Villa Duchesne Nuts and Bolts | February 4, 2021
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. STEENBERGE
It may sometimes be difficult to see it when you're in the thick of helping your daughter get through a week of tough tests or supporting her when she is practicing a speech for an upcoming project, but every class period is an important step on your daughter's journey to becoming the person God meant for her to be. We love that your daughters can grow in their discovery of the world around them through their education at Villa and that they will also grow in their discovery of themselves, learning what their passions are and, sometimes, what they are not.
In my Wise Wednesday Zoom this week, I encouraged students to think about how every class they take while in school is connected to who they are becoming in the world. I hope your daughter will ask herself this question when she's planning her course selections for next school year and beyond: Who am I becoming? Who do I want to be?
We have some exciting new course offerings next year. We are working with a local organization called LaunchCode to begin a high school level Introduction to Coding course for next school year. The Social Studies department is expanding their electives offerings to include classes on Art History, Contemporary History, and Women's History. We are also working to connect our many publications classes in the schedule so that students can work collaboratively honing skills they are particularly interested in such as photography, graphic design, writing, and editing.
We invite you to review our course offerings with your daughter over the next few days and have discussions at home about the courses she plans to take in her upcoming year at Villa Duchesne. During Mission Time on Tuesday, February 9, students in grades 9-11 will meet in their advisories to do academic planning, hear from college counseling what they should be thinking about at each stage in their high school career, and select their course preferences for next school year. Middle school students will be going through this process of academic planning and course selection in March.
We look forward to walking with your daughter on her next steps of her academic journey!
CONFERENCES | TONIGHT & TOMORROW
Parent-teacher conferences will be held this evening from 4 to 7 pm and tomorrow, February 5, from 8 am to noon via Zoom. There is no school for grades 7-12 tomorrow. Please remember to use the Zoom links sent to you via MyConferenceTime to reach your conferences. A separate link was sent for each teacher with whom you registered. Please be prompt; if you 'arrive' early, you'll be put in a waiting room until the teacher invites you in at your scheduled appointment time. Please contact Judy Bertucci, Assistant to the Principal, at jbertucci@vdoh.org if you have questions.
PHILY WEEK
As Phily Week comes to a close, our community has one more opportunity to support Atlas Schools. Shop Kendra Scott today or tomorrow!
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
"When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now." –St. Teresa of Calcutta
While these opportunities are for students and Sacred Heart educators only, we hope that you will join us in prayer and contemplate the power of the presence of Jesus.
CONGRATS TO THIRD GRADE!
We are excited to announce that the third grade has achieved 100% parent participation in Cor Unum Annual Giving! This is the first time a grade has achieved 100% participation since 2014, and we are thrilled. Thank you to all of our families who have supported Cor Unum Annual Giving this year. So far, we have raised $485,000 and need 100% parent participation to achieve our goal of $650,000. When you invest in Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill, we invest in you and your child. Give from the heart this February and help your grade be the next to achieve 100% parent participation.
2021-22 STUDENT PLANNING CALENDAR
The 2021-22 Student Planning Calendar is now available. The link for viewing or download is below as well as on your Portal in the School Calendar tab under the Bulletin Board.
PROSPECTIVE PARENT VIRTUAL COFFEE
Head of School Michael Baber and Oak Hill Principal Pete Schroeder will host a Prospective Parent Virtual Coffee at 10:00 am on Wednesday, February 17, for interested families with children entering JK3-grade 6. Prospective parents are encouraged to attend the Zoom session to learn about the value of a Sacred Heart education. Registration is available at www.vdoh.org/schedule-a-visit. Please mention this upcoming opportunity to family and friends interested in a transformative education for their grade school aged children
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.
PASSPORT TO SUMMER
Day, athletic, and academic camp offerings will be available in Summer 2021. Details are being finalized now and registration will be announced in February via email and social media. Please contact Director of Summer Programs Dominic Key at summer@vdoh.org if you have any questions. We hope to see you this summer!
BONNE CHANCE AUCTION | SAINTS DERBY
Our annual Bonne Chance Auction has been moved to Saturday, April 24, 2021. We need volunteers to help solicit donations and sponsorships, set up and staff the event, pick up and package items, sell raffle tickets, and more! If you are interested in volunteering, please email auction@vdoh.org and get involved!
LUNCH ORDERS
Each week, students who wish to order lunch from school should select lunches for the following week using our Lunch Order Form. Place lunch orders by 9 pm each Tuesday for lunch the following week. Order forms will be updated on Wednesdays. We will continue to send reminders about order deadlines.
SACRED HEART SPIRITUALITY SERIES
Prayer and reflection is the overarching theme of the 2020-2021 Sacred Heart Spirituality Speakers' Series. The second in this series of three presentations will take place at 10 am tomorrow, February 5, when Lyn Osiek, rscj presents Saint Madeleine Sophie's Use of Prayer with Scripture: Prayer and Reflection on the Word via Zoom.
Sr. Osiek is Provincial Archivist of the Society of the Sacred Heart, United States-Canada and has authored, edited, and collaborated on numerous books about Saint Philippine Duchesne. She is an alumna of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Saint Charles and has taught at the Sacred Heart schools at Grand Coteau, LA, Newton Country Day Academy, Newton, MA, and Villa Duchesne. Please join us on Zoom.
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99360677674?pwd=UlJsSGpVSzFrNi9KaVNmQW96ZXJ0Zz09
Learn more about the Sacred Heart Spirituality Series.
JOIN US IN PRAYER
Please join us each Wednesday at 8:00 am in the Front Bowl to pray the Rosary together for our VDOH community. If you have any questions about this or other opportunities to get involved with the Mission Committee, please contact Molly Pollnow Kraeger '92 or Ellen Reis Weis '97 at vdohmission@vdoh.org.
The Mission Committee also welcomes you to stop by the Carmelite Chapel between 9 am and 3 pm tomorrow, February 5, as Villa and Oak Hill parents pray before the Eucharist for our community. Please contact Kelly at kellyjadamitis@icloud.com to learn more.
COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS
The Board of Trustees is seeking nominations for Standing Committee members. Standing Committees that support our Board of Trustees include Buildings & Grounds, Finance, Strategic Planning, and Community Engagement. Serving on one of these committees is an important first step in the process of serving as a trustee. Your recommendations can help us identify individuals with the expertise we need to advance our mission. This process upholds the National Association of Independent School Principles of Good Practice for Governance (NAIS) and School by-laws. If you or anyone you know has nominations, please submit an online nomination.
NO SCHOOL GRADES 7-12
Students in grades 7-12 will not have school:
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 content 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 |