Band Together

VJM Band hosted a car wash at Chic-Fil-A this past Saturday morning. Thanks to their enthusiasm and teamwork, they raised over $300 towards their trip to Williamsburg, VA for a music clinic in April. Much appreciation goes out to the DiNofa family for running the event, and to the parent helpers as well. Great work, girls!

Raised $15,278 (5.5%) of

Our Goal of $275,000

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!

Give online here.

Winter sport athletes, MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

For those interested in playing a WINTER sport, please check the Athletics webpage for information related to tryouts and what is needed from each athlete to be deemed eligible to participate. One of the requirements is attendance at the Concussion Education and Orientation presentation scheduled for Thursday, November 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the PAC — please mark your calendars! If you have any questions, please contact Athletic Director Becky Flynn Hensel at VJMAthletics@vjmhs.org.

Rowing

Villa Rowing competed at their first regatta this fall: the Head of the Passaic in Lyndhurst, NJ. Villa had 8 entries in the regatta. The Varsity 8 led the way with a strong 4th place finish, just missing the medal stand. The JV 8 placed 5th. The Varsity 4s placed 4th and 8th. The JV 4 was 8th also. The Freshman -- rowing their first race ever -- came away with a Gold medal in the Novice 8 and a Silver medal in the Novice 4 race. Overall, it was a great way to start their racing season. Villa Rowing will next compete at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia on Sunday, October 27. Once again, Villa has 8 entries in the regatta. (Shown here is the Varsity 8 and JV 8.)

Sailing

President Tom Kardish spent some time on the race committee boat watching the Sailing team push into second place. There are three weeks left of the Sailing season. Let's hope Villa can maintain their position.

There is still time to attend a practice to witness first hand this amazing sport. Please contact Mackenzie, Devin or Dillan Smith, Lisa Malloy Smith or Ms. Flynn Hensel for more information.

Soccer

The Soccer team celebrated senior night and a 3-0 win over Lower Moreland on Tuesday in a non-league contest. Big shoutout to senior Jillian Hunter, who scored a hat trick in her final home game as a Jem.

With a rainy victory over Mount Saint Joseph Academy on Wednesday, the Soccer team clinched their 29th AACA League Championship. Congratulations, girls, and good luck in the upcoming games!

Parent Ambassadors: We Need Your Help!

In anticipation of a busy recruiting season, all parents are invited to become a Villa Parent Ambassador. Parent Ambassadors will share in recruitment by volunteering to speak with prospective students and parents at local High School Nights; volunteering to assist at the Villa Entrance/Scholarship Exam on October 26; and/or volunteering to host informal information sessions at your home or local coffee house for friends and neighbors. Not only will you be advocating for our Jems and school, but you will meet other Villa parents! This is a great way to give back to our school.

If you missed the Parent Ambassador meeting on September 19, you can still sign up to help! Please fill out the interest form at www.vjmhs.org/admissions/parentambassadors.

Let's Shop!

The Villa Vendor Fair, sponsored by the Villa Alumnae Association, will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2019, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year, the Vendor Fair will be set up in the beautiful lobby of Villa's brand new Performing Arts Center. It will be held in conjunction with Brunch with Santa and our Christmas at Maria celebration, just steps away in the exquisitely decorated 1860 mansion. More information to come about the Christmas celebrations.

Do you know someone that may be interested in being a vendor at this event? Please visit www.vjmhs.org/alumnae/vendorfair to register as a vendor.

Mentor Program

Through Villa's Mentor Program, we strive to help our students gain valuable real-world experience by fostering mentor relationships with our Alumnae. Alumnae, would you like to share your success story with a current student interested in your field of study? Students, would you like to be matched with an alumna mentor? Both alumnae and students can sign up for the Mentor Program here.

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!

Founded in Faith. Fulfilling the Mission Update:

Phase One: Performing Arts Center - COMPLETE

Interested in learning more or care to schedule a tour of our new Performing Arts Center? Contact Jennifer McDonald at 215.357.8810 x124 or jmcdonald@vjmhs.org.

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Phase Two: STEAM Hallway and Media Center

Sneak peak above! Blueprints are almost complete, and construction is set to begin in the summer of 2020 on a 21st-century STEAM hallway, complete with robotics, computer, and innovation labs, a sound booth, recording studio, and media center, in addition to renovated classrooms.

