Live ✝ Jesus

H e a d o f S c h o o l

V I S I T A T I O N A C A D E M Y S a i n t L o u i s , M i s s o u r i

Founded in 1833 by the Sisters of the Visitation, Visitation Academy is a Catholic independent school whose mission of “valuing excellence in scholarship, spirituality, leadership, and service” lies at the heart of a Visitation education. Dedicated to developing each student’s unique gifts in the comfort and safety of a strong spiritual and academic environment, Visitation Academy provides the only all-girls educational program for Grades 1 through 12 in the St. Louis area and offers a coeducational Montessori early childhood program. Total enrollment is 545 students.

Visitation honors its rich history and traditions while maintaining a commitment to 21st century education. Salesian spirituality, a dedication to service, and devotion to the school motto, “Live Jesus,” form the foundation from which joyful, spiritual, and compassionate young woman develop. With a long-standing reputation for academic excellence, Visitation Academy graduates are confident, high achieving, and well prepared to succeed in college and beyond.

Situated on a beautiful 32-acre campus and centrally located in Town and Country, a suburb of St. Louis, Visitation Academy is a close-knit and supportive community of Sisters, alumnae, parents, and friends. Throughout St. Louis and even across the globe, alumnae proudly wear their gold crescent, which is awarded during commencement, as a visible sign of their affiliation with and devotion to Visitation.

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Position Begins July 1, 2018 Application Deadline June 30, 2017

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For additional information on Visitation Academy, please visit www.visitationacademy.org.

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THE SISTERS OF THE VISITATION

SALESIAN SPIRITUALITY“Let us be who we are and be that well.” - St. Francis de Sales.

Visitation Salesian spirituality is a way of following Jesus Christ that developed out of the life experience and teachings of St. Jane de Chantal and St. Francis de Sales. Thus the name Salesian. They drew their inspiration from Matthew’s Gospel 11:28 and 29: “Come to me . . . and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.” In the Salesian tradition, therefore, heart-to-heart relationships are essential.

St. Francis de Sales was a bishop and advisor to a wide variety of people who were interested in living out their faith in their daily lives. St. Francis taught them to find God wherever they were and to love God in whatever they were doing. Salesian spirituality is a universal call to holiness; it is a practical, humble, and gentle way of life which emphasizes doing ordinary and everyday things with great love.

Visitation Academy is the ministry of the Sisters of the Visitation, whose way of life expresses the spirituality of the founders of their Order, St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. These saints encouraged all to “Live Jesus” with optimism, gentleness, humility, joy, and liberty of spirit. “Live Jesus” illustrates the essence of the Visitation charism.

The mission of the Academy mirrors Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth: her acceptance of Jesus in her own life and her commitment to carry Him to others. This receiving and sharing of the Lord is the model of the Visitation Academy community.

PORTRAIT OF A SALESIAN LEADER

To communicate God’s love is the supreme goal of a Salesian leader’s ministry. To fulfill this mission, a Salesian leader:

• Remains focused on the “one thing necessary” to remind us frequently of our mission and turns our heads, hearts, energies, and talents to the Holy Spirit;

• Learns through prayer, reflection, and listening that the most important relational virtues for anyone who desires to live Jesus are humility and gentleness. Humility teaches us how to relate to God while gentleness teaches us how to interact with others;

• Honors the divine image in people by empowering the gifts and talents of all members of the community;• Respects the freedom of those they lead and always motivates through love never through fear or force;• Makes decisions gently but firmly and balances decisiveness with understanding and patience;• Like Jesus, leads others by serving them with a foot-washing love, and like Mary, by putting the needs of the

other before one’s own;• Recognizes that there is no substitute for personal contact and relationship; and• Follows a collaborative model of leadership in which all share their talents and wisdom.

Thus authentic Salesian leadership is a partnership which is based on a common dignity, mutual response, a shared vision, and a single purpose.

*Adapted from Leadership in the Salesian Tradition by Fr. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS

Visitation Academy is co-sponsored by the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary and the Association of the Christian Faithful (ACF). The Visitation Academy of St. Louis County, a Missouri not-for-profit corporation, operates Visitation Academy. There are four Members of the Corporation, who are appointed annually by the Monastic Council of the Monastery of the Visitation, St. Louis and drawn from the Monastery and the ACF.

