The Sacred Heart University School Calendar is not just a calendar of daysa. It is an employee handbook, a student handbook, and a family handbook. It reminds us every day to begin, to cease, and to remember. Each day has a story. A beginning. A milestone. A memory.
This 2024–2025 guide walks through the school year. You’ll find class start dates, holidays, events, and more. Every page is about community and care.
The Start of a New Year
The first day of school feels alive. The campus wakes up after summer. Students unpack in dorms. Parents wave goodbye. Teachers greet with smiles.
Orientation week settles everyone in. The students sit down with their advisors. They get familiar with the lay of the campus. They get familiar with signing up for class and in clubs. They get into a routine around the last week.
Classes generally begin the last week of August. Professors distribute syllabi. Friends reunite. Waiting is over. New year begins in hope and anticipation.
Fall Semester: Start and Excitement
Fall semester lies between the period of August and December. It is a blend of academics and college life.
Important Dates:
Orientation Week: August 19–23
Classes Begin: August 26
Labour Day (No Classes): September 2
Midterms: October 14–18
Fall Break: October 21–22
Thanksgiving Break: November 27–29
Final Exams: December 9–13
Winter Break Begins: December 16
Autumn cool weeks arrive and calendars become full. Clubs start their affairs. Sports activities sparkle on campus. Students settle into college life. Teachers light new dreams. It’s a season of growth.
Spring Semester: Rebirth and Focus
The spring semester begins in January and continues to May.
Important Dates:
Classes Start: January 13
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 20
Midterms: March 3–7
Spring Break: March 10–14
Good Friday: April 18
Finals: May 5–9
Commencement: May 17
The students have only just returned from break ready to floor it too. Spring is sprung following winter. Springtime blossoms burst forth. Life’s in the air once more.
Clubs are booming and buzzing. Athletics teams away. Students out studying and homework. Graduation season in full bloom before even May makes an appearance.
Breaks and Rest Days
Breaks are not downtime. They are room to breathe.
Labor Day is succeeded by brief relief upon releasing.
Thanksgiving Break = students leave and eat.
December Winter Break = calming quietness.
Spring Break = tales of travels or sick days.
Easter Weekend = contemplation and spirituality.
Resting restores one’s vigor. Students come back wise, thoughtful, and satisfied.
Winter and Summer Sessions
Sacred Heart also provides brief school semesters of learning.
Winter Session: Two weeks are condensed into one week in January. Web classes or additional credits could be pursued.
Summer Session: May to August. Best time for study abroad, internship, or research.
The sessions free the students out or classify to other regions.
Reports and Periods of Grading
Mid-term and term-end grades are given each term. Report card is sent to the students on their performance prior to final examinations.
Midterm Reports: Academic standing reports.
Final Grades: Issued after tests are completed.
Dean’s List: Typically holds highest-grade honor students.
Advising Weeks: Offers pre-planning by students.
Teachers and guidance counselors meet with students. Strengths and dreams are discussed. Forward progress is made by remembering them.
Parents and Families
Parent is part of Sacred Heart legacy. Family is included in education, says school.
Family Weekend welcomes in the parents in October. They come in, meet with the teachers, join activities, and leave home grinning. Wonderful. The families peek at where their kids learn and live.
The parents are informed through newsletters and surprise invitations. Even their kids’ report cards and class schedules show up on an online platform. The ties are kept in place even from distances.
Faith and Reflection
Sacred Heart is a Catholic school. Service, prayer, and reflection time are incorporated in the school calendar.
Spiritual Events of Note:
Opening Mass in August
Advent Services in December
Ash Wednesday in February
Easter Mass in April
Baccalaureate Mass in May
Faith is practiced daily. Humility, respect, and kindness are achieved. Chapel services and retreats humble the heart.
Student Life and Campus Events
Life at Sacred Heart is more than the classroom. Campus friends, clubs, and music.
