flintridge sacred heart academy viewbook 2015-16

FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

Seeking truth. Serving others.440 St. Katherine Drive

La Cañada Flintridge, California 91011www.fsha.org

Disneyland

Dodger Stadium

Sacramento

LAX

Hollywood

Santa Monica Pier

FSHA

F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y

we are Dominican.

or 85 years, the Dominican Sisters and their colleagues have nurtured the dreams, intellectual curiosity and goals of young women in a quiet yet powerful way. Our graduates walk securely and confidently out into the world, making their indelible

mark across the globe – Flintridge Sacred Heart graduates have come from or currently live in more than 40 countries and on six continents.

Academic excellence is at the core of Flintridge Sacred Heart, and the school’s broad curriculum thoroughly prepares graduates for their journey into higher education. They become scholars, athletes, writers, visual and

performing artists, and leaders within their communities. Our girls take risks, try new things and accept challenges within the safe environment of FSHA. As a result, they learn to succeed and fail with dignity and grace, ultimately discovering their special talents and unique gifts.

Our dedicated faculty and staff recognize the inner beauty and individual potential of each teenage girl. Over the course of her four high school years, she realizes the fullness of who she is becoming by finding her own unique voice. Here, the Dominican charism governing our Catholic education is bold and vibrant – a philosophy that recognizes the intrinsic worth of each person.

Four mission

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic, Dominican, college-preparatory school educates young women for a life

of faith, integrity and truth.

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On the Hill… F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y

F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - L E A D E R S H I P

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we find our voice. On the Hill…

Flintridge Sacred Heart has made me unafraid to use my voice. In a comfortable setting, I’ve gained what many young women in the world lack: empowerment.

– LAURA ALLAN ’11say they were offered greater leadership opportunities than peers at coed schools.- Goodman Research Group, The Girls’ School Experience: A Survey of Young Alumnae of Single-Sex Schools

Girls’ school grads are

more likely to consider majoring in

- Goodman Research Group, The Girls’ School Experience: A Survey of Young Alumnae of

Single-Sex Schools

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- Dr. Linda Sax, UCLA, Women Graduates of Single-Sex and Coeducational High Schools: Difference in their Characteristics and the Transition to College

MATH, SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY compared to girls who attend coed schools.

Girls’ school grads are more than

- Goodman Research Group, The Girls’ School Experience: A Survey of Young Alumnae of Single-Sex Schools

AS LIKELY TO EARN A DOCTORAL DEGREE.

consider their academic performance highly successful.

F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - A C A D E M I C S

t’s not just about the classes here at FSHA. In addition to a full slate of offerings, including 24 Advanced Placement classes and electives that cover all disciplines, learning extends throughout and beyond the classroom. Students are taught critical-thinking skills that apply just as easily

to a catapult experiment on the field as to an analysis of The Catcher in the Rye. The latest in technology enables an interactive experience in mathematics classrooms in addition to team projects in religion courses.

With a truly international student body, FSHA provides a global awareness to its graduates and prepares them thoroughly for their journey into higher education. Dedicated instructors teach in a seven-period rotating block format with 80-minute classes, allowing students to not only complete graduation requirements, but also to sample a wide variety of electives across many disciplines.

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It’s so different comparing the girls that go to single-sex schools versus the girls that go to coed schools. Here, it’s cool to be smart. You can really embrace your brilliance.–MARISA MCKENTLY ’10

On the Hill…

we read, annotate, calculate, code and (occasionally) blow things up!


BY THE NUMBERS

FSHA always challenged me to be a better student. The classes pushed me to expand my thinking and work hard. I’m ready for college because of the education I received here.

– KAYLA GRAHN ’15


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F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - D I S T I N G U I S H E D P R O G R A M S

Online School for Girls Last year, FSHA became an affiliate member of the Online School for Girls, a learning community composed of over eighty of the best-known schools nationally and internationally, that offers online high school classes for girls at independent schools. This partnership has allowed us to expand our course offerings and connect our students in meaningful, academic pursuits with students around the country and around the world. Course options include AP Computer Science, AP Macroeconomics, AP Calculus BC, Multivariable Calculus, Genetics and Human Biology, Computer Programming and Intro to Engineering. To learn more about OSG, visit them online at onlineschoolforgirls.org.

