Villa Duchesne Nuts and Bolts | April 8, 2021
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. STEENBERGE
Happy Easter! One of my favorite Easter scripture stories is the Road to Emmaus. In it, two of Jesus' disciples are walking along a road and are dejected about the news that Jesus had been crucified; they hadn't heard the news of Jesus' resurrection yet. As they were walking, they were joined by someone they didn't recognize. When they reached Emmaus, they broke bread with this stranger, and as they did, they realized the stranger was Jesus! He was with them all along the road, but they didn't recognize him because their circumstances had changed.
This is a story rich with significance for us today. I challenged your daughters yesterday to think about how Jesus had been with them over the past year. In the midst of the pandemic, some of us haven't been able to attend mass or participate in the sacred rituals of the liturgical year, but that doesn't mean that Jesus wasn't with us all along! He was accompanying us in a different way, and we simply need to look back at all that has happened to us to recognize how God has been acting in our lives. Reflecting on our past experiences helps develop the interiority that is essential to Sacred Heart education. It's important that we ask the suffering we have all collectively experienced over the past year what it can teach us. What new ways have we seen God working in our lives? How has the year transformed (or "resurrected") us into new creations?
The Great Story of Jesus has much to teach us about our own lives, even here in a pandemic in 2021, if only we open our lives to the transformative power of the Gospel. So often in this year of chaos and uncertainty I have been thankful for the gift of my Catholic faith and education that have helped me to see the gift of Jesus working in our lives every day. We work to share this gift with your daughters every day; it's a privilege to share the Good News with them.
Congratulations to Grace Billhartz '21, Villa's recipient of the Archbishop May Service Award. This honor recognizes outstanding leadership and a commitment to community service and is awarded to one senior at each Catholic high school in the archdiocese.
"Grace's commitment to helping others is a model of service rooted in Christ's love and living a service-focused life. She has truly let her service experiences affect and shape her. As a dedicated and determined young woman, she is committed to service at her parish, in her school and in the St. Louis community. Through various service opportunities, Grace has grown to understand the importance of applying the Church's teaching on social justice. The principles of Catholic Social Teaching are reflected in her words 'everyone deserves to have the basic necessities they need to care for themselves and their loved ones.' This is particularly evident in her work serving various St. Louis organizations such as Best Buddies and AIM High. In all that she does here at Villa Duchesne as a student and out in the community, Grace shows great compassion, energy, and dedication," says her teacher, Mrs. Wiss.
We love you, Grace! Thank you for lighting the way!
Our hearts are filled with gratitude! Last week, a member of our parent community, Dr. Maria Perez, volunteered to host a vaccine clinic for the Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School faculty and staff who had not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated. The doses were provided by the pharmacy where Dr. Perez works, Beverly Hills Pharmacy. Oak Hill second grader Onzo Perez helped his mom set up and prep for the clinic, which was held in Kenefick Gym. Thank you to Sandy Conway, our school Nurse, and Kate Conway '10, for assisting. This act of kindness means so much to our dedicated faculty and staff, who have taught in person five days a week in the midst of a global pandemic. Many thanks, Dr. Perez!
HENNING FEATURED IN U.S. CATHOLIC MAGAZINE
Dean of Academics and Theology Department Chair Stacy Henning was featured in the April 2021 Issue of U.S. Catholic Magazine! Mrs. Henning was interviewed alongside other Catholic educators for her approach to Catholic sex education. Mrs. Henning created a curriculum for students in grades 7-12 called "Healthy Bodies, Healthy Relationships." For Henning, effective Catholic sexuality education must broadly address "how we love and connect to one another," and not be limited to biological information. Her curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including values and decision making, friendships, body image, stress and anxiety management, healthy communication, boundaries, and developing a cultural critical lens to sift through media messages. "It's about our entire personhood and relationships." Henning says. Read more about the innovative work Mrs. Henning is doing to educate our students in a positive and loving way.
