Secondary Schools

Valle Catholic High School 'Good Samaritans' Valle Catholic High School Student Council members played the part of "Good Samaritans" recently when they devoted a Sunday afternoon to raking leaves around Ste. Genevieve. Ursuline Academy Students 'Cardboard Village'  Ursuline Academy students Kaitlin Pilant '13, Colleen Ahrens '13, and Anne Laschober '13 experienced homelessness during UA's annual Cardboard Village held October 24-25 to benefit the St. Patrick Center's Key Player Initiative. Students and staff raised over $2500 by staying overnight on the school's athletic field. In addition to supporting the St. Patrick Center, ten percent of the funds raised will benefit student tuition assistance. Trinity Catholic High School Students Experience Government First Hand Trinity Catholic High School students participated with 400 other high school students from across the state in the Missouri YMCA Youth in Government State Convention held November 12-14 in Jefferson City. The students were responsible for operating the three branches of government, plus the fourth estate (the press). Trinity sophomores Lenora Brown and Megan Green had a legislative bill signed by the Youth Governor into YIG law. Sophomore Connor Walsh was one of the four judges in the judicial branch. Sophomores Connor Walsh and Ellie Ulreich had the best plaintiff’s legal brief. Ellie Ulreich also made the semi-final round in the moot trial competition at the Missouri Supreme Court. Sophomores Morgan Hart, Michael Hilmes and Keisha Avery won for best story writing for the Video News program and sophomore Grace Fyalka was voted one of the two Print Press editors for the 2010 YIG program by her peers. Other Trinity students who attended the event were sophomores Nicole Cook, Nicole Wade, Sam Pauley, Kayla Campbell, Bola Akinola and Caroline Keppler and freshman Billy Johnson. Megan Green’s father, State Senator Tim Green, treated the Trinity group to lunch in his office, a tour of the Governor’s office, a trip to the Whispering Gallery in the Capitol Rotunda and a trip to the very top of the Capitol building. The students also had the chance to hear Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, Missouri Auditor Susan Montee and Tim Green speak to all of the YIG students. Trinity history teacher Tim Hebron is the moderator of the Trinity YIG group. Trinity Catholic High School Receives Grant from ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Trinity Catholic High School has received a $750 grant from the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance program to support the school’s technology program. Mr. Harold Hurlbut, owner of Wild Horse Mobil Station in Chesterfield, worked with school officials to secure the grant, which is one of 2,400 available to schools across the country served by Exxon or Mobil stations. The grants were made possible by funding from the ExxonMobil Corporation. “Trinity works hard to make learning interesting and fun’’ said Mr. Hurlbut. “As a Mobil retailer, I am proud to help the young people of Trinity.’’ The ExxonMobil Educational Alliance program is designed to provide Exxon and Mobil retailers with an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools. ExxonMobil believes that, as members of the community, local retailers are best qualified to work with local educators to help identify schools and programs most in need of support. Mr. Hurlbut met stringent eligibility criteria before applying for and being awarded this grant, including having a commitment to provide a superior buying experience for customers. St. Pius X High School Hosts Webinar on “Easing the Transition into 9th Grade” In an effort to assist incoming freshmen in the adjustment to secondary school life, St. Pius X High School in Festus, MO offers a special program called “Easing the Transition into 9th Grade.” St. Pius recently co-hosted a webinar, or virtual dialogue, in collaboration with Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado and Olathe East High School in Olathe, Kansas to share strategies, practices, research, data and experiences around their common goals and objectives. The webinar is a function of Successful Practices Network, of which St. Pius is a member. Founded in 2003 by Willard Daggett, an expert on Best Practices in education, SPN is a not-for-profit membership organization designed to share data, experiences, technical assistance, research, and successful practices focused on rigor, relevance and relationships for all students. Members can seek peer and expert advice on school improvement from like-minded schools and education leaders. Over the last five years, the Network has grown from a small cadre of good schools committed to becoming great schools to a national network. Member services are enhanced based on what they learn from • 600 member K-12 schools in 38 states and Canada • 75 high schools supported by a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and our partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers • Survey information from member schools • Feedback from the SPN team of more than 50 experienced educators The mission of St. Pius X High School states that it is a “Catholic community dedicated to the education of the whole person in an environment where extraordinary care and concern for the individual is ordinary.” The desire to ease the transition for new students flows directly from that mission. Karen DeCosty, principal and acting president of St. Pius X says, “The research shows that the success of the transitions into the 9th grade and out of the 12th grade are crucial. The success of the freshman year is the major factor in student success in high school. Freshmen need to feel comfortable right away and begin learning about who they are and what they want from high school. Adolescents question everything. Providing a safe atmosphere where they can talk anything and trust people to help them is just one piece of the puzzle in helping them to grow into confident young adults.” At St. Pius, the process begins for the parents on preview night and for the students with “8th grade day,” at which both groups get an on-site, up close and personal experience of student life in high school, and specifically at St. Pius X. Parents and students continue the orientation process through open house, registration, assignment of student mentors, first day of school, “Get Involved Day” and the student/advisory program.” New students can connect with their assigned adult mentor in the school community who will serve as their personal contact and support through graduation. St. John Vianney High School Celebrates 50th Anniversary It was an evening of testimonials and reflections, of laughter and celebration as some 600 guests gathered at St. John Vianney High School Oct. 17 for a Mass and reception to commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary. Nine priests, including members of the Society of Mary and pastors of local parishes, concelebrated the Mass. Featured speakers, including alumni, a parent and members of the school’s early faculty, offered their own perspectives on Vianney’s history. An extensive offertory procession included the school’s first yearbook, a relic of St. John Vianney and an official blessing from Pope Benedict XVI. A reception followed the Mass.. Ursuline Academy Fall Festival Ursuline Academy seniors in red shirts and sophomores in blue decorate picture frames for patients at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center and St. Louis Children's Hospital during the Ursuline Academy Fall Festival held on October 4. The Serviam Booth at the festival offered students and visitors alike the opportunity to create special gifts for young patients at both facilities. Read More Golf Coach Marks 100th Career Win at Villa Duchesne Villa Duchesne is celebrating the 100th career win for Head Golf Coach Linda Potter. Potter reached this milestone while coaching the Villa Duchesne Saints to a victory on Tuesday, September 15. Potter joined the Villa Duchesne athletic staff in 1997. In her coaching career at Villa Duchesne, she has taken the students to the state tournament seven times with the golf team placing first in 1999. In 2000, she was awarded Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches. Potter says, “This accomplishment is the culmination of a lifetime goal. I have been blessed to be a Sacred Heart educator at Villa Duchesne where I have been able to continue my passion for golf.” Read More Valle Catholic Schools Receive Matching Grant Western Catholic Union Branch 262 representatives present checks to Valle Catholic Schools for spring activities. These activities, which WCU co-sponsored with a matching grant of $500 each, included the Valle Auction, Valle HS STUCO Shrimp Fry and Valle's Best Choice program. Presenting the checks from WCU are Don Stuppy and Wilma Zarinelli. Mrs. Zarinelli is also chairperson for Valle's Best Choice program. Read More Valle Catholic School Welcomes Tour of Missouri Valle Catholic School in Ste. Genevieve, MO tapped into the enthusiasm generated by the recent Tour of Missouri by developing a number of activities in the weeks building up to Stage 2, scheduled for Ste. Genevieve on Tuesday, Sept 8, 2009. Read More “Top 20” Training Seminars Popular with Catholic School Teachers Read More