2025-2026 Middle School Back-to-School Information

Middle School Key Contacts
In order to foster positive and productive family communication and relationships, you can find a list here of key faculty to contact if you have particular questions, concerns, or suggestions, and who your first points of contact.

Student Circle of Support
At Sacred Heart Greenwich, we support both the academic and social-emotional development of each student through individualized and programmatic resources.  You can find the Circle of Support document here.

Student Success Initiative
We are dedicated to empowering every student to reach her full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. To support this mission, we are proud to introduce the Student Success Initiative, a comprehensive initiative offering personalized enrichment and support opportunities to inspire growth in every learner. This initiative solidifies our commitment to equipping each student with the skills and confidence to thrive and excel both in the classroom and beyond.

Student and Parent Portals
As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, please take time to visit the Student and Parent Portals, where you will find essential information for the beginning of school. Please read everything carefully, including the Updated Parent/Student Handbook, and make sure to update/sign all necessary forms, which were due by July 19, 2025, and August 1, 2025.

Parent/Student Handbook
The Sacred Heart Greenwich Student Handbook provides detailed information about important school policies and procedures for the entire school, with a specific section covering all aspects of life in the Middle School. The handbook will be shared in the coming weeks, and we will send an email when it is ready for review. 

Daily Schedule 2025-2026
The daily schedule for the 2025-2026 school year can be found here. Please note that Middle School Meeting Time will not follow the rotation, and we will be holding Gathering every Friday during that time.

Please note the school hours in the Middle School:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30 a.m.–3:25 p.m. 
Wednesday: 8:30 a.m.–2:35 p.m.
** Sports Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 3:15 - 4:15 pm (some games on Thursdays)

Cellphone and Smartwatch Policy
Sacred Heart Greenwich is a cellphone- and smartwatch-free zone. Students turn their cellphones and smartwatches in upon arrival in the Middle School hallways. If they attend FLEX time in the Athletic Center, phones should be off and in their backpacks. Cellphones and smartwatches are not to be on between 8:00 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. (If students are participating in  sports, phones should be off until after sports.)

  • Students leaving for sports practices or games should not use their cellphones or smartwatches until after practice. At no time should students be walking while on their phones. This is for everyone’s safety.
  • Students who don’t turn in their cellphones or smartwatches will receive an infraction. They must come to pick up their phones or smartwatches before they leave for the day and have a conversation with an administrator. 

Please see the Parent/Student Handbook for more information or click here to read the Cell Phone Policy.

Middle School Attendance
Start time: The Middle School day begins at 8:30 a.m.; FLEX time is available from 8:00 to 8:25 a.m. FLEX time includes opportunities for extra help from teachers, quiet study in designated early rooms, playtime in the Athletic Center, and access to the snack bar in the Athletic Center.  

Note: There are 8 a.m. start times on specific testing days during the year noted on the school calendar.

Attendance is formally taken during the Morning Meeting, which begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. Students are required upon arrival at school to turn off their cellphones/smartwatches and turn them in at the designated locations. Students are not permitted to use their cellphones/smartwatches during school hours. If students are in the Athletic Center during FLEX time, they must ensure their phones are off and stored in their backpacks. 

End of Day: School ends at 3:25 p.m. each day, except on Wednesday there is an early dismissal of 2:35 p.m. for any student not participating in sports. MS athletic practices will continue to be 3:15–4:15 p.m. each day. Early dismissals are strongly discouraged.

After School: Students may not be in classrooms after 3:25 p.m. unless they are working with a teacher. All students on campus after 3:25 p.m. should report to the library or to Salisbury Hall for pickup.

Daily Attendance
If a student will be absent, arriving late, or dismissed early, a parent/guardian must notify the school by 10:00 a.m. using the Student Absence Tracker in the Parent Portal. If a student is not in school and notification has not been received, the parents/guardian will be contacted. For all late arrivals and early departures, students must sign in/out in the Middle School office before leaving the building. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action. If the school has not received notice, the student will not be permitted to leave.

If a student misses more than 10 class periods in any given class in a semester (20% of a scheduled class period), a parent meeting will be scheduled with the Assistant Head of Middle School for Student Life and/or Dean of Students to discuss the impediments of regular attendance to the class. Additionally, we will require work to be completed to make up for lost class time and/or may deny advancement to the next grade. If a student misses school regularly, this will impact their future course placement.

Student & Parent Attendance View on School Blackbaud Portal
Parents and students will have access to absence and tardy information on the progress page of the school portal, blackbaud. The absence information will be shown by class, not specifically by day.  

