Winter 2013 Bulletin

125 San Francisco helps us celebrate 125 years of Sacred Heart education

125

CONVENT & STUART HALL SUMMER 2012, VOLUME 34, NO. 2

CR

ED

H E A RT | S A

N

FR

•

CO

HA

SC

LL

•

HOO

CISCO

L S of t h

AN

eS A

Bulletin

NV

EN T & S TUA

RT

Reasons To love

Schools of the Sacred Heart Special Sections History in the Making

6

Architecture & Space

15

Giving Support, Building Community

27

Classic Education, Modern Lens In the Classroom

39

Some of the individuals, buildings and events that shaped 125 years of Sacred Heart education in the city.

In giving new purpose to some of the city's most iconic buildings, the school gave itself room to grow.

Many people give of their time, talent and resources to ensure a vibrant community.

Dedicated faculty, challenging curriculum and inspiring Liturgical Learning students make this the best school in the Bay Area.

Middle Form students take the reins on religious practice in new Campus Ministry course.

Athletics & The Arts

Students thrive on the field and on the stage, and Pyramid in Pixels everywhere in between.

How educators are using modern gaming

Traditions

technology to teach students about the ancient world.

Alumni

Students discover literature’s creative and reflective capabilities.

From Congé to Prize Day, many time-honored customs are YouHeart.

Are Your Own Creator a special part of Sacred

Once a Child of the Sacred Heart, always a Child of the In Focus Sacred Heart. AlumniThe continue to share their lives with new elective period is helping high the school community long afterstudents graduation. develop a passion for photography.

20

51 20 57 21

66 22

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

3

staff Communications & Marketing Director Stefani Blair stefani.blair@sacredsf.org Publications & New Media Jessica Bullock jessica.bullock@sacredsf.org Creative Services Manager Heather Cenzer heather.cenzer@sacredsf.org Alumni Coordinator Roxanne Civarello roxanne.civarello@sacredsf.org

Contributors & Sources Belle Akers Mary Ashe'48 Joey Elftmann Danyaal Farooqui'05 Patricia Feeney Gallagher '76'72 Claire Gerlach'00'96 Patter Hellstrom Alice Jones'14 Jason Jones Brian Long Rachel McIntire Kristin Monfredini Stephanie Moore, Network Ray O'Connor Carol O'Malley Lisa Rice Lori Saltveit Danny Scuderi Jo Ann Shain Jason Steinberg Sergio Vasquez Caroline Zoba Photos courtesy of the Convent & Stuart Hall Archives unless otherwise noted.

"The Palace Beautiful," Last Words: Convent of the Sacred Heart, June 1965 (student publication)

100% recycled paper Printed by Rick Weaver, The Printing Business

Correspondence and change of address may be sent to: Convent & Stuart Hall 2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94115 Tel: 415-563-2900 bulletin@sacredsf.org

4

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Convent elementary girls, circa 1930, from the Jackson Street campus. At the time, students were awarded of good conduct, good spirit, helpful influence and leadership. The color of the ribbon was dictated by the traditions starting on page 57.

arded ribbons by vote of their peers in recognition by the grade level; read more about Sacred Heart

History The story of Schools of the Sacred Heart doesn’t originate in San Francisco.

It begins on December 12, 1779, along the banks of the Yonne River in Joigny, France, when Madeleine Sophie Barat, the foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, was born. The story journeyed to the Americas by boat when Sophie asked Rose Philippine Duchesne to traverse the wild territories of the American Midwest and establish the first U.S. Sacred Heart school in Missouri. The story headed west, carried by Mother Mary Keating and four other Religious in 1887, as they rented twin Victorians, on Bush Street at Octavia, and established the first Sacred Heart Academy west of the Rockies. That August, 30 young women became the first San Franciscans to experience a special type of education for girls, and one that was already nearly a century old.

In the past 125 years, the school community has experienced remarkable change. At worst, the buildings have been threatened by earthquake and fire, and parents and administrators have felt the weight of war, depression, recession, and sometimes personal tragedy. But most days, there is joy in this community: in watching families and children grow, in observing the many ways the mission is supported through gifts like Maud Flood's donation of her family home, or through the hours of volunteer work spent ensuring the needs of the surrounding community are met. The school has grown from 30 women to 1,000 girls and boys, K-12. The curriculum, and

yes, the uniforms, have evolved. But the community has held fast to the traditions inherited from Sophie and Philippine, and others.

The proof of the great work begun here is in the alumni, leading lives of purpose, courage and success. The proof is in the students, guided by the Goals & Criteria, who act with integrity on their roads to personal growth and wise freedom. The proof is in faculty and staff who build community as they treat colleagues and students with respect.

It is in the families who find spiritual connectedness within our spaces. This is not the isolated tale of one class or person, but of the thousands of students, families and educators who have walked these halls. Within these stories are treasured memories of Schools of the Sacred Heart, and the glimpse of a school that will prosper and grow for (at least) another 125 years.

This is a momentous milestone, launched with the graduation of the 125th classes last spring, and propelled by a series of events in the fall (see page 34). This keepsake edition of the Bulletin is another tribute to the school's legacy. Within these pages, we hope you’ll find something that reminds you of your experience here, or perhaps even tidbits that surprise you, imparting a new perspective on some aspect of this special community. Without further ado, we share 125 traditions, events, buildings and people that have made an indelible contribution to this thriving community.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

5

“

What is the good of teaching various subjects, of wasting time in learning them, if at the same time we cannot teach children the words of life and touch their hearts and their consciences? " –St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

1

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat Madeleine Sophie Barat was born to a barrel maker and wine-grower in Joigny, France, in 1779. Sophie’s older brother, Louis, studied to be a seminarian and decided that his sister should not be denied an education solely on the basis of her gender. He taught her Latin, Greek, theology, history, physics and mathematics, which were rare subjects for a female to learn at that time.

When Sophie was 10 years old, the French Revolution broke out and Christian schools were heavily suppressed. The Revolution helped reveal to Sophie that her education was a rare privilege. She devoted herself to the religious life and to the education of wealthy and poor young women (read more on page 11). She founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, which received formal papal approval in 1826. She died in 1865 and was canonized in 1925.

6

Bulletin | Winter 2013

2

| photo by heather cenzer |

Each year, students celebrate the Feast of Philippine Duchesne, and re-enact how she implored Madeleine Sophie to allow her to travel to the Americas to open the continent's first Sacred Heart school.

"You may dazzle the mind with a thousand brilliant discoveries of natural science; you may open new worlds of knowledge which were never dreamed of before; yet, if you have not developed in the soul of the pupil strong habits of virtue which will sustain her in the struggle of life, you have not educated her, but only put in her hand a powerful instrument of selfdestruction."

–St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Rose Philippine Duchesne was born in Grenoble, France, in 1769. Philippine was born into privilege as the daughter of a renowned lawyer. When she was 19 years old, she joined the Convent of the Visitation, unbeknownst to her family. She was a member of the Order of the Visitation until its dissolution during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, when thousands of people convicted of hoarding grain were condemned to death by guillotine alongside a virulent campaign to “dechristianise” French society.

In 1804, Philippine accepted an offer from Madeleine Sophie Barat to receive her community in the Society of the Sacred Heart. In 1815, Philippine created the Sacred Heart House in Paris and in 1818, at the age of 49, she headed to America with a few other members of the Society. She arrived in New Orleans and later that year created the first Sacred Heart Academy outside of France in a log cabin in St. Charles, Missouri. Despite the severe weather of the Midwest, Philippine’s struggles to

3

learn English and economic hardship, Philippine and four members of the Society continued to establish schools.

By 1828, there were six Sacred Heart schools in America.

At age 72, Philippine's lifelong dream of working with the Native Americans was realized. Though she was retired and in poor health, she went to a school in Kansas that was founded for the Potawatomi tribe.

According to legend, members of the tribe would see Philippine praying before they went to bed and would find her in the same position come morning.

They wondered if she was really praying all night, so they sprinkled small pebbles on her long robe. When they returned in the morning, the pebbles were undisturbed. This was how Philippine earned the nickname “the Woman Who Prays Always.” One year later she became ill and returned to St. Charles, where she died 10 years later in 1852 at the age of 83. She was canonized in 1988.

Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ

Janet Erskine Stuart was born in Cottesmore, Rutland, England in 1857.

She was the youngest of 13 children.

Her father, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Andrew Godfrey Stuart, was the Rector of Cottesmore. At age 13, she set out on a solitary search for truth after her brother offhandedly remarked, “every rational creature must have a last end.” The search lasted seven years, and brought her to the Catholic Church.

In 1882, the Anglican converted to Catholicism and entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton. In

1911, she was elected the fifth Superior General of the Society. During her tenure, her goal was to know every Religious personally and visit every Sacred Heart community throughout the world. She held this post for three years until her death in 1914 at the age of 56.

A number of Mother Stuart's writings, including The Education of Catholic Girls (1912), are still quoted today among educators. Several Sacred Heart schools for boys, including our very own Stuart Hall for Boys and Stuart Hall High School, are her namesake.

“

So we must remember that it is better to begin a great work than to finish a small one... the work in the rough ... may look ugly and yet be full of promise ... A piece of finished insignificance is no true success..."

–Janet Erskine Stuart C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

7

4

The Religious

RSCJs carry out the mission of discovering, living and making known the love of the Heart of Christ as set forth by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Primarily, they are educators, but they also work to promote justice and human development. The French acronym stands for Religieuses du SacréCoeur de Jesus.

Since 1887, when Mother Mary Keating and four other Religious established the school, many RSCJs have graced our classrooms and touched our students’ hearts and minds. Our last RSCJ, Sr. Anne Wachter, left San Francisco in 2012 to become the Headmistress at Sacred Heart School of Halifax in Novia Scotia. Although San Francisco does not have any RSCJs employed as active faculty members, RSCJs from the nearby Oakwood community visit the school and meet with students often (see below).

5

| photo by heather cenzer |

The Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne is located in her final resting place — St. Charles, Missouri, on the campus of the Academy of the Sacred Heart. The shrine is not only visited by current students, but pilgrims and educators from all over the world. Each summer, the Network hosts the Roots That Give Us Wings conference for lay Sacred Heart educators in St. Charles. Read more on page 62.

St. Charles

The first Sacred Heart Academy outside of France was located in St. Charles, Missouri, founded by Rose Philippine Duchesne in 1818.

6

Oakwood

On the campus of Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, many retired RSCJs live together in the elder care community of Oakwood. Amidst the pepper trees, you’ll find a small chapel and statues and images of Christ, Mater and the Saints. The RSCJs at Oakwood are an excellent resource for the Convent & Stuart Hall students who visit them, offering guidance on their spiritual paths. Oakwood celebrated its 40th birthday in 2011.

8

Bulletin | Winter 2013

7

Lone Mountain

The history of our school is intertwined with that of Lone Mountain College. The college, originally located in Menlo Park, California, was founded by the Society in 1898 and was, at the time, called Sacred Heart Academy.

In 1921, the name changed to College of the Sacred Heart. In the 1930s, the college moved to San Francisco and changed names again to San Francisco College for Women. In 1969, the college began admitting men and

the name was changed to Lone Mountain College. In 1978, the college was acquired by the University of San Francisco and is now referred to as the Lone Mountain Campus.

Many of the RSCJs in our community attended college or taught at Lone Mountain. It was also common for graduates of Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco to attend Lone Mountain.

Lone Mountain was one of seven colleges the Society founded for women in the United States.

8

| photo by heather cenzer |

Mary “Be” Mardel, RSCJ

Sr. Mary “Be” Mardel, "the heart and soul of Broadway,” joined the Society at age 19 and has been affiliated with the school for over 40 years. She taught elementary school girls, became Dean of Students at Convent High School and then served as Superior (title later changed to Director of Schools) in 1966. She oversaw important curricular changes, such as the establishment of computer programming classes, and was the driving force behind helping the school administration to grow with a Board of Trustees and formal management. She remembers sleeping in classrooms when the Order was still cloistered (read more on page 11) and moving furniture from Jackson Street into the Flood Mansion in 1939. Sr. Mardel lives at Oakwood, but visits the school often.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

9

9 Mother Eleanor Deming

Mother Deming was the much-loved Superior of the school from 1940 until 1956.

10 Esther Rossi Esther Rossi was the national president of the Associated Alumnae of the Sacred Heart.

She made many wonderful contributions to our community and the community of Lone Mountain. An award from an endowed fund in her honor is given each year to an outstanding employee, as selected by his or her peers.

11 Mother Louise Williams Mother Williams was the beloved Mistress General of the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Jackson Street.

She served as the Superior at Broadway from 1958 until 1964.

12 Helen Carroll, RSCJ Sr. Carroll was the first Headmistress of Stuart Hall for Boys in 1956. Bill Miller SHB'62, and former Head of Stuart Hall for Boys, has fond memories of cleaning the bird cages in Sr. Carroll's office.

13 Ellen Hoffman, RSCJ Sr. Ellen Hoffman, or “Hoffy” as she’s affectionately known, served as the Head of Studies and later the Principal at Convent Elementary School. Sr. Hoffman currently lives at Oakwood.

10

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Former and current lay leadership gather in St. Charles. Pictured, left to right: Mary Smith, Pamela Hayes, Gordon Sharafinski and Ann Marie Krejcarek.

14

Lay Leadership

For the past two decades, the school has experienced tremendous growth while being led by the institution's first generation of lay leadership. In 1994, Dr. Mary Magnano Smith became the first lay Director of Schools, and led the effort to build Stuart Hall High School, which opened in 2000. Following a capital campaign to fund the expansion as well as building the Siboni Center for Arts & Sciences, Mary left the school, and was succeeded by an alumna of the Sacred Heart school in Greenwich, Connecticut: Pamela Hayes. Pam's tenure also saw millions of dollars raised and thousands of square feet added to the campuses. When Pam returned to Greenwich to lead her own alma mater, Gordon Sharafinski was asked to serve as Director of Schools in 2009, having served as the first Head at Stuart Hall High School. Under his leadership, the community closed the largest campaign in its history, Framework for the Future, which raised more than $22 million for endowment growth and facility improvements. Gordon retired in 2012 and Dr. Ann Marie Krejcarek was appointed President of Schools, having most recently served as the Headmaster at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida.

