VillaService:In the Communitypage 9

VillaProspective:Principal’s Notepage 2

VillaPromise:Sports Newspage 8

VillaAlumnae:Notespage 11

VillaNews:page 4-5

by Mary T. Michel

School year 2005-6 is a yearof “renaissance” at VillaJoseph Marie High School!The school’s physicalrenaissance includes theaddition of three newclassrooms (summer, 2005),the commencement ofconstruction of the new busporch/portico and the targetedrenovation of the Chapel,dependent upon a successful2005-6 Annual Fund.

To nurture a schoolwide,spiritual rebirth, the CampusMinistry and ReligionDepartments are encouraginggreater levels of activeparticipation and appreciationof the liturgies. Students arewriting and deliveringwelcomes to the congregationbefore Mass and theLiturgical Singing Group isincorporating new songs andpracticing them with thestudent body prior to liturgies.Penance and Prayer serviceswas held at the opening of theschool year and again duringthe Advent season to foster a

personal, spiritualrenaissance amongall members of theschool family.

During the Augustfaculty meeting, eachacademic departmentformulated adiscipline- specificimplementation ofthe renaissance themeinto the curriculum.Several departmentshave chosen to reference thehistorical “Renaissance” intheir classes, while otherdepartments are using thebroader model of TheRenaissance as “a period ofvigorous artistic andintellectual activity.” Tosupplement the classroomexperiences of vigorousinquiry, the GuidanceDepartment sponsored anassembly presentation by Dr.Kevin Lampe, a cutting-edgescientist/professor, on thelatest scientific discoveriesand future-based careers in thesciences. In addition, theEnglish Departmentcoordinated an afternoon of

Sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Casimir A Recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

ProfilerA publication of Villa Joseph Marie High School Winter 2006 Vol. 6, No. 1

Villa

Villa’s “Renaissance”

professional Shakespeareantheater. On October 21st, theentire school enjoyed “Romeoand Juliet” performed at Villa,by The PennsylvaniaShakespeare Festival ofDeSales University.

Here at Villa, the“renaissance” continues andactively supports the School’sMission. To foster in eachstudent academic excellence,character and culturaldevelopment; and religious,social, and personal growth.

Miss Rebecca Flynn teaching in one of our new classrooms

VILLA JOSEPH MARIE

HIGH SCHOOL

Board of Directors – 2005-2006Michael Braun, Chair [Katie ’00, Kerri‘07] Business Mgr., U. Moreland Twp.

Sr. M. Immacula Wendt, SSCGeneral Superior (ex officio)

Diana Koopman (ex officio) PrincipalEdward J. Bader, Holy Family

University, Retired ProfessorDiane M. [Bentivoglio’62] Barkley

Irene Brusco [Krista ‘90], Director ofInsurance, AAA

E. Garrett Gummer, III, AttorneyGerald J. Heckler, retired

Sr. Grace Ann Kalafut, SSC, Sistersof St. Casimir, Treasurer

Nancy Matteo [Laura ‘03], PrincipalSt. Andrew School

Sr. Margaret Petcavage ’52, SSCSisters of St. Casimir, General Council

James G. Pirolli [Catherine ‘08]Certified Public Accountant

Frederick Wojotowicz, Vice Chair[Kate ‘04] Vice President of Tax

Covance, Inc.Sr. Elizabeth Ann Yocius, SSC,

Teacher, Maria High School, ChicagoPatrick J. Kenney, Board Member

Emeritus, Kenney Insurance &Financial Services

VillaProfilerPUBLICATION CREDITS

Editors: Mary T. Michel, Bethany GreggContributors: K Higgins, M. Brown, Mary T. Michel,A. Perez, B. Gregg, D. Koopman, D. Cronk, C.Murway, G. Giannascoli

Villa Joseph Marie High SchoolAdministration

Diana Koopman, PrincipalMary T. Michel, Director of Internal & ExternalAffairs/Director of GuidanceMarissa Brown, Dean of Student AffairsMaureen Cleary, Director of Admissions Bethany Doros Gregg, Director of Development &Alumnae RelationsKarla Hurlbert, Director of TechnologyKathleen Higgins, Campus MinisterJoseph Levins, Athletic DirectorBernard Labencki, Business Manager

The publisher reserves the right to edit allsubmissions for length, clarity and

appropriateness to a Catholic Publication. VillaJoseph Marie, founded by the Sisters of St.

