Voices of Villa

Last week, we honored the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at our MLK L’Envolée (Prayer Service). Goal I, Criterion 6 says that “members of the school community, open to the transforming power of the Spirit of God, engage in personal and communal prayer, discernment, and reflection which inform their actions.” Every year after this beautiful prayer service (skillfully planned by our wonderful Campus Minister, Mrs. MacArthur), I feel compelled to reflect on my actions and am inspired to be more like the great Dr. King and work toward the building of his “Beloved Community,” a place where love and justice will prevail.

One of my favorite aspects of this service is hearing from our Villa students as they reflect on Dr. King’s work and its continued impact today. As the Middle School Dean, I deeply value the importance of providing our middle school students with strong role models. While middle school can be a challenging time, research shows that having older students to look up to and learn from can help build self-esteem, foster resilience, and spark inspiration. We are truly blessed at Villa to have a high school community filled with intelligent, thoughtful, and poised students who so beautifully fill this role. During the Prayer Service, we heard from sophomore Sayra Rivera and juniors Grace Young, Jane Hill, and Whitney Gross. 

Grace shared a beautiful reflection on unity and the celebration of differences, stating, “We all are different in our own ways, but we are still here at Villa as one big community all created and loved by God.” Sayra called us to acknowledge and stand against injustice. She explained that “being a true Villa girl means using our love and courage to stand up for justice and using our voices to stand up against all the hate and violence that the world is facing.” Jane asked us to have courage as we “boldly confront anything that stands in opposition to love” (King Center Be Love Pledge). Finally, Whitney shared a powerful witness on choosing to speak up and speak out and let others truly see you. She shared how she chooses to live with “eyes wide open, leading through action and knowing that the Promised Land is reachable only when we refuse to settle for the world as it is and begin work for the world as it could be.” I was so impressed and empowered by the courage, insight, and leadership of our Villa girls. Thank you, Grace, Sayra, Jane, and Whitney, for being such great role models for our students and witnesses to how our faith calls us to love each other and stand up against injustice. We were honored to learn from you!

As we continue into this new year, I hope we can take the lessons we gained from our MLK L’Envolée to work toward the creation of a Beloved Community here at Villa, rooted in Christ’s peace, a place where we recognize God’s presence in each other, seek and hold space for different perspectives, listen without judgement, and work together to resolve conflict.

Dr. Melissa Allen
Middle School Dean

When I drive onto campus each day, I am reminded that Villa is a magical place. One source of Villa’s magic is our students, who contribute to our vibrant community because of their passion, creativity, intellect, and investment in building relationships. The many student initiatives on campus this semester are evidence of just how special the Villa community is and how deeply connected we are to living out our Goals and Criteria. 

As Dean of Student Life, I have the privilege of witnessing the many ways in which our students embody Goals 4 and 5 outside of the classroom. This quarter, we’ve had a flurry of student life activities; in fact, there have been so many that it would be impossible for me to list them all here, so I will highlight just a few. 

Our Student Council has organized community-building activities this semester. In November, our Senior Student Council Reps organized a Junior-Senior Powder Puff match. Vice President Hope Lowery ’26 said, “The point was to build camaraderie through friendly competition. The day encompassed the same vibe as Field Day.” This week and next, grades 7-12 will be having their Secret Santa gift exchanges, which “is a fun way to get to know people outside of your friend group or regular circles better,” according to Secretary CeCe Shah ’26. And every day in December, Student Council has something fun planned for the 10 Days of Christmas, leading up to exam week. President Charlotte Brown ’26 commented, “We wanted to sprinkle a little holiday cheer to brighten everyone’s day and hopefully make this time more joyful.” 

In addition to Student Council members, many other students have planned community-wide initiatives. Before Thanksgiving Break, Charlotte Kittner ’28 organized a canned soup drive for St. Vincent DePaul Parish. This was a House competition, and our students donated 327 cans of soup. Congratulations to Duchesne for coming in first place. Ella Clayton ’27 and Skyler Hoefener ’27 are reviving their roles as the organizers (and bakers!) for the annual Christmas Basket Bake Sale to raise money to prepare Christmas Baskets. Their goal this year is to make enough to fill 30 additional baskets. This is also a House competition, and bakers earn House points for volunteering. Ella shared her reason for participating in the bake sale, “I love the Christmas Basket Bake Sale because it gives me the opportunity to get involved in the Villa community and ultimately help provide St. Louis families in need.” Skyler reflected on the importance of Villa’s Christmas Basket Mass, “There’s something incredibly special about arriving at school on the morning of Mass and seeing hundreds of baskets lined up by the West Door, a powerful, visual reminder of just how many families we’re able to help each Christmas. Christmas Basket Mass is the tradition that makes Villa, Villa, and I am so glad I get to play a role in it.” 