The Society of the Sacred Heart had prepared for a day when non-Religious might run the schools, long before they hired Mary Smith. Following sweeping cultural changes in Catholic Orders in the 1960s, the RSCJ began to take action.

Mary "Be" Mardel, RSCJ, led the discussion in San Francisco when she served as Director, convening an "advisory board" to evaluate the need for non-academic offices such as Admissions, Development and Business. This group's role was later assumed by the first formal Board of Trustees in 1978, with a layperson as Chair. The Society also created programming for lay educators to feel connected to the mission (see also page 62).

17 Goals & Criteria In 1975, the Society of the Sacred Heart drew upon 175 years of education to articulate five Goals, with several Criteria for each, to provide a framework for every Sacred Heart school. Over the years, the Society has offered revisions to provide progressive responses to modern challenges.

Goal I: A personal and active faith in God. Goal II: A deep respect for intellectual values.

Goal III: A social awareness that impels to action.

Goal IV: The building of community as a Christian value.

Goal V: Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.

18 The Archives Nestled in the attic of Grant House, priceless pieces of school and San Francisco history are carefully preserved. The Convent & Stuart Hall Archives store and catalog legal documents, scrapbooks, blueprints, publications and photos. The task was begun by Mary "Be" Mardel, RSCJ, in the 1960s and continues today with the work of Mary Ashe'48 and Virginia Murillo'48'44, with a little help from modern technology (see below).

| photo by stephanie moore, network |

15 The Cloister Before the Vatican II Council (196265) helped move Catholic Orders away from the cloistered lifestyle, the Religious did not leave campus unless they were teaching, buying groceries or visiting a doctor. Prior to the school's purchase of the Vallejo Apartments (read more on page 20) the RSCJs slept in classrooms in the Flood and later lived in the attic of Stuart Hall for Boys. Between the Flood, Grant House and Stuart Hall for Boys, bridges were constructed (long since torn down) connecting the buildings and allowing the RSCJs to move freely within the Broadway Campus.

16

The Network

There are 22 Sacred Heart schools in the U.S., with 126 Sacred Heart schools in 44 countries worldwide. Convent & Stuart Hall students frequently have the chance to meet their counterparts, do exchanges with them, go on Network Service Trips together, and (more recently) Skype or teleconference with them.

The Sacred Heart Heritage Archival Exhibit displays photographs and objects from the Convent & Stuart Hall Archives, a "cabinet of curiosities" comprised of objects from a Convent alumna and QR codes linking to quotes from former faculty and students as read by current Convent High School students. The exhibit opened during the 125th anniversary weekend in November and will reside through spring 2013 in the Siboni Center for Arts & Sciences. | photo by heather cenzer |

19 The City By the Bay The school grew up in San Francisco and indeed, the city grew up around it. The Gold Rush brought rapid growth to San Francisco in the 1860s to 1880s, marking the transformation of the burgeoning city into a bustling metropolis. Aside from the establishment of Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco, the year 1887 saw the construction of Golden Gate Park and the installation of Cable Cars that connected new residential developments with the downtown.

20 The Mission of Sacred Heart Education St. Madeleine Sophie Barat knew that education was the chief means to affect broad-reaching social change. In 19th century France, it was the nobility that would have the power to shape and change society, thus establishing the Society’s early affiliation with the French nobility. Schools for the poor, which were subsumed into the parochial system in the 1950s, stood alongside the schools for the privileged, ensuring that no child would be denied an education. Over the years, the Religious and lay leaders have always worked to align with the times, resulting in a more diverse student body and relevant curriculum, while staying true to the Mission.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

11

21

Mater Admirabilis

The Mater is a figure central in Catholicism.

The artwork, “Mater Admirabilis,� has its origins in a Religious of the Sacred Heart church in Rome in 1844, when a young girl associated with several miracles was asked to paint a fresco of the Blessed Mother. The girl chose bright, vibrant colors to depict the Virgin Mary. When the Mother Superior saw the fresco she declared that the colors were too bold for the Blessed Mother and insisted that the fresco be covered with a cloth.

In 1846, when Pope Pius IX visited the church, the Mother Superior tried to distract him from seeing the hidden fresco, but he noticed it and asked to see what was behind the cloth.

When the drape was pulled back, the colors had softened and the Pope demanded that the beautiful fresco never be covered again. For this reason, depictions typically portray the Mater wearing pink.

| photo by jason jones |

Many of the Convent & Stuart Hall buildings have at least one image of the Mater: the above statue resides in the Flood Chapel; Mater is engraved in a window in Grant House's main staircase and in a window outside of Stuart Hall High School's Columbus Room; and the fresco of Mater at Stuart Hall for Boys was salvaged from a wall torn down during the building’s 2006-09 renovation.

12

Bulletin | Winter 2013

22 Bush Street: 1887-1888

Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco began on Bush at Octavia with Mother Mary Keating and four other Religious. They enrolled 30 young women and officially opened on August 16, 1887.

Space was so limited in this house that the preliminary curtsy to the Mistress “threatened to turn into a game of nine pins every morning.” *

Twin Victorians similar to Bush Street

Franklin Street

23 Franklin House: 1888-1906

In December of 1888, a rapidly growing student population prompted the Society to move into a new building at Franklin and Ellis, which the Archdiocese deeded for $10 in gold coin. The Religious and students happily attended to their lessons here until the 1906 earthquake hit San Francisco and destroyed the building.

"Beyond the parlor were long, wide, shiny corridors, and in those long halls the whole school would assemble for ranks. 'Size places, please,' an RSCJ would signal, and all would parade majestically to the oak paneled chapel on the second floor." *

Washington Street

24 Washington House: 1906-1909

The Society leased this property, also referred to as the Boyd House, for three years.

Washington House was described as a "study in contrasts with its large, light-filled rooms with great bay windows and narrow, dark staircases, where, if you were not careful, you were likely to curtsy into the gas jet." * The property on Washington and Octavia had a tremendous view of the Bay (decades before the Golden Gate Bridge crossed it) and the owner sold the property to sugar heir Adolph Spreckels, who tore it down to make room for his famed Louis XVI mansion, now owned by author Daniel Steel.

26 Star of the Sea School When Stuart Hall High School first opened in 2000, students were temporarily housed in the Star of the Sea School on Geary and 8th Avenue as they awaited the completion of construction on their school. * Anecdotes on this page describing previous

school buildings are quoted from "The Palace Beautiful," in the student publication Last Words: Convent of the Sacred Heart (1965).

25 Jackson Street: 1909-1940 The Society purchased Jackson Street in 1909. The building was home to Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco for more than 30 years.

“Through Jackson Street’s halls, up and down the narrow streets, out on the large playgrounds, went more blue, green and pink ribbons than in any other of the houses. There were more taffy pulls, charity bazaars, ingenious Congés, more curtsies labored over ('one, two, three, four, five, six!'), choruses rendered, more medals and distinctions awarded, prizes distributed, more of the routine of Sacred Heart school life was known and experienced there.

That was the reason why, perhaps, when the time came for leaving it, that the cumulative effect of those loves and those experiences was almost overwhelming.” * When Maud Flood gave the Society her mansion on Broadway in 1939, the Society tried to sell the Jackson Street house.

However, with the outbreak of World War II, it was a hard sell because civilians couldn’t begin any construction projects. Eventually, the property was rented to the Town School for Boys for two years before they purchased the building in March 1944.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

13

s

Buildings

by the

1713 1715

The address on Bush Street for the first Sacred Heart Academy in San Francisco.

1914-15

1906

The amount the Society spent to purchase the Jackson Street house in June 1909.

$130,000

$3.4

The purchase price for the Vallejo Apartments (2257 Vallejo) bought in 1960.

Million

The cost to build the Herbert Center. The sports complex, located behind the Flood Mansion, was funded through the school’s second capital campaign, which launched publicly in 1991.

14

Bulletin | Winter 2013

The year an epic earthquake hit San Francisco.

The Franklin Street House was heavily damaged (thankfully, no students or faculty were hurt), so the Society leased the Boyd House on 2020 Washington from Jean McGregor Boyd. This earthquake is also responsible for the eventual existence of the Flood Mansion.

$10

Price in gold coin that the Archbishop charged the Society for the Franklin Street House (at Ellis) in April 1888.

The year James Leary Flood built the mansion for his wife, Maud Lee Flood.

After the devastating 1906 earthquake, Maud was stricken and wanted to leave San Francisco. Her husband is said to have reassured her: “I will build you a house of marble on a hill of granite” to keep the family safe.

$145,000

NUMBE

55

There are rooms in the now-famed Spreckels Mansion at 2080 Washington, which is home to author Danielle Steel. The mansion is located on the former site of the Washington Street campus. Sugar heir Adolph Spreckels bought the property and built the mansion in 1909 as a gift for his wife, Alma deBretteville Spreckels.

Three

buildings comprise Stuart Hall High School (1715 Octavia): A historic building (The Morning Star School), a modern structure of glass and steel, and an attached 1850s Victorian (the Mary Magnano Smith Building).

The first capital campaign raised money to purchase Herbst House (2201 Broadway) in

1985 for

$1,075,000.

The house was built in 1914 and is now home to Convent Middle Form students.

$22 million

The amount raised during the Framework for the Future campaign, which wrapped in June 2012. The campaign increased the endowment, provided supplemental funds and improved facilities, like the major overhauls of Stuart Hall for Boys and the Broadway kitchen and cafeteria.

100

Percentage of proceeds from Seconds To Go (2252 Fillmore Street), the school’s secondhand store, that benefit the Financial Aid program. The store has donated more than $1,000,000 to financial assistance since opening in 1974.

$150,000

The amount the Society paid for the Joseph Donohoe Grant House in 1950. In 1951, grades 1-8 (mostly girls) moved into the building. At that time, there were 231 students in the elementary school (133 in the high school), plus 29 RSCJs in the community, 17 RSCJs in the school and five aspirants.

$165,000

The price paid by the Society in 1956 to purchase the Andrew B. Hammond House.

The property was used to start a K-8 boys program, Stuart Hall for Boys, which opened in September 1956. The building was constructed in 1905 for Hammond, a lumber and railroad magnate.

27

B E RS 97

Number of students, including three boys, who moved into the Flood Mansion in April 1940 after Maud Flood generously donated her home to the Society.

Accompanying the students were 25 RSCJs in the community, 15 RSCJs in the school, six aspirants and seven lay teachers.

42,000

Square feet of art studios, music practice space, science labs and exhibit galleries that comprise the Siboni Center for Arts & Sciences — which includes the 355-seat Syufy Theatre.

Architecture & Structures Schools of the Sacred Heart is, for many people, synonymous with the beautiful family mansions perched atop Broadway. For admirers of architecture, giving the landmark buildings new life is a gift; for the students at Convent & Stuart Hall, having space to learn and grow in an environment that feels like an extension of home is also a gift. This tour offers a glimpse of a set of buildings with remarkable histories of their own.

1998

The year the school purchased

1911 Pine

Street, next to Stuart Hall High School, to house the Advancement and Communications offices.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

15

28 16

Bulletin | Winter 2013

The James Leary Flood Mansion: 2222 Broadway

First-hand accounts of Maud Flood donating her family home to the Society in 1939 speak to a woman who wanted to see her mansion put to good use. According to Kathleen McDevitt, RSCJ*, (1907-1985): “When Mrs. Flood first decided to give her home to the Religious, she sent her limousine for them with the request that the curtains be drawn and that they come down the side drive to the back door. She did not want the neighbors to see and jump to conclusions before she was ready to leave. You see, there was already another private school on the next block. The day Mrs. Flood left her home, the nuns were chauffeured to the front door. She gave them the keys to the building with a beautiful rose from the garden, got into her waiting car, and drove away. She did not return until the day we had the formal, very elegant reception. In all that time she never called to say, ‘Oh, I hear you are changing this or that.’ She was a truly gracious lady.”

The back of the Flood Mansion from Vallejo Street, looking up.

Letter from Maud Flood to the Reverend Mother Hill after attending the open house in the Main Hall on March 30, 1940. It was the only time she returned to the Flood Mansion.*

Did you know?

When James Leary Flood was scouting the perfect location for his new home in Pacific Heights, the spot he found, 2222 Broadway, already had a home on it. He offered to move the house and its owners to another location of their choosing. The owners eventually chose a new spot at 2828 Vallejo Street and the home was moved in sections to its new location. The three-story redwoodshingled and red sandstone home is still there today.

Dear Reverend Mother Hill, It was with some trepidation that I visited my old house on Saturday last—my first visit since its conversion into the magnificent Convent of the Sacred Heart.

But my anxiety was immediately dissipated as I recognized the infinite consideration that was given to every detail of its remodeling. I was truly pleased beyond measure.

I write, then, to compliment you on the rich simplicity and harmony of the furnishings; the restrained magnificence of the Chapel, and of other features.

I wish also to express my very personal appreciation that these necessary alterations conform so nicely to the original designs.

You have accomplished so much in so little time. Now, with patience, gentleness, and the power of knowledge and character, you are ready to begin in this convent what you have consecrated your lives to achieve, the Christian education of the young girls of San Francisco.

I saw the little chairs and desks of the Children’s Room; the pressingroom converted into a modern and efficient laboratory; the ballroom made into a delightful theater and auditorium; the well-equipped study rooms.

I saw all this and pictured the happiness of our young ones in these spacious halls, and I am deeply satisfied and more and more pleased that it is your teaching Order that possesses this stately house of happy and unforgettable memories for to me—a house of learning, refinement and peace.

I wish for you and your associates much happiness in our young ladies who are, and of those who will be, committed to your care.

I am, dear Reverend Mother, Sincerely yours,

* Accounts from Sr. McDevitt and Maud Flood

Maud Lee Flood

courtesy of the Convent & Stuart Hall Archives.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

17

The foyer of Grant House, as it would have greeted guests when it was a single-family home.

29

Did you know?

After the 1989 earthquake, Grant House was badly damaged and extensive repairs had to be completed. However, the majority of the house’s architectural and decorative character was preserved.

The Joseph Donohoe Grant House: 2200 Broadway The Grant House was purchased by the school in 1950. It was constructed in 1910 for Joseph Grant, the president of the Columbia Steel Company and founder of the Save the Redwoods League.