BONNE CHANCE AUCTION | REGISTER TO BID
April 24 is the BIG DAY! This year's Auction, Saints Derby, is going to be amazing, and we want you to be a part of it. Register now to be ready to bid on April 24 by texting "vdohauction" to 243725.
We are bringing the party to you with Saints Derby Gift Boxes! Watch and bid while enjoying a carefully curated gift box including a custom bamboo Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill charcuterie board filled with delicious meats, cheese, and bits from Butler's Pantry; Saints Derby stemless glasses; Derby cookies from Madelyn's Cookie Company; and your choice of Rex Hill Pinot Noir or Rombauer Chardonnay from A. Bommarito Wines. Gift boxes serve 2 and are $150.00. Gift boxes purchased before April 12 will be delivered to local addresses. Gift boxes purchased after April 12 can be picked up at the School.
Share this with friends and family far and wide – all are welcome and our goal is to make Saints Derby our biggest Auction ever! Thank you for supporting our students in this way! If you have questions contact the Auction Committee at auction@vdoh.org and get involved!
PARENT RESOURCE
Our upper school parent book club has been reading Under Pressure by Lisa Damour, PhD, a wonderful book about stress and anxiety in teen girls. Lisa Damour recently hosted a webinar as a part of a parent series in partnership with ISACS called "Managing Anxiety, Stress & Parenting During COVID-19." The password to view the webinar is manage$2021 (all lowercase). This recording is available for all Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill parents until May 31, 2021.
PARENT BOOK CLUB | APRIL 12
Join us at 6:30 pm Monday, April 12, to discuss Chapter Six of Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Lisa Damour, PhD. This chapter is all about girls in the culture and addresses topics such as respecting others, the focus on appearances, and talking about challenging topics at home. This is our last meeting so we will also talk about our experiences with the book overall. We will break out into grade level groups to discuss questions related to the chapter and the book as a whole. If you are planning to attend, please register below. It is not too late to join! All parents are welcome.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/gn43Psy3REm6Nbbo6
Join us on the 12th via Zoom at: https://zoom.us/j/94812334233?pwd=MXpMVlZ5N0lMb0NBbUswMjN2aFFHdz09
ADDITIONAL MISSION TIME DATE
Villa students will have an additional Mission Time on Thursday, May 6. Please mark your calendars so that all students will be in attendance that afternoon.
UNIFORM FITTING DAYS
Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill's 2021 Uniform Fitting Days are scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, from 10 am to 7 pm and Wednesday, May 19, from 10 am to 4 pm at Just Me Apparel, 232 Old Sulphur Springs Road in Manchester. A 10% discount will be offered on some uniform items during these two days. Orders may be placed in person, online, or by phone. However, Just Me Apparel suggests visiting their store for your first order to ensure proper fitting. Price lists are now available in the Parent Portal.
To learn more about Just Me Apparel's hours of operation and any precautionary measures being taken, please contact them at 636-391-3551 or cs@justmeapparel.com.
MARKING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MILESTONE
On Thursday, May 27, we will honor our eighth grade students as they complete middle school and transition to high school with Marking the Middle School Milestone Mass. An RSVP form will be sent to eighth grade families at the beginning of May with more details, but be sure to mark your calendars for this jubilant occasion.
PASSPORT TO SUMMER | ACADEMIC CAMPS
Villa is offering 12 academic camps this summer to advance our students knowledge and skill in a variety of subject areas including graphic design and printing, history, Spanish, finance, and more. 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!
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.
JOIN US IN PRAYER
We invite all to join us each Wednesday at 8:00 am to pray the Rosary together for our VDOH community. Weather permitting, we will continue to gather in the Front Bowl. In the event of rain, we will meet in the Chapel. If we must move indoors, please enter the building through the Portry Door and head up the stairs to the Danis Parlor for a health check in before proceeding to the Chapel. 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.
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 |