here - St. Ursula Villa

villa
voice
the
WINTER 2016
the villa
values
EDUCATION
FAITH
COMMUNITY
From the
Principal’s Desk
Dear Friends,
Four years ago, St. Ursula Villa developed a plan to
improve classroom spaces for all students and create a
facility on par with the excellent education for which we
are well known. That plan was successfully implemented
with the construction of Early Childhood and Junior
High additions; renovations and relocations of Main
School classrooms; and repositioning of Library, Foreign
Language, and Music programs.
This past August, we dedicated our Junior High and
Main School spaces. We are grateful to the hundreds of
supporters of this visionary and transformational plan
though our Foundation for a Lifetime campaign. Thanks
to this support, every day, students and faculty experience
the many benefits of these improvements:
• Music class is no longer held in a “temporary” trailer
located outside the school building; now our students
develop music skills in bright classrooms conveniently
located near the performance stage.
• Junior High collaborative learning and student projects
no longer occur in the hallways and on floors: now
our new Junior High wing provides room for projects,
discussion, study, and engagement, as well as a large
Science classroom and lab.
• Younger students no longer use corridors for one-on-one
instruction; now they benefit from seamless learning in
many break-out areas within the classrooms.
• French and Spanish faculty no longer travel to teach in
different classrooms; now they have their own colorful
and vibrant spaces where students are immersed in their
language and culture.
This past month we were delighted to share our improved
campus and classrooms with the many prospective parents
who attended our February 7th All-School Open House.
Interest in the Villa is very strong, thanks to our solid
academic reputation, most recently evidenced by our
8th graders earning record-breaking scholarship offers
to Cincinnati’s competitive high schools as well as 100%
acceptance into their first-choice school. Their excellent
academic preparation, commitment to Christian service,
and strong leadership skills make them highly desired by
area schools. The Class of 2016 will matriculate to more
than nine Cincinnati high schools where they will continue
their educational journey and build upon the solid
foundation they established at St. Ursula Villa.
And while the snow is flying this winter, our new Camp
Villa Summer Programs are already receiving tremendous
response. We expect a full summer of discovery and handson activities throughout our extraordinary St. Ursula Villa
campus – where students create memorable childhood
experiences and develop a life-long love of learning.
I hope you enjoy reading more about these topics, as well
as the many other happenings here at the Villa. Thank
you for being part of our St. Ursula Villa community.
Sincerely,
Polly Duplace Principal
MISSION STATEMENT St. Ursula Villa,
a coeducational Catholic elementary
school in the Ursuline tradition, nurtures
the whole child, fosters academic
excellence, and instills a Christ-centered
commitment to society
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ED U CAT ION FAIT H COMMU NITY
HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
Education
Seventh grade Drama Club performed “The Politics of Oz” before a packed
audience while also raising over $235 in ticket sales which they donated to
St. Rita’s School for the Deaf.
New Resources Toward Enhancing
Fine and Performing Arts
Fine and Performing Arts at St. Ursula Villa play a
very important role in developing the whole child. Our
talented faculty of Mike Magoto (Art), Charlotte Loflin
(Music) and Miranda Meek (Music), nurtures students at
every grade level to develop and express their creativity,
share their creations and productions with others, and
grow in confidence through displaying and communicating
their work.
St. Ursula Villa is committed to strong Music and Arts
programs, as they play a key role in the development
of the whole child and in formation of productive and
creative leaders of tomorrow. Our students thrive in
this environment and their enthusiasm is infectious
to our audiences.
Fifth and sixth graders performed Lion King, Jr. to an enthusiastic crowd who
enjoyed their music, dancing and personally-created mask costumes.
For over fifteen years, St. Ursula Villa’s Music program
had been housed in a “temporary” modular trailer on the
edge of campus. Students walked outside to attend class,
and valuable instructional time was spent travelling and
transporting musical instruments to the performance
stage inside the school. Due to our successful Foundation
for a Lifetime campaign, this past summer we demolished
the trailer and moved the program into two classrooms
located inside the school across from the Multi-Purpose
Room (MPR) performance stage.
We are now poised to provide critical equipment and
furnishings for our Music and Art programs, thanks to
the generosity of the Louis & Louise Nippert Foundation.
