Nuts and Bolts Special Edition | May 15, 2020
LAST DAY OF REMOTE LEARNING
Today marks the final day of structured remote learning for our students. We are so proud of how inventive and resilient our students were as they crossed into this new frontier. Sacred Heart education is grounded in relationships, and moving to remote learning required flexibility and teamwork. We have boundless gratitude for the tremendous efforts by our Sacred Heart Educators and the willing partnership of our school families that made it possible to continue learning together.
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECTS
"How will I reveal the heart of Jesus in the broken world?" is the subject matter of our seniors' capstone projects in Theology. For the project, each senior is invited to look back on her years at Villa Duchesne and to reflect on what she's learned and how she will use her time spent here to make a positive difference in the world. Please enjoy these projects in a video created with love by Campus Minister Jen MacArthur and Theology Department Chair Stacy Henning, with original music by Music Teacher Steve Neale.
Congratulations to Maria Adamitis '20 on receiving a National Merit Scholarship! The 2500 winners of this selective award represent the very top academic achievers nationwide. This fall, Maria will use the scholarship to study Biology as a pre-med student at the University of Florida. "Maria is not only an intellectual, she is also an authentic leader with a generous spirit. She embodies the depth of thought and critical thinking nurtured by Sacred Heart education. I have every confidence Maria will share her gifts and talents with the world," says Head of School Michael Baber.
FOOD DRIVE THANKS!
Thank you to all who donated to the Rural Parish Workers and St. Vincent DePaul Society food drives held these past two weeks. With contributions from our school community and many others in our area, the Rural Parish Workers have said they will be able to feed 70 families for two months. And, the Portry overflowed this week with food items brought in for the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Thank you for sharing your blessings at this time with so many who are in need.
PARENT ASSOCIATION
Earlier this week, parents received an email about the many ways to get involved with the Parent Association. Check out the Parent Association webpage to learn more or volunteer to serve on a committee for the 2020-2021 school year.
ZOOM TOURS FOR NEW FAMILIES
Do you know a family who is looking for an amazing educational experience? Even though campus is closed, Therese Hagemeister, Director of Enrollment Management, is giving Zoom tours of Villa and Oak Hill almost every day! Families interested in scheduling a tour can reach out to Mrs. Hagemeister at thagemeister@vdoh.org or visit our website and click "Virtual Visit."
STUDENT HEALTH RECORDS | DUE JULY 15
Health forms for the 2020-2021 school year are now available. Due to difficulties caused by COVID-19, parents have until Wednesday, July 15, to enter or update each child's medical information in Magnus. This includes emergency contacts, insurance information, physician information, health history, permission to give over-the-counter medications, allergy information, and permission to treat. Parents are reminded that a current school physical completed within the last calendar year is required for the 2020-2021 school year for all students entering junior kindergarten 3, grade 4, grade 7 and grades 9-12 as well as all new students. High school physicals are valid for two years from the date of the exam unless the physician states that it is only valid for one year.
For a list of all health care requirements, please view Health Care | Magnus Health in the Resource Center of the Parent Portal. You will receive emailed notifications from Magnus about incomplete 2019-2020 health record enrollment until you complete all required items. To get started, log in to Magnus Health using your vdoh.org website username and password. This is the same login information used to view grades, submit permission forms, check your billing status, etc.
FAMILY RECORDS (CONTACT INFO)
Work will soon begin on our printed 2020-2021 school directory; and, like last year, the directory will include up to three unique phone numbers for each family. Numbers will be pulled from the Residential Address Block of your My Backpack Profile. To prevent a phone number from being published, you must check the box to the left of it in your profile.
We ask each family to ensure all of their contact information is complete and up-to-date. Under the Bulletin Board on your Parent Portal, expand the MyBackPack window and tap the 'Update Profile' link to get started. Your user name and password will be required to access your profile. Check for:
If information needs to be updated, select "Edit" in the upper-right corner of the page to make changes. Be sure to select "Save" as you go and "Done" when you have made all the changes! Please note: to prevent an address, email, or phone number listed in the Residential Address Block of your profile from being published, you must check the box to the left of it.
Updates made by Tuesday, June 30, will appear in the 2020-21 printed school directory. Log in now!
UNIFORMS FOR 2020-2021
Due to COVID-19, we are unable to host a uniform fitting day on campus this year. However, Just Me Apparel, our exclusive uniform provider, is taking online orders and will take calls to help you determine the correct sizing if new uniforms are needed for the coming school year. A new outerwear option for all grades levels is a quarter-zip Performance Pullover. Current pricing is available in the Uniforms tab in the Reference Center of the Parent Portal and online at Just Me Apparel.
VILLA PRIZE DAY
We will share in our first Virtual Prize Day for Villa students this year! We will be recording our Prize Day ceremony and we will share the video on Friday, May 22. Senior awards will be bestowed during the Baccalaureate Mass in June.
STUDENT COUNCIL
Congratulations to Villa's newly elected Student Council officers and representatives for the 2020-2021 school year.