Casimir in 1932, is a private, Catholic, collegepreparatory school for young women. Its mission is to foster in each student academic excellence;character and cultural development; and religious,

social, and personal growth.

VillaProfiler. . . page 2

VillaProspective

A Note from the Principal

I admit I had doubts in August that VJMcould open on time, but with a lot of hard work anddetermination, we were able to begin the school yearwith a clean building housing three additionalclassrooms. Continuing in this vein, we broke groundand started the bus loop. It was a happy day when thebig bulldozers and dump trucks arrived on the property and started to maketheir much-anticipated mess! We reviewed and finalized the plans for thebus porch and it looks like the first phase of our structural renaissanceshould be completed soon.

The feasibility report, conducted last spring, stressed theimportance of a more structured Annual Fund organization. I’m happy toreport that our Development Committee and our consultants have puttogether a configuration that will get more people involved. The AnnualFund for this school year will provide for the renovation of the Chapel,which will benefit the entire Villa community. Once renovated, our Chapelwill be a beautiful, spiritual place for liturgies, prayer services, retreats,private prayers and reflections

This fall found us laughing and enjoying ourselves with ourproduction of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The girls involved withthis play did a marvelous job entertaining all of us. They showed spunk,vitality, and in one incident, the ability to think on one’s feet (paws?) Ournext play is Bye, Bye, Birdie, the anticipation is building to beginproduction of this entertaining play.

Our yearly visits to Hershey went as planned. Once again, we wentto the stadium to watch our wonderful soccer team do what it does best,win a State Championship. Each girl performed like an athlete andbehaved like a true Villa girl, bringing pride to her school. The weatherwas brisk, the game was exciting, and the outcome was superb.

The hustle and bustle of the holidays are behind us. I hope that allof you found the time to relax and enjoy your family. May God shelter youthrough life’s storms and seasons.....and bless you in the coming NewYear.

Mrs. Diana Koopman

THE LINKGive your “rising” freshman the

necessary transitional LINK to therigorous academic and personal

demands of a college preparatoryhigh school by enrolling in thispersonalized two-week summer

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June 19 – June 30, 2006For more information contact:215-357-8810, ext. 124 or 122

TTHHEE EEDDGGEEEmpowers Students

Give your 7th and 8th gradestudent an EDGE on resume

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June 19-June 30, 2006For more information contact:

215-357-8810, ext 124 or 122

VillaProfiler. . . page 3

Nancy AndersonTom ArmbrusterBernadette BoedewigMichael BologneseMargaret BradburyEllen BrooksChristine BuckSheri DeitchDenise DrummelSonny FacendaMark Fitzpatrick

Rebecca FlynnJennifer FykeLauren GaughanKathleen HigginsMelissa HoldrenVirginia HolroydKarla HurlbertTodd KellmanDiana KoopmanLaura LaskyMarie Leonard

Amy MarriottLaurie McBrinnAdriana McNallyDonna NiceEdward O’ConnorMarie PolitowskiDorothea ScottMaureen StepekLois TyburskiHolly Woodard

VillaProfessionalsADMINISTRATIONPrincipal: Diana Koopman Director for Internal & External Affairs/Director of Guidance: Mary T. MichelDean of Student Affairs: Marissa BrownDirector of Admissions: Maureen Cleary Director of Development & Alumnae Relations: Bethany Doros GreggDirector of Technology:: Karla HurlbertCampus Minister: Kathleen HigginsAthletic Director: Joseph LevinsBusiness Manager: Bernard LabenckSTAFFGuidance Counselor: Anne PerezLibrarian: Sr. Therese Banach, SSCLibrary Assistant: Teresa IacobellisAssistant Dir. of Development & Alumnae Relations: Cathleen MurwayTreasurer: Sr. Daniel Rackloski, SSCAdministrative Assistant to the Principal: Landra CunninghamAdministrative Assistant/College Planning Coordinator: Linda Simeone SceAdministrative Assistant: Denise DrummelMaintenance Administrator: Margaurite AdamsFACULTY

