THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 Thomas A. Kardish, President Ι Lauren Carr '00, Principal
Construction Corner Construction Update: A View from the Stage All of the the acoustic ceiling panels are hung! There are just a few that need to be tilted for optimal sound travel, and then the ceiling will be complete. We just can't wait for our first opportunity to sit in the seats (Coming soon!) and hear our students' beautiful singing voices at our first school performance.
Founded in Faith. Fulfilling the Mission Update Interested in learning more or care to schedule a tour of our new Auditorium space? Contact Jennifer McDonald at 215.357.8810 x124 or jmcdonald@vjmhs.org.
Completion of our new state-of-the-art Auditorium is near! While Villa's Annual Fund and Auction support the yearly operations of the school, Founded in Faith. Fulfilling the Mission, the Campaign to support the Villa's facilities expansion, is an investment in Villa's future. We are looking for partners to join us in our vision to create an environment where young women can explore who God is calling them to be. Already, $3.4 million has been raised from 83 donors. Please consider how YOU can partner with Villa to assure an exemplary Catholic secondary education for future generations of Jems.
Student Spotlight Class of 2019 Congratulations to our senior class, who will be graduating this weekend! The graduation ceremony will be streamed live from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. on our Facebook page and also on our school website: www.vjmhs.org/graduation.
Also, check out the Bucks County Courier Times/The Intell this Sunday, June 2, for a special shout out to our graduating seniors. Thank you to the Parents' Guild for sponsoring this.
Faculty Spotlight We'll Miss You! "This Week at Villa" is usually a moment to reflect on the hustle and bustle of a very involved student body. But "This Week" many of our classrooms are empty. In Latin, sine qua non roughly translates to "that without which not." At the end of every school year, many teachers reflect on their successes but not often do teachers get to visualize it. The Class of 2019 has been patiently waiting for graduation since they first entered Villa four years ago. Without these wonderful girls, who would we be as teachers? Looking at a classroom full of empty desks while underclassmen diligently tackle their final exams is a pleasant, literal reminder: we are here for you and without you, we cannot be successful. Though our rooms are empty, our hearts and minds are not. Thank to the Class of 2019 for an amazing four years.
Quizzo The Villa faculty ended their final meeting after school on Thursday with an intense game of quizzo. After 8 rounds of trivia and many laughs, one team emerged victorious. Congratulations to the winning team of Faculty Quizzo IV. Until next year! (And a special thanks to the Wisniewskis for hosting and coordinating the questions)
Annual Fund 2018-2019 Our Annual Fund goal of $201,900 is within reach! Will you help us? Like most schools, tuition is the greatest source of income at Villa Joseph Marie. Tuition, however, covers only about 85% of the actual cost to send a student to our beloved school. With your help and support of the Annual Fund, Villa can:
Please remember that every gift, regardless of size, assists Villa in covering the 15% gap in expenses left by tuition and is often unrestricted so it can be used wherever there is greatest need. Care to select where your donation is used? Make a donation today and choose where you feel most called to give! Athletics News & Notes Becky Flynn Hensel '99, Athletic Director | VJMAthletics@vjmhs.org Lacrosse Recently, several Villa Lacrosse players, along with the coaches, gave of their time and talents to volunteer at a Lower Bucks Lacrosse Trylax program. It was a morning filled with lil'laxers, ages PreK to 4th grade boys and girls, learning the basic skills of lacrosse while having fun! Thanks to Sam O'Hara, Emily Leahy, Ellie McLaughlin, Faith Bartos, and Lauren Redican for giving back to our lacrosse community!
Rowing Villa Rowing closed out the season at the National Championship Regatta in Nashport, Ohio. The Varsity 8 finished the year 22nd and the Freshman 8 finished the year 13th in the nation. A very good finish to the season! Villa Rowing has come a long way in the last 3 years since the program began, and the future looks bright for the team.
