Villa Duchesne Nuts and Bolts | February 25, 2021
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. STEENBERGE
We are living in unprecedented times. In the last twelve months, not only have we experienced historical events that have shaken our sense of security, but we no longer are sure if we can trust the information streams that bombard us with narratives fashioned from a single lens. What should we believe? Who can we trust? What is really happening, not only in our world, or in our country, but even in our school?
The good news is that each and every one of your families has a North Star: your daughters. Your children have a front row seat to everything that happens at Villa Duchesne, and they have the uncanny ability to judge immediately the sincerity of the people they meet. I encourage you to talk to your daughters about what they hear and see at school each day, and especially about what they are learning. We love it when the things we talk about in class becomes the heart of the conversation at the dinner table each night - there is no higher compliment for a teacher. If you ever have a question about what your daughters are learning, please reach out to the teacher or to me so we can put the lesson into context and help you understand how it fits into the broader goals of the course and our mission.
As I sit in classrooms and watch the dynamic between student and teacher, I realize how dear the mission of our school is to my heart. I see children who are happy, engaged, and curious...who love their teachers and love their classmates. Your daughter's love for our school is the most important and reliable information stream you can have in this topsy-turvy world. When I meet with parents and hear how much their daughters cherish our school, I dig a little deeper and resolve even more faithfully to ensure that we are all on the same team: Team Villa. Together, we are better.
UPCOMING WORSHIP DATES
While we are still not able to gather as an entire student body, it has been wonderful welcoming students back into the Chapel. We have already celebrated Mass with our freshmen class and offered an Adoration opportunity for all grades with additional Adoration planned for March. We look forward to these upcoming worship times:
PASSPORT TO SUMMER
Villa is offering 12 academic camps this summer to advance our students knowledge and skill in a variety of subject areas. These camps are open to students enrolled in Villa for grades 7-12. Learn more about these fascinating courses: Please contact Director of Summer Programs Dominic Key at summer@vdoh.org if you have any questions. We hope to see you this summer!
2021-2022 RE-ENROLLMENT CONTRACTS
Tomorrow, February 26, is the deadline to re-enroll students for the 2021-2022 school year. Along with submitting their re-enrollment contracts, families are also required to send an enrollment deposit of $1,000 to the Business Office to complete the re-enrollment process.
1818 REGISTRATION
Any student taking an eligible course and who wants to receive SLU 1818 credit for the spring semester must register. Registration is required each semester and must be completed by Sunday, February 28, for the spring semester. If you have any questions or concerns about the 1818 Program, please contact Mr. Livingston at clivingston@vdoh.org.
BONNE CHANCE AUCTION | DONATE AN ITEM
The success of our auction hinges on the unique items and experiences our donors provide. Please consider donating:
Please make your donation by Tuesday, March 9, for inclusion in the auction catalog! If you have questions contact the Auction Committee at auction@vdoh.org and get involved!
FREE TUTORING
In partnership with the St. Louis County Library and funded through the CARES Act, Miriam Learning Center is offering free, in-person and virtual tutoring with special education, reading, content, and other certified teachers. Free tutoring is available through May 28 to St. Louis County residents in grades PreK-college. Eligible participants should require in-person instruction or specialized virtual tutoring in order to learn and must have a household income of less than $80,000 for a family of four or fewer and less than $90,000 for a family of five or more, to qualify for services. Students may receive a maximum of one 50-minute tutoring session each week. CARES dollars are limited and services are scheduled and provided on a first come, first serve basis. Learn more:
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.
BOOK DRIVE | MARCH 5
The next First Friday book drive for the St. Louis Catholic Academy in North St. Louis is set for Friday, March 5. New and gently used books are needed for all grades and reading levels, from children's books to chapter books. Look for bins for your book donations at each house door and at the Duchesne Building. Contact Karie Adamitis '24 at kadamitis2024@vdoh.org if you have any questions.
SPIRITUALITY SERIES
The third and final presentation in the 2020-21 Sacred Heart Spirituality Speakers' Series, Prayer and Reflection, will take place at 10 am Friday, March 5. Join Shirley Miller, rscj as she presents "Do Not Forget What Your Eyes Have Seen." With her beautiful photographs and thoughtful personal reflections, Sister Miller will explore the beauty of God's love in nature and in all creation. Sr. Miller served 40 years as a teacher and administrator in three Sacred Heart schools—Woodlands Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois, Duchesne Academy in Omaha, and the Academy of the Sacred Heart, the Rosary, in New Orleans—and has spent the past fifteen years in the mission advancement office for the Society of the Sacred Heart in Saint Louis. Please join them on Zoom.
JOIN US IN PRAYER & ADORATION
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 Friday, March 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.
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 |