Roundtable Q&A Discussion About Sacred Heart School of Halifax (2021)

I think the main thing is probably the close-knit community we had at Sacred Heart… You get to know each other, and you have a lot of ups and downs, but we grew up together, and I think that was really nice.

We got to really know our teachers, and our teachers got to really know us. I was always supported and encouraged to look into whatever I liked or was interested in. I had a lot of great conversations with my teachers that I still tell people about.

What was so special in my group was that even the guys who loved sports or weren’t into academics bonded with their teachers about different things. There was the opportunity to get to know your teacher as a person rather than someone just reading notes at you.

I think my three words, I've thought about this a lot, would be: caring, encouraging, and fun.

I think something families would find surprising is how much attention is given to their child… That might surprise families that their child will really be looked after.

It’s like that quote: “It takes a village to raise a child.” Sacred Heart was that village for me. That attention was clear.

My teachers are what I remember most… You learn how to speak to professors and develop skills just from stepping outside your comfort zone. The support is always there.

For prospective families, the only thing I’ll say is: if you’re on the fence, go for a tour. That’s what did it for us. See how a class is taught. Talk to teachers. Talk to the principal or Headmistress. I think that’s the best way to find out that it really is a second family.

The opportunity to pursue a wide variety of extracurricular activities was something I valued… I loved doing the musicals. I loved playing on the soccer team, and I was able to do that throughout my time there. It really helped balance the academics as well.

Looking back now, one of the things I appreciate that I don’t think I quite understood at the time was the study skills and academic skills I developed. When I transitioned to university, I found that the foundation I built in high school was really helpful in preparing me for the fast-paced environment of first and second year university.

One of the things I think is really valuable about Sacred Heart is the cross-school community across all three schools. While the schools themselves are separate, the boys' school, the girls’ school, and the elementary school, many activities are interconnected. I think that’s something really valuable for the community as a whole.

The three words I came up with after some thought were: empowering, dedicated, and kind.

I felt really empowered as a young woman to pursue whatever path I chose. I had a lot of support trying new things, being pushed outside my comfort zone, and being challenged academically.

I would tell students to jump right in and take on whatever interests them; they’ll be supported no matter what. Whether you're someone like me who participated just for fun or someone incredibly talented who wants to take it to the next level, you'll have support from your fellow students, your teachers, and the school.

I’d also encourage trying new things, because it’s such a supportive and caring environment. It’s a good place to see what happens and explore new opportunities.

Sacred Heart really stood out as a place where girls could receive an excellent education. That was our priority, and we certainly wanted them to be challenged, but in a nurturing environment.

I didn't anticipate how individual the attention would be. Our girls, like a lot of siblings, have a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. And I felt like they got a different education in the important ways and the same education in important ways.

I felt as the parent of a young person going through education, going through school, there was so much that happens in the lives of young people, especially when they become teenagers. And I felt like the school was a constant, and it was consistent.

Whenever they walked through the door, they knew they were at a place where people cared about them. It didn't mean that they were always going to be easy on them and say yes and coddle them, but that they cared, and they could trust that that would always be the case.

I think they got the confidence to take a risk. The confidence to be wrong and to make a mistake, because the confidence to try doesn't mean you're always right. It just means you'll try; you'll take a risk… So I would say that's the biggest thing: this confidence to walk out those doors and head out into the world.

I think the school embodies the values of hard work, personal responsibility, the importance of education, importance of love.

It really felt like a second family to us. I didn't anticipate the degree to which that would be important over the years, that we were in a true partnership with the girls.