A message from Director of Middle School, Ilse Norris:

Dear Visitation Middle School families,

The eighth graders returned safely from their capstone trip to Washington DC. Anyone who followed along through the Instagram Takeover could witness in real time that they had the time of their lives. They visited numerous sites such as the various Smithsonian Museums, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, an excursion to Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery, and a guided evening tour of the Washington Monuments. They even got a private tour of the White House, a rare treat, compliments of the offices of Angie Craig, Minnesota Congresswoman. The highlight of the trip was certainly the Georgetown Visitation visit on Thursday, May 4. Our students, along with the eighth graders from St. Louis Visitation, were welcomed with open arms. The archivist highlighted the history of Georgetown Visitation, founded in 1799. The students met the Visitation Sisters and got treated to a guided campus tour, facilitated by the Admissions Ambassadors, with a visit to the Bookstore where they picked up some Georgetown Visitation swag. They also had an opportunity to sing their school song for one another and were treated to a catered luncheon. This is the first time that students from the three Visitation schools got to meet one another and spend time together. Our students were inspired by the fact that they are a part of an entire consortium of Visitation schools, bound by a common mission. 

My favorite part was the kudos I received on behalf of the students about the way they carried themselves on the trip. The tour director, Elizabeth Young, couldn’t say enough good about our students’ knowledge and positive attitude. Olivia Wills Kane, Salesian Studies Director of Georgetown Visitation, was very impressed that our students came in full uniform and represented the Visitation spirit so well. On the last day, we requested that the students be dressed in their “Sunday best” for the White House tour and the visit to the Holocaust Museum. Both places commented that our students were exemplary and showed respect and reverence for the experience at hand. To top it all off, I received a card from the flight crew, thanking the students for being outstanding passengers on the plane; they got treated to free snacks, compliments from Delta Airlines! I shared all of the kudos with the eighth graders at Middle School assembly on Tuesday, impressing upon them that they are a very special group of students and that I am honored to be their director.

On Thursday, May 11, the Visitation GRIT Girls, along with GRIT Girls from seven chapters around the nation, will have a graduation celebration at 8 a.m. in Ain Karim. The young ladies prepared presentations and will share their reflections on the past year with family and friends. The awarding of the graduation certificates and medals will be followed by a reception. We thank Kelsey Irizarry, our onsite GRIT coordinator, and congratulate this inaugural GRIT group on a successful year and a job well done! 

On Friday, May 12, the entire school will gather for an aerial photo-op on the soccer lot. Instead of spirit wear attire, as stated in the planner, the students are asked to wear their everyday uniform. A separate communication will go out to all Middle School families, informing them of the change.