Through their service in STUCO, these officers and representatives have the opportunity to enrich the lives of their fellow students and live out each of the five goals in the Goals and Criteria of a Sacred Heart education.
SERVICE LEARNING
Our Service Learning Program is designed to involve students in community service activities and apply the experience to personal and spiritual growth to live out Goal Three: a social awareness which impels to action. All students in grades 7-12 are required to complete service hours. In grades 7 and 8 service opportunities will be provided within the school day. To meet graduation requirements, high school students are required to complete the following number of independent service hours:
An important dimension of the Service Learning Program is direct service among people who are poor, marginalized, or suffering from injustice. During this time of sheltering at home and maintaining social distance, providing support in the community faces unique challenges. Typically, students complete most of their service hours during the summer. While there are ways to serve virtually such as shopping virtually for a food bank or writing letters of hope for the elderly, there are safety constraints that have postponed or cancelled typical service opportunities. We are currently seeking creative ways to help our communities. Ideas and resources for virtual service and making an impact safely will be shared with families over the summer as local government and health agencies adjust guidelines and restrictions for staying safe during this time. If you have questions about the program or meeting the requirements, please contact Theresa Wiss, Service Learning Coordinator, at twiss@vdoh.org.
STUDENT COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY
All returning students need to deliver their current school computers to the Tech Department for summer maintenance. This will allow the Tech Department to make necessary updates and fix any hardware and software issues. Each returning student is required to complete the following:
Students will be notified via their school email address when their computers are ready for pick up. Updated computers may be picked up from the Tech Department between 8 am and 3 pm Monday through Thursday. Contact the Tech Department at TechDepartment@vdoh.org if you have any questions.
CLASS OF 2020 ONLINE ACCOUNTS
Members of the class of 2020 may continue to use their Villa Duchesne email and Google accounts through June 2021. Graduates should be sure to copy contacts, documents, etc. that they wish to maintain after that date to other accounts or servers.
TEXTBOOK BUYBACK
At the end of each school year, MBS Direct is happy to buy back textbooks that meet their quality assurance standards. Buyback will not be held on campus this year, but the online process is simple. Just three easy steps.
When visiting our Villa Duchesne online bookstore at MBS Direct, always log in using the same email address used to purchase books to review eligibility for Guaranteed Buyback and Customer Loyalty. To determine if your used textbooks are acceptable for buyback, check out MBS Direct's required book conditions in this Online Buyback flier. Guaranteed buyback values expire on Friday, June 5. Textbooks must be mailed to MBS within 30 days of creating a quote.
SUMMER READING
English and Social Studies summer reading requirements for grades 7-12 are posted in the Reference Center of the Student and Parent Portals. All summer reading should be complete before the first day of school in August.
OAK HILL END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATIONS
While we cannot gather in person, we look forward to celebrating our students' accomplishments from the 2019-2020 school year with virtual ceremonies. Join us in on our YouTube channel on the following dates:
END-OF-YEAR PICK UP & RETURNS
To allow Oak Hill students to safely return to campus to pick up items from their desks, lockers, and cubbies, we have scheduled three pick up days—May 19, 20, and 21—and are using MyConferenceTime to schedule visits. With designated 15-minute slots, we will be better able to maintain social distancing while allowing your child to gather up their things from the classroom. Teachers have already placed desk contents in plastic bags. Your child can use this time to gather items from their lockers or other places in the classroom and to return any work packets to their teachers. We ask that you are mindful of your scheduled time slot so other classmates and families have time to pick up their belongings.
All Chromebooks and iPads that were loaned for remote learning as well as all library books should be returned to the Oak Hill Office If you or your children are feeling ill or running a fever on your schedule pick-up day, please stay home and contact the Oak Hill office to make other arrangements.
OAK HILL SUMMER READING
Although Oak Hill students have no required summer reading, summer is an important time for students to keep reading and improve their language skills. Numerous studies indicate that students who don't read or read infrequently during their summer vacation see their reading abilities stagnate or decline. Please consider encouraging your children to read at least 30 minutes per day from books of their choosing. They are more likely to meet that daily goal if they are reading books they've chosen themselves. To help guide you and your children with summer selections, Oak Hill faculty have put together a list of recommendations by grade level.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES 2020-2021
The JK3-6 school supply lists for the 2020-2021 school year are now available in the Resource Center of the Parent Portal and as a printable PDF below.
FALL SPORTS
We are currently accepting registrations for the following fall sports:
Practices are tentatively scheduled to begin the week of 8/17 and the team/individual picture date is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, 8/22.
Learn more about each program and register below.
ID CARDS REQUIRED FOR ALL CYC PARTICIPANTS
CYC requires all participants (regardless of grade) to provide a CYC picture ID card to be able to participate in games. If your child will be participating in a CYC sport and does not yet have a CYC ID card, please order one.
The Nuts & Bolts Special Edition newsletter will be published each Friday through the end of the 2019-2020 school year and 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. 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 |