Villa Academy Viewbook

Viewbook

Be Known.

Be Challenged.

Belong.

Welcome toVilla

Who We Are Villa Academy is an inclusive independent school community dedicated to developing the whole child in the Cabrinian tradition of “education of the heart.”

Through dynamic, inquiry-based learning, Villa Academy students become active agents of their own intellectual growth in preparation for lives of service and purpose.

At Villa Academy, every child is known, valued, and inspired to grow. Villa fosters academic excellence through inquiry-based learning, sparking curiosity and confidence. From learning through play in Preschool to deep intellectual inquiry in Middle School, our students are challenged to stretch their thinking, develop resilience, and celebrate who they are.

Villa is more than a school; it’s a community.

Families, students, and educators work together, building a sense of belonging that extends well beyond the classroom. Our 31-acre lakefront campus, just minutes from downtown Seattle, offers students the freedom to explore, discover, and connect their learning to the world around them.

Interested in learning more? Visit our campus and meet our joyful learners. Learn firsthand what it means to Be Known. Be Challenged. Belong.

Villa by the Numbers

88%

of the Class of 2025 attended their first-choice high school

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30+

zip codes represented

40%

of students identify as students of color

67%

of faculty with advanced degrees

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hours of 8th-grade culminating project presentations each May

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Villa sports teams

85%

of students participate in Athletics

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hours spent riding Preschool bikes, trikes, and scooters each week

1,200 books checked out of the school Library each month

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Preschool at a Glance

Preschool

Purposeful Play Guided, age-appropriate, inquiry-based instruction.

Learning Through Play & Inquiry

Foundational Skills Literacy and numeracy in small groups tailored to each child’s needs.

Whole Child Focus Social-emotional growth woven into every experience.

Outdoor Learning Daily opportunities to investigate, explore, and connect with nature.

At Villa Academy, Preschool is the foundation of a lifelong love of learning. Guided by experts in early childhood education, our youngest students grow through inquiry-based, purposeful play. Curiosity, engagement, and joy are the hallmarks of the Preschool years.

Community Positive classroom environments that build awareness of self, others, and the wider world.

A Journey Through Preschool Our Three-Year-Olds (P3)

Our P3 students begin their journey in a warm, supportive, and structured environment. They learn to be part of a group, navigate new routines, and understand the concepts of friendship, sharing, and cooperation. With nurturing guidance, they build confidence, independence, and joy in being at school every day.

Our Four-Year-Olds (P4)

P4 serves children who are four years old by August 31st.

In this program, students deepen their learning experiences in early literacy and numeracy, while also strengthening their social-emotional skills. They investigate topics in greater depth, ask more complex questions, and practice collaborating with peers.

Our Five-Year-Olds (P5)

The P5 program is designed for students who may be five

by August 31st but would benefit from an additional preschool year before kindergarten, or who turn five after August 31st.

With a balance of structured learning and play, P5 students build on the P3 and P4 foundations, developing greater independence, leadership, and readiness for kindergarten.

P5 students thrive in a program that meets them at this important developmental stage.

Villa Preschool students: • Wonder often and pursue their questions with curiosity.

• Collaborate joyfully with classmates, developing empathy and teamwork.

• Work through challenges and discover how persistence leads to solutions.

• Learn to name their feelings, navigate friendships, and care for one another.

• Explore materials and spaces that encourage creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking.

• Enrich their learning each week with specialist classes in Spanish, Music, Physical Education, and Library.

Villa’s Preschool program spans two to three years, designed to meet each child where they are.

Children leave Preschool: • Confident in their growing academic skills.

• Skilled in collaboration, empathy, and resilience.

• Ready for the challenges and joys of kindergarten and beyond.

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Lower School Kindergarten to 4th Grade

Growing Confident Minds In these formative years, Villa students learn through an inquiry-based approach that fosters curiosity, creativity, and a deep love of learning. Our program empowers young learners to grow as confident readers, writers, problem-solvers, and collaborators. They build strong literacy, mathematical, and interdisciplinary academic skills through joyful, engaged learning.

