Villa Duchesne Nuts and Bolts | January 24, 2019
Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School along with Catholic schools across the nation will commemorate Catholic Schools Week January 28-February 1 with celebrations, Masses, open houses, and activities. Download a copy of Villa's schedule complete with descriptions of out-of-uniform days below.
Ms. Bridget Collins
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OAK HILL OPEN HOUSE
Please help us spread the word to prospective families by inviting friends and neighbors who are looking for a school for their boys and girls age 3-grade 6 to the Oak Hill Open House from 1-3 pm this Sunday, January 27. Prospective families are invited to visit our amazing campus and learn about the unsurpassed Sacred Heart education we provide. For more information, contact Kathy Meyer, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management, at kmeyer@vdoh.org or 314.810.3417.
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YOUR MOBILE NUMBER
If you recently added a new mobile number to your school profile and wish to receive alert texts from the school, you must now opt-in by simply texting "yes" to 67587. Data charges may apply. You will receive an almost immediate system response if you have successfully opted-in. If you have any questions, please contact Manager of Communications Tricia Leone at 314.810.3471.
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AN EVENING OF ONE ACTS
The Villa Duchesne Performing Arts Department will present An Evening of One Acts from 7 to 8:30 pm Thursday, January 31, and Friday, February 1, in the Auditorium. Admission is $3 for VDOH students, $5 for general public, and is payable at the door.
An Evening of One Acts is student-directed and this year, for the first time, student-produced by senior Ava Niemi, who is also directing Lin-Manuel Miranda's short musical, 21 Chump Street. Clare Daiber is writer/director of 1953, set in the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York. Puberty, the Game Show, dealing with the indignities of adolescence in a funny way, is directed by Micalah Harris and Meaghan Findley. Gianna Vacca directs The Millennials, a one-act dealing with the agonies of college selection and acceptance.
The production is appropriate for audiences grade 7 and up.
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NO SCHOOL GRADES 7-12 | FEBRUARY 8
Students in grades 7-12 will not have school on Friday, February 8, due to parent-student-teacher conferences. Students are encouraged to attend conferences with their parents. Sign up below.
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PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent-student-teacher conferences will take place from 4 to 7 pm Thursday, February 7 and 7:30 am to noon Friday, February 8. There is no school for students in grades 7-12 on Friday, February 8. We encourage students to attend these conferences with their parents. All conferences will take place in Kenefick Gym.
Before beginning the registration process, please be sure to make a list of your daughter's teachers. Appointments with faculty are 10 minutes per subject. If a teacher with whom you want to conference has a full schedule, please email the teacher directly. In addition to classroom teachers, Celeste Chappuis, Director of Counseling, will be available to discuss social and emotional development. To book an appointment with Ms. Chappuis navigate to her name in the Villa Duchesne folder at MyConferenceTime.com.
MyConferenceTime.com provides tutorial videos at the top of our registration page to assist parents in signing up for conferences. Please bring to your conferences a copy of your confirmation from MyConferenceTime listing your scheduled appointments as we will not have access to individual student conference times.
If you have additional questions, please contact Judy Bertucci, Assistant to the Principal 7-12, at jbertucci@vdoh.org.
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VISITING ARTIST
Villa students will have the opportunity on February 1 to learn from artist Penina Laker when she will lecture on her work in graphic design and communication. Ms. Laker is a graduate of Goshen College and Kent State University and has served on the faculty at Kent State University, University of Notre Dame, and Washington University in St. Louis. Some of Ms. Laker's work will be on display in the Global Education Center and parents and students are invited to attend the show opening from 6-7:30 pm Tuesday, February 5.
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SEE YOU AT THE RACES
The gates open at 6:30 pm Friday, March 1, in Kenefick Gym for A Night at the Races. Spend an evening "betting" and cheering on six horse races that are broadcast "live" on jumbo screens. Come enter a derby hat contest, sip on mint juleps, and purchase raffle tickets for a chance at some fantastic items and experiences. Gather your friends, family, neighbors...all are welcome! Registration deadline is Monday, February 25, and all proceeds benefit the Sr. Mary Gray McNally Alumnae Scholarship. This event is for guests 21 or older. Contact Rachel Drone Gehm '88, Manager of Alumni Relations, at rgehm@vdoh.org or 314.810.3420 if you have any questions. See you at the starting gate!
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GLOBAL STUDIES SUMMER SEMINAR | SANTA FE
The Global Studies: Santa Fe seminar is an interdisciplinary study of the history and art of the American West. The seminar is designed to introduce students entering their junior year to themes in their upcoming United States History course and will be led by Fine Arts Chair Christine Sarra and Social Studies teacher Costan Spina.
