Dear Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory Families,

What a joy it was to gather with many of you last night at the very first Back-to-School Night on our new campus. Yes, the gym was warm, but there was a palpable sense of joy among our parent community. In lieu of a Headmaster’s Note, I’d like to share an excerpt from my address last night for any families who were unable to make it.

Please continue to pray for our students and teachers as we embark on another year, and please be assured of my continued prayers for each of your families.

Peace in Christ,
Randy

—

In the first chapter of The Rule, Saint Benedict describes a particular kind of monk that he calls the gyrovague. Gyrovagues, St. Benedict tells us, “spend their entire lives drifting from region to region.” They are “always on the move, they never settle down, and are slaves to their own wills and appetites.” Benedict contrasts them with the cenobites, monks who belong to a monastery and live together under a rule and an abbot.

It's interesting that St. Benedict begins here. The Rule is Benedict’s attempt to establish a way of life that can govern a community of cenobites. The gyrovague has no common life because he is ultimately governed by his own desires. He cannot have a common life because he is governed by his own very particular appetites and desires. The cenobite, by contrast, freely submits his desires to the common good of the community and so he—unlike the gyrovague—can have a community that is worth belonging to.

That is the fundamental choice that every community requires. Whether we are members of a family, a monastery, or a school, communal life requires us at particular moments to surrender our individual wills for the sake of a higher and better good that can only arise in the context of that particular community. It requires us to say, “If I had it my way, there are things I would change. But for the sake of the good that is this community, I am willing to accept them.”

Community begins when we stop asking, “What do I want?” and begin asking, “What does the good of this community require of me?”

One of the things that makes our community so special is that so many of our families already understand this cenobitic call. As we continue to grow, it is more important than ever that we guard against the spirit of the gyrovague: the temptation to drift from one community to another, always looking for a place that conforms perfectly to our own preferences, and to forget that a healthy community requires something of us in return.

When I met with our teachers at the start of the year, we talked about something I called the “conspiracy for the good.” I challenged our teachers to recognize that there is very little that can be accomplished in the life of a school without the support of the family. Here’s what I wrote in our Faculty & Staff Rule:

“Perhaps the best way to imagine a healthy partnership between parents and the school is as a ‘conspiracy for the good.’ Parents and educators are not adversaries negotiating competing interests, nor are they independent actors pursuing separate goals. Rather, they are co-conspirators, working together in countless visible and invisible ways for the flourishing of the young people entrusted to their care. That’s a high standard, and to get there requires mutual trust, a willingness to compromise and forgive, an unflinching commitment to knowing and loving our students, and a willingness to communicate that affection to both our students and their parents.”

I think there is a connection here to the cenobitic spirit of The Rule. The cenobite freely chooses to enter into a common life, and once he does, he commits himself to that life. He does not have to agree with every decision, nor does he have to prefer every particular practice. But he does have to be all in.

That, I think, is the spirit we should want in our own community. The cenobitic spirit says:

“I freely choose to send my children to Our Lady of Victory, and I’m all in. I’m all in on the robust Catholic community we have here. I’m all in on Daily Mass. I’m all in on this beautiful new campus. I’m all in on the fact that my children get to spend their days surrounded by people who support us in the most critical mission in the world: parenthood.

“But I’m also all in on the uniforms, even if I would have designed them differently. I’m all in on the Chesterton Schools Network curriculum, even if there are books I would have preferred our students to read instead. I’m all in on the parent volunteer requirement, even though it places a real burden on my already busy schedule. I’m all in on the performance and fundraising requirements, even if I would not have freely chosen those things for my family or my children. I’m all in on the sacrifices that my teenage driver has to make when parking on the street and walking a little bit further to campus, because I know that we need to be good neighbors.

“That doesn’t mean I will never have a question, a concern, or a disagreement. It means that I have chosen this community, and I am committed to its common life. I’m not standing outside of it, looking for the things I would change. I’m inside it, working with everyone else for the good.”

In many ways, I am preaching to the already converted. You’re here tonight because you believe in OLV and you desire to be a part of this community. As we continue to grow and welcome new families to Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory, we give thanks to God for the abundant harvest. But it is more important than ever to invite all of us—teachers, staff members, administrators, and parents—again and again into the “Yes” that brought you here in the first place, and brought our school to this exciting point in our history.

