ASH Glossary

The first convent and school conducted by the Religious of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans was located in the old French Quarter on Dumaine Street between Bourbon and Dauphine and opened on November 19th, 1867. The school was named Mater Admirabilis (Mother Most Admirable) in honor of the Blessed Mother. By 1871, the Mater Campus in the Vieux Carre dominated the corner property of Dumaine and Dauphine Streets.

Later the Religious of the Sacred Heart closed the Mater Admirabilis school in the French Quarter and purchased the John Calhoun estate on the school’s current site on St. Charles. On October 3, 1887, the Sisters opened the new school at 4521 St. Charles Avenue and dedicated it to Our Lady of the Rosary by naming it Notre Dame du Saint Rosaire. As years passed, the name has shortened to The Rosary as the name for the St. Charles campus.

In 2002, with the purchase of the property at the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon Avenues, Sacred Heart returned to its early history in the French Quarter and dedicated its new campus as the Mater Admirabilis campus. Beginning in 2005, the school refers to its St. Charles Avenue campus (Middle and Upper Schools) as the Rosary Campus. The new campus at the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon Avenues (Preschool, Lower School and Bob and Jeri Nims Fine Arts Center) is referred to as the Mater Campus.

Academics (also known as ACD) is an internal name that refers to our Upper School Division, used for awards and on Prize Day. 1st Academics = 9th Grade. 2nd Academics = 10th Grade. 3rd Academics = 11th Grade. 4th Academics = 12th Grade.

ASHFIN Cottage (Academy of the Sacred Heart Faculty Infant Nursery Cottage) is a day care service available for the faculty and staff of Sacred Heart. Their babies (from 6 weeks to 3 years) are cared for by a qualified staff during the school hours.

An international organization of women and men who are alumnae/alumni of Sacred Heart schools throughout the world. The acronym AMASC stands for Association Mondiale des Anciennes et Anciens du Sacré Coeur.

A group of approximately 24 volunteer lay men, women, and Religious of the Sacred Heart which is responsible to see that the institution operates in the best interests of its students, faculty and parents. The board is responsible for making policy for the school and for hiring the head of school. The board meets 5 times a year and operates by an active committee system. Trustees hold in trust the school’s future, as well as its present. They are custodians of the integrity of the institution and are committed to and responsible to uphold the Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart Schools in the life of the school.

The publication which goes out to all constituents in the Sacred Heart family, as well as area non-profit agencies and friends of Academy of the Sacred Heart. It includes both school and alumnae news.

I am a child of the Sacred Heart.
Each day, dear Lord, I will
love as You love,
study and learn,
help those who need me,
be a friend to all, and
make wise choices.

St. Madeleine Sophie, hear my prayer.
St. Rose Philippine, hear my prayer.
Amen.

—Carmen Dickhaus, former ASH Preschool teacher

The Sodality for lay women was formed in Paris in 1818. In 1832 since the rule of cloister prevented the religious from leaving their convents, Mother Barat organized a group of former students in Lyon to perform works of service, especially for the poor and needy. From these roots grew sodalities for the various levels of students: The Infant Jesus Sodality for the Lower School; the Sodality of St. Aloysius for the Middle School and Sodality of the Holy Angels for the High School. The Children of Mary became the sodality to which students in their last year of high school and in college aspired. The initials, E. de M. stand for the French “Enfant de Marie” (Child of Mary). The Rosary has a very active Children of Mary group which meets monthly at school for Liturgy, prayer and reflection together and several other times for prayer and discussion.

Coeur de Jésus sauvez le monde,
Que l’univers Vous soit soumis,
En Vous seul notre espoir se fonde,
Seigneur, Seigneur, Vous nous l’avez promis.

Vous l’avez dit, Votre promesse
Fait notre espoir, notre bonheur,
Je bénirai dans ma tendresse
Les enfants de mon Sacré Coeur.

