Thomas A. Kardish, President Lauren Carr '00, Principal March 19, 2021 This Calendar feels so full of life at Villa, and we're very grateful for the opportunity to continue to be together. As we move into our final week before the holiday break, may we take a moment to be thankful for all that we've accomplished so far this year together — even if together has meant 6 feet apart. And, scroll down below the Calendar updates for a quick peek at some great things that have happened at Villa recently.
P.S. - Have you bid on Auction items yet? With OVER 400 ITEMS AND EXPERIENCES, you are sure to find something you'll love while supporting our Jems. All bidding ends on Saturday at 10:00 p.m., at which time the high bidders win! Visit the bidding site now: vjmhs2021auction.ggo.bid.
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Holiday Break: March 29–April 5 See you on April 6!
DATES TO REMEMBER and where to find more info about them! The school calendar is live on Villa's website. We will keep you posted about any events that may need to be adjusted as the school year progresses.
Seniors Only:
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT VILLA? The 98 students in Villa's Class of 2021 have already earned 342 scholarships, totaling $18,007,372. Keep an eye on the Class of 2021's scholarship/acceptance growing tally now on Villa's website homepage.
The newest addition to the English Department's curriculum, the YA Book Project, was a huge hit among students this past quarter! Academic level English classes were able to choose a modern novel that focused on important teen issues and contemporary topics. Students then read, explored, and discussed the plot, themes, and other literary techniques the authors presented in the novel. Groups collaborated in presenting their novels to the class through a panel discussion and other creative avenues. Callie Henrysen '22 stated, "Reading my Y.A. book has inspired me to know myself better and become more connected to the world around me. I have learned a lot about myself to say the least. This was a beautiful experience."
Congratulations to the following VJM Students who won awards this year at that Bucks County Virtual Science Fair. They will move on to the Delaware Valley Regional Science Fair.
Physics 11-12 2nd Place: Elizabeth Bowe "Effectiveness of Recycled Materials as Thermal Insulation" Team 11-12 1st Place: Bri Smith and Kelley Malone "The Effects of Growing Plants Hydroponically vs. in Soil" 2nd Place: Amanda Cornwall and Emily Montemuro "Alternative Additives: Making Jell-O stronger" Bio-Chemistry 9-10 3rd Place: Nanea Perales "Does Storage Temperature Affect the pH Level of Juices?" Environmental Science 9-10 2nd Place: Hannah Buckelman "Understanding Geothermics" 3rd Place: Erin Flatley "How Does the Shape of a Wind Turbine Affect the Output" Team 9-10 2nd Place: Elizabeth Mellon and Julia Kawash "Measuring Plant Growth with Different Types of Fertilizers" Chemistry 9-10 2nd Place: Abbigail Turco "Types of Vinegar vs. The Molar Concentration of Acetic Acid
Villa celebrated the feast of St. Casimir on Friday, March 5, with celebrant Fr. Matthew Brody from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We also held our Alumnae Legacy Pinning, recognizing those students who are daughters or granddaughters of Villa alumnae. Five students in the current freshman class were pinned by their mothers who are alumnae from the classes of 1989, 1990, and 1993. Currently, Villa has nineteen alumnae legacy students walking our halls, and we thank those families for continuing this Villa legacy.
Alexa Beerhalter '24, daughter of Robin Cinkutis Beerhalter '89 Lauren Braun '24, daughter of Alice Sheerin Braun '90 Caitlin Forman '24, daughter of Jennifer Tomlinson Forman '93 Abigail Gillespie '24, daughter of Jennifer Sweeney Gillespie '90 Anna Racz '24, daughter of Jacquelyn Bruestle Racz '89
NHS made 44 Easter baskets for St. Edmond's group home for children with disabilities. We were only able to do this because of generous donations from the school.
Due to Covid, the AHA Club is unable to engage with our buddies with special needs like we usually do. To be honest, those interactions are vital to the AHA club experience and this year, we don't have that in any way. So, the Executive Board and Mrs. Neeld came up with something that includes more education and awareness of neurodiversity in general. During the month of March, Villa's AHA Club is celebrating neurodiversity (brain differences). Each week, the members will be wearing a specific colored ribbon to show awareness, knowledge, and support of individuals with that neurodiversity. Each week is different: 3/1: Learning Disabilities - yellow 3/8: Autism - multicolored puzzle pieces 3/15: Cerebral Palsy - green 3/22: Down Syndrome - yellow and blue Students should feel free to ask the club members about why they are wearing the ribbons, what they represent, etc. Thank you for your support of the AHA Club, and it's desire to increase awareness and knowledge of those with neurodiversity.
On Sunday, March 7, nearly 50 members of the Villa community participated in Villa's 6th Annual Day of Service in honor of the feast of St. Casimir. Participates volunteered at Caring for Friends and the Churchville Nature Center. Many came back to Villa after their morning of service for Mass in our chapel.
On Monday, March 8, the Future Business Leaders Club teamed up with Mr. Mayer's Business Studies class to hold a Shark Tank competition. Students in the Business Studies class presented their fictional business ideas to a panel of students from the FBLC, who then decided which idea they would want to invest in. In the end, Bridgid Schultz and Emily Aschenbrenner were declared the winners with their idea for a product line of blue light screen protectors.
Career Week is coming up! This virtual event will be held from April 19–23. We're looking for presenters to record short videos (about 5 - 10 minutes) discussing their careers. These videos will be shared with our students throughout the week.
If you are interested in preparing a video or for more information, visit www.vjmhs.org/careerday. While we're hopeful to be able to host our in-person event next year, we're grateful to continue providing our students with this important opportunity to learn about different careers.
Covid testing is still available for free for any Bucks County students showing symptoms. See this flyer for more information.
Seniors, are you interested in booking a photoshoot with Catalano Studio? Check out this flyer for more information.
Always more, Always better, Always with love IMPORTANT Please note that the above calendar is subject to change after this email has been sent. Please confirm with Villa's online calendars for the most up-to-date information. Here are some quick links for your convenience:
Contact Erica Franzzo '03 at efranzzo@vjmhs.org with questions, feedback, or additions for this weekly email. Thanks for reading! Past editions of Calendar/This Week at Villa can be viewed here. Past editions of the Alumnae Newsletter can be viewed here.
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