Around Woodlands Global Education - Global Odyssey Trips to Italy and Belize
- Bon Voyage Teresa Ciaglo!
- Thank You, Vienna Host Families
- Welcome Back Avery Drehkoff!
From the Development Office - Walk for Water
- Alumnae Association hosts a Fun Run/Walk
Health & Safety - Spring Break Prearranged Absence Reminder & Safety Protocols
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| A Reflection from Head of School |
Greetings Woodlands Academy Families and Friends, A little over a week ago, I went to the theater and saw my favorite play- Les Misérables. My first encounter with the story came during my own Sacred Heart student experience. It was Senior Year, I was in French V, and that was my reading assignment. I say "my" assignment as I was the only student in the class. Please do not interpret this as an indication of my being "good at French," but rather an early indication of my persistence! Alone in this class, I struggled through Victor Hugo's book. How the curriculum jumped from reading Le Petit Prince to Les Misérables in one year is beyond me! But there I was, French-English dictionary in hand, translating about every fourth word. This was, as I said - persistence at best. The first time I saw the play Les Mis was 14 years later when a national touring company brought the production to Shea's Theater in Buffalo. There from the center stage loge, I was absolutely captivated. I had the gist of the story from "reading" it, but to see it played out before me was amazing. I bought the CD and have been a fan ever since. I introduced my parents to the show when it came to Toronto with Colm Wilkinson playing Jean Valjean. While on a trip, I dragged my friend Mike to see it in London's West End. If it is playing where I am, I try to see it. So, it was a "no-brainer" that I would also go to Chicago. Having seen the show, I know how it ends. But I am struck by the fact that each time I go- I find something new. The Chicago show was no different, but beyond the updated departure of Javert (the technology was so interesting), this time, I was sent thinking by a conversation I overheard while exiting the theater at the end of the performance. I followed on the heels of two young women, one who had just seen the show for the first time and her companion who had seen it before. The first timer commented on the sad story, and the second then launched into a conversation about God. I have long thought about having the school version of this play staged at a Sacred Heart school. It appears to me to be so consistent with the values presented in the Goals and Criteria that it seems a perfect fit. The conversation overheard only further cemented that thought. Trying to combat the "story is so sad" conversation, the repeat show-goer shared how Jean Valjean's encounter with the priest changed his life. I would argue that his encounter with one who offered forgiveness, demonstrated compassion, and placed faith in his capacity for good caused him to be a changed man. As the story evolves, Valjean's interactions with those he meets reflect the same gifts the priest gave him long ago. In the story of Les Misérables there is a line which reads: "Le bonheur suprême de la vie est la conviction que nous sommes aimé" which translates to, "The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved"
Valjean's final line in the play is, "Remember the truth that once was spoken; to love another person is to see the face of God." And that is what a Sacred Heart education is all about- seeing the presence of the divine in all those we encounter and being God's heart and hands for them in this world. For in doing this, we give others the "supreme happiness of life," knowing that they are loved by us, and through us, by God.
As we prepare for the season of Easter, may the lessons of Les Misérables bring us closer to understanding our unique role in making God's love known in the world and help us to move forward in that role with courage and confidence. United in Mission, Dr. Susan Tyree Dempf Head of School |
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| Upcoming April 11 Classes Resume - April 14 Sacred Heart Awards/Global Scholars/ Month of a Military Child Awards
- April 16 Walk for Water
- April 17 Late Start 10:00 am
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| Save the Date! Please Join Us for Imagine Yourself in the C-Suite Speaker Series On Monday, April 24, please join us in welcoming Chevy Humphrey to our April C-Suite event. A sips and sweets reception will start at 6:30 pm, followed by the 7:00 pm program immediately after. All are welcome. In January 2021, Ms. Humphrey became the first woman and Black American to head a science center in the United States - the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI). Ms. Humphrey leads with sound management, entrepreneurship, and deploys resources to gain market share and respect, donor confidence, and public support. Please be on the look out for more event details next week. |
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Calendar Change - Late Start on Monday, March 20 Monday, March 20, will now be a 10: 00 am Late Start day for students to allow time for faculty professional development. Train riders will be picked up at 9:30 am. |
Spring Uniform Check Spring Break is a great time to clean your uniform skirt, check your uniform items for tears/stains, and overall fit. As students grow and mature, uniforms may need to be altered, lengthened, or repurchased to ensure proper length and fit. |
