A Project of Growth

In school, big projects are a given. They come along with frequent after-school work sessions in the lounge, and they mean becoming a regular at the local craft store.

The freshmen Honors and Accelerated English year-end projects, however, involved a bit more than this usual routine. They allowed us to showcase our own unique creative abilities along with our intellectual skills. After the final presentations, I came to realize that the process of developing these projects symbolized the newfound friendships, knowledge, and confidence that high school has given us.

For the Accelerated class, our group assignment was to simply present one hundred pages of Jane Austen’s Emma to the class. These loose guidelines challenged our creativity and led us to formulate a mini-theatrical production, which was more challenging — yet also more fun — than I would have expected.

My partner and I started with the idea of a puppet show and made marionettes and a puppet theater. Then, realizing that we both play the piano, we decided to incorporate that skill along with acting into our presentation script. This chain reaction of ideas continued as we made sets, painted pictures, assembled costumes, and even baked cookies.

Constructing the “stage” for a puppet show

Along the way, of course, we did run into a few problems. After spending hours painting a backdrop, we were disappointed to have the entire painting peel off of the tarp; however, we learned to laugh through these struggles. In the end, I realized how much more elaborate our work has become compared to our simple creations from September. I also realized how much better we have become at sharing ideas and having fun with our tasks because of the friendships we have developed over the past year.

Overall, this project, like everything else about our freshman year at Villa, has led us to grow in every way possible.

–Caroline Boschetto, ’15

Celebrating Superheroes

Recently, Villa held the Father Daughter Dance at King’s Cross Caters with this year’s theme being Superheroes. As my dad and I walked in to the reception, he got to meet up and chat with the other dads, while I danced with my friends.

After a nice dinner, the seniors gave a little speech about their fathers. Of course, my dad warned me to take notes, because that will be us in two years. I love this night, because it gives me a special time to hang out with just my dad. Next year, my sister and I will have to take turns dancing with him, but I know the night will still be amazing.

Villa also has the Mother-Daughter Tea, which is a day when my mom, sister, aunt, and I can spend some time together. Each year, the tea has raffles with some very exciting baskets and prizes; our family won a basket filled with baking supplies! The tea was held at a new location in Princeton, New Jersey; I thought the hotel was very pretty and the food was good too. Also, as a sophomore this year, I got to model a fancy dress from the dress store Party Girls (in Newtown).

With school, sports, and other activities, life is really busy for teenagers today. I enjoy having these two days to spend extra time with my friends and family. 

–Catherine Messina, ’14

Final Traditions

As Sophomore year comes to a close, I take this time to reflect on how much fun I’ve had this year, and what I have to look forward to for next year! Sophomore year may be thought of as a year of lesser importance, since we are no longer new to the school like freshman and not getting ready for college like juniors and seniors. In my opinion, Sophomore year was a lot of fun because high school is no longer intimidating and I just had the chance to enjoy the year.

As a sophomore, I knew what the amazing Villa traditions entailed and looked forward to each and every one. Some of the last Villa traditions that are left in this school year are the spring Spirit Day, the incoming freshman prayer service, and of course, graduation. The spring Spirit Day last year was tons of fun! There’s a DJ, a moon bounce, bracelet making, water slides, and tons of candy! This year’s incoming freshman prayer service is extremely important for the Class of 2014, because this is when we get to meet our little sisters! I am so excited to have little sisters next year! I hope they will love Villa as much as I do!

The final tradition? Jumping in a pool on the last day of school. Then: Summer!

One of the last Villa traditions left this year is graduation. This year, my big sister is graduating, and I know it will be hard to not see her in the halls next year! Graduation last year was a beautiful service and I hope it is just as nice this year for my big sister.

I can’t believe that this year is almost coming to an end, but I cannot wait for summer, and for next year when I will finally be an upperclassman, a junior!

–Kelsey Endo, ’14

The End is Near

Wow, it’s really crazy how the time flies. In a few short weeks, the desks will be stacked in the hallway, and the smell of Windex and discarded paper will fill the halls. I for one can’t wait to triumphantly throw out all my AP papers (I won’t need those for next year … right?) and know that another successful year at Villa is under my belt. Winding down the year is always bittersweet.

On one hand, the end of the year is when teachers love to cram as much as they can into as short a time possible (hello three quizzes a day!), yet the end holds so many fantastic activities, such as the upcoming Spirit Day. Lucky for me, it falls on my AP Literature test day, which means as soon as I finish, I’ll be able to celebrate by having some water-sliding, moon-bouncing, water-iced fun. Undoubtedly the best day of the year, Spirit Day really marks the beginning of summer. It’s a day I’ve been looking forward to for the past nine months, that’s for sure!

Relaxing with puppies is always a stress reliever!