Next up for Villa Rowing is the Banquet to celebrate our season and Seniors, Caroline Brandt (Captain), Jacqueline Brady and Carolann Mullin will be missed in the future, but their respective colleges are all getting fine young ladies. Thanks to them for believing in our team and helping set the foundation of the program. After this, everyone gets a well-deserved break.
Villa Rowing camp is happening again this summer. July 29 to Aug 2 on Lake Luxembourg (12 minutes from Villa). The camp is open to all incoming freshmen, current Villa Students and their sisters. The camp is a great way to experience the sport. Register at www.vjmhs.org/summer; there are only 20 slots so act quickly.
Shown above: Villa's First Varsity 8 at Nationals, finishing 22nd.
Admissions News & Notes Stephanie Gahagan, Director of Admissions | sgahagan@vjmhs.org Summer@Villa Villa presents many summer camp programs to educate, excite, and inspire students in grades 4-12 throughout the summer. For more information and to register on our website, please use this link.
Alumnae News & Notes Mary Beth Walinskas '96, Alumnae Relations Coordinator | mwalinskas@vjmhs.org Calling all VJM Dramatic Society Alumnae Join us on the stage of the new auditorium this Fall! The inaugural production will feature BOTH current students and alumnae in a musical cabaret performance! Please email Mrs. Melissa Holdren, Performing Arts Administrator, at mholdren@vjmhs.org for more information regarding convenient summer rehearsals, dates, times, and more. We can't wait to see you shine on the new Villa stage of your dreams!
Development News & Notes Jennifer Drayer-McDonald, Director of Development | jmcdonald@vjmhs.org Villa Scrip Program Check out Villa's Scrip Program! Through ShopWithScrip.com, Villa offers gift cards to hundreds of retailers that provide a direct benefit to you and our school — a percentage of your purchases will be donated to Villa and an equal percentage will be applied to tuition for the following school year for your daughter or another student of your choosing. Click here to learn more!
Guidance News & Notes Anne Perez, Director of Guidance | aperez@vjmhs.org Summer Program at Temple University • Temple College 101 - Deadline to enroll is June 3
Health Careers Camp at UNE
Mission & Ministry News & Notes Stephanie McCarthy, Director of Mission & Ministry | smccarthy@vjmhs.org Only 1 Day Left to Donate to Villa's 5th Annual Book Drive! The book drive ends on Friday, May 31, 2019. This year's book drive will support the nonprofit organization Books for Africa. We will accept ALL of the following gently used books: • popular fiction and nonfiction reading books (soft and hard cover). • books that are 15 years old or newer. • primary, secondary, and college textbooks (soft and hard cover) with a 2002 or newer publish date. • reference books published in 2007 or later. • medical, nursing, IT, and law books with a 2007 or newer publish date. • Bibles or religious books We CANNOT accept the following: • Magazines or journals of any kind, including academic journals. • Home decorating or wedding books. • Cookbooks. • Ethnocentric books, such as the biography of Abraham Lincoln or the history of Ohio. • Foreign language books except for French books. French novels and dictionaries are welcome. • American history or civics. • Music books for K–12. • Murder mysteries or anything with "kill," "die," "murder," etc. in the title. Drop off your used books to ANY English teacher or at the main office. Please see Mrs. Wisniewski (bwisniewski@vjmhs.org) with any questions OR if you are in need of service hours. Last year we collected 2372 books! Please help us continue to support literacy around the world!
Litany for Mother Maria The Archbishop of Chicago recently approved a new Litany for Mother Maria. Please join the Villa community in praying this litany as we continue to pray for Mother Maria's canonization. Parents' Guild News & Notes Anita Wagner, President | vjmparentsguild@vjmhs.org Campus Store Campus Store will have the following hours during the Summer: - Incoming Freshman Great Adventure Trip - Friday, June 21, 8:00–9:00 a.m. - EDGE Camp (Last Day) - Thursday, July 18, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. - FIRST Camp (Last Day) - Thursday, August 8, 1:30–2:30 p.m. - New Student Orientation (Last Day) - Wednesday, August 28, 12:00–1:00 p.m. - Freshman Retreat - Thursday, August 29, 12:00–1:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!