Every Villa third grader participated in a musical production of “The Cuckoo,”
delighting fellow students with a performance during the school day and their
families and friends in the evening.
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New Resources Towards Fine and Performing Arts Enhancements (continued)
As part of the fourth grade Art curriculum of self-discovery,
students created self-portraits with chalk pastel/glue. They
then made self-portraits in the style of Pop Art, reducing
digital photos to simple lines and basic shapes using the
“Sketch Me” app. Throughout these projects, students
also learned Art History including different styles of art
and artists.
The Foundation contributed a $50,000 grant towards the Villa’s Music
and Arts offerings to:
• Enhance Music programs through classroom soundproofing; percussion
kits; General and Preschool music program materials; and piano and
band instruments
• Improve our theatrical and music performance venue with an upgraded
audio and sound system; and
• Upgrade visual arts equipment including a new kiln and exhibit panels.
“We are extremely grateful for the Louis & Louise Nippert Foundation’s
support,” remarks Polly Duplace. “ These enhancements will be
implemented in the summer of 2016 in time for the 2016-17 academic
year to enable the Villa to enhance our high-quality arts education and
engage our students in the work of learning, thinking, communicating,
creating, and collaborating.”
Education
Villa 8th Graders Break Scholarship Record
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We are proud of our Class of 2016 which has amassed a record-breaking
$976,560 in high school merit scholarship offers awarded to 63% of the
class. These scholarships from various Cincinnati-area schools are based
on our 8th graders’ high school entrance exams and academic records.
Additionally, 100% of the class was accepted into their first choice school
and will matriculate to St. Xavier High School, St. Ursula Academy,
Archbishop McNicholas High School, Ursuline Academy, Summit Country
Day School, Archbishop Moeller High School, Seven Hills Upper School,
Mount Notre Dame, and Turpin High School. Successful transition and
placement into competitive high schools is a hallmark of St. Ursula Villa’s
Junior High program which emphasizes study skills, time management,
independence, and student leadership.
Front Row: Joe Sullivan, Patrick Galligan,
Christo Georgiades, Ryan Sherman, Meechi Georgiades,
Jessie Collins, Caroline McCarthy, Josh Alvarez.
Center: J.P. Ittenbach, Chloe Gardner, Sydney Wright,
Marlee Reinhard, Austin Strickland, Alex Salyer,
Rachael Horst, Erika Wong, Elizabeth Coleman.
Rear: Paul Jacobs, Doug Simpson, Pierce Kreider,
Lauren Meisenhelder, Mary Feldkamp, Bridget
Breissinger, Anna Detzel, Elizabeth Hardenbergh,
Grace Yi, Brooke Dittman.
HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
Education
Camp Villa 2016 – When School is Out, Camp is IN!
St. Ursula Villa is enthusiastically rolling out Camp
Villa 2016 with expanded summer programs to build
community, serve Villa families, and provide strong
educational experiences through the summer months.
Now that campus construction and our new outdoor trails
and enhanced spaces are finally complete, we have
expanded the reach and quantity of offerings to include
academic and creative enrichment, and just plain fun.
There will be something for everyone – from Early
Childhood through Junior High – including full-day and
half-day options as well.
Ms. Lisa Wolfer, current “Director of Early Childhood,”
is adding “Summer Programs” to her title and shares
a dynamic vision for Camp Villa with summer-long
opportunities for students’ socialization, whole-child
development, successful school transition, academic
discovery, and leadership growth while highlighting
and showcasing the various skills, talents, and passions
of our St. Ursula Villa faculty.
Due to the success of last summer’s pilot Full Day
Enrichment Camp, we will again offer themed week-long
daily instruction and activities for children in preschool
through Kindergarten, and add an expanded Full Day
Enrichment Camp for students in 1st through 3rd grades.
Available from 9:00 am until as late as 6:00 pm, Full
Day Enrichment Camps will offer enhanced features
such as community experts and presentations added to
themed daily activities such as “In the Sky Camp” which
will include study of weather patterns, projects with
planets, and guest speakers from NASA, I-Space, and the
Cincinnati Planetarium.
Camp Villa Specialty Camps for students in grades 1 – 8
will offer a wide variety of week-long enrichment – from
3D Printing and Engineering to Ultimate Frisbee. A new
program called “Leaders in Training” – or “LIT’s” – will
provide 6th, 7th, and 8th graders with real world training
and resume-building experiences through applying and
interviewing for LIT positions, attending training, and
completing scheduled LIT duties with Villa campers
and teachers.
