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FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S
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DARE TO TRANSFORM YOUR WORLD WITH KINDNESS
Bob Hamm, Principal, Sacred Heart Academy "California's Premier Core Knowledge School" As we find ourselves on the threshold of another year, we find an opportunity to reflect on our past and plan for our new year. The dawning of a new year allows us to deepen our faith and to act on our faith with others. One tenet which all of us need is KINDNESS. By being KIND we have the power to make the world a much happier place. There is no more genuine KINDNESS than that which is inspired through the grace of God. Let us pause as we begin a new year and ask ourselves: o Do I harbor unkind thoughts about others? o Have I refused in my heart to forgive a person who has injured me? o Has my insensitivity caused me to be unfriendly toward others? o Do I wish for my neighbor all the good things that I wish for myself? o Have I permitted gossip and petty tale bearing to go on in my presence, without making an effort to change the subject? o Have I evaded an opportunity to enlighten someone on religious truth? o Have I made cutting and sarcastic remarks to others? o Am I a chronic complainer by habitually looking for flaws and pointing them out to others? o Am I a kind listener? o Can I offer words of praise readily? o Do I ever make an effort to say encouraging words? o Have I permitted another to suffer injustice or mistreatment when my influence could have prevented it? o Have I hurt others by my flare-ups of anger and impatience? o Have I prayed for others, especially when tempted to angry thoughts and feelings? o Have I prayed daily for my friends, my coworkers, and my family? o Do I try to be a good example to all? Think about it. How different would life be if we would just be KIND? Let us pray: Keep us, O God, from pettiness. Let us be kind in thought, in word, and in deed. Let us be done with faultfinding and leave off self-seeking. May we put away all pretenses and meet each other face-to-face, without self-pity and without prejudice. May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous. Help us, O Lord, always to be kind. Amen. |
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THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER Stacy Turner, PTG President Even though this is technically our January issue, this Heartbeat should be in your hands well before Christmas. So let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year. In this season of giving, let us remember those around us who are less fortunate. Spend time with family and friends and give of yourself to others as well. There are countless ways to volunteer in our community, especially at this time of year. Remember our friends at Stand Up For Kids and give to them generously. They will appreciate any and all gifts to help the homeless children of San Diego have some semblance of a Christmas holiday celebration. As we turn the page on our calendar to not only a new month but also a new year, we look forward to all of the exciting things going on at Sacred Heart Academy. Plans for the Big Event 2002 will be in full swing come January. There are many ways parents can help in the planning of this spectacular event. By the time you return to school, we hope top have the playground wall completed or at least begun. This project is made possible because of the efforts of our PTG (all parents of the school who have paid their PTG dues). We have much to be thankful for. Remember to thank God everyday for your many blessings. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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COMPUTER CORNER Mr. Grosch Our annual seventh and eighth grade Christmas letters have been mail merged with the students' database and sent out. I do not do a lot of correcting on the letters for a purpose. As you know, if you make a mistake on the master letter, then the mistake appears on every mail merge letter. It's a good way to demonstrate to the children the value of proof reading, especially after spell checking! Our next unit is working in Microsoft Power Point using the PC's in the class. Last week many of you received an explanation of the new reports that will be generated by the computer lab. At the request of some parents I will repeat the brief explanation of the programs. Type to Learn is our basic keyboarding program. Once the child reaches approximately thirty words per minute they graduate to Typing Tutor 7. Typing Tutor 7 is a more advanced program and requires that the student maintain his or her scores on a separate database. All of the eighth graders and almost all of the seventh graders have advanced to this program. Our goal is to have the student progress to 35 words per minute at a 95% accuracy rate by the middle of their eighth grade year. Currently our highest student is keyboarding at 108 words per minute. Master Spell is a spelling program that uses computer voice recognition capabilities. Students will hear both the individual word and the word used in a sentence. They then type the word. After the test, the student produces a report that will be included in your Tuesday folders. At first, some of the students had difficulty recognizing the words, however they are now in the swing of things and progressing at a satisfactory level. Voice recognition is not where it should be, but as it improves I will be upgrading the system. Mr. Fixitup is a proofreading program used by grades 4-8. It's a fun little program that rewards each level by printing a small certificate of completion to the student. Mr. Fixitup is a garage mechanic. Customers write him notes and the students have to correct them before the car will start. Be sure to visit our website at www.s-h-a.org and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to call me at school. |
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 Joan Irvine Many thanks to the following students who joined our Birthday Book Club this month: Alexandra Davis, Grade 1, The Great Waldo Search Louise Garrett, Grade 1, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies Kendall Schrader, Grade 1, Junie B., First Grader at Last Carly Bowerman, Grade 3, The Princess and the Lord of Night Allyson Andrade, Grade 4, The Rainbabies These are some terrific contributions to our library! Stop in and see M. Zapata if you are interested in donating a book from the library "wish list." Join the Birthday Book Club soon!