Vous l’avez dit, Sauveur fidèle
Votre amour nous l’a révélé
Le coeur brûlant pour Moi de zèle
Par le mien sera consolé.

(English Version)

Heart of Jesus, save the world
May the universe be submitted to you
In you only our hope is founded
Lord, Lord, you have promised it to us
You have said it
Your promise makes our hope, our happiness;
I will bless in my tenderness
The children of the Sacred Heart
You have said it faithful Saviour
Your love has revealed it to us
The heart burning with zeal for me by mine will be consoled.

Congé (con•gé) is a French word for 'leave taking' or farewell. Congé is a holiday where Sacred Heart schools across the country leave studies and channel their energy into a festive celebration. Internal games include cache-cache (a group form of hide and seek). 

In the spring, we host an all-community Congé Family Fest (a.k.a. school fair) complete with rides, live music, seafood and a world of crazy fun.

The double hearts logo is an open call to become as vulnerable, transparent, and welcoming as Jesus is. It represents our mission, which is "to discover and make known the love of God through the heart of Jesus." Specifically, the left represents the fiery heart of Mary. The right represents the pierced heart of Jesus. The double hearts logo should never be inverted nor separated from one another. This modernized logo first appeared in Academy of the Sacred Heart's Annual Report in May, 1991, under the leadership of Headmistress, Sr. Shirley Miller.

ERB (Educational Records Bureas) is an annual evaluation instruments to assess the academic program and student performance (grades 3 through 8).

This special feast honoring Mary the Mother of Jesus under the title of Mater Admirabilis (Mother Most Admirable) is an all-school liturgy. A senior who most resembles the qualities of Mater represents her. She costumes as Mater in the tableau, and is a part of the opening prayers for the liturgy.

The liturgical feast day of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, the RSCJ who brought the Society of the Sacred Heart to North America in 1818. This feast is celebrated sometime in November by the entire school community at an all school liturgy.

An annual fund raising campaign, held in the fall of each year. Volunteer parents solicit other parents for the GAP (the difference between tuition costs and the actual cost of educating each student for one year). All parents are expected to take part and to give whatever gift is within their means.

Learn more about the 5 Goals of the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart, the Rosary, belongs to an international group of Sacred Heart Schools and, more specifically, is an active and participating member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States and Canada. These 25 Network Schools share the same philosophy and goals and together offer an education marked by a distinctive spirit. They commit themselves to educate to:

I. a personal and active faith in God

II. a deep respect for intellectual values

III. a social awareness that impels to action

IV. the building of community as a Christian value

V. personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom

(Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart Schools in the U.S., revised 2020)

A long-standing tradition in Sacred Heart schools. In the days of boarding, when it was common for classes to meet until 5pm, it was necessary to provide the students with a mid-afternoon snack. To translate literally from French, it is a verb meaning “to taste”. In this case though, it has become a noun, referring to the mealtime in between lunch and dinner. An afternoon snack. Today, Goûter is a small treat served after special events. The students love this tradition!

Before dismissal for Mardi Gras, the senior class provides a mock Mardi Gras parade for the entire school. They parade in the main courtyard throwing beads and candy to all of the bystanders –– students, board members, faculty and staff.

Before dismissal for Mardi Gras, Preschool, Little Hearts and ASH-FIN provides their own mock Mardi Gras, parading in costumes and dropping candy and other throws for all in attendance.

For girls 1 to 3 years of age, Little Hearts is our Early Learning Program designed to inspire our youngest of students to grow in all areas – social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual.

Children making their First Communion do so in their Church parishes. However, all Second Grade communicants celebrate this wonderful event together in a Second Grade liturgy in the Sacred Heart Rosary Chapel. They wear white/pastel dresses and receive Mater medals.

(Middle School After School Help) a service for MS students who must remain after school hours. MASH closes at 5:45 p.m.