According to Kathleen McDevitt, RSCJ, (1907-1985): “By 1948 we were overflowing with students [in the Flood Mansion], even using the Dickens’ staircase as a classroom. We were praying. In fact, medals had been planted on the Grant terrain through the Cortile latticework. When that property was put on the market, Mrs. McCreery herself [Mrs. Grant’s daughter] came over and offered to sell it for less than the asking price. She did not want to see her family home torn down or made into an apartment house. But it was still too expensive. Reverend Mother Hill (who had a strong will but was such a sweet little person that one would think anyone could blow her over) said, ‘Mrs. McCreery, God hasn’t given you any children, but if you make it possible for us to buy your house it will be filled with children.’ So, she made it a little more possible…” *

* Accounts from Sr. McDevitt courtesy of the

Convent & Stuart Hall Archives.

18

Bulletin | Winter 2013

31

Stuart Hall High School: 1715 Octavia

Stuart Hall High School opened its doors in 2001. The school campus is composed of three buildings: a historic building, a new structure on the corner of Octavia and Pine and an attached 1850s Victorian.

The Morning Star School is the historic portion, purchased by Convent & Stuart Hall in 1999. In building the high school, the Morning Star structure was remodeled but the façade and other details were preserved, due to its importance to the surrounding Japanese community (read more below).

The façade is also all that remains of the 1859 Victorian home facing Pine, which is attached to the back of the school and named for the first lay Director of Schools, Dr. Mary Magnano Smith (19942000), who led the effort to extend Schools of the Sacred Heart to include K-12 boys as well as K-12 girls (read more on page 10).

The newest section of the building, completed in 2001, is a modern structure of glass and steel that honors the neighborhood’s Japanese heritage.

Built in 1905, prior to the Great Earthquake, Hammond House is actually the oldest of the stately homes on the block.

30

| photo by jason jones |

Stuart Hall for Boys: 2252 Broadway

The Hammond House, or Stuart Hall for Boys as it's commonly known, was purchased in 1956 to start a K-8 boys program. The building underwent a major renovation in 2006-09 for a seismic retrofitting, at which time the interior had to be gutted and the layout was reconfigured to create actual classrooms and labs from space that had previously been modified bedrooms. The funds for the renovation were raised through our fourth and most recent campaign, Framework for the Future.

Did you know?

In the late 1950s, off one of the study hall rooms, a young boy decided to take a bath in the middle of the school day. The students all thought it was quite amusing and when an RSCJ asked the boy to get out of the bath, he told her he would—when he finished bathing.

Did you know?

Stuart Hall High School has a special relationship with the history of nearby Japantown. The original structure, the Morning Star School, was established in 1929 by Catholic missionaries to teach language, arts and Japanese culture to a growing population of Japanese who lived in the neighborhood but were increasingly segregated from the city’s public schools. The Daughters of Mary and Joseph, an order of Catholic nuns, taught the Japanese students, and later the Chinese, Filipino and African American students in the city, many of whom were not Catholic. The school closed in 1985.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

19

32 Vallejo Apartments: 2257 Vallejo

The Vallejo apartments were purchased by the school in 1960 to house the Religious.

After nuns no longer had to be cloistered, the Vallejo apartments were utilized as school administration offices (The Business Office and Human Resources currently reside in the Vallejo Apartments), while the remaining apartments are rented out to tenants.

33 Herbst House:

2201 Broadway

The school purchased Herbst House in 1985.

The building is used primarily by Middle Form girls. San Francisco-based theater and auditorium architect G. Albert Lansburgh designed the house, which is why the foyer feels a lot like a theater lobby.

Herbst House was built around the same time as the Flood Mansion, 1914.

34 Herbert Center

The Herbert Center was built in 1993 and dedicated in 1994. It is named for the Herbert family. Funded through the school's second capital campaign, the sports complex gave the physical education classes and athletics teams a true home on Broadway. Prior to its opening, PE teachers had to be creative to get students moving; more than one PE class involved simply running up and down the hills in the neighborhood.

35 Siboni

Center

The Siboni Center for Arts & Sciences was completed in 2004 and named for the Siboni family. The building is located behind Grant House in a building that tiers down the hill to a corner of Buchanan and Vallejo Streets. Middle Form and high school students all take advantage of the studios, labs and music practice space cleverly designed down the hill.

20

Bulletin | Winter 2013

| photo by heather cenzer |

Dramas and musicals — such as the 2012 production of Beauty & the Beast by a co-ed Middle Form ensemble — regularly sellout Syufy Theatre.

36 Syufy Theatre The Syufy Theatre was completed in 2004 and named for Marcia Syufy and her family. The 355seat auditorium inside the Siboni Center is constantly buzzing with drama productions, concerts, recitals, assemblies and presentations made all the more crowd-pleasing with top-notch lighting and sound. Read more about fine and performing arts on page 54.

37 1911 Pine The school purchased the 1890s Victorian next to Stuart Hall High School on Pine Street in 1998 to house administration offices. It is believed that during the WWII internment of Japanese in San Francisco, this house may have played a role in hiding Japanese residents who wanted to avoid being sent to internment camps. The Advancement and Communications Offices are currently located at 1911 Pine. The building is frequently buzzing with Parents Association volunteers (plus their kids and dogs), as well as administrators using the meeting space.

39 The Chapel When the Religious moved into the Flood, they chose the room overlooking the Cortile to be the Chapel because they thought it the most beautiful room in the house. The Floods had used it as their drawing room, one of the most used rooms in the home.

40 The Reception Room

The Floods' grand state dining room is now used for meetings and events, and impressing those new to campus. The room, also known as Our Lady's Parlour, is in an Italian High Renaissance style with a coffered ceiling that is similar to one in the Vatican.

| photo by heather cenzer |

38 The Main Hall The Main Hall at the Flood is classic Georgian in style, measuring 140-feet from front door to Belvedere, and running the length of the house. When the Religious first moved in, the entry was quite dark. The marble floors were covered with beautiful carpets, a large tapestry covered the windows in the Belvedere and heavy red drapes hung on the Cortile doors. The space now is light-filled and open, used by the schools for special events (such as Commencement) and rented to others for weddings and parties.

41

Hauntings

Whether the product of adolescent imaginings, the power of suggestion or something decidedly more paranormal, you’d be hard-pressed to find a student or staff member in these old buildings who hasn’t had (or at least heard of) some hair-raising incidents. Teachers and staff report hearing voices and footsteps at all times of the day and night, while one of the most popular stories revolves around Mrs. Flood’s dressing room, which is now the Head of School’s office. Rumor has it that if you leave flowers in the room, they’ll whither and die in no time at all.

A hallway in the Jackson Street house.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

21

42 The Cortile The Cortile, or Italian Garden, of the Flood Mansion once held a reflecting pool when the Floods resided here. The Cortile was the site of the debut of Mary Flood (James and Maud Flood’s daughter) in 1919.

More than 1,000 guests gathered for the occasion. The space was canopied, hedges were placed near painted sceneries to mimic a vast forest and blue chiffon was hung above to give the impression of a clear blue sky.

43 The Libraries The Mother Williams Library in the Flood Mansion was Mrs. Flood’s favorite room. It is a replica of the parlour from the “Old Palace” at Bromley-by-Bow, which is at the Victoria and Albert Museum in England.

The Flood’s library is three times the size of the original, and the library’s prominent bay window was one of the first constructed after the 1906 earthquake.

The Sr. Hoffman Library is used by elementary students and is on the main floor of Grant House. When the Grants lived there, this had been their sitting room and drawing room.

Stuart Hall High School's Library, named for Sr. Helen Carroll, is the newest of the libraries. It is located in the original Morning Star Building.

44 Unkefer Computer Lab The basement corridor that connects the Flood Mansion and Grant House is home to the Unkefer Computer Lab, named in memory of Dashiell Unkefer SHB’94. Inside the lab K-8 students quietly engage with the latest hardware, software applications and media as they gain important critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork and presentation skills. For older elementary students, technology has become more integrated into other subjects and lessons. The "Unkies" who work in the lab are actually integrationists, who work with other faculty and students on how to employ various tools. (Learn more about how students use technology on page 42.) Still, for the younger students — even the ones accustomed to watching movies on their parents' iPhones or tablets — having the space to explore and learn responsible use is invaluable.

46 The Little Theater When the Floods lived in the mansion, the Little Theater was their ballroom. The space is now used for student assemblies, meeting space for faculty groups, play space for the After School Program, and more.

45 Shakespeare's Landing

Outside the Little Theater is Shakespeare’s Landing. In 1940, when the Society first moved into the Flood Mansion, this sunny and spacious area was known as Minims’ Study Hall.

47 Highlands Highlands is a Stuart Hall for Boys play yard, with an incredible view of the Bay, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Golden Gate Bridge. If the naval aviators piloting the Blue Angels are in town, or other passing fancies (like the space shuttle Endeavour) are nearby, this vantage helps the excited young men and faculty to enjoy a front-row seat. | photo by jason jones |

22

Bulletin | Winter 2013

48

| photo by heather cenzer |

The Belvedere

The windowed area at the end of the Main Hall is called the Belvedere, and it boasts one of the best views in the city.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

23

49 Hidden Spaces There is danger in revealing all the hidden spaces on the two campuses, lest they lose their concealed status, but be advised: there is a foreboding spiral staircase that leads from the backstage of the Little Theater into the underbelly of the Flood; the now-sealed fake bookcase in the President’s Office in Grant House previously allowed homeowner Joseph Grant to sneak out of his office; and there is a staircase in the Williams Library that leads to a hidden chamber.

50 Murals Art is not restricted to what can be created in a studio. Even within historic buildings, faculty have found ways to allow students to leave an artistic legacy, through hand-painted benches and decorative murals (examples seen here); students have painted several beautiful murals at Stuart Hall High School, including a wall that is painted over each year for a fresh work.

| photo courtesy of patter hellstrom |

24

Bulletin | Winter 2013

51 Eye on

DESIGN

| by jessica bullock |

High school students learn to examine the spaces around them.

This year, art faculty created two opportunities for our high school students to explore architecture and design.

Architecture as an Elective The co-ed high school architecture elective, "We are Here: Architecture in San Francisco," taught by Art Department Chairs Rachel McIntire (Convent High School) and Patter Hellstrom (Stuart Hall High School) is an opportunity for students to delve into an understanding of and appreciation for the myriad architectural styles and triumphs that decorate San Francisco’s streets. The course has been a studentled effort, which was initiated by Cody Luke '09'05, who’s currently enrolled in the architecture program at University of Oregon, and Convent senior Allie DeAnda, who will enroll in the same program next year.

Students in the class go on walking tours where they admire classic Victorian architectural elements like ornate wooden details, steep gables, pointed windows and vertical construction, which all paved the way for modern architectural design. The burgeoning architects also look at more obscure, though historically significant, examples of the city’s architecture by touring Japantown’s Peace Plaza, which was designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi and gifted to San Francisco in 1968 by the people of Osaka, Japan. The course is exciting for students because it “really lights the kids up,” Patter says.

An upcoming project will have students redesigning the learning spaces on Broadway and Pine/Octavia. The students will present their designs to school leadership. Rachel says, “I have a good feeling that our community will be seeing some of their inspired designs coming to fruition in the years to come as this is exactly the type of learning and visioning that our Sacred Heart education champions.”

Students in the course also responded to a design challenge that tasked them with selecting a space and designing a way to encourage civic engagement within that space. Sandcastles as an arena for civic engagement were

suggested by students and, coincidentally, were discussed at a workshop during the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Architecture and the City Festival, which students in the course attended.

Sophomore Project on Space Sophomores at Stuart Hall are also engaging with architecture and design by looking at the buildings that support our community through an examination of political, sacred, international, Art Deco and Japanese spaces. The project will culminate in the creation of videos of sacred space, which the guys will gift to the Diocese. As part of their retreat in September, they also traveled to the Architecture and the City Festival and listened to the Architecture for Humanity team discuss how they find solutions to global social and humanitarian crises.

The Architecture for Humanity team offered two scholarships for our guys to attend the Design Like You Give a Damn: LIVE! conference in November. The distinguished conference brought experts together to discuss potential solutions to problems like post-disaster reconstruction, eco development in low-income communities and violence prevention in built environments. The Architecture for Humanity team was so impressed with the three sophomore applicants, George Wisniewski, Stephen Everest and Daniel "Benzi" Blatman, that they offered scholarships to each and even asked Benzi to share his passion for architecture with the conference's audience. Benzi gave a passionate sevenminute presentation discussing examples of urban design in 10 U.S. cities including Portland, Denver and Pittsburgh.

From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Haas-Lilienthal House to the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco is rife with examples of architectural excellence. The high schools’ architecture elective and the sophomore project at Stuart Hall challenges our students to observe, understand and appreciate the buildings they inhabit.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

25

26

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Giving & Events The beautiful buildings, storied past, dedicated faculty, small class sizes and extensive list of course options and co-curriculars are all benefits of a Sacred Heart education, and they are all supported with passionate generosity and participation from the community. From the Annual Fund to the capital campaigns to the spectacular fundraising events, people find there are many ways to become involved. The demonstration of philanthropy also sends a powerful messages to students: it reminds them that they are this community's most important investment, that it is important to give back however they are able, and that there is meaning and value in the building of community.

| photo by heather cenzer |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

27

52 A History of Advancement

| photo by heather cenzer |

28

Bulletin | Winter 2013

When the Religious opened the school in 1887, tuition was $50 a year for elementary students, $75 a year for high school students, and optional "extras" included instrumental music and lunch.

As the school has grown and changed, the costs necessary to provide a rigorous educational and extracurricular environment have risen. To sustain itself, tuitions must rise (yes, tuition is no longer less than $100) and even with tuition increases, the school cannot cover expenses without additional fundraising efforts. Why? Because like every independent school, Convent & Stuart Hall receives no funding from the government or the Catholic Church and depends significantly on charitable gifts.

In 1968, a significant step was taken to ensure that the school remained financially sustainable. Mary "Be" Mardel, RSCJ, aimed to bring the school into the new, modern era and cajoled Elena Rossi Long ’42 into helping create the Development Office (now called Advancement). Working closely with the Chicago consulting firm Gonser, Gerber, Tinker and Sturh, Elena set about establishing an annual giving program and produced the first Annual Report and Bulletin. The work was strenuous, but rewarding in that Elena was able to advance the mission of the institution.

Today, the Advancement Office continues the work begun by Elena and helps to grow major giving and planned giving initiatives, while helping the Parents Association with special events such as Celebrate Spring, the Golf & Tennis Classic and Christmas on Broadway.

