Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Texas)

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
File:Duchesne-logo-sm.gif
Location
Houston , Texas United States
Information
Type	Independent
Motto	Educate to a personal and active faith in God.
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)	Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
Established	1960
Headmistress	Jan Dunn, RSCJ
Faculty	85
Enrollment	677
Average class size	14
Student to teacher ratio	8:1
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Blue and Gold
Athletics	15 Sports
Mascot	Chargers
Website	www.duchesne.org

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (pronounced doo-SHEN IPA pronunciation: duˈʃɛn) is a combined primary and secondary girls' school located at 10202 Memorial Drive in Houston, Texas. It offers a college preparatory education for young women.

Duchesne, which enrolls girls from pre-Kindergarten to the 12th grade, is a part of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Duchesne is in the Memorial area and is east of the city of Hunters Creek Village.

History

Duchesne was established in 1960 as a part of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools [1] and is named after Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, co-founder of The Society of the Sacred Heart.

File:Dash whitehouse-sm.jpg

The White House at Duchesne Academy

Student body

Duchesne had 624 students during the 2003-2004 school year [2]. 24% of Duchesne students were not non-Hispanic White American.

Goals and criteria

The Network of Sacred Heart Schools, since its founding, has been guided by a set of moral and educational Goals and Criteria. Duchesne Academy teaches according to these goals and criteria:

Goal 1: Educate to a personal and active faith in God.

Goal 2: Educate to a deep respect for intellectual values.

Goal 3: Educate to a social awareness which impels to action.

Goal 4: Educate to the building of community as a Christian value.

Goal 5: Educate to personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.

Divisions

Lower School

The Lower School of Duchesne encompasses students pre-kindergarten through 4th grade. In addition to ordinary courses, computer, art, religion, and French classes are also taught. The day starts for all students from Kindergarten though Fourth grade at 7:55 am and ends at 3:10. For the majority of Pre- kindergarten students, the day ends at 1:00. There is an additional activity period for those Pre-K students whose parents wish them to stay until 3:10 -- the "3 o'clock girls", as colloquially called. In the afternoon, all students are dismissed from The Dome, a covered outdoor gym adjacent to the playground.

Middle School

Duchesne's middle school begins in 5th grade, a major entry point for those wishing to enroll in Duchesne, and there are separate teachers and class groups for each course. As opposed to the more unified activities in Lower School, those in Middle School have the opportunity to join sports teams, try out for plays, or become a member of a club, giving the Middle Schoolers a more independent view.

Upper School

Social awareness is amplified in the upper school, with required community service and student projects. Productions and publications also grow to be a more salient part of everyday life, while academic studies remain intensely competitive.

School uniforms

Duchesne requires school uniforms for all of its students.

See Also

• The Regis School of the Sacred Heart - Duchesne's brother school
• St. Thomas High School - Duchesne's high school brother school

External links

• Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart - Official website
• Network of Sacred Heart Schools - Sacred Heart schools in the United States
• Catholic Community Forum - St. Rose Philippine Duchesne biography