In 1844 a generation after the Society of the Sacred Heart was founded, Pauline Perdrau, a young novice, took it upon herself to produce a fresco of the Virgin Mary on a wall in the recreational area of the Trinita dei Monti, a Sacred Heart Convent in Rome. Pauline chose to paint Mary as a young Jewish woman, sitting in the temple, clothed in a rose-colored dress. The fresco depicts a lily at Mary’s side representing her purity; the distaff and spindle, her love of work; the book, her dedication to study. Unfortunately, although Pauline put herself wholeheartedly into her task, her inexperience with the technique of fresco did not produce the beautiful soft painting for which she had hoped. The too vivid colors were hidden behind a drape. Pope Piux IX, upon visiting the convent, requested that the curtain in front of the fresco be removed. Seeing the fresco of Our Lady, its colors inexplicably softened, he exclaimed, “Mater Admirabilis!” (Mother Most Admirable). We celebrate the feast of Mater on October 20.

During this month, which is especially dedicated to Our Lady, each division pays special tribute to Mary in a May Crowning ceremony. Some students who exemplify the life of Mary are chosen to be in the Honor Guard. 

The Blessed Mother is very special to us at "The Rosary" as our school nickname comes from our devotion to the Rosary and to the Hail Mary prayer. We have been crowning her since our school opened a very long time ago. We look up to her to help us whenever we need to be reminded of how to act, and what we say. Mary was a young girl and was chosen to be the Mother of Jesus. We ask all of our students to think of the qualities of Mary and to be more like her. She is kind, gentle, thoughtful, prayerful, fun, etc. 

At Sacred Heart we have always treasured our moments with her to be very special. And bringing her flowers and crowning her with blossoms shows her how much we love her. And our love for Mary brings us closer to Jesus. 

PLUS is a fee-based after-school service designed to allow Little Hearts through Grades 4 students choice time during the after school hours. We engage with children through play, scheduled activities and guided study.

Preparatory Division is an internal name that refers to our Middle School Division, used for awards and on Prize Day.

1st Prep = 5th Grade. 2nd Prep = 6th Grade. 3rd Prep = 7th Grade. 4th Prep = 8th Grade.

The formal closing ceremony of the school year for middle and high school students. The seniors process in their white graduation dresses. All major school awards are presented at this time. 

Rally is a spirit‐filled afternoon of games, competition and dance performances for the Upper School and faculty.

Religieuse du Sacré Coeur de Jesus - Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - the initials used after the names of the religious order of the Society of the Sacred Heart. The RSCJ order sponsors the schools in the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, throughout the world.

Means “Sacred Heart” in French.

A group of parents and friends who help support the athletic programs at Sacred Heart. All families are invited to become members. Members receive free admission to all home games. Profits from the Athletic Club are used to underwrite the cost of extras needed for the athletic program which are not covered under the budget. Learn more >

Every five years each Sacred Heart school is evaluated by a group of Sacred Heart educators and trustees from the 25 Network Schools of the Sacred Heart in a process that holds the school accountable to the Provincial of the Society of the Sacred Heart for the living of the mission of the Society. The national commission is composed of Religious of the Sacred Heart, lay educators and trustees in the Network, together with a member of the Provincial Team. SHCOG initiates, oversees and officially responds to a process of self-reflection. At regular intervals the school is able to determine where its strengths lie in relation to the Goals and Criteria, and also to express the concerns it has regarding how well it is living the vision expressed in them. The process aims at enabling each school to formulate a plan to deepen the life of the Goals and Criteria within the community.

The term Très Bien (meaning “very good” in French) has, over the years of Sacred Heart tradition, become a favorite term for describing the behavior, academic performance, and high standards to which Sacred Heart students aspire. Historically, the pale pink Très Bien cards were presented at Prîmes, or weekly assembly, to reward good behavior. Today, the "online cards" still using the French terminology, in honor of the legacy of our founding, are awarded in recognition of students’ growth as learners and leaders.