New Math TeacherMrs. Maureen Stepek joined the VillaJoseph Marie staff this past August,bringing a wealth of experience inCatholic education. Mrs. Stepekpreviously taught at Villa VictoriaAcademy in Trenton, NJ, and was theschool’s Mathematic DepartmentChairperson. In addition, she hastaught Math at Nativity of Our Lord in Warminster, PA. Mrs.Stepek holds a M.Ed. from Temple University and alreadyfeels very welcome at Villa. Mrs. Stepek said that Villa is“very similar in atmosphere to Villa Victoria”, and that she“was able to feel at home right away.” In 1989 Mrs. Stepektaught at Villa as a long-term substitute in the ReligionDepartment. Mrs. Stepek resides in Holland and enjoysspending time with her husband, their six kids, and their fourgrandchildren.

15th Annual SciathalonThe Villa JosephMarie ScienceDepartment invitedseventh and eightgrade girls from areaelementary schools,to the 15th annualSciathlon, held in theauditorium onNovember 2. Thecompetition, whichwas designed to be

both exciting and educational,encourages teen and preteen girls

to study Science. Villa hosted teams who competed in hands-on activities in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Some of theevents of the day included a biotechnology game called,“What’s the Sequence” and a physics exercise, “Coffee FilterDrops”. The competition really became intense as the teamsentered the final phase ….The Jeopardy Challenge! Eachteam selected one player for the fast-paced, full length,science trivia game. With trophies and prizes awaiting thewinning teams, the tension mounted. In the end, St. John theEvangelist won with a total of 660 points for the 7th gradeand Our Lady of Calvary won for the 8th grade with a total of577 points. According to Mrs. Marie Politowski, Chair of theVJM Science Department, “This was our most successfulSciathalon ever. Twelve schools participated in the event. Itwas a funfilled day of science activities. Mrs. Lois Tyburski,Mrs. Chris Buck, Mr. Todd Kellman and I, want to thank theVJM family for helping to make this event memorable.”

New Spanish TeacherMiss Amy Marriott is Villa’s newest faculty member in theWorld Languages Department. Miss Marriott is a native ofHolland and currently resides in Richboro; this is her firstteaching position after having graduated from LaSalleUniversity last spring. An “alumna” of Villa of sorts ofVillia, she attended kindergarten at Villa in Regina Hall. Thiswas one of the factors that led Miss Marriott to choose Villa

over several other teachingpositions that she was offered.When asked “Why did youchoose to teach at Villa?”Miss Marriott replied, “I felt athome here right away.” In herspare time, she enjoysexercising and spending timewith her niece and nephew.

Spotlight on Melissa HoldrenMrs. Melissa Holdren is Villa’s performing arts teacher, havingcome to Villa in the fall of 2004 to spearhead the performing artsprogram. Mrs. Holdren went to Saint Hubert’s High School, andholds a B.A. from Temple University and an M.A. fromVillanova University. An innovative and creative teacher, Mrs.Holdren established the fall show at Villa last year with thehugely successful They’re None of Them Perfect. Last spring’sLeader of the Pack, included five students’ from Holy Ghost,largely due to her recruiting efforts. Fresh “off the heels” ofNovember’s smash, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,preparation for the spring show, Bye Bye Birdie, is well underway and participation from Holy Ghost is expected to be biggerand better than ever. Mrs. Holdren, who selects the plays, inconjunction with the Administration, said that she is drawn toplays with strong female roles.Residing in Philadelphia with herhusband, Mrs. Holdren is aworking actress when she is notteaching. Most recently, sheperformed at Villanova’sUniversity Theater in the musical,Parade, which has beennominated for several prestigiousBarrymore Awards.