Thanks to the efforts begun by Sr. Mardel and Elena, along with the continued generosity of the thousands of families, alumni and friends, a framework now exists to ensure the success of our school for at least another 125 years.

| photo by heather cenzer |

53 Annual Fund How do students benefit from the Annual Fund? Fine and performing arts, athletics, classroom improvements, curriculum development, professional development, financial assistance and technological resources are all assured with a strong annual giving program.

There have been a few families who have given every year for the three decades the Annual Fund has existed, and there are many families who consistently give at a leadership level, and who are honored in the Director's Club. But the Annual Fund is as much about participation as it is about fiduciary goals; every year the school strives to have 100% of current families, employees and Trustees give a gift that is meaningful to them. This year, in honor of the anniversary, the school challenge current families to 125 Days of Annual Fund, with a goal of raising $1,425,000 by January 25, 2013.

To read about the success of that campaign, read the special insert on page 33.

54 Financial Aid Financial aid is raised through a variety of avenues, including income from the school's endowment, from the Annual Fund, with sales at the retail store Seconds To Go and during special events. This aid provides a Sacred Heart education to students who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

55 Seconds To Go Proceeds from sales at Seconds To Go, the school’s retail shop, benefit the Financial Aid program. Parent volunteers founded the store in 1974 and it has raised well over $1,000,000 for aid in the past 30 years. The store relies on donations of quality clothing, small household items, kitchenware, jewelry, toys, books and accessories.

Did you know?

Every year, Parents Association events contribute nearly $1 million to the school's $30 million budget. Over the course of 20 years, the Celebrate Spring event alone has contributed more than $6.5 million.

56 Parents Association The Parents Association works in tandem with the faculty and administration to support school programs and activities. The volunteer board organizes thought-provoking parent speakers, fundraiser events like Celebrate Spring and helps build community through parent coffees, socials and outreach programs.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

29

57 Christmas

on Broadway

There are many ways the school celebrates the holidays (read more in Traditions, page 57) and a fundraiser boutique is a favorite. The model has shifted several times, but the concept of promoting festive cheer while raising money for financial assistance has been a constant. This year's boutique and cocktail party packed the Main Hall, while raising $19,000 for Financial Aid. | photo by heather cenzer |

58

Capital Campaigns

Campaigns are intensive, multi-year fundraising efforts that provide for physical improvements, construction and endowment. Each of our campaigns has added to our endowment, which allows us to maintain financial stability during difficult economic times. Campaigns also give us the

1980

Campaign I: Purchased Herbst House.

1995

Campaign II: Built Herbert Center.

30

Bulletin | Winter 2013

funds to buy and renovate educational and athletic spaces that augment the Sacred Heart experience for current and future students. At the end of the 2011-12 school year the school closed its fourth, and largest, capital campaign, Framework for the Future, which raised more than $22,000,000.

2002-2004

Campaign III: Built Stuart Hall High School and the Siboni Center for Arts & Sciences.

2009-2012

Campaign IV: Seismic retrofit of Stuart Hall for Boys and renovation of the new kitchen and cafeteria at Broadway.

| photo by heather cenzer |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

31

59 Celebrate Spring The Parents Association's Celebrate Spring is in its 21st year of raising money for financial assistance with two days of fun for everyone. The Garden Luncheon & Boutique features shopping, delicious food, a silent auction, flower mart and breathtakingly beautiful Easter Baskets for sale. The Family Festival is a treat for kids of all ages with games, arts and crafts, a visit from the Easter Bunny, and an outdoor barbeque. The weekend culminates with the Evening Gala, an elegant affair that features gourmet dining, live music and plenty of paddlewaving as guests eagerly bid on items during the live auction.

| photos by heather cenzer |

Celebrate Spring 2013 will take place March 22-23 with a glamorous (and somewhat mysterious) Casablancathemed Evening Gala, so break out those gowns, white blazers and bow-ties, and find more information at www.celebratespring.org.

60 Doll Houses For many years Celebrate Spring included a designer Doll House auction. Some of these Lilliputian dwellings, with rooms decorated by local interior designers, went for as much as $10,000.

62 Golf & Tennis Classic This year’s Golf & Tennis Classic was the 22nd such tournament, bringing players together for an afternoon of friendly sporting. On October 19, more than 100 golfers, many in their finest knickerbockers and argyle sweaters, and 30 tennis players, with finely honed serves and backhands, came together on a foggy San Francisco day. After leaving the links or the court, our players gathered for a banquet and auction that raised more than $28,000 for Financial Aid.

32

Bulletin | Winter 2013

| photo by stefani blair |

61 Supporting Enrichment

In honor of the anniversary in 2013, President Ann Marie Krejcarek announced the creation of the Sister Ann Conroy Award for Faculty Excellence to be given to one high school faculty or Central Services staff each year. The award is modeled after the Sister Mary Mardel Fund for Faculty Excellence given each year to elementary faculty. Ann Conroy, RSCJ, served as Director of Schools from 1984-1994. This tribute to the legacy of the RSCJ is a powerful call to action for faculty and staff. The success of the Annual Fund allowed the school to support the Conroy Award this year, with the hope to secure endowed funding to perpetuate this award for all time.

During the President's New Years celebration in January, "Be" Mardel, Ann Conroy and Nancy Morris, RSCJ, (pictured above with Ann Marie) were able to meet and congratulate the recipients of this year's awards.

125 63

YOU We wouldn’t be here without you.

Help the school realize the vision of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and the Society of the Sacred Heart by making a gift in honor of the 125th Anniversary.

On behalf of the generations of students who have benefitted from the extraordinary support of this community, thank you for making 125 years a reality, and all that you do to sustain the legacy of Sacred Heart education.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

33

64 Celebrating the 125th Anniversary

125 Schools of the Sacred Heart

SAN FRANCISCO Blessing of the School Year 125th Gala Alumni Celebration Family Mass & Open House Feast Day of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

34

Bulletin | Winter 2013

You only turn 125 once!

Few institutions make it to 125 years, and fewer still take the chance to thank all of the giants who walked the path before them, carrying the mission. In commemorating this milestone, the school administration aspired to highlight those who have contributed, in innumerable ways, to the success of the school, particularly the Religious of the Sacred Heart. From the shoulders of these giants, the current faculty and staff can envision the school thriving into the next century and many agree that the best tribute is, perhaps, simply carrying their work, their mission and their faith forward.

At the Blessing of the School Year on September 6, student leaders spoke respectfully of the legacy they have inherited and the familial sentiments that imbue this community. The Society's U.S. Provincial, Barb Dawson'66, an alumna of Convent High School, offered the blessing. By lighting candles and sharing in goûter (a snack, in this case, pink cupcakes), students and faculty alike recommitted themselves to the mission, and added their own chapter to the story of Convent & Stuart Hall by assembling for an allschool photograph (see page 36).

The celebrations continued with the 125th Gala on November 2. More than 200 guests gathered in the Cortile to watch a tribute video (visit www.sacredsf.org/125) before enjoying an elegant seated dinner in the Main Hall.

On November 3, more than 300 former students gathered for an Alumni Celebration where guests reminisced with old friends, created memories with some new ones, flipped through our “pop-up” library of yearbooks and perused the Sacred Heart Heritage Archival Exhibit (see page 11).

The following day, a Mass in the Flood Mansion Chapel honored the RSCJs and those in attendance were given roses as a token of gratitude. The liturgical choir from Stuart Hall High School lent their voices to the occasion and the blessing of five mezuzahs (read more on page 49) offered a display of the school's interfaith commitment. After Mass, school doors were opened to the neighbors, who enjoyed student-led tours of the beautiful buildings. The November weekend of events was planned by a committee led by current parent Erika Mooney (CSH, NYC'90).

A few weeks later, on November 18, the Campus Ministry team led by Kristin Monfredini invited hundreds of people to St. Ignatius Church for the Feast Day of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, which continued to honor the Religious of the Sacred Heart and the woman who brought this special education to the United States.

| photos by heather cenzer |

| photo courtesy of kristin monfredini |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

35

36

Bulletin | Winter 2013

| photo by brian long |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

37

| photo by heather cenzer |

38

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Education For 200 years, children worldwide have been taught in the Sacred Heart tradition, and in that time, the world has changed a great deal. So, too, has the content—and delivery—of the classroom discussion. And yet, there is something timeless in St. Madeleine Sophie's centuries-old philosophy on education.

She once wrote: "We must not be blind to the fact that in these times of activity in which we live, demands are made upon us and obstacles rise so that certain modifications and a certain perfectioning became indispensable ... Education, is no longer what is was a few years ago; the multiplication of institutions which follow the trends of the time make us seem behind.

God forbid that we should wish to compromise with duty and sacrifice our principle end to these tendencies, but we must again examine what we can accord and review our Plan of Studies to modify and complete it."

The Society's Plan of Studies, the precursor to the Goals & Criteria, was constantly adjusted to meet the needs of the time, and so too is the curriculum that is designed and redesigned at Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco in anticipation of what students will need to know as they grow into informed and productive adults.

As students cross the Cortile, climb the beautiful staircases of the Broadway campus and walk through the light-filled hallways at Stuart Hall High School, they are surrounded by splendor. Reverend Mother Hill (Superior from 1952-58) believed that “beauty was educative” and committed to an academic excellence that is on par with the magnificence of our campuses. Through our devoted faculty and exemplary curricular programs, students are empowered to achieve their highest level of scholarship.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

39

| photo courtesy of caroline zoba |

1

| photo courtesy of lori saltveit |

| photo courtesy of belle akers |

| photos courtesy of rachel mcintire |

4

40

Bulletin | Winter 2013

65 Cor Unum The motto of the Religious of the Sacred Heart is: Cor Unum et Anima in Corde Jesu, which means “One Heart and One Mind in the Heart of Jesus.”

2

| photo courtesy of danny scuderi |

3

| photo courtesy of lisa rice |

Every year, Convent & Stuart Hall administrators select a single theme to inspire the school community and this year’s, Cor Unum or “One Heart,” has captured the imaginations of students and adults in a special way.

At Convent Elementary, students created ribbons to give to inspirational people in their lives (1); at Stuart Hall, high school and elementary students gathered to take photos of Heart in everyday life (2); Stuart Hall third graders spent a rainy recess creating an homage to Cor Unum (3); classrooms created heartfelt displays (4, 7 and 8); students at Convent High School and Convent Elementary built community through crafting (5 and 6); and the guys at Stuart Hall High School explored the strengths they possess and those they'd like to develop during a beginning of the year Cor Unum activity (9).

7

8

| photo courtesy of sergio vasquez |

5

6 | photo courtesy of kristin monfredini |

9

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

41

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields) is a big buzzword these days, and with good reason. An interest in and willingness to learn STEM subjects can lead to an exciting, high-paying and even world-changing career.

A STEM summit for Convent girls in grades 7-12 this March will open students’ eyes to the wealth of opportunities within these fields, as introduced by guest speakers, including alumnae.

66 Technology Finding innovative ways to fold technology into the curriculum at Convent & Stuart Hall has been thoughtful and focused. A number of years ago, the school invested in laptop carts and other portable devices so that any class — not just "computer class" — could take advantage of various tools in any lesson. The idea of portability has evolved to include a 1:1 iPad program, which Convent High School freshman and sophomores piloted last year. This year, some elementary classes are following suit, tinkering with ways that such tools may be used with a younger audience. Sixth graders have used the Educreations App to make instructional videos in Latin, create videos to accompany fairytale performances in Theatre Arts and the ArtRage App to put a unique spin on classic Impressionist paintings in art class. A few blocks away, Stuart Hall High School is spearheading a pilot for Google Apps for Education, giving faculty the space to make use of shared documents, building class webpages and more. Administrators are evaluating using Google Apps on an institution-wide basis.

During an in-service in October 2012, faculty attended workshops to learn from each other about digital tools and practices such as Flip Teaching (homework is used to present lessons and class time is allocated for

42

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Did you know? | photo by heather cenzer |

discussing and synthesizing the new information), Prezis (cloud-based, non-linear presentation software) and Screencasting (annotating video captured on a computer screen to share with others).

The challenge, as accepted by current faculty, is to think of ways to complement the educational delivery systems they already know to work. For example, Convent Latin teacher Bill Jennings and his Middle Form students piloted a multi-player flashcard game using difficult English words with Latin roots for Quizlet, a leading learning tool website. Tracy Sena (Convent High School Journalism and Computer Study Department Chair) will be presenting

The first computer class at Convent & Stuart Hall was held in 1970. on the school’s experience with iPads at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in San Antonio this summer. Nick McSpadden (Client Systems Manager) also presided over three sessions at the MacIt Conference in San Francisco this January and presented at last year’s Penn State MacAdmins Conference.

The goal here, similar to Madeleine Sophie's, is to acknowledge the need to constantly move forward in any subject in the curriculum, and rely on the knowledge and expertise of the faculty to point the school in new and exciting directions.

u

| photo by heather cenzer |

67 Science Even for students who do not intend to work in a STEM field, an understanding of science is a crucial part of modern life. Policymakers need to understand science when making decisions about the water supply, agricultural practices and other policies that affect the general public. On a more elemental level, anyone could benefit from understanding the basics of science when baking a cake or deciding whether or not to embark on a vegan diet. Faculty prepare students to embark on their own scientific life in a variety of ways. In high school, students take biology, chemistry, marine biology, anatomy and physiology, environmental science and physics. While the elementary school’s science curriculum focuses primarily on earth science, physical science, life science and mastering the scientific method, creativity is often introduced as a companion to conversations of science.

The Innovation Fair each spring, for example, asks Stuart Hall for Boys students to create a mechanism that will solve an identified problem, and in the research and prototype building, creativity and knowledge of how things work goes a long way.

68 Math Arithmetic, algebra, geometry and calculus all form the basis of logical and analytical thinking patterns. Math has been a staple in student schedules since "reading, writing and arithmetic" became a household jingle. Some would argue not much has changed in math over the years, but actually a lot has changed in creating curriculum that better serves the future needs of students. In the 2012-13 academic year, elementary and high school math programming is evolving to engage and challenge students at every level.

Did you know?