CLASS PROFILE ~ KINDERGARTEN It's always fun to see what is going on in each of the classrooms but it is especially fun to take a peek into the thoughts and feelings of our youngest SHA family members, the Kindergartners. This is how the Kindergarten class of 2002 completed the sentence, "We love Mr. Hamm because … " "He loves everybody." Brian "He loves everybody in the whole school." Michael "He's a good friend to us." Sean "He's very good to us." Joe "He's the best principal in the whole world." Emma "He holds up the stop sign when we cross the street to go to church." Thomas "He is a good principal. He always takes care of us." Paul "He comes in our classroom." Jacob "He has a good heart." Jared "He is nice to us." Daniel "He is love and kindness." Matthew "He is nice to us." James "He comes in when we sing a song to him." Jeffrey "He's happy about us." Laurel "He loves all of us." Karlie "He's kind and loving." Megan "He's a good principal." Blake "He shows love and kindness." Joshua "He's the boss of the school." Carmen "He always smiles." Theresa "He has a big heart." Patrick "He is good to us." Zachary "He is a nice principal." Jack Thank you Ms. Teri for your students' kind and wise words. |
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STUDENT COUNCIL Yes, everyone, there is a Student Council! We are a quiet group who make ourselves known in small ways. We consist of fourth through eighth graders who focus on Stand Up For Kids. We make announcements to the classes, help gather items, bring up the basket during mass and try to think of ways to promote charity. We just recently had the privilege of riding on the Sacred Heart Float in the O.B. Christmas parade. Later in the year, you will see us wearing Stand Up For Kids tee shirts as a reminder to bring in items or money. You still want to know who we are? Alright, here are the names of the members: o 4th grade&emdash;Molly D., Piero L. A., Miranda S., Francesco V. o 5th grade&emdash;Nick G. and Michael T. o 6th grade&emdash;Felicia C., Sara L., Jack S., Ryan S. o 7th grade&emdash;Amanda B., Jena D., Sakura K., Shannon M., Noor Z. o 8th grade&emdash;Erin C., Kelly R., Katie S., Nichole S., Monique T. o Faculty moderator: Kathy Valenti assisted by Nikki Nemer |
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WHO SAID LIFE WOULD BE EASY Ferol Henkels Thanksgiving has passed and I am readying for the Christmas holiday. If I look back on this year, I see many unexpected happenings. Many friends have passed away. I only have memories of their smiles and laughs. Family members have taken ill. My daughters are argumentative teenagers and I have become the enemy. Many babies have been born and marriages have taken place. Our country has moved into war, a word I haven't heard since Vietnam days. Fear has come in waves over my mind and heart. I never really thought hard about how my life would be as I got older, but in many ways it is not what I "expected." In many ways it is more than I could have imagined. My daughter was reading a book she received for her birthday, Don't Sweat The Small Stuff for Teens by Richard Carlson and knew the article fit into all of our lives. I would like to share the article with you, titled, Don't Expect Life to Be Easy or Trouble-free. When you ask people whether they expect their life to be easy or trouble-free almost everyone says, "Of course I don't expect that." Yet, interestingly enough, when you pay careful attention to the way people respond to minor adversity, it becomes apparent that, in reality, we often do expect our lives to be easy. Otherwise, we wouldn't be "sweating it" whenever life wasn't accommodating us the way we would like it to. We'd be far more accepting of the way things are rather than insisting that things be different or better. Think about it, we expect and demand that our computer works perfectly every time, without a glitch. Why else would we go crazy and get frustrated on those rare occasions when there is a problem? Same thing with other electronic gadgets and conveniences. We're fine so long as they work as expected. If not, we're thrown off balance. The same can be said about the expectations we often have of other people. For example, we expect others to behave in certain ways, and when they don't, we become upset. We also expect certain reactions from people but when we don't get them, we're stressed or disappointed. Similarly, we expect things to go a certain way. We're okay as long