VillaProfessionals: Faculty News

SiathalonParticipants

VillaProfiler. . . page 4

“Instant Decision Day”LaSalle Universityby Mary T. Michel, Director of Guidance

On November 4th, the Villa Joseph Marie High SchoolGuidance Department partnered with LaSalleUniversity to pilot an “Instant Decision Day” forseniors interested in attending LaSalle University.Fifteen seniors took advantage of this opportunity.Portfolios of each student’s application, résumé,official transcript, standardized test scores, records andteacher/counselor recommendations were prepared foreach participant by the Guidance Department. Thesewere presented at the outset of each student’s personalinterview with Mr. Robert Archangel, AssistantDirector of Admissions, LaSalle University. At theconclusion of the interview and review of the presenteddata, Mr. Archangel informed each student of heracceptance status and preliminary scholarship award.100% of the applicants were accepted and wereawarded over $1 million in scholarships over fouryears. Both Mr. Archangel and the 15 college-boundseniors agreed that this pilot program was “awesome”.Congratulation to Kathlene Chlebda, Katelyn Marx,Anne Nguyen, Krista Piechocki, Gina Giannascoli,Marianne Conville, Stephanie Brody, Allison Hoffman,Megan Coates, Meghan Callanan, Laurent Gentilcore,Allison Cronk, Kelly Diaz-Albertini, Jackie Dorman,and Therese Carberry.

HOBY SEMINAR 2006by Anne Perez, Guidance Counselor

The Guidance Department is pleased to announce thatJamie Kloss, ‘08 will be representing Villa JosephMarie High School, at the 2006 Hugh O’Brien YouthLeadership Seminar (HOBY) to be held this spring.

As Villa’s HOBY Ambassador, Jamie will attend a 3-day conference which will introduce her todistinguished leaders in the community. Theinteractive workshops are designed to empowerstudents by developing the leadership skills necessaryto become effective and compassionate leaders for thefuture.

Mother Daughter Teaby Denise Cronk [Brianna ’08, Allison ‘06]

The Mother Daughter Tea is the fall fundraiser forthe Parent’s Guild, and is always a sell out. Thisyear was no different. It was held on October 16,2005 at King’s Caterers, and was a Villa event thatshould not have been missed. After months ofplanning, the day finally arrived and started early forthe sophomore models and moms. As a special treat,one of the sophomore moms, Lisa LaMonica,arrived with her staff of hairdressers to style all themodels hair. The dresses, provided by Party Girls ofNewtown, were absolutely beautiful and each girlhad a style all her own. The gift room was set up with beautiful baskets,

silent auction items, and three special raffle items.The senior mom tribute was emotional for all as thegirls had a chance to spend this special time withtheir moms. As the afternoon came to an end, Iclosed the affair with a message to the freshman andtheir moms: next year it would be their turn to hostthis wonderful Villa tradition.

College Board AP ScholarAwardsLast September, three students qualified for the NationalAP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4 orhigher on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken, andgrades of 4 or higher on three or more of these exams.These girls were: Christa Cordero ‘05, Amanda DiIenno‘05 and Maria-Teresa Grinneby ‘05.

National Merit ScholarshipCorporationClaire Albert, ’06 and Andrea Kensy, ’06, have beennamed National Merit Semifinalists and will be reviewedfor Finalist statue to be announced in Spring, 2006. KellyButler, ’06, Amanda Howland, ’06. Kara Illingworth,’ 06,Lauren Perillo, ’06, and Jennifer Wunder, ’06, werenamed Commended Scholars in the 2006 National MeritScholarship Program. Kelly Diaz-Albertini, ’06 andGabriella E. Bravo-Souza, ’06, were recognized asNational Hispanic Scholars by the College Board. Each ofthese young women were recognized for their exceptionalacademic promise, as determined by their superiorperformances on the 2004 Preliminary SAT/NationalMerit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

VillaNews

VillaProfiler. . . page 5

Senior Overnight Retreatby Katie Higgins, Campus Minister

On October 3 and 4, 2005, a group offorty-eight seniors from the Class of2006 participated in an overnightretreat at the Malvern Retreat House.The participants spent their two daystogether reflecting on the theme ofexpectations in relation to the Micahpassage, “You have been told what isgood and what the Lord requires ofyou, only to act justly, to lovetenderly, and to walk humbly withyour God (6:8).” Over the two days,students spent time listening to talksgiven by their peers, praying andworshiping together, and sharing insmall groups. The remainder of thesenior class will participate in anovernight retreat in February.

