Newsletter - September 3, 2026

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Dear Families,

Here is a recording of the Mission & Culture Brief from last week. Please note that the transcription was generated by Google and I have not (and will not) review it for accuracy. If you were not able to attend, please make time to listen to this.

The second note from this talk I want to emphasize is human formation. I’ll invite you to read from St. John Paul II’s document Pastores Dabo Vobis (I will give you shepherds), especially sections 43 & 44 on human formation. Though specific to priestly formation, it nevertheless applies with some stretching to the formation of the young person, and to the person who is doing the forming of the young person. Human formation is the foundation for the other modes of formation, and especially happens in youth.

Thank you, families, for your “yes” to Sacred Heart Academy!

In His Most Sacred Heart,

Sean Nolan
Headmaster

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MONTH-AT-A-GLANCE

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SEPTEMBER
2 and 3 - MS Theater Auditions
7 - Labor Day, NO SCHOOL
8 - First Day of School for CEC
11 - Deadline to sign up for conferences
13 - Hot Lunch sign up deadline
15 - Fall Conferences, 4-8pm
17 - Hot Lunch
18 - Fall Conferences 1-5pm, 12:15pm Dismissal
22 - Picture Day, Fall Conferences, 4-8pm
26 - MS Fall Social - Signup coming soon!

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ACTION ITEMS

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Picture Day Picture Day is Tuesday, September 22. Please go to here to place your order. Our order code is 0661KJF. Online ordering is available before and after Picture Day. Cash and checks are not accepted. Shipping and handling charges may apply to orders placed after Picture Day.
Picture Re-take Day is Tuesday, November 10.
Yearbooks will be sold separately. The sale will be offered online after the new year. Yearbooks are not included in photo packages.
Class Composite pictures (i.e. whole class pictures) will be sold in the spring.
Please make a copy of your order for future reference (i.e. yearbooks, class composite).
Questions: Sara Klooster

Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for September 15th, 18th, and 22nd. We would like to partner with you early in the school year. Please click here to schedule your children’s conferences! You are highly encouraged to sign up for a conference with your children’s homeroom teacher. If you wish, you may sign up for a conference with any of their other teachers as well.

Conference sign-up closes on Friday, September 11th. If you miss this deadline, you may contact the teacher you would like to meet with directly to set up appointments. If you have any questions, please contact Helen Kennedy, office@shgr.org.

To ensure quiet halls and that our staff get a break before conferences, pick your children up promptly at dismissal time. Students will not be readmitted to the building after dismissal. The Academy does not provide childcare before or during conferences. Please plan accordingly.
 
The Middle School Fall Social is set for Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 6:30-8:30pm @ Post Family Farms in Hudsonville, MI. All 5th through 8th grade students are welcome to attend. The event will include a hayride, barn dance, corn maze, play area and homemade donut for each attendee.
Cost is $15/person. A parent is asked to attend (and pay) from each family to provide ample supervision.  You may sign up and pay through Flocknote or at the school office. Questions? Contact Lisa Walton or Rachel Mullins.
Hope to see you there!

Families, Sacred Heart Academy is looking for these roles for the upcoming year. Please consider helping us and please consider sharing with your network if you know of anyone who might be interested in and qualified for one of these roles:

• Lunch/recess monitors: Sacred Heart Academy is looking for paid or volunteer parents to help with lunch and recess from 11am to noon every school day. We are looking for three individuals who will commit their time to being present each day for lunch and recess from 11am to noon. This role will ease the burden of time off of our teachers, enabling our elementary staff to collaborate, plan, and engage with students, families, and each other.
• Seeking New Yearbook Advisor - Are you creative, organized, and looking for a fun way to get involved?  We're seeking a new yearbook advisor for the 2027-2028 school year. Nicole May will serve one more year before stepping down as her youngest graduates, making next year the ideal time to assist and learn from her experience. Interested? Yearbook Advisor Duties Want more information? Contact yearbook@shgr.org.

Hot Lunch The first hot lunch of the school year is coming soon! Please go here to learn about Boonli, our on-line lunch ordering system.  Questions: Sara Klooster. The order deadline is Sunday, September 13th! Hot lunch will be Thursday, September 17th. When ordering lunches, please consider donating lunch for a staff member. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

School Uniforms - Lands’ End will be offering a special 35% off to our families through the beginning of the school year! Use the following promotion codes to get the discount, and don’t forget to sign up for email alerts so that you never miss a deal

• Aug 29-Sep 4: STAPLER35 (PIN 9874)
• Sept. 4 – Sept. 11: BINDER35 (PIN 5621)

Discernment and Formation - Parents of upper school students should bookmark the Office of Discernment and Formation Page to stay up to date. If you have a student in high school, you need to make sure you have an operable CLT account. If you have already created an account you do not need to make a new one, but if you have not created one, please email Tim Walsh twalsh@shgr.org for instructions.

Volunteer Drivers If you plan to drive students for field trips, you must be Virtus trained and complete a driver form. Please note: Driver information usually expires every six months, so you will most likely need to complete a second form throughout the duration of the school year. Questions: Sara Klooster

VIRTUS - All volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and all drivers must submit a Driver Information Sheet. See VIRTUS Registration Instructions. Forms must be completed BEFORE transporting students. Please return this form to the office or via email to Sara Klooster.

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ATHLETICS

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Athletic Website Update
Over the summer, the company that hosted our athletics website was bought out by a new company. This transition has caused some issues with games and practices not showing up on the new website. The athletics department is working on fixing these bugs but it might take a bit to have the most accurate information. For families of sports teams, your coach will communicate weekly the practice times, locations and game info.
If you have any questions about a game time please contact Mr. Delano Perera at dperera@shgr.org.
Thank you for your patience!
Link to the new Website

Basketball Season
Registration for the Winter Basketball Season is now open. If your son or daughter in grades 7 and above is interested in playing, you must complete this form.
Registration for 5/6 Boys Basketball is open now and closes on September 30th.
You can sign your child in grades 5 & 6 up using this link.

Exciting News – Varsity Ice Hockey is Coming!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new Varsity Ice Hockey Program for the upcoming season! Through a cooperative partnership, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in high school varsity hockey while representing our school with excellence, sportsmanship, and faith.
Whether your son is an experienced player or simply interested in learning more about the program, we invite all interested students and families to attend our Hockey Information Night.  Keep an eye out for more information as we approach the start of the school year.
Information Night
Date: September 10, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: SHA Booster Room
Come learn about the co-op program, discuss eligibility and the upcoming season, and ask any questions you may have. If your family has an interest in varsity hockey now or in the future, we hope you'll join us and be part of this exciting inaugural season! In the meantime, feel free to contact Brian Gumbko with any questions. (briangumbko@icloud.com)

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PARISH NEWS

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Register for First Communion and Confirmation this year! (2nd and 8th graders, Register by 9/6!)

Movie Viewing in Cebelak on Friday, September 11

OCIA and Adult Education Classes begin Monday, September 14

8-Week Rescue Project, welcoming teens through adults on Tuesdays!

September 19, Middle School Youth Group Bike Event

Damascus Summer Camp-Spots Open for 2027!

Meal Train Corner: There are so many reasons to be thankful in this Parish.  Please help bless some of the families of our parish who recently welcomed a new little one or are going through a difficult time. The Vanderhyde Family, The Frantz Family, The Morris Family

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Fr. Ron's Prayer Intentions for September: For our students and faculty at the Academy as they begin a new academic year, may they be strengthened by the Sign of the Cross through which they will conquer every challenge.