Club leaders are also committed to building community at Villa. Duchesne Diaries’ founder Paige Gardner ’27 and co-founder Sydney Steiger ’27 are hoping that there is a huge turnout for the discussion of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein next week. Paige said she saw a need in our community and decided to start Duchesne Diaries because she “noticed that many students struggled to find the time for reading because of their busy schedules and wanted to cultivate a community where students could come together, create time for book discussions, and hold each other accountable for their reading goals while having fun!” Mya Kopfensteiner ’26 started Art Club this year and hosted a fun pumpkin painting activity in October that brought many grades together to express their creativity. Mya is organizing a card-making event to spread holiday cheer to children who are in the hospital. She’s even providing hot cocoa and cookies for attendees; there’s nothing sweeter than that! 

This year, a record number of students showed up to support the cast of The Little Mermaid. This was due in part to House Reps Julianna Michetti ’29 and Milly Dickberber ’29 who promoted the play with a House competition. The week of the play, I overheard gaggles of students making plans to attend together to support their friends and classmates. Samantha Rickman ’26 who played Flotsam was overjoyed to see so many of her classmates attend The Little Mermaid, and Mia Mendoza ’26 who brought Ariel to life said, “This year getting to see so many familiar faces in the audience truly made this musical so much more magical, and I am beyond grateful that I got to be a part of it! I feel like this demonstrates the true support Villa students have for each other.”

And there are more plans in the works. The Junior Student Council Reps are busy planning Phily Week, which happens the last week of January (more to come about this soon). Earlier this week, I received an email from a student interested in organizing a Poetry Slam, and just today, a student expressed interest in starting a Model United Nations Club. One thing is obvious: Villa girls are smart, passionate leaders who have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to our community. If your daughter has an idea of something she would like to see come to life, encourage her to contact me. We will find a way or make one together!

Ms. Pamela Harris-Marcus
Dean of Student Life 7-12

Just a few weeks ago, we sat down with a group of fifth and sixth graders in a focus-group forum to explore their thoughts on AI. We discussed its value, its benefits, and its potential drawbacks. Their responses were thoughtful, candid, and surprisingly nuanced. As they talked, it became clear just how deeply they think about their learning and how much pride they take in the process.

A theme emerged again and again: the importance of productive struggle. “School is hard, but it’s fun to get to know new things,” they told us. Our children recognize that learning isn’t meant to be effortless. It isn’t always supposed to be easy. It’s the process of wrestling with new ideas, stretching past what feels comfortable, and sticking with a challenge that makes learning meaningful. “We need to learn it and do it on our own. AI makes this less fun,” one student said, voicing a desire to stay engaged in the real work of thinking.

When the Sacred Heart Commission on Goals (SHCOG) visited just a few weeks ago, they named this very strength in our community. They observed how intentionally our teachers cultivate productive struggle and resist giving students all the answers, allow them to simmer over challenging problems, and create space for minds to stretch, strengthen, and grow. They recognized that we are helping students build the part of themselves that can sit with frustration, push through it, and emerge more confident on the other side.

Their stories from Spark Lab underscored this even more. When presented with open-ended problems, they experience frustration, and yet, they see value in it. They described how good it feels when something finally clicks after trying, failing, and trying again. “It’s more fun to explore,” they said. “We like to have trial and error.” For them, the frustration isn’t a roadblock; it’s an essential part of the journey.

Hearing them speak so clearly about the joy of discovery and the satisfaction that comes from persevering was incredible. In a world where technology can offer immediate answers, our children are reminding us that growing their minds requires curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to stick with the hard parts.

When our children encounter challenges, whether in math, writing, friendships, or new responsibilities, our willingness to let them struggle productively helps build confidence and independence. Their insights remind us that the goal is not to remove every obstacle, but to support them as they learn to navigate obstacles with patience and grit.

