We Believe...in Our Girls!

On November 4, 5, 11, and 12, Malvern Theatre Society performed their adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street,a heartwarming story about a little girl's (Susan Walker, played by 5th grader, Francesca Giangiulio) doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle - Santa Claus - and her discovery that dreams do come true if you really believe.

We are so proud to have had ten of Villa's 5th grade girls perform in the production: Francesca Giangiulio, Jordan Rudy, Emma Kenney-Hynes, Josephine Heppelmann, Kate Kimmel, Caroline Brown, Katie Dow, Mackenzie Smith, Anna Bozzi, and Joey Capucao.

Founder's Day Fun

Each year for Founders' Day, on November 10th, Sister Mary Ellen gathers the girls in the gymnasium after prayers and retells the story of Villa's founding with a new twist. This year, she asked Sister Margaret to teach the girls a song. She chose the "O Susanna" tune by Stephen Foster because the melody was catchy, repetitive, and easy to rhyme. The third grade was chosen to sing the song and did a beautiful job! Miss Patselas also assisted Sister Margaret to find a singable accompaniment for the girls on the internet.

Leadership Opportunity

Miss Tricia Murnane, Villa Maria's Physical Education and Health teacher, is currently in the process of restructuring the school's wellness program. As
part of her on-going professional development, Miss Murnane has been researching ways to incorporate a "whole person" approach to
well-being that includes: physical wellness, educational wellness, spiritual wellness, social wellness, emotional/mental wellness, and environmental wellness. She is looking for parent, student, and teacher volunteers that have a similar interests and backgrounds in these wellness domains to be part of the new VMA wellness team. If you are interested in being part of this fun adventure please email her: tmurnane@villamaria.org.

Praying for Each Other

This year, Villa Maria Academy's Camilla Prayer Partner is Sister Regina Fidelis Colavechio. Each month, the grade that has the monthly First Friday Mass organizes something nice for Sister Regina. This month, the sixth grade wrote cards and bought a plant to show Sister Regina they were thinking of her and praying for her.

Annual Fund Update

It is our pleasure to inform you that the Annual Fund is off to a wonderful start! Thank you to all who have given so far. Your generosity means more than you realize.

Outside Sister Helen's office, the Advancement bulletin board has been updated by the Student Ambassadors to reflect our theme for this year's Annual Fund "Footprints for the Future." You will begin to notice footprints being added around the board with donor's names on them. As each donation comes in, a footprint will be placed on the wall with the donor's name. It is our hope to fill the wall by the end of the campaign year.

We will also be providing updates on our funds raised to-date, by class participation and on our website thermometer. Check the SupportVMA tab on our homepage and click on Annual Fund to find out how well we are doing!

If you should have any questions about sending in a donation, or donating online, please contact Erin Tornambe at etornambe@villamaria.org, or (610) 644-4864 x107.

Congratulations to...

Our Varsity Volleyball team who competed in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Tournament last week. They defeated Our Lady of Peace and finished 3rd in the Archdiocese.

Our Soccer team who won Region 17 over the weekend and then participated in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Tournament and made it into the quarter finals.

We are so proud of you, girls!

Congratulations to...

Our Villa Soccer and Volleyball Teams!

Our Villa actresses for their outstanding performances in Malvern's production of Miracle on 34th Street!

And good luck to all who are auditioning for Aladdin!

Holiday Mail for Heroes

In an effort to help our girls understand the importance of saying "thank you" to our veterans, Villa Maria has been asked to be part of the 2011 American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes. The American Red Cross is asking us, as patriotic Americans, to send a touch of home this holiday season to members of our U.S. military, veterans and their families, many of whom will be far away from home this holiday season. This is an opportunity for teachers and students to share appreciation and thanks for the sacrifices members of the U.S. Armed Forces make every day to protect our freedom. We have been asked to write our cards to veterans. Teachers will be using this service project to tie into an activity that they may be doing for Veterans Day.

Villa Soccer Team Wins Region 17 Championship

On Saturday, November 5, the Villa Maria Academy Soccer team won the Region 17 Championship against Sts. Simon and Jude. They won 2-0 in the final half.

Congratulations girls! We are so proud of you!

Where are they now? Looking for Alumae

Where are they now?
We are looking to re-connect with all our Villa alums. If you know of anyone who has graduated from Villa Maria Academy Lower School, please have forward this email to them so they can update their profile for our records! Any questions, please contact Erin Tornambe at etornambe@villamaria.org or (610) 644-4864 x107.

Co-ed Pre-school at Villa Coming Soon! Information session November 14th

At Villa Maria Academy, we believe that high quality early childhood programs offer learning opportunities that have significant impact on children's succes. With a 166-year legacy of educating children, we have already achieved excellence in educating grades K-8. We are now pleased to be able to offer you the next step, a co-ed pre-school that will open in the Fall of 2012. Our pre-school will be open to students aged 3 and 4. We will be hosting an informational session on November 14th at 9:30 am. Please forward this to anyone you know who may be interested. Please R.S.V.P. to Jane McCool at jmccool@villamaria.org or (610) 644-4864 x100.

Welcome Back Alumnae!

The community at Villa Maria Lower School is seeking to connect with former students. Please consider updating your Alumnae Profile by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. You can also follow our school or alumnae Facebook pages. Can't wait to hear from you!!

http://www.villamaria.org/vm.asp?page_name=alumnae

Congratulations to...

Our Mission Day Basket Winners

The Villa Little Flowers Initiation Ceremony

At a beautiful ceremony on Friday, October 21st, Sister Mary Ellen and Sister Susan, blessed our twelve members including those from the 3rd and 4th grade classes. The Villa Little Flowers will be recognized at the 1st Friday Liturgy in November. Inspired by St. Therese of the Little Flower, Villa Little Flowers is a new mother-daughter club that formed this year whose primary goal is to grow together in virtue, faith and as a community.

All Saints Day Program

This past week, the first grade presented their "All Saints Program" in the chapel at Villa Maria for the student body on Wednesday and on Thursday for the parents. The girls dressed up as their favorite saint and they prepared a description to read aloud. The girls were proud to present their research to the crowd.

We thank Mrs. Crowley, Mrs. Long, and the girls for all their hard work and a wonderful job on presenting!

Mission Day

The time has finally arrived; Mission Day took place this Monday, October 31 in the gymnasium of Villa Maria.

Mission Day is a fundraising event held each year at Villa by the eighth grade leadership team. The eighth grade girls have been preparing for over a month to create a wonderful display in the gym, decorating signs and tables, as well as finding the appropriate costumes to go with their carnival theme.

The day of the event, the gym was divided in different carnival-like stations: clown hair and carnival fingers, cotton candy land, karaoke, dress-up photos, face painting, scary tales, the magnificent Haunted House, and many others. Every grade took turns in visiting Mission Day, from Kindergarteners to middle schoolers, all of them having a wonderful time while helping the community.

Our girls demonstrated great teamwork and leadership skills by putting this event together and making sure that everybody had a wonderful time. Thank you to our event staff (eighth graders), our parent volunteers, and all the Villa students and teachers for making Mission Day a success.

