Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Omaha, Nebraska)

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
Address
3601 Burt Street Omaha, Nebraska, (Douglas County), 68131-1945  United States
Coordinates	41°16′0″N 95°58′1.5″W / 41.266667°N 95.967083°W / 41.266667; -95.967083Coordinates: 41°16′0″N 95°58′1.5″W / 41.266667°N 95.967083°W / 41.266667; -95.967083
Information
Type	Private, All-Girls
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1881
Principal	Laura Hickman
Head of school	Sheila Haggas
Grades	9–12
Color(s)	Red, White and Black
Athletics conference	River Cities
Team name	Cardinals
Accreditation(s)	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [1]
Newspaper	'Bird Post'
Dean of Students	Martha Heck
Athletic Director	Herb Kupfer
Website	duchesneacademy.org

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart,^[2] located at 3601 Burt Street in the Midtown area of Omaha, Nebraska is an independent, Catholic, college-preparatory high school for girls run by the Religious of the Sacred Heart. The institution previously included a college which was operated from 1908-1968, today Duchesne is home to the high school and a co-ed preschool. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha.

History

Duchesne Academy was established in Omaha in 1881 and is named in honor of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, one of the first women to join the Society of the Sacred Heart. St. Rose Philippine came to the United States from France in the early 19th century and established the first Sacred Heart school in St. Charles, Missouri.^[3] Duchesne is one of 24 schools in the Sacred Heart Network in the United States.

Duchesne prides itself on academic excellence, commitment to Jesus Christ, personal growth, and social responsibility. Duchesne centers its philosophy around five Sacred Heart Goals: a personal and active faith in God, a deep respect for intellectual values, a social awareness which impels to action, the building of community as a Christian value, and personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. These are values emphasized by Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Duchesne is also known as the most academically enriching college preparatory high school for girls in Omaha. It has small classes around 75 in each class (for a total of 300 in the whole school)due to the selectivity of this school.

Traditions

As the Sacred Heart Network is grounded in history and ceremony, Duchesne celebrates numerous traditions that are common to all Sacred Heart schools. Each grade has its particular celebration. Freshmen hold a Teacher Recognition Ceremony, while sophomores celebrate Mater, where they recognize women who are models of the Virgin Mary in their lives. During Ring Ceremony, the senior class bestows class rings upon the juniors as a symbolic transfer of school leadership. Of course, in May the seniors graduate at a beautiful ceremony at Saint Cecilia's Cathedral. Additionally, at the end of the year, Prize Day and Honors Day recognize students for academic excellence and leadership, extracurricular activities, athletic accomplishments, and other non-academic awards, respectively.

References

1. ^ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". http://www.advanc-ed.org/schools_districts/school_district_listings/?. Retrieved 2009-06-23. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ http://www.duchesneacademy.org/
3. ^ Duchesne Academy. "Duchesne Academy-Who We Are". http://duchesneacademy.org/whoweare/. Retrieved 2007-05-10. 

External links

• SOFIE.org: Network of Sacred Heart Schools website
• Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart website
• Duchesne Preschool website