Exploring Lower School At Villa, we believe that early education is not only about mastering skills; it’s also about nurturing a strong sense of self, cultivating empathy, and building meaningful relationships. Social-emotional learning helps students develop the tools they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Literacy

Through evidence-based instruction, our faculty cultivate confident readers and writers with strong skills in reading, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. Students begin by learning sound and letter relationships and then progress to fluently reading an array of engaging texts.

In 3rd and 4th grades, students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

They explore, question, and connect ideas across a world of discovery, integrating with Social Studies and Science. They develop the ability to communicate with clarity, creativity, and confidence.

strengthen their mathematical abilities and prepare them for success in middle school and beyond.

Science

Villa Academy’s Science program sparks curiosity by engaging students in the scientific method and the engineering design process through hands-on, inquiry-based learning beginning in kindergarten.

From exciting lab experiments to outdoor explorations and real-world engineering challenges, students actively investigate the world around them. Interdisciplinary projects often conclude multi-part units of study involving inquiry, research, and presentation skills.

Through studying topics ranging from ecosystems and geology to forces, energy, and climate, Villa students build problem-solving skills and a lifelong love of discovery.

Social Studies

In Villa Academy’s Lower School, Social Studies invites students to explore the world around them with curiosity Mathematics and critical thinking. Through reading, writing, discussion, Villa students dive into mathematics through a and hands-on projects, children learn to ask questions, program that nurtures both confidence and curiosity. form ideas, and understand different perspectives.

In kindergarten through 2nd grade, students use visual Our program is built on Washington State Social models, manipulatives (physical objects like blocks, Studies Learning Standards and guided by inquiryshapes, and counters that students use to learn and solve based learning, encouraging students to investigate problems), games, and other hands-on activities. They build topics in world history, Washington state history, a solid conceptual foundation and master essential skills. and U.S. history. Villa also integrates the Social Justice By 3rd and 4th grades, students deepen their Standards, helping students recognize fairness, critical thinking, communicate their mathematical celebrate diversity, and think deeply about equity and reasoning through models and writing, and community. By examining history, culture, and society tackle increasingly complex problems. Along the through multiple viewpoints and an anti-bias lens, way, they grow in independence, practicing selfstudents gain the knowledge and empathy to become advocacy, leadership, and responsibility. These skills thoughtful citizens who live lives of purpose and service.

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Specialist Program Preschool to Middle School

Academic Rigor Meets Creative Exploration

through projects that often connect to the academic curriculum. Social-Emotional Learning and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) are embedded in the Art curriculum, strengthening students’ emotional intelligence and growing their appreciation for diverse cultures and artistic practices.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is woven into the very fabric of the Villa experience from Preschool through Middle School. We believe that learning to understand ourselves, manage emotions, relate to others, and make responsible choices is just as essential as mastering skills in reading or multiplication.

Across grade levels, we use research-based approaches such as Responsive Classroom, Developmental Designs, and the Zones of Regulation to support students’ social and emotional growth.

In Lower School, the Responsive Classroom approach helps to create joyful, caring classrooms where students feel connected, take ownership of their learning, and practice kindness and respect.

The Developmental Designs approach in Middle School builds on this foundation by fostering belonging, motivation, and strong relationships with students and teachers.

The Zones of Regulation framework gives children a simple, shared way to understand their emotions and develop healthy strategies for managing them. They learn to recognize how their feelings influence their actions, to navigate challenges with empathy, and to appreciate diverse perspectives.

SEL lives in every interaction. Teachers support students in conflict resolution, encourage empathy through collaborative work, and help them apply SEL strategies in academic contexts.

Villa’s Reinemund Center for Counseling & Wellness provides another layer of support: a safe, trusted space where students can process challenges, build emotional resilience, and grow in self- and social awareness. The Center also offers programming for families and professional development for staff, reinforcing Villa’s commitment to whole-child wellness.

Villa’s SEL program empowers students to be compassionate, thoughtful, and resilient contributors to their communities.

At Villa Academy, Preschool through 8th grade students enjoy a robust and vibrant specialist program that expands their knowledge through language, STEM, and the arts.