as they go as planned. But when they don't, we lose it. Years ago, a dear friend of mine asked me a question that, in an instant, changed the way I looked at things. I was complaining about my life and my many troubles and hassles - mostly "small stuff." He looked me in the eye and said in a sincere tone; "Richard, do you think you should be exempt from the rest of the human race?" he wasn't being condescending or mean-spirited. He simply wanted me to understand that along with the gift of life comes plenty of hassle, frustrations, and difficulty. No one is exempt from this absolute inevitability. There are no exceptions. I hope you'll consider this bit of wisdom as well. It's ironic, but when you remind yourself that life isn't supposed to be easy or trouble-free, in some strange way, your life begins to seem a bit easier and more trouble-free. As we finish out this calendar year and move into our future, life probably won't be easy or trouble-free. If you are here to see the sun come up, it's going to be a good day. |
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GO, FIGHT, WIN Ann Coito Congratulations to Sacred Heart Academy students Brittany Kamfonik (5th grade) and Felicia Coito (6th grade). Felicia and her Lady Hawks Cheer Team won first place in the Junior Midget division at the San Diego County Pop Warner Spirit Competition held at the San Diego Sports Arena on November 11th. Brittany's Lady Hawks Cheer Team won second place in the PeeWee division. Both girls and their teams advanced to the Pacific Coast Regional Spirit Competition at the San Diego Convention Center on December 9th. Good luck! |
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Maria Wimer and Kori Pilney Big Event Co-Chairs Now that the new year is here, it's time to roll up our sleeves and put some elbow grease to work for our "BIG EVENT FIESTA STYLE 2002" This year's event will be held on April 12, 2002 at the Scottish Rite Center in Mission Valley. It promises to be a great party! Please keep a look out for the Donation Form in your first 2002 Tuesday Folder. Your donations will be accepted at anytime! ALSO&emdash;Please keep a look out for our Draw Down Raffle flyer. Tickets/Numbers will be on sale shortly so remember to buy a raffle ticket with your favorite number early! You could be our big cash winner! We always could use your help in the planning stages. We have filled all our major chair positions and can still use back up support from you. Any expertise you may have, such as putting Silent Auction Baskets together, decorating, or helping with class projects could be put to good use. It's a great way to get to know other parents and to earn your parent hours as well! Our next meeting will be on Wednesday January 9, 2002, at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Kori Pilney. If you have any questions or are ready to volunteer, please call Kori Pilney (619) 226-3399 or Maria Wimer (619) 223-0632.
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NEXT HEARTBEAT The due date for the February Heartbeat will be noon on Friday, January 18, 2001. Please e-mail your articles to vthaxton@aol.com before the due date. Please have your articles ready for publication, using upper and lower case letters. Thank you so much. |
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SHA BANNER GOES TO PENTAGON Tim DiMasi, Sr. Good news to report on our "We the people" banner which was signed by so many students, parents and faculty. The goal was to have it displayed at a location where our sentiments would reach as many of our men and women in uniform as possible. Our first choice, albeit a lofty one, was the Pentagon where so many service members and their families were touched by the events of September 11th. As you can imagine, and in more ways than one, it's a long way from the Sacred Heart Academy schoolyard to the interior halls of the Pentagon. You'll be glad to know that is exactly where our banner currently hangs. Our sentiments of appreciation and support are viewed each and every day by hundreds, if not thousands of our country's finest. A very special thanks to Admiral Kenneth Slaght and Lt. Commander Greg Geisen for all their assistance! Be sure to check our SHA website at www.s-h-a.org to see more photos of the banner.  |
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Jesse Doiron: Congratulations on achieving your P.A.D.I. Open Water SCUBA Diving Certification on December 2, 2001. Dad and Jena.
