SALISBURY — Hillary Shores and Callie Michaels, two teachers at Sacred Heart School, were recently awarded “GO OUTSIDE” grants of $5,000 each from the N.C. Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council – for a total of $10,000 for the school’s outdoor learning spaces and STREAM programs.
Shores, who teaches middle school science, received funding for a covered outdoor classroom that will be adjacent to the school’s existing Master Garden area. Picnic tables will be used as learner workspaces and installed pergolas will provide shade during hot weather. Shores also received funding for an outdoor weather station to record daily weather conditions and to create student discussions on climate change and weather patterns. She also plans to install a magnifying station to allow for detailed investigations of natural items.
“I am thrilled to have been awarded this $5000 grant to continue to develop our outdoor learning opportunities at Sacred Heart. The SHCS administration continues to encourage the creative use of our 100-acre property to ensure the COVID safety of our students. ‘Go OUTSIDE’ is a BIG theme at our school. Also, I am introducing a new 8th grade curriculum in Environmental Science for high school credit. The addition of a weather station and a magnifying station will help support this new curriculum,” Shores said.
Michaels, who teaches third grade, received funding for an outdoor learning space for the arts – music, art and theater. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Sacred Heart School must limit shared spaces and shared teachers. This $5,000 grant will help create an outdoor space where students can continue to grow in the arts in a safe outdoor environment. Michaels received funding for various outdoor musical instruments, easels, and chalkboards for art projects. In addition, she plans to add a shade system and stage for drama productions and other imaginary play.
“We plan to begin construction and installation in September, which will allow for our students to take advantage of the cooler fall weather. My plan is for our elementary students to utilize this outdoor arts area twice per week: once for using the art supplies, and once for drama performance and/or exploring the outdoor musical instruments,” Michaels said.
Principal Tyler Kulp said he is excited about these new outdoor areas. “I am so proud of my teachers who continue to think outside the box – ‘OUTSIDE’! Our teachers have had a lot added to their plates this year, but they continue to step up over and over again – all for the safety of our students as well as creating incredible learning environments for our students.”
Sacred Heart School is using Sacred Heart Parish’s 100-acre campus for more STREAM learning opportunities –everything from explore a 5K nature and cross country trail which weaves throughout the property to gardening, in which they plant trees, flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs, as well as manage honeybee hives and a flock of chickens.
— Robin Fisher, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Robin Fisher is marketing and communications director at Sacred Heart School in Salisbury.
CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis celebrated a first-ever Mass for more than 7,000 Catholic Schools students via livestream to classrooms across western North Carolina Monday, Feb. 1, to kick off this year’s week-long celebration of National Catholic Schools Week.
This year’s national theme is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” In addition to the bishop’s Mass, festivities in the Diocese of Charlotte and across the country include community service projects, open houses and other spirit-building activities for students, families and parishioners – reinforcing the positive impact Catholic school students have in their local community.
The bishop’s special Mass streamed live from St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte will air on the diocese’s YouTube channel at 10:30 a.m. at all 19 schools across the diocese, using upgraded technology the schools have employed to seamlessly offer both in-person and virtual learning throughout the pandemic.
The bishop traditionally offers Mass during National Catholic Schools Week at various schools around the diocese, but that was not possible this year due to public health restrictions on mass gatherings and school visitors. The livestreamed Mass will enable him to share his annual message about the mission of the diocese’s Catholic Schools directly with every student – as well as teachers and parents who tune in from home.
The public livestream can be accessed via www.youtube.com/DioceseofCharlotte.
“Beaming the bishop into classrooms across our diocese to celebrate Mass together will be a memorable moment for our students – and a perfect way to launch Catholic Schools Week,” said Superintendent Dr. Greg Monroe.
“This is a time for us to showcase the amazing things happening in Catholic schools in our diocese and across the country. It’s a way to promote and celebrate the learning environments and school communities we have created to help students grow academically and spiritually.”
Catholic school enrollment is up 4 percent in the Charlotte region and 2 percent in other areas of the diocese, Monroe said.
Schools will celebrate National Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 with a variety of activities and special daily themes celebrating parishes, communities, students and families, the nation, vocations, as well as faculty, staff and volunteers. Just like the Mass with Bishop Jugis, festivities will be a little different this year with pandemic safety protocols in place.
Among activities planned in the diocese:
- Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte will assemble care packets for the homeless and hold a food drive to stock the parish’s food pantry.
- Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro will recognize COVID-19 healthcare heroes at the county health department with a presentation of roses and handmade cards, as well as a “drive-by thank you.”
- Sacred Heart School in Salisbury will collect gently-used eyeglasses for the Lions Club.
- St. Gabriel School in Charlotte will collect donations for MiraVia, a local pregnancy resource center.
- St. Leo School in Winston-Salem will create handmade cards for medical personnel in the area, thanking them for their service throughout the pandemic.
Celebrated since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week salutes Catholic education in the United States, and is sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Catholic Education.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Learn more
At www.ncea.org/csw: Find out more about National Catholic Schools Week.