Junior and Senior Research Projects Juniors and seniors have the opportunity to define, design and conduct original scholarly research as part of our commitment to preparing our young women for university-level course work. The Junior and Senior Research Projects are six-month long, cross-disciplinary research projects that require students to develop their own topic, utilize college-level research methodologies and produce a research paper in the Junior year or a substantial final project in the Senior year. Our school’s Library Program offers instruction in all grades on navigating academic databases, using predictive search methods to locate research material, and the use of multiple electronic source documentation tools. These projects stretch our students beyond typical course studies and introduce them to the challenge of producing relevant research and then communicating and defending their results.

STEM Offerings Our STEM offerings promote hands-on learning and examine the innovations and challenges that are possible through the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We engage our students with a wide variety of courses and clubs that encourage collaboration, creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking. With state-of-the-art labs and our unique block system, students have the time and resources to delve deeply into their coursework. Courses are taught with an inquiry-based model and promote an active learning style, achieved through group work and mentoring. Our capstone course is an honors scientific research lab that focuses on biotechnology technique and research. With this course, students will develop and conduct their own experiments and present those results to the community. With STEM and OSG offerings, there’s no limit for our students!

1:1 Laptop ProgramFSHA’s 1:1 Laptop Program, one of the first of its kind among area independent schools, harnesses 21st century digital resources to enrich programming and student learning. Because we believe technology is such a powerful learning tool, all students are issued their own MacBook Air at the start of the year. On any given day you will see our students using their laptops for creating original work, collaborating with classmates, organizing their materials and information, mastering research skills and reflecting on their classroom experiences.

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FSHA DISTINGUISHED PROGRAMSOn the Hill…

we challenge ourselves.


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he Hill is truly a home not only to the Dominican Sisters, but also to approximately 60 boarders each school year – many of whom are international students who travel a considerable distance to attend FSHA. Boarders live in the same halls that the FSHA’s first students inhabited in

1931, eating in the Dining Room alongside the Sisters and socializing on the Patio that predates the school. Current boarders come from locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mongolia and Russia.

The boarding halls consist of 23 rooms, with two to three girls sharing each room. The Director of Boarding Students fosters interaction among students from different cultures by

assigning them together as roommates. Every room is equipped with wireless Internet, bed, a chest of drawers, a bookcase, desk and chair for each student, a shared walk-in closet, one private bathroom per bedroom (with a shower and bathtub), lockers for valuables, lighted ceiling fans and heaters.

The dorms have changed over the years, with students now able to take advantage of features such as a Wii, a karaoke machine, ping-pong and air-hockey tables, and a fully equipped exercise and laundry room. On the weekend, boarders are encouraged to take advantage of all that Southern California has to offer, including theme parks, beaches, shopping malls, libraries, museums and a multitude of diverse restaurants. Students can also spend weekends with their day student friends, and special birthday dinners, celebrations and events involving faculty and board members are held throughout the year.

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we are a global community.

On the Hill…


ExploreSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!Besides weekly shopping trips and Boba runs, the boarding hall plans monthly outings to some of the best locales in Southern California. Organized by the boarding council, past trips have included:

• DISNEYLAND• KNOT’S BERRY FARM• BROADWAY PLAY AT THE PANTAGES THEATRE• UNIVERSAL STUDIOS• THE CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER• THE SANTA MONICA PIER• SHOP THE CITADEL OUTLETS

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Your home on the Hill

The Boarding Hall:

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F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - A R T S

hether you paint, design, sculpt, dance, sing, play an instrument or act, there’s a place for you at Flintridge Sacred Heart. And if you want to learn how to do any of the above, we’ll teach you.

The performing arts have a strong history on the FSHA campus. In the 1930s, students performed Shakespeare; today, they skate around stage as cast members in Xanadu and bring life to the complex women of Steel Magnolias.

Junior and Senior Dance Company have dazzled FSHA and the local community for decades; today, they join with the 25 percent of the student body in dance classes each spring for a full Dance Concert. The FSHA ComedySportz team was one of the first high-school teams in the Los Angeles area and keeps audiences laughing at six shows each school year. And musicians from singers to violinists to drummers find a place in one of two ensembles, our choir and a number of classes held in the Music Cottage.