The Board of Trustees (Board) manages the business and affairs of the Corporation and hires, supports and evaluates the Head of School. The Board governs according to the Bylaws of the School Corporation and sets policies to carry out Visitation Academy’s philosophy, objectives, and mission. The Board is composed of the four Members of the Corporation and other leadership members of the Visitation community who are primarily alumnae, past parents, or current parents.

Administration of school policy and the operations of the school are delegated to the Head of School. The Head of School oversees the Administrative Council which consists of the Director of Admission, Director of Advancement, Director of Finance and Operations, Upper School Principal, Upper School Assistant Principal, Middle School Principal, and Lower School Principal.

GOVERNANCE

MISSION STATEMENTVisitation Academy is a community that exists to educate children and young women and to receive and share Jesus as Mary did in her visitation to Elizabeth. In an environment which values excellence in scholarship, spirituality, leadership and service, this Visitation Community encourages students to develop their unique gifts.

As students learn to live Jesus with gentleness, humility, joy and freedom, they are prepared to continue to grow and to respond to others, the Church and the global community.

In 2003, recognizing religious vocations were declining and the laity’s increasing call to ministry, the Sisters developed the Saint Louis Visitation Association of Christian Faithful (ACF) to share their mission and help carry forward the Salesian charism.

Members of the ACF are practicing Catholics who participate in Salesian formation and have an affiliation with Visitation. The ACF is composed of the Sisters, former faculty, alumnae, past parents, and grandparents. They are a community of servant leaders who have made long-term commitments to living a lifestyle rooted in Salesian spirituality and to serve side by side with the Visitation Sisters to continue their educational and religious ministry in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal.

The ACF shares the duties of sponsorship with the Sisters as co-sponsors for Visitation Academy. They also provide ongoing Salesian programs, spiritual enrichment, and collaborative support for the Academy and the community. For more information on the ACF, please visit www.stlvisitationacf.com.

THE ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL

VISITATION ACADEMY AT-A-GLANCEFOUNDED: 1833

LOCATION: 32-acre campus is centrally located immediately south of I-64/Highway 40 on Ballas Road in the beautiful suburban St. Louis community of Town & Country

ENROLLMENT 2015-2016: Lower School 102 Middle School 138 Upper School 305 Total 545

STUDENTS OF COLOR: 14%

FACULTY: Upper School: Administrators 2 Teachers 52 Faculty possessing an advanced degree 79% Student:Teacher Ratio 6:1 Middle School: Administrators 1 Teachers 34 Faculty possessing an advanced degree 56% Student:Teacher Ratio 5:1 Lower School: Administrators 1 Teachers 21 Faculty possessing an advanced degree 62% Student:Teacher Ratio 5:1

TUITION 2015-2016: Lower School $3,985-$15,985 Middle School $17,850 Upper School $18,680

FINANCIAL AID 2014-2015: $688,000 awarded to 20% of student body

OPERATING BUDGET 2014-2015: $11,000,000

ENDOWMENT: $12,000,000

DEBT: NONE

TOTAL FUNDRAISING 2014-2015: $864,000

ACCREDITATION: Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)

MEMBER: American Montessori Society; Missouri Montessori Association; National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA); Independent Schools of St. Louis (ISSL); National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

LOWER SCHOOL: MONTESSORI

Visitation’s Montessori program has been a unique presence in the St. Louis community for over 50 years. An American Montessori Society-certified program for toddlers through kindergarten, Visitation welcomes young boys and girls ages two through six into a carefully prepared multi-aged environment. The nurturing classroom surroundings invite the child to learn through seven comprehensive areas in the classroom: language, mathematics, cultural subjects, sensorial, practical life, art, and religion. In addition, students take part in French, physical education, music, art, and computer. A primary goal of the Montessori program is to help each child reach his or her full potential in all areas of life.