In 1957, Russia launched Sputnik I into the atmosphere, triggering the Cold War’s Space Race. This historical event also propelled science to the forefront of the school’s curriculum.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

43

69 Faculty The dedicated faculty who comprise our past, present and future are the biggest part of what makes a Sacred Heart education special. Our students are as bright, talented and curious as the dedicated faculty who guide them academically, morally and socially. Our teachers come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds and their passion for Sacred Heart education is evident in their high standards and respect for the institution. Many faculty members have taught at the school for more than a decade, but whether a teacher has taught at Convent & Stuart Hall for one year or 30, each is part of a supportive community where they grow as educators.

70 Roman Market For the past 12 years, sixth graders at Convent & Stuart Hall have used their Latin studies to organize and sell handmade Roman-themed items such as swords, “potions” and jewelry to students and faculty. Proceeds from the sales of such items benefit local charities.

" I love teaching at Stuart Hall for Boys because of the children.

For a teacher, it is an amazing experience to watch the boys learn and grow each day. I love the times in the classroom when I see a child experience an 'Ah-Ha' moment. I witness the very moment a concept clicks in a child's mind. To see a student that has been struggling with a concept finally understand, is such a rewarding experience. I love to see the boys smile when they know in their heart that they have worked hard and the hard work has paid off."

–Carol O'Malley, Stuart Hall for Boys faculty member since 1980

71 Single Sex Classes,

Co-ed Environment

Students thrive in our (mostly) single-sex classrooms. Outside of the classroom is a vibrant co-ed community, offering students the best of both worlds.

72 The Pride Looking for a little inspiration? The Pride is Stuart Hall for Boys’ online blog-style forum for students and teachers to share their art, writing, music and other creative endeavors with their colleagues and classmates.

74 Individualized Attention

Our students have lon socially in a co-ed env

Students benefit from small class sizes and exceptional student/teacher ratios (7:1 at the high schools and 10:1 at the elementary schools) that allow teachers to tailor learning to each student. The high school Academic Support Teams and elementary school Educational Resource Teams also help faculty and students with whatever they need.

75 Valuing Students’ Curiosity

73 Character Education

Curiosity and innovation go hand-in-hand, which is why our teachers foster students’ innately inquisitive natures. By encouraging students to engage with that which interests them most, students’ educational paths are buoyed by personal significance and their creative impulses are given room to grow and flourish.

Through our founding as a Catholic school, our commitment to the endowment of spiritual and ethical values ensures that our students and alumni are responsible, compassionate and contributing members of society. Read more on page 67.

76 French Schools of the Sacred Heart is steeped in its French heritage and makes a concerted effort at preserving this linguistic and cultural history. In third grade, our students begin to study French (and Spanish for good measure). During Mass, you’ll hear students singing the French song, Coeur de Jésus, like native Francophones.

44

Bulletin | Winter 2013

| photo by heather cenzer |

ve long thrived in the single-sex classes while having the opportunity to grow d environment.

77 Latin What do the following words mean: exculpate, vicissitude, eviscerate, vignette and opprobrium? If you’re a sixth grader at Convent & Stuart Hall, you probably have a good idea. All sixth graders begin studying this dead language, which gives them a foundation for the Romance Languages along with the tools to decipher the meaning of difficult English words with Latin roots.

78 English Literary study involves the processes of reading, thinking, discussing and writing, which are essential factors in student success in the classroom, the workplace and life in general.

Lower Form students learn the fundamentals of reading and writing, while Middle Form students delve into complicated texts and develop excellent writing skills. In high school students develop critical thinking skills by analyzing and discussing challenging texts, giving literary presentations and completing intensive writing projects.

| photo by heather cenzer |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

45

| photos courtesy of ray o'connor |

79 Professional Development In the same way that students’ minds are challenged and nurtured, our faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities that allow them to grow as educators.

Ray O’Connor (Stuart Hall High School, Theology) had the opportunity in July 2012 to travel to Israel to participate in a unique program examining Catholic-Jewish relations. Ray shares his eye-opening experience in the Promised Land.

We Are Left Where We Began

A Teacher Reflects on Israel, Interfaith and the Dilemma of Narrative Legitimacy

N

ine intense days in Israel profoundly alters one’s appreciation for the land and its people. I was privileged to be part of a group of Catholic school educators who traveled to the Holy Land on an AntiDefamation League (ADL) learning trip to examine anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Catholic-Jewish relations. The experience deepened our participation in Bearing Witness™, an ADL-sponsored weekend seminar on the Holocaust and CatholicJewish relations offered to Catholic school educators around the United States.

The trip began with ADL's Ken Jacobson giving us background on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, who suggested resolution is only possible when both sides "recognize the legitimacy of the other's narrative."

Celebrating the Shabbat There's so much to share but a few highlights may convey the power of the land and its people. Our second full day in Israel we had the opportunity to celebrate the Shabbat or Sabbath. At sundown, Jerusalem's Jewish quarter turned decidedly festive. We made our way to the Western Wall where we met Nati Cohen, our host for Shabbat dinner. We were warned that seeing the Western Wall would be different from the previous day—and it sure was!

Crowds of people crammed the square, the vast majority of whom were Jewish youth from around the world visiting Israel for the first time as part of their Birthright journey.

Streams of people pushed their way toward the Wall representing every possible Jewish

46

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Top: A view of the contested area of Golan Heights.

Bottom: Ray O'Connor (kneeling, far right) and other Catholic school educators at the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Jaffa.

religious sect. The groups hung close as they sang, danced and prayed.

While I felt like a stranger in a foreign land, I felt compelled to touch the Wall and join my prayers with those of thousands rising to God that night. So, I negotiated my way through the thicket of praying people and moved closer to the Wall. I carried a pocketful of paper slips on which I wrote prayers for family, colleagues and causes. I arrived at a tiny opening and wedged myself

in. There I prayed with my hand to the Wall.

I pressed the slips of prayer into the Wall like so many others had done before me and quickly made my way back to the group.

We commemorated Shabbat at Nati's modest home. We met his two children and his wife, Michelle, who made remarkable hosts for roughly 40 guests. The children energized the gathering with laughter and play. The women sat at the table while the men occupied the kitchen and served. I

sat next to Jerry who moved to Jerusalem from New York. He spends his days writing; his insight, kindness and love for his family, who were not with him in Israel, made for enjoyable company. Indeed, I appreciated the opportunity to share food and conversation with this group. Around midnight we ended our Shabbat meal and all but three of us returned to the bus. Along with Laura, a fellow teacher and traveler, I stayed behind to walk back to the hotel with David, our guide from the ADL. Religious law prevented him from riding the bus during Shabbat. Since none of us were familiar enough with Jerusalem to navigate our way, we were able to continue our conversation as we negotiated Jerusalem's many circuitous paths on a delightfully pleasant night.

Dialogue With Other Educators We met with interfaith educators four times during the trip: Christians, Israelis and Arab Israelis. Any realistic interfaith dialogue has to begin with those committed enough to face obstacles and hostilities to such efforts. They live what ADL's Ken Jacobson advised, to "recognize the legitimacy of the other’s narrative." While progress seems painfully slow, the people we met embodied hope behind the effort. All of them were infectiously enthusiastic and deeply committed to interfaith work. We spoke at length with Ibrahim Abu Shindi, director of the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Jaffa, outside of Tel Aviv. During our nearly two-hour conversation, he shared both the challenges and successes he endured without any hint of cynicism, longing instead for more support and better

participation. As we toured the Center, we saw children of all ages. In one room, fiveto six-year olds ran about together, caught up in their laughter and games. They paused only to notice us. Dancing adolescents filled another room. They formed circles and took turns moving to music. Basketball courts and balance beams filled the gym area. It was a dynamic interfaith effort focused on those who were most open to difference, the youth. We encountered similar initiatives all over Israel and felt the inherent struggle in the earnestness of leaders and teachers.

This is a mission with an uncertain outcome.

That must weigh heavily on the hearts and minds of those who dedicate their lives to a different future.

Looking at the Narrative In my mind, the contested area of Golan Heights evokes images of a land laden with violence, constantly dominating the evening news. I confess that I really didn't know much about it. The conflict there seemed distant and incomprehensible. But, standing on a high place in the Heights, I emerged from my self-imposed darkness. Surveying the land with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the east, and Israel to the south opened a deeper appreciation for this small corner of the world. Keep in mind that the 1973 Israeli military offensive pushed Syria out of the Golan Heights, allowing Israel to occupy it. Keep in mind, too, as Eran Glick, a resident of the Heights shared with us, that the Golan comprised only .06% of Syria's total area of 72,336 square miles, while Israel's total area is 10,840 square miles, a difference that spurred Israel to cherish the land and turn it into a thriving, agricultural

wonder. Looking eastward to Syria, one notices its dry and greenless expanse, but looking southward to Israel, the land bursts into large patches of green that feed a people with fine fruits and wines.

Israel is a complicated land where every resident has a quick and ready opinion over its politics and history, fueled by a constant barrage of news. It is what I call a land of "on-the-other-hands": Israel has the right to protect and nurture its sovereignty, "on-theother-hand," Palestine also has a right to exist as a sovereign state. The security wall is an oppressive and disgraceful affront to the Arab community, "on-the-other-hand," no suicide bombings have occurred in Israel since its completion. The West Bank should be Palestinian territory, "on-the-other-hand," Israel has a major highway running through it that connects the north and south, critical for its economic stability. The Golan Heights do not belong to Israel and probably should be a neutral zone, "on-the-otherhand," Israel has done a miraculous job at revitalizing it with orchards and vineyards, with 32 settlements and 20,000 people living there today.

This conflict is a complicated one. We are left where we began, with Ken Jacobson's suggestion that the issues will only be resolved when both sides "recognize the legitimacy of the other's narrative." No narrative is perfect, especially a religious one. Each is fraught with tragic ironies and exclusionary plotlines. Yet, they hold humanity's hopes, dreams and fears in a tight, expectant embrace. Here’s to a Promised Land, a Holy Land that Israel and Palestine are meant to be.

Lifelong Learners One reason faculty and staff are inspired to have long tenures at Convent & Stuart Hall is the appreciation for the lifelong learner. Every year, the operating budget as well as endowed funds help pay for professional development that takes educators around the world to service experiences, seminars, conferences and other group outings that help them delve deeper into many relevant subjects. Below is a sampling of some experiences employees have had in the past five years alone: * Convent Elementary science teachers Kelly Beal and Raina Cohen, and Stuart Hall for Boys science teacher Lauren Richardson became part of the first cohort of 30 educators in the Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability in 2010 through the California Academy of Sciences. * Convent Grade 3 lead teacher Caroline Zoba and Convent High School technology teacher and journalism adviser Tracy Sena have both visited the Sacred Heart Primary School in Uganda during summer work trips. * Convent Lower Form Dean Kellie Irish, one of the many recipients of the Sister Mary Mardel Award for Professional Development over the years, traveled to a primary school in Elmina, Ghana, in 2008 to work with teachers there.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

47

80 The Broadview

| photo courtesy of joey elftmann |

The Broadview, Convent High School’s student newspaper, has a history of winning awards, including a recent Pacemaker Award (they are one of only 23 school papers and four high school magazines to receive this distinction). The newspaper is full of interesting tidbits concerning culinary concoctions throughout the city, editorials on current events and updates on the school community. Read the paper online at http://broadview.sacredsf.org/.

81 The Roundtable The reporters at The Roundtable write stories about sports, senioritis, national and international news events, campus events and even provide Oscar predictions— anything that would interest their teenage boy readership. Read the paper online at http://roundtable. sacredsf.org/.

82 Global Perspectives In today’s increasingly global world, students need to have experiences that foster a broader mindset and produce cross-cultural fluency. Faculty help students achieve this in a number of ways. In the classroom, global concepts are integrated throughout the curriculum. Teleconferencing technology allows students to video chat with peers throughout the world.

Students at all grades help raise money and awareness for communities facing hardship in Uganda and Nepal.

Summer Network Service Projects give students between the ages of 12 and 18 the opportunity to work on a farm in upstate New York or learn about juvenile justice in Chicago. Seventh and eighth graders have the opportunity to participate in an exchange program with Sacred Heart schools nationwide and every year our school hosts guests from other Sacred Heart schools, such as a class of students from Taiwan in January.

Through activities like these, students gain an awareness of values and lifestyles outside their direct experience, which allows them to form a nuanced and sophisticated understanding and appreciation for a diverse array of worldviews.

83 Electives One part of valuing students’ curiosity is giving them room for exploration. High school students have an expanding number of fascinating electives to choose from (some of which are co-ed) and a dedicated period for them during the day, including photography and the new architecture elective (read more on page 25).

48

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Parents Association President Kelly Whalen teaches the Petite Cuisine cooking class at ASP.

84 After School Program When the school day is over, some kids head home, some are whisked to sports practice and others go to the After School Program (ASP). This is an opportunity for students who need supervision beyond regular school hours, but it is more than a babysitting service. Most weekdays, from dismissal until 6:00 p.m., you’ll find students completing homework with the help of their ASP teacher, taking a cooking class, playing kickball with friends on Syufy Court, making tessellations during arts and crafts or playing educational games in the Unkefer Computer Lab.

85 Campus Ministry In following Sacred Heart Goals & Criteria, Convent & Stuart Hall fosters a spirit of inclusivity, respect and tolerance that deepens one's relationship to God. The community comes together during prayer services and Masses to celebrate special feasts and holidays. High school students and seventh and eighth graders attend class retreats organized by Campus Ministry. These retreats give students a chance to authentically relate to one another and build community in a nurturing environment.

| photo by heather cenzer |

86 History and Social Studies The social studies curriculum has changed over the past 125 years, but its philosophy remains the same: that an understanding of the modern world is predicated on an understanding of a past that hurtles toward the future. High school students learn about world history and U.S. history, with additional Advanced Placement course offerings in subjects like European history, women’s studies, economics and human geography. In elementary school, the curriculum covers a wide range of topics including multicultural studies, the Middle Ages, Native Americans, San Francisco history and environmentalism.

87 Interfaith

88 Sophomore

While Goal I of the Goals & Criteria reminds us the school's mission is rooted in the love of Jesus Christ, its criteria also calls for "inter-religious acceptance and dialogue by educating to an understanding of and deep respect for the religions of the world." This education happens in many ways. For example, as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations (read more on page 34), five mezuzahs were blessed during a November Mass; mezuzahs are pieces of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, affixed to the door frame in Jewish homes as a sign of welcome. Rabbi Shelley Waldenberg, who is a frequent guest at Stuart Hall High School, installed one mezuzah on the school’s gate as a symbol of interfaith commitment.

