CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
tvc.dsj.org | February 20, 2018
17
Sacred Heart Saratoga Dedicates 21 st Century Ready Parish Center a nd Kindergarten Classroom
On January 21, in a highly antici-
pated event for the community of Sa-
cred Heart in Saratoga, Bishop Patrick
J. McGrath celebrated the dedication
and blessing of the completely remod-
eled Parish Center and the school’s new
kindergarten classroom.
The event began with a celebratory
Mass presided by Bishop McGrath,
Father Gary Thomas, Pastor of Sacred
Heart Parish, and Father Robert McKay,
Pastoral Vicar. The church was fi lled
with parishioners, school families,
alumni and friends. Before the fi nal
blessing, the congregation formed a
procession and walked over to the
kindergarten classroom that now faces
the new Parish Center. Bishop McGrath
blessed the new classroom and invited
the help of two school students to cut
the offi cial ribbon.
After that, the more than 300 parish-
ioners proceeded to the main entrance
of the Parish Center with Bishop Mc-
Grath. Both Bishop McGrath and Father
Gary spoke to the congregation and cut
the ribbon to a roaring applause by all
present. The excited guests toured the
facility and celebrated the completion
of this project that was fi ve years in the
planning and making.
The original Parish Center was built
50 years ago as the convent for the
Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur, the
school’s founders and faculty. In the
year 2000, the Sisters changed their
home residence and the building was
adapted to become the Parish Offi ce, a
place for meetings and social gather-
ings. With the arrival of Father Gary
Thomas in 2007, his leadership and
vision invigorated the clubs and orga-
nizations of the parish so much so that
the old Convent was no longer able to
accommodate the needs of the parish.
That’s when Father Gary put together
a revitalization plan for the building
to ensure its viability for a long time
to come. Father Gary led a capital
campaign to which more than 50% of
the parish community contributed.
The construction bid was awarded to
Bishop McGrath and Pastor Father Gary
Thomas prepare to cut the ribbon.
Strawn Construction. The New Parish
Building was initially slightly over
10,000 square feet, with this update
a slight addition was incorporated to
12,200 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art multi-
use facilities for meetings and gather-
ings. The interior of the building was
beautifully designed and realized to
enhance the entire parish and school
campus.
The school’s new kindergarten class-
room, originally the school’s library
and later the parish Faith Formation
offi ce, now has girl’s and boy’s bath-
rooms, LED lighting, ample cabinetry
and many other great amenities. Soon
to be installed outside will be a fun
play structure the kindergarteners will
share with the Pre-K children. As Sa-
cred Heart’s Principal, Thomas Pulch-
ny explained, “The new kindergarten
clas sroom is where I would want to put
my children. It’s a perfect classroom!
The Parish Center will provide us with
a perfect setting for meetings and social
gatherings much needed for the school
and the whole parish. I’m very thank-
ful for Father Gary’s eff orts and vision,
and for all the people who generously
contributed to this eff ort, proving their
support of the Parish, and of Catholic
education.”
Saint Lucy School Celebrates Grandparents and Grandfriends
Saint Lucy School was proud to
honor more than 300 Grandparents and
Grandfriends with a Grandparents and
Grandfriends Day celebration as a con-
clusion to Catholic Schools Week 2018.
The guests were treated to a conti-
nental breakfast, followed by a prayer
led by the Pre-K class and the guests
enjoyed a musical performance by the
school choir. Principal Sue Grover and
Student Council President Ryan Mil-
ligan delivered a welcoming message.
Miss Grover shared the school’s theme
for the year, “Respect is Our Super-
power” and thanked the grandparents
and grandfriends for using their own
superpowers of loving and supporting
the students.
Guests continued their day and
lived a day-in-the-life of a Saint Lucy
School student, as they explored all
the learning spaces such as the science
lab, TD Mac computer lab, homeroom
classrooms and the library. Students
were excited to point out their works
of art hung on display, demonstrate the
latest science experiment and show off
their technology skills. The day would
not have been complete without com-
memorating the day and capturing a
quick snapshot at the Instagram booth
or on the step and repeat.
Prior to concluding the day with
a student-led Mass, Grandparents
and Grandfriends spent time writing
encouraging messages and words of
love that will be delivered to students
on Valentine’s Day. Overall, the day
was fi lled with happiness and laughter!
Be a Champion for Your Pet!
For more information regarding Catholic Schools
in the Diocese of San Jose visit www.dsj.org/education.
planet by fi nding realistic alternatives
to plastic water bottles.
During Lent, SFC Student Council
kicked off a school-wide eff ort to have
each student bring a reusable water
bottle from home instead of a dispos-
able bottle or taking one from the hot
lunch line. SFC off ers a freshly pre-
pared on-site daily hot lunch program.
With over 600 students enrolled, now
with an option to bypass a disposable
bottle from the hot lunch line, SFC
hopes to reduce water bottle usage by
off ering students the alternative use of
the new water refi ll stations on campus.
Thanks to a donation from Saint
Frances Cabrini (SFC) Girl Scout Troop
#60524 and a $10,000 grant from the Al-
bertsons Foundation, SFC has installed
new water bottle refi ll stations on cam-
pus. At Saint Frances Cabrini, we teach
our students that part of becoming
responsible and caring citizens means
taking care of ourselves and taking
care of the world around us. The goal in
installing the bottle refi ll stations was
to both help in our eff orts to promote
health by encouraging our students to
drink more water as opposed to sugary
alternatives, while still caring for our
Water Refi ll Stations Installed on
Saint Frances Cabrini Campus
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