Convent of the Sacred Heart is an independent Roman Catholic all-girl school in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Teaching from pre-kindergarten all the way through to twelfth grade, it is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side at East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue.
The school is housed in the former Otto H. Kahn House and James A. Burden House, both of which are New York City-Designated Landmarks, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Founded in 1881 by the Society of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic congregation established in France in 1800, the school is New York City’s oldest private school for girls. The school was originally housed in a Manhattan brownstone on Madison Avenue at East 54th Street.
By the 1930s, the school had outgrown its Madison Avenue space and moved into the Kahn mansion. In 1940, the Society acquired the Burden mansion next door.
Membership and accreditation
In addition to being a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart and a part of the global Network of Sacred Heart Schools, a worldwide network of over 150 schools committed to the mission of a Sacred Heart education, the school is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools.
It is operated independently as part of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. The school is also associated with the New York Interschool Association.
Sacred Heart is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of Greater New York, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the European Council of International Schools, the International Schools Association and the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States.
While many students enjoy telling the tale of their time at Sacred heart. Many students of color have expressed concern of the lack of diversity.
Facilities
Sacred Heart is located in two historic mansions in the Carnegie Hill Historic District on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, at 1 East 91st Street and 7 East 91st Street, next to Central Park/5th Avenue and across the street from the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.
- 1 East 91st Street (Otto H. Kahn House) houses grade 5 through grade 12 (opened in 1934)
- 7 East 91st Street (James A. Burden House) houses pre-kindergarten through grade 4 (opened in 1940)
In September 2008, The Convent of the Sacred Heart purchased a facility located at 406 East 91st Street to create a new sports center. As of September 2014, the athletic center is open.
Within the buildings at 1 East 91st Street and 7 East 91st Street, there are:
- 3 Science Labs
- 1 Gymnasium
- 1 Performance Space
- 2 Photography Darkroom Studios
- 2 rooftop playgrounds
- Interactive Projectors in all classrooms for grades K-12
- 2 Libraries and Virtual Library Access
- Wireless Internet Access
Clubs and common-interest organizations
The school offers a range of clubs and activities for student participation, including the Habitat for Humanity International, Amnesty International, student council and forensics (public speaking).
- There are 40+ after-school activities available every fall, winter and spring to Lower School students.
- There are 40+ clubs and activities available to Middle School students.
- There are 30+ clubs and activities available to Upper School students.
Over 40% of the sophomore class study abroad on exchange for 3 to 10 weeks to other schools in the Sacred Heart network including schools in France and in Spain for 10 weeks, and to Australia, Italy, Ireland, Canada and Taiwan for 3 weeks.
Athletics
The school participates in eleven interscholastic sports disciplines.
There is a separate athletic building at 406 91st Street near 1st Ave.
Enrollment, tuition and fees
Tuition and Payment for the 2016-2017 School Year:
Pre-Kindergarten: $26,064 Junior Kindergarten: $38,000 Kindergarten - Grade 12Â : $46,524
- Average enrollment of students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12: 685
- The Lower School includes pre-kindergarten, junior kindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1 through 4
- The Middle School consists of grades 5 through 8
- The Upper School is made up of grades 9 through 12
- Students of color: 28%
- Average grade size (K-12): 50
- Student/Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Notable alumnae