Mass Appeal Student Clubs:
Student Government
Theatre Arts
Debate Club
Campus Ministry
Media and Film
Cultural Societies
Major Events:
Welcome Fest in August
Homecoming in October
Winter Gala in December
Spring Fest in April
Skills are learned, confidence is built, and friendships are formed that last a lifetime. Each event adds some oomph to the calendar.
Athletic and Sports Seasons
Sports put campus life in motion. Sacred Heart’s athletic teams are called the Pioneers.
Fall: Football, Soccer, Cross Country, Field Hockey
Winter: Basketball, Ice Hockey, Wrestling
Spring: Baseball, Lacrosse, Track and Field
Homestead games surround the bleachers with noise. Red and white apparel wears out students. Pride is in every place.
Sports teach grit and camaraderie.
Technology and Education
Technology is for everyone’s learning.
Blackboard and Microsoft Teams are utilized in class. Homework, reminders for class, and quizzes are all completed on line.
Workshops also teach time management and proper use of technology. Screen learning and book learning today.
Faculty Development and Planning Days
Professors don’t just teach. Sacred Heart has development days for staff.
Those days are the last of the classes. The teachers conduct workshops. They share new techniques. They share how to make the students learn more.
More learning is more teaching. Those quiet days translate into better classrooms.
Emergency and Make-Up Days
Unexpected emergencies and bad weather conditions can make things slow down. The university keeps the students informed with:
Text and email messages
The SHU Safe App
Website notice
School closures with days off. Safety first always.
Return to learning in hurry- and loss-free style.
Health, Counseling, and Student Support
Good health is Sacred Heart’s top priority. Health and growth weeks are scheduled.
October Wellness Week: Yoga class, workshops, and counseling sessions.
February Career Week: Job fair and employer interview.
Finals De-Stress Events: Therapy animals and coffee breaks.
Students are also learning to achieve body and mind balance. Balance is equally as crucial as grades.
Community and Service
Service is the core of Sacred Heart’s mission. Students serve by volunteering on projects.
Most Notable Service Events:
Fall Hunger Clean-Up
Fresh Check Day in an effort to create awareness regarding mental health
Spring Relay for Life
Summer Mission trips
These experiences set compassion and leadership. Students learn to lead outside the classroom.
Seasonal Campus Spotlight
Fall: New friends, Friday night football, leaves of gold.
Winter: Christmas lights, concerts, and hot study nights.
Spring: Finals, festivals, and flowers.
Summer: Internships, memories, and travel.
There is rhythm to each semester. There is always something to find and do each semester.
Commencement: The Best Celebration
May is celebratory. Caps soar in the air. Families rejoice. Faculty shine.
Commencement Day is the highlight of the year. It’s pride day for all. Long awaited, students are given their diploma. Parents get to see the fruit of all those years of effort.
Baccalaureate Mass is a thank you.
Commencement is closing one chapter and starting another.
Central Beliefs of the Calendar
All that the calendar does and says is a reflection of Sacred Heart’s mission.
Faith: Have faith in goodness.
Knowledge: Work hard.
Service: Serve others.
Community: Grow together.
Integrity: Do the right thing.
Recess and class time both support them. The calendar is a step-by-step to living them day by day.
Sacred Heart University Calendar Frequently Asked Questions
When is the new school year?
School starts late in August.
Where is the entire calendar?
On Sacred Heart University website and student portal.
How do they inform us of cancellations of classes?
Through email, text, app message, and on the web.
What are the largest breaks and holidays?
Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Winter Break, Easter, and Spring Break.
Are classes in the summer open to students?
Yes. Online and flexible are available for the summer semester.
Sacred Heart University School Calendar is not dates. It’s a map of faith, of learning, of friendship.
Growth happens every day. Every moment is building relationships. From opening bell, first day of classes to last cap toss, every minute counts.
Keep it nearby. Not a planner calendar a remembering calendar. To recall. To incorporate.