Eventually, all five mezuzahs will be installed throughout the campuses.

The Sophomore Symposium is an important rite of passage at Convent High School. Every year, students choose a topic and complete research from three different perspectives–scientific, historical and theological. Using their research, they write papers analyzing and addressing the topic from each discipline. The final phase of the project is giving a multimedia presentation to an audience of peers, teachers and parents.

Recent presentations have covered a vast array of topics including genetic testing, animal rights and embryonic stem cell research.

Symposium

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

49

“

When the school was housed at Bush Street, the students experienced 'that unforgettable half hour with Madame Mollet.' Officially the period was called 'Physical Culture,' but more often than not by the victims, 'Physical Torture.'

No one thought in those days of using the recreation period for setting up exercises, basketball or anything so strenuous. Recreation? That was French conversation 'avec ma Mére' or as much French as one could manage walking with four or five others along the neat garden paths."

–From "The Palace Beautiful," in the student publication Last Words: Convent of the Sacred Heart (1965).

50

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Athletics The dedication of the Herbert Center in 1994 gave the athletics program a space to flourish. Today, you’ll find third graders running around the indoor track during gym class, the Cubs volleyball team practicing drills after school, and across campus, the Knights basketball team scrimmaging in their gym, affectionately dubbed “The Dungeon.”

That the trophy cases and gym walls are adorned with gleaming awards and banners is a testament to students' athletic aptitude. In 2003, the Convent High School

basketball team achieved greatness by beating the heavily-favored Mission College Prep of San Luis Obispo to win the California State Girls’ Division V Basketball Tournament in Sacramento. The Stuart Hall High School baseball team won back-to-back league championships in 2011 and 2012 for the first time in school history. At Convent Elementary, the basketball teams routinely advance to the playoffs and Stuart Hall for Boys is rapidly becoming a soccer powerhouse (see Lions At-AGlance).

Arts In 2004, the completion of the Siboni Center and Syufy Theatre provided a state-of-the-art arena for the arts. Students paint, design and even screenprint in Siboni’s art studios, and exhibit their masterpieces in its gallery spaces. Student thespians use their immense talents to bring stories to life during stellar musical and drama performances in Syufy Theatre.

Young musicians communicate through jazz and classical arrangements as they entertain audiences during choral and instrumental music performances in the theater. The students and faculty display great enthusiasm for the finer points of art in all its forms.

As the school continues to expand its arts program, their talent and passion will have room to grow.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

51

| photos by jason stineberg |

89 Lions At-A-Glance Sports: Cross Country, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Lacrosse, Golf and Volleyball.

2012-13 Highlight: We are the Champions For the first time in 15 years, the varsity soccer team won the BAIAL Championship against Marin Country Day School with a final score of 3-0. The team’s record over the past two years of 18-0 is truly impressive and sets a high standard of play for Stuart Hall for Boys’ athletics.

52

Bulletin | Winter 2013

90 Cubs At-A-Glance Sports: Cross Country, Tennis, Sailing, Golf, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Soccer, Sailing, Fencing, Swimming and Track.

2012-13 Highlight: Going the Distance The Cubs cross country team made a run for the championships and finished 10th out of 22 teams in the Cross Country State Championship, which is the highest level at which the girls compete. More than 300 teams compete in this division statewide, meaning that the Cubs are in the top 3% of Division V cross country programs in California.

91 Knights At-A-Glance Sports: Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Sailing, Basketball, Wrestling, Badminton, Fencing, Swimming, Track, Baseball, Golf and Tennis.

2012-13 Highlight The Best Offense is a Good Defense The Knights varsity basketball team had a stellar season.

The Knights had a solid performance at the Redwood Classic, placing third overall, at the beginning of the season and went on to some exciting buzzer-beaters toward the end of the season. They entered the league finale at top-seed University High School with their backs against the wall; a loss would end the season, a win would force a one game play-in scenario with Urban School for a place in the BCL West Playoffs. The Knights' 63-57 overtime win set up the game against Urban, who was able to sneak past the Knights at the end of regular play. The Knights' overall record of 18-9 was enough, however, for a berth in the North Coast Section Championships, which was scheduled as of presstime.

92 Cougars

At-A-Glance

Sports: Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Fitness and Soccer.

2012-13 Highlight: More Hardware For Convent The Convent Elementary varsity basketball team became the BAIAL league champs in February, bringing home the trophy following a perfect 9-0 season.

| photo courtesy of jo ann shain |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

53

92 Choir Convent & Stuart Hall students have been raising their voices in song since the school’s inception. Many alumni joyfully remember taking part in singing traditions such as NoÍls or Lessons & Carols. Students today also have the opportunity to take part in extracurricular choirs such as Petites Voix for Convent second and third graders, the co-ed high school choir, the Convent High School Choir, the Boys Choir for Stuart Hall third and fourth graders, Bel Canto for Convent seventh and eighth graders, the Stuart Hall High School Liturgical Choir and the Vocal Ensemble for Stuart Hall fifth and eighth graders.

| photo courtesy of jo ann shain |

| photo by heather cenzer |

| photo by heather cenzer |

93 Instrumental Music Over the past two academic years, Convent & Stuart Hall has worked to expand its fine and performing arts programs. The expansion began with instrumental music in fall of 2011. At the elementary level, our students attend dedicated music classes every week. At the high schools, a music elective integrated into the regular school day what used to be a club activity.

The school also has a Four-School Orchestra that is open to students, faculty and parents, alongside the elementary and high school ensembles.

54

Bulletin | Winter 2013

94 Fine & Graphic Arts Inside the Siboni Center for Arts & Science you’ll find elementary students working with ceramics, painting a self-portrait, rehearsing a play and looking at art as a form of visual propaganda. At the high school level, students work to strengthen their aesthetic awareness and explore their creativity, all while building their portfolios.

At Convent High School, students have the opportunity to take part in printmaking, costume design and digital photography courses. At Stuart Hall High School, students study art theory and have the chance to learn the foundations of graphic design and digital photography.

The four school art show each May is just one of the many forums available for talented artists throughout the community to display their work. | photo courtesy of jo ann shain |

| photo by heather cenzer |

95 Drama Several times a year, parents, faculty and students file into Syufy Theatre to enjoy a night of dramatic or musical entertainment. High school and Middle Form students each put on a drama production in the fall and a musical in the spring. Fall 2012 saw the Middle Form production of Malt Shop Mystery and the high school’s production of The Servant of Two Masters take to the stage. The cast and crew always does a spectacular job of bringing stories to life, as do the faculty who selflessly give of their time and expertise to these productions.

| photo by heather cenzer |

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

55

56

Bulletin | Winter 2013

| photo by heather cenzer |

Traditions Often, the students and adults who have been part of this community reminisce about the customs, the ritual and the lore of Schools of the Sacred Heart. They speak of assemblies, liturgies, uniforms, rules and devotions that are a common bond with others in their classes and with other children of the Sacred Heart worldwide.

Where did some of these traditions originate? Why are they important?

Perhaps the answer is in a quote from Mother Janet Erskine Stuart from a century ago: "The discipline in Schools of the Sacred Heart has met with a great deal of criticism. Why these moments of strict silence? Why this supervision? Why this insistence on play? This opposition to sets and cliques and private friendships? Why these exercises in behaviour like formal parade? Why such exacting persistence as to manners? All, in the main, for the same reason: because they conduce to the training of character; they exact self-control, and attention, and consideration for others, and remembrance, not in one way, but in a hundred ways."

Ask any alumna or alumnus who has gone on to fly jetliners, perform surgery, teach a class, develop a new technology or serve in elected office, and he or she will tell you that the tradition, and discipline, experienced here is more than fodder for great stories at reunion. It is truly formative.

Like so many things in life, some customs have evolved; students no longer don white uniforms with veils and spotless white gloves, nor do they walk the halls in silence. And, as the community has grown, new traditions have begun. But at the heart of each tradition, whether 10 years old or 100, is a mission to educate the whole child.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

57

"Students are expected to wear the complete uniform at all times, except on Free Dress days." Parent-Student Handbook

97 Congé

99 Lambs

Congé is a word that washes over students with an unbridled joy.

For each school division, there is a day every year—usually during the spring—when upperclassmen surprise their classmates with a day of fun.

The tradition of Congé is one of the Society of the Sacred Heart’s oldest, and Network schools all over the world observe it in some fashion. Congé is French for “leave-taking or farewell,” and the Religious who ran the first boarding schools used it to reward their hardworking pupils with games such as hide-and-seek.

Modern Congé involves bouncy houses and carnival games, talent shows, trips to Giants games, etc., and its orchestration has become a right of passage for eighth graders and high school seniors. Although hushed whispers of speculation begin to flutter around the hallways sometime after Christmas, the secret is not announced until the day of the event, which only adds to students’ anticipation of, and captivation with, the day of play.

Many of our alumni remember the little wooden lambs that each student was given to reward good behavior or penalize less desirable behavior. Every Christmas, the lambs would start on the bottom step of the crèche and slowly move up (or occasionally down) the stairs toward the Nativity scene as a way of rewarding students' good conduct.

98 The Blessing of the School Year There are only a few times each year that the entire student body comes together for Mass, and the Blessing of the School Year is one such opportunity. Whether a Sacred Heart school has 30 students or 1,000, all take the time each year to thank God for the gift of community and ask for His blessing for the students and faculty. The Mass has evolved over the years as the community has grown and is now held in the Herbert Gym, featuring student musicians and remarks from the Student Body Presidents from the four schools.

58

Bulletin | Winter 2013

100 May Procession This annual prayer service in the Chapel is for girls in K-4, who receive crowns of flowers from the Head of School; second graders also receive special Mater medals.

101 Children of Mary Children of Mary is a lay society founded by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat not long after she founded the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Cloistered to her convent, Sophie was unable to tend to the needs of the poor and marginalized in Paris and organized a lay group, mostly of former students, to engage in community service. She envisioned the group would serve as an extension of the Society. A local chapter in San Francisco meets regularly in the Flood Mansion.

96

Uniforms

The cut of the wool may have changed over the past century but the expectation that students at Convent & Stuart Hall wear a uniform has not. Floor-length frocks, gray skirts, navy blazers, v-neck sweaters, short pants, maroon capes and pinafores have all been part of the standard issue apparel.

Dress Uniform days are mandatory for liturgies and special events, and the student body looks very sharp when they stand straight in their school day best; however, any student will tell you that earning a Free Dress Day is a truly coveted prize.

Some elements of the uniform are a badge of honor. A navy blazer becomes part of the dress uniform for girls in seventh grade and boys in fifth grade. Eighth grade boys are given the addition of a red tie.

Convent High School seniors graduate from a maroon sweater to a navy sweater; Stuart Hall High School seniors graduate from a gray sweater to a navy one as well.

Patricia Feeney Gallagher'72'76 remembers the uniforms from her days on Broadway—the wool jumpers that “weren’t too bad,“ the white sailor tops with red trim and pleated white skirts that were “awful ... yes, awful,“ and the blue herringbone wool skirts paired with any white or navy sweater she liked. She also remembers the uniforms her children wore as they matriculated through Convent & Stuart Hall for elementary and high school. For Nora Gallagher CES'04, Jack Gallagher'05'01 and Molly Gallagher'09'05, the ensembles had some hits and misses as well. But what comes to mind when Patricia thinks of the uniform is, actually, its enforcement.

"I wasn’t allowed to sing in Noëls [senior year] due to out-of-uniform status," she says. "And I know there was some sort of detention if the guidelines were not followed [at the boys' school]."

102 Noëls

By Alice Jones Originally published in December by The Broadview. Reprinted with permission.

| photo by heather cenzer |

The students of the four Schools of the Sacred Heart neatly organized themselves by grade or language they are studying, sitting on the floor of the Herbert Center gymnasium for the annual Christmas Noëls.

The tradition dates from the Jackson Street campus and began under Mother Madeline Rode as a gift from the children to the Head of School. The tradition is unique to the San Francisco Sacred Heart Schools, according to interim Head of School Mary Forsyth.

“This year made me feel a little sad because I have been here for such a long time,” senior Elizabeth Burkett, who also attended Convent Elementary, said. “I’ve had Noëls so many times, but this was my last one.

I got to see teachers who in the past taught me those same songs.”

Each grade sings a unique song in French, Spanish, Latin

or Mandarin. The Convent High School Senior Class always concludes Noëls with Noël de Notre-Dame.

“I loved the spirit and tradition around Noëls and if I were a student the experience would definitely leave a positive lingering memory,” Noël first-timer President Ann Marie Krejcarek said.

Krejcarek took time after Noëls to talk to the students about the meaning behind the tradition, calling on the elementary school kids eagerly, but silently, raising their hands.

“I try to put myself into the students ages and think first about the earliest learners and what they can take,” Krejcarek said. “My hope was to bring attention to the broader reason of why we come together as a school. I hope students left with that feeling and felt sense of connection.”

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

59

103 Mater Feast Day Mater, Latin for “mother,” refers to the Virgin Mary.

There is a beautiful story shared with all Sacred Heart students, involving Mater and a young novice who painted a miraculous fresco of the virgin wearing pink (see also page 12). This fresco is replicated in every Sacred Heart school today, and celebrating the Feast of Mater each May helps students call upon her love to sustain and nourish them.

”Your little Blessed Virgin isn't half-bad.

When I go to the tribune I often turn aside to look at her. She is of the same age as our children and speaks to me of the youth to whom I have vowed my life.”

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat to Pauline Perdrau, RSCJ

104 Walking in Rank/Curtsying Once upon a time, students walked the halls in silence, and in rank, curtsying to their RSCJ teachers. The bow was respectful and the Reverend Mothers were imposing. Those days are not that far behind us. Many alumnae, especially within some of the first classes to matriculate through the Flood Mansion, will tell you they had a reverence for Mrs. Flood’s house as they settled into it in the early 1940s.

Current students will tell you that they feel as if the buildings of Convent & Stuart Hall are an extension of their own homes. SIlence is no longer par for the course, but familiarity does not always trump respect. Seldom does an adult or guest find a door not politely held open by students. And most mornings, on both campuses, administrators are out front to greet students with a "hello" or a handshake, thoughtfully reciprocated.