As the St. Louis area’s only all-girls school for grades 1-5, Visitation Academy celebrates the unique way girls learn and instills confidence and self-esteem. The focus is on developing the whole child and preparing students to be lifelong learners. In a supportive all-girls environment, students are free to express opinions, ask questions, excel in academics and athletics, develop talents in the arts, and become leaders.

Small class sizes allow girls to thrive in an atmosphere of individual attention. A vast array of enrichment activities encourage students to move well beyond a basic comprehension of skills and concepts to a higher level of learning where critical thinking, analysis, application, and problem-solving skills are developed.

Project-based learning and differentiated instruction are central to the Lower School program. Students are given countless opportunities to stretch themselves academically and are encouraged to embrace new challenges. New technologies are continuously incorporated into the curriculum to enhance learning.

Lower School classrooms are spacious and sunny, filled with abundant resources to stimulate learning though a wide variety of activities. Recent curriculum enrichment programs have included a STEM program for grades 1-5 including robotics, a one-to-one iPad program, a climbing wall for physical education, iPads for music and art, two greenhouses for Montessori and grades 1-5, and SMART tables for grades 1-3.

The Mes Amies program develops leadership skills and is very popular with Lower School students. Mes Amies – meaning “my friends” in French – assemblies teach girls about building their spirituality and good relationships. Assemblies focus on an overarching theme for each year such as Salesian virtues, the Beatitudes, and The Seven Habits of Happy Kids. Girls are broken into Mes Amies groups, intermixing the grades and giving fifth graders leadership roles within their groups. Girls form friendships with peers from all grades and build a sense of community.

Extracurricular activities include Bellarmine Speech Team, Chess Club, COCA (Center of Creative Arts) classes, Girl Scouts, Handbell Choir, Liturgical Choir, Science Club, Student Council, Sewing Club, and Coding Club.

Lower School students participate as a team in CYC (Catholic Youth Council) sports including basketball, soccer, track and volleyball.

LOWER SCHOOL: GRADES 1-5

MIDDLE SCHOOL: GRADES 6-8Visitation Academy formally defined a Middle School program for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students beginning in the 2014 – 2015 school year. Prior to that time, the 6th grade was part of the Lower School and the 7th and 8th grades were included in the Upper School. While this structure worked well for many years, current research indicates that middle school students have different needs than students at other stages in their development.

Guided by Visitation Academy’s Strategic Plan, a decision was made to develop a Middle School Program that would focus on the unique academic, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of this distinct group of young women. The goal was to provide the structure and support that students need in the transition from childhood to young adulthood. The Middle School provides an excellent academic program with a developmentally appropriate balance of nurture and rigor that forms a bridge from Lower School to Upper School. The focus is on providing opportunities for students to gain self-confidence, develop leadership skills, build a sense of community with each other and the larger school community, and develop a sense of identity as young women of faith.

Annual trips for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders provide the opportunity to enhance learning through hands-on experiences that tie directly into classroom studies. Sixth graders travel to the Missouri’s Ozarks for outdoor team building; 7th graders travel to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in conjunction with their earth science studies; and 8th graders take a trip to Washington, D.C., to complement their social studies curriculum.

A new, dedicated Middle School Makerspace opened in the fall of 2015. This is Visitation’s latest STEM endeavor where students gain experience prototyping inventions by using design thinking. Faculty teams together to incorporate the Makerspace throughout the Middle School curriculum, not only in science and math classes.

Committed to the development of well-rounded students, the Middle School gives students additional opportunities to explore the arts and study modern and classical languages. Students enjoy classes in art, music, dance, and creative dramatics; they may choose between French, Spanish, and Latin for their modern and classical languages requirements.

A fully integrated, one-to-one technology program allows Middle School students to attain digital literacy through knowledge, concepts, and skills which are interwoven into curriculum-related lessons. Sixth grade students take a technology foundations course designed to introduce computer applications in an integrated approach with the Middle School curriculum. Seventh grade students participate in a course designed to enhance the STEM skills and activities used in the core classes. Eighth grade students’ knowledge and use of technology resources is reinforced in all classes.