Camp Villa 2016 will begin on June 7th providing eleven
weeks of high-quality programming for students from
preschool through Junior High. For registration and the
complete Camp Villa schedule with detailed descriptions,
go to www.stursulavilla.org/summer-programs.
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HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
Sr. Margie Efkeman, OSU (left) and
Laura Riehle (right) present Michael
Abruzzo with the Ursuline Educational
Network Service Award.
Faith
Fostering Angela’s Charism at the Villa
St. Ursula Villa is fortunate to welcome Ms. Laura Riehle
to our staff as Coordinator of Ursuline Identity. In this
newly-created position, Ms. Riehle will help ensure that
the charism of Saint Angela Merici continues to be actively
instilled in our school community.
Made possible through the generosity of the Ursulines
of Cincinnati, the Coordinator of Ursuline Identity’s
role is to support and promote St. Ursula Villa’s mission
and vision, primarily through direct interaction with
teachers, administrators, and staff. Ms. Riehle’s extensive
educational background in Cincinnati-area Catholic
schools includes her recent position teaching Religion
at Ursuline Academy. This experience deepened her
knowledge of Saint Angela Merici, Saint Ursula, and
the characteristics of an Ursuline education, as well
as a desire to continue to work with students in an
Ursuline school.
In her first months in this role, Ms. Riehle says she has
gained an “understanding of the roots and spirit of St.
Ursula Villa – both learning about Saint Angela Merici’s
life and legacy as well as the fascinating history of the
LeBlond estate and how it became St. Ursula Villa school.”
Since August, she has used her time to visit classrooms,
get to know Villa students, and provide spiritual support
for faculty and staff. Her student activities have included
creating coloring pages and puzzles, presenting classroom
lessons on Saint Ursula and Saint Angela, and preparing
8th grade prayer leaders to celebrate Saint Ursula’s Feast
Day. Ms. Riehle also works with St. Ursula Villa Board
of Trustees members and faculty on our Ursuline
Identity Committee.
Sr. Margie Efkeman, OSU serves as Ms. Riehle’s “liaison”
and provides valuable guidance and recommendations
such as attending the recent Ursuline Educational
Network National Conference to see “the bigger Ursuline
picture.” Sr. Margie reports that “instilling the Ursuline
charism and identity needs to be carried on by our lay
collaborators,” particularly since St. Ursula Villa staff no
longer includes an Ursuline Sister. This role is modeled
on Saint Ursula Academy’s Coordinator of Ursuline
Identity position established nine years ago. Sr. Margie
describes, “What we Sisters have provided for Saint
Ursula Academy is precedent to what we decided to do
for the Villa” because both schools are vital transmitters
of Angela’s charism.
Following the Villa’s Saint Angela Merici Prayer Service,
Sr. Margie and Ms. Riehle shared the honor of bestowing
this year’s Ursuline Educational Network Service Award
on 8th grader Michael Abruzzo for his outstanding
volunteer work with the Leaders in Training program
at Kids First Sports Center.
Polly Duplace states, “We are grateful for the Ursuline
Sisters’ ongoing commitment to St. Ursula Villa’s Ursuline
charism and believe Ms. Riehle is a wonderful addition to
our school community.”
The Characteristics of an Ursuline Education
• The Christ-centered spirit of St. Angela Merici
is a guiding factor in the school
• The recognition of the dignity and gifts
of all students
• An emphasis on the development of the
whole person
• Academic excellence in all subjects
• Commitment to Christian service
• An emphasis on diversity within the school
• P ersonal care for the individual
• A spirit of optimism and openness
• A strong family spirit within the school
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HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
Community
St. Ursula Villa Dedicates New Junior High Addition and Main School Renovations
Prayer of Dedication
Loving God, we dedicate this
building as a place for teaching and
learning, for reflecting on the wonders
of the world in which we live, and a
place where children may be safely
nurtured and grow in age and
wisdom before you.
It speaks to the character of St. Ursula
Villa school, its unique history, the
culture of its families, and the hope
of a better world. May its foundations
and walls extend dignity and respect
to all who enter. May the spirit of
Saint Angela Merici and St. Ursula
resonate within it.