FSHA is also home to stellar visual artists, some of whom have gone on to conservatories such as the Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Parsons the New School for Design. Students can study 2-D and 3-D design, drawing, ceramics, sculpture and stagecraft, with works on exhibition in the Art Show every spring – which grows more and more impressive each year.

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On the Hill… we dance, create,

paint and perform.

The dance program at FSHA was the first thing that made me want to appear in the world.

– SARRI SANCHEZ ’01


The New Arts Centerhe arts are an important part of our Dominican heritage. In the spring of 2016, we will unveil our new Arts Center that will demonstrate our commitment to the arts and usher in a new era of creativity on the Hill. The Arts Center will feature stadium style seating, a sprung wood stage, professional grade sound and lighting equipment, an art gallery and an enlarged 3D art space. Our students will have modern facilities that properly showcase and nurture their remarkable talent.T

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F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - A T H L E T I C S

we run fast, jump high and swing hard.

ver the past few years, FSHA has found much success on the playing fields – and across multiple sports.

During the 2014-15 school year, FSHA won three league championships. For

the fourth year in a row, the swim & diving team won the Mission League Title— going undefeated in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Track has recently emerged as a school powerhouse, clinching the Mission League Title this year. Tennis also secured the Mission League Title for the first time since the ’80s. Every team sport went to the CIF

playoffs in 2014-15. Most importantly, the Softball Team was named the 2015 CIF Southern Section Team Academic Champions. With an average GPA of 3.79, our Tologs had the highest GPA among schools in our CIF section with an enrollment of 1399 students or fewer. Our volleyball team received accolades for their academic accomplishments, winning the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for earning an overall team GPA of 3.65. In the past three years, 18 graduating seniors signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate sports.

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2014-15 MISSION LEAGUE TITLES

TENNIS • TRACK & FIELD • SWIM & DIVING

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In any given year, more than 70 percent of the student body typically participates in athletics. Freshmen also take a full year of physical education/health.

BASKETBALLEQUESTRIANCROSS-COUNTRYGOLF

SOCCERSOFTBALLSWIM & DIVINGTRACK & FIELD

TENNIS

VOLLEYBALL

WATER POLO

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On the Hill…


On the Hill … we welcome everyone with open arms.

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we welcome everyone with open arms.

here are more than 20 campus organizations at FSHA that allow students to indulge their interests and learn to lead. The Academic Decathlon and the Speech & Debate Team put their skills to the test in competitions across the state and country. Our Academic Decathlon

Team took home 36 medals (team and individual) last year. A small but mighty group, our Speech & Debate Team has also enjoyed much success in the past few years, celebrating a first Tournament of Champions qualifier (Monica Amestoy ’13), a first State Championship qualifier (Dani Chavez ’14), a National Speech & Debate Association Academic All-American (Maddie Collins ’15) and several League Sweepstakes awards. There are opportunities for every student to find her interest niche from

Amnesty International to Theatre Club, Cooking Club to Aloha Kai (coastal environment awareness and aid).

Classes band together to plan events such as dances, and they intermingle through the Big-Little Sister and Middle Sister programs, which pairs seniors with freshmen and sophomores with juniors. The sets of sisters meet for lunch several times during the year, with freshmen traditionally planning the Senior Brunch the Friday before Graduation.

The Student Council takes a leading role in planning on-campus activities, including an always-fun Halloween celebration and the yearly Spirit Week.

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On the Hill…

Some of my very best friends during my days here are my very best friends today.

– JULI GOODWIN ROGINSON ‘87

F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - S E R V I C E

s one of the four Dominican Pillars of Spirituality, service is an integral part of life at FSHA. Each member of the community gives back in some way: families, students, faculty and staff. Each of our Tologs has a minimum number of service hours to complete but they

go above and beyond with service to the poor, the elderly, the disenfranchised and in stewardship of the environment. Clubs and non-club co-curricular groups include service projects as a major component of their annual activities. Some of these groups exist as strictly service organizations; for example CAM (Christian Service Movement) runs the annual food drive, “Koins for Kids” and co-sponsors the Santa Teresita Christmas Party.

