NEXT

WEEK

Villa is taking precautions and following the guidelines from the Department of Health and the CDC to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Due to heightened concerns about public gatherings, Villa has decided to shift to online learning beginning this week and continuing through March 29, when we will reevaluate the academic situation with the hope of returning to school on Monday, March 30. What students should expect next week:

Monday, March 16:

• No School - Teacher Prep Day
• The school building will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm if any students would like to stop by to pick up anything from their lockers. You must enter through the main entrance; your swipes will not work.
• Mrs. Hurlbert will be available for computer troubleshooting from 11:00am to 8:00pm. 
• User Guide and Instructions for online learning will be posted to Canvas by Monday morning for students to review in preparation for classes to resume on Wednesday.

Tuesday, March 17:

• No School - Teacher Prep Day

Wednesday, March 18, through Friday, March 27:

• Online learning via Canvas begins. Students will follow a Schedule A schedule and continue with the set rotations each day virtually:
  • Wednesday, March 18: Day 3
  • Thursday, March 19: Day 4
  • Friday, March 20: Day 5
  • Monday, March 23: Day 6-5
  • Tuesday, March 24: Day 1
  • Wednesday, March 25: Day 2
  • Thursday, March 26: Day 3
  • Friday, March 27: Day 4

Please visit www.vjmhs.org/careplan for additional details about the next two weeks, including virtual conferences, lockers, BYOD, quarter grades, class plans, teacher office hours, course selection, overall professionalism, and the block and period rotation schedules.

WHAT'S

AHEAD

We promise to continue to share updates with you as information is made available to us. As data has been changing at a rapid pace, we appreciate your understanding as we navigate through this situation carefully in an effort to make the best decisions for the safety of our entire Villa community. Stay tuned for more information to come. (Note that all email communication and instructions concerning this situation are available at www.vjmhs.org/careplan.)

Current statewide recommendations from Governor Tom Wolf:

• Avoid large gatherings
• Avoid recreational places like gyms, movie theaters, and malls
• Religious leaders should exercise discretion to help stop the spread of illness

All practices and athletic contests are postponed at this time. 

All school extracurricular activities are postponed at this time. We will reevaluate daily and give updates about specific Villa events in the near future.

ANNUAL FUND

Raised $130,211 (47%) 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 or via VENMO @villajosephmarie

*A special thank you to those that gave gifts on Villa's Day of Giving, in honor of the Feast of St. Casimir!

FOUNDED IN FAITH. FULFILLING THE MISSION

Raised $3,540,399 (59%) of Our Goal of $6 Million

• Phase One: Performing Arts Center - Complete
• Phase Two: STEAM Hallway and Media Center - Construction begins June 2020

Please consider how you can partner with Villa to assure an exemplary Catholic secondary education for future generations of Jems. Interested in learning more? Contact Jennifer McDonald at 215.357.8810 x124 or jmcdonald@vjmhs.org.

Welcome back to Philadelphia, Archbishop Nelson Pérez! Thomas Kardish, Lauren Carr '00, Stephanie McCarthy (Villa's President, Principal, Director of Mission & Ministry), and Mother Incarnation Creeden, SSVM '97 were in attendance at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul as the 14th Roman Catholic bishop and 10th archbishop of Philadelphia was installed on February 18.

Exciting Announcement!

Archbishop Nelson Pérez will visit Villa this September for our school's Opening Mass! More details to come.

Madeline Patrick '22 attended the WPSOP Spring Leadership and Ethics Conference at Villanova with Mrs. Bedrosian. Students and attendees discussed how character does matter and Growth Mindset was incorporated in the discussion.

Rowing

The Rowing team officially opened their Spring season as they moved their equipment to Lake Luxemburg. They are stoked for the start of what will hopefully be another successful rowing season!

Katie Sullivan '21 received the Good Citizenship Award from Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer on Saturday, February 22. She was one of 18 students awarded this prestigious award, for her work not only on the soccer field but for her scholarship, good sportsmanship, perseverance. and cooperative effort. As part of her award, she will be attending an all-day leadership program and awards dinner sponsored by the Union League of Philadelphia on April 29.

The Engineering students were assigned a midterm project to design and 3D print an object for a teacher that inspired them throughout their years at Villa.

Basketball

The Basketball team finished their season with a heart-breaking, hard-fought loss against Eastern York 72-66 in the first round of the PIAA 4A Tournament. A great effort by a great squad! Way to go, Jems. You made us proud!

Congratulations to Sabrina DiNofa '20 (clarinet) and Dakota McNally '22 (baritone saxophone). They both were selected for and performed with the 2020 All Catholic Concert Band at Bishop Shanahan High School. A special shout-out to Sabrina as she was acknowledged for being selected for four years, consecutively. Thank you to Mr. Facenda for his constant dedication and mentoring of our musicians!

Chicks with Sticks

"Chickens with Stickens" won the Chicks with Sticks student competition. Then our Student MVPs took on the Faculty in our annual Chicks with Sticks vs. Faculty tournament. After three intense 10-minute periods, the students were victorious with a final score of 9-4!

Students in the World History and American Civilizations I classes presented their research projects for the annual National History Day competition. Students chose a history topic that fits this year's theme of "Breaking Barriers in History" and completed their research over the past few months to prepare for their presentations. All the projects were fantastic and a select few will be moving on to the next level of competition.

Students in our sophomore health classes received certification for completion of the Bleeding Control Basic course. They learned the proper ways to apply pressure, pack a wound, and make tourniquets while waiting for paramedics to arrive. Thank you to Jefferson Health for training our students and preparing them for an emergency situation with these skills. (And we surely hope that they'll never have to use them!)

Students in Mrs. Carr's HAMS (honors advanced mathematical studies) class coded their TI Calculators to "drive" the rover device in various situations. They have learned to code using general directional terminology (forward, backward, left, right), as well as coordinate language (utilizing the x,y plane and quadrants). Each group needed to provide all the proper code language for their rover to navigate the track safely to the end.

Members of the VJM Future Business Leaders Club attended a Business Leadership Workshop for High School Girls hosted by the Widener University School of Business. The highlight of the day was the Keynote Address by Villa alum Jeanne Frawley '94. The day concluded with a guided tour of the University's campus.

Women Today Leading Tomorrow

Villa was proud to host the first Women Today Leading Tomorrow Symposium on Saturday. Thank you to everyone that made this event possible, especially the 7 speakers that empowered our guests with their stories. Save the date for next year's Symposium on Saturday, February 27, 2021!

Mrs. Wisniewski's Honors 3/4 English classes put their creative talents to the test in their final review of Frankenstein. Their task: create out of disposable materials who/what is the true monster of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

On the morning of Thursday, February 20, the senior moms hosted the annual 100 Days Until Graduation Breakfast for the senior class. Where has the time gone?