Newsletter - October 22, 2026
A NOTE FROM OUR HEADMASTER
Dear Families,
Here are a few notes I’d like to highlight:
- Please consider attending the All Saints Vigil in honor of Fr. Don on October 31st, starting with Mass at 5:00pm.
- Upcoming Headmaster Coffee on November 5th at 9am. We’ll talk especially about middle school (grades 5-8).
- I hosted a Zoom meeting this past Tuesday about financial aid and the application process through Blackbaud. The application is open. Please consider completing that process by November 30th in order to receive priority consideration for Bishop’s scholarships. For current families at Sacred Heart Academy, if you need financial support, you must apply by March 1st, 2027 in order to receive any financial aid for the 2027-2028 school year. Here is a recording of that conversation. Please reach out if you have more questions or any questions specific to your circumstances.
- All Saints dress up day is November 3rd this year. Parents are welcome and encouraged to come to Mass that morning and stay for the “Saints Parade” in the school building!
Thank you, families, for your “yes” to Sacred Heart Academy!
In His Most Sacred Heart,
Sean Nolan
Headmaster
MONTH-AT-A-GLANCE
OCTOBER
23 - Assembly in Gym, 2:30pm
23 - End of Gregory Term
26 - Begin John Paul II Term
31 - All Hallow’s Eve - Jubilee
NOVEMBER
2- All Souls Day, Jubilee
3 - Dress Up as a Saint Day
4 - Authenticum, 7pm
10 - Partners in Formation
20-21 - Forming the Whole Person Conference
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ACTION ITEMS
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FINANCIAL AID Financial Aid applications are now open for the 2027-2028 academic year. Priority deadline for best consideration is November 30, 2026. Financial aid applications must be submitted by February 28, 2027, for consideration for SHA scholarships.
LOST & FOUND LAST CALL! Lost and Found items will be donated on Friday, October 30.
CALLING ALL PRO-LIFE STUDENTS! Pro-Life Essay Contest: Junior Essay Contest (grades 7 - 9), with prizes of $100 for first place and $50 for second place. Senior Essay Contest (grades 10 - 12), with prizes of $200 for first place and $100 for second place. For more information, call 616-532-2300, visit grrtl.org/essay, or e-mail info@grrtl.org. The deadline is November 1.
ALL SOULS DAY PILGRIMAGE Monday, Nov. 2, 8th-12th Grade students will be joining the parish on the All Soul's Pilgrimage. Join if you are able! It is a great day to pray for the souls of the dead.
LOST & FOUND LAST CALL! Lost and Found items will be donated on Friday, October 30.
CALLING ALL PRO-LIFE STUDENTS! Pro-Life Essay Contest: Junior Essay Contest (grades 7 - 9), with prizes of $100 for first place and $50 for second place. Senior Essay Contest (grades 10 - 12), with prizes of $200 for first place and $100 for second place. For more information, call 616-532-2300, visit grrtl.org/essay, or e-mail info@grrtl.org. The deadline is November 1.
ALL SOULS DAY PILGRIMAGE Monday, Nov. 2, 8th-12th Grade students will be joining the parish on the All Soul's Pilgrimage. Join if you are able! It is a great day to pray for the souls of the dead.
- SIGN UP GENIUS FOR DRIVERS AND SNACKS
- FT High School Students AND 8th graders (optional for CEC students)
- Dress: Khakis or jeans, Sacred Heart t-shirt, great walking shoes, warm outerwear (dress for the weather)
- What to bring: sack lunch and water bottle in a drawstring backpack, gloves, hat, scarf, etc.
- Permission Slip: due Friday, October 30 - will be handed out to the students
- Schedule
- 8 am - Mass
- 9 am - breakfast snack in Cebelak
- 9:15 am - load chase vehicles and head to Holy Cross Cemetery
- 2:30 pm - Return to SH for debrief and regular dismissal
Veterans Day Calling all Veterans in our community! Join us Wednesday, November 11, for 8 AM Mass, and enjoy a poetry recitation by Sacred Heart Academy students. Light refreshments will be served and a conversation with our 8th Grade Class. RSVP to Amy Den Braber(adenbraber@shgr.org) by Sunday, November 1.
