A Spiritual & Mission-Engaged Community

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) is an independent, Catholic school as interpreted and lived by the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) As such, we seek to be and support a truly welcoming and diverse school community. Our families, students, and employees - from preschool to high school - reflect many different faiths, cultures, heritages, and backgrounds, which we firmly believe provides a more dynamic, valuable, and engaging educational experience for our students - and for one another in shared community.

The partnership between home and school is critical to the success of our mission. It is our hope as educators that we can work together in a spirit of humility and care to provide the very best faith-based, values-rich education possible. Children at SHS will experience diverse faith, cultural, and developmental programs; comprehensive programming complements the classroom experience, and includes religious services, retreat programs, service obligations, and diversity workshops and presentations. We believe that these experiences are critical to the education of your child.

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat believed that her schools should provide students with an atmosphere permeated with the Gospel spirit, a spirit of love and freedom that encourages students to learn from one another. Importantly, this atmosphere is predominantly created and sustained by the adults in our community - faculty, staff, and parents/guardians - who

• About Our SHS Mission (Video)

• Student Perspective on Goal I: Faith (Video)

• Parent & Educator Perspective on Goal II: Intellect (Video)

• Student & Educator Perspective on Goal III: Service (Video)

• Student & Parent Perspective on Goal IV: Community (Video)

• Educator Perspective on Goal V: Character (Video)

• Reflections on “Love. Confidence. Purpose.” (PDF)

• Reflections on “The Attitudes of the Heart of Christ” (PDF)

• Podcast: Mission & Meaning, Season 1, Episodes 1 - 8 (Audio) model the behaviors and attitudes that reflect the Heart of Christ: generosity, compassion, respect, courage, integrity, forgiveness, confidence, and love. One vital way to do this is by participating in the spiritual life of the school: modeling a commitment to personal and communal prayer, actively engaging in days of reflection, and attending school-sponsored cultural and spiritual programs. If we do our best to grow our own interior lives and animate the Gospel spirit each day, our students become ever more aware of God’s love for them, grow increasingly confident in their own value and purpose, and develop rich and thriving spiritual lives of their own.

Above all, SHS is committed to being an inclusive community in which each member—child and adult— knows s/he is an integral part of the school and feels a keen sense of belonging. It is vital, then, that adults in our community clearly model behaviors that value and support healthy relationships, the importance of both common and different experiences and perspectives, and respect for each individual. St. Madeleine Sophie’s vision of education was rooted in her relationship with God. In Jesus, she saw abundant generosity, full openness to others, and total commitment to peace and justice. This is who we hope to be for the young people who call Sacred Heart their home.

The strength of a Sacred Heart education lies in a deep regard for students’ whole selves— spiritual, intellectual, and emotional. The SHS Office of Mission, Culture, and Strategy supports the school’s dedication to providing a Catholic, Sacred Heart education that nurtures the spiritual heritage and legacy entrusted to us by the Religious of the Sacred Heart and our founder, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat.

Composed of members from both the P-8 and SHP Parents’ Associations, the SHS Spirituality Committee aims to support programs that nurture both personal and communal dimensions of faith, help the adult community grow in understanding of self and others, and build strong school community overall through its contributions to the school’s many faith-driven activities. Among this committee’s efforts to directly serve the SHS community include liturgical participation, hospitality coordination, and planning/ production assistance for the annual Parent/Guardian spring retreat.

The Religieuses du Sacré-Cœur de Jésus (RSCJ) are members of the Society of the Sacred Heart, the Roman Catholic religious congregation established by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800, who went on to found the Network of Sacred Heart Schools worldwide. There are 50+ RSCJ residing at Oakwood Retirement Center on campus—a living link to our Sacred Heart heritage. SHS parents/guardians can meet and build relationships with the Sisters through volunteering, attendance at Oakwood’s daily Mass, participating in the annual Busy Persons Retreat, and through a variety of events coordinated through the Parents’ Association Spirituality Committee throughout the school year.