A brand new brand

Sacred Heart Catholic School unveiled a new logo Thursday that is expected to raise the school’s recognition in the community and hopefully attract more students.

The logo has a cross intertwined with a heart and the initials SH. The cross and heart are inside a circle, and the school’s full name is on the outside.

Sacred Heart previous had no logo, Principal Elisha Wagenson said, although some people associate the school with its mascot, the cardinal. The logo, along with a motto that is still being developed, are part of the school’s strategic marketing plan.

“We’re hoping this gives us some kind of identity so that people recognize who we are and what we do,” said Carolyn Reuter, the school’s admissions director, who spearheaded the effort to create a brand for the school.

Sacred Heart’s parish has also adopted the same logo, Wagenson said, except the word “Parish” is substituted for “School.”

The school’s students were the first to see the logo at an unveiling Thursday morning when staff members emerged wearing T-shirts bearing the new logo.

Students, parents and parishioners voted on several different designs before deciding on the one submitted by Adam Ponschok, who is currently studying graphic design and agreed to do it for his portfolio. Ponschok’s grandfather, Fred Ponschok, chairs the school’s marketing committee.

“There was lots of discussion about which one represented us in the best way,” Wagenson said.

The school also plans to host open houses in the future to show off the logo and future motto to the community. No dates have been set.

Signage is also in the works and is expected to be developed by the end of 2013.

“We want to do it right. We don’t want to rush this process,” Wagenson said. “It’s important that it reflects who we are and what we’re doing.”