The higher we want to fly, the greater the risk, but that is the glorious part of it. The great uncertainties in which we trust God, the breathless risks we run, with no assurance but our great trust in God, that seems to me to be of the essence of our life and its beauty. This will grow upon you; you will get your balance in the risk and get to love it. Janet Erskine Stuart

Cor Unum, With One Heart,
Stacy Henning, Director of Academics, and
Christine Phillips, Lower School Principal

At assembly on Tuesday morning, as we gathered together in our sweet community, I invited our children to take a short espacio. With eyes closed tightly, I asked them to visualize as many things as they felt grateful for. I could almost see visions streaming through their minds, and when our chime rang to end the espacio, hands shot up across the room, eager to share all the gifts in their lives. If you spend a day in the Lower School, you’ll notice something: students pausing to say thank you, smiling at a classmate who offered help, or reflecting quietly after prayer. These small moments tell a bigger story about who we hope our children become; young people who see the good around them, appreciate the people who make their days meaningful, and revel in the tiny moments of God’s bounty. Gratitude is at the heart of that work.

Research in child development confirms what we observe in our classrooms: grateful children are often happier and more resilient. Studies show that regularly noticing and naming what we’re thankful for can reduce stress, improve mood, and strengthen social bonds. Neuroscience tells us that gratitude activates brain regions associated with reward and well-being, releasing “feel-good” chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. Children who practice gratitude consistently are more optimistic, empathetic, and better able to cope with challenges. Life is so much more fulfilling when we see and feel God’s abundant gifts.

At the Lower School, we work to foster a spirit of gratitude through daily practice and modeling, encouraging our children to thank the people around them, from their specialty teachers to the staff who help wipe down lunch tables. Gratitude is woven into our prayer life and our moments of espacio, when we slow down, breathe, and become aware of God’s presence and the many blessings in our day. And as adults, we model this mindset. Our words, tone, and perspective teach children how to see the beauty that lies outside their own needs and wants and notice all of the good that surrounds them.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, let us pause with our children and take time to notice all of God’s wonders, from a beautiful orange sunrise, or a shared laugh, a delicious lunch packed with care, or the warmth of our homes and a cup of hot chocolate on a cold night. Let’s reinforce the lessons we teach each day at school: that true joy grows when we recognize and give thanks for the gifts already around us, rather than focusing on what we want or don’t have. We have so much to be grateful for.

As I reflect on the gifts in my own life, I am filled with gratitude for our beautiful school community, a place where our mission is not only spoken but lived. I am deeply thankful for our parent community, whose partnership, trust, and generosity strengthen every part of our work; for our incredible students, whose curiosity, energy, and light bring abundant love and life each day. And, I give thanks each day, for our dedicated teachers and staff, who pour their hearts into their classrooms and embody our mission with humility, joy, and unwavering commitment.

May this season of gratitude remind us of the abundant blessings God has placed in our care: our children, our community, and the shared purpose that unites us as a Sacred Heart family.

Cor Unum, With One Heart
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Lower School Principal

“I am more and more convinced that one can never do too much, and one can scarcely do enough to express gratitude, consideration, regard...” Janet Erskine Stuart

Faith can steady us through any storm. Few lives show this more clearly than that of Saint Philippine Duchesne. As her feast day approaches, we are called to reflect on her remarkable journey across the Atlantic as she faced treacherous weather, hunger, and illness, conditions few could have endured. How was her heart so strong? How did she continue to see light amid such darkness? Surely it was her unwavering faith and her deep awareness that God was with her. Through every storm and each moment of weakness, His presence sustained her.

This is the gift of a life grounded in faith, a journey with God built upon the quiet assurance that we are never alone.

On Wednesday evening, in the soft glow of our candlelit Chapel, thirty of our sweet second graders took an important step on their own faith journeys as they received their First Reconciliation. Though many entered with nervous hearts and uncertain spirits, they left with a sense of peace, knowing that God’s love is steadfast, forgiving, and boundless. I imagine this same trust and confidence filled Philippine’s heart as she crossed rough waters in faith.

I can’t help but think about the impact of our students’ teachers, both past and present, whose love and guidance have prepared them for this sacred moment. Through their care, our children have come to know the lasting influence of our Sacred Heart school, a place that forms young hearts to trust in God’s love and to live that love each day in their classrooms and in the world around them. Through this sacrament, they experienced the gentle truth that His presence is everlasting and His mercy unending.

As we honor Philippine’s courage and devotion and celebrate our children’s growing faith, may we all be reminded that faith does not remove life’s storms, but it gives us the strength to walk through them, trusting that God’s light is always within and around us.

