Mission & Goals

The Regis School of the Sacred Heart is an independent Catholic school where boys become scholars and gentlemen in the Sacred Heart tradition.

In 1800, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in Amiens, France. St. Philippine Duchesne traveled to the United States and established the first American girls’ school in St. Charles, Missouri in 1818.

The Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart for girls was opened in Houston, Texas in 1960. The Regis School of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1990 in Houston, Texas by a group of families whose daughters attended Duchesne. These families wanted to give their sons the same advantage and opportunity of a Sacred Heart education. On August 19, 1991, our first student body of 38 attended opening day at the school’s first location at Holy Cross Lutheran Church.

Regis bears the name of St. John Francis Regis, a 17th century Jesuit priest, who is known for his devotion to social service and social justice. Regis is a member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools and as such, is committed to establishing an educational community in the Sacred Heart tradition. 

The Regis School of the Sacred Heart’s core strength is teaching boys and creating scholars and gentlemen. The Sacred Heart Goals and educational mission of faith, intellect, service, community, and maturity undergird all instruction the boys receive. Based upon the Goals, Regis students move through a deliberate progression from a guided learner to an active participant to an effective contributor, and ultimately to become an engaged leader.

THE REGIS EXPERIENCE FACILITATES

• a faith-filled environment for spiritual growth (Goal I)
• an atmosphere where boys are inspired to create, innovate, lead, and serve (Goal II)
• the development of compassionate and respectful gentlemen who respond to the needs of others (Goal III)
• the formation of a brotherhood (Goal IV)
• an environment that equips boys for success (Goal V)

Many treasured traditions help to make Regis and all Sacred Heart Schools unique. This glossary of terms will help you learn about some of the traditions our students celebrate each year. While some of these activities are distinctive to Regis, many are observed throughout the worldwide Sacred Heart Network, further linking us with our global community.

Each School in the Sacred Heart Network goes through a process of self-study and reflection designed to help the school community assess its engagement with the Goals & Criteria. They do so with the Network's Sacred Heart Commission on Goals (SHCOG). This process starts with a self-evaluation and a written reflection compiled by the Self-Study Steering Committee and culminates with a set of recommendations by the Action Plan Steering Committee. Both groups include representatives from every part of the Regis community, working with the Network's SHCOG team. Regis is currently enacting a five-year Action Plan that was developed in the Spring of 2019 and will be implemented throughout the next five years.

We believe that in sending your son(s) to Regis you have entered an exciting partnership with professional educators who are deeply committed to educating the whole child. To develop this partnership, the school relies upon parent support of our philosophy of education and its expression in the day-to-day school and classroom programs. This partnership includes supporting the schools’ policies, procedures, traditions, and decisions and/or being willing to communicate directly with appropriate school personnel whenever concerns or questions arise. 

When parents and teachers respect each other, children thrive. Regis endorses a strong partnership between its faculty and parents with the goal of enhancing the educational experience for each boy. The following are the principles and responsibilities of the partnership:

• affirms that all communication is open, direct, and honest and conveys messages that are respectful, courteous, and constructive. Electronic communications may convey unintended meaning and must be used responsibly.
• Communication with teachers will be handled through the Regis phone system or Regis email. Cell phone communication with teachers is not permitted.
• requires a willingness and expectation on both sides to work on and nurture the relationship.
• is fostered by mutual trust and respect.
• acknowledges that teachers and parents bring different areas of expertise to the relationship. Each teacher contributes a professional expertise about curriculum and child development and each parent brings a personal expertise about his/her child.
• respects the privacy and personal boundaries of parents, teachers, and students.
   

Please be respectful during any verbal and nonverbal communication at all levels within the school community. The following actions will be termed in violation of the mission of Sacred Heart schools:

• Public criticism of school personnel, policies, or procedures
• Threats of any nature toward personnel or families
• Verbal, nonverbal or written acts of aggression, including raised voices, pushing, etc.
• Public discussion of student and/or family matters based upon confidential information obtained as a result of volunteered service.

To achieve the best possible parent-school partnership, we recommend guidelines for both teachers and parents:

Parents:

• will first bring concerns directly to the appropriate staff member in a timely manner. 
• will communicate with teachers through Regis email or the Regis phone system 
• will not engage in discussions with children or other parents that are disrespectful, unkind or hurtful to another child, parent, family, or staff member.
• will keep the teachers informed of any changes at home or other information about their child that might affect their child's performance and/or behavior in school.
• will support the teacher at home when a problem does occur so that the child understands that the parents and teacher are working together.
• will read the weekly school email, Tuesday Newsday, so they will be aware of school activities, sports, special events, student achievements, and general news from teachers and administrators.

Teachers:

• will listen to and elicit information about the child from the parent and will respond appropriately when a parent requests time for a consultation.
• will be as specific as possible in giving information about a child's performance and/or behavior to a parent in a timely manner.
• will work with parents, the counselor, and administration to develop and execute academic and behavior plans
• will explain to parents , the behavioral and homework expectations for the child and the role  that the parent is expected to play, as this various from year to year and throughout divisions.

The school reserves the right to withhold or terminate an enrollment contract of any student whose family does not participate with the school in the spirit of cooperation and partnership that the school deems necessary to support the child and the goals of the school.

It is imperative that all members of the Regis community adhere to the above principles and responsibilities in their electronic and other communications including blogs, tweets, Instagram, Facebook, etc. These communications are not to include disparaging or damaging comments about individuals, the community, or the school.

In accordance with Sacred Heart Goals III and V, the Regis Community actively participates in offering service to others and encourages personal growth while doing so. The Social Awareness program at Regis emphasizes the life and dignity of the human person. In particular, our students’ experiences will focus on ministry to those in need. Each social awareness experience will include a reflective, educational, and action-based component.