The St. Ursula Villa community
formally dedicated our new Junior
High wing and Main School
renovations in time to welcome the
new academic year on August 31st.
These comprehensive improvements
to St. Ursula Villa’s physical plant
have transformed the educational
experience of every Villa student due
to our successful Foundation for a
Lifetime campaign.
After Principal Polly Duplace
welcomed the hundreds of Villa
families and friends attending the
celebration, Steve Ortner, Villa
Board Chair, reflected on the
momentous occasion:
“ ‘ Get moving. Be confident. Risk new
things. Stick with it. Get on your
knees. Then be ready for big surprises.’
This was Saint Angela Merici’s
counsel to her company of Saint
Ursula, the small community founded
during the Renaissance to teach and
meet the needs of the many around
the world. Wiser words have not been
spoken. Almost 500 years later, we
follow them today here at the Villa.
The spirit of Saint Angela is clearly
alive and well at St. Ursula Villa. We
know how to get moving, be confident,
risk new things, stick with it, and
get on our knees. And about those
surprises: some may express surprise
that we have made it here today. But
Angela would not be surprised…we
have just been following what she told
us to do.”
After Fr. Bill Verbryke led the Prayer
of Dedication, Linnell and Paul
Sullivan, Co-Chairs of our Foundation
for a Lifetime campaign, closed with
an expression of gratitude to the
Villa community:
“When we took the reins of the
Foundation for a Lifetime campaign
three years ago, we knew that it was
an ambitious project with ambitious
goals to benefit literally every Villa
student from preschool through
Junior High which felt a bit daunting
at the time. But we did not hesitate
to lead because we believe in this
community of educators, parents,
students, and friends. And we believe
in the project and its outcomes. In
true Villa fashion, our community
stepped up and supported it.
We have said before that one of the
beauties and challenges of being a
part of St. Ursula Villa is that we are
in control of our own destiny. As an
independent school community, we
are free to effect change but we also
know that positive change cannot
occur unless we as a community act.
The hundreds of supporters of this
campaign and project prove that
out. And the daily involvement of
volunteers throughout each year
in the classroom, the board room,
the gym, MPR, and countless other
venues makes this community
special indeed.”
We gratefully include the names of
every donor to this campaign in this
edition of the Villa Voice.
Foundation for a Lifetime
campaign cabinet members
include (from left); Kevin Jones,
Greg Schube, Paul Loechle,
Polly Duplace, Paul Sullivan,
Linnell Sullivan, Matt Stautberg,
Jody Sedler, Chip Workman,
Diane Hopper, and Kent Halaby.
Not pictured: Jim Poston.
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Donor List
We gratefully recognize these donors for their generous support of St. Ursula Villa’s Foundation for a Lifetime
campaign, and whose names will be listed on a permanent donor plaque at the Main School.
Visionary
Kit and Jack Overbeck
Christine and Michael Ryan
Jody and Ted Sedler
Linnell and Paul Sullivan
Anonymous
Foundation
The Jones Family
The Ortner Family
Val and Greg Schube
Rebecca and Dan Scullin
Jessica and Brian Vaughan
Genny and Tom Sedler
The Caudill Family
Cultivator
Elsa and Todd Abruzzo
Ann and Brian Albach
Shannon and Trent Compton
Lisa and John Connelly
Ruth J. and Robert A. Conway
Foundation
Jeanne and Jeff Feldkamp
Colleen and Sean Fullen
Kathy and Joel Handorf
Val and Matt Iacobucci
Angela and John Jarczyk
