Sacred Heart School in South Amboy, New Jersey is celebrating its anniversary by hosting a luncheon to recognize the first kindergarten class of 1942, the eighth grade class of 1951, and late alumna Robin Bogush. The school has struggled to identify members of the first kindergarten class due to lost records over the years. One alumnus from that class, Ed Paczkowski, has helped identify some of his classmates from old photos. The event will allow alumni to reconnect and see how much the school has changed since their time, with new buildings, technology, and a more diverse student body, though Catholic values remain core.

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Sacred Heart to celebrate milestones of the school
First kindergarten class, eighth-graders, and the late Robin Bogush to
be recognized
BY JACQUELINE DURETT Correspondent
SOUTH AMBOY — If you were part of the first kindergarten class at Sacred Heart, the school is
looking for you.
“For the past few years, we have been trying to identify graduates of Sacred Heart to invite them to
events of the school or parish,” said Sister Marie Connolly, principal of the elementary school,
which opened in 1895 along with the parish.
This year, she said, the school’s alumni subcommittee, part of the school’s Advancement
Committee of the School Advisory Council, would like to recognize the first kindergarten class,
which started in 1942, and those who graduated from eighth grade in 1951 with a celebratory
luncheon on April 28.
The event also will honor the late Robin Bogush, an alumna and former faculty member.
A Mass will be celebrated at noon, which will be followed by the luncheon.
However, figuring out exactly who was in that kindergarten class has proved to be a challenge,
Connolly said.
“Unfortunately, through the years, records and pictures have been moved from one building to
another in the parish. At the time of the dedication of the addition to the school in 1957, a book was
published that included many pictures; however, dates were not indicated on the pictures.”
2013-04-18 / Front Page

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But there has been progress.
“Ed Paczkowski, a member of the first kindergarten
class, identified many of his classmates from a First
Communion picture included in the book,” Connolly
said. “Ed has taken the responsibility of contacting any
members of the class for whom he has information.”
The school also has been placing announcements in
parish bulletins and has a small database that it is
looking to expand.
Those in that kindergarten class who have not been
back to their alma mater since attending Sacred Heart are likely to see a very different place,
Connolly said.
“The new addition was completed in 1957, which added several classrooms, a gym, a large room
with facilities that was used for the kindergarten class and then renovated for the library.
Technology has been included for all grades. Spanish, along with Polish, was added to the
curriculum. As education changed throughout the country, so did the curriculum of Sacred Heart.”
She said classes have gone from being staffed by nuns to primarily lay people now.
The school’s demographic has evolved as well.
“There have been changes in the cultural composition of the families who choose Sacred Heart for
their children. Once, the population was for the most part Polish, but now the population is
multiethnic and diverse,” she said. “What has endured through all the changes is the commitment
to Catholic values and spirituality as well as the commitment to providing a strong, rigorous
academic curriculum for all students.”
Connolly added that all alumni are welcome to attend, even though only the aforementioned
classes will be formally recognized. She said all attendees are encouraged to bring any pictures or
memorabilia they may have of their time at Sacred Heart.
“Our hope is that this will be an opportunity for graduates to gather to renew friendships, recall
memories and build a sense of community with the many people who were and are connected to
Sacred Heart School and Parish,” she said.
Tickets to the event cost $20.
For tickets and luncheon information, call Maureen Condon at 732-333-1656.
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