Another event I’m excited for is the upcoming District and State meets for my first year of outdoor track! Our team has been doing so well, with an undefeated season and plenty of school records broken. I’ve battled my sister for one of the top spots in the 100 meter dash, but for some strange reason I haven’t beaten her … yet. I keep telling her the 0.1 seconds of a lead she always seems to pull out are dumb luck, because I refuse to accept the fact that my freshman sister can beat me at anything! I think that Districts will be a fantastic meet: with three consecutive wins so far, I really want to be part of one. I suppose we’ll find out next week! The team has worked so hard this year, and we’re stacked with so much talent, it’s going to be a great competition.

So as for now, I have a very busy schedule in these last, quickly-approaching weeks. I’m happy with my year as a junior — there was a lot of tough work and sometimes stressful scheduling, but as corny as it sounds, I feel as if I grew as a person and matured along with my classmates around me. If the years at Villa keep getting better and better as they have, senior year will be absolutely amazing.

Thank you all so much for reading my entries this year, I hope I got to enlighten you on some of the behind-the-scenes activities at Villa! Our school truly is a special place.

–Gina Lupica, ’13

Savoring Every Moment

Lately my role in the VJM Band has become increasingly important. These past few weeks have been full of functions. We had our spring concert during which we featured songs that have been practiced and perfected since February! We also had our annual band trip. This year it was held in New York City. We participated in a variety of activities, including dining at the famous restaurant Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and seeing the musical Mamma Mia on Broadway. We also got to perform and be critiqued at a professional clinic at the Lincoln Center, and we toured a few popular sights such as the Top of the Rock Observatory, Ellis Island, Liberty Island, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art! I had an amazing time with my band buddies and can’t wait until next year’s trip.

Before the spring musical, Alice in Wonderland

This past weekend a few of us played in the pit band for the spring musical: Alice in Wonderland. I’ll admit, it involved a huge amount of repetition, but it paid off in the end as the cast, crew, and pit band performed flawlessly! The audience thoroughly enjoyed the production; you could tell from their laughter and facial expressions. I liked working on the music for the show and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Coming up soon, we will visit Dorney Park, which will be a real challenge, as it will be our first performance without the seniors. However, a day of music and rides is a recipe for awesomeness. In a few weeks is our Spring Spirit Day. Based on what I’ve heard from the upperclassmen, I think it sounds pretty promising. How could you go wrong with BBQ food, giant Slip ‘N Slides, and Bouncy Castles? It’s crazy how fast this year is slipping away; therefore, I’ll just have to savor every last moment of fun.

–Alexanne Marousis, ’15

Becoming a Leading Jem

This past month at Villa has been a big one for my class, the upcoming Juniors. I still can’t believe that next year I’ll be an upperclassman. I feel like I should still be in third grade! So for all of you incoming freshmen: really, these years do fly by.

A few weeks ago, we were handed packets containing information on our class rings. It blew my mind that we could even be thinking about something like that already! They’re going to be gorgeous judging from the pictures in the packet. Each has a blue stone in the center, and our school emblem and crest are engraved on the sides. I still have to decide between a gold-colored base or a silver one, but I think I’m leaning towards the silver. We also have to choose between a thick ring or a skinny one, but I’m stumped with what to pick for that. Our class will receive our rings at the beginning of next year, at Ring Day.

Another part of becoming an upperclassman involves getting a Little Sister. Not a real sibling: the juniors get paired up with the incoming freshmen. My Big Sister is a senior, and we’ve had so many fun activities together. I can’t wait to share Villa with my Little Sisters. I’m lucky enough to have two of them because the incoming class has so many Jems in it that some of us needed to double up! The more, the merrier! I hope I can be the best Big Sister there is.

These two things are giant steps to becoming an upperclassman. The past two years have been such a blur; I can’t believe that I’ll be a leader at the school next year. I’m ready to take on the responsibilities and become the best Jem possible!

–Katie Grant, ’14

The Big Apple welcomes the Villa Band

Over Spring Break, I was able to go on a trip to New York City with the Villa Band. The band takes a trip every year and, since I had so much fun last year on it, I made sure to go again.

This year, we travelled to New York City on Friday, April 13 and played at the Josie Robertson Plaza at the Lincoln Center. It was very cool to play right in the middle of New York near so many famous sites and landmarks. We then traveled to the City College of New York and received instructions and critiques from a graduate there. It was very helpful and fun to play and hear what we could do to make our playing even better.

After the clinic, we went to the heart of New York City, Times Square, for dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp. Once our fun dinner was over, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and were able to enrich ourselves with all of the beautiful and very well-known works of art there.

The band's trip to New York -- especially the visit to the Statue of Liberty -- was an exciting experience!

The next day, we went to the American Museum of Natural History, where the famous movie Night at the Museum took place. It was fun seeing all of the exhibits and pointing out things that we recognized from the movie. We then got to go see the wonderful musical Mamma Mia! We all enjoyed singing and dancing along with the great music!