Villa Helps Toys for Tots

The JV Field Hockey teams will sold Halloween themed hair ribbons for $1 from October 25th-27th in the gym before prayers. The girls were permitted to wear the ribbons through Mission Day to help support the cause.

In addition, the Soccer team sponsored a bake sale on October 24th-25th during lunch.

All proceeds from the fundraisers went to Toys for Tots.

Congratulations to...

Our Archdiocesan Choral Girls:
Each year, the Archdiocese sponsors Music Festivals. Each year, music students audition to participate in these events. Congratulations to our 5th Grade girls who were chosen to participate: Katie Dow, Joey Capucao, Anna Levine, Madison Sautner, and Josephine Heppelmann. The Archdiocesan Choral Festival will be held on April 3rd, 2012 at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor.



Our October Alphonsian Ambassadors:
Claudia Becker, Kiley Atkins, Sydney Porreca, Anna Levine, Molly McGurk, Lia O'Brien, Michaela Shackleford, Maura Nolan, Madigan Morrissey, and Audrey Nehr.

Good luck to our Varsity Field Hockey & Soccer teams who are in the league play-offs this week!!

Byer's Choice Dolls Order Met

The Parent Guild is pleased to announce that we were able to meet our order requirement for the Villa Maria Byers Choice Custom Dolls. We have received confirmation from Byers Choice production that our doll order will be shipped out on November 18th. This means we should have doll orders sent home with the daughter you specified on your order form during the week after we return to school from the Thanksgiving Holiday. For those parents who have made special arrangements for delivery, you will be contacted some time that week by telephone to arrange to pick up your doll order.

St. Aloysius Boys and Villa Girls Partner Together

Villa Maria's third grade girls invited the boys of St. Aloysius Academy for a morning of collaborative projects at Villa Maria Academy this past Friday.

Both boys and girls gathered together in the gymnasium of the school where they participated in various fun activities. The morning started with some Spanish lessons by Mrs. Maria Pieras, Villa Maria's Spanish teacher. Mrs. Pieras wrote the months of the year and the days of the week words in both Spanish and English on separate index cards and handed one to each child. The children then had to find their corresponding partner with the English or Spanish word. Then, they continued with Social Studies lessons where they collaborated together on a group poster. The kids were very creative in coming up with important messages to put on their posters. The messages ranged from "No smoking while driving," "No hunting down wildlife," to "Wear your seatbelt" and "No texting while driving." At the end of the session, each group had an opportunity to present their poster to the rest of the kids.

The event culminated with a group picture, and a pizza lunch for the kids and their teachers.

Making Bowls and Filling Hearts

A group of Villa Maria 6th graders got together back in September to make pottery bowls for the Empty Bowls program which benefits Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS), an association that serves disadvantaged families through community services/food pantry, etc.

The bowls were fired and sent to PACS in anticipation for the fundraiser that will be held Friday, November 4 from 4:00-9:00 p.m. at the Kimberton Fire Hall, Rte 113 in Kimberton. Organizers for the event, including local potters, were thrilled to receive the bowls and have decided to display them in the window at Artisan's Café/ Gallery on Bridge Street in Phoenixville, since last week.

The cost for the event is $20 per person and includes a soup/break dinner and handcrafted ceramic bowl of your choice to take home and keep. All proceeds go to PACS. Tickets are on sale in advance from PACS 610-933-1105 or at the door. Or please contact Nancy Buck for more information: nasbuck@msn.com; 610-827-1569 or 610-212-0504.

Become a Villa Angel

We are so excited to once again be able to offer our Villa community the opportunity to "adopt" a child or children in need, through our Villa Angel Program. We proudly partner with the Delaware Valley Children's Charity (dvcconline.org) to bring this very special program to the hearts of our Villa Maria community. Click here for the letter is also in the communication envelope on TODAY. We ask that all forms are returned by Monday, October 31st and packets will be distributed by November 2nd. Packages are asked to be delivered to school Monday or Tuesday morning November 28th and 29th. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Miss Patselas at cpatselas@villamaria.org.

Early Learning Center to Open in the Fall of 2012

Planning continues for the Fall, 2012 opening of the Villa Maria Academy Early Learning Center. An information session will be held on November 14, 2012 at Villa Maria to outline the program offerings. Please navigate to the Pre-School Education page and complete the form for information or to RSVP for the November 14th event.

http://www.villamaria.org/vm.asp?page_name=preschool

Congratulations to...

Our JV and Varsity Volleyball teams on their undefeated season with 6th consecutive wins.

Our Soccer team on their undefeated season. It looks as if they are heading into the play-offs as the #1 seed.

Our Varsity Field Hockey team starts their play-off season on Monday. They only have 1 loss this season.

Our JV Field Hockey team on their successful season.

Villa Dad Gives Lesson on Chemistry

Mr. Flahaven, father of Aylish and Celeste,

visited the 6th grade on October 13th with examples of each element in the periodic table that he has been collecting for years. Amazed, the girls were able to view each element and even touch and smell the non-dangerous ones. He showed a demonstration of different charges, such as neon and xenon. And he even showed the girls real gold, frankincense, myrrh, and explained why these were probably chosen to give to baby Jesus on his birth. When he spoke of the combustibility of phosphorus, one girl asked about the worst chemical reaction he had ever heard of, and he went on to explain about the atomic bomb exploding in Hiroshima.

It's Time for Yearbook!

The entire yearbook staff is working very hard this year to make the yearbook better than ever! This year, parents will once again be able to purchase space in the yearbook to send a special message or advertise their business. Purchasing space is a great way to assist the yearbook and to give your daughter a special memory. To place an advertisement in the yearbook, click here for the sponsorship form. All sponsors are due by Thursday, October 27. Look for yearbook order forms in the communication envelope in November. Thank you for your continued support of the yearbook!

A Swinging Success

The Villa Maria Academy Advancement Office would like to thank all the sponsors, Villa families, and friends for the support of the 15th Annual Golf and Tennis Classic!
The rain stayed away for a beautiful, fun-filled day on October 11th. Villa dads and friends joined in to take the JetBlue Challenge and participated in a $50,000 Shootout. Although no one walked away with a hole-in-one during the Shootout, Dr. Larry Smedley, of Smedley Orthodontics in West Chester, won closest to the pin and was named the JetBlue Challenge Champion.

And congratulations to all the rest of our tournament winners!

1st Place Winners: Mike Rudy, David Calveresi, Mike Carli, and Gary Warzecha

Closest to the Pin Winner: Mike Carli

Longest Drive Winner: Andrea Connors

All-Aboard!

Thanks to many volunteers, last week the Villa gymnasium was transformed into a Disney Crusieship and dozens of pizza orders were placed for Pizza BINGO.

The girls created the Disney characters for the walls in art class and the volunteers decorated their lives away! Another successful and FUN event added to Villa's list!

Congratulations to all our BINGO winners!

The Book Fairies

Ah, there is nothing like the smell of a new book.

This past week, the library overflowed with brand new, tightly bound books from Barnes & Noble waiting to be snatched up and given away. To be held in the hands of their new owners. Not yet written in, not yet doggie-earred. Not yet thrown into a backpack or purse, in a suitcase, or a briefcase, or slipped under the sheets of a bed.