Extracurricular activities include Art Club, Bellarmine Speech Team, Book Club, Campus Ministry Club, Classics Club, Coding Club, Creative Writing Club, French Club, Spanish Club, Spirit Club, Student Council, and Robotics Club. Athletic offerings include Field Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Racquetball, Tennis, Track, and Girls on Track.

UPPER SCHOOL: GRADES 9-12Visitation’s Upper School provides a rigorous college-preparatory program with extensive Advanced Placement and College Credit offerings. Statistics for the Classes of 2012-2015 include:• Average class size of 82 students;• 100% college placement;• 32% scored 30 or higher on the ACT;• Average ACT score of 29; and• 8% of students earned National Merit recognition

The academic program consists of strong college-preparatory foundational courses in computer science, English, visual and fine arts, mathematics, modern and classical languages (Latin, French, and Spanish), physical education, science, social studies, and theology, with courses in English, mathematics, and theology required each year.

Recent curriculum enhancements include an Engineering and Robotics Lab, with related course offerings including Introduction to Engineering, Independent Study Engineering Applications, and Independent Study – Robotics, and an Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, with related course offerings including graphic design, communication design, gaming and web design, and persuasive writing.

A variety of electives are available to allow students to pursue their interests and goals, including courses in such areas as economics, creative writing, genetics, environmental science, photography, dance, and acting. Over 30 clubs and activities allow students to explore interests outside of the classroom, including Campus Ministry Club, Coding Club, Crescent (Yearbook), Film Club, Mock Trial, Paper Moon (newspaper), Peace & Justice Club, Robotics, Theater Productions, Thespian Society, Vizions (literary magazine), Viz TV, and Worldwide Youth in Science & Engineering (WYSE).

Visitation offers a variety of team and individual sports, including field hockey, tennis, volleyball, golf, cross country, basketball, racquetball, swimming, cheerleading, soccer, lacrosse, and track. Participation levels are very high with over 75% of the student body playing in at least one sport, and over 50% participating in two or more sports. Visitation teams have won 21 state championships in team sports and 10 individual state championships through the years.

Visitation’s college counseling process is highly-regarded and is an individualized, holistic approach to counseling. The department’s motto is “college acceptance is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.” Counselors are invested in finding the college that best fits each student and prepares her for a bright future. Visitation students are accepted to and attend a wide range of leading universities and colleges across the country and around the globe, with each graduating class earning substantial scholarships.

