On March 9th students in the 8th and 9th grade will betakingthePSAT8/9examination.Studentsareencouragedtobring#2pencilsandacalculator.Students should anticipate receiving their scores sometime in May and will have the opportunity to discuss the test andscoresduring Guidancemeetingsthis spring.
March 21st – College Night will take place at 7:00pm intheGraceAnnCafé.Mrs.Devinswillbediscussing thecollege admissionprocess.
Career Day is being held for all students on March 30th. VillaWalshisexcitedtobewelcoming30alumnae back on campus to speak to students on various career elds.
SOPHMORES&FRESHMAN
Students are continuing to meet individually with Mrs.Devinstodiscusscareerandcollegesearches.
Should any student need a transcript or working papers, please stop in the guidance office or email Mrs.Devinsatdevinse@villawalsh.org
Anxiouslyawaitingupdatesfrom theClassof2023!
SENIORS
If you have been accepted to your Early Decision School, please remember to notify the admissions offices of any other school you have applied to, in order to withdraw your application or admissionoffer. SeniorsareSTRONGLYencouraged to speak to Mrs. Devins about college options. Please remember to notify the guidance department of any scholarship awards. Also, please check the Guidance websiteforscholarshipopportunities.Seniorsneedto maketheircollegedepositbyMay1st.
JUNIORS
Please remember to register for upcoming standardizedtestdates.
Peer tutoring remains available for all students who feel they could bene t from some additional help withaclass.esignupforrequestingandproviding peer tutoring can be found on the door of the guidanceoffice.PleasestopinoremailMrs.Devinsifyou haveany questions.
To mark the beginning of Black History Month, students gathered for a special prayer service and assembly in the auditorium on ursday, February 2. Junior Cierra Wolckenhauer ‘25 set the tone for the morning by leading the students in “Amazing Grace,”whichshesangacapella.With amixofScripture readings, re ections, and time for silence, the students prayed together for unity, love, and justice for all people. Special thanks to Hannah D’cruz ‘23, Lauren Dion ‘23, Emma Kosc ‘23, Isabella Cantave ‘24,CatherineCollum‘24, JuliaGitto‘24,Miranda Aviles ‘25, Audrey Wilbanks ‘25, Johanna Aguilar-‘26,EmmaNaughton‘26,KarinaSiegle‘26,and
Verra Scorsune ‘26 for leading the students in readings, re ections, petitions, and prayers. anks also toCatherineCollum‘24,JesseKramer‘24,andInes Lemee‘25forresearching,writingandpresentingthe historyofthehymn,“AmazingGrace.”
Following the prayer service, Sr. Helen Sanchez M.P.F. ‘70 continued the assembly by introducing us totheFilippiniSistersofEthiopiaandEritreaandthe children and families they serve in the poorest and mostdangerouscircumstances.Withphotosandstories, Sr. Helen helped us to understand the very real needs of these families living in the midst of poverty andwar,andhowtheFilippiniSistershelptoprepare them with the skills and education that will prepare them for a brighter future. Inspired by Sr. Helen’s heartfelt presentation, Villa Walsh’s students quickly raised $2,000 to be sent to the Filippini Sisters in Ethiopia and Eritrea in their mission to serve their children.
You may have seen the banners in the lobby of Grace Ann Cafe or outside the Business Office. Or maybe you saw the Lenten Hallow bookmark that your daughter received in eology class on your kitchen counter.Asyouknow,thisyeareveryVillaWalshstudent,facultyandstaffmemberhasapaidsubscription toalloftheHallowapp’srichandexclusivecontent.
e forty-day journey into the Lenten season began with an Ash Wednesday liturgy celebrated in St. LucyChapel on February 22.Fr.LanceReis, aretired priest of the Diocese of Paterson, reminded the students, parents, and alumnae who joined together in worshiptoimitateJesusinourLentenobservancesof prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. e Mass was assisted bystudents fromVillaWalsh’sseventh gradeclass, including Mary Cafasso ‘28, Galina Dangler ‘28, Avery Draeger ‘28, Samantha Innella ‘28, JulianaKenworthy‘28,AdrianaRizk‘28,CaseyShull ‘28, Hailey Simmons ‘28, Layla Vreeling ‘28, Sally Walker ‘28, and Whitney Witko ‘28, who welcomed us to worship, proclaimed the Scripture readings, led the prayers of petition, carried the cross and candles, and processed with the gis of bread and wine at the offertory.
eMasswas offeredinmemoryofMr.RobertHoffman, the father of Mrs. Julie McGurn and grandfather of Grace McGurn ‘14, Maisie McGurn ‘16, and Lucy McGurn ‘21. e Mass was also offered for the repose of the soul of Brendan O’Reilly, brother of Kelly O’Reilly ‘23, Caitlin O’Reilly ‘18, and son of ColleenBurrowsO’Reilly‘88
But what is Hallow? Until Ash Wednesday, Hallow was the No. 1 “prayer and meditation” app in the world, offering thousands of hours, opportunities, and methods to pray and connect to God. On Ash Wednesday, however, Hallow leaped into the No. 5 spot of top apps in the whole world, ahead of Tik Tok, Facebook, and Instagram! Imagine that! If you haven’t dipped into Hallow yet, Lent is the perfect time to try it out. Hallow’s “Pray 40 Lent Challenge” offers different modes of prayer, utilizing St. omas a Kempis’ Imitation of Christ as a guide, led by the likes of actors Mark Wahlberg, Jim Caveziel, and Jonathan Roumie, as well as Mother Olga, Immaculee Ilabagiza, Jeff Cavins, and Fr. Mike Schmitz. Joinyourdaughtersandseewhatallthefussisabout! Nexttimeyouareatschool,justscantheQRcodeson the banners to get details on joining, and as Hallow likestosay,“stayprayedup.”
