Dear Friends and Families of Our Lady of Victory,

The proliferation of artificial intelligence and large language models has upended many industries in recent years, and that is certainly true in the world of high school and college education. It is not uncommon to see headlines lamenting the supposed demise of traditional forms of learning: “The College Essay is Dead” (The Atlantic) or “I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What AI Is Doing to Students” (The New York Times). While I am not nearly as pessimistic about the future of education as some of those authors, it will not surprise you to hear that the rapid development of AI continues to raise real questions even in schools like Our Lady of Victory.

Nowhere are those questions clearer than in writing instruction. When many of us were in high school (Reader, I am assuming you belong to my age cohort, and I beg forgiveness if that is not the case), it was common for a teacher to assign a five-paragraph take-home essay. The diligent students got to work right away, outlining ideas, drafting paragraphs, revising sentences, and slowly shaping their thoughts into something coherent and worthy of being submitted as a final draft. Anyone who has written seriously knows how essential that process is in helping us to refine our thoughts.

But what does writing instruction look like in the age of AI?

This is a question we have been discussing as a faculty and, more broadly, within the Chesterton Schools Network throughout the year. I suspect similar conversations are taking place in faculty lounges around the country. The truth is that there is no simple solution. I have asked our teachers to emphasize shorter in-class writing assignments and more immediate feedback. We are also increasing the amount of scaffolding that accompanies larger writing projects, and thinking about ways to carve out time in the schedule for writing labs. These approaches help ensure that the work students submit genuinely reflects their own thinking and is done in a manner that will help them improve as writers. At the same time, they come with opportunity costs: less class time for Socratic discussion and less time to read and process texts and content together.

Here is what we remain committed to at OLV: creating space for our students to cultivate the deeply human capacities that distinguish us from machines. Writing instruction is certainly part of that mission, but it is not the whole of it. Reading carefully, reasoning clearly, speaking persuasively, attending to beauty, forming friendships, and seeking truth together are all activities that cannot be outsourced to an algorithm.

Our task as educators has always been to form students who can think well, love what is worthy of their love, and live faithful and virtuous lives. New technologies will continue to change the landscape of our schools, but they do not change the mission of Our Lady of Victory.

Peace in Christ,
Randy

Congratulations to this week’s virtue award winners!

Charity: Joseph Urban, Diego Gutierrez, Christopher McAdam
Hope: Lucia Choy
Prudence: Lucia Gutierrez & Molly Maxwell

The next couple of feasts coming up in which we will be elevating the liturgy are the feasts of St. Joseph (Thursday, 3/19) and the Annunciation (Wednesday, 3/25). One of the ways we will be elevating the liturgy is by using Latin for the entrance antiphon, the offertory antiphon, and the communion antiphon. English translations will be provided as a handout as you walk into Mass. In addition, the Sanctus and Agnus Dei will be sung with different Gregorian chants. This will be the Missa de Angelis, also known as Mass VIII. If you would like to listen to these beautiful chants ahead of time, please follow the links below.

Sanctus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehK1juwbtS0
Agnus Dei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jln3fAv8ZBU

Next Friday 3/20 there is no school due to spring conferences. These conferences are optional for all families, and students are not required to attend the conferences. You can sign up for conferences as needed using the link below. Ms. Tina Dam and Mrs. Annika Schimmoller are not listed in the sign up genius, but if you would like to set up a conference with either of them, you can reach out to them directly.

www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548ADA729A0F4C52-62844297-olvspring#/

Tickets for the OLV spring formal are officially on sale in the OLV front office! Tickets are $20 per person to help us cover the cost of food & drink. If you like, you can also purchase a mini bouquet or boutonniere (made by local florist Maggie Sweeney) for an additional $15. Details available at the front office.

As a reminder, the spring formal will be held on Saturday, April 18th at 7pm at the St. Agnes Center at Holy Name. All juniors & seniors are invited! Come enjoy signature mocktails, delicious desserts and wear your best dancing shoes. A photographer will be on hand to capture special moments and we will have a special gift for our seniors. Formal attire. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

FAQs About the Event

Dear Families,

We have cycled through offering a Mass for every family in the school, and we would like to open up our Mass intentions to the community now. You can email me (receptionist@ourladyofvictorydenver.com) with an intention (and if it's for a specific day or open to any day). We ask that families limit to 1 intention for the remainder of the year.

It is a joy getting to celebrate Mass as a community and praying together!

In Christ,
Emma Barham
Office Administrator

The Yearbook Design Contest has begun! This year’s theme is “Our Lady of Victory: The Battle of Lepanto.” Students are invited to submit an original cover design that reflects this theme.

Design guidelines:

• Must be 8.5 x 11 (Either digital or hard copy)

• No color restrictions

• The official OLV logo must be included on the front (Logos will be given to all contestants. Please reach out to Ms. Wofford!)

• Please stay within the chosen theme (creative freedom encouraged!)

Prizes will be awarded to our top three designers:
🥇 1st Place – 5 tickets
🥈 2nd Place – 3 tickets
🥉 3rd Place – 1 ticket

All submissions will be featured in the yearbook, even if they are not selected as the cover.

Submissions are due by Wednesday, April 1st.

