Dr. Karen Kenkel, President Lauren Carr '00, Principal |
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| As 2021 comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to thank all of the members of the Villa Joseph Marie Community for working together to live the Mission that our Sisters of Saint Casimir began almost 90 years ago. The fact that we were able to continue educating, praying, serving, performing, competing, and growing together in this most challenging year is a testament to the resilience and strength of students, staff, and families grounded in faith. Our ability to adapt and adjust was certainly tested this year, as was our patience and grit. From modifying school events in order to gather in person, to welcoming many new members to our community, to finding ways to continue our service commitments, 2021 showed us that our Villa community thrives in unity together. Renewed in faith by the Christmastime season, we are inspired to embody Christ's love every day of the new year. As 2022 approaches, we look forward to continuing to live our motto: "Always more, Always better, Always with love." We wish blessings in 2022, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to our entire Villa family! Karen and Lauren |
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As we look back on 2021, we're so proud of what our Jems have accomplished. Make a gift today to allow Villa to continue to grow and lead our students to be the successful leaders of tomorrow. Give online or via Venmo @VillaJosephMarie (code: 0560). *Please put your full name (and class year, if applicable) in the Venmo notes. |
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January 2021 ended a short period of virtual instruction for Villa students, and they have had continuous in-person learning since then. Our students and families returned after the December 2020 holiday break stronger and more ready than ever to be back together. Despite the first few events of the year taking place virtually, the Villa community didn't waver in our enthusiasm and participation: - Virtual Quizzo took place on February 5, which featured 31 individuals/families competing against one another. (Congrats Team Lasky!) **Stay tuned for registration to open next week for this year's in-person Quizzo on Saturday, February 5, 2022! (Themed teams/tables, costumes, mulligans, and live trivia is back this year, with a prize of $400 to the winning team.) www.vjmhs.org/quizzo
- Villa's second Women's Symposium — Women Today Leading Tomorrow — on February 27 brought us 8 inspiring speakers, including 3 alumnae, and the community attended presentations throughout the day via Zoom.
Mid-March brought us another successful Annual Spring Auction For The Girls, which raised $109,000 directly for our Jems. This event, for the second year in a row was held virtually, but we look forward to a combination event this coming March, with virtual bidding from March 15-19, 2022, and *new this year* a fun, in-person Monte Carlo Night on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at the Philadelphia Ballroom. More information about this exciting event coming soon! www.vjmhs.org/auction |
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Mid-April brought us another theater production in our Performing Arts Center. Villa's drama department shined with "Mamma Mia!" on stage. With all performances sold out, the hard work that the cast, crew, and directors put into this production (with continued added safety protocols and social distancing) was well worth it! And, they continued the streak of brilliant performances with "The Addams Family" in November. With the PAC back to full capacity seating, over 1300 tickets were sold, which is Villa's highest selling show to date. Stay tuned for more information about our next show, "Frozen JR.", this Spring. www.vjmhs.org/musical Despite service hours not being required during the 2020-2021 school year, our students and staff seemed to jump at every opportunity presented to them to get back to in-person service. We look forward to continuing this momentum in 2022. Hope-A-Thon, our annual student-led fundraiser, took over Villa on April 16, and over $95,000 was raised for "Bringing Hope Home" and "Drew's Hope." Despite the rain, Villa students danced for 7 hours, which was the final culmination of months of fundraising and planning for the event. www.vjmhs.org/hope |
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At the end of April, we celebrated with not one but two Proms — one for juniors and one for seniors — right on campus with a huge tent in the front parking lot. We closed out April with Athlete Media Day, celebrating the members of the Class of 2021 that would be continuing their athletic careers in college. [Kylie Aquaro (Ice Hockey), Ella Arace (Soccer), Faith Bartos (Lacrosse), Julia Beck (Soccer), Allyson Gallagher (Rowing), Sabina Hartman (Swimming), Megan Iannacone (Swimming), Kennedy Kilchrist (Soccer), Katie Sullivan (Soccer), Grace Taylor (Soccer)] We can't wait to see these athletes, along with the rest of the Class of 2021, at their 1-year class reception in June. Both the Guardian Gala and Baccalaureate Dinner gave the Class of 2021 the chance to celebrate and enjoy time with their families in celebration of their upcoming Graduation. And, the Senior Disney Trip didn't disappoint, with the group of seniors and staff flying out over Memorial Day weekend. |
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Villa's Graduation Ceremony once again returned to The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia on June 5. The 97 students in the Class of 2021 accrued $25.5 million in scholarships and grants and was recognized through a variety of awards, including full tuition scholarships, Catholic High School recognition awards, and scholarships for excellence in athletics, community service, music and art portfolios. Ending our school year with an in-person class awards day, our students set out for summer break. Summer classes and camps continued throughout the summer, and Villa students returned for a new school year in September. Along with our returning Jems, 150 new students were welcomed to Villa this year — the Class of 2025 and 15-30 new transfers per grade, mainly due to the closing of St. Basil Academy. With similar traditions, school colors, and a bonded sisterhood community, Villa was happy to welcome this group of Panthers into our Villa family. September brought us 2 new inductees to Villa's Wall of Fame — Sr. Elizabeth Ann Yocius, SSC and Thomas Reardon (www.vjmhs.org/walloffame) — and our annual Alumnae Reunion. Our Golf Outing at Jericho National Golf Club on September 27 was the most successful one yet, with the most attendees golfing and the most money raised fore the girls. In September, we also welcomed current parents to campus for in-person Back-to-School Nights and invited students to visit our Club Fair during the *new this year* Advisory period. |
