Email being clipped? Click here to view it in a browser. All-School eNews | November 8, 2019 FEATURED STORY: Twenty Minutes a Day You may have heard me mention three foolproof parenting tips that were passed down to me by a superintendent mentor of mine. Not only were these tips proven over his 40+ years of experience, they have also proven out in my 23 years of experience.
All of these are tried and true, but I would like to add one more.
See You at Open House! Thank you for all you've done to spread the word about our Open House this Sunday from 1-3 p.m. We look forward to seeing many prospective families as well as lots of our current families. As you can see in this video, our students are eager to show off the #ASHDifference!
We invite you to reach out to anyone you think would be a great fit at our school and share details about Sunday's Open House. We're always available for any questions or suggestions you may have, and we're looking forward to a great day on Sunday!
Please note - we have just learned that Long Lake will be closed between Woodward Avenue and Eastways Road this weekend. Plan to take an alternate route if you'll be joining us! Dr. Mukwege Visits the Upper School Alexandra Knight '20 and I attended an I-ZOSH event in September where we learned about the Congolese Genocide and its consequences. Keynote speaker Dr. Mukwege discussed his contributions to the aid and well-being of women who have been used as weapons of war. His Panzi Hospital and Foundation in the DRC serves to guide victims of sexual assault through their recovery. The hospital provides medical and psychological care as well as education, trade skills, and dorms for the women and their children.
As women of consciousness and action, Alex and I invited Dr. Mukwege to speak to the Upper School so that more students could be informed and compelled to advocacy. On Tuesday, November 5, the Upper School students were privileged to have him visit and present. The students also donated $230 that they raised to the Panzi Foundation. Thank you, Dr. Mukwege! Welcoming New Faculty/Staff Members We are excited to introduce Lauren Vidak (above), who joined the ASH community as Director of HEART Enrichment and Summer at Sacred Heart on Monday. Lauren has spent over a decade working with youth in various settings. She developed a love and appreciation for nature at an early age and began her career with a nature connection program for at-risk youth. She also worked in youth theatre and dance programs at a variety of levels. Her time in that arena gave her the opportunity to work at both an educational and administrative capacity, while still developing new programs for the community, including the area's first dance program built specifically for children with special needs.
Lauren came to Michigan as a campus director for a large overnight camp and was thrilled to officially move to the Mitten year-round about two years ago. She has continued to work to provide programming and educational outlets that help all children grow into the very best versions of themselves!
Please join the administration, faculty and staff in warmly welcoming these talented educators to the Sacred Heart family! US Choir Performs at Fiat Chrysler Veterans Day Ceremony For the fourth time, the Upper School Concert Choir was invited to participate in the annual Fiat Chrysler Veterans Day Ceremony that was held on Monday, November 4 at the Tech Center in Auburn Hills. The program began with the Presentation of Colors by the United States Marine Corp Color Guard and featured speeches by military veterans and UAW personnel. The guest speaker was Robert Anthony Lutz, Captain, U.S. Marine Corp Reserve and a Swiss American automotive executive. He served as a top leader of all of the United States Big Three, having been in succession executive vice president of Ford Motor Company, president and then vice chairman of Chrysler Corporation, and vice chairman of General Motors. He is currently the President and CEO of Lutz Communications. He gave the choir a shout out and said, "the choir did exceptionally well this morning and sang it like it should be sung!"
Like last year, the choir also sang the haunting and beautiful "In Flanders Fields" plus three other musical selections throughout the event: "O, Canada," "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America." The 430-member audience, made up of invited guests and many employees, gathered in the auditorium. All in attendance were hushed at the conclusion, which featured the retrieval of the colors by the USMC Color Guard accompanied by a very moving duet of "Taps". The girls could write notes to service people, were given a special pin and treated to a delicious box lunch. COMING UP NEXT
ADVANCING ASH These Moments Brought to You by Annual Giving Annual Giving is the cornerstone of our fundraising efforts. It sustains everything from field trips (above) and experiential learning, to extra-curricular activities and building improvements. Your gift to Annual Giving goes to work immediately, touching every aspect of Sacred Heart life.
Our goal is that every Sacred Heart family consider how they can support Annual Giving, every year. We count on your participation and truly need it to make our carefully-planned year run smoothly. Please make your gift to Annual Giving to ensure the continued success of our great school! PAASH NEWS With Gratitude PAASH would like to thank Lauren Smith, mother of Sophia (Grade 5) and Anna Galati, mother of Ava (Grade 5), Alexa (Grade 3) and Audrina (Grade 1) for chairing the Ladies Luncheon this year at Oakland Hills Country Club in October. They had a great turnout with 120 attendees, great food, raffle items, and raised $2,500 for the school! It was a great way to honor our senior girls! Alex Vincenti Coke, an ASH "lifer" and 2007 graduate, was the guest speaker. Thank you, Alex, for taking time to share your experiences with the group! SCRIP Sales Get ready for the holiday gift giving season - purchase gift cards from national and local retailers and help the school! You pay the face value for the gift card, but PAASH will get a percentage of the sales. Please contact Gloria Pankratz at gloriapankratz@hotmail.com to place your orders and get a list of the hundreds of available gift cards. Vineyard Vines Fundraiser on December 5 Christmas shopping can be twice as nice when it is in support of a good cause. Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 5, 2-4 p.m., when vineyard vines in Somerset Mall will host a fundraiser for ASH. You'll get 10% off your purchase, and vineyard vines will give 10% back to the school. The past couple of years we have been able to raise just a bit over $1,000! View the event flyer here. ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART |