November
Principal's Message
Greetings!

In November, our St. Ursula Villa teachers delivered engaging lessons and activities and nurtured a seasonal feeling of gratitude for our many blessings. We truly have much to be thankful for at the Villa - our students learn and grow academically, spiritually, and socially and our parents actively partner with us to follow health protocols and keep our community safe. We all agree that it is a wonderful blessing to be in school!

We are all very grateful for our Villa community and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and restful holiday break!
Kent Halaby
Interim Principal
EDUCATION
Toddlers created a turkey out of their footprint, added leaf "feathers," and identified the things for which they are thankful.
8th graders studied and tested Newton's three laws of motion in Science class. They put the different laws in action through various activities such as using "clackers" to demonstrate Newton's third law: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Traditional Kindergarteners celebrated the 50th day of school by wearing 1950's-inspired fashion, listening to music from the era, counting to 50 by 1's and 10's, and being "50 days smarter!"
Traditional 3-year-olds played the triangle in Music class and developed their skills in counting and keeping the beat.
In a 6th grade Science lab, students examined and correctly identified an unknown mineral through the process of observation and testing for color, luster, streak, and hardness.
Traditional 3-year-olds gathered leaves on a Nature walk and added them to a seasonally-themed Art project.
3rd graders read Roald Dahl's classic novel The Witches and pulled evidence from the text to write informative pieces detailing how to recognize a witch. The project concluded with students drawing and painting their own witches both in true form and disguise.
Kindergarteners join the 50/50 Club by successfully jumping rope in Gym class 50 times . The special trophy is displayed in that student's homeroom then travels to the homeroom of the next Kindergartener who reaches the goal. The 50/50 Club has been a Villa tradition for 36 years, thanks to Gym teacher Ms. Hake!
1st graders created cornucopias filled with the things for which they are thankful, such as food, family, friends, pets, teachers, God, and Jesus.
The 4th grade Science classes studied physical science and participated in Marble Olympics events that demonstrated the way forces, energy, and inertia act on an object.
Students in the Montessori C classroom took a close look at bats during their study of mammals. They discussed the traits that identify bats as mammals - bats have fur, feed their pups milk, and are warm-blooded vertebrates. They watched videos to learn about bat species including vampire bats, megabats, and microbats, and viewed footage of a million-bat colony emerging from a cave. Students assembled bat crowns to create their own bat colony and say "Hooray for bats!"
FAITH
Each month, a Primary, Intermediate, and Junior High student is selected by our faculty for demonstrating one of the nine Characteristics of an Ursuline Education. We commend these Ursuline Students of the Month for exemplifying October's characteristic of Recognition of the Dignity and Gifts of All Students: Gwyneth Molina (Primary), Laila Schlotman (Intermediate), and Johnathan Breazeale (Junior High).
2nd graders prepared for and received the sacrament of First Reconciliation with their classmates. They shared that important step in their faith journeys by describing "what forgiveness means to me" with words and art to create a special cross in their classroom hallway.
At our Thanksgiving Liturgy of the Word, Villa Campus Minister Ms. Riehle introduced a school-wide service project demonstrating Jesus' message "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Students will write and decorate Christmas card greetings for distribution to nursing homes, outreach centers, and other agencies. We hope to share more than 400 cards with messages of love, hope, and faith. 8th graders led the service which was streamed to all classrooms and is available for viewing here.
COMMUNITY
Traditional Kindergarteners created "veterans" and composed messages of thanks for "helping us," "protecting us," and "keeping us safe" in observation of Veteran's Day.
In Social Studies, 5th graders looked at Veteran's Day through the eyes of their families. They researched family members' military histories and in which branch they served to accurately color the veteran's uniform and name badge. The students created special tributes to honor their family's - and all veterans'- service and sacrifice.
St. Ursula Villa's 11th Annual Free Throw Contest raised $390 for The Karen Wellington Foundation with 136 students donating their entry fees to participate in the challenge. Congratulations to these four students who advanced through their grade level division to win bragging rights as 2020-21 Villa Free Throw Champs: NCAA Champ Henry Jones (7th grade), NIT Champ Andrew Halaby (4th grade), WNCAA Champ Mia Nienaber (8th grade), and WNIT Champ Livia Butcher (5th grade).
1st grade Daisy Girl Scouts assembled and decorated bags of food for families at Carthage Elementary. Meal kits were purchased with donations from the Scouts' families and included boxed macaroni and cheese, canned goods, peanut butter, jelly, pasta, tomato sauce, and oatmeal.
Villa Parents' Organization (VPO)
Villa Parents' Organization reminds you to check the email from your child's room parent for additional information about supporting VPO through our Christmas fundraisers. We thank the many families who have already participated!

We look forward to a reinvented Elves Shelves scheduled for December 14-18 with more details coming soon.

The VPO wishes everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
Villa Boosters
As we conclude our fall sports season, St. Ursula Villa Boosters recognize and appreciate the 48 volunteers who served as Villa coaches and assistant coaches for these teams: SAY Soccer for girls and boys in grades K-8, GCCYS Volleyball for girls in grades 3-8, Tennis for girls in grades 6-8, and Golf for girls and boys in grades 6-8. Dedicated parents, teachers, and Villa alumni shared their time, talent, and love for the Villa and made it possible for us to offer a range of sports offerings and teams for interested students. We THANK YOU for another successful season! Go, Eagles!
Faculty Feature
Ms. Jill Moormann has been at St. Ursula Villa for 36 years as Junior High Latin and Math teacher. She is also Director of Junior High Programs and School Scheduling. Ms. Moormann grew up in Hyde Park and her mother, Ms. Nancy Moormann, taught at the Villa for 27 years. Ms. Moormann shares, "My first job at the Villa was teaching harp as part of the school orchestra program in the early- to mid-1980's. I've been playing harp since 1975 and currently have harps of various sizes and types including a rare double-strung harp."

More fun facts about Ms. Moormann:
  • Favorite Food: Ice cream
  • Hobbies or Interests: Listening to music and leading worship at a local nursing home
  • Favorite Movie Quote: "But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself...something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG, The Biography
  • Favorite Book: "It's difficult to pick just one - maybe one of the classics like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee."
  • Most Beautiful Place: "I love going to Montreat, North Carolina each summer. It's a retreat center nestled in the mountains, surrounding a lake. It's one place where it's easy to feel the presence of God."
  • A Fun Fact Most People Don't Know About You: "I like listening to some 70's and 80's hard metal bands, even though I am a really a straight-laced person!"
  • Why I Love Working at the Villa: "There are lots of reasons I love working at the Villa and they all center around the Ursuline values which are at the heart of who we are as a school. We have an amazing faculty, students, and families who are committed to academic excellence, development of the whole child, commitment to service, and living out our faith."