We celebrate our second grade students for their courage, their humble hearts, and the shining light of their souls.

Cor Unum, With One Heart
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Lower School Principal

“Do not look back to the past, nor forward to the future. Claim only the present, for it holds God’s will.” Rose Philippine Duchesne

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. One of the things that really stood out to me during this presentation was the emphasis on explicitly teaching skills. Sometimes, it is easy to assume that students should come to us in middle school with the ability to manage their emotions, thoughts, and actions and with a good understanding of relationship skills and conflict resolution. However, as middle school experts, we know that is not the case, and we work as a team to build and explicitly teach these skills. We set firm boundaries, so students know what to expect, but also offer grace as we understand that middle school is an incredible time for growth.

While speaking on how to support our students, the presenter shared a quote I have often heard and connected with: “If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we…..Punish." (John Herner, National Association of State Directors of Special Education President). This stood out to me, as this year we have been focusing on putting in place firm guidelines for behavior and giving out infractions when necessary. At first glance, it might seem like our infraction system is at odds with this expert quote, but I don’t believe that’s the case. 

Our Middle School teachers take so much time working with our students to set expectations and TEACHING them how to meet those expectations. They take time to carefully work through difficulties with students and help them think of how to make better choices in the future. When we set boundaries for our students and hold them to high standards, we are setting them up for success. We are offering a predictable environment where they can feel confident in the decisions they make. At the same time, we are spending a great deal of time helping students understand the expectations and problem-solving with students when things don’t go according to plan. We know that our middle schoolers will inevitably make mistakes, and we are here to love them through it all and help them learn from these mistakes. We believe in their great potential and are proud to guide them along this journey!

Dr. Melissa Allen
Middle School Dean

I remember standing on the sidelines a few years ago, watching my son play in a soccer game, when I struck up a conversation with the father of a boy on my son’s team. To my surprise, he already knew who I was. He shared that his son often talked about mine—how he always gave 100% effort in the games. As we talked more, he explained a practice he had at home: he regularly asked his son to think about qualities he admired in his peers, regardless of whether they were close friends or not. I was struck by the simplicity and power of this habit. It shaped the way his son noticed and valued the good in others, creating a mindset of respect and kindness that reached far beyond the soccer field. It also made him a stronger teammate, helping him see the value in everyone working alongside him, not just in his own personal strengths.

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. And like any skill, they take time, guidance, and consistent practice to grow.

At school, we weave kindness into everything we do: in how students speak to their teachers, how they celebrate a friend’s success on the soccer field, or how they reach out to a classmate sitting alone. The opportunities to practice kindness are endless, and every moment matters.

But this work cannot stay within our walls alone. For kindness to truly take root, it must also be nurtured at home. Here are a few simple ways you can help your child think about and care for their classmates:

• Ask reflective questions. At dinner or bedtime, ask: “Who did you help today?” or “Who did you notice needed a friend?”
• Model kindness out loud. Let your child hear you thank the grocery clerk, apologize when you’re wrong, or congratulate someone else’s success.
• Role-play tricky moments. Practice what to do if they see someone left out, lose a game, or disagree with a friend.
• Celebrate small acts. Notice when your child shows empathy or kindness, even in small ways.
• Connect kindness to courage. Remind them that it often takes bravery to speak up for others or to be the first to say “I’m sorry.”
• Admire others openly. Ask your child to think about something they admire in each of their classmates, not just their friends.

But perhaps the most important way that we parents can support this culture of kindness is by being mindful of how we speak about other children and families in our community. Our words shape the way our children see and value one another. By keeping our mission at the forefront, we help nurture a spirit of respect and compassion for our common humanity. And when a concern does arise, please remember that the best step is always to come directly to the school so that it can be addressed with the care, understanding, and partnership our mission calls us to. Thank you for being a part of our special Villa community!

Cor Unum, With One Heart
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Lower School Principal

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. She knew that when we honor the dignity of each child, we create the conditions for them to grow into their full potential and recognize their own worth as human beings.

Yesterday, I stepped into a second-grade classroom just as the students were beginning their day, and my heart was filled with gratitude and awe. What I witnessed was a living example of Sophie’s vision: children who were not only learning but thriving in an environment of calm, safety, and belonging. It was clear from the moment I walked in, the gentle way the teacher spoke to the students, the kindness they showed one another, and the quiet sense of stability that grounded the room.