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
Jodi and Steve Mahon
Jen and Bill Martin
Kerry and Russell Mock
Joanie and Dick Paulsen
Melanie and Jim Poston
Vicky and Rick Reynolds
Louise Taft Semple Foundation
Anne and Jim Shanahan
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Underhill
Williams Foundation
Builder
Althea Aquino
Ellen and Eric Breissinger
Kara and Rob Bult
Cynthia and Manuel Chavez
Mindy and Chang Cho
Paige and Bill deBuys
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Misti and Paul DeNicolo
Dee and Chris Dirksing
The Thomas J. Emery Memorial
Karen and Brian Frank
Adrienne and Nick Fucito
Linda and Tom Fucito
Government Strategies Group
Kara and Michael Graham
Mary Dean Grote
Shasta and George Haddad
Debbie and Mark Heimbouch
Mary and Martin Herrington
Home City Ice
Rita and Chris Jacobs
Emma and Kevin Kirwin
Emily and Ken Kreider
Gina and Ryan Kyte
Lea and Drew Lachey
Kelly and Steve Lower
Debbie and Dan Motz
Morgan and Bill Mulvihill
Sheila and Brian Oeder
Ohio Valley Electrical Services
Dawn and John Paquette
Connie and Charlie Perme
Colleen and Thomas Plaut
Beth and Chris Pollock
Cathy and Steve Rabe
Ann and Paul Roepke
Susan and Johnathan Salyer
Beth and Marc Sebens
Terrence Sedler
Jane and Mark Silvers
Shannon and Matt Stautberg
Kathi and Chuck Stevens
Rebecca and Robert Strub
Jenn and Coby Sweeney
Eileen and Phil Tan
Melissa and Mike Veith
Isla and Dan Vogelpohl
Tiffany and Jeff Vollmer
Leela and Madhu Vrishabhendra
Mary Rita and Todd Washburn
Johanna and Ian Wilt
Abby and Chip Workman
Leader
Rebecca and Ted Altenau
Amanda and Stephen Baldwin
Leslie and Todd Bayer
Laine and Matt Barresi
Kelly and Chris Beatty
Sharon and Kevin Birkett
Kendra and Bill Broderick
Nancy and Brian Carley
Melissa Casto
Cheryl and Tom Compton
Melissa and Brian Cowles
Julia and Bill Creviston
Kathy and John Desmond
Deborah Elder and David Fletcher
Stephanie and Dan Ferris
Jane and Chip Gerhardt
Judy and George Guju
Kari and Rick Hall
Courtney and Dan Hass
Jami and Scott Hefren
Tracy and Joe Heller
Holly and Ryan Holte
Diane and John Hopper
Meg and Chris Hopple
Kip and Susan Kerr
Alexis and Eric Krulcik
Lori and Ken Kuhn
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence H. Kyte, Jr.
Susan and Paul Loechle
Christy and Jim McCarthy
Monica and Brad McPeek
John Meisenhelder
Barb and Jim Neyer
Ken Neyer Plumbing
Lisa and Thad Reinhard
Filio and Sam Riber
Amy and Chris Roberts
Julie and Tony Rojas
Shaune and Michael Rueve
Ann and Dan Salcido
Lisa and Trey Savage
Courtney Stables and
Michael Roney
Nancy and Robert Stautberg
Kathleen and Mike Stenger
Moira and Mike Veech
Jane Welling
Holly and David Woprice
David Workman
Edwige Valsecchi and Drew Seery
Educator
Dean Anderson
Anonymous
Kim and Jim Ciesick
Jane and DeWitt Cook
Karen and Michael Cronan
Mary Anne and Charles Cronan
Missy and Jim Davis
Stephanie and Carter Gaither
Kathleen Galligan
Claudia and Bryan Garnett
Kristin and Andrew Guest
Sue and Mark Hardenbergh
Novilia Suhendra and
Peter Goedde
Dana and Gary Heflin
Renee and Mark Heidrich
Sarah and Drew Hicks
Janice and Alex Hilsinger
Lisa and Scott Jennings
Beth and Casey Jones
Mary and David Kelley
The Keithley and
Castaneda Family
Erin and Jeff Klein
Patricia and Wilfried Leder
Kate and Michael O’Grady
Karina and Bryan Osterday
Kelly Ann Perry
Jennifer and Max Qotb
Dina and Clark Reinhard
Lisa and Joe Stegbauer
Rosanna and Keith Stettler
Karen and Jim Wendel
Ann Marie and Chris Wessel
Annie and Jason Wittekind
Miranda and Pete Wong
Donna and Allen Zaring
Peggy and John Zink
We also appreciate these donors for their campaign contributions:
Debbie and Mark Albert
Alpine Valley Water Co.