The course will explore U.S. history and art through the lens of the American West. Students will experience the often-untold stories of cultures of the American West. From stories of Native Americans, to the Spanish and Mexican period, to the annexation by the United States, New Mexico offers a fascinating exploration of the complexity of U.S. history and art. The highlight of the course includes a four-day trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Class dates are May 30-31 and June 5, 2019; travel dates are June 1-4, 2019.
The seminar is limited to 12 students and registrations are due by Friday, March 15, are encourages with payment due by Sunday, April 28.
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HOST FAMILIES NEEDED
Villa Duchesne is seeking host families for visiting students from Japan and Ireland this spring:
- One student from Fuji Sacred Heart School in Susono, Japan in February
- Three students from Colaiste Ailigh in Letterkenny, Ireland between March 26-April 16
Hosting an international student is a fantastic way to broaden horizons, learn about a new culture, and liven up your daily routine! These international students are a great gift to our community and do so much to enrich our classes, so please consider being a host this spring. Interested families should contact Global Education Coordinator Emily Kaplan at ekaplan@vdoh.org or 314.810.3503.
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COLLEGE CORNER
College Corner, a valuable resource for parents and students, offers the latest information on college rep visits, opportunities to connect with colleges, scholarships, and much more. This webpage is updated weekly by our College Counseling Office, so bookmark it and visit often.
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BOOK DRIVE | ST. LOUIS CATHOLIC ACADEMY
The next First Friday book drive for the St. Louis Catholic Academy in North St. Louis will be Friday, February 1. New and gently used books are needed for all grades and reading levels, from children's books to chapter books. Donated books will fill "treasure chests" in classrooms at St. Louis Catholic and will be awarded to students for good behavior, birthdays, and academic successes. Bins for donations are at the West Door and at the Duchesne Building. Contact Maria Adamitis '20 at madamitis2020@vdoh.org if you have any questions.
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WEDNESDAY MORNING MASS
On Wednesday, January 30, we will pray for Catholic educators. Mass begins promptly at 7:15 am in the Chapel and usually concludes no later than 7:35 am. Mass is celebrated most Wednesdays at 7:15 am in our Chapel when school is in session. Everyone in our school community is invited and encouraged to attend. View our 2018-2019 Mass Intentions list to see the specific intentions planned for each week.
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FIRST FRIDAY MASS & EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
On Friday, February 1, Oak Hill will celebrate First Friday Mass at 8:15 am followed by Benediction and exposition of the Eucharist until 3 pm. All are welcome to join the Oak Hill students for Mass or to visit anytime during the day to spend time in prayer and adoration with Our Lord.
While students, faculty, and staff will make visits throughout the day, parent volunteers are needed to ensure that the exposed Blessed Sacrament is never left unattended. For more information about serving, please contact Kelly Adamitis at kellyjadamitis@icloud.com.
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SPIRITUALITY SERIES
The next lecture in our 2018-19 Philippine Bicentennial Sacred Heart Spirituality Speaker Series is entitled "Following Philippine to Frontiers Crossed – Now What?" and will be presented by Lyn Osiek, RSCJ from 9:30 to 11:15 am Friday, February 1. Sr. Osiek will discuss what we have learned during the celebration of the Bicentennial of the Society's arrival in North America and how that can carry us forward. Coffee and goûter will be available in the Parlor Dining Room at 9:30 am. The presentation will be held in the Global Education Center. Please join us!
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ROSARY
All are welcome at 8 am each Wednesday when school is in session in our Chapel to offer the Rosary to Mater for her motherly protection of our children and for all the faculty, staff, and religious of this community who play such a critical role in nurturing and teaching our children.
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Each Thursday, the Nuts & Bolts newsletters will highlight important information including upcoming school events, student achievements in and outside of school, forms to be completed, and program deadlines. Send your information for students and parents to news@vdoh.org to be included in either the Oak Hill newsletter, the Villa Duchesne newsletter, or both.
Please log in frequently to access personalized announcements and calendar items in your portal. Contact your Principal's Office with questions about your online account. For Villa Duchesne, email Judy Bertucci at jbertucci@vdoh.org. For Oak Hill, email Jaime Bergfeld at jbergfeld@vdoh.org.
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Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School
801 S.Spoede Road | St. Louis, MO 63131
314.432.2021 | www.vdoh.org | news@vdoh.org