FRO M T H E PRI N CI PA L'S D ESKHello Sacred Heart Families!

I would like to start this week's message with one word: Eudaimonia. If it 's Greek to you, know that it 's Greek to everyone! This ancient Greek term was used by Aristot le t ime and again in his Nichomachean Ethics and it is part icularly on my mind after my 8th Grade Seminar. We have been discussing different theories of ethics and, as most philosophers int imately connect different understandings of happiness with the moral good, Aristot le's version--Eudaimonia--came up in stark comparison to other thinkers.

While some thinkers describes happiness as sheer pleasure and the absence of pain, Aristot le takes a more complex approach. He ult imately describes happiness and a kind of human flourishing. It is not a feeling but an act ivity where the rat ional part of the soul habitually acts in accordance with virtue. Hmm, habit and virtue...we've talked about this before! But ult imately, eudaimonia is finding a deep contentment in the act of working hard toward a better version of self.

Seminar ended on Monday morning and I dismissed our students wishing them eudaimonia. Though I chuckled at myself as I did this (I love a good philosophy joke!), that has stayed in my heart all week. I am proud of the work that gets done in our classrooms. But this is the true work of our school. Certainly, educat ion is one of the ways in which we better ourselves, but finding that special joy in convert ing our hearts to love more, convert ing our minds to know more, convert ing our act ions to serve more is educat ion in act ion. This is why we focus on charity this year and center our work around St. August ine's quote, "Knowledge is valuable when charity informs it ." It is not good enough to know. We have to know the good! And this I wish for all of our students and our community!

I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to also offer my thanks to all of you who supported our PTA's Clothing Drive this past weekend! While the numbers are not yet in, I am so very touched by the many parents who volunteered to receive your donat ions Friday - Sunday, the team of dad's we had loading up the truck, and the volume of donat ions that filled the truck to the brim. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Let 's have the generosity cont inue with our upcoming Day of Service! It is part icularly fit t ing that we cont inue with this Hearts to Hospitals theme. I'm sure every one of us at Sacred Heart has been touched by the goodness of someone in a hospital. Many of our own students have experienced the loving embrace of a hospital staff during their hard t imes. In our most vulnerable moments, anyone from a nurse to a doctor to a fellow pat ient to a custodian to a random stranger can make you feel better. This is our opportunity to say thank you! Collect ions are underway! Please consider donat ing to this worthy cause!

This is especially meaningful that we work on this init iat ive as our Diocesan coordinator who planned and designed this day is current ly at the bedside of her son who was in a terrible car accident. His Tuesday surgeries were successful, thanks be to God! But she and her family could use our prayers. Let 's show our support for her in prayer and in support ing her cause!

As many of you know, that t ime in the hospital is often our own personal Way of the Cross. To that end, I invite you to join us on Friday afternoon as our 8th graders lead us in the Stat ions of the Cross with their t radit ional Living Stat ions. I look forward to praying for you and with you then!

U N I FO RM REM I N D ERS I M PO RT A N T D AT ES

Spring has certainly sprung and, if it weren't Lent, you'd hear me singing Allelu...I'll save the rest for the Easter Season ;) The key word is SPRING, my friends! This means that the summer uniform is not yet an opt ion. There is a bit of a chill in the air st ill and so students should not yet be in shorts. The winter uniform is st ill in effect unt il we return from break on April 30th.

With that in mind, please note that leggings, Nike pants, yoga pants, and bottoms of the like are NOT part of our uniform policy. As we move forward with summer uniforms as well as next year's planning, please be respectful of the policy and purchase our logo bottoms

Finally, smart watches seemed to be a great gift this holiday season! But they are also not part of the uniform. Please make the necessary adjustments to your child's wardrobe!

April 8th

- Band Day

April 9th

- No SVdP

- PTA Meeting at 7pm

April 10th

- 6th and 7th to HCPA

April 11th

- Super 50/50 Dress Down

- Choir

- Soccer Shots

- Yearbook

April 12th

- 7th Grade Confessions

- 8th Grade Living Stat ions

**$1 Dress Down April 15th**

SHS Newsletter | April 10, 2019

I N O U R SCH O O L & A RO U N D T OW N

T H E W EEK I N PH O T O S

PT A A N N O U N CEM EN T S / L U N CH

It was a great week at SHS!

- Did you sign up for SCRIP yet? Spend an average of $500 per month to be entered to win $500 off your tuit ion! Register now for this fun and easy way of support ing SHS!

- Looking for a new BAG?! Save the date for our annual Designer Bagz Bingo! Hope to see you there May 11th. Grab mom and celebrate Mother's Day here at SHS with a fancy new purse! Details coming soon!

- Save those boxtops! Our PTA is st ill collect ing for an easy way to get addit ional funds for our school!

**Don't forget, Thursday is a dress down day for those students who's families have made an online SCRIP purchase! Those who qualify should have received an email from Mrs. Romano. Thank you!

- Join Kat ie's Krew! Have you not iced the poster in our main lobby featuring our BEAUTIFUL 4th grade student, Kat ie? Well, HERE'S her story and HERE'S how you can help! Join and/or support Kat ie in her Walk for Hope Saturday, April 27th!

- Excit ing news on a great new academic program at HCPA!

- Check out this GREAT way to celebrate the season of Lent right here at our Parish! Our parish is host ing a wonderful family event with Stat ions of the Cross on Friday, April 12th (rescheduled from last weekend). Please see details HERE and register HERE.s

- SUPPORT OUR 8TH GRADE! The Class of 2018 is offering it 's last fundraiser of the year--our annual Mother's Day sale! There are no more beautiful flowers in all of Burlington County so place your orders today!!

- God bless our newly Confirmed!

- Thank you to Camden Catholic High School for host ing our 7th grade for a wonderful shadow day! Our students sat in on classes, met students and teachers, and learned all about the high school entrance exam, HSPT!

- Congrats to our middle school students who completed their research projects and presentat ions in the WIN block! It 's been great learning about famous authors, scient ists, and great men and women of history!

Go to www.jostensyearbooks.com to order yours today!

SH O U T O U T S!

YEA RBO O K O RD ERS!