The Book Fairies, Mrs. Connelly and Mrs. Pieras, created a wonderland of stories and games all perfectly placed for the girls and their families (and our teachers and staff too) to begin checking off Christmas and birthday lists. The girls were even allowed to purchase gifts for teachers off their 'Wish Lists.'

With each book purchase, an entry was allowed to be placed into a drawing to win a Barnes & Noble Nook.

Congratulations to...

The Villa Volleyball teams, who did an exceptional job in their weekend games. Varsity and JV both won their matches on Friday. Varsity finished runner-up in the St. Alphonsus tournament on Saturday. And both Varsity and JV won on Sunday. In the JV game, it went to the final serve of the final game of the match to secure the win.

The Villa Field Hockey team defeated Ancillae on Friday and both JV and Varsity won 5-0. Varsity wond againt St. Norbert's yesterday. Congrats!

Congratulations to the Villa Soccer team, who won their big game yesterday against Simon and Jude. They won 3-0.

Get Up and Dance

After School Dance & Drama are starting out very well! The girls are doing Yoga on Tuesdays, our Villa Maria Yogini's, and singing and tapping their troubles away in Musical Theater, Tap class and more! Creative Drama for K-2 is closed! Broadway Jazz and Intro to Acting are hits with our Villa dancers and actors, too!

Ms. Nancy is still welcoming late registrations for the other classes.

Villa Girls Join Kennett Symphony Children's Chorus

The Kennett Symphony Children's Chorus is an educational outreach of the Kennett Symphony of Chester County and gives area singers an opportunity to perform high-caliber, age-appropriate repertoire that is culturally and musically diverse. Three young ladies from Villa were accepted to sing with the ensemble, Mary Catherine D., Emma K. and Anna K. They are all very excited about being part of such a wonderful experience.

Villa to Start Engineering Club

Villa Maria Academy has been selected by NovaCANE, Villanova Community Action by New Engineers, for initiation of an engineering club.

NovaCANE was established in 2009 to inspire young minds by offering hands-on educational opportunities in the fields of engineering and science. This group of college students and Dr. Dinehart has successfully initiated engineering clubs at St. Martin of Tours in Philadelphia and St. Edmond's Academy in Wilmington.

Each meeting will start with a brief presentation on an engineering topic and be followed with a hands-on, group activity. The lessons and group activities will be supervised by Villanova University engineering students. The VMA club is open to all 6th grade girls and will begin in October.

Family Mass and Picnic

The Annual Family Mass and Picnic was held on Sunday, September 25. Parents, students, and faculty attended the Eucharistic Liturgy celebrated by Father John Joseph in Sacred Heart Chapel. Blue and white teams competed in a number of various games and events.

The highlight of the day was the golf ball drop with Sister Mary Ellen as the bombardier! Check out this video!

http://tinyurl.com/3zzqaj9

Back By Popular Demand...

Girls on the Green is coming next week! The girls began discussing the event in gym class with Miss Murnane and may start bringing in their items this week. The donated items will be collected to benefit the IHM Literacy Center.

The donations will allow the girls a try on the putting greens that will be set up during gym class next week. Girls can purchase up to 5 additional trys on the putting green for $1 a try. Any girl that gets a hole-in-one will go into a drawing to win the grand prize: $100 shopping spree at this year's Christmas Bazaar and a private lunch
with Mom (or Dad).

We are also looking for volunteers during next week's gym classes to assist with the putting contests. Please direct any questions or your volunteer availability to Miss Murnane at tmurnane@villamaria.org.

Congratulations to...

Our Varsity and JV Volleyball teams who both opened the new season with wins!

Our Soccer team who has already won 7 games total this year!

Our Varsity and JV Field Hockey teams who have been winning in the GCAL League.

*Note: Parents/Friends - if you have any pictures of these events, please forward them to Erin Tornambe at etornambe@villamaria.org so we can display our pride!

Middle School Now 1-1 with Netbooks

Villa's commitment to advancing technology now puts our computer to student ratio at the middle school level at 1:1.

As of yesterday morning, an excited sixth grade received their netbooks and Mrs. Dow gave them a tutorial on the care and use of their new equipment.

We can now proudly say that our dedication to 21st Century Learning is being proven as we prepare our digital natives to move into the future.

Easy Ways to Earn Benefits for Villa

Box Tops for Education
Did you know you can earn cash for Villa by clipping Box Tops coupons from hundreds of participating products? All you have to do is cut the coupons and ither mail or send them to Villa with your daughter. You can also earn eBoxTops when you shop online! Click here to learn more.

GIANT A+ School Rewards
Are you a frequent shopper at GIANT Food Stores? Now you can earn money for Villa at GIANT. Register your BONUSCARD online and select Villa Maria to begin earning cash. Click here to register.

Back to School Social

One of the best ways to begin to build that home-school connection is to take the opportunity to visit the world your daughter inhabits every day and meet the people in charge.

Research shows that parent involvement in schools helps students achieve more and schools thrive. And at the Back to School Social on Sunday, we had such an amazing turn-out of parents that it's no wonder we call ourselves a 'family.'

This year, the teachers prepared presentations through videos online for the parents to preview the curriculum beforehand, allowing for a relaxed atmosphere with more emphasis on personal interaction. And Mrs. Dow's technology presentation sure turned some heads with all the amazing new things the girls are learning. The days events flowed just as nicely as the drinks and the delicious food and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Many thanks to our Parent Guild Committee, our teachers, and our school leaders, Sister Mary Ellen and Sister Susan, for putting together such a wonderful event.

First Week Brings Jitters and Excitement

Surrendering to the summer's end and wasn't the only issue on people's minds last weekend. Questions surrounding the first week of school rumbled like thunder in the hearts of both parents and students. Will I get the teacher I want? Will I make new friends? Will my work be more than I can handle?

But despite all that, pleasant anticipations surface as well. The thought of seeing friends every day, of learning new things, the challenge of another year, reconnecting with past teachers and getting involved in their favorite after school sports and programs.

At Villa, when our students are asked how they feel about the first day of school they tell it from their smiling hearts. "I'm excited to be back," "I can't wait to have lunch with my friends and see my old teachers," "I can't wait to see Taffy." Happy faces and laughter fill the halls again, and already signs of learning are present. In the classrooms, in the hallways, student work is proudly displayed like portraits in an exhibition. Each and every piece alive and vibrant, carefully placed for all to see.

Nervousness is slowly being cast away, along with summer memories, and the girls' minds are open and ready for the new year ahead. They are settling in. And so are we. Here's to another year!

VMA -St. AA Charism Day

On September 1st, the faculties and administration teams of VMA and St. AA met at Villa Maria to explore the concept of "Teacher as Leader." The day began with a prayer service in Sacred Heart Chapel. Sister Marganne Drago, SSJ presented an explanation of the changes in the Roman Missal and Sister Rita James Murphy, IHM offered her thoughts and insights of a teacher leader in an IHM school. Following lunch, the teachers further defined their role as teacher leadership in a collaborative project.