Each morning, these students are welcomed with a thoughtful message on the board. Yesterday’s message invited them to reflect on a time when they were brave. After settling in, the class gathered on the rug for their morning meeting. Forming a circle, where every child could see and be seen, the meeting began with a joyful "welcome chant." One by one, each child was celebrated by name, standing to wave, smile, or dance to their own rhythm as their classmates and teacher cheered them on. It was a simple yet powerful ritual of belonging.

The dignity in that room was palpable. Every child was acknowledged. Every voice mattered. Vulnerability was met with support. When it came time to share their stories of bravery, whether it was overcoming a fear of dogs, riding a roller coaster, or learning how to swim, each student spoke without interruption, and every story was met with listening ears, eye contact, and silent gestures of connection. Together, they built trust. They practiced empathy. They honored one another’s experiences.

Before wrapping up, the teacher thanked them for their courage and their care, recognizing the gift of their vulnerability and the respect they showed each other. What I witnessed was far more than a morning routine. It was the active, daily work of affirming each child’s worth.

When we meet children with dignity, when we honor their voices, when we create spaces where they are safe to be seen and heard, we are not just teaching them—we are forming them. We are helping them discover who they are and what they are capable of, and we are showing them, every day, that they are deeply valued.

Cor Unum, With One Heart,
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Lower School Principal

“Let us respect childhood; let us honor the soul of that small creature of God who can already make choices of the best if we take the time to awaken her reason and make her use her judgment.”     Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat

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.

One of our areas of focus is preparing the juniors for our in-house ACT. We offer the ACT (which often feels high stakes to our students and families) at Villa because of the many advantages that come from taking this test in a place that feels familiar. To ensure our students are equipped for success, we’ve partnered with Dr. Brett Kleitz from the Kleitz Education Group to work on ACT strategy. During these classes, Dr. Kleitz works with the students on:

• Time Management: Techniques to handle the fast-paced nature of the ACT.
• Section-Specific Strategies: Practical approaches tailored to the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections.
• Test-Taking Mindset: Tools to approach the ACT with focus and reduced fatigue.

As we transition to the next phase of our curriculum, juniors focus on the college exploration and reflection process. Over the next several weeks, students begin:

• Taking an Interest Inventory to explore career paths and align students' interests with potential majors.
• Resumé Writing to document their activities, achievements, and leadership experiences.
• Starting their Personal Statement to brainstorm and craft essay drafts that reflect their unique stories.
• Completing Portions of the Common Application to familiarize students with the platform and reduce stress when applications open in the Fall.

This comprehensive approach ensures our juniors are prepared not just for the ACT but for the entire college search and application journey. Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Murray are always happy to share more about our approach to College Counseling at Villa and the many ways we support our students and families through this 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 just completed our eleventh summer of welcoming interns to campus to work side-by-side with a variety of administrators and staff, completing work that helps Villa advance our Sacred Heart Mission and provides invaluable experience for the next step in their careers.

To date, 34 Villa Alumnae have served as interns through this program. Because of the donor’s generosity, our interns have an exceptional, professional work experience with feedback and support for their next move. We always watch with excitement the career trajectories of these ambitious and talented young women. They are working in a variety of fields and continuing their education (we have interns in medical school and in law school!). They are truly reaching for the stars and hitting the mark! Employers of past Villa interns include:

• Moneta Group
• Enterprise Mobility
• Goldman Sachs
• TKO Miller
• UBS Financial Services
• Proctor & Gamble
• Villa Duchesne
• Wal Mart
• KPMG
• Boston Common Asset Management
• Compass Health
• The Gersh Agency
• Jacobs

Each year, we release the Stubblefield Internship Application in the early spring. Contact Alumni Manager Rachel Drone Gehm ’88 for more information.

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”? Or “I trust your judgment”? How might these words affirm you? Would they be a grounding reminder of your inherent goodness and give you a sense of reassurance? Would you feel wholly seen and supported? Perhaps those words and that idea would encourage you to take healthy risks or to believe in yourself just a little more. When trust is given freely, it has the power to shape not only our choices but also our sense of self-worth and potential.

