Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Established on its present site in 1898, the Atherton campus of Sacred Heart for years was under the leadership of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ). As the number of active RSCJ has decreased over time, the number of lay faculty, staff, and administrators necessarily grew. Today, Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton is predominently employed with laymen, though RSCJ presence and charism remain a SHS cornerstone—through the universal Goals and Criteria which guide all Schools of the Sacred Heart worldwide, the ongoing relationship with the RSCJ Provincial for U.S.- Canda and Network of Sacred Heart Schools, RSCJ serving in campus ministry and formation to mission, and the more than 50 Sisters residing at Oakwood Retirement Center, located on campus.

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton is an independent, Catholic school as interpreted and lived by the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ). Our mission is to cultivate in our students a personal and active faith in God and to lay the foundation for a meaningful life.

Today, SHS is a vibrant, thriving, and dynamic institution, committed to educational excellence and the teachings of a Christ as expressed in forgiveness, compassion, respect and generosity. From preschool through high school, our world-class, diverse faculty and staff guide students of all faiths to become thoughtful and caring young adults through a rigorous curriculum and mission-driven programs, the development of active leadership skills, and emphasis on personal integrity. These are the hallmarks of the SHS experience, and the core of our Sacred Heart spirit.

As one of 24 institutions comprising the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, U.S.-Canada Province, and among the nearly 150 Sacred Heart schools in 41 countries around the globe, SHS upholds and practices the values and principles articulated in our educational philosophy, the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education. This unique document emerged from a "plan of studies" that guided the educational enterprise developed by our founder and entrusted to the Society of Sacred Heart more than 200 years ago. First published in 1975, the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education is a dynamic philsophy that is evaluated and periodically updated by the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.

For more than a century, Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton has served the educational needs of local families under a mission to nurture and develop the whole child- mind, body, and spirit, and to lay the foundation for a meaningful life. As a P-12 school, Sacred Heart ensures students thrive as they grow in both scholarship and values, and begin to make their place in the world.

Across the Sacred Heart learning journey, scholarship and values matter, and SHS provides unparalleled opportunities for students in every aspect of the learning experience. Under a curriculum guided by our mission and educational philosophy, students learn to think critically and act compassionately, ready to meet the challenges they will face in future. Integrated, interdisciplinary, and framed through Christian values, the SHS curriculum offers a consistent quality of experience and academic practices at every level.

SHS is committed to providing a supportive academic environment that enables all students to achieve maximum scholastic potential. As each student develops and learns at an individual pace, we recognize that many may benefit from supplemental coaching in order to set and achieve personal academic goals, more closely review classroom material and prepare for exams, devise or improve study skills and strategies, manage time more effectively, and determine the need for any accommodation in the classroom.

Partnering with students, teachers, and family members, the learning support staff at both the LMS and SHP take a collaborative approach, with a goal to promote student self-esteem and a positive attitude toward learning and the learning process. Working in a one-to-one setting with specialists, students increasingly gain self-awareness, self-motivation, and become self-advocates for their own education.