Villa Duchesne Nuts and Bolts | February 27, 2020
As we begin the 40 days of Lent, let us take time to reflect. Our students welcomed Lent on Tuesday with a beautiful service planned by our sophomores. We distributed buttons designed by Elle Decker '20 proclaiming "All Are Welcome," to remind us that we all have a part to play in creating a more welcoming Sacred Heart home.
The first graders have challenged our entire community to complete acts of kindness, to show the impact that spreading love can have within our Sacred Heart family and the world around us. Our upper school students have responded and have committed to building a Kingdom of God here at Villa Duchesne during this Lenten season. We are inspired by the loving and generous young people in our community every day, and we celebrate who we are as faith-filled people.
Ms. Bridget Collins
FIRST GRADE ACTS OF KINDNESS
At the beginning of this week, Alison Coulter and her group of first grade students took on the challenge of performing acts of kindness—large and small—throughout our school and our community. And, they extended that challenge to each of us. View their challenge video below and look for a photo of how the bulletin board has transformed by the end of tomorrow in next week's Nuts & Bolts.
WINTER PLAY | RADIUM GIRLS
Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science. Performances begin tonight, February 27, and run through Saturday, February 29, at 7 pm each evening. Tickets are available at the door prior to each performance or online below. All ticket sales are general admission seating. Adults $12, Students $5, Children 6 and under are free. No actual tickets will be issued. A list of all online purchases will be at the box office the nights of the show.
Following Friday night's performance, we will offer a talkback session, featuring Villa Science faculty members Didi Noelker and Kirstin Blase, Radium Girls director Delaney Piggins, and the cast. Please join us for this opportunity to discuss the play, its themes and the production.
PASSPORT TO SUMMER 2020 | ATHLETIC CAMPS
Registration for Passport to Summer 2020 Athletic Camps is now open! Youth camps include field hockey, soccer, and basketball. High school camps include field hockey, soccer, volleyball, and tennis. Visit Passport to Summer for more information.
2020-2021 RE-ENROLLMENT CONTRACTS
Enrollment and Tuition Contracts for the 2020-2021 school year were due last week. Thank you to those families who have already submitted their contracts for next year. We ask that ALL families, even those not returning, submit their intent for the 2020-2021 year. Returning families are also required to send an enrollment deposit of $1,000 to the Business Office to complete the re-enrollment process. If you have any questions, please contact Financial Services Coordinator Alice Tuhro at atuhro@vdoh.org or 314.810.3531.
PARENT COFFEE AND CONVERSATION
Please join us for the Parent Coffee and Conversation beginning at 8 am Thursday, March 5, in the Lenke Global Education Center. The topics for discussion will be our 2020-21 school year theme and updates to the school schedule and technology policies for grades 7-12.
BOOK DRIVE | ST. LOUIS CATHOLIC ACADEMY
The next First Friday book drive for the St. Louis Catholic Academy in North St. Louis is set for Friday, March 6. Drives will be held each first Friday throughout the school year. New and gently used books are needed for all grades and reading levels, from children's books to chapter books. Look for bins at the West Door and at the Duchesne Building. Contact Maria Adamitis '20 at madamitis2020@vdoh.org if you have any questions.
LITTLE BIT OF STEAM | MARCH 7
Current and prospective families with boys and girls ages 2 1/2 to grade 3 are invited for a Little Bit of STEAM at Oak Hill. Join our Admissions Team and Oak Hill teachers from 9-10:30 am Saturday, March 7, for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math activities. Register with Katie Martin, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management, at kmartin@vdoh.org. (Older children are not left out. We will host another Little Bit of STEAM for students in grades 4-6 on Saturday, May 2.)
MOMS' HAPPY HOUR
The Parent Association invites all moms for a Moms' Happy Hour from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Saturday, March 7, at the MAC West for drinks and appetizers in the 1903 Bar. Please register below.
FATHER-DAUGHTER DINNER DANCE
Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School cordially invites students in grades 7-12 to attend the Father-Daughter Dinner Dance from 6:30 to 10:30 pm Saturday, March 7, at the Ritz-Carlton. Students are encouraged to attend this dinner dance with their fathers or adults who are special to them. New this year, at the request of students, dinner will be served at food stations, allowing for more socializing and greater menu options. There will not be assigned table seats. Payment and reservation deadline is today, February 27.
SUMMER SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
We are very happy to announce that this year's Summer Service opportunity will be in … St. Louis! Our hope is to give students opportunities for service and comradery while instilling in them the need for service in and around our own metropolitan area.
The "trip" is scheduled from the evening of June 8 until the afternoon of June 11. Students will arrive on campus on Monday evening for a brief meeting and goal setting session. Tuesday will begin the first full day of service. The students will spend the night on Villa's campus both Tuesday and Wednesday night and then head home Thursday afternoon. The overnight component is an integral part of the experience as it will allow the students to thoughtfully reflect on their service work and connect with the other students.
This trip is open to rising juniors and seniors and counts toward their service hours requirement. The cost of the trip is $250. This fee will allow us to provide meals, some snacks, and help with the transportation costs. Registration will open on March 9. Space is limited.
There will be an informational meeting for students next week that will provide additional details. The sponsors of this trip are Bridget Collins, Therese Hagemeister, and Theresa Wiss.
FEBRUARY IS GIVING MONTH!
Thank you to all of our parents who have made donations to support our students through Annual Giving. We have raised more than $470,000 towards our goal of $600,000 thus far. But there's still two days left in February, so if you haven't already done so, please give from the heart today!
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, March 4, 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.
FIRST FRIDAY MASS & EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
On Friday, March 6, 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.
SPIRITUALITY SERIES
Please join us for the final presentation in our 2019-2020 Sacred Heart Spirituality Speakers Series, The Mission Continues. On Friday, March 6, Frances Gimber, RSCJ will present "On to New Frontiers: the Mission Spreads." Sr. Gimber will discuss how the Society moved beyond Europe and the Americas after the dramatic event of 1818, Philippine Duchesne's voyage to America and her mission endeavors in the New World, and thus, the beginnings of the internationality of the Society. Gather for goûter at 9:30 am in the Parlor Dining Room with the presentation from 9:45-11:15 am in the Lenke Global Education Center.
LENTEN MORNING OF REFLECTION
The Mothers' Lenten Morning of Reflection, sponsored by the Mission Committee of the Parent Association and inspired by Goals I, II, and IV, offers a morning of prayer, presentation, and light continental breakfast from 8 to 10 am Wednesday, March 11, in the Lenke Global Education Center. Selections of Bishop Robert Barron's series on The Mass will be shown, followed by the praying of the Stations of the Cross. Contact Polly Capps or DeAnn Gueck for more information at vdohmission@vdoh.org, and please respond below if you plan to attend. All are welcome to join the celebration of Mass beforehand at 7:15 am in the Chapel.
ROSARY
All are welcome at 8 am each Wednesday 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.
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 |