Emerging as confident, strong leaders.
The Upper School provides students with the critical discourse, experiences, and self-discovery to help them recognize what gives them a sense of meaning, and from there, how to forge a purposeful life.
At Sacred Heart, we empower our students to take intellectual risks and see mistakes not as pitfalls, but rather rich opportunities from which to learn and grow. Our students learn to embrace ambiguity and become resilient, flexible thinkers. At each level, students progressively cultivate skills of critical analysis, creative thinking, leadership, and ethical judgment.
Our curriculum is customized to each student, offering over 90 courses across a range of disciplines so that each student not only has a strong academic foundation but also can probe deeply into areas of interest. Our low student-teacher ratio allows for deep connections between students and teachers and results in individualized support, mentorship and inspiration.
Margaret Savino
Head of Upper School
msavino@cshnyc.org
Academic Program Highlights
Grade 9
Starting in Grade 9, students focus on honing skills in research, analysis, persuasive writing, and public speaking, empowering each girl to express her ideas and unique perspective with confidence and conviction.
Grade 10
In Grade 10, students broaden their understanding of social justice and global perspectives through year-long community service projects and the opportunity to study abroad at one of our international network schools.
Grade 11
In Grade 11, students apply traditional formulations to our contemporary world by thinking theologically about liberation, womanhood, and creation. In addition to the Bible and theological scholarship, students consider the role of imagination in the theological method by engaging with works of Christian art.
In the spring semester, students develop an original research question related to contemporary theology, consolidate their thinking in a formal paper, and share the results of their research with their peers during a presentation.
Grade 12
Grade 12 culminates in a mission-based capstone project where students complete in-depth, collegiate level research on a subject of their choice and present their findings to the school community in the spring.
Former capstone titles include:
- Trees that Talk: Marvelous Mycorrhiza and their Implications for Environmentalism
- Object Permanence: A Photographic Examination of New York City
- ESG: The Three Letter Acronym Guiding Impact Investing
- An Exploration of Injectable Spinal Bioadhesives
- This History of 91st Street, The James Burden and Otto Kahn Mansions
Curriculum Guide
We invite you to explore our curriculum guide to discover the many opportunities available for Upper School students at Sacred Heart. If you have questions about our exceptional academic program, extracurricular offerings or any part of the Sacred Heart experience, please do not hesitate to reach out.