Sacred Heart Model School, founded by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, celebrates 100 years this year.
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre celebrated a special liturgy Sept. 25 to mark the anniversary. Students, staff, faculty, Ursuline Sisters, archdiocesan officials and at least three of the school’s past principals — Sister Catherine Franze, Dr. Mary Beth Bowling and Dr. Michael Bratcher — attended the Mass.
The Ursuline Sisters founded the school in 1924 on the 48-acre campus on Lexington Road — which the sisters purchased in 1877, according to a press release from the school.
The school served as a “model teaching environment” for students studying elementary education at Sacred Heart Junior College, the release said, explaining the source of its name.
“The sisters founded the model school, and the whole idea was the school would help educate teachers to be the model in best practices in teaching at the time. And those teachers went out and taught all over the archdiocese,” said Dr. Karen McNay in a recent interview. “This is supposed to be the best practice in Catholic education.
“We’re just blessed that now we walk in those footsteps and continue that” tradition of the Ursulines, said McNay, who is president of Sacred Heart Schools. “We walk behind them and just continue the wonderful work they began.”
Leah Mullen, Sacred Heart Model School’s principal, said it’s an exciting time for the school.
“There’s a lot of rich history and tradition that’s been established here,” Mullen said in a recent interview. “We work every day to carry out our name.”
Mullen noted the school has reached a record high in enrollment with a student body of 428. Though the school is growing, Mullen said it’s maintaining small class sizes.
Mullen said the school has enjoyed various highlights in the past few years.
Most notably, in 2013 the school received authorization for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The program aims to “develop internationally minded citizens and educate the whole person through a comprehensive approach that empowers our students to become world-ready leaders by developing a principled, caring, and knowledgeable response to the world around them,” according to the school’s website.
Mullen said the Middle Years Programme emphasizes mastery of certain skills, including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, research and self-management. These skills are embedded in the classwork.
The model school has been named a National Blue Ribbon School twice — in 2001 and 2008, according to the release.
McNay said the school’s Catholic identity and Ursuline charism are of chief importance.
“When it comes to our faith, Sacred Heart Schools, as a whole, has worked very hard,” she said, noting that the school created an Office of Catholic Identity and Ursuline Charism in 2022.
“We have made a huge concerted effort to make sure our Catholic faith and our Ursuline core values and charism are alive in everything we do,” she said.
Members of the faculty and staff took part in a faith formation program this year, she noted.
“That is new. It’s been really welcomed to have time that we can just work on our community and our relationship with God,” McNay said.
In addition to its regular religion class work, the school also offers the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — a Montessori-based teaching method that focuses on offering children an encounter with Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd.
Looking ahead, McNay said she hopes to see growth in several areas, including in the school’s science, technology, engineering and math offerings, in its Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program and athletics.
“The one wonderful thing about Sacred Heart Schools is that we’re always improving. I have to give great credit to the faculty and staff of the model school and to Ms. Mullen for their continued work to improve and support students,” McNay added.
