Yesterday, the Governor of Missouri and the Archbishop of St. Louis made separate announcements that school campuses would stay closed and would remain closed through the end of this academic year. 

We hoped that May would allow us to welcome our students back to our campus, but we now understand that is not possible. We will continue with remote learning through the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

This news impacts us all in many ways, emotional as well as practical. We have been holding our students, especially the Class of 2020, in our hearts as we have worked to reenvision the next several weeks. 

Remote Learning Schedule 
I am so grateful to our faculty and to our families for your creativity, grace, and flexibility as you have adjusted to remote learning. The last day for remote learning instruction will be May 8 for the Class of 2020 and May 15 for our JK3-grade 11 students. The weeks of May 11 (seniors) and May 18 (JK3-grade 11) will not be for instruction but rather for students to turn in assignments and for teachers to be available to support students who may need help completing work. 

Final Exams | Villa Duchesne
We will not have formal final exams. Teachers may give a cumulative assessment that would be rolled into the third quarter grade and follow the weighting of other quarterly assessments, instead of the 20% weight typically given to final exam grades.

Sacred Heart Traditions, Events, and Sacraments
We are committed to giving our students these special experiences if we are able to do so. We will continually evaluate events as we know more information and share details with all of you. Here are some updates:

• Junior Ring Ceremony | April 14 | postponed, TBD
• First Communion Mass | April 25 | postponed, TBD 
• May Crowning | May 1 | changed to virtual event, TBD
• JK3 May Ceremony | May 8 | cancelled
• Baccalaureate Mass | May 14 | cancelled
• Class of 2020 Graduation | May 17 | postponed, TBD
• 6th Grade Completion Mass | May 20 | postponed, TBD
• Kindergarten Graduation | May 20 | cancelled
• 8th Grade Completion Mass | May 21 | postponed, TBD
• Oak Hill Prize Day | May 21 | virtual event, TBD
• Villa Duchesne Prize Day | May 22 | virtual event, TBD

Athletic Seasons
The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) and Catholic Youth Council (CYC) have announced the cancellation of the spring athletic season. Our lacrosse, soccer, track & field, and CYC teams will not compete this spring.

Picking up Important Items at School
We plan to arrange days and times for families to pick up items left on campus. We will share this information once we know that we can move forward in a safe way.

To all of our students, you enliven our school community with your spirit. We are cheering you on from afar. We know this is hard, and we are proud of your grit. 

We will continue to communicate with you about more detailed plans for our special events and traditions. I wish you a joyful Easter and look forward to the new life that Christ promises us all.

Sincerely,
Michael F. Baber
Head of School

"Wherever you go, whatever road you may travel, you will always find a home at the Sacred Heart. Your relationships will endure and transcend all confines of time and space because they are founded on faith, hope, and love." Life at the Sacred Heart, 1985

Your enthusiasm and positivity are fueling our success with remote learning! We hope your family is finding a rhythm. We welcome your questions and your feedback on how things are going for your children.

Many of you have asked questions about our upcoming Easter Break and community responsibilities surrounding these days. This is a sacred time and a family time, and we want to preserve that for our students, faculty, and staff.

To honor Easter, there will be no classes or school obligations on Friday, April 10. Thursday, April 9, and Monday, April 13, will be work days for students to get caught up on assignments and to connect with their teachers. We will not hold formal classes on these two days, and our teachers will hold office hours for students who wish to connect.

We are continuing to review our calendar, and and we will share decisions and plans as soon as we can. We are grateful for your support!

Sincerely,
Ms. Bridget Collins | Principal, Villa Duchesne
Dr. Peter M. Schroeder | Principal, Oak Hill

Today, the 30-day Stay at Home Order implemented by St. Louis City and St. Louis County went into effect. In light of this restriction, all schools in St. Louis City and County have extended their closures through April 22. I had hoped that our school community would be back together on campus on April 6, but with this restriction, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School will remain closed for at least the next 30 days. We will continue to monitor the updates and follow the guidance of our local and state governments as we look to the future.

Continuing Remote Learning

We may not be on campus together, but the learning continues! Our faculty have put in countless hours to make the change to remote learning and to creatively foster routine and connection for our students. You can find remote learning information on our website, and we will send updates to our JK3-6th grade families about returning student work and picking up new packets as we move forward.

