 |   | In Memory of Virginia McMonagle, RSCJ
4/2/2013
It is with great sadness tempered by the comfort of the knowledge of everlasting life that I share the news of the passing of Virginia McMonagle, RSCJ. On Easter Sunday, God called home our good and faithful servant.
Sr. McMonagle was a visionary who clearly saw the path for the future of Forest Ridge at a time of much turbulence in our world. She knew that relocating to Somerset would bring the benefits of a Sacred Heart education for young women to a quickly changing Eastside. Like our founder Madeleine Sophie, Sr. McMonagle was not deterred by obstacles or challenges; she faced them head on and the fruits of her work are evident in our success today.
I will miss my one of my more prominent predecessors dearly; she believed as much in Forest Ridge today as when she brought us to this sacred space in 1970. Please join me in remembering Sr. McMonagle in our prayers and thoughts.
Peace and blessings upon you and your families during this Eastertide,
Mark
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In the Wake of a Tragedy
12/14/2012
Today, the devastating news from Sandy Hook Elementary School touched not only Newtown, Connecticut, but the entire nation. While we cannot imagine the depth of the pain experienced by the relatives of these victims – in particular, the parents of the innocent children who were killed – we can share our deep sympathy and heartfelt prayers for all affected by this tragedy. As parents and educators, we understand intrinsically how devastating this news is to hear. We also know the struggles this community will face as they begin to process this debilitating experience.
My thoughts today also go to the parents of the Forest Ridge community. Each day, you entrust your most precious gift – your daughter – to our care. As parents, you take a leap of faith whenever you let your child leave the safety of your home to explore the wider world. Events such as those of today can make that leap a faith a frightening prospect. Please know that we take the responsibility for the care and safety of your children very seriously. Their security is our primary concern. I want to reassure all parents that as a school community, we have numerous safety procedures in place and practice these procedures frequently, always mindful of the safety of your daughters.
As this tragedy in Connecticut continues to unfold, I know that all of us – including our students – may struggle to make sense of this utterly senseless situation. Please know that your daughters’ teachers and our counseling staff are available at any time should your daughter wish to share her feelings (and possibly her fears) about this terrible event. Click here for some suggestions for talking to children about tragic events.
The best gift we can offer our community now is a reaffirming, safe, reassuring presence for our students. We also should be assured that there is a blessed sanctity in our normal routine—we are doing God’s work with our students.
In closing, I would like to share this prayer for the victims, their families, and for all of us:
A Prayer for Peace of Mind
Almighty God, We bless you for our lives, we give you praise for your abundant mercy and grace we receive. We thank you for your faithfulness even though we are not that faithful to you.
Lord Jesus, we ask you to give us all around peace in our mind, body, soul and spirit. We want you to heal and remove everything that is causing stress, grief, and sorrow in our lives.
Please guide our path through life and make our enemies be at peace with us. Let your peace reign in our family, at our place of work, businesses and everything we lay our hands on.
Let your angels of peace go ahead of us when we go out and stay by our side when we return. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Most sincerely,
Mark
Mark Pierotti
Head of School
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Founded in 1907, Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, all-girls, independent, college-preparatory school serving students in grades 5 through 12. As a member of the worldwide Network of Sacred Heart Schools, we educate each student to the following goals:
- a personal and active faith in God
- a deep respect for intellectual values
- a social awareness which impels to action
- the building of community as a Christian value
- personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom
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| | On behalf of the Forest Ridge community, I am delighted to welcome you to the Forest Ridge website. I hope that it will convey to you the excitement and vitality that is Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. Exciting things are going on in the 105-year-old life of Forest Ridge. We begin the 2012-2013 school year with the opening of our new Residential Life Program -more than 25 International Students have joined our community and we are thrilled about that! We continue to work together with our board members, faculty, staff, alumnae, parents, students and friends to evaluate our facilities and programming in a prayerful and deliberate fashion and work toward continuing to provide the most effective and forward-thinking education possible for the students we serve, including launching a new campus master planning process.
This year, we also welcome several new faculty, staff and administrators who bring a variety of skills, experience and fresh perspectives to our campus community. And, there is a great excitement growing around our Women as Global Leaders Program as we come to an understanding that Women as Global Leaders is woven into the fabric of our school!
I hope your journey through this portal will provide you with a taste of what makes Forest Ridge not only a school of excellence, but a familiar and welcoming place to our alumnae and friends.
Mark Pierotti
Head of School |
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