Report
The Ridge
April 2012
Celebrating our gifts For the past 18 months, we have been engaged in our “SHCOG” (Sacred Heart Commission on Goals) reflection, visit and action plan with the provincial of the U.S. Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart. The SHCOG facilitates a system of accountability for the 23 schools carrying out the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart in the United States. The Commission is composed of RSCJ (Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) and lay educators and trustees in the U.S. Network of Sacred Heart Schools, together with a member of the provincial team; this process is accountable to the provincial team.
The SHCOG initiates, oversees and officially responds to a process
approval of the plan, I wanted to share with you the three major
of institutional self-reflection, by which each school at regular
items we have committed to working on for the next three years:
intervals is able to determine not only where its strengths lie in
communication — both personal and institutional; community
relation to the Goals and Criteria, but also to express the concerns
— participation in, responsibility to and for, and expectations of;
it has regarding how well it is living the vision expressed in them.
and a deepening appreciation of our Catholic identity as a Sacred
The process aims to enable each school to formulate a plan for what
Heart school.
it intends to do to deepen the life of the Goals and Criteria within its community.
Once the Commission responds to our plan, I will make the complete document available to members of the Forest Ridge
The mission of the SHCOG stems from the belief that a community
community and will share more of the concrete steps we will take
of educators can renew itself by means of reflective self-evaluation
to put this plan into action. All of us on the Action Plan Committee
that yields fresh insights and recommitment. Forest Ridge
are excited for our future and committed to seeing this plan
completed its self reflection in the fall of 2011, and in November
become a part of our daily life for the next three years.
hosted a visiting team of Sacred Heart colleagues from across the country charged with engaging us in conversation on the successes
Our genuine desire is for this to be less of a plan — something we
and challenges of our self-reflection. Once the visiting team report
have to do — and more of a way to celebrate our gifts and build
and recommendations are considered by the Commission, the
community together — something we continue to want to do. I
provincial issues a letter from the Province that comments on our
look forward to working with all of you in making Forest Ridge as
reflection and gives us direction in forming an Action Plan for
the premiere educational community for girls. They deserve
addressing the challenges we have named.
nothing less.
For the past two months, an Action Plan Committee led by Sara Konek and Cindy Murphy has worked with a dozen faculty, staff, trustees, alumnae and parents to form our overall Action Plan, which will be sent to the Commission in April. As we await the
Mark Pierotti Head of School