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October 8 gave the community a double dose of Villa tradition with our Ring Day Ceremony and Luncheon earlier in the day and Designer Handbag Bingo that night. And, continuing the return of Villa's in-person traditions, our Parents' Guild planned a wonderful Mother-Daughter Tea on October 24 at the Sheraton Philadelphia. Our Halloween Parade/Skits closed out the month, bringing continuous laughter to our student body. |
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Our beloved Alumnae returned to Villa in November for the double Yearbook Party for the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020 (since we missed them the previous year) and for the Kate Abel Memorial Basketball Tournament and Social. www.vjmhs.org/abel On December 1, current parents came together to celebrate the annual Senior Parent Tree Trimming and the Parents' Guild Christmas Social. Welcoming parents to campus simply to celebrate was a wonderful experience that we were so happy to gain back this year. And, this fun night was followed by a great day for our students, as the Parents' Guild brought in sweets and treats throughout the day for "It's a Villa Christmas." To close out the year, Villa faculty and staff met in Maria Hall for our annual Staff Luncheon and (very competitive) Staff Quizzo competition, hosted by the Wisniewski dream team! Featuring trivia rounds like "Bible or Fortune Cookie", our staff laughed their way into the Christmas break. We cannot wait to reignite this trivia battle at the Villa community Quizzo event in February! |
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Acknowledging that there's no possible way to include every event of 2021 here, there are some additional amazing accomplishments that happened this year that we would like to highlight: - Villa welcomed a new Interim President, Dr. Karen Kenkel, as well as 10 new faculty and staff.
- Congratulations to Grace M. Matwijec, Alexandra E. Venth, and Katelyn Burke, who were honored at the 41st Annual Archdiocesan Honors Convocation.
- Successful Student Life and Real World Days, as well as Spirit Days, have encouraged our Jems to truly show their school spirit and pride. And, the numerous Retreats and Immersions have strengthened our faith and friendships.
- Jillian Evans '22 was named as a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist, and three students were named as National Merit Scholar Commended Students: Camille Kakoyan '22, Ashley Rosica '22, and Teresa Majkut '22.
- The Class of 2025 brought us 5 legacy students.
- Villa gratefully honored our veteran Alumnae in November with a plaque dedication ceremony.
- Villa athletes were honored with excellence awards throughout the year, including many named as AACA All-Stars and listed as standouts by the Bucks County Courier Times. All of our teams worked hard to advance their athletic skills, with some advancing to playoffs, semi-finals, and championships.
- 1,600 non-perishable items were collected for our Student Council's Thanksgiving food drive for Caring for Friends. 200 care packages were packed by the members of our CSC for Unite for Her. And, countless meals were made for our less fortunate members of the community.
- Eight Villa students [ORCHESTRA: Madeline Sarachman '24 (Violin), Lily Chacko '25 (Violin), Abbigail Turco '24 (Cello), Kelly Christensen '25 (Cello), Kate Abdalla '22 (Upright Bass), Evelyn Stickley '25 (Piano); CONCERT BAND: Dakota McNally '22 (Bari-Sax), Hannah Buckleman '23 (Bari-Tone); JAZZ BAND: Dakota McNally '22 (Bari-Sax), Erin McFadden '22 (Guitar)] were elected as All Catholic musicians.
- Our vocal and instrumental ensembles flourished with in-person concerts.
- On Saturday, December 18, at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery, the Villa community participated in Wreaths Across America, a national program to remember our service members during the holiday season.
- The Bucks County Courier Times announced Villa as one of the Top 3 in the "Best of the Best" Private School category.
- Once again, Villa received an "A" overall grade from Niche.com, landing us at #15 (of 70) for the "Best Catholic High Schools in Pennsylvania," with 5 of those schools above us being all-boys. We also ranked, according to Niche, #36 (of 999) for the "Best High Schools for Athletes in Pennsylvania," which includes both Catholic and Public schools. And, rising almost 30 spots in the last few years, we were ranked #52 (of 190) for the "Best Private High Schools in Pennsylvania." Those are just some of Villa's impressive rankings by Niche.com, but you can check out our full profile and view our other rankings at your convenience.
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| We hope that this email serves as a simple reminder of how the Villa community has flourished in 2021. While we certainly will never forget the difficult times of the past year, we know that the Villa community is stronger now than ever before. All that we have accomplished during this year will stay with us in our hearts and guide us to succeed in 2022. And, we will continue to flourish as a community and family in the spirit of "Always more, Always better, Always with love." #AlwaysVilla |
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Important Links to learn more about what's happening at Villa |
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Contact Erica Franzzo '03 at efranzzo@vjmhs.org with questions or feedback for this newsletter. 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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