Convent of the Sacred Heart is blazing an academic trail with the addition of 15 new teachers. Eight of these teachers are part of the Upper School community and hope to help their students achieve scholastic success and personal growth.
The new teachers and athletic specialists are enthusiastic and hope to incorporate the schools’ goals into their teaching.
“I love the philosophy of the school, and I cannot wait to start working with the new coaches and students,” Sports Specialist Ms. Celia Allamargot said.
In addition to coaching the Sacred Heart varsity squash team for two years, Ms. Allamargot now serves as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. She intends to incorporate her past experiences in France as a championship-winning professional squash player into helping athletes train and improve their skills.
“I hope to help the girls build good habits, to know and understand squash, and to help the girls prevent injuries through fitness in order to get better and stronger,” Ms. Allamargot said. “I want the girls to enjoy what they’re doing and push really hard to do their best.”
Ms. Allamargot also teaches the Middle School after-school squash program and aims to prepare the girls for Upper School varsity squash.
The new Sports Specialist Mr. Alexandru Gheorghe also plans to enrich the field hockey curriculum in the Middle School and Upper School, expand the Sacred Heart field hockey summer enrichment program, and generate more interest in the sport.
This is Mr. Gheorge’s third year of coaching at Sacred Heart. He previously coached the junior varsity field hockey team in 2013 before becoming the co-head varsity field hockey coach in 2014.
“As a coach I have worked with athletes in developing a positive winning mentality,” Mr. Gheorge said. “I hope that every student will develop to the best of their potential. I want to show them my passion and love for the sport and I want to be a positive leader for them.”
The new Assistant Athletic Director Mr. Bradley Miller has coached the cross country team for seven years and has always loved Sacred Heart’s athletic program.
In his first year as Assistant Athletic Director, Mr. Miller hopes to help the athletic program grow, improve, and evolve in the new facility.
“I want the girls to utilize commitment, communication, and consistency to develop character, build confidence, and not be afraid to take risks,” Mr. Miller said.
The new Sacred Heart teachers also intend to help students develop their confidence in the classroom.
Upper School Math and Computer Science teacher Mr. David R. Olson has been teaching high school mathematics for over 20 years.
“What I hope to help foster in my students is a sense of self-confidence and the ability to persevere even in the most difficult of circumstances,” Mr. Olson said.
Upper School History Teacher Mr. Joseph Valentine also hopes to help his students realize their full potential.
Mr. Valentine teaches World History II, psychology, and AP World History. He also moderates the Speech and Debate team and seeks to motivate his students to make a difference in the world.
“I hope they understand that nobody in history ever accomplished anything significant by sitting on the sidelines and not getting involved,” Mr. Valentine said. “It is my hope that my students will have the confidence to go out in this world, be brave in times of fear, and believe that they are all destined for greatness.”
Upper School Physics Teacher Mr. Robert Morrow teaches ninth grade physics and AP Physics 1. He encourages his students to explore their interests and show enthusiasm for new opportunities.
“I want them to be excited about new ideas in no matter what field or interest,” Mr. Morrow said. “I want them to embrace things and try things out so that they can lead themselves to new doors, concepts, and ways of learning.”
Upper School History Teacher Mr. Matthew Meyer teaches World History I and is excited to get to know the rest of the Sacred Heart community.
“I look forward to experiencing everything that the school year brings,” Mr. Meyer said. “In the short time I have been here, I have felt very much welcomed into the community.”
Prior to teaching ninth and tenth grade English classes at Sacred Heart, the new Upper School English Teacher Dr. Allison Alberts taught at Fordham University. She aspires to stimulate students’ interest in literature and critical thinking.
“I hope they learn to love reading and respect writing,” Dr. Alberts said. “I want them to see themselves as writers, regardless of their interest.”
The new Sacred Heart teachers hope to lead and inspire their students through the school’s Goals and Criteria, and motivate their students to set their own academic path throughout the school year.
“I will be stressing a deep respect for intellectual values, while also hopefully showing students that learning can be its own reward,” Mr. Meyer said. “I also want to see personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. I want to see students build on their own curiosity about history and the world, to the point where they want to discover things on their own, outside of the classroom. And finally, I’d love to see students use their history lessons as inspiration to take action for justice in the world.”
– Izzy Sio, Co-Arts and Entertainment Editor and Co-Photo Editor