, both elementary and secondary schools in the Diocese of Trenton offer the ACRE assessments to measure our students’ understanding and knowledge of the Catholic Faith. This online assessment is administered yearly to grades 5 and 8. The assessment will be taken on March 19, 2024 and lasts approximately 40 minutes. Students will take the assessment during their religion class. The results of the assessment will help us to make data informed decisions about curriculum and will enhance the Faith formation and Gospel values of our students. Please read the letter below from Daniel O’Connell, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction of the Diocese of Trenton, regarding ACRE testing.

ACRE Testing Parent Letter

The Friends of Sacred Heart School is pleased to announce the FOSHS 8th Grade Student Scholarship. Eligible 8th grade Sacred Heart School students are encouraged to apply for this one-time award in the amount of $500. The recipient (student) must be continuing their education at a Catholic High School. Click the link below for scholarship criteria, application and deadline information.

FOSHS 8th Grade Scholarship

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 8th grade preparing for Confirmation.

• Confirmation Mass - Sunday, March 10 @ 3:00 pm
• Confirmation Practice - Monday, March 11 @ 6:30 pm
• Confirmation - Thursday, March 14 @ 6pm

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 through April 8.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

March 2, 2024 - 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