Keep Christ in Christmas Card Design Contest The 20th Annual Knights of Columbus Christmas Card Contest is now accepting submissions! All school-age kids can participate. Winners will be selected by age group. Rules and Entry Form. Entries and forms can be submitted to the office. Deadline: November 13th.
Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest This year's topic is “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” The contest is open to 8th - 12th graders. Winners at the council level could advance all the way to the international competition. Details are available here. Deadline: November 20th.
THE TITANIC SETS SAIL NEXT SPRING! Please congratulate the cast of Titanic: The Musical and thank them for sharing their incredible talents with our community once again this year! Be sure to save the dates so you can join us for the journey April 29 - May 1st at Wealthy Theatre!
March for Life Scholarship Students are eligible for one of five $300 scholarships to be applied to their bus trip expenses to the March for Life in Washington, DC, which will be held on January 22, 2027. This peaceful demonstration is a witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time. Applications and a short essay are due by December 1. Applicants must be attending the March for Life on a Grand Rapids Right to Life bus trip. The academy bus trip qualifies! First-time applicants will be given preference. For details on this scholarship, visit www.grrtl.org/marchscholarship, call 616-532-2300, or email info@grrtl.org.
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 Driver 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 Lessons Look for Semester 1 VIRTUS Lessons, now available on our website under “Virtus training” on the parent dashboard. Please go over the designated lesson with your child(ren) by December 15th. If you wish to opt-out of the entire Virtus lesson process, please notify the homeroom/Household teacher by December 15th, as well as, complete and submit the Virtus Opt-Out form. The form can also be sent to 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.
ALUMNI NOTES
Attention: Recent Grad Parents - SHA is working on a new annual publication that will be a summary of the year, and we are planning to highlight our alumni, past and present. Since we do not have emails for our latest graduates, we are counting on you to forward this Alumni Form to their personal email so they may be included in our first edition. For questions contact Amber Hiske.
Keep Christ in Christmas Card Design Contest The 20th Annual Knights of Columbus Christmas Card Contest is now accepting submissions! All school-age kids can participate. Winners will be selected by age group. Rules and Entry Form. Entries and forms can be submitted to the office. Deadline: November 13th.
Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest This year's topic is “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” The contest is open to 8th - 12th graders. Winners at the council level could advance all the way to the international competition. Details are available here. Deadline: November 20th.
THE TITANIC SETS SAIL NEXT SPRING! Please congratulate the cast of Titanic: The Musical and thank them for sharing their incredible talents with our community once again this year! Be sure to save the dates so you can join us for the journey April 29 - May 1st at Wealthy Theatre!
March for Life Scholarship Students are eligible for one of five $300 scholarships to be applied to their bus trip expenses to the March for Life in Washington, DC, which will be held on January 22, 2027. This peaceful demonstration is a witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time. Applications and a short essay are due by December 1. Applicants must be attending the March for Life on a Grand Rapids Right to Life bus trip. The academy bus trip qualifies! First-time applicants will be given preference. For details on this scholarship, visit www.grrtl.org/marchscholarship, call 616-532-2300, or email info@grrtl.org.
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 Driver 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 Lessons Look for Semester 1 VIRTUS Lessons, now available on our website under “Virtus training” on the parent dashboard. Please go over the designated lesson with your child(ren) by December 15th. If you wish to opt-out of the entire Virtus lesson process, please notify the homeroom/Household teacher by December 15th, as well as, complete and submit the Virtus Opt-Out form. The form can also be sent to 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.
ALUMNI NOTES
Attention: Recent Grad Parents - SHA is working on a new annual publication that will be a summary of the year, and we are planning to highlight our alumni, past and present. Since we do not have emails for our latest graduates, we are counting on you to forward this Alumni Form to their personal email so they may be included in our first edition. For questions contact Amber Hiske.
Partners in Formation:
Technology and the Human Person
Join us for our fall Partners in Formation series, exploring how modern digital tools shape our minds, our hearts, and our families, led by academy teacher Zach Good.
We will meet 7:00–8:30 p.m. in the Academy Cafeteria (Arrive via the Dayton St. entrance.) on the following dates:
- Nov 10 – Digital Sobriety in the Age of AI: Exploring Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas, we will discuss how to answer the pope’s call to practice “digital sobriety” without abandoning the culture to digital maximalists.
