Our Philosophy
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy is committed to the philosophy of educating the whole person through the formation of the will, the intellect, and the character in the light of the Catholic faith. Each student is seen as a precious gift from God whose eternal goal is Heaven. We direct all of our actions to the greater glory of God, and to training our students to recognize and follow his will in a challenging academic environment rooted in the classical liberal arts tradition. This education cultivates wisdom and virtue, and exposes students to the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is designed to form individuals free from the political agendas and opinions of others, free to make correct judgments and decisions based on objective truth and a properly formed conscience.
Our Objectives
Catholic Objectives +
As a school with a Catholic philosophy, the Academy has the following objectives:
To develop in our students a profound understanding of the Catholic faith, and a deep knowledge and love of God;
To encourage them to grow in personal holiness by developing and practicing a life of prayer, by receiving the sacraments frequently and devoutly and by modeling their lives on those of Christ, his blessed Mother and the saints;
To foster an unwavering loyalty and devotion to the Holy See and the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church;
To help them to grow in understanding and appreciation of the liturgical and cultural traditions of the Catholic Church;
To promote the dignity of human life from conception to natural death through a decidedly pro-life culture and activities;
To provide the intellectual and moral weapons our students need in order to go out into our secular, materialistic society and transform the culture of relativism and death into a culture of truth and life;
To foster refinement in manners, speech and dress in accordance with Catholic ideals, and to lead students, in accordance with their Catholic heritage, to select and promote only what is good and wholesome in art, music, drama and other forms of entertainment;
To encourage them to develop as leaders, especially as moral and religious leaders, through the personalization of and commitment to truth, and the application of Christian principles to personal conduct and public life.
Educational Objectives +
As a school teaching students in the primary and secondary levels of education, the Academy has the following objectives:
To teach students to think intelligently, critically and wisely;
To teach students to express themselves confidently, with clarity and competence;
To develop habits of orderly thinking through the medium of an analytic study of language, particularly the Latin language;
To promote character by insisting upon responsible application to study and submission to intellectual and moral discipline;
To promote an intelligent appreciation of beauty;
To promote physical health as part of a well-rounded education;
To promote proper social attitudes and habits that reflect a truly Catholic way of life.
American Objectives +
As a school forming citizens of the United States of America, the school has the following objectives: In general, to develop a knowledge and appreciation of our American heritage as a republican form of government, and to foster loyalty to American ideals; In particular, it seeks to develop pupils:
Who appreciate the fact that America was founded on the sound principle that man has received from God inalienable rights which the state has not given and cannot take away;
Who insist that the American government exists for the benefit of the individual citizens, and not the citizens for the benefit of the state;
Who will participate actively and conscientiously in the government of our country whether as voters or as officials;
Who will contribute to the formation of wise public policies and to the solution of public problems;
Who understand their responsibility to promote the general welfare, realizing the effect of their actions upon the lives of others;
Who dedicate their lives to advancing the social reign of Christ the King in the United States of America.
Our Goal
We strive to produce the “true Christian… the supernatural man who thinks and acts constantly and consistently in accordance with right reason illumined by the supernatural light of the example and teaching of Christ” (Pope Pius XI, Christian Education of Youth). The goal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy is to lead students to a knowledge and love of God. We direct all our actions toward the honor and glory of God through the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Our Faith
Catholic Culture
Students will experience weekly Mass and have the opportunity for confession. Twice a month students are provided a rare insight into their Catholic heritage through participation in the extraordinary form of the liturgy, as encouraged by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. A priest of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, which is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, graciously offers these Masses.
Each day students in grades K-12 recite morning prayers (including consecrations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary), the Angelus at noon and the Blessing before Meals and Grace after Meals, and at the end of the day students kneel and recite the Rosary in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday the Rosary is recited in Latin, and on Thursday the Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited.
Our History
In response to Pope St. John Paul II's call to the laity for a new evangelization, a group of parents desiring a classical Catholic education began a grades K-3 part-time school of basic studies in the basement of a home in 1998. As parishioners of St. Mary’s in Rockford, they saw a connection to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the rectory’s name and a statue; personal devotions to the Sacred Heart solidified the decision to name the school. In 2000, the decision was made to become a full-time school with plans to add one grade level each year. A former school building located at 3218 11th Street became the home of the newly-formed academy. In 2009 the academy was officially recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, and in 2010 it was accredited by two national organizations. In 2018, the academy, now a Pre-K-12 school, moved to its current location on Elmwood Road. The 2019-20 year marked the twentieth anniversary of the academy’s educational apostolate. In spring of 2020, our high school joined the Chesterton Schools Network and adopted its internationally-acclaimed model and curriculum.
With gratitude to Our Lord, and to his Mother, we re-dedicate our school and ourselves to the goal of leading students to a knowledge and love of God. We strive to cultivate wisdom and virtue in our students so that they may appreciate our Catholic traditions, and our Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman heritage; defend our republic and constitution; champion the sanctity of life; and foster reverence for the natural family and its blessing of children as a heritage from the Lord.
Accreditation
Recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education
Accredited by the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPC*IS), of which Cardinal Raymond L. Burke is the ecclesiastical adviser
Accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), a division of Cognia.
Compliant with NCAA guidelines; required core courses are NCAA-approved
Member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and the National Honor Society
Approved school for the Illinois State Scholar program.
Awards
In 2006, the Acton Institute named Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy one of the Top Fifty Catholic High Schools in the nation. This award is designed to honor excellence in Catholic schools. The Acton Institute is a think tank that promotes the integration of Judeo-Christian truths with free market principles. www.chshonor.org www.acton.org
In 2009, Elizabeth Altham, one of our junior- and senior-high teachers, received the Salvatori Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award is presented by Hillsdale College each year to recognize teachers and schools that provide a superior liberal arts education. The Academy received national recognition and $25,000 as a part of the award. www.hillsdale.edu