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I recently participated in professional development where the training focused on best practices in student support for social-emotional learning and executive functioning skills, topics that our Middle School team spends a lot of time thinking about.

Building a culture of kindness in a school of more than 270 children is both joyful and demanding work. By nature, children are wired to look out for themselves first. Vulnerability, forgiveness, empathy, contrition, and selflessness are not usually instincts, but rather nurtured skills.

Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat believed deeply in the sacred dignity of every child. She understood that education is not merely the transfer of knowledge but a profound act of relationship built on respect, love, and compassion, where children are seen, heard, and valued.

This week, Villa College Counselors Kristi Morris and Colleen Murray share a bit about what the junior year experience looks like from a college counseling perspective. Each year, our juniors participate in a quarter-long College Counseling class to give our students close attention and dedicated time to prepare for success in the college application process.

We are always looking for ways to support our Villa Alumnae after they graduate, and one of the most successful programs we have is the Stubblefield Alumnae Internship. We welcome interns to campus to work side-by-side with administrators and staff, completing work that helps Villa advance our Sacred Heart Mission and provides invaluable experience for the next step in the intern's careers.

We celebrated two incredible students, leaders, and athletes as they signed their letters of intent to play their sports at the collegiate level! Congratulations to Katie Crump ’25, who will play Division 1 field hockey at Ohio State University, and Heidi Fesler ’25, who will play soccer at Washington University. 

Let’s think about the idea of innate trust—the idea that trust isn’t earned, but rather that your inherent goodness is known and honored. How might hearing the words, “I have faith in you,” impact your decision-making? Or the words, “I have confidence in you”?

Every now and then it’s fun to share some of the inner workings at Villa and to shed light on the innovation that takes place week to week orchestrated by a group of faculty so inspired by our mission.

If the saints are indeed reflections of the communities that venerate them, Philippine’s legacy offers a mirror to our own. In the Villa Duchesne community, we see a commitment to perseverance, a determination to confront challenges with grace and resolve, and a deep dedication to something greater than ourselves.

I recently visited classes in our English and World Language Departments. What a joy to be immersed in our amazing courses and to see your daughters actively engaged in their learning! I’m constantly reminded of Goal 2: Schools of the Sacred Heart commit themselves to a deep respect for intellectual values.

Villa's Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Kirstin Blase, spent her summer working in the lab of Michael Vahey, a biomedical engineering professor at Washington University. "As a scientist, I loved being in the lab and doing research," Blase said. "As a teacher, the idea of observing real-world research and incorporating it into my classroom sounded like fun!"

Heidi Fesler ’25 is pictured with her painting of Booney, which was featured in the Young Artists’ Showcase at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Heidi said, “I decided to paint my childhood all-time favorite stuffed animal, Booney, for my second still life project of the year.

Everything we do at Villa is guided by the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education. Our daily life animates the goals, and the goals inspire us to be the best possible school for our students. The Sacred Heart Goals Prayer simplifies the goals in a beautiful way...

All of the research related to outdoor education demonstrates that being outside benefits children in so many ways! Villa's lower school continually succeeds in building outdoor learning experiences into the curriculum and programming by using our expansive campus....

"My Sacred Heart education at Villa was a life-changing experience. The relationships I formed when I was a student at Villa kept me connected to the school and my experience as a student. When I had the opportunity to come back to Villa as a summer intern, the choice was easy. ...

There is truly nothing like experiencing Congé at Villa! Congé (pronounced "con-jay") is a surprise day, set aside for all of our students to celebrate our school community. ...

"Villa's seventh grade is the most welcoming community I have ever been a part of. The bond is nearly instant, the teachers are caring, and the students have the freedom to find themselves while finding new friendships in their new home. ...