LAHAINA – As I sit and reflect on our 150th Anniversary celebration year, I am reminded of the many great parents, students, teachers and parishioners that make the Sacred Hearts School ohana so very special.

A Christian education sees all of humanity as one large family, with differences perhaps by historical and political events, but always one in our God, creator of all. Our school has a special history in Lahaina and a special feel when you step on the property. Next Wednesday, I would like to welcome you all to our campus to see and experience the charm of our school for yourself. The Sacred Hearts School Open House is Feb. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. Come check us out!

All the classrooms from preschool through eighth grade and the Enrichment Classes will be open for you to visit Wednesday evening. Adults, bring your children with you! Student projects will be on display, and teachers are excited to answer any questions you may have. Anytime from 5 to 7 p.m., you may drop-in to tour the school, meet the teachers and talk story.

Highlights to expect are information on our fifth grade annual trip to Oahu, and the seventh and eighth grade ten-day trip to Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and New York City. Meet Patty Wurst, 2012’s History Day “Teacher of the Year,” and see this year’s projects. For many years running, our middle school has held a terrific record of receiving awards in the District, State and National History Day competition. The school’s MacBooks will be displaying student work Wednesday night in a few rooms. Third and fourth grade children are having fun learning science and math on their new iPads and will be more than happy to share their excitement with visitors.

The Sacred Hearts School community is proud of its safe, warm, nurturing environment. Our small class sizes allow for individual attention for the students. Our annual standardized test scores are consistently well above the national average. With the high academic standards we uphold, Sacred Hearts students form excellent study habits that they carry with them into their high school years. More than 90 percent of our students go on to college after graduating high school. We have a new, healthy school lunch program catered by Penne Pasta! No preservatives, sugar or processed ingredients in our new menus. (Owner Juan Gomez is graciously offering a 10 percent discount to any meals purchased that evening. Coupons will be available in the school office, where any of you visiting can pick one up.)

The teaching of Christian values is embraced in our educational program. Time is taken to model and guide the students with skills to become the best they can be in body, mind and spirit. We have seen in our many alumni that visit us that the lessons learned at Sacred Hearts School are not only intellectually rich but heart-centered and long lasting as well. As our children prepare for their future in the 21st Century, Sacred Hearts School will continue the honorable task of giving students opportunities to grow in ways that will make their families and community proud.

Our school secretary will be on-hand in the school office to answer questions regarding registration and tuition assistance. We are located behind Maria Lanakila Church at the corner of Dickenson and Wainee Street. Parking is available on our playground. Please come and see for yourself what a jewel of a school Sacred Hearts really is. I look forward to seeing you there!