Convent of the Sacred Heart (New York)
Encyclopedia
The Convent of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic
all-girl school
in the Manhattan
borough
of New York City
. Teaching grades from pre-kindergarten
through twelve, it is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side
at East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue.
The school is housed in the former Otto H. Kahn House and James A. Burden House
, both of which are New York City-Designated Landmark
s. It is one of the most-selective and expensive schools in Manhattan.
, a Roman Catholic congregation
established in France
in 1800, the school is New York City’s oldest private school for girls. The school was originally housed in a Manhattan brownstone
on Madison Avenue at East 54th Street
.
By the 1930s, the school had outgrown its Madison Avenue space and moved into the Kahn mansion. In the 1940s the Society acquired the Burden mansion next door.
Since the 1980s, the school has experienced tremendous growth and academic progress..
, a worldwide network of over 150 schools committed to the mission of a Sacred Heart education, the school is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools
and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
.
It is operated independently as part of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.
The school is also associated with the New York Interschool Association
.
Sacred Heart is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of Greater New York, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the European Council of International Schools, the International Schools Association and the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States.
of Manhattan
, at 1 East 91st Street and 7 East 91st Street, next to Central Park
/5th Avenue and across the street from the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.
In September 2008, The Convent of the Sacred Heart purchased a facility located at 406 East 91st Street which will become a new sports center. The new athletic center will open soon.
Within the buildings at 1 East 91st Street and 7 East 91st Street there are:
, Amnesty International
, student council
and forensics
(public speaking).
Over 40% of the sophomore class study abroad on exchange for 3 to 10 weeks to other schools in the Sacred Heart network including schools in France and in Spain for 10 weeks, and to Australia, Italy, Canada and Taiwan for 3 weeks.
sports disciplines.
Pre-Kindergarten: $19,290
Junior Kindergarten: $25,390
Kindergarten: $36,760
Grades 1 – 12 : $37,395
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
all-girl school
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
in the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Teaching grades from pre-kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
through twelve, it is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
at East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue.
The school is housed in the former Otto H. Kahn House and James A. Burden House
James A. Burden House
The James A. Burden House is a former residence located on 7 East 91st Street in Carnegie Hill in New York City. Today the Convent of the Sacred Heart is located there.- History :...
, both of which are New York City-Designated Landmark
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
s. It is one of the most-selective and expensive schools in Manhattan.
History
Founded in 1881 by the Society of the Sacred HeartSociety of the Sacred Heart
The Society of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in France by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. It has presence in 45 countries. Membership to the Society is restricted to women only. Its members do many works, but focus on education, particularly girls'...
, a Roman Catholic congregation
Congregation (catholic)
The term "congregation" has three usages specific to the Roman Catholic Church. One concerns the Roman Curia, the other two concern religious institutes.- Roman Curia :...
established in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1800, the school is New York City’s oldest private school for girls. The school was originally housed in a Manhattan brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
on Madison Avenue at East 54th Street
54th Street (Manhattan)
54th Street is a two-mile-long, one-way street traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan.-West Side Highway:*The route begins at the West Side Highway . Opposite the intersection is the New York Passenger Ship Terminal and the Hudson River...
.
By the 1930s, the school had outgrown its Madison Avenue space and moved into the Kahn mansion. In the 1940s the Society acquired the Burden mansion next door.
Since the 1980s, the school has experienced tremendous growth and academic progress..
Membership and accreditation
In addition to being a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart and a part of the global Network of Sacred Heart SchoolsSchools of the sacred heart
The Schools of The Sacred Heart Network is a network of private, Catholic schools throughout the world. The program revolves around five goals:*Educate to a personal and active faith in God*Educate to a deep respect for intellectual values...
, a worldwide network of over 150 schools committed to the mission of a Sacred Heart education, the school is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools
New York State Association of Independent Schools
The New York State Association of Independent Schools , founded in 1947, is an association of some 180 independent schools, ranging from nursery to high schools. In 2005, its member schools had approximately 65,000 students...
and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
National Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
.
It is operated independently as part of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.
The school is also associated with the New York Interschool Association
New York Interschool
The New York Interschool Association, Inc., is a consortium of eight independent schools in Manhattan that serves students, teachers, and administration.-Overview:...
.
Sacred Heart is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of Greater New York, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the European Council of International Schools, the International Schools Association and the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States.
Facilities
Sacred Heart is located in two historic mansions in the Carnegie Hill Historic District on the Upper East SideUpper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, at 1 East 91st Street and 7 East 91st Street, next to Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
/5th Avenue and across the street from the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.
- 1 East 91st Street houses grade 5 through grade 12 (opened in 1934)
- 7 East 91st Street houses pre-kindergarten through grade 4 (opened in 1940)
In September 2008, The Convent of the Sacred Heart purchased a facility located at 406 East 91st Street which will become a new sports center. The new athletic center will open soon.