We received many positive reports and photos of engaged students on our first day of remote learning! We will continue teaching and learning remotely on school days until we are back on campus. Reach out to Dr. Schroeder or Ms. Collins if you have feedback to share or if we can help address any challenges. Thank you for embracing learning together from home!

Sacred Heart Traditions and Scheduled Events

We are reviewing all of the many special traditions and activities on our calendar for the spring, and we will be in touch with families about our plans as soon as we can. Events scheduled for the next 30 days, like the Junior Ring Mass and brunch, the senior art show, the middle school play, and Oak Hill's merit assembly will not take place as planned. These events are a part of the experience of our Sacred Heart education, and we are exploring alternative ways to provide these experiences for our students.

Our relationships with each other sustain us through moments of joy and moments of challenge. We will continue to provide spiritual outreach to you in various ways. Please reach out and check in with each other. Our school day has changed for now, but the mission, intentions, and hopes of Sacred Heart education remain the same. Our foundation is our faith in God, and our faith inspires the grace and grit, hope, and confidence that we all need in this moment.

Cor Unum,

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

P.S. One of our juniors, Berkeley Rebman, has volunteered to read stories for our younger students periodically via video. Watch for Stories from the Heart coming soon on Facebook and Youtube!

We are aware of the Stay at Home Order entered this afternoon in St. Louis County and St. Louis City. This order goes into effect in St. Louis County on Monday, March 23, and will last for 30 days. We are meeting and planning so that we can communicate with all of you about the remainder of our school year.

We are cancelling Monday's 8 am-10 am pick up time for packets, books, and materials. We will add a second pick up time tomorrow (Sunday). Here are the updated times you can come to campus:

Sunday, March 22

• 12 pm-2 pm
• 4 pm-6 pm

Oak Hill families, kindergarten and first grade packets will be ready by noon tomorrow, but we will still mail the fourth grade packets with Oak Hill report cards on Wednesday.

Please make every effort to pick up your packets, books, and materials or to make arrangements with another family to pick them up for you. If you are unable to come to campus tomorrow, please contact Dr. Schroeder (JK3 - 6, pschroeder@vdoh.org) or Ms. Collins (7-12, bcollins@vdoh.org) to make other arrangements.

I have good news, too! Dr. Schroeder recorded the first-ever Oak Hill Video Morning Assembly! I hope that our JK3 - 6th grade families will watch it with their children on Monday morning so they feel a sense of routine as we begin learning together from home.

We will continue to communicate as we reimagine our school year. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful Sacred Heart community!

Sincerely,

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

I hope you enjoyed some time with loved ones over the spring break. The world feels unfamiliar right now, but we are focusing on the positive at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill. As Sacred Heart educators, our work is inherently hopeful and optimistic! I write to share details of how we will continue to educate our students during the next two weeks.

Transition to Remote Learning on March 23

Our academic leadership, our faculty, and our IT department have been working together all week to articulate a plan to transition to remote learning beginning on Monday, March 23. Our goal is to offer all of our students an age-appropriate experience of learning together as a Sacred Heart family even though we are not on campus.

Please review the detailed remote learning plans for Oak Hill and Villa Duchesne on the pages below, and pay special attention to the hours campus will be open to pick up packets and materials:

• Remote Learning Plan for JK3-6th grade students
• Remote Learning Plan for 7th-12th grade students

Our faculty are committed to educating the hearts and minds of each child in a nurturing and challenging environment. We can't be in the classroom, but we can provide meaningful learning experiences for our students. There will be an adjustment period as we all get used to this new way of teaching and learning, and we will accompany each other along the way.

Role of Parents and Guardians

Our parents and guardians are balancing many competing obligations. Many of you are working outside the home, providing full-time child care, or working remotely. We are focused on communication and clarity for you and your children so that everyone understands the process, the schedule, and the expectations of remote learning.

If you have concerns or issues that arise, reach out to us, and we will work through them together. I am proud of the incredible effort our faculty has put into these preparations. They are also navigating new territory, managing parenting and care obligations alongside full-time teaching. We pledge to be flexible, nimble, and resilient during the coming weeks.

Planning Ahead

We have planned for two weeks of remote learning, from Monday, March 23, through Friday, April 3. We hope to welcome students back to campus on Monday, April 6. We have many important community events each spring at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill, and we are having ongoing discussions about how to proceed with those events. We are monitoring the situation closely, and we will notify you if and when final decisions are made.