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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 88 donors. Please consider how YOU can partner with Villa to assure an exemplary Catholic secondary education for future generations of Jems.

Upcoming College Visits at Villa

Please check Naviance for specific times.

Fri., Oct. 18: Gannon University, Illinois Wesleyan University, University of Rhode Island, Marist College

Mon., Oct. 21: Marywood University, University of Bridgeport

Tues., Oct. 22: Boston University, Holy Family University

Wed., Oct. 23: University of Notre Dame, Quinnipiac University, Indiana University at Bloomington

Sophomore Retreat

On Friday, the Sophomores participated in their class retreat, which was led by 9 young adults involved with NET Ministries. NET stands for National Evangelization Team. They travel the country leading retreats for students, and the theme for this retreat was Authentic Friendships. The day was filled with prayer, ice breakers, talks from the NET members, and small group sharing.

Junior Immersion

Villa juniors, along with Mrs. Neeld, enjoyed 24 hours of community, prayer, reflection and building relationships at St. Vincent DePaul Young Adult Center in Germantown. They served with individuals that were elderly and had varying degrees of Dementia or Alzheimer's at Mercy Ministry. The girls were able to see the concepts of Catholic Social Teachings alive and made strong connections that they shared in small group sessions. Some comments from the girls on the drive back to Villa included:

- "I feel like I'll be more likely to talk in Theology class now because I have something real to connect it with."

- "I have a different perspective of Alzheimer's that I didn't know before. "

- "I loved the night time reflection."

Junior immersion was a beautiful experience!

Campus Store

Campus Store Fall Orders are available for pick up! The store will be open Friday evening from 6:30-8:00 p.m., and next Tuesday and Thursday during all lunch periods (10:30 am.-1:15 p.m.).

Class of 2023: For anyone who missed the sale, we do have some extra pieces in the store. Stop by before they sell out!

Would you like to volunteer at Villa's Campus Store? New volunteers are always welcome! Any parent who would like to volunteer, please email Andrea Schultz at andreaschultz@verizon.net.

National English Honor Society

Any Junior or Senior interested in completing a survey for membership into the National English Honor Society should attend a brief meeting on Thursday, October 24 at 7:45 am OR 3:00 pm. Questions or cannot attend? Please see Mrs. Wisniewski.

Thanksgiving Pie Sale

Every year in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Villa's Chapter of the National Honor Society raises money for charity by selling holiday pies. These pies are made fresh by the famous Oteri's Bakery in Philadelphia! These pies are delicious, freshly-baked, never-frozen, and delivered to Villa the morning of the annual Feast. You can order a tasty pie for yourself, your family can order one for Thanksgiving, or maybe you can get one for a Friendsgiving celebration!

On Thursday during homeroom, members of NHS distributed this form to all students. Forms and money are due by next Friday, October 25.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST

Parents, share your photos with us! If you post photos from Villa events, sports, and activities — or share about upcoming events like our Open House — on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, please use our new hashtag #AlwaysVilla. Anyone (parent, student, alumna, friend, etc.) that uses our #AlwaysVilla will automatically be entered into a monthly drawing to win a $20 gift certificate to the school store. One entry per post per platform. No limit on entries — share, share, share, and help us spread the word about our great school! Winners will be messaged privately on social media and announced publicly each month in This Week at Villa. Our first #AlwaysVilla random winner was announced last week. You could be next. Keep sharing and using #AlwaysVilla!

(Note: The Facebook account entitled "Villa Joseph Marie High School" is not an official account and is not managed by Villa).

Fri, Oct 18

Day 1

Sciathlon:

8-11 a.m., PAC/Gym

8th Grade Movie Night:

7 p.m., Gym

Sat, Oct 19

Sun, Oct 20

Mother-Daughter Tea

Mon, Oct 21
Day 2

Tues, Oct 22

Day 3

Auction Kickoff Meeting:

7 p.m., Maria Hall

Wed, Oct 23

Day 4

Senior Retreat:

3 p.m.

Thurs, Oct 24

Day 5, Schedule C

HSPT Review Session:

4-6 p.m.

JET Tour:

Gym

Princeton Review Diagnostic:

Gym

Photo Retakes

Real World Day

Senior Retreat

Fri, Oct 25

Day 6-1

NHS Pie Sales End

Senior Retreat

Sat, Oct 26

8th Grade Entrance Test:

9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Sun, Oct 27

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!