About

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access (DEIA)

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

What is the good of teaching various subjects, of wasting time in learning them, if at the same time we cannot teach children the words of life and touch their hearts and their consciences?
Creating an inclusive and caring environment has been the hallmark of a Sacred Heart education since 1801, and is the metric by which we gauge our progress. We have learned many lessons along the way—namely that we, too, have an obligation to look at and honor the experiences of all students so that our culture reflects the rich traditions and heritage of historically underrepresented groups.

At Sacred Heart, we invite all students, faculty, and staff to bring their whole selves to the community, inside and outside of the classroom, because we know that the best learning environment is one in which students have the opportunity to participate in lively dialogue and the exchange of ideas with people from every walk of life. The future of our world and our planet depends on leaders who have the capacity to reach across artificial boundaries to build a world in which all human beings and the planet thrive. 

SHS Board of Trustees Commitment

List of 2 frequently asked questions.

  • Resolution: Promoting Racial Justice at SHS


    Re-committing to its 2004 resolution to address racial injustice in the school and school community, in fall of 2020 the SHS Board of Trustees proposed a more comprehensive and updated document around DEIA: Resolution from the Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton Board of Trustees Promoting Racial Justice. 

    Following an unanimous vote, this document was adopted and is now further serving to guide all DEIA-related work and initiatives undertaken by the school and school leadership.
  • Resolution: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access

    Every Sacred Heart School in the United States subscribes to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education.  Therefore, sensitivity to, and support of, the diversification of the campus at all levels is part of the essential nature of a Sacred Heart School. 

    Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton holds as its particular mission the inclusion of diverse people at all levels of campus life and the development of programs to support the unique needs of each student.
    To this end the SHS Board of Trustees adopts the following goals:
    • The Board seeks to diversify its own membership
    • The Board commits itself to support programs that edify all members of our community.
    The Board calls the administration to:
    • Commit to the recruitment of administrators, faculty, staff and students from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds;
    • Develop programs that help retain and graduate students from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds; and
    • Create an environment of support for all members of our community
    Specifically, in regard to students, it is the goal of Sacred Heart Schools that:
    • The financial aid program be sufficient to support each applicant on a need-blind acceptance basis;
    • No student be marginalized in any campus activity;
    • No student will be unable to attend school or a school activity because of financial constraints;
    • Campus activities be organized with an awareness of and respect for our community’s socio-economic diversity; and
    • Sufficient support programs be developed to help students achieve a “level playing field” in academics, social and extra-curricular activities.
     

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Initiatives and Committees

List of 2 frequently asked questions.

  • Goal IV Steering Committee

    Named for the fourth commitment in our SHS Goals and Criteria - Goal IV: The building of community as a Christian value -  the Goal IV Steering Committee is designated by the Board of Trustees with senior administrative support to:
    • enact the diversity & inclusion initiative of Vision 2025 (Strategic Plan); 
    • be responsible for articulating, prioritizing, and measuring schoolwide EAI goals; and
    • commit to strategizing ways to modify our existing practices (or create new practices) that better align with SHS’s mission.


  • Racial Justice Task Force

    The purpose of the Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF) is to develop a strategic, institutional plan to promote racial justice at Sacred Heart with clear outcomes and metrics. Utilizing community input, including personal experiences shared by current and former SHS educators, students, alumni, and parents, we intend to help develop the institutional position with clarity ex ante, to be able to more fully, clearly, and expediently identify and address issues in our community as they arise.

Educational Access Initiatives

List of 2 frequently asked questions.

  • Sophie's Scholars Program

    Created to both build a broad student population that will deepen the educational experience within the SHS classrooms and community, and to ensure and support student access and success through high school and beyond, the Sophie's Scholars Program (SSP) is an initiative composed of three main parts: the Middle School Cohort, attendance at SHP and college program.
  • Barat College Access Fund (BCAF)

    Awarded to select SHP students who have met program pre-requisites but who may not otherwise be able to enroll at college due to limited resources, recipients of the Barat College Access Fund are given financial assistance to supplement traditional college financial aid programs, in order to meet tuition and other related college costs and significantly limit—or eliminate—the burden of student and family loans.

DEIA Program Contacts

List of 6 members.

  • Photo of Kathryn Motroni-Fish

    Kathryn Motroni-Fish 

    Director of Mission & Ministry - SHS
  • Photo of Benjamin Su

    Benjamin Su 

    Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access
  • Photo of Marissa Castañeda

    Marissa CastaƱeda 

    Director Sophie's Scholars Program
  • Photo of Brisa Diaz

    Brisa Diaz 

    Director of Mission & Culture - LMS
  • Photo of Spenser Leverett

    Spenser Leverett 

    Student Services Coordinator, SHP
  • Photo of Cecilia Sobalvarro

    Cecilia Sobalvarro 

    Family Services Coordinator - OMCS

Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

150 Valparaiso Ave
Atherton, CA 94027
650 322 1866
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12