Spiritual Life

We are more than just a school community; we are a faith community and a Sacred Heart community! Look for regular outreach, prayerful support, and community building ideas on social media and in emails from our campus ministers, our counselor, and our teachers. I am praying for our faculty, staff, students, and our entire community as we learn together from home. Let's do this!

Sincerely,

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

I invite all of us who are part of our Sacred Heart family
to pay attention to God's call
to live hope deeply in our lives,
to strengthen our commitment in our journey forward as a community,
to speak the truth with love
as we work together to fulfill the dream of God for all God's people.
-Barbara Dawson, RSCJ, Superior General

We are taking the important step of extending our school closure to protect the health of our community and our region. Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill will remain closed through April 3, 2020. We will follow the guidance of our governmental and health authorities and stay in touch with the other schools in the St. Louis area as we determine how to proceed beyond April 3. All athletic and school activities will be suspended immediately.

Our campus is closed, but our faculty and staff will be available for our students and their families as we navigate this situation together. After spring break, we will communicate with you about our plans to provide remote learning and support to our students online and via email.

We all gain from the sense of community and connection that being at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill brings. If any of our students are struggling, please reach out to our School Counselor, Mrs. Pike, at bpike@vdoh.org. If your family has any needs that are not being met right now, please confidentially contact me at hos@vdoh.org.

We are in an unprecedented situation with a lot of uncertainty. We hope to welcome our students back on April 6, but there is potential that the closing period could be extended again as our leaders determine what is best for our region, our state, and our country. We will share updates with you by email.

Without the structure and routine of our school day, the coming weeks may be difficult for our students and families as we take protective measures. Our talented students have worked hard to prepare for tests, projects, performances, and athletic seasons that might not take place. Students (and parents), I believe you will face this challenge with grace and grit. I am praying that we remain hopeful, positive, and resilient!

Sincerely,

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

Thank you for your support, your advocacy, and your grace during the past week.

My primary concern this week has been the health and safety of our students, our families, our faculty and staff. We are sharing coronavirus and travel updates on our website. If we receive any updated information from the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, we will share that with you by email.

COVID-19 in Missouri

The best sources of information regarding COVID-19 in our county and our state are the governmental agencies monitoring the status. We encourage you to be attentive when St. Louis County and the State of Missouri release information, and to heed the directives of state and national authorities.

It is vitally important that we put the health of our entire community first. If you or any member of your family is experiencing symptoms or is tested for COVID-19, please confidentially contact me at hos@vdoh.org. In partnership with you, we can keep our students and families safe.

Spring Break and Return to School

As we enter our planned spring break and look forward to what is ahead, there is some uncertainty. This situation is fluid and we are monitoring the recommendations of the local and national public health authorities. We are talking with our peer schools and the Sacred Heart Network schools as we navigate this difficult time as educators.

Our cleaning team finished the hospital-grade cleaning of our campus buildings on Thursday, and we hope to welcome our students back to campus on Monday, March 23. We will make a final decision next week based upon the most recent information available, and notify you by email. Please check your email regularly over the break.

Welcoming Newly Admitted Students

We have the privilege of sending acceptance letters to new students throughout the St. Louis region later today. Let us enthusiastically embrace these new students and welcome them into our school community! Thank you for telling others about the opportunities here, spreading the word about Family Individualized Tuition (FIT), and helping us to share the gift of Sacred Heart education with so many.

As children of the Sacred Heart, we are called to live our mission. We draw strength from one another during times of growth and opportunity, as well as times of challenge and fear. We are called to be leaders, advocates for what is right, and prayerful members of our community.

We welcome your thoughts and questions, and we continue to ask for your support as we work to advance the Sacred Heart mission of Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill. Let us all use our best judgment with health and safety at the forefront over the coming weeks. We are so grateful to you.

Cor Unum,

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

We are continuing to gather information and to communicate with local health authorities. We know that you have questions, and we appreciate everyone who has reached out to us. We want to provide you with some additional information and pass along the guidance offered by the St. Louis County Department of Public Health. Most importantly, the County has shared that no additional precautions are required for anyone who may have come in contact with the family members of the COVID-19 patient.

The Villa Duchesne student that is the sibling of the COVID-19 patient was in school on Thursday and Friday of last week. We know that she and her father attended events on Saturday night, including the Father Daughter Dance. Villa also hosted a mothers' event on Saturday night, and we can confirm that nobody from the impacted family was present at the mothers' event.