We can’t wait to see your creativity on display!

Please reach out to Ms. Wofford at madelyn.wofford@ourladyofvictorydenver.com with any questions and for the school logo files.

Here’s the lineup of priests celebrating Mass the next week of school.
(3/13 - 3/20)

Friday, 3/13: Fr. Jason Wallace
Monday, 3/16: Fr. Javier O'Connor
Tuesday, 3/17: Fr. Juan Sardi
Wednesday, 3/18: Fr. Joe Hartmann
Thursday, 3/19: Fr. Adam Bradshaw
Friday, 3/20:‍ No School, No Mass

The Sophomore Play is next week! After months of preparation, the sophomores are ready to present the delightfully amusing comedy, The Mysterious Case of the Manx. This year there are two different casts, and each of them will perform twice. If you are looking to see your child, be sure you pick a show with the right cast!

Show Times:

• Thurs, 3/12 - Open Dress Rehearsal for Our Lady of Lourdes @ 10:30am (Only Advertised to Our Families) - Cast B

• Thurs, 3/12 - Open Dress Rehearsal @ 7pm (Only Advertised to Our Families) - Cast A

• Fri, 3/13 @ 7pm (Advertised to Public) - Cast A

• Saturday @ 7pm (Advertised to Public) - Cast B

Well Read Mom will meet next on the feast of St. Joseph, March 19, from 1-3pm in Randy’s office to discuss Purgatorio by Dante.

Mark your calendars for an elegant evening on Thursday, March 19th from 6:00pm - 9:00pm showcasing the visual and performing arts talents of our OLV students! View student artwork, listen to the various OLV choirs perform, enjoy a sneak-peek scene from the upcoming senior Shakespeare play, and watch as our students show off their swing dancing skills. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. Adults and older children welcome, but please consider leaving small children at home for this event!

Come join the OLV movie club for the last get-together of the year at the Hadro home on Tues, March 24th to watch Cinderella Man (2005), the true story of an Irish-American boxer during the Great Depression who overcame incredible odds to save his family. As always, we'll have popcorn & a lively discussion of this portrait of courage led by Grant Reinicke. Space is limited, so please RSVP to hadroelizabeth@gmail.com.

Note: As always, parents should make their own prudential judgment about the appropriateness of the film for their students. (See here for the IMDB Parent Guide to this month's selection). All movies are selected in conjunction with Grant Reinicke and approved by the Headmaster.

As part of OLV's evening speaker series, the Common Sense Forum, we are delighted to present two incredible speakers this Easter season.

First, Chris Vander Woude will present a powerful testimony about the life of his father in his talk titled "A Man of Sacrifice: The Heroic Life of Tom Vander Woude" on Tuesday, April 14th at 6:30pm at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Littleton. OLV is co-hosting this event with the FIRE Foundation of Denver!

Second, Dr. Leonard Sax, a renowned clinical doctor, psychologist and best-selling author, will present "How to Raise Resilient Children: Evidence-Based Parenting" on Thursday, April 23rd at 6:30pm at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Highlands Ranch.

Come enjoy drinks, hors d'oeuvres, fellowship and an opportunity for Q&A. These not-to-be-missed events are open to the broader community - invite friends, neighbors and prospective families! Please RSVP for both events at www.ourladyofvictorydenver.com/rsvp.

Tickets for the OLV spring formal will officially go on sale on March 1! Tickets are $20 per person to help us cover the cost of food & drink.

As a reminder, the spring formal will be held on Saturday, April 18th at 7pm at the St. Agnes Center at Holy Name. All juniors & seniors are invited! Come enjoy signature mocktails, delicious desserts and wear your best dancing shoes. A photographer will be on hand to take student portraits and we will have a special gift for our seniors. Formal attire. Come celebrate the close of the school year with your classmates!

You are invited to join our Headmaster, Randy Aust, for an evening where you will taste the riches of the great books our students read every year. Each gathering offers a guided reflection on a classic text, along with a lively look at why it has endured, what a busy parent might profit from knowing, and how it can spark conversations that bring truth and wonder into your home. This night’s chosen text will be Homer’s Odyssey. No preparation needed; just bring your curiosity.

Bourbon, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

RSVP and learn more information here.

Grow the Kingdom Catholic Gym is having a fun celebration on Friday, March 20th from 8am-6pm.

The day will consist of:

• 4 free group training classes (830am, 1030am, 200pm, 430pm) Sign ups open March 1st!

• Mass at 1205pm in the St. John Fisher Chapel

• A blessing of the space

• Member signing wall

• Raffle items (GTK clothing, Deep Dive at Vita Nova, Rugged Rosaries, and more)

• Largest membership discounts yet! 50% first 3 months when you sign up in building that day!

• Ascension Physical Therapy will have a table out

• MyFitFoods will have table out

Come check out the space and enjoy like-minded company throughout the whole day!

https://www.growthekingdomco.com/general-4

The Chesterton Network just announced a wonderful summer camp program available to its families at the historic Abbey of Pontlevoy school. (Founded in 1034!)

Download the Summer Camp flier to learn all about this beautiful Summer program in France, and take the first step in joining the program by submitting this basic form.