On Sunday, at our Lower School Open House, I found myself in deep conversations with prospective families, sharing about all the freedoms our children have as they roam our large campus, play in the Epic Woods, or make visits to a neighboring teacher in another pod. I shared that these moments of independence are not just privileges but reflections of the deep trust we have in our students. When children grow up knowing they are trusted—trusted to explore, to make wise choices—they internalize a profound sense of confidence. They begin to trust themselves, to listen to their instincts, and to embrace challenges with a sense of courage rather than hesitation.

This is the heart of Goal 5: cultivating personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. At Villa, we don’t shape children by controlling their every step; we empower them by fostering self-discipline, responsibility, and deep self-reflection. Wise freedom is not simply about granting choices; it’s about nurturing the confidence to make decisions and the resilience to learn from them. Mistakes will happen. Children will sometimes falter, making choices that do not reflect their best selves. But in those moments, imagine the transformative power of hearing, “I still believe in you.”

This is the power of a Sacred Heart education. In a world that often demands children to prove their worth, we choose instead to affirm it, simply and consistently. Imagine the profound impact of a child growing up knowing, without question, that their community sees their inherent goodness not as something to be earned, but as something intrinsic to who they are. This unwavering trust becomes the foundation upon which they build their identity, their self-worth, their curiosity, and an enduring sense of self. In this environment, one that nurtures both confidence and character, their potential is truly limitless.

Cor Unum, With One Heart,
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Lower School Principal

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. I continue to be awed by the unwavering dedication and creativity of our Lower School teachers. Over just a few days, I’ve heard from countless teachers brimming with fresh ideas and innovative projects for their classrooms. Their passion for shaping meaningful learning experiences is remarkable. Our exceptional teachers and staff are relentlessly pushing boundaries, fostering a deep love of learning, and creating exciting new opportunities for our students to grow and thrive.

Here are just a few highlights recently shared with me:

Cultivating a Love of Reading
This year our teachers throughout the Lower School have created and participated in creative reading contests, finding fun and innovative ways to inspire a lifelong love of reading in our students.

Exciting and innovative Cross-Curricular Projects
Students are diving into hands-on, interdisciplinary projects, such as:

• Third Grade National Parks Project: This year our third grade students will be researching a National Park, learning about its history and unique habitat, and will present their findings to our community.
• First Grade Haiti Project: Later this year, our first graders will be exploring life in Haiti and engaging in a service-learning project to support Zanmi Beni, a non-profit organization in Haiti.

Sacred Heart Pen Pals
This year, students in many of our classrooms have written notes to and formed relationships with Sacred Heart students around the globe, strengthening their writing schools and enhancing their understanding of our Sacred Heart connections.

Grants for Enhanced Programming
Three of our teachers successfully applied for and received grants this year. Two grants will enhance science education for our fifth and first graders, and one will expand our performing arts programming for all students at the Lower School, providing even more opportunities for our students to explore their talents and interests.

Cooking in French Class
Our Lower School students in certain grade levels are getting hands-on experiences cooking french delicacies like crepes and Bûche de Noël. 

Professional Development for Teachers
Just this past week a group of Lower School teachers sought out and participated in professional development focused on strategies that promote a strong and positive classroom culture. Allowing them to spend less time managing behavior and more time engaging in meaningful teaching and learning.

These initiatives are a testament to our teachers’ passion, their creativity and commitment to creating an innovative, engaging, and supportive learning environment for your children, and they give just a glimpse of the innovation taking place at the Lower School.

In partnership,
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Lower School Principal

Years ago, I was taking a class with a historian who studied the lives of women in early modern France. She shared an illuminating insight with me: after the Enlightenment and waves of social change associated with the French Revolution, Catholic mothers in France began to reshape pious devotion in their country. 

Fascinatingly, female virginal saints, who had dominated the pantheon of accepted adoration, fell to the wayside in the 18th century. After the French Revolution and the focus on Republican motherhood, pious women in France shifted their religious and domestic attention to holy women who had been mothers. Suddenly, the work of Catholic mothers merited a lot of devotional attention–at least according to the Catholic women who were devoting their time to, well, devotion.

I think about this a lot! The people we emulate, idolize, and model our lives after do actually say something about us. How fascinating that our role models influence us as much as we allow them to tell the story of our particular moment in time.

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was not, strictly speaking, a mother, but we nevertheless celebrate her life and her ambitions in the great narrative of Catholic sainthood as a mother to our Villa community. To be sure, she was, in many ways a mother to us all: the educators, students, alumni, and parents who are part of our Villa Duchesne community. 

