March
Principal's Message
Greetings!

March was filled with educational experiences in and out of the classroom, enriching extracurricular activities, and important milestones in student spiritual and academic development.

I hope you enjoy a view of what makes a Villa education so special.
EDUCATION
We commend these 8th graders for receiving $421,500 in merit scholarships to Cincinnati's competitive high schools. We are also very proud that the 8th graders' median score on the Catholic High School Entrance Exam was in the 90th percentile – meaning that half of our 8th grade students scored higher than 90 percent of the students who took the test nationwide.
In observance of Pi Day, 4th grade Advanced Math students graphed the first digits of pi to design a city landscape and then created their own sky backgrounds. Pi is defined as the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter and Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) since 3, 1, and 4, are the first three digits of the infinite number pi.
Kindergarten through Junior High students learned about the Incredible Human Machine during COSI On Wheels' recent visit to the Villa. Through assemblies, experiments, and hands-on activities, students discovered the importance of being active and making healthy food choices and learned about the different systems that make up our body.
Our new Ukulele Club is a hit! Each week students in 4th - 8th grades - and Mrs. Krieger, school secretary - gather to develop their Ukulele skills.
The 6th grade class enjoyed the exhibit "Egypt: The Time of the Pharaohs" at Cincinnati Museum Center as part of their Social Studies study of ancient civilizations and unit on Ancient Egypt.
Our Girls Who Code Club uses Python programming language to develop interactive children's books which they plan to share with students in After Care. Girls Who Code is a nationwide nonprofit organization to support and increase the number of women in computer science and close the gender gap in technology.
Students and parents enjoyed the Book Fairs in both the Manor House and Main School and supported our school library in the process.
Villa faculty participated in in-service training to implement the new communication platform "Seesaw" in their classroom. Teachers can securely share photos of students' class activities and older students can design and share their own learning experiences. Seesaw increases home/school connections and promotes parent/student engagement.
FAITH
St. Ursula Villa commends Sean Foley (1st grade), Billy Bolan (4th), and Luke Veech (7th) as our Ursuline Students of the Month. They were selected for demonstrating "Personal Care for the Individual" - March's characteristic of an Ursuline education.
Officers of our Junior High Chi Alpha Omega community outreach club pose with four red wagons filled with donations to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. They collected over 300 toys through the Villa's Catholic Schools Week service project in support of Rosie's Red Wagon Campaign.
Fifty-four of our 7th and 8th graders received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparation for this special event is an important part of our Religion curriculum and has included in-class discussions, an all-day retreat, a project about their chosen saint, and an interview with their sponsor.
COMMUNITY
Parents visited Manor House and Main School classrooms and enjoyed a special morning with their children. View more photos of the events here.
Our 3rd - 5th grade Girls on the Run team is preparing for their upcoming 5k race on May 11 while participating in the program's lessons, discussions, and activities.
Fathers and daughters of all ages traveled to "Candy Land" for a magical evening at our annual Father/Daughter Dance, sponsored by the 2nd grade Girl Scouts.
Villa Parents' Organization
VPO thanks the many Villa parents who volunteered at COSI/Science Day, sponsored by VPO. VPO ended the month by providing a post-Confirmation breakfast reception for the 7th and 8th graders.
Villa Boosters
Eagles baseball is well underway! Our growing program is fielding 4 teams with over 47 players in Kindergarten - 4th grade and we look forward to a great season of instructional baseball! Happy Opening Day!
Faculty Feature
Dr. Matt Cohen has taught 6th and 7th grade Math and led the Villa's STEM program for three years. Dr. Cohen grew up in Cincinnati, attended Cincinnati Country Day High School - where he and his wife Natalie Geier (SUV '97) met - and played football at Miami University. His interests include taking family walks, playing piano/guitar, attending music concerts, and following local sports teams, especially XU and UC basketball.
Other fun facts about Dr. Cohen:
  • Dr. Cohen and his wife are both in the Cincinnati Country Day School Athletic Hall of Fame
  • Favorite Local Restaurants: Boca, Teller's, Zip's
  • Favorite Motto: "Your best is good enough."
  • Favorite Book: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
  • Proudest Accomplishment: "I am most proud of my family. My wife Natalie and I have three children, Glady (7), Phelps (5), and Pfeiffer (3). This photo was taken last summer (2018) at Phelps Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming."
  • Why I love working at the Villa: “The involved, appreciative, supportive families and students."