Dear Kristy,

The new year and new month have been filled with active learning, spiritual growth, and special Villa traditions, all culminating in Catholic Schools Week. St. Ursula Villa celebrates our Ursuline heritage and uniqueness as an independent Catholic school and it's fun to see our students enjoying activities like Crazy Hat and Sock Day. We also recognize the importance and value Catholic education provides to young people, our communities, and our nation. Thank you for your commitment to the academic experience the Villa delivers and the outstanding faculty who are dedicated to every child's success.

Jody Sedler

President

We recognize all the contestants in St. Ursula Villa's Spelling Bee and congratulate winner Ava Kluska, 8th grade. Ava will compete in the online qualification test this spring.

3rd graders read several expository text passages about the Wright Brothers and the development of flight as well as various ways to travel by flying such as hot air balloons and parasailing. A sidebar in the reading text suggested a related activity of creating and testing paper airplanes. Paired as partners, one student designed an airplane with smaller wings and the other bigger wings and tested their planes to see which design flew the farthest. 

Toddlers mixed shaving cream and glue then added eyes, nose, and ears to create adorable polar bears.

During their study of electricity, 8th graders experimented with electrical charges and completing circuits.

In 1st graders' unit about penguins, children explored their habitats, predators, growth and development, life cycle, and adaptations for survival. The students created a fun penguin project and wrote “penguin poetry” as part of this thematic unit.

In Social Studies, 3rd graders studied the Oregon Trail and created dioramas representing that important chaper of our nation's history. They mapped the pioneer's long journey and learned about difficult travel by wagon and oxen. Students organized and presented information about how travel, natural resources, and cultures have changed since that time.

Manor House students brought their winter gear to school and enjoyed snowy recess time!

As part of their study on matter, 6th grade Science students participated in a fun lab exploring physical and chemical changes.

It's a big day when 3rd grade Music students get their recorder! They have been learning to read the notes on the staff and now will put those skills into practice. Special thanks to the VPO for providing a recorder to each student.

Traditional 3-year-olds work on the shape and sound of each letter of the alphabet. For "Show and Tell," a special octopus was shared as something that began with "O."

A longstanding Villa tradition of 16 years, 1st graders created, decorated, and "dressed" paper-mache snowmen. The class read "Snowman at Night" and imagined what night-time activities their snowman might do.

Advanced Enrichment 4th grade Math students created surveys for their peers and used the data to design line plots. They developed skills in analyzing graphs, as well as learned each others' favorite restaurants, animals, and football teams.

We congratulate these students who were nominated by their peers and teachers as being a positive role model for the December Ursuline characteristic of focus: Academic Excellence in All Subjects.

First Row: Gabe Feria, Rainey Stout, Noah Koopman, Elaina DalleMolle, Hailey Weber, Gigi Sathe

Second Row: Billy Bolan, Charlotte Rudolph, Oliver Thompson, Monica Sedler, Ava Kluska, Faith Kluska

Third Row: Ari Symonds, Alex Crowley, Livia Butcher, Henry Roepke, Sean Foley

Not pictured: Sonia Molina

All 7th and 8th grade students attended a Confirmation Retreat at the Jesuit Spiritual Center in Milford. Students grew in their relationship with the Holy Spirit and their peers by taking part in trust walks, sharing games, and other related activities. The retreat day was a wonderful way for students to enrich their faith before Confirmation.

We congratulate these students who were nominated by their peers and teachers as being a positive role model for the January Ursuline characteristic of focus: Commitment to Christian Service.

First Row: Mia Sebens, Aubrie Druffel, Sophie Islam, Caroline Schrichten, Charlie Curry

Second Row: Harper Coleman, Elizabeth Wolfer, Charlotte McPeek, Abby Crowley, Nora Wittekind, Meredith Sedler

Third Row: Sean Dietz, Regis Sullivan, Cohen Postlewaite, Lilly Lamont, Nolan Benmlouka

Our Villa community gathered to celebrate the Feast of Saint Angela at a school mass led by the 4th grade. We remembered and recognized Saint Angela, who founded the Company of St. Ursula which ultimately led to the foundation of Ursuline schools across the world.

St. Ursula Villa, along with more than 80 other Cincinnati-area schools, participated in the annual Catholic Schools Week Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. The event began with a parade of banners representing each school, followed by Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr celebrating the Mass with more than a dozen other priests concelebrating.

To celebrate the return of a classmate who missed school due to prolonged illness, 3rd graders coordinated a very special welcome on her first day back. They have been actively supporting, praying, and missing their friend!

Daisy Scouts in 1st grade earned badges by learning about emergency situations, basic first aid, and fire safety. The meeting included a special guest speaker, a female firefighter who demonstrated her uniform and gear and answered many questions. The scouts created notes to local firefighters to thank them for keeping our neighborhood safe.

On Crazy Hat Day, 2nd graders answered the question "What do you love about the Villa?" with heartwarming and wonderful responses.

Campus admissions events and Catholic Schools Week have kept VPO members very busy lately! The VPO serves an important function by sharing Villa information with prospective parents at school events and will welcome attendees at the rescheduled Main School Information session on February 2nd. We look forward to growing our wonderful Villa community! 

In observance of Catholic Schools Week, we will treat our beloved teachers to a delicious soup luncheon for Teacher Appreciation Day and give all teachers and staff members an Amazon gift card. Thank you to Meredith Schapman for organizing this luncheon and to the many families who volunteered their time in celebration of our teachers! Something fun is popping up this Friday! We’re closing out Catholic Schools Week on Friday with Student Appreciation Day and celebrate by serving popcorn to the students and staff while they enjoy a movie.

Congratulations to the Villa girls basketball teams on a strong finish with 4 teams bringing home trophies in the GCCYS Tournament. Thanks to all the coaches and assistant coaches who made this season a great success! Go, Eagles!

Faculty Guess Who?

Our amazing Villa faculty are full of interesting facts and surprises! Can you guess who:



1) Is a Countess of Neuschwanstein Manor?

2) Was a shoe illustrator?

2) All four children attend the Villa this year and span from Toddler through 8th grade?

Answers:

1) Kristy Thomas, Athletic Director and Special Events Coordinator

2) Chris Orr, Montessori Assistant

3) Abby Johnson, Traditional 4-year-old Preschool Teacher