Convent of the Sacred Heart (New York)

Convent of the Sacred Heart is the oldest independent, all-girls school in Manhattan. It is one of the best private schools in New York City. A private Catholic school from Pre-k through 12th grade, it is located in New York City on East 91st and Fifth Avenue, founded in 1881. The school is housed in the Otto Kahn and James A. Burden Jr. mansions, which are both New York City Landmark Buildings. Convent of the Sacred Heart celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2006.

Sacred Heart was made famous by the Kennedy girls.

History

The school was founded in 1881. Sister Nancy Salisbury, RSCJ was the headmistress for 20 years starting in 1980. She overhauled the school's curriculum, upgraded its facilities and nearly doubled its enrollment.

Recognition

In 1990, the school received a Blue Ribbon Award for Academic Excellence from the United States Department of Education. In 2006, Convent of the Sacred Heart was voted the number one girls' private school in New York City. In 2007, Sacred Heart ranked the leader in the nation for Advanced Placement courses Studio Art and French Language by the College Board, calling the convent a "model for schools worldwide" .

Accreditation and Membership

Sacred Heart is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and member of the National Association of Independent Schools. The school is a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart schools and is part of the global Network of Sacred Heart Schools.

It is operated independently within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Notable Alumnae

• Lourdes Benedicto
• Caroline Kennedy
• Christa Miller
• Nicky Hilton
• Jordana Brewster
• Emily Hamilton
• Emily Rutherfurd
• Elaine Stritch
• Gloria Vanderbilt
• Lady Gaga
• Moira Kelly
• Maria Shriver

Media Appearances

• The Anderson Tapes (1971)
• Nine to Five (1980)
• Law & Order
• Night at the Museum (2006)
• Working Girl (1988)
• A Perfect Murder (1998)
• The Verdict with Paul Newman(1982)
• Scrubs (Season 1)
• Cashmere Mafia (Season 1)
• Gossip Girl (Book series), contain's the line "two little Sacred Heart girls in their cute red and white checked pinafores were walking an enormous black Rottweiler" on page 86 in the first novel of the series.

External links

• Convent of the Sacred Heart
• Sacred Heart Network
• The Associated Alumnae/Alumni of the Sacred Heart
• Burden/Kahn Mansion
• Information on the Otto Kahn Mansion
• New York Times article about the restoration of the Burden Mansion

References