If you wish to send KUDOS, please complete this form; submit it along with your check made payable to SHA PTG in the amount of $10 per message. IT MUST BE TURNED IN BY THE HEARTBEAT DEADLINE DATE ABOVE.
Name:________________________________________________________ Phone:______________________________ Message: (100 characters max / $10 per message) |
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JUST LOVE By Jay A. Davis, an SHA dad Loves many skews on turbulent seas, saw at our hearts-wood timbered trees, unfurled seeding essence throughout our land, that we may extend heart, mind, soul, & hand.
Just as two people may approach life's challenges in different ways, so do two hikers navigating Cowles Mountain's rocky slopes. While Wayne Irvine chooses to inflict as much pain on his body as is possible, 
Kathy Garrett takes another route …
DIRECTORY CHANGE Please make the following e-mail correction: Maria Wimer Spdkat@home.com FOUND Found at school was a bag containing clothing and rolls of film. If you have lost such a bag, please contact Mrs. Luz in the school office.
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PARKING ETIQUETTE 101 Van Thaxton Just before school lets out each school day, two heart-shaped signs are dragged to the green curb at the west end of the building. These signs mark two parking spaces that are reserved for two families only. These spaces are reserved because the families were the highest bidders for the coveted parking spaces at our annual Big Event last March. Historically, families have paid as much as $1,000 or more for the privilege of having a readily available parking space for the year. As long as these signs are out on the curb, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE else may park, wait, block, pick up or drop off students in these parking spaces unless specifically asked to do so by the "owner" of the parking space. It is inconvenient and uncomfortable to have to ask have others to move out of their parking space, even when they have every right to do so. Please be courteous. As far as all other drop-off and pick-up activities, please remember these simple rules: 1. The safest way to drop off and pick up is to use the alley behind the school. Traffic flows from East to West and parking is never permitted. 2. It is not a good idea to double-park across the street and have students dart through traffic to get to and from school. 3. Never get out of your car and leave it double-parked in front of the school. This blocks in other parents who are trying to get off to work or other commitments. If you must help your child into the classroom, arrive early and locate a legal parking space. 4. When dropping off or picking up your child, please leave as soon as your child is buckled or safely on his or her way. If you would like to come in and visit, please park your car in a legal parking space and walk in. 5. Do not pull around the corner onto Saratoga from Cable and come to a stop in the red zone. Not only is this illegal but it also blocks all other cars from being able to turn on to Saratoga and brings traffic to a complete halt. 6. Never park in neighboring residential parking spaces even if you believe that the residents are not home. We must strive to be good neighbors, and parking on their property is not a good move. 7. If you are going to be at the school for any period of time, please find a legal parking space. Green curb parking is for quick stops of 15 minutes or less and is strictly enforced by city parking officials. 8. If finding a close parking space is important to you, either be the highest bidder on the designated parking spaces or arrive early and find a legal parking space. |
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8TH GRADE PROFILES  James Joseph T. First up we have James Joseph T. (Jimmy), the youngest of ten T. children who have all gone through Sacred Heart Academy. In addition to his nine brothers and sisters, Jimmy has his ten cousins, also named T. , who have also completed their elementary and middle school education at our fine school. Some have suggested a name change to T. Academy, but that is another story. After graduation from SHA, Jimmy will attend the University of San Diego High School and then medical school. He plans to follow in his father's footsteps and become a fine doctor. When he leaves SHA Jimmy said he will miss Mr. Grosch, Mr. Hamm, and his middle school teachers most. His favorite field trips over the years were ones to San Juan Capistrano and the Pumpkin Patch. He also fondly remembers finger painting and napping in Kindergarten. Jimmy likes to play tennis, football and basketball. His favorite subject is math and his favorite sport is tennis. He loves Santana's California Burrito and Kerns Mango juice. His favorite movies are Exit Wounds with Steven Seagal and DMX and his favorite book is Holes. Jimmy is also a fan of "The Simpsons" television show and Snickers candy bars. When asked whom he most admired, this is what Jimmy had to say, "I admire my dad the most because he works so hard and saves lives."  