Amy Arnold
Nina and Sabion Baluyot
Wendy and Tim Bankes
Cynthia and Charles Baylis
Martin Beaver
Catherine and Ed Beckman
Julie and Steve Bennett
Jacquelyn Berting
Kate and Dennis Beyer
Jeffrey Bismayer
Cynthia and John Bismayer
Mary Lyn Blase
Jeannine Blatt
Cynthia and Dave Blocksom
Larry Bowman
Marie and John Brannan
Randy Brooks
Beth and Jay Brown
Chris and Flo Buendia
Nadia and Bain Butcher
Betsy Caudill
Toye and Chris Cavanaugh
Linda and Randy Chavez
Nicole and Scott Chimento
Cincinnati Museum Center
Natalie and Matt Cohen
Bonnie and Jim Coleman
Cindy and Ian Collins
Douglas Compton
Emma Compton
Molly and Doug Compton
Meg Coogan
Nancy and Ray Cooper
Alison Copley
Lauren Geiger Corbin
Kevin Cross
Niki and Chip Cutter
Shelley and Dave Dannenberg
Barbara and Richard Dannenberg
Stephanie Davis
Karen and Thomas Deere
Diane and Jody Detzel
Sue and Joe Detzel
Pamela Dillion
B’Nai Storms Dobbina
Sarah and John Domaschko
Diane Dorr
Julie and Jamie Doxsey
Cathy Doyle
Debbie Dryden
Dualite Sales and Service
Sue and Mike Dubrul
Lauren and Ryan Dullea
Jessica Dumford
Jackie and Darrel Dunker
Polly Duplace
May Lee and Ian Edwards
Anne Ellington
Debbie and Bill Ellis
Marianne and Drew Emmert
Elise and Dylan Fager
Amy and Joe Feldkamp
Kathy Finkbeiner
Tammy Fisher
Ruth and Steve Fleming
Karen and Michael Forgus
Mackenzie Fraser
Susan and Mark Friedman
Andrew Gaffney
Nancy and Paul Gaffney
Maria Gagliardo
Karen Geiger
Lisa and Andy Geottsch
Susan Gibler
Letha and Larry Gillis
Amy Giniewski
Nancy and Rich Graeter
Kelly Ortner Grant
Todd Gries
Anne and Ben Grisemer
Francie and Pat Gunning
Blake and Craig Gustafson
Mary Hagedorn
Beth Hake
Christie and Kent Halaby
Janie and Charlie Hall
Jessica and Keith Hall
Susan Hall
Jessica Hansen
Jessica Harding
Becky Hardy
Emma Hartkemeier
Holly Heekin
Ali and Ted Heffernan
Julie Hein
Shawn and Art Helmicki
Marilyn Heskamp
Mary and Todd Heskett
Diana and Doug Horst
Jen and Matt Howland
Nadine and Mark Huffman
Julie and Paul Hudepohl
Andrea Patton Hull
Sabina and John Hutchinson
Ginger and Rick Ittenbach
Holly Jackson
Sara Jeck
Sophie and John Jennewein
Abby and Jacob Johnson
Alex Jones
Jennifer and Blaise Jones
Lisa Jones
Pam and David Joyce
Lori and Paul Jurgensen
Michelle and John Keating
Deepa and Paul Keel
Jana and Chip Kelly
Patty and Michael Kimutis
Amber and Brian Kincaid
Maurie and Dan Kirwin
Lauren and Zorya Kluska
JJ and Ryan Knight
Peggy and Emerson Knowles
Billy Kopp
Juliet Krassenstein
Katherine Krieger
Elizabeth Kuck
Margaret and Dick Kuck
Marilyn and David Kump
Kimberly and Tom Kuncl
Jen and Todd Lafkas
Heather Langer
Sally and Dick LeBlond
Ann and Chris Linck
Patty and Robert Livermore
Charlotte Loflin
Rebbie and Dan MacConnell
Mike Magoto
Sarah Mahon
Tori Mahon
Dana Maier
Joanie and Ermano Manzo
Molly and Patrick Marburger
Ruth and Ted Martin
Brielle Finkbeiner Maynor
Ann and Ed McBrien
Brenda McCann
Jane McCarthy
Lynn and Michael McClellan
Tricia McManiman
Miranda Meek
Angie Meisman
Donna Messerle
Amy and Charles Mills
Andrea Moeder
Jill Moormann
Ann and Bill Moran
Rebecca Morena
Katie and Lee Morgan
Angie and Bart Motz
Sandra and Ralph Nardini
Anne and Tony Nyktas
Sue Olberding
Mary Lee and Don Olinger
Christine Orr
Kit and Steve Perez
Elaine and Jim Peters
Sara Rabe Peterson
Maureen Phillips
Dianne and Joel Pieper
Lawren Pieper
Cathy Plummer
Janice and Chris Plummer
Jody and Tim Polhman
Barbie Powell
Kami Prendergast
Michelle and Bryan Preston
Maripat Price
Ashley Rabe
Mary Rabe
Kate and Terry Rath
Caroline Renneker
Marty Rethlake
Layne Richardson
Mary and Joe Rickard
Barb and Ken Rinehart
Maeve Rochford
Jennifer Smith Rogers
and Tim Rogers
Beau and John Rootring
Maggie Rosch
Jessica Rostron
Lisa and Craig Rowitz
Ashley and Joe Rozier
Marta and Rick Runnels
Peg and John Ruppert
Thank you!
