My first Magazine Villa Voice Summer 2018 | Page 8

St. Ursula Villa’s Class of 2018 has amassed more than $477,900 in high
school merit scholarship offers to 41% of the class. These scholarships from
various Cincinnati-area schools are based on Villa 8 th graders’ high school entrance
exams and academic records. Additionally, 100% of the class was accepted into
their first-choice 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.
HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
Education
Cultural Fine Arts Day is a Virtual Trip Around the World
On a chilly day last February, St. Ursula Villa students set aside their traditional
schedules to learn karate, dress in Native American clothing, and create African
masks on Cultural Fine Arts Day when more than 20 artists, musicians, storytellers,
authors, and presenters visited campus. Villa students developed an appreciation
and understanding of African, Native American, and Japanese cultures as presenters
shared traditional songs, stories, crafts, games, food, and regalia throughout the day.
Developed by the Villa’s Education Committee to expose Villa students to world
cultures and artistic heritage, Cultural Fine Arts Day is designed as a 3-year,
curriculum-aligned program featuring rotating sessions about Africa, Japan, and
Native Americans for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
On their “Trip to Africa,” Kindergarten, 3 rd , and 6 th grade students learned about Afro-
fusion drums, music, and movement with musician Baoku Moses; poetry and art with
author Annie Ruth; as well as mask-making and the ancient game of Mancala. They
also enjoyed travelogues from Villa dads Brian Vaughan and Ashley Supinger who
shared their experiences traveling through Tanzania and other African countries.
Front row (left to right): Izzy McGarvey, Anna Iacobucci, Symone Conley, Mary Bingaman, Audrey
Kirwin. Center: Lulu Murphy, Shea Chamberlain, Harry Albach, Joe Scullin, Danny O’Grady, Roman
Kindt. Rear: Ann Welling, Kelsey Horst, Claire Coleman, Claire Ratkey, Sydney Gardner, and
Karalee Broderick.
St. Ursula Villa began a new tradition of recognizing “Legacy” graduates who are
second-generation Villa alumni with a parent graduating from the Villa and “Veteran”
graduates who started their “Villa career” as a student in our 3-year-old preschool
program. Congratulations!
Villa Legacy graduates: Sophie Mock (Kerry
Grote-Mock '81 ), Kathryn Shaffer (Karen Ryan
Shaffer '84), and Joe Scullin (Becky Kohlhepp
Scullin '87)
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Villa Veteran graduates: Martine Hue, Kelsey
Horst, Audrey Kirwin, Anna Iacobucci, Izzy
McGarvey. Connor Martin, Samantha Roberts,
Isabel Rojas, Danny O’Grady, Luke Cowles.
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