Mid Semester Report Cards Mid-semester report cards were released this past Wednesday. The grades and comments that you will find in Blackbaud reflect your daughter's progress now that she has completed approximately half of the academic work this semester. Each grade represents her semester grade in progress at this given moment. The comments are very beneficial in highlighting the areas where she excels and areas for her to concentrate her efforts. Please note that it is only the final semester grades that are recorded on the official Transcript of Credits for each student. To access these teacher reports: Login to Blackbaud On the left, click on your daughter's name On the Progress tab, find the "Performance" box Click on "Report cards" |
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| | Month of the Military Child and Purple Up! On Thursday, April 13, we will celebrate Purple Up! Our community will have a casual day and wear purple to show support and thanks to military children for their strength and sacrifice. The color purple indicates that all branches of the military are supported. Air Force -blue, Army -green, Navy -blue, Marine -red, and Coast Guard -blue, all are thought to combine together as a single color, purple. On Friday, April 14, Woodlands Academy will commemorate the "Month of the Military Child." In 1986, the Department of Defense and the military community designated April as a time to honor military children, recognizing the critical role of military dependents in the armed forces community and the sacrifices made by each military family. Certificates will be awarded to Woodlands students and their families. |
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Woodlands Academy GrowGirl Summer Camp! We are gearing up for the 2nd year of GrowGirl! GrowGirl is an all-girls summer day camp for students entering grades 4-9. Check out the innovative session offerings designed by our world-class faculty. Please help us spread the word about these exciting opportunities! |
Spirit Store Hours The Spirit Store will be open on the following dates: 4/13, and 5/11 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. The store will also be open: 4/26 at 6:00 pm at Junior Parent College Night and 5/25 at 6:00 pm at Spring Sports Awards Night. Please be sure to check out our new WA lanyards! |
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| Friday Lenten Reminders from Campus Ministry PRAY: The Breastplate of St. Patrick: Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Amen FAST: If your Bishop gives permission, have corned beef and cabbage but give up sweets.
GIVE: Donate to a food drive or volunteer at a food pantry!! |
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Around Woodlands Global Education |
Global Odyssey Trips to Italy and Belize All forms are due by Monday, March 20. Forms are located on the trip page in Blackbaud. Thank you. |
Bon Voyage Teresa Ciaglo! Teresa Ciaglo '24, departs for Marmoutier Institution in Tours, France, this weekend. We will welcome Lucie Vidal, Teresa's exchange sister, in April. |
Thank You, Vienna Host Families A special thank you to the following families for hosting Vienna students: The Burke, Chesney, Eggers, Farrell, James, Kirkendall, Pasternock, Popoff, and Smylie families. Thank you for welcoming the Vienna students into your homes. | |
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| Welcome Back Avery Drehkoff! Recently, Avery Drehkoff returned from a two week exchange in Madrid. She is pictured with students from Sagrado Corazon Rosales. Avery's exchange student Marta Montoro spent four weeks at Woodlands at the start of the semester. |
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From the Development Office |
Two Weekends in April, Two Opportunities to Walk/Run our Beautiful Campus! On Sunday, April 16, Student Organizers, led by Avery Drehkoff '25, are hosting a Walk for Water. Participants will walk our beautiful campus to raise money for clean drinking water around the world. On Saturday, April 22, our Alumnae Association is hosting a Fun Run/Walk in celebration of Earth Day. Take advantage of spring weather and gather with alumnae and friends of the school to get some exercise. More information and registration is available here. |
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Spring Break Prearranged Absence Reminder & Safety Protocols If your travels include your daughter missing any days before or after our scheduled break, a parent/guardian must inform the front desk - (847) 234-4300/ receptionist@woodlandsacademy.org of your travel plans prior to her absence. If an email/phone call/or absence notification is not received prior to the absence date, it will be marked as unexcused. Absences solely reported to a teacher by the student are unacceptable. Students that are not feeling well should be kept home until their symptoms have subsided. There has been an uptick in students being unable to attend classes because of feeling ill. Let's keep our Woodlands community healthy by trying to keep the germs at bay. |
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Interior spirit is the refined, delicate tact of soul that makes us aware of God's action in order to abandon ourselves to it. -Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, RSCJ |
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