HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
“ Still in awe at this super sweet gesture … huge thanks from this grateful teacher . I feel forever blessed to have found such a great place to teach and call ‘ home .’”
grateful teacher . I feel forever blessed to have found such a great place to teach and call ‘ home .’”
The Villa community – including current and past parents , grandparents , and alumni – embraced the Special Appeal ’ s secondary initiative to launch a salary pay scale increase for future years , motivated by an anonymous donor providing a $ 70,000 match toward the fund . As Villabration ’ s most successful Special Appeal in history , the event raised $ 167,000 toward the short-term goal of providing onetime teacher bonuses this year , and long-term goal of increasing the St . Ursula Villa salary pay scale in years to come .
The Villa ’ s legendary community demonstrated its commitment to St . Ursula Villa teachers – always seen as the school ’ s greatest treasures – and deepened the faculty ’ s appreciation and gratitude as valued components of this special school and community , even in the midst of a pandemic .
Villa Students Continue Needed Service and Outreach
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift away from St . Ursula Villa ’ s customary Lenten food collection or book drive towards a Christmas Card writing initiative – a school-wide service project to demonstrate Jesus ’ message : “ I was a stranger and you welcomed me .” Ursuline Campus Minister Laura Riehle explains that students were “ invited to make a card for someone they did not know but wanted to greet with wishes for a blessed season .” Students created hundreds of Christmas cards over Thanksgiving Break , which were collected at school and organized into 25-card bundles and then distributed to Cincinnati-area soup kitchens , hospice centers , hospitals , and other agencies .
A nurse manager at University of Cincinnati Medical Center responded ,
THANK YOU for the beautiful Christmas cards that blessed our unit and the lives of physicians , respiratory therapists , social workers , and nurses . As a team , we made a point to read several cards aloud at shift changes which made a difference in the emotional spirit of our staff . … Our senior leadership shared [ the project ] with the hospital as a whole to celebrate the young people in your school that took the time to support and encourage those of us in the throes of trying to work through COVID-19 . God bless your caring spirit and your students !
As a touching surprise , UC Medical Center staff created and sent “ thank you ” Valentines to show their deep gratitude for Villa students ’ Christmas cards and support . Ms . Riehle delivered the Valentines to several grades , saying “ I feel humbly appreciative of the way that God used our hearts and responses to spread love around .”
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