Within the buildings at 1 East 91st Street and 7 East 91st Street there are:
- 3 Science Labs
- 2 Gymnasiums and a Fitness Room
- 4 Performance Spaces
- Photography Darkroom Studio
- 2 rooftop playgrounds
- SMARTboards in all classrooms for grades 1-12
- 3 Libraries and Virtual Library Access
- Wireless Internet Access
Clubs and common-interest organizations
The school offers a range of clubs and activities for student participation including the Habitat for Humanity InternationalHabitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, student council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
and forensics
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
(public speaking).
- There are 40+ after-school activities available every fall, winter and spring to Lower School students.
- There are 40+ clubs and activities available to Middle School students.
- There are 30+ clubs and activities available to Upper School students.
Over 40% of the sophomore class study abroad on exchange for 3 to 10 weeks to other schools in the Sacred Heart network including schools in France and in Spain for 10 weeks, and to Australia, Italy, Canada and Taiwan for 3 weeks.
Athletics
The school participates in eleven interscholasticInterscholastic
Interscholastic is the EP of Filipino rapper Francis Magalona, released by BMG Records Inc and Musiko Records in 1999. This EP featured mostly humorous adaptations of various American chart topping songs of 1997-1998...
sports disciplines.
Enrollment, tuition and fees
Tuition and Payment for the 2011-2012 School Year:Pre-Kindergarten: $19,290
Junior Kindergarten: $25,390
Kindergarten: $36,760
Grades 1 – 12 : $37,395
- Average enrollment of students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12: 685
- The Lower School includes pre-kindergarten, junior kindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1 through 4
- The Middle School consists of grades 5 through 8
- The Upper School is made up of grades 9 through 12
- Students of color: 28%
- Average grade size (K-12): 50
- Student/Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Notable alumnae
- Christa MillerChrista MillerChrista Miller is an American actress who has achieved success in television comedy. Her foremost roles include Kate O'Brien on The Drew Carey Show and Jordan Sullivan on Scrubs . She has also appeared on Seinfeld and CSI: Miami...
- Margaret Massimo
- Karen AkersKaren AkersKaren Akers is an American actress and singer, who has appeared on Broadway, cabaret and film.-Background:She was born Karen Orth-Pallavicini in New York City on October 13, 1945. Her ancestry was a mixture of European stock: her immigrant father, Heinrick C...
- Lourdes BenedictoLourdes BenedictoLourdes Benedicto is an American actress of Filipino/Dominican descent. She is most well known for her starring role as Eva Rios on The Nine, and for her role as Alicia Lawson on the short-lived series Cashmere Mafia. She is primarily known as a television actress, but has been in a few...
- Jordana BrewsterJordana BrewsterJordana Brewster is an American actress. She began her acting career in her late teens, with a 1995 one-episode role in the soap opera All My Children. She followed that appearance with the recurring role as Nikki Munson in As the World Turns, for which Brewster was nominated for Outstanding Teen...
- Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
- Magee HickeyMagee HickeyMagee Hickey is a reporter for WPIX in New York City.Hickey attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, an elite, all-girls school in Manhattan, before graduating from Brown University in 1977....
- Nicky HiltonNicky HiltonNicholai Olivia "Nicky" Hilton is an American businesswoman, fashion model, socialite, celebutante, heiress and fashion designer. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton and younger sister of Paris Hilton....
- Caroline KennedyCaroline KennedyCaroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
- Ethel Skakel KennedyEthel Skakel KennedyEthel Skakel Kennedy is the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as Attorney General of the United States and a United States Senator for the state of New York.-Early life:...
- Joan Bennett KennedyJoan Bennett KennedyJoan Bennett Kennedy is an American musician, writer, and former model. She is the former wife of U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Edward "Ted" Moore Kennedy.-Early life:...
- Christa Miller Lawrence
- Minnie MortimerMinnie MortimerMarian Fountain "Minnie" Mortimer , \Was born and raised on Manhattan's Upper East side where she attended The Brearley School and the Convent of the Sacred Heart.Mortimer's high school years where spent at St...
- Emily RutherfurdEmily RutherfurdEmily Rutherfurd is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Christine "New Christine" Hunter on The New Adventures of Old Christine.-Personal life:...
- Eunice Kennedy ShriverEunice Kennedy ShriverEunice Kennedy Shriver, DSG a member of the Kennedy family, sister to President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, was the founder in 1962 of Camp Shriver, and in 1968, the Special Olympics...
- Alix SmithAlix SmithAlix Smith is an American photographer.Alix Smith is an American photographer her well known projects include Constructed Identities, Arranged Appearances, Through Imitation and States of Union...