Professional Development

Good teachers form the foundation of good schools, and improving teachers' skills and knowledge is one of the most important investments of time and money that an educator can make. It is suggested that professional development can assist in improving teacher's classroom practices significantly and lead to improved student achievement, which is why the faculty and staff at Villa Maria take every opportunity possible to better their practices.

This summer, our faculty and staff attended the following conferences, seminars, and courses: ISTE Conference, Partners in Mission Conference, Discovery Education Workshop, Preserving our Catholic Identity Seminar, and Understanding by Design Train the Trainer Seminar, and FACTS Tuition Management Training Seminar. And many of our teachers continue to move forward toward completion or have just finished completing their Masters in Education, taking courses such as "Teaching as Inquiry," "Applying Theories of Learning to Interactive Technologies," "Teaching and Learning: Linking Theory to Practice."

"We are always striving to be better," says Sister Mary Ellen.

In this photo: Sister Mary Ellen, Mrs. Dow, Mrs. Wible, Mrs. Veneziale, Miss Pastelas

Drama Programs to Begin this Year

New this year, our Villa girls will have the opportunity to participate in a partnership drama program as well as an after-school drama club.

"Poof! Whaddaya Need..."
How about a little drama in our lives? All thanks to wishes and friendship, Villa Maria Academy Lower School will now be partnering with Malvern Prep to form a drama program for 5th through 8th graders. The program is expected to run from November to the end of January, and will culminate in the performance of Disney's "Aladdin" on Malvern's main stage. Jim Fry, a teacher at Malvern, and our eighth grade teacher, Mrs. Bridget Velardi, will be co-directing the show. A rehearsal schedule will be given out before November and try-outs for the performance are tentative for the beginning of November. Stay tuned!

More Than Just Dance
In the first Trimester, the After School Dance Program will include Ballet, Broadway Jazz, Lyrical and Tap dance choices for different age groups. There will be some new offerings such as Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet for K-1, Kids' Yoga for K-3 and Musical Theater including singing and movement for grades 3 through 5. Our new dance teacher, Ms. Nancy Santamaria, will be teaching these classes. We hope to have some different offerings in the second trimester.

We're also thrilled to be offering Creative Drama for K through 2 and Intro to Acting for grades 3 through 5. We're happy to welcome Donna Kelly Romero from Villa Maria Academy High School to instruct the girls for these programs.

In addition, Ms. Santamaria will also weave some Storytelling and Drama components into the weekly dance program throughout the year.

We are excited for all our new offerings. It is sure to be another amazing year at VMA!

We Welcome Our New Teachers

This year we are pleased to welcome four new teachers to the Villa faculty.

We are happy to say that we will now be offering two Kindergarten classes for the 2011-2012 school year. Mrs. Kate McKenna will be joining the ranks as our second Kindergarten Teacher. Mrs. McKenna was most recently the Instructional Technology Coordinator at the Chester Upland School District. She was the Academic Technology Director at the Agnes Irwin School for 2 years and was the Director of Technology at Waldron Mercy Academy for 9 years. She also taught Kindergarten and 4th grade at Waldron for 7 years and has an additional 6 years of teaching experience. She gained her experience in the computer field working for 10 years for a large computer company as a regional and national training and marketing support manager. She currently lives in Drexel Hill with her husband and has 3 children. She also teaches cardio kickboxing at the YMCA.

Mrs. Adria Crowley will be taking the place of Miss Pastelas in our First Grade. Before coming to Villa, Mrs. Crowley taught first grade for four years at St. Kevin School in Springfield. Prior to becoming a teacher, she was a classroom aide at St. Kevin for five years. She is originally from Springfield and now lives in Drexel Hill with her husband. Mrs. Crowley brings with her many talents including singing, and will be joining Sr. Margaret as a cantor at our school liturgies.

Mrs. Shannon Duke, will be our new Science Lab teacher. Mrs. Duke grew up in Bucks County and went to high school at Villa Joseph Marie High School for Girls. She went to college at the University of Delaware where she earned a BA in French Education. She attended graduate school at Holy Family University where she received an M.Ed. in Elementary Education. After taking time off to raise a family, she is thrilled to be back in the classroom, doing what she loves best!

Ms. Nancy Santamaria joins us as our new Dance teacher. She is a dance teacher/choreographer, artist and poet. She owned and operated her dance studio in Drexel Hill/Havertown where she happily taught children and adults. In the summer, she teaches Creative Movement & Dance at Upper Darby Summer Stage and Drama to the Camp Friendship special needs campers. Nancy is a presenter of retreats for women and liturgical dances at Daylesford Abbey. She has high hopes for all the dancing at VMA!

Please help us to extend a very warm welcome to the new members of our community. We appreciate everything all of our teachers do for our children and it is especially important that we remind them of that.

In this photo: Ms. Nancy Santamaria, Mrs. Shannon Duke, Mrs. Kate McKenna, and Mrs. Adria Crowley

Talented Youth

We would like to extend our congratulations to eighth grader, Catie Cullen. Catie is being recognized at an awards ceremony for the 2011 Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth search for her High Honors level scores she received on the SAT tests. The awards ceremony will take place at Albright College Merner-Pfeiffer-Klein Memorial Chapel in October. Congratulations Catie! We are so proud of your accomplishments.

Photo to come

Sisters & Brothers Working Together

Maya Angelou said, “I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers… Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.”
Villa Maria Academy along with their brother school, Saint Aloysius Academy, work closely together partnering in many endeavors to exemplify just that thought. Just recently, both schools joined forces on a branding advertisement now published on www.malvern.patch.com, collectively bringing the awareness of the IHM traditions of teaching and learning from the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the community at large.
It is their hope that the advertisement will help to reinforce how valuable a single-gender Catholic education is, and how it is especially influential at such a young age. The mind is the most impressionable when one is young. The 21st Century faith-based learning encourages students to perceive and maximize their capabilities, to develop positive self images, and to use these gifts in service to others.
Patch.com is a community-focused news and information site online which is targeted to specific towns and communities in areas throughout the country. Its stories report on extremely local news from trusted writers and photographers that live in the communities that they serve.
Business and organizations within each community possess their own Patch page that can be “followed” and shared on Facebook and Twitter. On each page, announcements can be posted, along with pictures and happenings, and each includes a space for reviews of the business or organization. Villa Maria’s page is located on the MalvernPatch and Saint Aloysius’s page is located on the BrynMawr –GladwynePatch. Check them out and review them. Help spread the word about the wonderful education your son or daughter is receiving.

Passing of the Light

As the newly appointed [seventh grade] members of the Student Council carried the school flags and banners into the chapel with honor, their eighth grade graduates followed behind slowly, gracefully, in a sea of blue and white to the graduation hymn. Parents, students, teachers and staff watched as the eighth grade bestowed their responsibilities upon the school’s new leadership team, eagerly waiting to accept the tasks at hand. The beautiful service concluded with an honoring of certificates for various clubs and activities throughout the year. We wish our eighth graders courage, hope and love and all the best for their futures and thank them for an impressive display of leadership and reverence throughout the years. And we welcome our new leaders with gratitude and anticipation for their new role in our family.