Early Dismissal
Any student who is leaving early for any reason other than illness must sign out of the Middle School office. Failure to sign out will result in disciplinary action.

  • Appointments of any kind should be scheduled outside of school hours whenever possible. If a student must arrive late or leave school early for an appointment, a parent/guardian must notify the school by 10:00 a.m. using the Student Absent Tracker in the Parent Portal. 
  • If a student becomes ill while at school, she needs to see a faculty or staff member, who will send her to the nurse. The nurse will recommend the proper course of action. If she needs to go home, the nurse will call her parents to come and pick her up. She should not call home and ask to be picked up. A student may be released because of illness only by the school nurse.
  • From time to time, a student may have an early dismissal due to an Athletic Contest. In these cases, students must reach out to the teacher in advance and coordinate with classmates to get missed notes.  Students are responsible for making up the missed work.

A doctor’s note should be presented to the Middle School office when a student misses any part of the school day for medical reasons. If a student is diagnosed with a contagious illness (strep, COVID-19, flu, etc.), the school nurse must be notified via email (tiedemannk@cshct.org) or phone (203-532-3586).

Change of Departure
If there is a change in how a student normally departs school (e.g., not taking the bus but being picked up by car or going home with another family), a parent/guardian must complete the Change of Departure form located in the Parent Portal.

School Supplies
This school supply list was shared earlier this summer. Please bring them on the first day of school. To view the list by grade click here. 

Summer Assignments
I am sure students have been working to complete summer assignments. Summer assignments are designed to promote continued learning and ensure we are able to retrieve information learned in the prior year. Summer assignments can be accessed by clicking this link. Please note that the summer math work is required, and students will be assessed on this information upon our return to school and after we have had time for appropriate review. 

For Rising 5th & 6th Graders:
In addition to the regular math summer work, we have also extended their IXL membership and loaded student-specific content based on their math exam results to provide them with additional practice. This is highly recommended and encouraged. 

Middle School Advisory Program
Students will be hearing from their advisors prior to the first day of school.  In the Middle School, all students are assigned an advisor. The advisory meets approximately twice per cycle with students during a designated advisory period. Advisors and students engage in discussions, activities, and dialogue designed to build relationships/connections, promote decision-making skills, and encourage balance in all aspects of their lives.   

Snacks
Students should bring healthy snacks from home to eat during the daily midmorning break and during afternoon study hall. Examples of healthy snacks include fruit, carrots, juice, etc. Please remember that we are a peanut- and tree nut-aware school. Soda, energy drinks, and candy are not allowed at any time except at occasional special functions. Students should bring a refillable water bottle to school every day. The Snack Bar will NOT be open during Middle School snack time, other than as an eighth-grade privilege on special days.

Uniforms
Students must be in complete uniform every day. Here is a link to the Middle School uniform requirements. Any student out of uniform will be sent to the Middle School office and given appropriate uniform wear from the uniform box. Students will receive a uniform infraction if they are found out of uniform later that day or if coming to school out of uniform becomes a repeated offense. Exceptions include the day on which a student celebrates her birthday and designated civvies days. On these days, students are permitted to wear non-uniform clothes.

As noted above, students do have several special dress days throughout the year. Please refer to our Special Dress Attire requirements for more information. 

Key August & September Dates
Please make sure to mark these upcoming dates on your calendar as we launch the year together. The main school calendar is located on our website and can be accessed by logging in and clicking “Calendar” in the heading. This calendar is updated often. 

  • Success at Sacred Heart (SASH) for all New Students:
    Tuesday, August 19th - Thursday August 21st, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.:
    All students new to the Middle School (this includes all rising 5th graders) are invited to this program, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. each morning. It is designed to help students transition smoothly into our Middle School as they build connections and feel confident before the first day of school. Attendance is highly encouraged. There is no cost and you can sign up using this link. 
  • New Parent Information and Orientation: 
    Tuesday, August 19th, 8:40 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.:
    All parents who are dropping off their children at SASH are invited to a new parent orientation. We will review our communication system, discipline, events, and how to maximize the benefits of Middle School for your family, as well as the advisory program. We will have time for questions at the end.
  • Middle School New Student Orientation (students & parents): 
    Tuesday, September 2nd, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.:
    All fifth-grade and new sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students and parents are invited to our new student orientation, where they will meet their teachers, learn more about their schedules, and get familiar with their academic spaces.
  • First Day of School: Wednesday, September 3rd,  8:30 a.m. - 2:35 p.m. 
  • Middle School Back to School Night: Thursday, September 18th, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
  • Mass of the Holy Spirit: Thursday, September 25th, 10:00 a.m.