OLV’s Giving Day 2026 launches on Friday, September 4th! Please familiarize yourself with our updated Giving Day Toolkit available here:

https://www.ourladyofvictorydenver.com/giving-day-2026-toolkit

We are always adding more resources to aid in your fundraising efforts on behalf of our school. As always, we are so grateful for the involvement of our families in helping us bridge the substantial gap that exists between what we charge for tuition and the true cost to educate our students.

Tomorrow, each family will receive an email with their individual family tracker and other supporting information. Stay tuned, and please reach out to matt.miller@ourladyofvictorydenver.com if you have any questions.

To all new and returning parents, I have your forms here, easily accessible for you if you weren't able to come see me at Back to School Night! If you have already turned them in, then no problem at all. If not, please fill out the forms that are pertinent to you and email them back to me. (receptionist@ourladyofvicotrydenver.com)

Here are the forms:

• Driver Agreement Document for Parents

• Prescription Permission Form

• Medical Exemption Sheet

• Parent/Student Handbook Agreement

Depending on who you are, I also may still need your Immunizations from your doctor.

Thank you for showing your love through filling out paperwork! I know it's not very fun.

Rhianna Thomas

If your student drives to school, please fill out the form below. This will help us quickly identify the owner of any vehicle that is parked incorrectly so that we can address the issue promptly.

https://forms.gle/sXLHz4vyBnArK8P7A

COLORADO YOUTH SPORTS GIVING DAY BEGINS SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 @ 6:00 PM MT.

If you give to OLV through the Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day portal, the donation will STLL count towards family AND HOUSE goals for OLV's Giving Day!

Your gift goes further on Youth Sports Giving Day! It's playoff season for Colorado youth sports: get ready for 15 days of giving where every dollar gets supercharged. Dollar-for-dollar matching begins @ 6:00 PM MT on September 1, 2026 from the 1:1 Match Pool giving more Colorado kids a shot at sports.

New this year: You can give through a donor-advised fund (DAF), IRA, or wire on ColoradoGives.org and your gift unlocks its own dollar-for-dollar match from the brand-new America250 Fund — a $250,000 dollar-for-dollar match just for donors giving online with DAF, IRA or wire contributions.

When these two match pools are exhausted, the donation boosters don't stop. Every remaining gift made online is matched at a percentage rate through the Incentive Fund — so your generosity stays in play right to the final whistle on September 15 @ 11:59 PM MT.

All gift matching applies to online gifts made on ColoradoGives.org only — including DAF, IRA, and wire gifts. To keep the playing field level, matching dollars from the 1:1 Match Pool + America250 Fund caps out at $150,000 per organization to celebrate as many participating youth sports programs as possible.

Please consider giving!

Parents! Please fill out your preferences for the committee you wish to serve on for this new school year! (Preference form linked here.) New families feel free to read about the different committees here (https://www.ourladyofvictorydenver.com/volunteering).

*Please note it is an expectation that each family will complete 30 volunteer hours per year. With that, each family will be placed in a committee, thus this is your opportunity to share your desired placement!

Thank you!

A reminder for our returning families and an announcement to our new families: all attendance-related updates can be sent to the front office via email at attendanceolv@ourladyofvictorydenver.com or via phone at (720) 599-3227.

If their early release is communicated ahead of time, students will find an early release slip with their name on it on the bulletin board in the Chesterton Commons.

If a student needs to arrive late, he or she will be excused from the classes missed, assuming there has been parent permission.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the front office!

Reminder to drop off a check or cash to Ms. Nalen for XC ($175) and Volleyball ($310)!

The following priests will be celebrating Mass at Our Lady of Victory the upcoming week, September 4 - September 11. Please pray for our priests!

Fri, Sept 4: Fr. Joshua Nayoni
Mon, Sept 7: Labor Day, No School
Tues, Sept 8: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Mark’s Priests
Wed, Sept 9: Fr. Jason Wallace
Thurs, Sept 10: Fr. Adam Bradshaw, in Latin
Fri, Sept 11: Fr. David Hall

Today! Thurs, 9/3 - Girls’ Volleyball playing the Eagles "away" at Lone Tree Center (Varsity only) at 5 pm

Sat, 9/5 - Cross Country Liberty Bell Invitational @ Heritage High School XC Course in Littleton, Colorado

• Heritage High School, 1401 West Geddes Avenue, Littleton, CO 80120

• BOYS AND GIRLS WILL BE RACING D4 and starting at 9:53 am and 9:57 respectfully

Tues, 9/8 - Girls’ Volleyball Play "away" vs. LPRCS at LPRCS (1101 Hilltop Dr, Loveland, CO 80537). JV warm-up at 4:30 PM, match starts at 5:00 PM. Varsity rolling start around 5:30/6:00 PM.