Villa Twirling Team to Win Their First Competition

The Vill Twirling Team had their first regional competition held at the Toyota Arena in York, PA on Sunday, May 29th by Twirling Unlimited. The girls won for their division! Congratulations girls. We are so proud of you.

In this photo: Kaite Dow, Ava Sulkowski, Megan Bradley, Mikaela Juskalian. Not pictured: Olivia McKenzie

Relay Team to Compete at Archdiocesan Finals

The VMA 4x100 relay team competed at the CYO Area E Track Championships at Plymouth Meeting HS on May 15, 2011. Our hardworking girls are now on to the Archdiocesan finals this weekend at Franklin field! Congratulations girls and best of luck!

In this photo: Ryan Doran, Marie Christine Coppa, Miranda Valerio, Bridget Hogue

Villa Twirling Team to Win Their First Competition

The Villa twirling team had their first competition this past weekend and we are thrilled to say that they won their division! Congratulations girls! Keep up the good work.

Photo to come...

State Computer Fair

Congratulations to the following Villa girls who qualified for the PA Middle School Computer Fair at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA:

Digital Movie
Meredith Valente, Bridget Forde, Claudia Becker

Desktop Publishing
Laura Zecca, Devi Donthineni

Multimedia
Christianna Mason, Cat Sloat, Grace Rodden

Graphic Design
Grace Kuroki, Julia Hardie, Caroline Mullen

Webpage Design
Meg Flood, Grace Lewis

Thanks for representing Villa, girls! Well done!

Connecting with the Past

On May 23, sixth graders from Villa Maria Academy Lower School celebrated Heritage Day with their classmates and supportive parents.
As part of their annual celebration, the girls were asked to research one of their family heritages and prepare a visual display as well as appear in the native dress of their chosen country.
After verbal presentations were given the girls, their parents and teachers were allowed to visit each visual display for a tasting of food the girls (with the help of their parents) prepared to represent the country their country of heritage. Their second grade prayer partners, along with students and teachers from other grades also visited the displays for a little taste of history and some yummy treats!

Photo: Sixth grade class in the dress of their country of heritage.

Traditions of Honor and Praise

It’s an overcast Friday the 13th at Villa Maria Academy Lower School, but the birds still chirp and the rain holds off long enough so that the May Procession, in honor of Our Lady of Fatima, can take place. Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary lead the procession, as the girls of Villa Maria and their teachers follow in prayer behind them. Faith, family and tradition play an important part in Villa Maria’s culture and parents of students also gather to take part in the merriment of the occasion. The second grade classes, in their First Holy Communion gowns, are last to enter. Sister Maureen Ruth follows behind with a crown of flowers for the Blessed Mother. On this day, Villa Maria also celebrates the First Holy Communion of Colby Dobra and the Twenty-fifth Jubilee of Sister Maureen Ruth. In celebration of her Jubilee, Sister Ruth is honored with the crowning of Mary, Queen of the May. Congratulations Colby and Sister Ruth! We are so proud of you.

Villa Girls Have Big Hearts

Students at Villa Maria Academy Lower School volunteer their leadership and service skills in the community and worldwide.

The girls at Villa Maria Academy have been busy this year dedicating their time and talents to several great causes. Their selfless acts depict how Villa girls use their talents in the most positive ways.
Samantha Smith of 4th grade decided to spread love this Valentine’s day by sending Valentine care packages to troops as her personal thank you. Care packages contained candy, protein bars, calling cards, Valentines, movies, video games, baby wipes, hand sanitizers, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and much more. Samantha succeeded in sending 403 pounds of “Love,” thanks to her classmates and friends.
Brittany Young of 6th grade was honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a state-level Certificate of Excellence from The 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Brittany volunteered her time by playing her violin for the elderly who are in nursing homes. Presented annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSAP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people across America for outstanding community service activities.
Maura Nolan of 1st grade was recognized by the Nemours Fund for Children’s Health for her gracious donation to their organization. Maura decided to have a climb-a-thon for her 7th birthday to raise money for Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in lieu of birthday gifts and in honor of her cousin, Katiri.
Sarabeth Henne of 8th grade traveled to Senegal, the most Western part of Africa, with Providence Church of West Chester on a medical mission. Sarabeth’s mother, a nurse practitioner, also participated in the trip. While there, Sarabeth and her mother prepared vaccinations for homeless boys in the city. She has been dedicated to this mission for the past three years and intends to continue medical missions in Senegal since it now feels like “home.”
These are just a few examples of how Villa girls devote their time by giving back to the community. Service is key to leadership, and for children this needs to be taught and modeled. The students are taught that leadership is primarily related to the power of their influence which is an important part of the mission at Villa Maria Academy Lower School.

Women Lead the Future

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” On Friday, April 15th, a team of successful women did just that for the uppers of 300 young girls at Villa Maria Academy Lower School.
Women’s [Career] Day at Villa Maria was both educational and fun. From Vocations Directress, to Nuclear Engineer, to Master Martial Arts Instructor, to 1992 Head Coach of the US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team and more, guest speakers brought positive inspiration and achievement to students’ inquiring young minds. Along with showing appreciation for their careers and love of being leaders, speakers also showed the girls how to have fun at work.
The most inspirational of speeches was given by Keynote speaker, Basketball Legend, 1992 Head Coach of the US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team, and VP of University Advancement at Immaculata University, Theresa Grentz. Grentz has influenced numerous students with her radio, TV and public speaking encounters. She spoke to the girls about the importance of being a leader and striving to be the greatest they can be in life. She exemplifies the power of women and their influence on the future, which is an important part of Villa Maria Academy’s mission.
Along with showing appreciation for their careers and a love of being leading women in their field, speakers also showed the girls that they can have fun at work. Mid-day focused on Martial Arts and the day concluded with a relaxing and energizing Yoga and Zumba class to demonstrate healthy and active lifestyles.

In this photo: Keynote speaker, Theresa Grentz and Villa girls Grace Papandon, Tara Watson, and Madeline Pongia.

A Sweet Lesson

In honor of tax week, Miss Devine decided to do a role-playing activity with her girls in 4B for their lesson on Taxation. The activity was developed to help the girls to understand how the colonists felt about unfair taxes.
Miss Devine divided the girls up into groups by choosing roles out of a hat. Most of the girls became colonists, while others became tax collectors, two for parliament, and one girl had the honor of being the king.
Miss Devine gave each of the colonists money (M&Ms) in a cup to symbol their salaries. While handing out the "salaries," she explained that it was the two girls in parliament's job to create laws on what to tax the colonists. Once the rules were drawn up, the girls who chose the tax collector roles would then go around collecting how much each of the colonists owed in taxes, while the king oversaw the process.
The first tax imposed on the colonists was a property tax. Parliament said "Each girl sitting in a desk will owe 3 M&Ms." All the girls groaned. Some even tried to sneak out of their desks to avoid being taxed! Colonists were also taxed on jewelry, hair accessories, and outfits. If a tax collector approached a girl and she was bankrupt and could not pay her taxes she had to go to jail (a cardboard cut-out area in the corner of the room).
At the close of the lesson, Miss Devine discussed with the girls how they felt about their positions in society and about the unfair taxes imposed on the colonists. The colonists were in uproar that they didn't know they were going to be taxed on certain items of clothing and accessories that they wore to school that day. The tax collectors felt powerful at first when they were taking the money, but were upset with the fact that they did all the work and did not get paid as well as parliament or the king. The girls in parliament expressed happiness at having received the chance to make the rules and make good money. And the king felt powerful at having had to do nothing but collect the money and said that everyone deserved it and shouldn't complain.
It was a fun and interactive lesson and both the girls and Miss Devine were very pleased with the results. And the girls were happy to eat the M&Ms at the end too!

