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“Peace Be With You” students and parents,
This year the teachers and I reflected on the legacy that all of us at Sacred Hearts School have inherited with our calling to be teachers here. Did you know that Maria Lanakila Catholic Church was founded 153 years ago by the priests of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary? St. Damien was a member of that order of priests. Our parish founders then built our school 149 years ago, a few years after the church was built. From 1928 until the year 2000, the nuns of the Third Order of Franciscans from Syracuse, New York began their 72 years of teaching at our blessed school. Blessed Mother Marianne Cope was a member of that very order of religious nuns.
In the decision making process of choosing a theme for the year, we worked on keeping the charisms of these two religious orders alive in the mission and work that we do with you at Sacred Hearts School. We wanted a theme that reflected the spirit of both religious communities that laid the foundation of this school. Therefore, our permanent school theme is: “Peace Be With You.” The hearts of Jesus and Mary were all about peace! The Franciscan order of priests and nuns look to Saint Francis of Assisi to guide their ministry work, and peace has always been associated with the spiritual essence of St. Francis. Peace is a way of life, a living prayer that we can model as we follow the teachings of Christ.
In every thought, word and deed we express, let us all pray for and listen to God’s guidance so that we consciously give our best to God and the Sacred Hearts School community. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit walk with us as we transition into our 149th school year! Many of our community members have been with Sacred Hearts School for a long time, and a few are new. The triad of our staff, the parents, and the students make up the formula for success in our learning community. Each piece of the triangle executes its role and each relies on the other two in order to maintain a balanced perspective of purposefulness. A Christ-centered vision, our Student Learning Expectations (SLEs), the TRIBES Agreements, this policy handbook, and our own unique gifts will surely help guide us through another year filled with appreciation, forgiveness, peacemaking, learning and living aloha.
The mission of our school is driven by the desire to nurture in our community members a life of prayer, faith, and service in the Catholic tradition. Our community and global outreach projects offer the students opportunities that use their virtues and multiple intelligences to make sense of the world around them. The best education “takes place when parents and educators form a coalition on behalf of the student.” (Dr. Mel Levine, Educational Care, 2002)
As a Catholic school, we find strength and purpose in Christ’s teachings. We strive to teach in such a way that we connect the intellect with the heart. We will work together to see with the eyes of the heart, to see each other heart to heart. “We are a part of all creation, one ‘ohana!” is a saying we will play with this year. Recognizing the divine spark and the spirit of truth in each other is our honorable task. I thank you and our parish for the commitment to our team effort. I am full of unembarrassed joy and I am honored to join you as we build relationships of the heart with God the Father, His Son, the Holy Spirit, and with each other.
Mrs. S.L. Hendricks, Principal, 2011-2012
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