Inside Villa’s Specialist Program Spanish

Villa students begin learning the Spanish language in Preschool, a time when children are best able to absorb and acquire new languages. Our curriculum is built on the principles of communicative language teaching (CLT). CLT is a method that prioritizes using language to communicate and interact, accepting occasional errors in the process of conveying meaning. It mimics the way we learn our first language and naturally builds, providing challenge at each grade. Preschool students develop listening and speaking skills through play, songs, and tasks relevant to their everyday lives. They explore Spanish-speaking cultures and build a solid foundation.

Lower School students grow their reading, writing, and speaking skills through games, real-life scenarios and tasks, and cultural projects. By 5th grade, Villa students enjoy Spanish class as part of their academic schedule, growing in skill and fluency through the study of grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and articulation. Villa graduates often continue their Spanish studies in high school, developing skills used beyond the classroom.

School students extend their exploration using laboratory tools and materials. They often bring their study of the outdoors into the building.

In Middle School, Villa students launch into the Applied Computer Technology Lab (ACT Lab), a learning space outfitted with laser cutters, a 2D/3D design computer, and a range of electronic components and microcontrollers.

Every project at each level is rooted in our understanding that technical learning comes alive through storytelling and imagination.

Physical Education

With our beautiful campus as their playground, Villa students engage in Physical Education (PE) classes from P3 through 8th grade. The program encourages the development of large motor skills, teamwork, fitness, and a lifelong love of physical activity, particularly outdoors.

From whole group games to targeted skill development, the program at each grade level responds to children’s developmental needs and strengths. Through PE, students also learn to listen well, work in partnership, and care for themselves and their teammates.

Religion

Music

As an independent school founded in the Cabrinian tradition of Catholic education, Villa Academy’s Religion program is inclusive and inquiry-based.

Twice-weekly lessons focus on four key themes:

Villa Academy’s Music program guides students to become expressive, thoughtful musicians and global citizens from an early age. Embedded in the weekly schedule, Music classes expose students to folk songs, dances, and instrumental performance traditions from around the world. Middle School classes also involve music theory and history. Beginning in 5th grade, students can join a variety of instrumental bands that perform throughout the year.

Education of the heart: cultivating students’ character along with their academic growth.

Gospel values: exploring the teachings of Jesus and the message of God’s boundless, unconditional love for all.

Social justice-centered service: expanding awareness of the needs of the world and identifying opportunities to serve others.

Global faith traditions: understanding Christianity as one of many faiths practiced by people around the world.

STEM

Villa students grow their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills in four learning spaces on campus, each designed to serve different age levels.

In the Computer Science Lab and Maker Space, Lower School students develop problem-solving, collaboration, and innovative-thinking skills. Following an introduction to digital literacy and responsibility, they engage with coding, robotics, and engineering projects.

In the third floor Science Lab, Lower 8

Visual Art

In the Art Studio, students from Kindergarten through 8th grade build skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, design thinking, and problem solving.

Each grade enjoys weekly art, building skills

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Middle School 5th to 8th Grade

Delving Deeper Middle School students progressively deepen their intellectual inquiry.

With the support of Villa’s exceptional faculty, they develop their time management, organization, and critical thinking skills. At the same time, they grapple with increasingly sophisticated concepts, problems, and texts. Over the four years, students come into their own as writers, researchers, scientists, and mathematicians. They graduate with a keen awareness of their ability to have a positive impact on the world. Through our engaging academic program, Villa graduates are equipped to tackle the rigors of high school and beyond.

Middle School Academics English/Language Arts (ELA)

Our English/Language Arts curriculum cultivates versatile and articulate communicators.

It empowers students to fluently express ideas, critically evaluate texts, and engage with societal issues through literature and writing.

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Our 5th-grade students develop their analytical skills through study of novels and non-fiction writing as they engage with themes ranging from Indigenous and colonial American history to contemporary environmental justice.

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Sixth grade focuses on reading stories from a diverse range of authors, honing writing skills across genres, and exploring the theme “Stories Matter.”

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Seventh grade integrates writing with world geography, emphasizing effective communication, literary analysis, and novel discussions.