(In this Photo) Katie Dow, “tax collector” collecting the M&Ms from the "colonists."

Philadelphia Independence President's Challenge

On March 31, 2011, Villa Maria Academy Lower School welcomed Val Henderson and Leigh Ann Robinson, players from the Philadelphia Independence Women’s Professional Soccer Team to their Added Value Curriculum Open House. During their visit, Val and Leigh Ann spoke to the girls about soccer and the importance of healthy, active lifestyles.
Independence Outreach Manager, Danielle Duff, worked closely with Villa’s Physical Education Teacher, Tricia Murnane, to coordinate the event. “I think the more we are able to expose our girls to athletics and strong female role models the better,” said Murnane.
The positive impact of the visit stirred talk of bringing the Independence back to Villa to promote a new program that they recently became advocates of: the President’s Challenge. The challenge is a 6-week program requiring youths, ages 6-17, to participate in physical activity for 60 minutes each day, 5 days per week. The Independence are working to promote the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) to the greater Philadelphia area. All participants who complete the program will receive a certificate signed by the co-chairs of the President’s Council, Drew Brees and Dominique Dawes.
Villa Maria Academy is excited about the opportunity of partnering with the Independence for this program. Having the players visit the school and promote this program is teaching the girls about community involvement as well, which is an important part of the school’s mission. The program kick-off date will be April 18th at Villa Maria Academy Lower School. Players from the Independence will be present to educate the girls on the program and be there to support their efforts.

(Photo: left to right) Val Henderson, Sam Teece, Madison Olenzak, and Courtney Olenzak (alum ’09), Leigh Ann Robinson at Villa Maria Academy’s Added Value Curriculum Open House.

AVC Open House

March 31st not only brought with it a chill in the air, but a fantastic night for our AVC event! Thank you to all the AVC teachers for showcasing the talent of our girls and for coordinating such fun activities for the children and their parents. And thank you to all the teachers and parents for your support. From beginning to end, this night was surely a success and brought along with it awareness and excitement.

A Call for Celebration

Congratulations to Samantha Victor of 6B on her First Holy Communion! Samantha celebrated her special day with both her family and the Villa family on First Friday Mass on April 1, 2011, followed by a celebration with her classmates and teachers. We are so proud of you, Samantha!

5th Grade State Show

The girls of both 5A and 5B performed in the State Show on March 29th. They displayed all they learned about the USA. Not only did the girls tell us everything there is to know about each region of the US, but they performed a few song and dance numbers as well. Great job, girls!

Celebration of the Arctic

On March 25th, the third grade celebrated the revealing of the "Arctic", which has been their culminating activity for the past several months. The girls presented a PowerPoint presentation in the library and then guided their parents on a tour of the arctic habitat. It was a job well done by both the girls and their teachers Miss Thomas and Mrs. Hannigan!

Science Fair Video

Enjoy this video prepared for our school Science Fair.

AVC Open House Video

The AVC Open House was held on Thursday, March 31st. The event provided an opportunity to showcase our "added-value" curriculum offerings-art, library, music, physical education, science lab, Spanish, and technology. Check out the 2011 AVC video!

Nemours Fund for Children's Health Recognition

We are delighted to share that Maura Nolan of 1A was recognized for her gracious donation to the Nemours Fund for Children’s Health. Maura held a climb-a-thon for her 7th birthday to raise money for Nemours/Allied I. duPont Hospital for Children, in lieu of birthday gifts and in honor of her cousin, Katri. We are very proud of Maura’s self-less decision and are honored to have her represent Villa Maria Academy in such a positive manner. Congratulations, Maura, on a job well done!

Boston Ballet School Acceptance

Congratulations to Chandlee Cann on being accepted to Boston’s Ballet School’s 2011 Summer Dance Program- Newton! Chandlee is still unsure If she will be attending, however, she is very excited about this honor. We are proud of your accomplishment and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors as a dancer!

Speech Tournament Winner

We are very proud to announce that Liz McKenzie of 6A won 1st prize on March 14th in the Poetry competition for the annual Philadelphia Archdiocesan Elementary Speech Tournament at Archbishop Ryan High School. The selection she read was “The Graduation Speech” by Cheryl Costello-Forshey. Liz only began reading this piece about three weeks ago, so both her effort, as well as her achievement are outstanding!

Bullying Program

On Monday March, 14th, the Chester County Health Department visited Villa Maria Academy to share their Bullying Program with the girls in every grade. Miss Dee, a representative from CCHD, shared a story, “Act Like a Friend”, with Miss Patselas 1A class. She asked the girls what they could do to make others feel good and Madison Frank responded, “They can be nice to you and not bully you.” The girls were very interested in what Miss Dee had to share with them and ended the presentation with a coloring activity that taught the girls how to decide when someone was being nice and when someone was being a bully. We were very privileged to have the CCHD come and share such valuable information with the girls.

Presidential Recognition

Special congratulations go out to Brittany Young who was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award! Brittany devoted hours of service by playing the violin at local nursing homes and was among the top 10 percent of all applicants from the state of Pennsylvania in this year’s program. The Presidential Volunteer Service Award recognizes American’s of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country. Congratulations, Brittany, on your continuous efforts to honor your family at VMA.

Pennsylvania Geographic Bee Semifinalist

Congratulations to Catie Cullen for being one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2011 Pennsylvania Geographic Bee! Preliminary rounds were held within the 4-8th grade classrooms. One winner from each class advanced to the School-Wide competition held in January, and Catie Cullen won the school-wide event. She then went on to take a written qualifying test that was mailed in. Based on her results from the written qualifying test, Catie has qualified to represent Villa at the State-Level of the competition on April 1 at Penn State University. One winner from each state and territory will advance from that competition to the national competition, held May 24 - 25 in Washington DC. This is the first time a Villa student will advance to the State-Level Competition for the National Geographic Geography Bee. This is the third year we have held the National Geographic Geography Bee at Villa.

National-Level Competition contestants compete for the following:
- First Place – a $25,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, $500 in cash, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands
- Second Place – a $15,000 college scholarship and $500 in cash
- Third Place – a $10,000 college scholarship and $500 in cash
- Seven Runners Up - $500 in cash for each runner up

Congratulations Catie and best of luck at States!