105 Espacio Espacio, which is Spanish for “space,” is a period of silent reflection time that helps to teach and model personal spiritual reflection as part of an active religious practice. One current student recently explained it this way: “During this time we are asked to become one with our inside and pray to God. The symbolic ringing of the bell three times begins the sacred time and the echo of the bell sounds forever.”

Espacio, a fairly new tradition, began locally during Stuart Hall High School chapels and liturgies, and quickly spread in popularity with the other classes as well.

60

Bulletin | Winter 2013

106

Miller’s Mile

In the spring of 1970, a seventh grader at Stuart Hall for Boys approached then-Dean of Students Russ Miller and challenged him to a foot race. Looking at the student through his coke-bottle glasses, Russ grumbled back, “Name the time and the place; I’ll be there.” More than 40 years later, students still have the chance to challenge faculty and friends in a short (two-mile) foot race on Crissy Field, thanks to dedicated parent volunteers who have kept the tradition alive. The event is held each April for students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, grandparents and family dogs who all run the course. The event is a fun-raiser with no fees or registration. Prior to the event, elementary school artists compete to have their work featured on the annual t-shirt.

107 Weekly Chapel & Assemblies Regardless of grade, students have always had built into their school week time to gather as a community. Weekly chapels and assemblies at various divisions feature reflection and prayer, music, student presentations, the awarding of certificates or medals, and special guest speakers. Often student leadership is asked to play a role in planning and leading these assemblies.

And the student bodies have their own rituals within these services; for instance, Stuart Hall High School chapels begin with moments of gratitude, when any student or adult can offer up thanks to someone in the community for acts of kindness, large and small, throughout the week.

108 Très Bien/Prîmes Très Bien, literally meaning “very good,” is a special chapel when teachers recognize students for work, conduct and actions that best exemplify the Goals & Criteria, especially Goal V, which fosters “personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.” Très Bien has its roots in the Sacred Heart tradition of Prîmes, when students received cards from the Reverend Mother recognizing very good (Très Bien), good (Bien) and good enough (Assez Bien) behavior. Today, only the Très Bien cards remain. And the assembly itself no longer holds to the formal presentation of pupils, who would form a silent semi-circle before the Reverend Mother, and two-by-two would approach her to curtsy.

109 SHHS Sing A Long The Christmas season at Stuart Hall High School doesn't begin until each of the four classes and the faculty/staff go head-to-head in a friendly competition. Each of the five groups sings a rousing rendition of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, but must omit saying "nose."

110 Lessons and Carols Stuart Hall for Boys celebrates Christmas each year with the retelling of the birth of Jesus through the Lessons and Carols service, in which the story is narrated by song and hymn. This service is a tradition in Christian worship that is older than Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco; it was written in 1880 by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

111 Halloween Parade For one day every year, the Broadway campus is swarming with witches, ghosts, princesses, superheroes and a cast of pop culture characters. The annual parade for students in grades K-6 draws parental shutterbugs to campus and is followed by a costume dance for seventh and eighth graders.

112 The Blue Stairs Since Stuart Hall for Boys opened in 1956, the front staircase of the Hammond House has long been reserved for use only by the eighth grade class. The stairs haven't always been blue; they were a beige plaid for a while, and had been red before the building underwent a significant seismic retrofitting in 2006-09. The staircase actually had to be moved a few feet from its original location during the renovation, and the stairs are now covered in a dark blue carpet, but their legacy has been preserved as a right of passage for eighth graders.

113 Values Day A relatively new tradition at the schools, Values Day is built into the schedule so that special programming can be coordinated to open up students to deeper conversations about social and justice issues. In January 2013, for example, Convent High School students had a panel of alumnae from various fields return to the school and talk to students, after which the group watched the movie Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, about the movement to fight for change for women and girls living in difficult circumstances; at the same time, Stuart Hall High School students spent the day addressing stereotypes of boys and men, as a follow-up to the 2012 Values Day where the guys watched Misrepresentation, which touched on media-generated stereotypes of women and its impact on teenage girls. | photo by heather cenzer | C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

61

| photo by heather cenzer |

114 Gingerbread Workshops For 20 years, the Broadway Alumnae of the Sacred Heart (BASH) Board has organized Gingerbread House Decorating Workshops for young gumdrop architects. Current and prospective families and alumni come by and decorate a house to take home for the holidays. As with all BASH events, funds raised benefit a scholarship fund for students of alumnae to attend Convent High School.

115 Environmentalism

118 Formation to Mission

Although grass roots efforts had sprouted in many areas of the school to focus on conservation and recycling, in 2008 the first widely organized effort formed the all-school Eco-Council. The lynch pins of their efforts have been composting and recycling awareness and energy conservation. Campaigns launched since then have worked to eliminate plastic on campus and enlist students to monitor waste bins to increase recycling and composting; a switch from all paper products to those made from recycled content; and constant reminders to turn off light switches. By conserving electricity and reducing landfill waste, student and adult efforts have helped the school reduce its carbon footprint and save tens of thousands of dollars each month in utility bills.

The Society and the Network of Sacred Heart schools have worked for many years to create programming that keeps teachers and administrators connected to the mission. For instance, every summer, the Network holds a conference called Roots That Give Us Wings in St. Charles, Missouri, for educators to explore Madeleine Sophie, Philippine Duchesne and the charism of Sacred Heart.

Locally, Convent & Stuart Hall also creates programs for adults in the community, such as the Mission On Tap series (2010-11), for employees to share stories that focus on their connection to God and the mission. One pillar of the Board of Trustee's Strategic Plan (2012-17) is to grow Formation to Mission for the adult community.

The Formation to Mission Committee of employees is leading the charge. In spring 2013, they launched a private blog, Vox Populi (Voice of the People), for employees to share with each other anything that "inspires the heart or nourishes the spirit" via song, poem, video, photo or anecdote.

116 The Bulletin For the past 35 years, the Bulletin has shared school news with thousands of current families, past parents, alumni and friends.

117 Service Service to the community and to those in need is highly regarded in many areas of the community. For high school students, service is a graduation requirement, but it is also a spark that ignites students' passion and concern for many issues. Student clubs, electives, trips and events help raise money and awareness for various causes; for example, for about 10 years, the Simple Gifts club at Convent High School has held an annual fashion show and other large and small events to raise money for a local charity that students choose each year. The type of service commitment varies based on what is age-appropriate, but many students at the elementary school, for instance, become involved in the Heart to Heart community outreach program. They fill hundreds of backpacks with school supplies to be given away to children in the Western Addition, raising money for the initiative through a benefit concert they plan that features student performers. Middle Form students also act as peer tutors to children from neighboring communities and conduct food and toy drives throughout the year.

62

Bulletin | Winter 2013

119 Pinewood Derby In 2008-2009, Stuart Hall High School sponsored a summer service trip to Uganda, which was attended by Anne Wachter, RSCJ, then-Head of Convent Elementary School. As our community’s interest in Uganda grew, administrators created an outlet for supporting the Sacred Heart Primary School in Uganda, and the Pinewood Derby became a favorite family event, with parent Jay O'Neil building a ramp that is used every year for the wooden cars to slide down.

120

Stuart Hall Families Program

The Families Program at Stuart Hall for Boys began when the school building was being renovated. Because students and faculty were scattered throughout the Broadway campus and felt disconnected, boys from each grade, K-8, were assigned to a “house,” with scheduled time for activities. With the building renovation being completed for the 2009-2010 school year, Families continued, and in 2011-2012, expanded to include Stuart Hall High School.

121 Prize Day Prize Day is a formal assembly at the end of the school year for the distribution of certificates and awards recognizing special achievement.

122 Senior Tea A longtime tradition at Convent, Senior Tea invites the class to host families and friends, during which the seniors greet their guests in a receiving line positioned in the half circle of the Belvedere. The seniors wear white tea dresses (which they also wear for graduation). The tea is usually scheduled for the first Thursday in May.

123 Ring Ceremony The Ring Ceremony is another of the school's long-standing traditions leading up to graduation.

The seniors from each high school "ring" the junior class and officially pass the torch of leadership to them with the school ring. Traditionally, the ring is made with a cherished, unique design containing the traditional devotional representation of two Sacred Hearts (the heart of Mary and the heart of Jesus).

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

63

“

Our education is not meant to turn children out small and finished but seriously begun on a wide basis." –Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ

| photos by heather cenzer |

64

Bulletin | Winter 2013

124 .

Commencement As summer approaches, eighth graders prepare to rise to ninth grade while seniors begin to apply their years of preparation to a life of higher education, careers, families and travel.

Each of the four Baccalaureate Masses and Graduation Ceremonies is different in its own way, but everywhere there is a bittersweet feeling of disbelief that one chapter has ended and anxious joy that another soon begins. After all, this is a place that has felt like an extension of home to students for so long and given them such a tremendous gift.

Students elect classmates to speak on their behalf, they receive high honors for their achievement, they enjoy a final go没ter, and they leave to begin again, stronger for having been a Child of the Sacred Heart.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

65

Alumni 125

Living the Legacy

The present and future rests on the shoulders of all who have been a part of the school's history. The alumni community fosters the mission of the school and through their successes, they represent what is gained through a Sacred Heart education.

Alumni are still active members of the community after graduation. They lend their guidance and words of wisdom to current students by returning to speak on college and career panels, or at one of the senior luncheons.

Every year, hundreds of alumni gather to reunite with classmates; the reunions have previously been separated by each school. This year, in honor of the 125th anniversary, the school hosted the first Alumni Celebration for graduates from all four schools to come together and recognize the milestone.

Broadway Alumnae of the Sacred Heart (BASH) Board offers another opportunity for Convent Elementary or Convent High School alumni to give back through events that raise money for scholarships that assist Convent legacies.

BASH also invites past students back for a night of singing and merriment at Alumni NoĂŤls, held every December in the Flood.

Stuart Hall for Boys alumni also return every spring to challenge the eighth graders in a friendly game of basketball.

The alumni are reminded of their days as eager students, while the eighth graders come away knowing that they will be members of the alumni team in the years to come. Convent Elementary alumnae also return for an annual pizza party to reminiscence with former classmates and faculty.

Thank you for being a part of our past, present and future. | photo by roxanne civarello |

66

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Alumni Reflection Danyaal Farooqui ’05 invests in Pakistan because of his Sacred Heart education.

I

can officially say that I learned something from my time at Stuart Hall High School! Yes, it is true that at some level everything I was taught helped me throughout my college and professional career. But one thing I vividly remember and that still impacts me today is Goal III: “A social awareness that impels to action.”

In Ray O’Connor’s (Stuart Hall High School, Religion & Theology Department Chair) Social Justice class during my senior year, it was a requirement to live out this Goal. For one semester, we were assigned specific service internships (in my case De Marillac Academy, an elementary school in the Tenderloin) where we spent one to two hours per week assisting the school in a variety of activities. Although I enjoyed my time at the school, I wish I could say that I volunteered there in my free time. Nonetheless, I learned a great deal through serving.

To me, Goal III means to find something I am passionate about and devote my time and skills to make a difference.

Every day we are reminded of the suffering around us.

Whether it’s the tragic aftermath of natural disasters or the lack of education among low-income children, there are many causes to support. But the second part of the Goal, “compel to action,” only occurs when one is passionate about a certain cause. For me, that is development in Pakistan.

I consider myself a Pakistani-American. Although I was raised in the U.S. and am an avid SF Giants fan (my blood runs a loyal orange and black), I still have a connection to the country. As San Francisco is home for me, Pakistan is home for my parents. Throughout my childhood, we spent two to three months in the country every year with family, building a bond with the culture. Pakistan has been experiencing instability over the past decade. There may be disagreement over who and what caused this instability, but the fact remains that the country is suffering in many respects, particularly politically and economically. Most importantly, the country lacks reliable and committed leadership. Although the country’s problems aren’t going to go away overnight, I’m lucky that I have found an organization that is making a difference one project at a time.

| photo by roxanne civarello |

Danyaal speaks to graduating seniors at last year’s Stuart Hall High School Alumni Luncheon.

The Association for the Development of Pakistan (ADP) is challenging the traditional non-profit paradigm in Pakistan by serving an often-overlooked segment of the NonGovernmental Organization (NGO) sector. ADP partners with smaller NGOs to build schools and clinics for the poor. Teams of professionals, like myself, volunteer their time and carefully select each project. My time with the organization has helped me directly transfer skills I honed from my Sacred Heart education and my financial career to the non-profit sector.

Professionally, I analyze businesses for potential investments. I view my work at ADP to be very similar, with the only difference being that the investments ADP makes aren’t financial in nature. We view successful project investments as those that are sustainable in the long-term and can outlive our funding. These are projects that truly benefit people where they live and work. I believe this is what Goal Three of a Sacred Heart Education is all about. Specifically, an education that has led me “to a critical consciousness” where I “analyze and reflect on the values of society and act for justice.” I am honored and blessed by my Sacred Heart education for opening my mind and heart to tackle issues of social justice.

Contact Danyaal at danyaal.farooqui@gmail.com.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

67

class notes Your story is our story.

Every year, Sacred Heart students graduate and embark on the next stage in their lives. Although they leave the campus, each leaves a unique impression on the community. In the same vein, a Sacred Heart education leaves an imprint that compels alumni toward lives of purpose and meaning. Our alumni follow their unique passions, give back in meaningful ways and ultimately come back to share their stories with the community.

Convent High School

90s Imelda Wong '94 married Jediah Kortens on June 23, 2012, at Lake Tahoe’s Northstar. In attendance were fellow Convent High School alumnae Nicole Soong Schork ’94, Erin Soong Muscat ’97 and Elena Gumina Angeli ’94. Imelda is a teacher in San Jose and Jediah works in Human Resources.

Convent Elementary School

60s The Class of 1969 reconnected last spring when 12 members of the class met for brunch at Caesar’s. Many of the classmates had not seen or spoken to each other since their days at Convent Elementary. That brunch led to a series of mini-reunions with many of their classmates in attendance. The original group of 12 has swelled to more than 30, spanning locales like Illinois, Washington, British Columbia, Arizona and Colorado. A “fluid” group meets monthly to visit a classmate who is homebound due to illness. A member of the group says, “We have lots of laughs together and find that although nearly 40 years have passed, we have so much in common. It has become a tremendous support network and we are delighted to have reconnected. We also have been reliving Convent Capers—all the mischievous things some of us did for which we got in trouble and those for which we did not get caught! No details will follow on those.”

