Sacred Heart School, Allentown

SCHOOL
SNAPSHOT
Background/history: Sacred Heart
School (SHS), Allentown is a regional
school that serves Sacred Heart of Jesus
and St. Stephen of Hungary, Allentown and
the surrounding community.
It was established in 1905 to promote
the spiritual, educational, social, emotional
and physical development of each student.
As a Christ-centered community of faith,
SHS is committed to educating the whole
child within an atmosphere of love of God,
self, family and others.
SHS believes the relationship between
teacher and student is based on cooperation and respect. Teachers provide students with a safe atmosphere that is conducive to learning and growth. Aside from
educating the whole child, SHS cares for
its students and constantly strives to build
their self-esteem.
Tinesta Rowe, SHS alumna, is living
proof of the self-esteem she developed
while attending the school and mastering
the English language.
“This school has helped me improve
my vocabulary skills and develop my intelligence, so I feel much more confident
when talking to others. It has also helped
me to know more about places other than
Allentown by planning trips all over. Since
I’ve been here, this school has helped improve my English, math, science and religion, along with my speed when working,"
she said.
Enrollment: The school has 306 students in kindergarten through eighth grade
and 22 students in the pre-kindergarten
program. The student-teacher ratio is 26:1.
Mission: The family of SHS celebrates
the diversity of its growing community
through faith-based education. Faculty and
staff unite to promote the spiritual, educational and physical well-being of students.
The school’s goal is to pave the way for
future successes, striving to develop a
compassionate, morally responsible member of society.
Principal and teacher biographies:
James Krupka was appointed principal of
SHS in 1991 after teaching at St. Ann
School, Emmaus. Krupka attended St. John
Vianney Regional School, Allentown
(former Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena
School) and graduated from Allentown
Central Catholic High School (ACCHS). He
earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Kutztown University and is
engaged in continuing education at Lehigh
University, Bethlehem.
Krupka’s wife Diana is also an ACCHS
graduate. Three of his children, Alexander,
Elizabeth and Nicolas, are ACCHS graduates, and his daughter Natalie is a freshman at ACCHS. His mother Agnes is a Dis-
Sacred Heart School, Allentown
tinguished Alumni of ACCHS.
Krupka believes in guiding the faculty
and students in reaching academic success and in maintaining relationships with
local business professionals to round out
their experience at SHS.
“Our school offers the students a variety of academic and social opportunities
with a variety of area business partners.
Students are exposed to real life opportunities, which make their spiritual and aca-
“It is nice to see students who have
graduated from Sacred Heart bring their
children back to the school to get their education. It shows that we have made the
parents’ educational experience special,”
said Klotz.
SHS is also
pleased
to
have added
Lidia Duch
(Marroquin),
As a Christ-centered community of faith,
SHS is committed to educating the whole
child within an atmosphere of love of God,
self, family and others.
demic developments relevant to their lives.
The practical application of skills is very
important,” said Krupka.
Kim Klotz joined the SHS faculty as an
eighth grade teacher in 1995. She attended
the former Cathedral of St. Catherine of
Siena School, Allentown and graduated
from ACCHS. Klotz earned a bachelor of
science degree in elementary education
from York College, where she played basketball and softball.
During her tenure she has especially enjoyed reconnecting with former students.
an alumni from Sacred Heart, to the teaching staff.
“She is first of hopefully many graduates to give back to the school,” said
Krupka.
Special programs/technology/extracurricular activities: Spiritual Penance
Service (grades 3-8), Christmas Program,
Children’s Rosary, Art and Choir. Athletics
operated by the Catholic Youth Organization include baseball and basketball. Special events organized by SHS include Harvest Day, IronPigs Day, Sacred Heart Week
and an annual community basketball game.
The school is equipped with a computer
lab featuring desktop, notebook and laptop
computers.
The school has an honors program for
the students and offers families a variety
of scholarship opportunities for current
SHS students and graduates who attend
Catholic high school.
SHS and the parish of Sacred Heart of
Jesus, Allentown are also very proud of
the continuing relationship established
with their neighbors ACCHS and Sacred
Heart Hospital, Allentown.
The four organizations participate in
“Heart of the City Initiative,” which is a
multi-phase $960,000 public/private partnership to revitalize the neighborhood in
the areas of Fourth and Chew streets.
Pre-K and kindergarten programs:
Pre-kindergarten program runs Monday
through Thursday from 8 to 11 a.m. Preschool teachers have combined experience
of more than 20 years working with children of preschool age. The program promotes a fun-filled educational environment
that builds a foundation for success in
math, reading and writing skills.
Kindergarten is an all-day program and
offers rolling admission.
Extended care: None.
Academic achievements and awards:
Middle States accredited.
Catholic high schools attended:
ACCHS, Bethlehem Catholic High School
and Notre Dame High School, Easton.
Colleges and universities attended:
Alvernia University, Reading; DeSales
University, Center Valley; Lehigh University, Bethlehem; Kutztown
University; and Penn State
University.
Financial aid availability and transfer grants:
Scholarships available
through the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation. The school participates in the Bishop’s Commission on Catholic Schools
Transfer Grant Program, in
which students transferring
into grades 2-7 from a public
or private school can receive a $1,500 grant.
SHS also offers families a variety of scholarship opportunities for current students
and graduates who attend Catholic high
schools.
School contact information: 325 N.
Fourth St, Allentown, PA 18102, 610-4373031, [email protected], http://
shrschool.org.
Social media: Facebook page is “Sacred Heart Regional School” and Twitter is
https://twitter.com/SHRSAllentown.
School tours: Available Monday
through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., no
appointment necessary.