Guidance for our Families

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health is aware that the student was in school last week and at events on Saturday evening with her father. We have provided all of the information that we know to St. Louis County. Here is the guidance we have received from St. Louis County:

• For anyone in our community who may have come into contact with members of the family who are not symptomatic, St. Louis County indicates that no special precautions need to be taken at this time.
• Anyone who has questions or concerns, or is uncertain about exposure, should call the St. Louis County hotline at 314.615.2660. 
• Anyone who is experiencing symptoms should call the hotline immediately and await instructions at home.
• All members of our community should take normal precautions to avoid the spread of illness.

The CDC has a wealth of information about COVID-19 on its website and St. Louis County has a website for information. We will continue to work with St. Louis County and follow the recommendations of local and national health authorities.

School Closure

St. Louis County is not currently recommending school closures, but in this situation, we want to take the most cautious approach to protect our families. We are closing school for the rest of this week to monitor the situation and to give us time to deep clean campus. We have commissioned a hospital-grade cleaning of the school which will take place this week. This involves using special cleaning products and disinfecting every surface. The school buildings will be sanitized and ready for students to return after spring break.

Academics

To the extent possible, we want learning to continue, and our faculty will be in touch with more information. If you or your child has questions or concerns about academic work, please contact the principal. We are looking at the schedule and considering ways to reclaim any lost learning time for all of our students before the end of the year.

Athletics

All athletic practices and competitions will be cancelled this week.

Student Life and Travel

Our students are the life of our school and so important to us! During challenging times like this, the support of friends can be a comfort, and, as a Sacred Heart school, the friendships within our community are special. The CDC is recommending that people stay away from large social gatherings, maintain a social distance of six feet, and stay aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and other seasonal illnesses. If anyone becomes symptomatic, call the St. Louis County hotline at 314.615.2660.

We feel the heightened level of stress within our community. The CDC offers this guidance on mental health and coping. Anyone who needs support is encouraged to reach out to our School Counselor, Mrs. Pike.

Please monitor the CDC travel information as you make decisions about your own spring break travel. Our priority is protecting our students. If you travel to a country designated as a Warning Level 3 location, we expect that you will self-quarantine in your home for a period of 14 days from your last day in the country or from the last day that the country is designated as a Warning Level 3 location, whichever occurs first. If you travel to France, Germany, Japan, or other countries that are experiencing high rates of coronavirus infection, please monitor the CDC travel advisory status. If the travel advisory status rises to Warning Level 3 during your time in the country, we will expect you to self-quarantine.

We will follow up directly with all students and families who are registered for domestic or international school-sponsored trips.

I am grateful to you all for your patience and desire to "do the right thing" during a time when what that is may not be readily apparent. Together, we will get through this. Together, we will be strengthened.

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

We are aware of the information communicated by St. Louis County Executive Sam Page at a 6 pm press conference this evening. This is the first time we are hearing that the family was instructed by health officials to quarantine before last night's Father-Daughter Dinner Dance, and we share your concern about this information. We take this very seriously.

We have had preliminary conversations with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and we are sharing all of the information available to us with them as we await instructions. As soon as we confirm St. Louis County's recommendations for our families, we will notify you. St. Louis County has set up a resource page and a hotline for questions about COVID-19. The hotline number is 314.615.2660.

We are receiving reports of our students and parents getting requests to speak to the media via social accounts. Alice Dickherber is fielding our media requests, and you are welcome to give Mrs. Dickherber's email address (adickherber@vdoh.org) to members of the media. 

We understand that this news has impacted everyone in our community and created anxiety and concern. The health and safety of our students, families and employees is our priority, and we have confidence in the St. Louis County health officials to guide our response. We ask for increased compassion, grace, and respect for one another as we overcome this challenge together.

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

Local news reported yesterday that a St. Louis County woman has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease spread by the coronavirus. We learned this morning that the woman with COVID-19 is the older sister of a Villa freshman. We immediately began gathering information and planning for the safety of our students and families.

The family of the COVID-19 patient is working with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and is under quarantine. We are in contact with St. Louis County and we will work with officials to ensure we are doing everything possible to maintain our safe environment.

School and Activities Cancelled Monday

Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to cancel school and any activities tomorrow. We will use the day to gather information and guidance from health officials. Our priority is our students and we want to mitigate any risk within our community. We will communicate more information tomorrow.

