One Catholic grammar school in Glendale is changing over to a new governing model this coming school year, but parents and students shouldn’t worry about any major changes to the school’s operations.
Sacred Heart School will be known as Sacred Heart Catholic Academy of Glendale when they open for the 2016-2017 school year on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Up until that point, the school was run as a traditional parish school since it opened in 1941.
Several years ago, the Diocese of Brooklyn began implementing a strategy called “Preserving the Vision” to change the management of its schools over to the Academy format, making it a requirement.
An Academy is a separately chartered, 501(c)(3) New York State corporation that is managed at the local level by an all-volunteer lay board of directors as well as the Academy’s principal. The Academy’s business, religious and academic activities will all be overseen by the Diocese of Brooklyn. The parish’s team of administrators will largely oversee the Academy’s spiritual needs.
Sacred Heart Catholic Academy’s board consists of seven professionals with expertise in business management, law, accounting, university-level teaching, law enforcement, grant-writing and entrepreneurship.
“Our board is responsible for all aspects of the Academy’s operation and works closely with our principal Joanne Gangi to ensure its long-term success,” said John Seely, chairman of the board of Sacred Heart Catholic Academy.
Although there will be big changes behind the scenes, the day-to-day operations at the school will remain virtually the same, Seely said.
“Our grade-level structure, curriculum and sports/after-school activities will remain the same and virtually all of our administrative and teaching staff will return as well,” he said. “Most importantly, our students will continue to receive the same first-rate education which they and their parents have come to expect of Sacred Heart. As is our tradition, students will continue to be educated in a warm, friendly and safe environment.”
In addition, the Academy will continue its traditional strong ties to Sacred Heart Church and parish for religious instruction and faith formation activities, Seely confirmed.
One major difference at Sacred Heart Catholic Academy is the introduction of universal pre-kindergarten supported through the city’s pre-K for All initiative. The program will be staffed by Sacred Heart teachers and teacher assistants.
The school will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Academy, located at 84-05 78th Ave., on Sept. 7 at 8:15 a.m. followed by a brief assembly for all in the gym, and muffins and coffee for the adults.