Questions? Contact Zach Good at zgood@shgr.org.
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 using this link.
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 using this link.
PTC AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Football Senior Night – Let's Get Totally RAD!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support our volleyball seniors last week! The turnout was awesome, the girls felt the love, and we topped it all off with a WIN! Way to go, Falcons!
Now it's time to turn back the clock to the 80s and show our football seniors some love!
Join us this Friday, October 23, for Football Senior Night – 80s Neon Night! Break out your neon, leg warmers, and totally tubular 80s gear, and come ready to cheer on our Falcons!
The weather is looking awesome, the atmosphere will be electric, and it's going to be one gnarly night you won't want to miss!
Festivities kick off at 5:30 PM, with kickoff at 7:00 PM at NorthPointe Christian.
Check out the flyer (below) for more details. Be there or be square!
Young Families Group
All moms are welcome! Join other Sacred Heart Academy moms on the first Thursday of each month at 9:00 AM for coffee, snacks and fellowship. CEC and full-time families are welcome. We’ll meet on the school playground when weather permits and in rotating homes during the colder months.
Upcoming gatherings:
October 1
November 5
December 3
Email edarga1@yahoo.com to be added to the group text.
All moms are welcome! Join other Sacred Heart Academy moms on the first Thursday of each month at 9:00 AM for coffee, snacks and fellowship. CEC and full-time families are welcome. We’ll meet on the school playground when weather permits and in rotating homes during the colder months.
Upcoming gatherings:
October 1
November 5
December 3
Email edarga1@yahoo.com to be added to the group text.
ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE
This year, we’re combining the best of past Assembly formats. We’ll have two types:
- Post-Mass Assemblies in Cebelak Hall: Shorter, focused primarily on recitations, with only one or two Academy highlights.
- End-of-Day Assemblies in the Gym: Recitations plus Chamber Choir, extracurricular celebrations, achievement shout-outs, and other highlights, with a more intentionally celebratory feel.
1st Semester
9/30
11/11- Veterans Day
2nd Semester
2/3- Catholic Schools Week Assembly - Bishop may be present - Capstone Honoring
3/10- End of Epiphany Term
4/28- Senior's last Assembly
Celebratory Gym Assembly at end of day - 2:35
1st Semester
10/23- JPII/End of Term
11/24- All School- Including CEC
2nd Semester
4/2- Easter Week
5/20- All School - Including CEC- Pentecost Thursday - Fire Theme
6/4- Feast of the Sacred Heart/Field Day
PARISH NEWS
Noelle Divozzo - parishoffice@shgr.org
Saturday, October 31st will be Fr. Don's last day at the Rectory, please join us as we honor Fr. Don that evening. He will be offering the All Saints Eve Mass at 5pm and then be honored at the party to follow.
Please join us if you are able for the potluck party to honor a man who has made all of us want to be better saints!
RSVP below or call the office.
All Saints Eve Celebration (Saturday, October 31)
Sunday, November 1: Join us for a very musical celebration of the Feast of All Saints
9:30 Mass (Novus Ordo): Featuring the St. Nicholas Singers children's choir and the Sacred Heart Parish Choir. They will be singing the Mass in re by Dom Bevenot and Orlando di Lasso's (1532-94) setting of the Litany of Saints.
11:30 Mass (Traditional Latin Mass): Featuring the Aquinas College Chorus. They will be singing the Mass in G by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) and some motets by J.G. Rheinberger (1839-1901).
RSVP by November 1st, Vocation Visit: Fr. Ron is taking the young men of our Parish to St. John Cantius in Chicago for their feast day on December 23. If you are interested, please let him know by November 1st at fr.floyd@shgr.org
Authenticum with Fr. Daniel Anderson from Wyoming Catholic, November 4
March for Life 2027 in D.C. Registration due Dec 4th
Damascus Summer Camp-Spots Open for 2027! Register by October 31
Discernment Opportunities in the Diocese of Grand Rapids
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 Hentenmenn Family, The Mavis Family
Fr. Ron's Prayer Intentions for October: For our police and soldiers, may they be protected from all harm and strengthened in their work by the intercession of their patron, St. Michael.