At the end of finals, just before Christmas break CAM and the Senior Class coordinate the Christmas Party with Santa Teresita School in Los Angeles (left). Each FSHA student is paired with a young buddy. In a day of shared prayer, food, performances and gifts, the Christmas spirit is alive on the Hill. Faculty, staff and parents also collect gift cards for the community of Santa Teresita.

Our parents give generously to the FSHA community with their time and talent. The faculty and staff boasts of 100 percent participation in the annual Flintridge Fund campaign before the end of September each year.

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FSHA’s general atmosphere, created by the core values and beliefs of everyone there, inspired and ignited a passion within me to serve, love and care for others. – BRIANNA HODGE ’07

we give back.

On the Hill…



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he tradition of St. Dominic de Guzman underscores everything that happens on the Hill. The Catholic Dominican Order, which he started more than 800 years ago in Spain, pursues the vision of Veritas (truth) through the four pillars: prayer,

study, community and service.

As a community with members from all over the world and a wide variety of religious traditions, FSHA celebrates the beauty and Veritas (truth) of every faith. Our rich

diversity enhances the spiritual growth of the community individually as well as collectively.

The spiritual journey that each FSHA student embarks upon begins her freshman year, with a one-day retreat with her classmates and continues through an extensive retreat program, liturgies throughout the year and religion classes. By the time she graduates, she is a young woman who understands and appreciates her value and the gifts that she brings to the world.

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we reflect.

On the Hill…

F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y O N T H E H I L L - T R A D I T I O NF L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A R T A C A D E M Y

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ith 85 years of history, FSHA abounds with traditions and events that celebrate the sisterhood of our students. Some of the most iconic traditions on the Hill have their roots in FSHA’s

earliest days when FSHA was only a boarding school.

Red roses are a big part of the Flintridge Sacred Heart experience, representing the love and sisterhood that’s shared among the girls. At the Junior Ring ceremony each fall, seniors present their junior classmates with their new class rings – which are very similar to the rings worn by

alumnae from the 1930s and 1940s – and receive a single red rose in return. The ritual repeats itself at Candle Rose (left) at the end of the year, when seniors and juniors exchange lit candles and roses, symbolizing the transfer of wisdom and leadership to the younger class. Every senior who walks at Graduation carries a bouquet of red roses, and after the graduates sing the alma mater together for the last time as a class, they toss rose petals from their bouquets in the air to celebrate.

Other traditions include the Father Daughter Dance, Mother Daughter Luncheon, Sister lunches, Senior Brunch, and Senior Toast.

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we honor tradition.

On the Hill…


RECENT COLLEGE CHOICES Over the past five years, Tologs have gone on to such outstanding institutions as:

• USC

• UCLA

• UC Berkeley

• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

• Stanford

• Georgetown University

• University of Notre Dame

• Smith College

• Amherst

• University of Texas

• Rice University

• Harvard University

• Barnard College

• Brown University

NOTABLE ALUMNAEBeverly “Bev” Beesemeyer ’37 Former WASP, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor Cecilia Alegre-Jurado ’50, Ph.D. Elected to Panama’s Congress in 1968, Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Commission and Panamanien Committee for Human Rights 1985-91 Nancy Fierro ’59, Ph.D.Noted concert pianist, lecturer, and author

Kathleen McCoy ’63 Nationally recognized author and psychotherapist (“The Teenage Body Book”), former “Sex and Your Body” columnist for Seventeen magazine

Astrid Fischel ’71 Former first vice-president of Costa Rica

Jan Ellison ’83Author of “A Small Indiscretion,” recipient of the 2007 O. Henry Prize

Jill Bellamy ’84, Ph.D. International security expert on biological warfare programs, consultant to EU-NATO

Camille Johnston ’86Former Director of Communications for Michelle Obama

Heather McIntosh Cassano ’85Director of User Experience, Display Ads at Google

Juli Goodwin Roginson ’87Senior Vice President of Domestic Publicity for Warner Bros. Pictures


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• University of Washington

• University of Wisconsin, Madison

• University of Michigan

• Johns Hopkins University

• Loyola Marymount University

• College of William & Mary

• Sarah Lawrence College

• New York University

• Northeastern University

• Oberlin College

• Lehigh University

• Rhode Island School of Design

• Berklee College of Music

• Villanova University

we go on to do great things.

