Sacred Heart Alumnae/i Wine & Cheese Reception Dec. 20, 2013

The Sacred Heart alumnae/i had a wonderful time at the Alumnae/i Wine & Cheese reception tonight.  We were totally blessed to have so many alums join us tonight.  What a great group of young women and men!

Sacred Heart Elementary Robotics Team going to Provincial Championships!

We've got Spirit!

Sacred Heart Elementary Robotics Team has been invited to attend the Provincial Robotics Championships at Acadia University in February. This invitation comes as a result of their participation and standing at the First Lego League Competition held at NSCC in November.

Best of luck to our Team!  Go SpiritBots!

Fountain Academy Students Making an Impact!

Our Fountain Academy students recently supported a Nova Scotia family through the Feed Nova Scotia campaign. Over $300 and a host of donations of gifts were contributed by the boys for this very worthy cause.

Last week we received a beautifully hand drawn Christmas card from John Munyoki, a boy from Kenya that we sponsor through Chalice.  John lives with his parents and two brothers in a three room brick house without running water or electricity.  Because of the generosity of the boys of Sacred Heart, and the initiative of our current grade 9 class who began this project two years ago, John can attend school and his family is supported.  The cost of sponsorship, $33 a month, is an ongoing commitment we have made, and if you would like to help the boys in their support of John, please feel free to make a small donation to the cause with a cheque made out to Sacred Heart School of Halifax.  Mark the envelope to Mr. Robert Marchand's attention and he will see that it gets to John and his family.

"Fountain Fuzz" - Movember Results!

Congratulations to the “Fountain Fuzz”, our Movember team of students.  They not only managed to educate us about the benefits of facial hair, they also raised the profile of prostate cancer research.  While doing so they managed to raise over $2,700 for prostate cancer research.  Thanks to them and to the generous contributors to this worthy cause.  Way to go, boys!

Bailey Francis & Vimy Pilgrimage Award!

Congratulations to Bailey Francis (Gr. 11) who has been selected to participate in the 2014 Vimy Pilgrimage Award.  Bailey will join 20 other Vimy Scholars from across the country on a trip to France and Belgium from April 5 - 13, 2014.  She will visit the Vimy Region, Passchendaele and Ypres, and spend a day in Paris.

Upcoming Alumnae/i Events at Sacred Heart!

Calling all former Fountain Academy basketball players!

Fountain Academy is hosting an alumni basketball game in the FA gym on Dec. 19 at 4pm for any former Sharks basketball players.  The play is against the current high school basketball team.  Are you up for it?  If so, please contact Peter Moores at pmoores@shsh.ca or 422-4459. (no cost to this event)

Alumnae/i Wine & Cheese

The Alumnae/i Executive would also like to remind you about the annual Alumnae/i Wine & Cheese which is on Friday, December 20th.  Click here for the invitation.  Please RSVP to Nicole Ferguson for the wine and cheese as per the invitation.  (no cost to this event)

Book Reading Event - Author Donna Morrissey

Also, please save the date for a book reading event with author, Donna Morrissey, on Thursday, January 16th from 7:00-8:30 here at the school.  Tickets are $25 per person (great Christmas gift idea!).  "Donna Morrissey is the award-winning author of Kit's Law, Downhill Chance, What They Wanted, and Sylvanus Now, which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. She recently wrote a children's book, Cross Katie Kross, illustrated by her daughter, Bridget. Morrissey grew up in The Beaches, a small fishing outport in Newfoundland and now lives in Halifax."

Congratulations to Mary Catherine Driscoll Sangster - Published Poem!

Mary Cate Driscoll Sangster, grade 7, has had one of her poems entitled “The Lion” published in a book called “'Paper Shadows” by Polar Expressions Publishing.  “Paper Shadows” is a collection of short stories and poems written by young Canadians (15 and under).

After receiving word that his daughter, Mary Cate, had one of her poems published, Sacred Heart parent, Mike Sangster, said:  "I am quite proud of her.  She did this all on her own.  She researched the writing contest/publisher and then submitted her poem on her own and was selected.  This is one of the many gifts of Sacred Heart - my daughter does not see any limits to what she can accomplish.  I love our school."

LIVING THE DREAM: Evan Phinney thriving in riding ring, classroom - SHSH, Class of 2012

Evan Phinney, Sacred Heart Class of 2012

Between school, equestrian competitions and a part-time job, Acadia student Evan Phinney is adding is finding time to spend at her hobby, sports photography.

By John DeCoste

Not all the student-athletes attending Acadia are part of a varsity team.  Take 19-year-old Evan Phinney, a second-year student making a name for herself as an equestrienne.  The show-jumping business student recently received Horse-Canada Horse-Sport Young Riders Scholarship, valued at $5,000.

This wasn’t the first award she has received for her riding. “I received a Jump Canada bursary in 2011, and a Nova Scotia Equestrian Federation (NSEF) bursary in 2012” - the year she graduated from Sacred Heart School in Halifax.  The Halifax woman has been riding almost as long as she can remember.  She attended riding camps as a small girl, but her career began in earnest at age seven when she joined the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers.  “My cousin gave me a ‘Barbie horse’,” Phinney said.  Since then, I always wanted to ride horses, but Lancers was where I started getting serious about it.”

As a member of the Lancers, she learned to ride, acquired horse experience, worked in the stables and competed in hunter/jumper classes.  She also participated in the Junior Musical Ride, where she spent seven years and eventually became one of four ride formation leaders.  Evan’s competitive show-jumping career began while she was still with the Lancers.  “I had the honour to train and show the Lancer horse Wonderland.”  The partnership “evolved from barely being able to canter or halt at in-barn training shows” to competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, where they placed sixth out of 59 entries.

