A message from Director of Middle School, Ilse Norris:

Dear Visitation Middle School families,

On Thursday, Jan. 19, the GRIT girls had their first Field Day. GRIT - Girls Re-Imagining Tomorrow’s mission is to introduce diverse groups of middle school girls to technology-focused career possibilities with an emphasis on cyber security and AI (Artificial Intelligence). This Leadership program seeks to build confidence in these young women by providing mentorship in the areas of public speaking, online safety, stewardship skills, and business etiquette. Arctic Wolf, a cyber security firm located in Eden Prairie, rolled out the red carpet for our GRIT girls. We were welcomed by a team of ambassadors who gave us a tour of the building, treated the girls to an intruder alert experience in the style of an Escape Room, and facilitated a speaker panel composed of women in the cyber security field. Our students got to learn first-hand about these successful women’s journeys into cyber security and Artificial Intelligence. The highlight came at 11 a.m. when our GRIT girls got to zoom with Middle School teams from around the country. Incidentally, Visitation Middle School is the only school in Minnesota that offers the GRIT Leadership program. I want to take the opportunity to thank Arctic Wolf for welcoming our GRIT Leadership team; what an awesome experience for our girls!

During the winter months, STA Middle School will host three ski nights for Saint Thomas Academy and Visitation School students in grades 6, 7, and 8 at Afton Alps. On Friday, Jan. 20, the Ski Club had its first outing of the season. The bus was jam-packed with students from both schools and full of lively conversation as we headed for the slopes. Nothing warms my heart more than to see our students engage in some much-needed interaction and enjoy themselves! Incidentally, a Visitation ski-racing event was happening at the same time, so we got to witness some of the awesome skiing talents of our Middle School students! Lillie Molinaro '27, Frannie Eldredge '27, and Audrey Dubois '27 made us proud! The remaining Ski Club dates are Friday, Feb. 3 and Friday, March 3 from 3:30 - 8:45 p.m. Registration is now closed. 

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, we celebrated Visitation’s Founders’ Day which is the day that we honor the spiritual friendship of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal who co-founded the Visitation order in 1610. May their spirit help each of us to “Live+Jesus” and enliven our mission to provide an excellent education within a Catholic environment, permeated by Salesian spirituality and the living tradition of the Sisters. The focus of the prayer service was gratitude, our Salesian virtue for the year. Middle School students shared the following quotes during the prayer service: In 6th grade, we are grateful for our school, friends, prayer buddies, teacher, and good learning environment. In 7th grade, we are grateful for friendships, learning, and growth opportunities, and being able to see Jesus in every one of us. In 8th grade, we are grateful for friends, a school where we are allowed to gain knowledge in a supportive environment, and the support we give one another.

In Advisory this week, Middle School students are participating in a #WinAtSocial lesson under the theme "Strike a Balance." Parents can continue the conversation with their child by registering and/or logging in to the Parent Toolkit of The Social Institute using Visitation's code: 19e4078CDD409B. Please see the link for further instructions on how to access the family support section. 

On Friday, Feb. 27, the 8th grade will gather in a Day of Reflection from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a great day for our 8th graders to bond and spend time in reflection with one another. The experience has been proven to be positive and beneficial in inspiring character and civility within Visitation Middle School.

Friday, Feb. 27, is an out-of-uniform Day for all students. The proceeds from this Friday’s out-of-uniform day will be donated to Visitation’s Days for Girls event in the spring. Visitation’s Upper School Women ActiVISts group, in conjunction with Student Council, has hosted this day of service for many years and looks forward to another successful event later this spring. The event benefits Days for Girls International, an organization that uses volunteer service to sew and provide reusable feminine hygiene products to women and girls of marginalized communities all over the world. At Visitation, this issue is especially close to our hearts as we strive to stand in solidarity and create a global understanding of sisterhood.  As our Women ActiVISts club often promotes, “empowered women empower women!” Please bring $1.00 or more to support this great cause.

Looking ahead: Feb. 6-10, we will celebrate Catholic Schools Week in the Middle School. Watch for dress-up themes and a schedule of events coming soon!

On Monday, Feb. 13, nationally acclaimed author James Ponti will speak to 3rd to 8th graders (and anyone else who would like to join) beginning at 8:15 a.m. in the DeSales auditorium. The presentation will be approximately 45 minutes. There will be an additional 30-45 minutes allotted for book signing afterward. See details here.

It is my privilege to partner with you and work with your daughter in this excellent school!

Gratefully,

Ilse Norris
Director of Middle School