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Eighth grade enhances critical reading and analytical skills through nonfiction and fiction literature, varied writing formats, and integration with Social Studies.

Villa graduates conclude their Middle School experience with a civil rights study trip to Georgia and Alabama, in conjunction with a semester-long research project centered on a social justice issue of their choosing. They then present the projects individually before a panel of educators, family, and peers.

Mathematics

Villa’s Middle School Mathematics program fosters mastery of grade-level standards and prepares students for the challenges of high school while nurturing a love for mathematics. Grounded in the Common Core State Standards and the Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices of the National Council of Teachers 10

of Mathematics, the program cultivates a growth mindset: students view risk-taking and mistakes as opportunities for learning. Instruction emphasizes deep conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, encouraging struggle, resilience, and perseverance. Students discover that mathematics is a joyful, creative discipline best learned through exploration, reasoning, and collaborative dialogue.

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Fifth-grade students continue to develop their multiplication and division skills while building confidence working with decimals and fractions as they prepare for the more complex mathematics to come.

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In 6th grade, students are placed in either Math 6, which covers 6th-grade Washington state standards, or Math 6/7, encompassing both 6th- and half of 7th-grade standards.

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In 7th grade, students have three possible courses: • Math 7 (covering 7th-grade standards).

• Intro to Algebra (focusing on the first half of high school Algebra 1 curriculum).

• Algebra 7, which covers the entirety of high school Algebra 1.

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In 8th grade, students have three possible courses: • Math 8, which integrates 8th-grade standards with introductory Algebra concepts.

• Algebra 8, which builds on Intro to Algebra, encompassing the remainder of high school Algebra.

• Geometry (a comprehensive year of high school Geometry). This course allows students to enter high school prepared for Algebra 2.

All placement decisions are determined by assessment data, recommendations of Mathematics educators, and the needs of individual students.

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Throughout this progression, students explore how humans build, and interact in, societies and how those societies differ across time and place.

Science

Social Studies

​​​​ Villa’s program investigates how cultures and peoples interact with one another and the world around them.

Students develop research skills and learn how to ask probing and respectful questions about diverse cultures.

Across all grades, students hone critical skills in analysis, research, writing, and media literacy, working with a wide range of primary and secondary sources.

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Fifth-grade Social Studies explores how the United States developed through the interactions of Indigenous Peoples, European colonists, and early Americans into a republic of 50 unique states.

In 5th grade, students explore the ways water impacts life on Earth, including on Villa’s campus. They regularly test Lake Washington water quality from our campus shoreline, then travel to the Olympic Peninsula each spring where they analyze water samples from nearby lakes and compare their results.

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In 6th grade, students examine how ancient peoples lived and explore points of similarity and difference between their own lives and ancient cultures.

Sixth grade focuses on life science, exploring cells, genetics, and ecological concepts. Most spring classes take place outdoors across campus.

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Seventh graders learn how individuals and society interact with the world around them through a global study of geography. They investigate a country from each continent and present their findings in a culminating World Fair.

Seventh grade delves into Earth and space science, investigating Earth’s history, seismic events, weather, and space phenomena. The year opens with a class trip to Vantage, Washington.

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In 8th grade, students examine how societies balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the many through a study of civics, United States history, and global current events.

Eighth grade explores chemistry and algebra-based physics, fostering hands-on experimentation and critical thinking through projects and assessments.

Our experiential Science journey equips students for future scientific exploration in high school and beyond.

Middle School Academic Journey

Subject Area

5th Grade

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

English/Language Arts

Reading novels in book clubs; writing personal narratives and research reports.

“Stories Matter,” a study of storytelling across genres.

World literature; historical fiction; literary essays.

Civil rights literature; social justice research; public presentations.

Math

Strengthening foundational skill through 5th grade standards; problemsolving with fractions and decimals.

Pre-Algebra concepts and mathematical reasoning.

Pre-Algebra concepts, Intro to Algebra, or Algebra.

Pre-Algebra, Algebra, or Geometry.

Ecosystems; water cycle studies at Lake Washington and the Olympic Peninsula.

Life science and biology.

Earth science; geology.

Chemistry; physics.