Damaris Marie G. Next, we have a young lady by the name of Damaris Marie Gr. , or Demy, as her friends know her. Demy is the second youngest child and the only girl in a family of five children. Demy's older brothers are Chris (31), Steve (28) and Stan (23) and her younger brother is Jack (11). Demy has been at Sacred Heart for six years and she says, "I love it!" What she will miss most about SHA are the close community of friends and believers in Christ. "And, unlike my friends, I am actually going to miss the uniforms!" She confesses that it would be hard to choose something to wear each day. Demy's favorite field trip was to the Star of India. "I had so much fun being in the Galley Crew with Erin and Kelly." After leaving SHA, Demy will likely go to University of San Diego High School or COSA. "My mom and I are currently feuding over which school is in my best interest," she adds. After high school, Demy says that she would like to end up at either UVA for science or UNC for soccer and science. "My mom has her heart set on UCSD for acting and science, which I suppose wouldn't be so bad … but don't tell her that." [Mom has to be right at least once in a while. Ed.] This bubbly 8th grader has diverse interests when it comes to her future career plans. "Now don't laugh, but I would like to be an astronaut, an actress or the owner of a really nice skiing/snowboarding resort!" Demy's recreational interests are as diverse as her career aspirations. For fun, she likes to snowboard, swim, act, sing, dance, play soccer, and do rocketry! She also likes to instant message her friends on-line, talk on the phone and, of course, "GO TO THE MALL!" She also enjoys spending time with her four little nieces. For a perfect day, this is what is what Demy said: "The ideal day would be a full day of snowboarding on a mountain covered with fresh powder. Of course, my friends have to be there so we can have a sleepover and hot cocoa afterwards!" Her favorite subject is science and her favorite sports are cheerleading and soccer. She loves Heath Bars (candy bars) and White Caramel Mochas from Starbucks. Her favorite books are The Golden Compass and The Song of the Lioness Quartet and her favorite movies are The Mists of Avalon, Excalibur and Pearl Harbor. In fact, if she could go back in time she would choose to go back and visit the Middle Ages. "I have always been completely fascinated with King Arthur, Excalibur, Jousting, the Knights of the Round Table and Old English Kings and Queens." When asked whom she most admired, this is what Demy had to say. "I most admire Jesus. He died for our sins and has always loved us even when we have done the most unthinkably bad things. He looks after us every day even though there are people who don't bother to go to church and thank Him for what He did for them."  Caroline Everett P. Our next eighth grade profile zooms in on Caroline Everett P., a relative newcomer to Sacred Heart Academy. Caroline is the younger of two children. Caroline and her older brother, Hunter (now 16) are shown in their younger years in the picture below. This is Caroline's first year at Sacred Heart Academy. Next year, she plans to attend Point Loma High School and after that, UCLA or FSU. Eventually, Caroline would like to become a lawyer and then, of course, a judge. What she will miss most about Sacred Heart Academy will be her friends who do not go on to Point Loma with her. She adds, "I will definitely not miss the uniforms though!" For fun, Caroline likes to hang out with friends and go to the movies, she confesses, "to see all the guys!" The ideal day for Caroline would be to spend the day at the beach with Josh Hartnett. Caroline likes ice cream and Dr. Pepper (but not together). Her favorite book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and her favorite movies are The Faculty and Monsters Inc. She also likes "Blue's Clues." When asked whom she most admired, this is what Caroline said, "I most admired Aaliyah because she made the most out of her short life." |
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NEW YEAR'S DAY School Resumes 8am Mass-4th gr. |
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8am Mass-8th gr. NOON DISMISSAL - FREE DRESS |
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Catholic High School Placement Exam |
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Sacred Heart Academy
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