thevilla voice SUMMER 2016 St. Ursula Villa Salutes the Class of 2016 The graduates of the Class of 2016 and the high schools they will attend: Michael G. Abruzzo Brooke Ann Dittman Demetrios E. Georgiades Justin Nicholas Manzo Jack Sayre St. Xavier High School Summit Country Day School Archbishop McNicholas Archbishop Moeller High School St. Xavier High School George Albach Mary Jeanne Feldkamp High School Caroline McCarthy Ryan Andrew Sherman St. Xavier High School St. Ursula Academy Elizabeth Leigh Hardenbergh St. Ursula Academy St. Xavier High School Joshua Laureño Alvarez Calvin Fleming St. Ursula Academy Lauren Elizabeth William Douglas Simpson St. Xavier High School Archbishop Moeller High School Libby Heflin Meisenhelder Summit Country Day School Bridget Marie Breissinger Lauren Katherine Fletcher St. Ursula Academy St. Ursula Academy Austin Graham Strickland St. Ursula Academy St. Ursula Academy Kaitlynn Marie Hilsinger Gavin Nicholas Osterday Archbishop Moeller High School Sean Michael Butkovich Hunter Katherine Fry St. Ursula Academy Archbishop Moeller High School Joseph Daniel Sullivan Turpin High School Indian Hill High School Rachael Morgan Horst Alexander M. Plaut St. Xavier High School Elizabeth Jane Coleman Patrick T. Galligan Mt. Notre Dame High School St. Xavier High School Mary Reese Talty Ursuline Academy St. Xavier High School John Patrick Ittenbach Marlena Elise Reinhard St. Ursula Academy Mary Jessica Collins Chloe McNally Gardner St. Xavier High School Notre Dame Academy Erika Kimberly Wong St. Ursula Academy Seven Hills Upper School Paul Jacobs Hingham, MA St. Ursula Academy Cecelia Creviston Christopher Georgiades St. Xavier High School Daniel James Salcido Sydney Mary Wright St. Ursula Academy Archbishop McNicholas Pierce Kreider St. Xavier High School St. Ursula Academy Anna Elizabeth Detzel High School Summit Country Day School Alexandra Salyer Grace Catherine Yi St. Ursula Academy Steven Eric Kruis Milton High School St. Ursula Academy Atlanta, GA St. Xavier High School In this Issue: 01 From the Principal’s Desk 03 Graduation Awards 05 Highlights & Happenings 08 Annual Report 14 Alumni News From the Principal’s Desk Dear Friends, Welcome to our annual Villa Voice Graduation Issue. It Over the past four years, my administrative team and I is so gratifying to lead St. Ursula Villa and celebrate the have engaged with our Primary, Intermediate, and Junior accomplishments of our graduates whose successes are the High faculty in an intensive evaluative and continuous culmination of growth and nurturing under the guidance improvement process through the Ohio Catholic School of our dedicated faculty. I am proud of our highly- Accrediting Association with very positive results. In motivated students who embrace challenge and encourage true Villa fashion, our faculty impressed the OCSAA each other to reach their highest potential. External Validation Team with their complete buy-in and involvement in the process to always improve the The Class of 2016 amassed merit scholarship offers of educational experience at St. Ursula Villa. We internally $976,560—a new Villa record—providing another clear analyzed test scores and other data, identified our affirmation of St. Ursula Villa’s remarkable faculty and strengths and relative weaknesses, developed academic educational offerings. Every 8th grader matriculated to performance goals and assessments, measured growth, their first-choice school with most placing into honors and ultimately addressed two specific areas of level or advanced classes. In the pages of this Villa Voice, improvement. we recognize their academic accomplishments as well as well as their awards for kindness, cooperation, leadership, From this process, we set an Academic Performance Goal and demonstrating the Christ-centered spirit of St. to focus on students’ ability to apply explicit details and Angela Merici. draw inferences from informational text—an increasingly important skill in today’s world. We also set a Catholic Identity Goal of deepening students’ understanding of The Class of 2016 amassed Christian virtues and demonstrating them in their merit scholarship offers of daily lives. $976,560—a new Villa record— While my staff and I maintain our focus on school providing another clear affirmation academics, our Board of Trustees has been focusing on of St. Ursula Villa’s remarkable our Strategic Plan. This partnership with the Board and its committees has resulted in initiatives and programs faculty and educational offerings. featured in this Villa Voice. A hallmark of a St. Ursula Villa education, year over “The Portrait of a Graduate” on the facing page is just year, is to “send forth” young adults who are academically one outcome from extensive efforts by Board committees and emotionally prepared for a challenging high school and helps define what it means to be St. Ursula Villa experience and beyond. We