Sixth Grade Science Class

Mr. Turco presented a fun and informative lesson for the 6th grade on Friday, March 4th. Mr. Turco, who is a licensed professional, helped the girls to understand the different ways to create chemical reactions. Mr. Turco directed an activity in which the girls were able to experiment with chemicals other than baking soda and vinegar to assist them in setting off their volcanoes. Mr. Turco, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Computer Fair Winners

The following girls participated in the Chester County Computer Fair and were awarded prizes in the following areas: Digital Movie - 1st: Meredith Valente, Bridget Forde, Claudia Becker, 2nd: Olivia McCloskey, Anna Brower, Lydia Kao;
Desktop Publishing - 1st: Laura Zecca, Devi Donthineni,2nd: MaryRose O¹Donnell, Marissa Pichinich, Sam Victor; Multimedia - 1st: Christianna Mason, Cat Sloat, Grace Rodden, Graphic Design - 1st: Grace Kuroki, Julia Hardie, Caroline Mullen,2nd: Kirsten Young; Webpage Design - 1st: Meg Flood, Grace Lewis. Congratulations to our students and to Mrs. Melissa Dow, Computer Fair moderator.

PJAS Science Fair

The following girls placed in the recent PJAS Science Fair. First place: Maria Dulin, Devi Donthineni, Grace Kuroki, and Olivia McCloskey; second place: Lydia Kao. First place students will travel to Penn State for the next round. Mr. Joseph Miller is the moderator of the team.

D.A.R.E. Graduation

Congratulations to our 5th grade students who celebrated the completion of the 10-week D.A.R.E. program on Tuesday, February 22. Prayers written by Elena Kufta and Eleni Seneca were read; Bridget Hogue, Olivia Mason, Shannon Smith, and Miranda Valerio read their winning essays. The class was taught by Officer Keri de la Cruz.

Archdiocesan Elementary Strings Festival

The following students performed with the Archdiocesan String Orchestra at Archbishop Carroll High School on Saturday, February 19: 1st Violin - Ashley Frankenfield, Grace Hall, Madison Leiman, and Christianna Mason; 2nd Violin - Lindsay Dickinson and Katharine Murray; Cello - Grace Lewis. Congratulations!

Archdiocesan Elementary Choral Concert

Congratulations to Miranda Bedics, Abigail Dinehart, and Ryan Doran who participated in the Archdiocesan Choral Concert at Bishop Shanahan High School on February 16th. Special thanks to Sister Margaret Logrip, IHM for preparing the students for the concert. The students are pictured with Sister Mary Ellen Tennity, IHM, Principal of VMA; Sister Margaret Logrip, IHM, Director of Music Activities and Sister Susan Joseph, IHM, Assistant Principal.

Archdiocesan Elementary Festival Band

Thea DeJong and Marie Christine Coppa represented VMA Sunday, February 13th at the Archdiocesan Festival Band Concert at Archbishop Wood where they both played the flute in the ensemble. Thea earned the honor as acting first chair flutist for the concert.

Dental Health Presentation

Dr. Thomas Watson, DMD met with primary school students on Friday, February 11th and delivered an interesting presentation about dental health. Dr. Watson is the father of Dana, grade 3, and twins Tara and Nicole, Grade 1.

First Grade Geology Class

Mr. Greg Smoot and his wife, Liz presented a fun and informative geology lesson in 1B's classroom. Mr. Smoot, who is a licensed, professional geologist, helped the girls to understand the different types of rocks and how they were formed. Mrs. Smoot directed an activity in which each girl chose a crystal and identified it. Mr. & Mrs. Smoot, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Madeleine Hardie Performs with the Archdiocesan Elementary Honor Band

Eighth grade flutist, Maddie Hardie, performed with the Archdiocesan Honors band at Archbishop Wood High School on February 4. Maddie auditioned for participation in the band in the Fall of 2010 and, once selected, attended all rehearsals to prepare for last night's performance. The Archdiocesan Honors Band will perform at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia in March, 2011.

VMA Celebrates Taffy's Birthday

Taffy, the beloved giraffe mascot of VMA, celebrated her 5th birthday on Thursday, February 3rd. The festivities began at lunchtime with the arrival of Taffy's friends - Minnie and Mickey, Winnie the Pooh, Goofy, and the St. Aloysius Wildcat. Taffy and friends mingled with all the students and shared ice cream sundaes provided by the Parent Guild. Later in the afternoon, Taffy and the Wildcat faced off in a game of Family Feud in the gym. To the students' delight, Taffy and family won the round and the day!

VMA Spelling Bee

Congratulations to all the students of Villa Maria who participated in Monday's Spelling Bee.This year's Spelling Bee Champion is Dominique Ocampo. First runner-up is Nikoleta Testa.

VMA Geography Bee

The VMA Geography Bee was held on Friday, January 14. Students from grades 4-8 competed in the finals. VMA school Geography Bee Champion is Catie Cullen, second place went to Holly Funk, and third place to Olivia Williams. Congratulations girls!!

VMA Students Show Their Love for the Troops

Students at Villa Maria Academy recently completed a collection for our troops in Afghanistan. VMA students were asked to contribute small items such as batteries, socks, snacks, powdered drinks, and soap to send to the troops. The idea was presented to the Leadership Council by Samantha Smith, a fourth grade student. Samantha is pictured with a friend as she prepared all the collected items for delivery.

VMA Launches Online Magazine

Villa Maria Academy has moved into the realm of online publication with "Intercessions." The inaugural edition includes themed articles relating to leadership, parenting, spirituality, teaching, and learning. The online magazine features a blog written by Sister Mary Ellen Tennity, IHM, principal of VMA.

http://intercessionsmagazine.com/

Archdiocesan Honor, Festival Band, and Choral Participation Announced

Congratulations to Ryan Doran, Marie Christine Coppa, and Miranda Bedics who will be representing Villa Maria Academy in the Archdiocesan Elementary Choral Festival in February and again at the Kimmel Center in March.

In addition, Madi Hardie and Alayna McDonald have been chosen for participation in the Archdiocesan Honor Band. Marie Christine Coppa and Thea DeJong will represent VMA in the Archdiocesan Festival Band. Congratulations to all our musicians! We are proud of you!

VMA Celebrates Art Contest Winner

Congratulations to 5th grader, Olivia Mason. Olivia's artwork has been chosen for the 2011 PA Attorney General's Drug Awareness Calendar. Olivia has been invited to a luncheon in Harrisburg on December 15, 2010. In addition, she will also receive a $200 savings bond. Special thanks to Mrs. Cathy Sturm, art teacher at VMA, for coordinating this contest. Watch for Olivia's artwork on the December, 2011 page!

Founder's Day

The students, faculty, and staff of Villa Maria Academy celebrated IHM Founder's Day on Wednesday, November 10. The day began with an assembly in the gymnasium with Sister Mary Ellen Tennity, IHM, school principal, retelling the story of the founding of the IHM Congregation by Rev, Louis Florent Gillet in 1845. Second grade students visited the IHM Motherhouse and provided lunchtime entertainment for the Sisters. Students from 5-8 grade traveld to Camilla Hall to play the IHM version of "Are You Smarter Than an IHM."

