St. Ursula Villa's 2020-21 school year is off to a successful start and we are so happy to have students back in our classrooms. Thank you for your cooperation as we navigate our new health and safety protocols. Our children have set wonderful examples in how easily they accept wearing masks, have their temperatures checked, and adjust to our new routines - we are very proud of them and appreciate your support as parents.

We are newly aware of the many benefits of having a 22-acre campus with multiple areas for outside learning and play. The teachers routinely bring students outside for alternate instructional settings and classroom "breaks." We are grateful for the cooperative weather and know everyone appreciates these opportunities!

I hope you have a great weekend and look forward to sharing September's activities next month!

Kent Halaby

Interim Principal

These awards are included here to create that recognition in a different format and timeframe and to provide some data points for the many benefits of a St. Ursula Villa education. (Please note: Students are listed at their 2019-20 grade levels.)

We commend our St. Ursula Villa students and their dedicated Villa teachers for these achievements!

St. Ursula Villa 7th and 8th grade French students participated in the National French Contest/Le Grand Concours sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. French students in all 50 states and abroad take a written test and compete against students with similar educational backgrounds. We congratulate these Villa students - Félicitations!

The National Spanish Examinations are motivational contests to recognize student achievement in the study of Spanish and to stimulate further interest in the teaching and learning of Spanish. The National Spanish Examinations are online, standardized assessment tools to measure performance and achievement of students who are studying Spanish as a second language. St. Ursula Villa 8th grade Spanish students participated in this competition.

7th grade Pre-Algebra students drew and utilized number lines on the Villa Way to learn about absolute value and opposite numbers.

In their study of the solar system, Montessori C students discussed and learned how planets and galaxies are formed.

Villa Counselor Ms. Susan Friedman spent time with each of the 4^th grade homerooms to explore mindfulness - the awareness that arises through deliberately paying attention and taking an honest and kind look at experiences and feelings in the moment. One of the key benefits of mindfulness practice is an increased ability to make choices about responses to feelings versus automatic reactions. The students engaged in exercises using imagery to focus on their breathing and discussed how this practice could help with staying in the "right now" and decreasing worry.

Camp Villa re-opened with fun themed activities such as Lego Camp and Great Outdoors Camp - to the delight of Villa families, campers, and staff!

The Villa Boosters is excited to announce that St. Ursula Villa will have its own girls’ 6^th - 8^th grade tennis team this year. Villa tennis players previous partnered with another school but earned their own Villa team with a growing roster of 14 girls. Coached by several assistants and a head coach, the girls will represent St. Ursula Villa on the court in new Villa uniforms. Go, Eagles!