Thurs, 9/10 - Girls’ Volleyball (JV ONLY) "home" vs. Beth Eden at Lone Tree Recreation Center. JV warm-up at 4:00 PM, game starts at 4:30 PM

Please be advised that we will have an early dismissal on Friday, September 11th and Friday, September 25th. Students will be dismissed immediately following the conclusion of Mass between 12:30 and 12:40 PM.

Parents and OLV staff are invited to gather for an evening of fellowship at our House Parties on Friday, September 11, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. Enjoy drinks and dessert while getting to know the other parents and staff members in your student’s House. Babies are always welcome!

Each House will gather at a different host family’s home:

• 🐝 House Ambrose: Hosted by the Chavez and Pelster Families

• 🐉 House Athanasius: Hosted by the Cotter & Maxwell Families

• ❤️‍🔥 House Augustine: Hosted by the Gutierrez & Murphy Families

• 🕊️ House Chrysostom: Hosted by the Lessard & Gideon Families

We look forward to a fun evening!

Come join us for our Fall 2026 installment of the Common Sense Speaker Series!

Dr. O. Carter Snead is a Professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Notre Dame, and he is a leading voice on issues such as human dignity, medical ethics, and public policy. He is an expert in applying legal, philosophical, and Catholic perspectives to contemporary bioethical questions.

What It Means to be Human: Bioethics, Assisted Reproduction, and Human Flourishing
Date: Monday, September 14, 2026
Time: 6:30 to 9:00 pm
Location: St. Thomas More Catholic Parish, McCallin Hall (8035 S Quebec St, Centennial, CO 80112)

The event is free and open to all. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Interested in learning more about Christendom College? Join Christendom College’s Director of Admissions, Sam Phillips, for an evening at the Gideons’ in Littleton. He will share how Christendom prepares students to thrive in college and beyond, with an integrated Catholic education, strong academics, and opportunities in athletics, the arts, study abroad, and more.

Tuesday, September 15 | 7:00–8:30 p.m.
The Gideon Residence | Littleton, Colorado

RSVP to Elisabeth Gideon at gideonfamily@gmail.com for the address.

As we settle into our new campus, we realize how grateful we are for our new beautiful home. It is making us truly excited to welcome prospective families for our Open House!

Please share this event’s details with any families you know might be interested! These are children who will be classmates with yours!

Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Location: 7018 S. Prince St., Littleton, CO

The flyer can be found in the photos above, and the RSVP link is here.

The first Well Read Mom meeting will occur on Tuesday, Sept 22, from 1-3 pm at OLV. We will meet in the upstairs classroom of the Chesterton Commons building. If you have not registered through Well Read Mom's website, it is not too late- WellReadMom.com.

Email Sarah Pelster (sarah.pelster@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining or have any questions. I look forward to discussing great literature with you with this year's theme- The Year of the Woman!

Did you know that the Chesterton Schools Network is but one (albeit the primary) initiative of the Catholic lay apostolate known as the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, headquartered in Minneapolis? The Society’s mission is to evangelize through education, inspiring all to lead holier, happier lives through the example of our patron GKC. Do you want to get to know him better? The Society is offering all students, parents, grandparents, and faculty/staff of Our Lady Of Victory a free 1-year digital subscription to its flagship publication, Gilbert! The articles, written by Dr. Dale Ahlquist and other Chestertonian scholars, are inspiring, pithy, and downright funny. Mrs. Reuter’s father, Fr. Doug Grandon, authored his conversion story in the latest issue. Don’t miss out; sign up today (from this form) today!

*Teachers, please feel free to use your personal email!

Join the St. Mary Catholic Parish community for the Marian Festival on Saturday, September 12, from 4:00–9:00 p.m. This year’s celebration is especially meaningful as St. Mary commemorates 125 years as a parish and 75 years of its school, along with the 250th anniversary of our country and 150th anniversary of Colorado.

The evening will begin with Mass at 4:00 p.m., followed by a procession and crowning of Mary. The festival will continue with dinner, live music and dancing, carnival games, and a special surprise show. The Marian Festival is a beautiful opportunity for families and friends to come together, honor our Blessed Mother, and begin the new year of parish and school life in joyful celebration.

Saturday, September 12 | 4:00–9:00 p.m.
St. Mary Catholic Parish | Littleton

You can learn more and register here!
https://www.stmarymarianfestival.com/