know these results are due to graduates—shining examples of which we celebrate in this our faculty’s high professional standards, constant focus on Villa Voice. our mission, spirit of caring, and eagerness to work at the leading edge of teaching and learning methods. Sincerely, Polly Duplace, Principal In this Issue: Portrait of a St. Ursula Villa Graduate As part of St. Ursula Villa's Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees challenged its Marketing Committee to define the elements of a St. Ursula Villa education which contribute to each of our graduates’ well-documented success. The predominant attributes of a Villa graduate are clearly connected to our mission as a Catholic Ursuline school to nurture the whole child, foster academic excellence, and instill a Christ-centered commitment to society. Every aspect of a St. Ursula Villa education, including academic and extracurricular activities, directly promotes these attributes in every student. This “Portrait of a St. Ursula Villa Graduate “ emerged from extensive meetings with key faculty, administration, current and past parents, current and past board members, as well as top high school administrators who are very familiar with our graduates during their journey through the Villa, high school, college, and beyond. Strong consensus from these conversations resulted in consistent themes encompassing four distinct characteristics: Lifelong Learner, Confident & Engaged Individual, Compassionate Citizen, and Respectful Advocate. Engaged & In a ng Lea t d Eng ged lo rne n & I e r g Le e iv t n if n ar d i n d lo n d L e e fi e iv f r u i n d i d L fi a o u n l C a o l C gag ga En e n ge d E d & I t & In g Lea ng Learn t n n d on rn lo e n d i l e fe r e i e v fe r i vd i i L d i d L fi d fi u n u n a o a o l l C C • Exemplifies academic preparedness • Develops academic, spiritual, with superior knowledge and a social, artistic, and athletic gifts and commitment to excellence. interests and uses these talents in impactful ways. • Demonstrates outstanding study na ssio te C ul A skills and atime managementit habitsiona te ctf • Eagerlydvo embraces new challenges. p iz ss C pe c ful Ad that allowm for success ine highpa school, it s a ect vo o n iz e t c m e e sp a C R t o n e college, and beyond. e C R ona sionate ssi te C ful Ad as C pa it tful Adv ect vo p iti iz ec o p c z m e p ca s a m eo n s e t o n e t e C Re C R • Recognizes the needs of others • Uses independent critical thinking and gives to the less fortunate. and communication skills to help support oneself and others. • Contributes to solutions that benefit the community. • Maintains a courteous attitude with peers and adults. MISSION STATEMENT St. Ursula Villa, a codeucational Catholic elementary school in the Ursuline tradition, nurtures the whole child, fosters academic excellence, and instills a Christ-centered commitment to society. 2 Class of 2016 Graduation Awards Class of 2016 Academic Excellence Valedictorian Fifteen students were recognized for academic excellence by maintaining an “A” average in their major Paul Jacobs earned the highest subjects during both 7th and 8th grades. These students are (front row, left to right) Sydney Wright, Erika overall grade point average in Wong, Lauren Meisenhelder. Center: Alex Salyer, Elizabeth Coleman, Caroline McCarthy, Brooke Dittman, his major subjects during the 7th Marlee Reinhard, Chloe Gardner, Joshua Alvarez. Rear: Patrick Galligan, Paul Jacobs, Pierce Kreider, Christo and 8th grades and delivered Georgiades, Meechi Georgiades. the Valedictorian address at the graduation ceremony. Sr. Mary Oliver Award Charles J. Sanker Louise Helmick Award Sr. Margie Efkeman Joe Sullivan received the Sr. Scholarship The Louise Helmick Award Ursuline Identity Award Mary Oliver Award for best The Charles J. Sanker was given to Steven Kruis for The Sr. Margie Efkeman Ursuline exemplifying the personal Scholarship to St. Ursula demonstrating the Christian virtues Identity Award was bestowed qualities of enthusiasm, Academy was awarded to that characterized the life of Louise upon Sydney Wright for dedication to work, a sense Libby Heflin because of her Helmick – kindness, patience, demonstrating the Christ- of humor, and love of America – exemplary character and sense understanding, perseverance, and centered spirit of St. Angela all qualities evidenced in the of responsibility as a student, as a genuine caring concern for fellow Merici by treating others with life of Sr. Mary Oliver. well as her love for St. Ursula Villa. students and human beings. respect and dignity as a child of God. 3 Sons of the American Revolution Citizenship Award Eleven students received the Sons of the American Revolution Citizenship Award for demonstrating the qualities of dependability, cooperation, leadership, patriotism, and clean speech and habits. Front Row: Brooke Dittman, Kaitlynn Hilsinger, Reese Talty.