Reunion 2005The Annual Villa Joseph Marie High School AlumnaeReunion Dinner was held on October 22, 2005. Thiswonderful event was, for the first time in many years, heldon the campus. Honored classes were those ending in “0”and “5” and there was a large representation of alumnaefrom all of these classes. This year also marked a specialcelebration. Margaret [O’Neil ‘60] Schenk and Caroline[Michele Ann Boden ‘60] Devlin presented a writtennarrative of all their wonderful, heartfelt memories of VillaJoseph Marie. Recently, Mrs. Schenk and Mrs. Devlin took advantage of aninvitation by Sister Margaret Petcavage ‘52 to visit the Motherhouse, in Chicago,and presented their book to the Sisters of St. Casimir to whom it is dedicated.

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

The school play, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, played to fullhouses on November 11, 12 and 13th. The musical, which is aseries of vignettes based on the long-running, beloved Peanutscomic strip, was the first in Villa’s history to use a different castfor each performance. According to Mrs. Melissa Holdren,performing arts teacher and director of the play, “we sought to giveas many of our girls as possible the opportunity to perform.” Theplay was very profitable, and all proceeds went directly into theperforming arts budget. Cast members included: Cast 1 (Friday,November 11) Charlie, sophomore Anne Karonis; Lucy, freshmanJenova Damian; Snoopy, sophomore Amy Bruzgo; Patti, seniorKellie Ryan; Linus, freshman Mary Catherine O’Neill; Schroeder,senior Meg Callanan. Cast 2 (Saturday, November 12) Charlie,senior Courtney Schleinkofer; Lucy, senior Kelly Diaz-Albertini;Snoopy, senior Kathleen Chlebda; Patti, freshman AndreaSteacker; Linus, sophomore Christine Chlebda; Schroeder,freshman Krista Connelly. Cast 3 (Sunday, November 13) Charlie,sophomore, Jena Sarappo; Lucy, sophomore, Alex Baland; Snoopy,freshman, Eileen Filipski; Patti, freshman, Joanna Bermingham;Linus, freshman, Lindsay McMullen; Schroeder, senior, MegCallanan. The Chorus performed at all three shows and includedfreshmen Tricia Farley and Danielle O’Neill, and sophomoreAdrienne Petro.

Villa Seniors on Retreat

Cast of the November 11th Show

Members of the Class of 2000

VillaProfiler. . . page 6

Preparations are well under way for the Precious Jem Auction to be held on Saturday, March 18, 2006. The“kick-off” dinner/meeting was held on October 26, 2005, and those present signed up for committees. Atthe November Parents’ Guild meeting, more parents were “invited” to help. Thank you to all who will bevolunteering, as many hands make light work. Being involved in the auction preparations is a great way toconnect with other Villa parents and to become an integral part of the Villa family.

The evening includes: dinner catered by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, music, silent and live auctions, cash &carry items, a wine arbor, vacation and jewelry raffles, and time spent with family and friends. Theultimate goal is to enjoy an evening out while simultaneously raising money to benefit Villa Joseph Marie.

The auction is the biggest fund-raiser of the year, and we hope that parents, alumnae, and friends willparticipate in whatever capacity they can. The more people involved, the greater success; working togetherwith one heart for Villa, is what makes this event possible.

I would like to contribute $10.00 to sponsor the Theater Package.

I would like to contribute $25.00 to sponsor the Theater Package.

I would like to contribute to sponsor the Theater Package.

Name __________________________________________Class of ______________________

or

Name ______________________________________________________________________

Parent(s) of ____________________________________Class of ______________________

cut here

Precious Jem AuctionSaturday, March 18, 2006

Please make all checks payable to:Villa Joseph Marie High School

Office of Development Alumnae RelationsVilla Joseph Marie High School

1180 Holland RoadHolland, PA 18966

Attn: - Theater Package