Villa Duchesne St. Louis, MO

Villa Duchesne was established with the firm belief that each child is an incredible gift from God. Throughout our classrooms, our faculty and staff echo the sentiment of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, “For the sake of one child, I would have founded the Society [of the Sacred Heart].” It is a sentiment shared by our 147 sister schools around the world as members of the International Network of Sacred Heart Schools.

The Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education are our bedrock for learning. These five goals, by which all Sacred Heart schools in the United States are governed, are to commit to educate to: a personal and active faith in God, a deep respect for intellectual values, social awareness which impels to action, building of community as a Christian value, and personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. Our students benefit from a faculty committed to this holistic approach for each child.

We have established learning environments which use the best educational research to engage students in a rigorous curriculum. With great programming and thought-provoking lessons, we support students throughout their journey of self-discovery and self-transformation. Together we, the teachers and students, strive upwards toward academic and intellectual greatness and stretch outwards towards empathy, compassion, and solidarity with those in our world. As a result, we settle for nothing less than to fully inspire our children to a lifelong love of learning and personal growth. It is an honor to partner with parents in this sacred journey to educate the hearts and minds of children. We invite you to join the journey with us.

Dr. Peter Schroeder

Principal

Mission

Inspired by the vision of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Villa Duchesne strives to educate the heart and mind of each child in a nurturing and challenging environment. We are dedicated to educating the whole child and preparing our students for lives of faith in God, integrity, leadership and service to others. Our mission is to transform the world, one child at a time.

Purpose

Villa Duchesne seeks to enhance the spiritual life of our student body through worship and personal growth activities which are meaningful, prayerful, and engaging for spiritual seekers of the 21st century. We collaborate as educators to represent various ages and stages of life. Ministry happens in intentional ways, and just by chance; through planned activities like community service projects and through simple presence and listening.

Quality

Our students succeed in all of the conventional measures of a great school--college acceptances, ACT scores, athletic trophies, and standing ovations--but, we also recognize that education is much more than what happens in the classroom. Our students strive for excellence in all aspects of life, and it is our responsibility as Sacred Heart educators to provide those opportunities.

Dynamic Community

In keeping with the school's philosophy of educating the whole child, we offer a wide range of enrichment activities which foster the intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual development of the students. Activities and organizations build community, encourage leadership, foster social awareness, and develop within the school community a spirit of service. Clubs and other organized activities give interested students opportunities to grow and mature through additional responsibilities and commitments.