Villa Duchesne Nuts and Bolts | November 7, 2019
Thank you to everyone who helped make Open House a tremendous success. Attendance at Villa was up 30% and everyone commented about the overall feeling of community. The girls were welcoming and well versed and did a great job in the areas of greeters, tour guides, or specific subjects and activities.
While we were on campus for Open House, eight students, accompanied by theology teachers Therese Wiss and John Powell, were on an Archdiocesan border pilgrimage to El Paso, Texas where they joined other students from the St. Louis area. The group was able to visit the "Wall" and meet with refugees and Border Patrol agents. Upon their return, they shared that the trip was eye opening, heart wrenching, and spiritual. We thank them for representing Villa Duchesne on this pilgrimage!
Ms. Bridget Collins
DAY OFF WITH OUR THANKS!
Our students sold more than 1,000 Auction raffle tickets, exceeding their goal of 900 tickets! In gratitude for their work, they will receive a day off of school on Monday, December 2; an extended Thanksgiving break.
CELL PHONE SURVEY
Earlier this week, parents of Villa Duchesne students received by email a cell phone survey. The Villa Duchesne Technology Committee welcomes your input regarding cell phone practices and usage in your family as they evaluate our school policies. Please take a moment to respond to this brief, 3-question survey. The deadline to respond is tomorrow, November 8.
FALL MUSICAL | INTO THE WOODS
Join us as the Villa Duchesne Performing Arts Department ventures Into the Woods, for our fall musical, Thursday-Saturday, November 14-16, at 7 pm in the Auditorium. Into the Woods, the modern classic by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, features familiar fairy tales intertwined to create intriguing themes and lessons. The production is appropriate for ages 10 and up. Running time for "Into the Woods" is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes with intermission. Purchasing tickets online in advance at vdoh.org is strongly recommended, as performances may sell out.
The cast features thirteen Villa students and six cast members from Priory, MICDS, Lafayette, and Belleville High Schools. "Into the Woods" is directed by Ms. Zoe Vonder Haar, with musical direction by Mr. Steve Neale. Recognize your favorite thespian with a shout out! (Information available on the ticket sales webpage.)
BONNE CHANCE AUCTION
Mobile Bidding and Express Pay: Bidding on Silent Auction items the night of the Auction will only be done via mobile devices. Avoid the line on Saturday and stop by the Portry in the 1929 Main Building between 7:30 am and 4 pm tomorrow, November 8, to preregister your mobile phone for bidding in real time on Silent items. Even if you are unable to attend the Auction, registering your phone allows you to remote bid on all Silent items in real time. A credit card is required to participate. Thanks to all our generous donors, we have a lot of fun and fabulous items to offer at the Bonne Chance Auction. Absentee Bidding: Absentee bids may be submitted through 3 pm tomorrow, November 8. To submit an absentee bid for any Live or Silent item, complete an Absentee Bid form and drop it off in the Portry in the 1929 Main Building. A downloadable Absentee Bid form is available below, on our website, and a printed copy was included in the Auction catalog sent home with students earlier this week. To bid in real time on Silent items, consider registering your mobile phone for mobile bidding (see above).
COAT AND CLOTHING DRIVE
Get ready for the upcoming St. Vincent de Paul Society Coat and Clothing Drive which runs November 18-22. Please bring gently used coats, clothing, and household items to school beginning Monday, November 18. Bins will be available all week at both Villa and Oak Hill. Please review this list of things that St. Vincent de Paul accepts and does not accept. This time of year is a time of great need. Thank you for helping us make the drive a success! If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Johnson at kjohnson2020@vdoh.org or Caroline Johnson at cjohnson2021@vdoh.org.
FRUIT AND FLOWER SALE
We invite you to participate in the annual Fruit and Flower Sale that supports the Villa Duchesne-City House Alumnae Association. To view their selections and order online, tap the online sale link below. To place a bulk order or pay by check, please complete and return a paper order form. Please place your order by Friday, November 22, for pick up between 8 am and 3:30 pm Wednesday, December 4, in the Log Cabin behind the 1929 Main Building. Questions? Contact Katie McLaughlin '98 at kathleenmclaughlin@hotmail.com.
GINGERBREAD HOUSES
Please join us for the 11th Annual Gingerbread Houses with Santa from 9 to 11 am Saturday, December 7, in the 1929 Main Building. Participants can decorate gingerbread houses, enjoy a continental breakfast, meet Mrs. Claus, and have their pictures taken with Santa. Admission is $14 per person and gingerbread house kits, including everything you need to create your design, are available for $15 each. New this year is the VIP table! To learn more and register, tap on the link below.
Current or prospective parents may make their reservations online to pay by credit card or download the paper form below to pay by check. Reservations are required by Monday, December 2, and seating is limited.
FIRST QUARTER GRADES
First quarter grades for students 7-12 are available through the Parent Portal; no paper copies are mailed. Under the My BackPack tab, select the My BackPack Homepage link and log in. After landing on the My BackPack Homepage, select Marking Period Grades and Comments under the Academic Info heading to view quarter grades
CAFÉ CARD | NEW WAY TO PAY
In addition to checks, Food Service now accepts Café Card payments through PayPal. Food Service does not charge for this convenience; however, PayPal charges 2.95% plus $.30 per transaction. These fees are automatically deducted from the amount you submit with the remainder placed in your child's Café Card account. A personal PayPal account is required to use this service. The email address for sending funds to your child's Café Card account is foodservice@vdoh.org. Please include your child's name, child's grade, and the school name in the 'Note' section so the funds are posted to the correct account and select 'services' as your purchase type. Learn more at PayPal Payments.
INCLEMENT WEATHER PLANS
In the event of a weather-related late start to school, including snow schedule, campus will open 30 minutes prior to the published start of classes. Classes will start no earlier than the announced late start time, which means that zero hour will be cancelled. For the safety of our students and staff, in the event of an early dismissal from school due to inclement weather, please plan to pick up your students as soon as possible following the dismissal announcement.
During inclement weather, parents who choose for their students to leave before school is officially dismissed must contact Dean of Students Krista Richardson. No student may leave without parental consent even if the student with whom she carpools is leaving. All Villa students must sign out in the Dean of Student's Office if leaving before school is officially dismissed.
Families are notified of school closings, late starts, and early dismissals via the SchoolMessenger phone messaging system. Announcements are made on KSDK-TV (Channel 5), posted on our website at www.vdoh.org, and placed on our main switchboard line at 314.432.2021.
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. The College Corner webpage is updated weekly by our College Counseling Office, so bookmark it and visit often.
WEDNESDAY MORNING MASS
Please join us at 7:15 am Wednesday, November 13, for Mass, Abbot Gregory Mohrman, O.S.B. presiding. 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.
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.
Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School 801 S.Spoede Road | St. Louis, MO 63131 314.432.2021 | www.vdoh.org | news@vdoh.org |