Over the past three years, Phinney has competed extensively in provincial, regional, national and even international events and enjoying her share of success.  “I like the adrenalin rush you get in competition.  I like spending time with the horses, and learning to keep and maintain them is an added bonus,” she said about the sport.  Show jumping, she added, “is like any other team sport, except your teammate is a horse.”  Phinney was a member of the Nova Scotia team at the Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championship the past two years. In 2012, the team was second at nationals, and she placed second individually. This past year, her team placed third.

After leasing or renting horses for several years, Phinney recently purchased her own horse, Bling.  The pair train at Medford Meadows near Canning under the coaching of Jennifer Sarsfield.  After high school, Evan applied to a number of college programs in the United States and received a number of offers from NCAA equestrian teams.  However, she decided to stay in Nova Scotia and chose Acadia

She follows in her father’s footsteps with the choice.  Bruce Phinney grew up in Kentville, attended Acadia, is a former president of the Acadia Alumni Association and a current member of the Acadia Board of Governors. Evan’s grandfather, the late Wendell Phinney, was a well-known Kentville businessman for many years as well as Mayor of the town from 1973 to 1988.  “It was a tough decision, but the fact that my horse was 20 minutes away helped make up my mind,” she said of choosing the Wolfville university.  Managing riding and studying is busy, she said. “But because I love it, it motivates me to ride even on full days. I try to get out a minimum of four days a week.  “I don’t think I’m Olympic material, though that would be nice. I would like to step up my game, and solidify my technique to become a better competitor.”  She plans to keep up her juggling act, including with the Acadia Equestrian Team club and her hobby of sports photography as Phinney Photography - contributing to Acadia Athletics and campus publications - while working on her riding.  “I’m having fun,” Phinney said, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It makes it entertaining, for sure, never a dull moment.”

Grade 12 Student Calla Owens has Short Story Published!

Congratulations to Calla Owens!

During the summer, grade 12 Sacred Heart student, Calla Owens, submitted a short story to a contest run by Polar Expressions Publishing.  The competition was open to Canadians of all ages.  There were prizes awarded to the winners and those judged to be in the top 25-30% of all entries were published by the Polar Expressions Publishing.  Calla’s short story, "A Perfect Secret" was published!  Limited copies of the book, “The Sun Shall Rise” are available at their website:  http://www.polarexpressions.ca/Shop.html

Calla's synopsis of a “A Perfect Secret”:

The story itself is about a soldier who has fallen in a mystical forest on the verge of death accompanied by his dog.  A mystical force in the form of a woman happens by them, and their interactions determine the fate of the soldier.

Open House Friday, December 6th

Open House for prospective students and parents on Friday, December 6th from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Lunch & Learn December 4, 2013

Calling all future Sacred Heart students and parents!

You are invited to our lunch and learn on Wednesday, December 4th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Please contact Robyn Erickson, Admissions Director for more information at rerickson@shsh.ca or 422-4459.

Advent Service of Readings & Carols Dec. 2, 2013

The Sacred Heart School of Halifax held its annual Advent Service of Readings and Carols on Monday, December 2, 2013.  We thank all the students and faculty and staff for making the service such a meaningful one which set the stage for the season of Advent.

Below are links to video clips taken from last night:

Sr. Anne Wachter's Welcome to congregation

O Come O Come Emmanuel

Audeamus  

Jr. High Boys 

Alleluia Fanfare

Choir

O Come Divine Messiah 

Grade 8 Girls at Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica

Sacred Heart School of Halifax grade 8B class went to the Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica this week to assemble Christmas gifts for seniors who go to their drop in.  The gifts included Christmas cards made by the girls in class.  They spontaneously broke into singing hymns as they worked away!  Thank you for bring such joy to everyone, girls!

Check out the video:  click here

Sacred Heart Advent Service on Monday, Dec. 2nd

The Sacred Heart School of Halifax will present its annual Advent Service of Readings and Carols on Monday, December 2nd at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica.  The program, which includes scriptural readings, sacred music and liturgical prayers, has been co-ordinated by the Liturgy Committee and the Music Department. 

Students from Grades 7 to 12 will deliver the readings and prayers.  The Advent music will be presented by the High School Choirs, band and various classes.

The Free The Children & Me to We Experience

Sacred Heart School students, Hannah Bekkers, Caroline Surrette and Jade MacDonald were given the wonderful honour of attending the special dinner last night with Marc Kielburger in advance of WE Day today.  They also had the privilege of presenting the cheque for $5,000 as a result of the fundraising Sacred Heart School has done over the past year for a well in Kenya.  To add to the excitement, they met three of the speakers for We Day!

Sacred Heart School Participates in We Day today!!!

Sacred Heart School of Halifax are huge supporters of 

"Free the Children" and today is We Day!!!

We have 38 eligible students participating in We Day today at the Metro Centre and many, many more who are volunteering in some capacity and others are there with their parents!  The excitement this morning, as they gathered in our Study Hall prior to their 8:00 a.m. departure, was palpable!

You can't buy a ticket to We Day—you earn it through service. Through the year-long We Act program, schools and groups take on one local and one global action and report back to Free The Children to earn their way to We Day.  

Here is the Metro Centre when they arrived around 8:30 this morning.

Three Sacred Heart Elementary students also had the opportunity to attend with Mrs. Ferguson!