Social Studies

American revolution; civic foundations.

Ancient civilizations; world cultures.

Geography and global social justice issues.

Civics; U.S. government; civil rights.

Religion

Catholic social teachings; empathy; and leadership.

Reflection; Catholic social teachings; service learning.

Study of Indigenous spirituality; Christianity as a world religion.

Study of Judaism; Buddhism; Hinduism; Islam.

Science

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The Middle School Science curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in scientific knowledge and inquiry. Across all grades, students use the scientific method and engineering design process to investigate their world, from ecosystems and geology to forces, energy, and climate. Field experiences and collaborative engineering challenges deepen their understanding of scientific concepts while building skills in critical thinking, data analysis, and communication. This progressive approach fosters curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong passion for science.

Middle School Overnight Trips

Grade

Location

Focus

5th Grade Spring

Naturebridge Camp, Olympic Peninsula, WA

Water ecology and outdoor learning.

6th Grade Fall

Islandwood Camp, Bainbridge Island, WA

Outdoor life science education.

7th Grade Fall

YMCA Bold and Gold, Vantage, WA

Outdoor geology study paired with leadership courses.

8th Grade Fall

Leadership Camp, Warm Beach, WA

Leadership workshops and team building.

8th Grade Spring

Civil Rights Tour Atlanta, GA Birmingham, AL Selma, AL Montgomery, AL

Experiential study of the Civil Rights Movement and its legacy.

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Life After Villa

Our graduates leave Villa more than ready to thrive and succeed in top high schools, colleges, and beyond: Frequently Attended High Schools

Bishop Blanchet High School Holy Names Academy Lakeside School O’Dea High School Roosevelt High School Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS) Seattle Preparatory School The Bush School The Downtown School The Northwest School University Prep Colleges

Boston College Boston University California Polytechnic State University Carnegie Mellon University Gonzaga University Loyola University Chicago Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northwestern University Occidental College Princeton University Santa Clara University Swarthmore College Syracuse University University of California Santa Barbara University of Edinburgh University of Notre Dame University of Oregon University of Southern California University of St. Andrews University of Washington U.S. Naval Academy Washington State University

Tuition & Financial Assistance

Applying for Assistance: Clarity, Multi-Child Support & Process

Villa Academy’s tuition supports our comprehensive, inquiry-based, whole-child education. Tuition rates reflect the cost of maintaining faculty excellence, campus care, and strategic enrichment.

Villa’s Board of Trustees sets the tuition rate annually, with a typical increase of 4–7% year to year.

Our mission calls us to build a socioeconomically diverse community. To that end, Villa offers extensive need-based financial assistance, allocating more than a million dollars each year to help families bridge the gap between tuition and what they can contribute.

About 22% of Villa families currently receive financial assistance. In recent years, these families have paid an adjusted tuition of $1,500 to $37,000, depending on need and award level.

Beyond core tuition, we also offer assistance for items such as uniforms, Extended Day, athletics, field trips, and certain Middle School fees.

We believe in providing every student with access to the comprehensive Villa experience, and thus work to make that possible through financial assistance.

Villa uses Clarity, a centralized financial assistance application system, to assess need. Parents complete a simple, mobile-friendly application, and Clarity securely imports tax returns (IRS 1040 & W2), reducing manual uploads.

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Villa’s unique school code in Clarity is 5001.

The process takes less than 30 minutes on average.

Families pay a $65 application fee (which grants access to all Clarity-partner schools).

Our admissions and re-enrollments are need-blind, meaning your family’s financial decision will not affect the admissions decision. Families apply for financial aid annually—each year, awards may adjust with changes in income or family size.

We also offer multi-child support. When more than one child from a family attends Villa, we structure assistance accordingly.

The award percentage is applied consistently across children, so siblings benefit equitably.

Scan to Learn More About Tuition & Financial Assistance

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Our Cabrinian model of education balances academic challenge with character development steeped in values of service, justice, critical thinking, and effecting positive change—and we help our students put those values into practice by creating real-world connections to our greater community.

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Schooling of the mind.

Education of the heart.

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5001 NE 50th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 thevilla.org