00s Ina Herlihy ’10 took part in the Chinese Language Summer Program at Middlebury College. The eight-week program involved a pledge of not speaking, reading, writing or hearing any English. Ina’s goal was to immerse herself in Mandarin before heading off to Beijing for the semester. Currently, she is enrolled in an intensive Chinese Language Program and has a finance-related internship.

Bailey Douglass ’06 is a member of Spinsters and raises funds for the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks.

Madeleine Kelley ’12 is double majoring in English and Theater at Georgetown University. Last semester, she performed in the play A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration

by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel. Madeleine is also involved in the Outdoor Ed club.

90s Amanda Scdoris Walker CES'91 (Stuart Hall High School Librarian) and her son, Oscar, posed as Madonna and Child for a Stuart Hall High School art project.

The image, which was sketched and painted by students, will be included in Art from the Heart at Celebrate Spring 2013.

Class Connect We’re proud to highlight alumni stories in every issue of the Bulletin, but you’ll find a lot more online. The Alumni Page is the place to learn about upcoming alumni events, find classmates, view class pages, take part in a discussion board and network with alumni in your industry.

Looking for other ways to connect? “Like” Convent & Stuart Hall Alumni on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at SacredHeartSF.

68

Bulletin | Winter 2013

Stuart Hall for Boys

60s Charlie Greene SHB’66 recently completed his Fall Organizing Fellowship for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. He was responsible for Operations, Resources & Security at the Marin County Democratic Headquarters.

The “Get Out The Vote” election day weekend campaign hosted more than 400 volunteers each day, was the 4th largest staging location in California, made over 150,000 phone calls to the battleground states over the weekend and made more than 27,000 phone calls to registered voters in the battleground states on election day.

70s Erik Hom SHB’79 and Joe Syufy SHB’79 are having fun watching their sons carry on the tradition of beating rival Town School in basketball! In a recent game, their seventh grade sons Nick Hom #4 and Ben Syufy #24 scored 8 and 17 respectively in a 42-37 victory.

90s Daniel Ellersdorfer SHB’90 is preparing to be a middle school science teacher in Denver and looking forward to new adventures in teaching.

Thomas Ross SHB’93 is living in Mukwonago, Wisconsin with his wife of four years, Heather.

Thomas is working toward his PhD, teaching the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew at the college and seminary level and working a security job.

Thomas’ study of the Bible has produced a number of papers, essays and tracts. Thomas and Heather (who also teaches religion) spend their free time hiking and biking.

Mark Swartz SHB'97 has been a U.S. Naval Pilot for the past eight years. Currently, he is an instructor in Lemoore, California and flies planes similar to those used by the Blue Angels, including the F-18 "Super Hornet.” Mark also piloted one of the flyover planes during the first game of the World Series.

Mark visited Stuart Hall for Boys on December 13 and spoke to students during morning assembly. He told the boys that even though he’s a pilot, he’s afraid of heights, roller coasters and bicycles. Despite his fears, Mark stated that they weren’t “enough to keep me from a great experience.” Mark told the boys that the most applicable courses he took in school were science and math because he uses what he learned from those classes every day. He went on to say that the “lessons at Stuart Hall have worked out for me in my entire life.” He thanked Stuart Hall for Boys for shaping him into the

person he is today and told the boys, “Someone has made a sacrifice for you to attend Stuart Hall. A bar has been set and so much is expected from you. Don’t waste that education, live out that dream, whatever it is.”

00s Brady Dilena SHB’05 and Tony Fresch SHB ’05 have gone into business together! In 2012 they founded Prep School Recordings, which focuses on providing electronic music that is recognizable, modern and refined to a rapidly growing international market. Their first release quickly made it to #23 on the Progressive House Music Top 50 list. For more info visit www.prepschoolrecs.com

Kyle Chong SHB’09 has founded a non-profit, the Moonrise Dreamer Project, which trains young photographers in fine art photography in places where art education funding is scarce.

Kyle’s company, Silver Moon Photography, sells calendars that feature his photography alongside his colleague's poetry.

The hope is that by sharing their work, they will spread the word about the Moonrise Dreamer Project. Kyle also collaborates with a local framer and printer in the city to make photographic prints displayed in sustainably sourced wood frames. Learn more about the Moonrise Dreamer Project at http://agmoondreamers.tumblr.com/ and Silver Moon Photography at http://silvermoonphoto.tumbler.com/

The Class of 2008 gathered for a "college bound" party before taking off on their respective adventures. (Left to right): Daniel Maionchi SHB’08 (Gonzaga University), Sebastian Sandoval ’12’08 (Boston College), Connor Satterfield ’12’08 (Gonzaga University), Louis Allesandria SHB’08 (Chapman University) and Eddie Hadeler SHB’08 (University of California, Santa Barbara).

Stuart Hall High School

00s Jason Alarcon ’06 attended the Stuart Hall High School FACE AIDS Club’s screening of his film, How to Survive a Plague, on November 30 in honor of World AIDS Day. Jason was an Assistant Director on the film, which is a powerful look at the genesis of AIDS activism at the start of the pandemic. The film shows the passion of everyday people when lives are on the line.

Sam Catapano ’09 is a senior at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut where he is studying Media & Communications. His curriculum includes film, video, journalism and interactive media and Sam hosts a university broadcast radio and television program. This past summer he interned at House Casting in New York City, which is a leading casting agency for TV commercials, voice-overs, print advertising and more. Sam hopes to be back in New York City after graduation to continue where he left off at House Casting.

Baard Soedal ’12 spent his summer living in Norway. He worked, camped, attended festivals and enjoyed his summerhouse before beginning college in September. Some of Baard’s Stuart Hall classmates even visited him for part of the Scandinavian summer.

C O N V E N T & S T U A R T H A L L celebrating 1 2 5 Y E A R S

69

In Memoriam Schools of the Sacred Heart send sincere sympathy to the following: Christen Bertain CES’08, Caroline Bertain CES’10 and Robert Bertain (grade 7), for the loss of their paternal grandfather; and Joseph Bertain SHB ’73 for the loss of his father, G. Joseph Bertain Jr. Stefani Blair (Communications and Marketing Director) for the loss of her paternal grandmother, Genevieve Blair.

Michael Blum (grade 6) and Gavin Blum (grade 2) for the loss of their paternal grandfather; and Mary Blum (Stuart Hall for Boys, International Language Department Chair) for the loss of her father-in-law.

The family and friends of Vicki Boyer ’71’67.

Cecily Brown’07’03 for the loss of her mother, Charlotte Brinsont Brown.

Diana Gonzalez Bryant ’62 for the loss of her husband, Michael J. Bryant.

Hoover Chan (Technology Network Administrator) for the loss of his father, Sam Chan.

Laurel Cinti (freshman) and Seraphina Cinti (freshman) for the loss of their cousin and stepuncle; and Raymond Cinti (Convent High School, Science Department Chair) and Christina Cinti (Convent High School, Math and Science) for the loss of their nephew and brother-in-law, Ron Cinti and George Cannon.

Roxanne Civarello (Alumni Coordinator) for the loss of her father, Mark Civarello.

Don Clay SHB’00, Angelina Clay CES’03 and Anthony Clay SHB’06 for the loss of their grandfather; Lisa Clay for the loss of her father; and C. Don Clay (former Trustee) for the loss of his father-in-law, Daniel Francis Coughlin.

Michaela Figari ’09’05 and Chiara Figari ’13’09 for the loss of their grandmother; Irene Figari (former Trustee) for the loss of her mother; and Mark Figari SHB’69 for the loss of his mother-in-law, Joan Simpson.

Matthew Fisher SHB’09, Curry Fisher CES’11, Regan Fisher (grade 7) and William Patrick Fisher (grade 5) for the loss of their paternal grandfather, Robert J. Fisher.

The family and friends of Kristina Uhren Memarian ’69’65.

Debra Hayes ’73 for the loss of her father, Frank M. Rivas.

Denis Murphy (grade 3) for the loss of his maternal grandfather, Gerald Moore.

The family and friends of Catherine Henry, RSCJ.

Laura E. Parker ’79’75 for the loss of her husband, Harold W. Butler.

Gabrielle Holder (Stuart Hall for Boys, Learning Support) for the loss of her father, James Quash Stevens.

Justine Hufford CES’05 and Kendall Hufford CES’12 for the loss of their father; and Gretchen Frantz for the loss of her husband, Steve Hufford.

The family and friends of Ysabel Schoning Johnson ’47’43.

The family and friends of Yvonne Pometti, RSCJ. Angele Bonura Rice ’64’60 for the loss of her mother, Mary Brucia Bonura.

The family and friends of Ida Rinna, RSCJ.

The family and friends of Kathleen Johnston ’54.

Thomas Matthew Smith (grade 3) for the loss of his paternal grandfather; and Joan Withers Dinner (Lone Mountain ’67) for the loss of her husband, Michael H. Smith.

Lara Jordan ’06’02 for the loss of her father, John A. Williamson II.

Angela Taylor (Convent Elementary, Head of School) for the loss of her paternal grandfather.

The family and friends of Mary Jill Hawthorne Knisely ’57.

Oliver Taylor (grade 8), Campbell Taylor (grade 7) and Margaret Taylor (grade 5) for the loss of their maternal grandmother, Evelyn Palmer.

The family and friends of Maxine Kraemer, RSCJ. Samuel Kresch (grade 5) for the loss of his maternal grandmother, Sofya Zelenko.

Julie Cook (Convent Elementary, Lead Teacher) for the loss of her uncle, Michael Nevin.

Annabel Mack (grade 6), Sophie Mack (grade 6) and Chase Mack (grade 4) for the loss of their maternal grandfather; and Maggie Mack (current Trustee) for the loss of her father.

Elva Bricca Eggers ’47’43 for the loss of her husband, Sam Eggers.

The family and friends of Carol Nelson McConnon ’47.

Carter Minor SHB’11, Halsey Minor SHB’12 and Jacqueline Minor (grade 8) for the loss of their grandfather.

Michaella Kumi (grade 7) and Erika Kumi (kindergarten) for the loss of their maternal grandmother.

Diane Duacsek CES’71 and Loraine Duacsek Moreno CES’75 for the loss of their father, Captain Anthony Duacsek, USN, Ret.

The family and friends of Marina Mapa, RSCJ.

Susan Hackett Griffith ’62 for the loss of her husband, Thomas Griffith.

Sean Patrick Cronan (grade 5) and Kelly Cronan (grade 3) and for the loss of their paternal grandmother.

Cecilia De Quesada ‘88’84 for the loss of her sister, Claudia De Quesada Rogers CES’86.

Emily Man (grade 2) and Kayla Man (grade 8) for the loss of their maternal grandmother.

Mary Ann Malabed Eagelston CES’71, Karlita Malabed CES’72, Patrice Malabed Willig CES’74, Susanne Malabed Mendieta CES’76, Katherine Malabed CES’79 and Barbra Malabed Lewis CES’82 for the loss of their mother; and Leonilo Malabed for the loss of his wife, Yvonne Malabed.

Madeline Thorpe (grade 3) for the loss of her maternal great-grandfather.

Ursula Townsend (grade 6) for the loss of her paternal grandfather, Joseph C. O’Neill.

Bethany Turo (former faculty) for the loss of her maternal grandfather.

Diane Gold Ward ’64 for the loss of her sister, Laurie Gold CES’64.

Jamie Weintraub (Convent Elementary, Religion) for the loss of her mother, Wilma Hayes.

Caroline Welsh ’12 for the loss of her father, Phil Welsh.

Caroline Zach-Guillou CES’71 for the loss of her mother, Helga Zach-Feiner.

Please send In Memoriam notes to Roxanne Civarello at alumni@sacredsf.org.

70

Bulletin | Winter 2013

the

last WORD Message from the President

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall Community, I have 125 favorite reasons to love Schools of the Sacred Heart; they are my first 125 days as President. In this time, the kindergartners have grown nearly three inches each, the seniors have stretched to meet the challenges of the college admissions process and our teachers have significantly added to their bandwidth in the world of 1-to-1 technology integration.

Each day the rich history of Sacred Heart education in San Francisco unfolds in the traditions that I experience. At the same time, new iconic endeavors emerge. Just the other day I had the opportunity to engage in the final outcome of a design thinking, problem-based learning project executed by our second grade: a “cardboard arcade.”

Let me set the scene: I walked up to the Reception Room and was greeted by ticket distributors supplying me with the “cash” I would need to buy chances to play the games at the arcade. Amidst the backdrop of this illustrious room, I was transported to a world of hand-constructed games. I played miniature golf with a small Popsicle stick, I fished with a length of one-inch chain links and I tossed balls at a Ferris wheel made of plastic berry half-pints. My fellow fairgoers were the kindergarten classes and the lines were long at each exciting gaming opportunity. Our second grade staffers and game makers were proud of their creations. All were immersed in a magical world of the imagination; indeed, who could fathom toilet paper rolls, recycled plastic and old paper boxes could be used to construct the products of these fertile imaginations?

To pursue academics creatively and with a dint of effort is, I believe, an articulation of the Sacred Heart education that Madeleine Sophie Barat and Rose Philippine Duschesne envisioned.

Exciting work begins when the wisdom of the ages meets the inspiration of the future. The creative tension afforded us as a school with a rich history positioned in a global hotspot of innovation underpins many of our conversations about bringing our students beautifully into the third millennium, prepared to meet the challenges of a new world. Thank you Sophie, Philippine and Mother Stuart for your bravery and innovation.

Join the Conversation

As you journeyed through this special Bulletin, I hope your own list of favorite things came to mind when you thought about Schools of the Sacred Heart. As you continue to read future issues, including this summer’s look at classrooms of the future, I hope your list continues to grow.

We have 125 years behind us, and a bright future ahead.

With prayers and gratitude,

Follow our Online Community, on sacredsf.org, under News.

The Bulletin allows Convent & Stuart Hall to stay connected with current families, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff.

Ann Marie Krejcarek President of Schools

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid San Francisco, CA Permit No. 9313

2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94115 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED VOL 35 NO 01

Gracious God,

Instill in each of us a bold faith; a deep respect for intellectual values; a passionate desire to serve others, especially those most in need; an instinct for building community; and a profound and honest commitment to our personal growth.

May we always act as persons of courage, confidence and integrity.

Amen. | Sacred Heart Goals Prayer |