- Jean Kennedy SmithJean Kennedy SmithJean Ann Kennedy Smith is an American diplomat and a former United States Ambassador to Ireland. She is the eighth of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald and is their last surviving child. She is the sister of the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy,...
- Frederica von StadeFrederica von StadeFrederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The...
- Elaine StritchElaine StritchElaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
- Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt
- Joanna Philbin
Film and theatre
- The Anderson TapesThe Anderson TapesThe Anderson Tapes is a 1971 crime film. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, and comedian Alan King. The screenplay was written by Frank Pierson, based upon a best-selling 1970 novel of the same name by Lawrence Sanders...
(1971) - Nine to FiveNine to Five9 to 5 is a 1980 American comedy film starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman. The film concerns three working women living out their fantasy of getting even with, and their successful overthrow of, the company's autocratic, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical...
(1980) - ChicagoChicago (musical)Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
(play - 1975; film - 2002) — in the song "We Both Reached For the Gun" the character, Roxie Hart, was said to have attended the school. - The VerdictThe VerdictThe Verdict is a 1982 courtroom drama film which tells the story of a down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer who pushes a medical malpractice case in order to improve his own situation, but discovers along the way that he is doing the right thing. Since the lawsuit involves a woman in a persistent...
(1982) - Working GirlWorking GirlWorking Girl is a 1988 romantic comedy film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the inspiring story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill , working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank...
(1988)
- A Perfect MurderA Perfect MurderA Perfect Murder is a 1998 American thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen. It is a modern remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, Dial M for Murder, though the characters' names are all changed, and over half the plot is completely...
(1998) - Night at the MuseumNight at the MuseumNight at the Museum is a 2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film based on the 1993 children's book The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc. It follows a divorced father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny...
(2006) - Nick and Norah's Infinite PlaylistNick and Norah's Infinite PlaylistNick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story tells of teenagers Nick and Norah , who meet when...
(2008) - DuplicityDuplicityDuplicity is a software suite that provides easy encrypted, digitally signed, versioned, remote backup of files requiring little of the remote server. It is capable of both full backups and incremental backups where only changes since the prior backup was made are stored...
(2009)
Literature and television
- A Very Gaga ThanksgivingA Very Gaga ThanksgivingA Very Gaga Thanksgiving is a Thanksgiving television special that originally aired on November 24, 2011 in the United States on ABC. Conceived and directed by Lady Gaga, it discusses the personal life of Gaga and the inspiration behind her music...
(2011) - Cashmere MafiaCashmere MafiaCashmere Mafia is an American television dramedy which ran on ABC from January 6, 2008 to February 20, 2008. The series was created by Kevin Wade, who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star, Gail Katz, Jeff Rake and Michael Pressman, with Susie Fitzgerald co-executive producing....
(Season 1) - Gossip GirlGossip GirlGossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
(book series) — contains the line "two little Sacred Heart girls in their cute red and white checked pinaforePinaforeA pinafore is a sleeveless garment worn as an apron.Pinafores may be worn by girls as a decorative garment and by both girls and women as a protective apron. A related term is pinafore dress, which is British English for what in American English is known as a jumper dress, i.e...
s were walking an enormous black RottweilerRottweilerThe Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
" on page 86 in the first novel of the series.
- Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
- ScrubsScrubs (TV series)Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
: Sacred Heart Hospital, where the series takes place, was named after the Convent of the Sacred Heart, where cast member (and wife of the series' screenwriter Bill Lawrence) Christa MillerChrista MillerChrista Miller is an American actress who has achieved success in television comedy. Her foremost roles include Kate O'Brien on The Drew Carey Show and Jordan Sullivan on Scrubs . She has also appeared on Seinfeld and CSI: Miami...
(who portrays Jordan Sullivan) attended high school. - White Collar (TV Series)White Collar (TV series)White Collar is a USA Network television series created by Jeff Eastin, starring Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke. It premiered on October 23, 2009. In December 2009, White Collar was renewed for a second season that began on July 13, 2010...
External links
- cshnyc.org, Convent of the Sacred Heart, official website
- sofie.org, Network of Sacred Heart Schools, official website
- aashnet.org The Associated Alumnae and Alumni of the Sacred Heart, official website
- burdenkahnmansion.org, The Otto Kahn and James Burden Mansions, official website
- "The Convent of the Sacred Heart School (originally the Otto and Addie Kahn House)", at "Tom Fletcher's New York Architecture Images and Notes" (nyc-architecture.com), an architecture fansite (undated)
- Gray, Christopher (1994-02-27). "Streetscapes/The Convent of the Sacred Heart; A Matter of Reconciling Preservation With Patina. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. article about restoration of the Burden mansion. Accessed 2009-10-10.