2025-2026 Upper School Back-to-School Information
Upper School Key Contacts
In order to foster positive and productive family communication and relationships, you can find a list of key faculty to contact if you have particular questions, concerns, or suggestions here.
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 on the school website, 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 Upper School. The handbook will be shared in the coming weeks, and we will send an email when it is ready for review.
Upper School Schedule & Attendance
Daily Schedule: The daily schedule for the 2025-2026 school year can be found here.
Please note school hours in the Upper School:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:25 a.m.–3:25 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:25 a.m.–2:35 p.m.
Individual Student Schedules
Individual student schedules will be available to students on the Student Portal in mid-August. Look for an email from your Academic Dean with instructions when the schedules are posted.
Attendance:
In order for students to excel individually and in order for us to cultivate a strong community, it is essential for students to be present in school.
Attendance is taken at the beginning of every period, including Morning Meeting, and students are marked tardy if they are not present at the start of each period. Students are required to attend events that are deemed mandatory, such as all school assemblies, liturgies, retreats, Congé, Field Day, and Prize Day. Students may only be excused from a required event by the Head of Upper School. All events are listed on the school calendar. Families and students will have access to absence and tardiness information on the progress page of the school portal, Blackbaud. Please note that the absence information will be shown by class period, not by day.
If a student misses more than 20% of scheduled class periods (approximately 10 class periods), a parent meeting will be scheduled with her teacher(s) and academic dean. 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 her future course placement should she be considered for an Advanced or Honors course.
Reporting Attendance:
If a student is absent, tardy, or requests an early dismissal, a parent/guardian must notify the school by 10:00 a.m. using the Student Absent Tracker in the Parent Portal. If a student is not in school and notification has not been received, her parents will be contacted.
If a student is dismissed early, she must sign out in the Upper School office prior to leaving the building. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
A doctor’s note should be presented to the Upper School office when a student misses part of or a full day of school for medical reasons. If a student is diagnosed with a contagious illness (strep, covid, flu, etc.), the school nurse must be notified. You can contact the nurse via email (tiedemannk@cshct.org) or via phone at 203-532-3586.
If a student will miss school for a planned event or any other reason (e.g., service trip, exchange, medical appointment), she must complete a Planned Absence Form and discuss with her teachers a plan to ensure she is in good academic standing upon her return to school. The Planned Absence Form can be accessed on the student portal. Once the student has completed the form online, the parent must e-sign the firm via the “Upper School” section of the Parent Portal. The student’s Academic Dean will then e-sign the form.
Sacred Heart Greenwich provides ample vacation time during the school year. Absences due to family trips or extended vacations during the academic year are not excused and are strongly discouraged. If extenuating circumstances make such an extension necessary, the student must complete the Planned Absence Form as outlined above.
Summer Work:
Information on summer work was shared with students and parents on June 13, 2025. To view assignments, please click on the Sacred Heart Greenwich Upper School Summer Site and in the “Upper School Summer Site” link in both the Parent and Student Portals.
Books & Supplies
The book list was shared on June 13, 2025 with details on where books can be ordered for the first day of classes. If you are a recipient of tuition assistance, please contact Katie Cullinane regarding financial support for textbooks.
Ordering Textbooks:
When you log in to the school website, the Upper School Summer Site is linked in both the Parent and Student Portals. It can also be accessed at the Sacred Heart Greenwich Upper School Summer Site. This site includes a textbook and reading list by course.
Parents: To know which books to purchase, you can find your daughter’s courses for next year by logging into the Parent Portal.
- Click on your daughter’s name on the navigation bar, or choose your daughter’s name from the “Children” drop-down if you have more than one daughter at the school.
- Click “Course Requests.” Scheduled courses are listed as Enrolled under “Selected Requests” on the right side of the page. Please note that this course list will be available for viewing from Friday, June 13- Friday, August 15.
Students: To help guide your textbook purchases and see the courses for which you are enrolled next year, log into your Student Portal.
- Click on “My Day,” then click the link for “Course Requests.” Your courses for next year are listed on the right-hand side of the page under “My Requests.” Please note that this course list will be available for viewing from Friday, June 13- Friday, August 15.
The scheduling team worked to build a schedule that accommodated most students’ first-choice requests; however, scheduling nuances may have led to the need to offer alternative options, which, therefore, would be reflected within the student’s course list.