Agnes Scott College

University of Alabama

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Allegheny College

American University

Anderson University-IN

Aquinas College

Arizona State University

University of Arizona

University of Arkansas

Auburn University

Augustana College

Austin College

Ball State University

Barnard College

Baylor University

Bellarmine University

Belmont University

Beloit College

Benedictine College

Birmingham-Southern College

Boston College

Boston University

Bowling Green State University

Bradley University

Brown University

Butler University

California Institute of Technology

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

Carleton College

Carnegie Mellon University

Carthage College

Case Western Reserve University

Catholic University of America

Centenary College of Louisiana

University of Central Florida

Central Michigan University

University of Central Missouri

Centre College

Chapman University

College of Charleston

University of Chicago

University of Cincinnati

The Citadel, The Military College at South Carolina

Clark University

Clemson University

Coastal Carolina University

Coe College

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Colorado at Denver

Colorado Mesa University

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado State University

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia University

Concordia University - River Forest

Concordia University - Seward

Concordia University Wisconsin

University of Connecticut

Cornell College

Cornell University

Creighton University

Culinary Institute of America

Davidson College

University of Dallas

University of Dayton

University of Delaware

Denison University

University of Denver

DePaul University

DePauw University

Dickinson College

Dominican University

Drake University

Drexel University

Drury University

Duke University

Durham University

Earlham College

Eastern Illinois University

Eckerd College

Edgewood College

Elon University

Emerson College

Emory University

University of Evansville

Fairfield University

Flagler College

Florida International University

University of Florida

Fontbonne University

Fordham University

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Furman University

Gannon University

George Mason University

George Washington University

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology

University of Georgia

Gettysburg College

Gonzaga University

Grinnell College

Hampshire College

Haverford College

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Hendrix College

College of the Holy Cross

Hope College

University of Houston

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Illinois College

Illinois Institute of Technology

Illinois Wesleyan University

Indiana University at Bloomington

University of Indianapolis

Iona College

Iowa State University

University of Iowa

James Madison University

Johns Hopkins University

Kansas State University

University of Kansas

Kent State University

University of Kentucky

Kenyon College

Kettering University

Knox College

Lake Forest College

Lawrence University

University of Leeds

Lehigh University

Lewis & Clark College

Lindenwood University

Lipscomb University

Louisana State University

University of Louisville

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University New Orleans

Macalester College

University of Maine

Marian University

Marquette University

University of Maryland, College Park

Marymount Manhattan College

Maryville University

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

McGill University

McKendree University

Mercer University

Miami University, Oxford

University of Miami

Michigan Technological University

Michigan State University

University of Michigan

Millikin University

*Colleges Attended in Red

2011-2015 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES & MATRICULATIONS

Millsaps College

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

University of Mississippi

Mississippi State University

Missouri Baptist University

Missouri State University

Missouri University of Science and Technology

University of Missouri Columbia

University of Missouri, Kansas City

University of Missouri, St. Louis

Mount Holyoke College

Murray State University

Universidad de Navarra

University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Nebraska Wesleyan University

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

University of New Hampshire

New York University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Northeast Ohio Medical University

Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University

University of Northern Colorado

Northwestern University

University of Notre Dame

Oberlin College

Ohio University

Ohio Northern University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Oklahoma State University

University of Oklahoma

Oregon State University

Otterbein University

Pace University, New York City

University of the Pacific

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

University of Pennsylvania

Pepperdine University

University of Pittsburgh

Point Park University

Pomona College

Providence College

University of Puget Sound

Purdue University

Quincy University

University of Redlands

Regis University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhodes College

Rice University

University of Richmond

Rider University

Ripon College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rockhurst University

Rollins College

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Sacred Heart University

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph’s College-Indiana

Saint Joseph’s University

Saint Louis University

Saint Mary’s College

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Salisbury University

Samford University

San Diego State University

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

Santa Clara University

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

Seattle University

Seton Hall University

Sewanee: The University of the South

University of South Carolina

Southeast Missouri State University

University of Southern California

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Southern Methodist University

Southwest Baptist University

Spring Hill College

St. Ambrose University

University of St. Andrews

St. Bonaventure University

St. Lawrence University

St. Louis College of Pharmacy

St. Olaf College

Stephens College

Stevens Institute of Technology

Suffolk University

Syracuse University

University of Tampa

Temple University

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Texas A&M University

University of Texas, Austin

Texas Christian University

The Ohio State University

Thomas More College

University of Toledo

Trinity College

Trinity University

Truman State University

Tulane University

University of Tulsa

United States Military Academy

Vanderbilt University

University of Vermont

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Wake Forest University

Washington College

Washington and Lee University

Washington University in St. Louis

University of Washington

Webster University

Western Kentucky University

Western Michigan University

Western New England University

Western Washington University

Westminster College

College of William and Mary

William Jewell College

William Woods University

University of Wisconsin, Madison

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Wright State University

Xavier University

University of York

The St. Louis metropolitan area is the 19th largest in the United States with a population of 2.8 million. Consistently ranked among the nation’s most affordable and best places to live and raise families, St. Louis is a big city with small-town convenience and sense of community.

St. Louis offers a wide range of world-class, nationally-recognized museums, cultural institutions, and entertainment venues, such as the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, the Peabody Opera House, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. The Muny is a popular outdoor theatre venue located in one of the most beautiful urban parks in the world, Forest Park (covering 1,371 acres in the western part of St. Louis city).

St. Louis is home to two professional sports teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues, with the Wall Street Journal ranking St. Louis as the top sports city of 2015. Other recreational options include visiting hundreds of parks and conservation areas, hiking and biking through networks of trails, or canoeing or fishing in the area’s beautiful rivers and streams.

St. Louis has over 30 colleges and universities, including Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis University. Nineteen Fortune 1000 companies call St. Louis home, along with some of the nation’s largest privately held firms. Excellent health care options are readily available and housing is affordable.

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