School News & Notes Marissa Brown, Dean of Student Affairs | mbrown@vjmhs.org School Updates Villa's Strategic Planning Committee met recently to refine our school's goals and plans for the future. Some topics on the agenda included the school's mission statement, curriculum review, enrollment, scholarships and financial aid, construction and renovations, alumnae relations, and marketing. We pledge to constantly evaluate and grow, in order to provide the very best opportunities for our girls. In the words of Mother Maria, "Always more, Always better, Always with love." To hear more about where Villa is today, our plans for the future, and how those plans will impact your daughters, please join us for the STATE OF THE SCHOOL ADDRESS on Tuesday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. All parents (prospective, current, and former) and alumnae are invited! RSVP via the evite recently emailed to you or by emailing ajohnson@vjmhs.org.
Prior to the State of the School Address, join us for an EITC/OSTC Information Session at 6:00 p.m. in Maria Hall. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) are Commonwealth of Pennsylvania programs that have allowed PA businesses that pay applicable taxes to make donations to financial aid programs at schools like Villa Joseph Marie in exchange for tax credits of up to 90% of those donations. Now, individuals can take advantage of these tax incentives by participating in limited liability corporations set up specifically to make financial aid donations. Households with PA taxable income of as little as $163,000 can participate! Please RSVP at 215.357.8810 x124 or jmcdonald@vjmhs.org.
Babysitter Meet & Greet organized by St. Andrews Elizabeth Ministry Tuesday, June 25, 2019 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Officer Greg Park on Congress St. Newtown This is an informal opportunity for students interested in babysitting to meet families in need of babysitters to discuss location, availability, etc. Feel free to bring simple business cards or contact information to give out. St. Andrews Elizabeth Ministry will not distribute your information to anyone not in attendance at the event. Contact Renee McGovern '02 at renee.mcgovern@gmail.com with any questions.
Book Recommendations The National English Honor Society has compiled a list to highlight Villa's current faculty & staff's favorite books. Enjoy reviewing their recommendations and reading any works that pique your interest! This week we'd like to highlight Mrs. Ryan, Ms. Scott, Ms. Szylejko, and Ms. Tolkach.
Mrs. Ryan Wins, Losses, and Lessons By: Lou Holtz
Ms. Scott I Will Always Write Back By: Caitlin Alifirenka, Liz Welch, and Martin Ganda
Ms. Szylejko Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers By: Mary Roach
Ms. Tolkach *Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See By: Anthony Doerr *Nonfiction: 1. The Gospel of John 2. The God Who Loves You By: Peter Kreeft
Click here to read why they chose these books and to see the full list of book recommendations from our faculty & staff.
The Week Ahead THIS WEEK Friday, May 31 12:30 Dismissal
End of Year Awards
End of 4th Qtr.
Exams 7&8
Saturday, June 1 Graduation: 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, June 2
Monday, June 3 Summer 1 Sessions Begin
Tuesday, June 4 EITC/OSTC Information Session: 6:00 p.m., Maria Hall
State of the School Address: 7:00 p.m., Gym
Wednesday, June 5
Thursday, June 6
Friday, June 7
Saturday, June 8
Sunday, June 9
Important Links
Parents, share your photos with us! If you post photos from Villa events and activities on Facebook, please tag us at Villa Joseph Marie. Our Alumnae and fellow parents really enjoy seeing the many good things our Jems are up to! (Note: The Facebook account entitled "Villa Joseph Marie High School" is not an official account and is not managed by Villa). Photos also may be emailed to efranzzo@vjmhs.org Please forward your submissions for This Week at Villa to Erica Franzzo '03 at efranzzo@vjmhs.org. Deadline for submissions is 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Submissions may be edited or omitted for space, clarity, or content at the sole discretion of the editor. We also welcome your questions, feedback, and suggestions. Thanks for reading This Week at Villa! |