On the Hill…

Theresa De Vera ’93Ms. Wheelchair California 2014 Claudine Cazian ’96Vice President of Programming and Branded Entertainment for On Air with Ryan Seacrest and iHeartRadio

Margaret Matijasevic ’97Executive Director of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

Lisa Remillard ’97 Two-time Emmy Award nominated journalist, currently on Good Morning San Diego Gloria Borges ’00 (deceased)Lawyer, activist, philanthropist and founder of WunderGlo, an organization that raises money for colon cancer research


ach year, the Board of Directors determines tuition based on the annual cost of educating a child as projected in the operating budget for the coming academic and fiscal year. Prospective and current families should anticipate an increase in tuition each year

due to the normal increase in operating expenses.

Approximately 25 percent of the Academy’s student body receives some form of scholarship or financial aid. For the 2015-16 academic year, nearly one million dollars was awarded in financial aid to qualified students. FSHA awards financial aid based on financial need. Financial aid awards are funded by the operating budget, endowment income and foundations such as the Ahmanson Foundation, the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation, the George H. Mayer Foundation, the Rose Hills Foundation and others. We encourage families to apply.

In addition to the financial aid provided, six incoming freshmen who received sterling teacher/principal recommendations and demonstrated outstanding

achievement in academics, entrance exam results, co-curricular activities, service to school and community are selected as that year’s “Veritas Scholars” and received $7,500 in merit scholarships for each of their four years at FSHA.

Information on financial assistance can be found in each admissions packet and on our website at www.fsha.org. Applying for financial assistance has no bearing on an applicant’s candidacy for admission.

2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEARTuition for day students ........................................ $22,765Tuition, room and board for boarding students.........$50,215

Additional fees, including those for books, uniforms and other costs are detailed on our website at www.fsha.org.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

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GET ACQUAINTED NIGHT Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7-9 p.m.GAN is an informational evening for seventh and eighth grade students and their parents. Tours of classrooms and the remainder of campus are not available because this event is scheduled for the evening. Refreshments will be served. No RSVP is necessary.

OPEN HOUSE Sunday, Dec. 6, Noon-2:30 p.m.Take a tour of the campus and attend presentations given by faculty on curriculum and co-curricular activities. Meet students, faculty, staff, alumnae and coaches. No RSVP is necessary.

8TH GRADE VISITING DAYS See list of dates to the rightEighth grade students are invited to visit the classroom and the campus with FSHA student ambassadors. Parents are invited to take a separate tour of the campus with FSHA parents and also visit the classroom. All visits are conducted while school is in session and are by appointment only; please call the Admissions Office at 626.685.8333 at least one week prior to visit.

TOURS OF CAMPUS By appointment onlyThe best way to visit campus is to attend one of the above events. We understand, however, that many of our boarding families travel from out of state or halfway across the world to meet with us, so we are happy to give private, individually scheduled tours to boarding student families. Please contact Catherine O’Brien at 626.685.8522 to schedule these boarding visits.

2015-2016ADMISSIONS CALENDAR8TH GRADE VISITING DAYSOctober 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 27, 29November 2, 18, 19December 1, 3

GET ACQUAINTED NIGHT Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 / 7-9 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 / Noon-2:30 p.m.

APPLICATION DEADLINES (DAY)Monday, Nov. 30, 2015 (for students taking the HSPT at FSHA on Dec. 12, 2015)

Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 (all other applicants)

APPLICATION DEADLINE (BOARDING)Rolling (Sept. 2015 – April 2016)

HSPT Tests at FSHA Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015 / Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016

FINANCIAL AID DEADLINEMonday, Feb. 1, 2016

HSPT Results Deadline for Veritas Scholarship EligibilityMonday, Feb. 1, 2016

Admissions Decisions, Financial Aid and Scholarship Letters Mailed Thursday, March 3, 2016

Freshman Registration on Campus Wednesday, March 9, 20163:30-7:30 p.m.


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CONTACT USAdmissions Office626.685.8333 / [email protected]

we want you to visit.On the Hill…

flintridge sacred heart academy viewbook 2015-16

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