Kindergarten Color Day

October 29th 2010 (Immaculata, PA). The Kindergarten class at Villa Maria Academy Lower School have been working on recognizing and spelling color words this month. They were each given a color and encouraged to come to school dressed up in and wearing as much of her assigned color as possible!

Mission Day 2010

October 29, 2010 Immaculata, PA . At Villa Maria Academy Lower School’s Annual Mission Day, the gym came frightfully alive when; through their service and leadership, the current eighth grade class planned and executed various Halloween type carnival activities for the school. All the proceeds for the Mission Day will support Villa Maria Academy’s efforts to offer monetary assistance to many of the charities Villa Maria supports every year.

The Eighth Grade girls conducting one of the many activities for their Annual Mission Day.

Mello and Hemsley Enjoy International Duet

Mello and Hemsley enjoy international duet

Two Whitman residents traveled to the origins of their craft for a month-long intensive in Paris.
By Jess Fuerst
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 19, 2010

Christine Mello and Ben Hemsley spent part of the summer in the City of Lights where they learned about music, did a little sightseeing and tasted some find food.

South Philadelphia is 3,705 miles from Paris, France. The distance, however, seems like nothing to Whitman residents Christine Mello and Ben Hemsley.

“It was my first time in Europe,” Hemsley of Second Street and Oregon Avenue, said. “I thought it was wonderful and I can’t wait to go back. The people are very friendly … and it was very clean for the most part.”

Mello, a cellist, and Hemsley, a composer, spent July in an exclusive music composition and theory program held annually at Paris’ La Schola Cantorum. Acceptance is through an audition process and about 50 musicians and artists from around the globe come to France’s capital for the intensive.

“It was a great experience. It was a lot of learning, but it was nice to be in the place where it all happened,” Mello, from Second and Oregon, said. “One of the best things is that I can take it back here and use it in everyday life as a performer and a teacher.”

The two friends traveled across the Atlantic to study with some of the greatest composers in their respective fields, as well as students who put modern twists on timeless classics.While Hemsley focused on his personal compositions, Mello worked with various composers playing their works until they were satisfied with the sound.

“It was great. It was both advanced enough for musicians who are out of college and in grad school, but it focused on the basics. The program comes from a style that no matter your musical discipline, you should be well-versed in everything, a well-rounded musician,” Hemsley said. “You get to study with some of the tops composers in Europe.

“Also, there were some very fresh perspectives, ways I hadn’t thought of thinking of things before — the faculty there was presenting new ways of thinking.”

Though most hours were spent indoors soaking up knowledge, Mello and Hemsley took advantage of their limited free time to see sights such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre. They even managed a train ride out to the grand castle at Versailles.

“It was the first time I was in France,” Mello, 28, said. “Paris is a great place. The French are totally misunderstood. There are a lot of misconceptions about them, but they are awesome.

“Paris is just like Philadelphia — there are so many areas and such great food and people are so nice, so many little nooks.”



Mello grew up in Pennsport and attended St. Maria Goretti, 1736 S. 10th St., a place, she says, played a huge role in determining her future career.

“There was something so magical about Goretti. I never felt picked on by everyone because I played the cello,” Mello, who was encouraged by a teacher to take up the craft, said. “I had pink hair in college. I listened to classic rock. There was something so passionate for me about classical music. My classmates and the school were so supportive of that.

“I never felt nerdy about it. I’m so happy I’m at such an advantage. It was such a great environment to grow and learn who I am.”

Mello relishes every opportunity to sing the praises of her hometown and the opportunities it afforded her as she feels South Philadelphia is not always recognized for these traits. After graduation she moved on to undergraduate work at the College of Music at Temple University and is currently in the process of earning a graduate degree in music history.

Hemsley, on the other hand, made his way to South Philadelphia a little over a year ago. Born in Drexel Hill, he attended college in Boston at the prestigious Berklee College of Music and continues his studies in Philadelphia with a mentor.

“I work with Benjamin Boyle. He suggested that I look into the program [in Paris]. He works for them, as well. I study composition privately with him. He lives in Philadelphia, he’s a local composer,” Hemsley, 26, said.

After he got word of the program, Hemsley alerted Mello of the idea and the two sent in their respective audition pieces; Hemsley’s consisting of an original composition and Mello’s, a taped piece of her playing. Both also submitted essays and other materials.

“The program is based on a the music of Nadia Boulanger — her teaching style was a very new style, a new way to learn. With that radical type of teaching she changed the face of music,” Mello said of the French composer and educator who is credited with teaching some of the most influential and revered composers of the 20th century.

Mello, who teaches cello, violin and viola, and Hemsley, who is band director for a middle school, fill their lives with music and the joy of passing it on. The program enriched their understanding and fueled the passion they already had for their art.

“I could continue teaching cello my whole life, helping to build or rehab the city orchestra. So as long as I’m doing music,” Mello said.

Hemsley is similarly drawn to his craft, as well as tapping away on his drum set, which is an instrument he began playing in fourth grade.

“I don’t have any good reason to give you why I’m drawn to it. I just know if I’m not doing it something is not right,” he said. “There is a need to compose and create — not to create junk but to create real beauty.

“I’m waiting for my skills to improve so I can play along with the Mummers. I love the music that they play. It’s from the 1890s or 1900s, and it’s like someone is punching [the notes] out at a bar on a slightly out of tune piano.

“It is just absolutely joyous music.”

http://www.southphillyreview.com/news/lifestyles/Mello-and-Hemsley-enjoy-in

Student Council Spreads More Than Goodwill

The eighth-grade leadership team at Villa Maria Academy started the school year out with a cherished Villa tradition...the annual peanut butter & jelly drive. Hundreds of jars of hungry tummy-filling sandwich spreads were gratefully collected and delivered this week to the Archdiocesan Food Pantry.

Villa Welcomes New Faculty Members

Villa Maria Academy welcomes seven new members to the faculty, including (l-r) eighth grade teacher, Bridget Velardi; Kindergarten aide, Patricia Grube; second grade teacher, Sister Maureen Ruth IHM; Assistant Principal, Sister Susan Joseph IHM; seventh grade teacher, Kara Rufo; and Music Program Director, Sister Margaret Logrip IHM. Not pictured, fourth grade teacher, Jennifer Devine.



Founded in 1872, Villa Maria Academy is a Catholic learning community for girls in the IHM tradition of leadership and service. Dedicated to its elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade and middle school grades six through eight, the Academy is located in historic central Chester County in the town of Immaculata, Pennsylvania.



Contact: Mary Salinas
(610) 644-4864 x 107
msalinas@villamaria.org

www.villamaria.org

Villa Maria Curriculum Initiatives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWRwx6rH1WI

Philly.com - Academy’s goal: Every student at the head of the class

Check out Philly.com's coverage of Villa Maria's lessons on Leadership for sixth through eighth graders. From October 10, 2007

"Two years ago, Sister Mary Ellen Tennity decided she wanted to grow leaders at Villa Maria Academy.
Not just a handful of girls. Sister Mary Ellen resolved that each and every one of the 380 students at the Chester County school would become strong, principled decision-makers."

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/10327022.html