Kathy and Bob Ryan
Caitlin Sanders
Tricia Scherer
Anne Scherer
Marian and Ted Scherpenberg
Kendahl and Edward Schloss
Marlene and Frank Schube
Allyson and Mike Schumacher
Gayle Schwartz
Eileen Schumaker
Rosemary Scott
Natalie and Matt Selker
Karen and Todd Shaffer
Irene and Bahram Shahrooz
Michele and Mike Sherman
Elizabeth Shirey
Jean and Rich Shurmer
Denise and John Siegel
Melissa and Steve Skavlem
Rose Sklenka
J.J. Slaboch
Catherine and Jerod Smith
Dodd Smith
Ebony Smith
Mary Carol and Jim Sowar
Julia Spohr
Don Stahl
Michele Stamper
Judi and Jay Stautberg
Ann and Mike Steines
Kathy Steinmetz
Bob Stoops
Lisa and Ryan Stover
Gina and Mike Strickland
Gail and Bill Strietmann
Emily and Ashley Supinger
Michelle and Steve Tebeau
Mary and Jim Thacker
Gretchen Thomas
Kristy and David Thomas
Margie and David Tondow
Barb and Joe Trauth
Stephanie Trautman
Julie and Jim Triona
TRUIST
Olivier Tylka
Michele Ulrich
Allison Vaughn
Victorian Society in America, Inc.
Jill Wahlbrink
Elvira and Jeff Wampler
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Ward
Sammy Washburn
Michele and Doug Watts
Linda and Rich Weaver
Rita and Chris Wedzikowski
Kent Wellington
Dan Whittelsey
Ellie Wilke
Sarah and Dave Williams
Maureen Wilson
Amy and Jake Wolfer
Lisa and Joe Wolfer
Todd Wright
Dee Dee and Bo Wyenandt
8
Community
Dear Villa Families,
As Honorary Chairs of
this year‘s Villabration
“March Madness,” we are
excited to celebrate our
last school year with the
Villa community. After
all, what makes the Villa
so unique and dear to our
hearts are its teachers,
staff, and families. Across
our forty years of combined
attendance here, our
memories are centered on
countless fantastic people
with whom we have shared
this journey.
Our decision to send our
youngest five children to
the Villa was sparked from
conversations with our
two oldest children when
they were in high school
at St. X and St. Ursula
Academy. Both agreed
that the students in their
classes who had attended
St. Ursula Villa seemed
the most prepared and
successful in their high
school course work. That
was enough for us to make
the switch. We feel it was
one of the best decisions we
ever made.
While every one of our
children is different in
their personalities and
talents, we feel the Villa
was the best school for each
of them. The teachers and
staff have been supportive
in every way possible.
The Villa, in essence, has
become our kids’ home
away from home during
school days due to the
nurturing environment
and lifelong friendships
they have formed. The
Villa community is
second-to-none because
of the abundance of
loving parents, dedicated
teachers, supportive staff,
and hardworking students.
Even more outstanding
is the way they all come
together with the common
mission to educate not
just the mind, but the
whole person. And, most
importantly, at the very
heart of this mission is the
student’s Catholic faith
formation which helps
reinforce the values we
teach at home.
We feel blessed by the
many life lessons we have
learned together with our
children through our Villa
years and we could not be
more grateful.
