Our Sacred Heart family

Our Sacred Heart Family Over two hundred years ago in 1801, with the founding of the religious order the Society of the Sacred Heart amidst the turmoil of post-Revolutionary France, Madeleine Sophie Barat pioneered a forward-looking, balanced approach to learning, offering academic rigor in a nurturing environment. Madeleine Sophie was a woman with a mission.

The Society’s history is the story of strong and dedicated women religious true to the Society’s motto, “Cor unum et anima una in Corde Jesu” (One Heart and One Mind in the Heart of Jesus).

Madeleine Sophie’s purpose “to make known the love of God revealed in the Heart of Christ...through the education of young women of the rich and the poor classes” is not only relevant today but a vital educational component in our global community.

The mission of Madeleine Sophie is the mission we live at Stone Ridge. Through the five Goals of Sacred Heart education, we seek to educate the whole child, stretching each child with all of her unique talents and gifts, with an emphasis on intellectual development, faith formation, service to others, meaningful connections, and personal growth while cultivating innovation and global awareness. These are hallmarks of Sacred Heart education around the world and of our School’s location in the greater Washington area.

"For the sake of one child, I would have founded the Society."
~ St. Madeleine Sophie Barat: Foundress of Society of the Sacred Heart, 1800

Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ discusses the role a Catholic education has played in the Network of the Sacared Heart's alumnae in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Our Sacred Heart Heritage and Founding Mothers

At Stone Ridge, we are blessed to have a rich tradition rooted in our founding mothers. The Society of the Sacred Heart has a thorough history. To read more, visit https://rscj.org/who-we-are/heritage.

The work of interior transformation is necessary in order to become a fitting instrument in God's hands, to work for God's glory.
~ St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, RSCJ

Our Network of Sacred Heart Schools

Stone Ridge is one of 24 schools in North America, which comprises the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, an association of Catholic independent schools in the United States-Canada Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Guided and united by the Goals and Criteria, the Network of Sacred Heart Schools provides a means for mutual support and development among the schools through the sharing of intellectual, spiritual, and other resources. Faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees participate in national Network workshops and seminars.

Students of the Sacred Heart benefit from award-winning Network summer service programs, national and international exchange programs, group workshops, and opportunities to use shared technology resources including distance learning.

Sacred Heart Schools span 30 countries with a total of 147 schools throughout the world. Global citizenship has emerged as a critical component of 21st-century education, yet global awareness and education has been fundamental to Sacred Heart since its inception. The international character of Sacred Heart helps to foster an important global awareness in students and appreciation for all cultures and societies.

Learn more at www.sacredheartusc.education

Our Mission in Action: Five Goals of a Sacred Heart Education

Sacred Heart Goals The preamble of the original edition of the Goals and Criteria states that "values taken for granted or left unarticulated become inoperative." This conviction resulted in capturing the essence of Sacred Heart education in the five Goals. The Goals and Criteria provide both the uniqueness of a Sacred Heart School and the strong bond of union among the Network of Sacred Heart schools. They continue to challenge all Sacred Heart educators to deepen their understanding of these timeless principles.

I. A Personal and Active Faith in God

Rooted in the love of Jesus Christ, the School promotes a personal relationship with God and fosters the spiritual lives of its members.
The School seeks to form its students in the attitudes of the heart of Jesus expressed in respect, compassion, forgiveness and generosity.
The entire school program explores one's relationship to God, to self, to others, and to all creation.
Opening themselves to the transforming power of the Spirit of God, members of the school community engage in personal and communal prayer, reflection and action.
The entire school program affirms that there is meaning and value in life and fosters a sense of hope in the individual and in the school community.
The School fosters inter-religious acceptance and dialogue by educating to an understanding of and deep respect for the religions of the world.
The School presents itself to the wider community as a Christ-centered institution and as an expression of the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

II. A Deep Respect for Intellectual Values

The School develops and implements a curriculum based on the Goals and Criteria, educational research and ongoing evaluation.
The School provides a rigorous education that incorporates all forms of critical thinking and inspires a life-long love of learning.
The School program develops aesthetic values and the creative use of the imagination.
The faculty utilizes a variety of teaching and learning strategies that recognizes the individual needs of the students.
The School provides ongoing professional development for faculty and staff.
Members of the School community model and teach ethical and respectful use of technology.

III. A Social Awareness which Impels to Action

The School educates to a critical consciousness that leads its total community to analyze and reflect on the values of society and to act for justice.
The School offers all its members opportunities for direct service and advocacy and instills a life-long commitment to service.
The School is linked in a reciprocal manner with ministries among people who are poor, marginalized and suffering from injustice.
In our multicultural world, the School prepares and inspires students to be active, informed, and responsible citizens locally, nationally, and globally.
The School teaches respect for creation and prepares students to be stewards of the earth's resources.

IV. The Building of Community as a Christian Value

The School implements an ongoing plan for educating both adults and students in the heritage and mission of Sacred Heart education.
The School promotes a safe and welcoming environment in which each person is valued, cared for and respected.
Adult members of the School model and teach skills needed to build community and practice clear, direct and open communication.
The School has programs that teach the principles of nonviolence, conflict resolution and peacemaking.
The School makes a deliberate effort to recruit students and employ faculty and staff of diverse races, ethnicities and backgrounds.
The financial aid program effectively supports socioeconomic diversity.
The School participates actively in the national and international networks of Sacred Heart schools.

V. Personal Growth in an Atmosphere of Wise Freedom

All members of the School community show respect, acceptance and concern for themselves and for others.
School policies and practices promote self-discipline, responsible decision-making, and accountability.
Students grow in self-knowledge and develop self-confidence as they learn to deal realistically with their gifts and limitations.
School programs provide for recognizing, nurturing and exercising leadership in its many forms.
The School provides opportunities for all members of the community to share their knowledge and gifts with others.
All members of the School community take personal responsibility for balance in their lives and for their health and well-being.

- Taken from the Goals and Criteria as published by the Society of the Sacred Heart, Saint Louis, Missouri - 2005