Board Chair Letter
Far out the ships go:
Their broad sails flashing red
As flame, or white as snow . . .
Winds rush and waters roll
Their strength, their beauty, brings
Into mine heart the whole
Magnificence of things.
Lionel Johnson, quoted in Janet Erskine Stuart’s The Education of Catholic Girls (1912))
In Spring 2019, the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr, together with Head of School Deirdre Cryor, committed to renew the vision for our beloved school by engaging the whole-school community in a robust strategic planning process.
Over the course of the ensuing 18 months, our work engaged each of our core constituencies – students, families, alumnae, faculty, administrators, and current and former trustees. Through a series of interviews, surveys, focus group discussions and workshops, we strove to develop an authentic view of our institutional strengths, challenges, core values, capabilities, hopes and ambitions. Winds rushed and waters rolled as we proceeded in this endeavor. We held our final planned workshop sessions on March 10, 2020; three days later the ship was blown off course . . . momentarily.
But even as our institution has navigated uncharted waters these past months, we finalized this Strategic Plan. The resulting pathways will propel coordinated short-term activities that accelerate progress towards our long-term vision for Sacred Heart Academy.
Thank you to all who contributed your time and thoughtfulness to this effort. Whether you are a student, faculty member, parent or alumna, I hope you see yourself and your own heartfelt vision for Sacred Heart reflected in the plan. And I invite you – no, I implore you – to take up your part on this institutional journey with a spirit of courage and adventure. I am confident that as we travel forward together towards our vision as a community of brave hearts, we will reveal the strength and beauty of a Sacred Heart education for a new era and new generations ... the magnificence of it all!
Melanie M. McMenamin, Esq. '93, P'26
Board Chair
Thank You to the Following Participants
| Ron Algeo Eve Atkinson Kristen Dougherty Betsy Gordon Mike Lewers Melanie McMenamin Michael Prendergast Margaret Strom, RSCJ John Swanick Bridget Thompson Howard Walker Jon Warner |
Lisa Brairton Deirdre Cryor Vic D’Ascenzo Eileen Day Tammy Hart Beth Porter Suzanne Robinson Cara Saraco Kim Trinacria Jennifer Vincent |