Father-Daughter Dinner Dance

There were two members of the family of the COVID-19 patient at the Father-Daughter Dance last night. Those family members did not learn of the diagnosis until after they arrived at the dance. As soon as they were notified, they left immediately. If you attended the dance, please be attentive to any symptoms you are experiencing. If you become sick, seek appropriate medical treatment from your doctor, and notify the school. As we learn more about how to appropriately respond, we will share information with you.

Spring and Summer Student Travel

We are carefully considering potential implications of our planned student travel. We are studying the daily reports and travel notices from the CDC and the World Health Organization. We are communicating with our local health officials and local schools facing similar decisions. We will continue to monitor the situation and inform you as soon as possible of any changes.

As you are thinking about your own spring break plans, please review the CDC travel guidelines. I am in discussions with our School Nurse and local health officials regarding safe practices as students return from spring break.

Safe and Healthy Practices

The best thing we can do right now is to build preventative measures into our routine. Regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing into our arm, and staying home if we feel sick. Please keep your children home if they are exhibiting symptoms. A child should be fever free and free from vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours without medication before returning to school. Our faculty and staff are required to follow the same guidelines. Parents, please report any symptoms or test results to the school.

Talking to Children About Coronavirus

We shared some resources in our email last week to support you during conversations with your children about coronavirus. While health is our priority, hearing discussions about coronavirus being close to home may be a cause of stress in our children. I am including those resources again below. Let us all reassure the children in our community so they feel safe and secure over the coming weeks. 

APA Resources

How to Talk to Students About Coronavirus

How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus

Helping Children Cope With Frightening News

We are working as a team to keep our school safe, and we will continue to stay in touch!

Michael F. Baber
Head of School

We appreciate your support as we work to keep our community healthy and safe!

As you know, the health and safety of our students and families are always a priority for us. In a particular way, this is on our minds as we take in the information about Coronavirus in the national news. We are fortunate to have our school nurse to help guide our response. Here is what we are doing to make sure we are ready as a school community:

School Response to Coronavirus

A team of faculty and staff, including our nurse, Mrs. Conway, and our school counselor, Mrs. Pike, is meeting regularly to gather new information and update our school response plan. We are connected to other local schools and reviewing national education resources. We are monitoring information and resources from the CDC, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and the St. Louis County Health Department. At this point, there are no known cases in St. Louis County.

Hygiene and Sanitation on Campus

We are always focused on prevention of the spread of germs on campus. Our full-time cleaning and maintenance staff are on campus each day, cleaning and sanitizing throughout the school day. Every day, we disinfect frequently touched surfaces in our classrooms and student spaces like Acorn Club and our nursery. We are cleaning continuously to avoid the spread of germs.

We encourage everyone to take precautions to prevent flu and colds. This is most effective when what we do at school is a reinforcement of what you practice at home. Our teachers are working with our youngest students on proper hand washing, and we are educating all of our students on good practices for hand washing and respiratory etiquette to mitigate risk in our community.

Please keep your children home if they are sick. A child should be fever free and free from vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours without medication before returning to school. Our faculty and staff are required to follow the same guidelines.

Travel and School Trips and Exchanges this Spring and Summer

Ms. McCabe, our Global Education Liaison, and Mr. Livingston, our Exchange Program Coordinator, are working closely with school partners to gather information and updates so that we can stay in touch with our families.

Four Villa students are currently in Ireland on an exchange at Mount Anville School. We are corresponding with the school and can confirm that there are no known cases in Ireland. We will update families with any new information relevant to upcoming school trips to Washington DC, Chicago, Alaska, New Mexico, New York, Spain, and Greece. We have one exchange student coming from New Zealand and we are in touch with her family. We do not have any exchange students coming to Villa from countries that have reported cases of Coronavirus.

With spring break approaching, we are especially attentive to keeping our campus healthy as members of our community travel during the break. The CDC has a page dedicated to travel guidance. Being aware of Coronavirus risk is the best way that we can work together on the health of our community.

Talking to Children About Coronavirus

Conversations about Coronavirus can be scary for all of us, especially young children. Mrs. Pike has gathered the following resources for talking to children about Coronavirus. Our young students do not have experience with public health events, so our tone as we discuss Coronavirus is important. We continue to reassure our students that we take very good care of them.

APA Resources
How to Talk to Students About Coronavirus
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus
Helping Children Cope With Frightening News

We plan to send another community-wide communication next week as we monitor this situation. If you have concerns, please reach out to me at hos@vdoh.org.

Michael F. Baber
Head of School