what we have created HONOR the Religious of the Sacred Heart and all the educators that came before us LOOK to the future...
Sacred Heart Educators are our model. They are our examples. And, they are our inspiration. We take that gift of hearts that hold nothing back, and we look to celebrate that legacy and be a school that fulfills the hopes and dreams of our founders now, and into the future.
~ Michael F. Baber, Head of School
The Honoring Our Legacy RSCJ Fundraising Initiative centers around the students of today and the students of tomorrow and pays tribute to the Religious of the Sacred Heart who have dedicated their lives to our school. Because of the generosity of our community, we are ready to make a significant investment in the vision of the RSCJ, ensuring the School’s continued success for years to come. We mark the achievement towards our goal and look forward as our momentum grows. Together, we consider all that is possible in this amazing community!
Achieving the goal set for us means we are ready for something even bigger. In June, we will put shovel in the ground on the most highly anticipated building project on the campus of Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School since the Chapel in 1958. Thanks to the generosity of Kelli and Eric Schaefer we are celebrating the largest single donation in our School’s history, as we embark on the construction of a new Student Life Center – a space that will be the heart and soul of our student community and be home to a theater, a café, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. The Student Life Center will enhance every aspect of our student experience. It will be the “center” of the school day for our upper school students, and be enjoyed by our lower school students, our parent community, and our Sacred Heart family as we gather and honor the school we love so much.
Your support of the Honoring our Legacy RSCJ Fundraising Initiative through the Fund for Excellence, transformative Campus Enhancements, and the Endowment, is foundational to the long-term sustainability of Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School.
IN GRATITUDE FOR THE CHAIRS OF THE HONORING OUR LEGACY INITIATIVE
Mr. Steven M. and Mrs. Joann R. Rull Community Chairs
Dr. William J. and Mrs. DeAnn Gueck Parent Chairs
Ann Caire, rscj & Nancy Ghio, rscj Honorary Chairs
The Fund for Excellence promotes growth and vitality in all that we do. It supports academic programming, athletic programs, the arts, Family Individualized Tuition, and innovation as we look to the future. In December 2020, we approved a five-year Strategic Plan for Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School. This Plan ensures the long-term sustainability of the educational vision of our foundress and provides for school-wide advancement of the academic and co-curricular experiences of our students at every age. Your support of the Fund for Excellence ensures that Sacred Heart education thrives in St. Louis. Mission partners like you have sustained the legacy of our Sacred Heart education for 200 years, and the possibilities as we advance are endless. Together, we’ve built a community founded upon strong traditions and a commitment to innovation. Your support benefits every Sacred Heart student, every day.
Discover your particular gifts, and develop your unique potential. ~ Life at the Sacred Heart, 1985
THE SCHAEFER FAMILY STUDENT LIFE CENTER | GROUNDBREAKING SUMMER 2021
The Schaefer Family gift has made our dream of the Student Life Center a reality. The Student Life Center will be the heart of our beloved campus. Goal IV, the Building of Community as a Christian Value, is a cornerstone of Sacred Heart education. The Student Life Center will be a space used by our community each and every day. The Danis Atrium will be a hub of activity for daily student life, dances, college fairs, and receptions. It will serve as a welcome center for visitors and guests. Envision our students enjoying a quick snack with friends before class or after school at the Johnson Café. The beautiful terrace will overlook our back bowl for Maypole and allow students to have lunches and dances outdoors.
The theater will bring the performing arts program to the next level through a complete renovation of the existing auditorium. The theater will feature raked seating, a scene shop, dressing rooms, and a green room. From daily assembly to show choir performances and lower school spelling bees, the theater will be a staple in the everyday lives of our students.
FAMILY PAVILION AND TKACHUK TERRACE |
COMPLETED DECEMBER 2020
The Gueck Family Pavilion and Tkachuk Terrace is a featured spot on our stunning campus. It elevates Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School athletic programs while offering a central gathering space for our community. The Pavilion serves as the formal entrance to Condie Field and boasts both home and visitor team rooms, restrooms, and Saints’ Shack Concessions. The School utilizes this campus facility to host community and student-focused events such as service learning activities, campus ministry retreats, meetings, and alumni gatherings.
KENEFICK GYMNASIUM RENOVATIONS |
COMPLETED SUMMER 2018
Thanks to the support of our lead donors and that of our donors at the 2017 Bonne Chance Auction, we renovated the Varsity Club Room, the lobby, and the team rooms of Kenefick Gymnasium. The renovations also included a new divider curtain in the gym, new scoreboards, and a custom designed trophy case. Fans may also enjoy the game from the Varsity Club with a livestreaming monitor above the fireplace!
This summer, our dream becomes a reality. You will witness even further the fruits of this important work. Thanks to the support of the Schaefer Family and other leaders within our community, we can break ground on the Student Life Center in June. Our momentum has never been greater, and we want you to join us. Be a part of this spectacular project. Help us build the Student Life Center and grow the Fund for Excellence and our Endowment to support and sustain our beautiful campus spaces. Our Turf Field, Kenefick Gym, the Rull Family Innovation Center, the Gueck Pavilion and Tkachuk Terrace, and soon the Student Life Center – these are the places our students learn, build friendships, and prepare to change the world. With this stage, the dream of providing the best possible opportunities for our Sacred Heart students is about to become a reality!
Thanks to the longstanding work of and partnership with the Villa DuchesneCity House Alumnae Association, the Sister Mary Gray McNally Alumnae Scholarship is available annually to a student entering the ninth grade who demonstrates financial need and whose mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother is an alumna of either Villa Duchesne or City House. Recipients receive $5,000 in tuition aid annually to follow the student through graduation as needed.
Give to the Sister Mary Gray McNally Alumnae Scholarship Fund and help a student receive a life-changing Sacred Heart education.
CORNELSEN CHALLENGE
Endowed English and Mathematics Departments
This $1 million lead-gift commitment has been given as a challenge to our community to help endow the English and Mathematics Departments as part of the School’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence. Gifts received in response to the Cornelsen Challenge will support our outstanding faculty in English and Mathematics.
Inspired by this generous gift, please join the Challenge and give today. We are grateful for your partnership as we strengthen our School for the future.
Our mission is to transform the world, one child at a time.
An independent, Catholic school in the Sacred Heart tradition for boys and girls age 3 - grade 6 and young women grades 7-12