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Showing posts with label Sr. Suzanne Cooke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sr. Suzanne Cooke. Show all posts

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Preparing Our Students for a Year of Learning

Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education
"It is not merely for our sakes that we should try to become interior souls; we should have constantly before our eyes the children who will come to us, help that without prayer we shall never be able to give them."  - St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
Now that we are in full session, it is wonderful to see your daughters so engaged and so excited about this new year of learning.  As September begins, let's take a moment and focus on St. Madeleine Sophie Barat's vision of Sacred Heart alumnae, women who live lives rooted in informed, active faith.  From this foundation of faith, Sacred Heart women draw the courage and confidence necessary to be women of communion and compassion.

How do we prepare such women?  I urge you to review the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education so that you know the essential values we educators hold.  Sacred heart education aims at educating our daughters' minds and their hearts.  First, we believe that every moment counts in the education of your daughters.  We also believe that each age level has unique needs; therefore we design the curriculum to be age appropriate and focused on developing skills and attitudes essential to learning to learn to think. We emphasize concepts and recognize each academic discipline as a way of thinking. 

Of course, the challenge for all of us as educators and as parents is designing the program so that each student  -- no matter her age -- comes to know herself in relation to God, and, at the same time, to be faithful to St. Madeleine Sophie's vision.  In the coming days, you will attend Back to School Nights which will give you and insight into our hopes and dreams for your daughters this year.


Taken from a 2007 excerpt of "The Sacred Heart Experience ~ A Collection of Messages From the Headmistress",  by Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ   Red Envelope ~ 2001-2011


Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day - Celebrating Sacred Heart Alum Mother's and their Daughters

Photos taken at Duchesne Omaha Reunion Weekend  ~ June 2011

Quiet Conversations with Your Daughters (2002)

"Yesterday's Mother-Daughter event began in prayer.  The daughters asked that God continue to bless their mother's...
" ...with joy, love, laughter and pride in their children."
The mother's asked that their daughters be blessed with...

"a love that grows wider and deeper, and a knowledge and perception to recognize what is best." 
This exchange points to the profound responsibilities we adults have to your daugthers.  It falls to us to inspire in them a profound sense of hope that is rooted in the reality of their experiencing genuine relationship.

Given the increasing reliance on electronic modes of communication such as texting and Facebook, we need to model how one engages in mutual respectful love.  Such love is rooted in active listening.  By active, I mean that quality of listening that occurs only if one's mind is silent long enough  to hear what dreams, ideas and hopes the younger persons are expressing.  It is equally true they need to know your hopes, dreams and insights.  In such exchanges your daughters experience the reality of legacy.  Family legacy is essential to young people; as they move forward into the future. Please remember the essential need your daughters have at all ages to experience the values in which your families believe.  Quiet conversations about the different choices you face can help your daughters draw deeply from the legacy of your families.

Such conversations help your daughters recognize the values of their school. Sacred Heart is another legacy from which your daughters draw.  While they have daily opportunities to learn the values of this legacy, we recognize the need to afford you, as parents, moments designed specifically for you to learn and explore the values of the Sacred Heart education.  We know these values first attracted you to Carrollton.  We hope all the parent-daughter events are such opportunities."

Taken from: "THE SACRED HEART EXPERIENCE, A Collection of Messages From the Headmistress (Red Envelope -2001-2011)"  copyright 2011 Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Carrollton celebrates its 50th Anniversary... Miami style!

Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart

I have just returned from a wonderful weekend in Miami at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart celebrating with alums, current and past faculty & staff, RSCJ, parents and students.  Many more photos to be added but for now here is a litle "taste" of my Saturday evening touring the Jay Weiss Art Gallery after having had dinner with the 17 RSCJ who came from far and wide to join the festivities. 

Loving gratitude to Sr. Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ and all who were involved with organizing and coordinating this special reunion weekend! 


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart - celebrating their Golden Jubilee!

Pictured left to right: Laurie Nuell, '75CA  2011 AASH Conference Chair;
Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ Headmistress of Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and
Maria Cristina Garcia, '00 CA, Director of Alumni Relations and
also serving a second term as AASH Southern Regional Director
The above photo was taken during the evening attendees of the 2011 AASH Conference were hosted at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart.  The evening was billed as a Tropical Night Under the Stars.  Carrollton sits on a beautiful piece of property and the night we were being hosted, the warm night air was filled with music, laughter and lots of good food!  As many of our Sacred Heart schools are preparing to open their doors for yet another school year, this particular one comes to my mind as they celebrate their Golden Jubilee!

I want to thank Laurie,  Sr. Cooke, and Maria Cristina and the entire conference committee for the wonderful hospitality and all that they did to make the  2011 AASH Conference so enriching and enjoyable! If you are in the Miami area I encourage you to visit and learn more about this vibrant school and its rich history first hand.  


Congratulations to Diane Brooks, class of '87 who designed the above Anniversary Seal for Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart.  Click here to learn more about the symbolism behind this beautiful seal as well as the schools history - http://www.carrollton.org/page.cfm?p=2153