I’ve always thought it was fitting that her pioneering spirit was celebrated in the month of November, the same month we celebrate our national Thanksgiving holiday and consider those whose sacrifices and vision have shaped our modern reality. After all, Philippine was a true daughter of the Sacred Heart, rising above adversity to reach the stars. 

Many years ago, when I first started teaching at Villa, I adopted a practice when I encountered something very difficult: I visited the image of Philippine Duchesne in the entrance to the Villa Chapel. A few minutes reflecting on the hardships of the Missouri frontier in the mid-1800s was usually enough to snap me out of whatever modern difficulty I seemed to be facing! Philippine has always been my “hardship” saint. The discomfort of her heavy habit, the isolation she must have felt in that remote outpost, the fact that she would never see her family again—these are the details that often serve to pull me out of the frustrations of modern life and return me to the present with renewed focus!

Philippine Duchesne was on the frontier of practically every aspect of her life. Her native Dauphiny region of France was a rugged frontier of the ancien régime, an outpost of resistance and flashpoint of initiative during the Revolution. She later became a pioneer in the young rscj order, signing up to travel to the very fringes of the American frontier for what she surely must have known would be decades of physical and emotional hardship. I’m skipping quickly over her arduous trip across the Atlantic aboard the Rebecca as a middle-aged woman, after which she landed in New Orleans (frankly, I would have called it a day and ended my time in that glorious Old World city!), and traveled upriver to the far reaches of the French Empire—in Philippine’s words, “the remotest village”—to begin the real work of educating young women.

Louise Callan, RSCJ summed up Philippine’s pioneering disposition for us in her book, Philippine Duchesne: Frontier Missionary of the Sacred Heart:

Her name has been associated through more than a century with strength, endurance, austerity, with a burning zeal for souls and patience under trial and failure… Yet in this apostle of the Sacred Heart there were sweetness and sympathy, as well as strength; and hand in hand with endurance went a sensitiveness that made it all the more heroic. 

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. As Tolstoy once wrote, “All people become closer, more or less, to one of two opposite limits: one is life only for oneself, and the other is life only for God.” Philippine, whose entire existence was consumed by a relentless devotion to God, is the epitome of this selflessness, and serves as a model for us all.

In One Heart, Cor Unum,
Emily Kaplan
Upper School Principal

Villa's Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Kirstin Blase, spent her summer working in the lab of Michael Vahey, a biomedical engineering professor at Washington University. The position was funded by the National Science Foundation. Before her career at Villa, Mrs. Blase worked in the Division of Radiological Sciences in the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Wash U's medical school, where she researched radioactive compounds used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. "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!" Mrs. Blase is developing a curriculum inspired by the lab's work with fluorescent microscopy. "I interviewed each of the doctoral students to understand what their part of the research was and to build a knowledge base of antibody and virus interactions so I could incorporate that into my chemistry curriculum. In class, we'll talk about how vaccines are developed and how an antibody neutralizes a virus. I hope to connect those chemistry concepts to a real-world application," said Blase. Professor Vahey is excited about the outreach aspect of this program. "The National Science Foundation has always had STEM education as a central pillar of its mission. We need to expand the pipeline of trainees. By giving students early exposure to science and engineering [through their teacher], hopefully, they'll better understand this is a career option that's open to everyone." 

Read more on the Washington University McKelvey School of Engineering's website! Excerpt from an article written by Danielle Lacey, Integrated Marketing Manager, Washington University McKelvey School of Engineering.

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:

Gracious God,

Instill in each of us a bold faith; A deep respect for intellectual values; A passionate desire to serve others, especially those most in need; An instinct for building community; And a profound and honest commitment to our personal growth. May we always act as persons of courage, confidence, compassion, and integrity.

Amen

"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. I was inspired to return again to Villa to begin my teaching career because this place has been so meaningful to me. I love working with our bright, brilliant students. There is truly nowhere else I would rather be teaching! -Ms. Lily Carse '17, Middle School Faculty 

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. Students come to school in the morning thinking it's a normal day, only to discover it's going to be a day of fun, games, bonding, and special treats for everyone. The biggest question every year is, "When is Congé?"

"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. I am blessed to teach seventh grade because this is an age in which abilities and knowledge grow by leaps and bounds; students can suddenly do so much more than they ever believed. I know that it is a special thing to be a part of." —Mrs. Danielle Thurm, Villa Middle School English Faculty