Textbook Ordering Process: Most books are available for purchase through BNC K-12 (Validation Code SHG1177). If you choose to order from an alternate vendor, please use the listed ISBN number to ensure the proper book is ordered.
A reminder that faculty ask that you purchase new copies of paperback literature and workbooks, as students will be encouraged to highlight and make notes in those books.
Supplies:
Please note that there is no supply list for courses in the upper school. Students can choose items that best support their learning style. Some teachers may share limited suggestions at the beginning of the year, but supplies are generally student preference.
Cell Phone and Smart Watch Policy
The Upper School is a student cellphone- and smartwatch-free zone during school hours (8:25 a.m.–3:25 p.m.).
Students will turn in their cell phones and smart watches upon arrival each day, and they will be redistributed at the end of each school day. If a senior signs out to leave campus, according to the senior privilege policy, she will receive her phone from the Upper School main office and must turn it back in once she returns to campus and signs back in. Should you wish to send a message to your daughter during the school day, we kindly ask that you either reach out to the Upper School office by phone (203) 532-3544 or email (angiolillob@cshct.org) and copy the Assistant Head of Upper School for Student Life (panarellak@cshct.org), or email your daughter directly. We will forward messages to students as needed. Please see the Parent/Student Handbook for more information.
Uniforms
Students are expected to follow dress code regulations from 8:25 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. See Upper School Uniform Requirements for more information. You can order Uniform items on the school website. Please review closely and if you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Panarella, Assistant Head of Upper School for Student Life.
Upper School Advisory Program
Students will receive a message from their advisors prior to the first day of school. Every student in the Upper School has a faculty member who serves as her advisor for her four years in the Upper School. The Advisor monitors each student’s well-being and serves as the student’s advocate. Advisory meets twice per cycle, and during these periods, students explore their own growth and develop a respect for self and others while creating a community in which all feel welcomed and respected.
In the 2025-2026 school year, we will continue our partnership with the Social Institute and utilize their resources in order to educate students on healthy and responsible use of technology and social media. This partnership also provides families with exclusive access to our Parent Toolkit. The directions for accessing the toolkit can be found here. Parent Toolkit Sign-Up Instructions. In the toolkit, you will find:
The Playbooks feature expert breakdowns of the most popular apps and platforms and offer tips on how students can use them positively. The Family Huddles reinforce important topics through casual conversation. Families can also build their own Family Social Standards Agreement around positive social media and tech use.
Class Retreats
Retreats: A key element in a Sacred Heart Greenwich education is developing a personal and active faith in God. For this reason, we are again aligning our retreat program during the first semester to enable our students to foster this vital relationship throughout the year. Please note that students are required to participate in one retreat each academic year to fulfill graduation requirements.
- Our freshmen will participate in a retreat at school during the day on Thursday, December 11, 2025
- Our juniors will engage in their Kairos retreat Thursday, December 11, 2025 - Saturday, December 13, 2025
- Our sophomores will participate in an overnight retreat Thursday, December 11, 2025 - Friday, December 12, 2025
- Our seniors will participate in an overnight retreat Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - Thursday, September 11, 2025
- For Seniors: Please read your retreat letter below and complete the permission slips by Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
- CLASS OF 2026 RETREAT LETTER
Key Fall Dates
Please make sure to mark these upcoming dates on your calendar as we launch the year together! I encourage you to review the 2025-2026 school calendar and check it periodically as sometimes changes in dates and times become necessary.
Senior Portraits & Gate Picture: Monday, August 25, 9 am - 1 pm
Senior Bonding Trip: Monday, August 25, 5:00 - 10:30 pm
9th Grade Overnight Bonding Trip: Wednesday, August 27, Thursday, August 28
Upper School Orientation: Tuesday, September 2, 9:00 am - 10:30am
Note: this is for 9th grade students and families AND new 10th and 11th grade students and families
First Day of School: Wednesday, September 3, 8:25 am - 2:35 pm
Parents’ Association Welcome Coffee & Parent Blessing: Friday, September 5, 8:30 - 10:00 am
Senior Retreat: Wednesday, September 10 - Thursday, September 11
Upper School Photos (grades 9 - 11): Friday, September 12
Senior College Night: Tuesday, September 16, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Practice ACT: Saturday, September 20, 7:30 am - 12:00 pm
Senior Lunch with Mr. Baber: Monday, September 22
Mass of the Holy Spirit: Thursday, September 25, 10:00 am
Upper School Back to School Night: Thursday, September 25, 6:00 - 8:00 pm