History
Our beginnings
School History
Foundation
Founded in 1953 as Sacred Heart School (SHS), the school immediately began building a strong reputation as a provider of high-quality primary (grades 1-8) education in Danville, Virginia. Four Sisters of Mercy from Merion, Pennsylvania, opened the school doors on September 9 with 67 students in a Victorian house at 344 West Main Street. While Sacred Heart has grown, the school remains the city’s first and only Catholic school and its oldest non-public school.
We start growing
Sacred Heart School moved to its current 540 Central Boulevard location. The site featured a newly constructed building and room to grow. The extra room was critical since SHS would begin an ongoing effort to modernize and improve the academic environment of the Sacred Heart student. Since the move, the school facility has grown to accommodate a growing student interest with several additions and upgrades.
Our middle school wing
SHS added a middle school wing that housed two offices, five classrooms, two computer labs, and an after school care room. The addition of the new middle school space greatly enhanced the school’s upper grades and began a process that introduced computer-based learning and technology into the academic curriculum.
The church was dedicated
The church was attached to the main structure and provided a central area for worship. Its presence provided a tangible reminder of a key focus at the school, a Christian education.
Technology has arrived
The school underwent technological updates which provided state of the art educational technology. This effort included new three computer labs, PolyVision, Smartboards, and iPads.
We change our name
The school approved its name change to the Sacred Heart Catholic School (SHCS) to better reflect the nature of the school and its proud tradition of excellence in Christian education.