Let’s all celebrate
the Villa as we enjoy
“March Madness,” where
Cinderella dreams can
come true! Join us on
campus on Saturday March
19, 2016 for an evening of
cheer-filled companionship
and paddle-raising to help
the Villa mission thrive!
Dan and Ann Salcido
Learn more about 2016 Villabration’s March Madness at stursulavilla.org/villabration
Eagles of All Ages Rocked their Soccer Cleats
Congratulations to our 7th and 8th grade boys’ soccer team
who capped an undefeated season to win the SAY East
League and Area Championship and advance to become
State Champions at the SAY State Soccer Tournament.
Our entire student body celebrated the team’s success
when we unveiled their State Championship banner in
the Villa gym prior to the annual Faculty vs. 8th Grade
Volleyball Game. Our 5th and 6th grade girls’ soccer team
also had a tremendous season, winning the SAY East
Championship and advancing to the SAY State Soccer
Tournament where they earned second place.
Meanwhile, our ever-growing Eaglets Soccer program
introduced more than 110 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds to
scrimmaging, ball handling, and other basics. Eaglets
join more than 16 Villa soccer teams of other ages which
played during the fall. St. Ursula Villa students in
9
preschool through Junior High benefit from whole-child
development, strengthen friendships, and learn valuable
sports skills through the Villa’s strong athletic programs.
Front Row: Anthony Chavez, Patrick Galligan, Owen Rowitz, Jack Mueller,
Jake Vollmer, Nicholas Stille, Sean Butkovich. Rear: Coach Peri Georgiades,
Gavin Osterday, Will Bernhard, Crosley MacEachen, Pierce Kreider, Meechi
Georgiades, Austin Strickland, Colin Altmix, Mikey Trapp, Christo Georgiades,
Coach Bryan Osterday.
Alumni News
2006
1994
Matthew Ortner has taken a position as Senior
Industrial Designer with Electrolux after 13 years of
designing products for Viking Range, LLC. Matt has
moved to Charlotte, NC with his wife Sarah and 4-year
old-little girl Ellie and shares “We are happy and
healthy in NC!”
Maeve Rochford won the
Food Network’s Holiday
Baking Championship in
December. The high pressure
competion on national
televison spanned eight
weeks and earned Maeve
a $50,000 prize when she
prevailed over nine other
baking contestants. Sugar
and Scribe, her bakery in
La Jolla, CA specializes in
“not-too-sweet, often savory,
creations rooted in her Irish
heritage.”
2000
Maria Reupert works for L Brands in Columbus
and loves it!
2006
Blaise Jones graduated
from University of North
Carolina at Wilmington in
2014 in Marine Biology with
Minor in Creative Writing.
Blaise has published two
articles, “What is the worst
shark attack of all time?”
and “Why do hammerheads
have hammer heads?” for
The Super Fins, a kidfriendly website dedicated to
teach about marine life with
topics ranging from water
currents to whale migrations.
The Super Fins website is
operated by Sherpa Media, a
publishing company seeking
to engage and educate people in creative ways.
Sarah Streitmann graduated from Xavier University
in 2014 in Montessori Education and is in the process
of getting her Masters of Education in Reading with a
Reading Endorsement. Sarah is midway through her
second year as a Montessori teacher at at St. Ursula Villa,
and says “working at the Villa is a dream come true!”
2007
Kendall Sherman graduated from Harvard University in
2015 where she studied Computer Science and Economics
(but also took classes like Primitive Navigation and The
Problem of the Mind). Kendall learned to love coding
in college, where she “worked on projects from the silly
(writing code to have a robot like every single one of a
friend’s 2,000+ Facebook photos) to the more impactful
(writing an algorithm for the United Nations to match up
students from around the world so they can video chat
and discuss current events).” She now works full time at
Google in Mountain View, CA, where her team focuses on
building artificial intelligence-based features in Gmail,
Drive, and Google Docs. In February, Kendall returned to
the Villa to give Junior High students a presentation on
the career opportunities in computer coding fields.
Like us on Facebook! Stay in touch with St. Ursula Villa through our Facebook page—StUrsulaVillaSchool—
and connect with the Villa past and present. And we always welcome alumni updates at stursulavilla.org/alumni!
10
3660 Vineyard Place | Cincinnati, OH 45226
(513) 871-7218
Villa Smiles
through the Seasons