After the show, we went to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, ate dinner, and visited Rockefeller Center to go to the “Top of the Rock Observatory” from which we were able to see all of New York City. We ended the trip by traveling to both Liberty and Ellis Islands, where we visited the Statue of Liberty.

Villa Band’s annual trip is something that I now look forward to every year! It allows me to travel to places that I’ve never been to before, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although the trips are always quite packed, they are always a load of fun!

–Kelsey Endo, ’14

Celebrating a Special Bond

On March 10, 2012, Villa girls put on their dresses and dancing heels, but instead of arriving at a formal with  dates, they got to bring their fathers to the Father-Daughter dance. It was a night of amazing food, beautiful décor, and fun songs that could be enjoyed whether one was fifteen or fifty. But, best of all, it was an event that let us tell our fathers how much they mean to us and how grateful we are that they have let us be a part of the Villa family.

This loving atmosphere was brought to a peak as seniors made heartfelt and even teary-eyed tributes to their fathers in appreciation for all of their dads’ love and support. Their words made us all realize how, even for a freshman, our years at home with our fathers are numbered and we should cherish every second.

Then, after reminiscing about old memories, we made some new ones as we laughed and danced. And, while our dads’ moves wouldn’t exactly have earned them a spot on Dancing with the Stars, we enjoyed the night all the same. We also had fun spending quality time with our friends as our dads enjoyed getting acquainted with fellow fathers.

The Father-Daughter Dance is a time-honored tradition all Villa students look forward to

Overall, the Father-Daughter Dance was a night to remember, and it reminded us to appreciate the little things our fathers do for us and to let them know how much their love truly means to us.

–Caroline Boschetto, ’15

A Formal Tradition

Besides formal, Villa has the White-Out, Halloween, and Aloha dances. But out of all the Villa dances, the Winter Formal remains my favorite.

A pre-formal celebration -- complete with lots of pictures -- is a must!

Before formal, we had a pre-party celebration to eat snacks and take pictures. Then, all of us went over to Villa and danced the night away. The school was decorated to perfection with glittering lights and decorations that fit this year’s theme of Cinderella. Each girl got to take home a glass slipper as a favor.

I loved looking at everyone’s different dresses and corsages from their dates. No worries, though: a date is not required; many girls chose to go solo or with a group of girls! After formal ended, my friends and I went over to Applebee’s and ended up seeing many Villa girls and their dates. By the end of the night, I was tired but happy with how the night went.

Because formal is in January, it is a great way to break up the cold, sometimes dreary, months of winter (well, not so cold this year!). Almost the entire school, including some of the teachers, attends and takes part in the celebration.

Formal was a great way to have fun right before the stress of midterms began and before spring fever kicked in. I got to bond with my friends and enjoy their company. I can’t wait for the next year’s formal and maybe even prom!

–Catherine Messina, ’14

Breaking Records and Having Fun

I’m dedicating this blog post to the Villa Joseph Marie Track team! We just had our first meet at St. Basil’s two Saturdays ago, and the weather was certainly not on our side. It was cloudy, dreary, cold, windy, and wet. I heard other teams refusing to even show up at the meet because of such conditions, but not the Jems! Armed with our 3-sided water and almost-windproof tent, we braved the harsh conditions and competed fantastically!

My own prodigy of a sister, freshman Jane Lupica, shattered her long jump record and came in first place in the triple jump. She also competed in the 4×400 and in the 4×200 dream team that also includes Erin Keen, Leah Patrick, and Tori Nawalinski. They had a dramatic first place finish with a lead of almost a hundred meters!

Continuing my newfound love for hurdles, I managed to break the school record in the 100m hurdles by over half a second. It was extremely exciting for me, and I can’t wait to compete at districts. I also go the opportunity to spontaneously run the anchor leg of a 4×100 meter relay. We ended up taking second place in our heat as well as second place overall.

Our next meet on Saturday, April 7 also went extremely well. The shuttle hurdle team consisting of myself, Reese Poncia, Nicole Duffy, and Casey Reilly ended up breaking the school record by almost 2 seconds! The 4×100 relay I was in also did very well, placing second. The same 4×200 relay dominated again with a huge first-place victory.

Our new school-record holding shuttle hurdle relay!

I’m so happy that I decided to take up track again this year, after a two-year hiatus. Everyone on the team is so inclusive and friendly, after less than a year I feel like I’ve made so many new friends that I might not have ever had a chance to talk to before I did track. I’m happy to not only have my friends from class, but also my Villa theater family, my Holy Ghost theater friends, and now my track friends. I’m definitely ready to finish out the spring season strongly, and all while rehearsing for Damn Yankees!

–Gina Lupica, ’13