With the success of an earlier canned soup collection inmind,studentsdecidedtocontinuewitha“Souper” Bowl hearty soup collection with the Super Bowl clearlyinmind. Studentscouldvotefortheteamthey thought would win the Super Bowl by placing cans with theEaglesortheChiefs. eChief’swerevoted the winners by one soup can and, of course, went on to win on Sunday. Over 100 cans were delivered to NourishNJwhere“everycanwedroppedoffwasdistributed that day and the community that they serve wasappreciativeofourgenerosity”.
VillaServeschosetoembracethespiritof Valentine’s Day as a day to cultivate kindness and sell cupcakes! Cupcakes, cookies, brownies and candy were sold duringthelunchestosupporttheworkofVillaServes and more than $130 worth of kindness will support ourefforts.
We all know that everyone loves a baby and no one loves a baby more than our Villa girls! Helping parents provide for their children is close to the heart of VillaServesandMaureenSimonet‘23ledthecharge inthismostrecentcollection. Diapers,blankets,onesies, pajamas, and more were collected for distribution by Mary’s Hands in Morristown. ough this drive is completed, we will always accept these items forneedyfamilies.
Operation Smile raises awareness and funds for children born with cle palates. Proceeds go directly to Operation Smile to provide surgeries for children with these birth defects. Without going all the way to New Orleans, Jesse Kramer ‘24, Jackie Walsh ‘24, Vicky Wong ‘23, Emma Kosc ‘23, and Ellie Treacy 24 among others transported us to a Mardi Gras celebration with the sale of cupcakes, candy,cookiesandsomepurpleandgoldthrowbeads tossedin forfun.
On Wednesday, February 8th, Villa Walsh Academy students joined together for Mental Health & Wellness Day. e day was lled with fun and support from both students and staff! e students began their day with a presentation on Nutrition & Mental Health by Jeanne Petrucci. e day continued with various activities and topics including Friendship & Kindness, Music erapy, Prayer & Meditation, Art erapy,Stress&CopingSkills,StudySkillsTestAnxiety&BreathWork,andSelf-Esteem.Eachstudentalso had the opportunity to participate in a team bonding obstacle course, presented by Grit’n’Wit at VWA, the staff and students work hard to chip away at the stigma surrounding mental illness by learning, supporting, and embracing our differences. Villa aims to empower our students by giving them the tools to succeedbothinandoutofthe classroom.
e PDIC (Parent Diversity and Inclusion Committee) has been enormously helpful in supporting the work of Diversity Cafe. A coffee house event is in the plans and through many collaborative efforts, Diversity Cafe participated in a Black History Month prayer service but a highlight of the month was our participation in the Black Joy event at Delbarton. A special thank you goes out to the Diversity Club, and the art students who participated in Delbarton’s February16thevent,“BlackJoy”.CatherineCollum,‘24, contributed as a narrator in a multi-media student performanceofBlackhistorywithcontributionsfrom Kent Place, Oak Knoll, Villa Walsh and Delbarton. In addition, the following students made paintings inspired by the Harlem Renaissance era, 1920s-30s, that were displayed: Sarah Chambeau‘24(Langston Hughes House), Brianna Hetherington’24 (James Lessen Wells),AnnieConnor’24 (LouisArmstrong), Julia Gitto’24 and Miranda Aviles’25 (the Cotton Club), Meaghan O'Malley’24 (Duke Ellington), Isabella Propper Stuehr’27 (A Harlem Garden). Mrs. Cunico,Mrs.Lagana,Mrs.Cheifer,Mrs.Kramer,and Mrs.Collumhelped incoordinationwith students.
e Villa Walsh Student Council hosted Spirit Week 2023 during February 13-16. e festivities began with “Jersey Day” as students dressed to represent their favorite team or something from New Jersey, andonTuesdaystudentsdressedinred,white,and/or pink foraValentine’s Daytheme.“Class eme Day” was the theme for Wednesday as students showed their spirit by dressing up in their class themes and participating in a fabulously fun volleyball tournament. Villa Spirit Week was capped by a pep rally and games on ursday in the Sister Doris Lavinthal Athletic Center. During the week, the Student Council provided the faculty with breakfast, and the Home School Association hosted a faculty appreciationluncheonwithsupersaladsandsandwiches,and divine desserts. Much gratitude to those fabulous moms! A special thank you to Mrs. Jen Fleury and Mrs. Anneliese Yombor for their help with the week. MuchthankstoallinvolvedduringSpiritWeek2023!
Miranda Aviles '25, Ava Bentz '26, Audrey Wilbanks '25, and Cierra Wolckenhauer '25 attended the Paterson Catholic Forensic League Grand Tournament on Saturday, February 25, held at DePaul CatholicHighSchool.Miranda,Ava,andAudrey
competed in the Oratorical Declamation category, and Miranda won the 3rd place trophy at the end of 3 rounds. Cierra competed in the Dramatic Performance category and also won the 3rd place trophy at the end of 3 rounds. Miranda Aviles will go on to compete at the National Catholic Forensic League conference that will be held in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of May. Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Tara Wolckenhauer who served as a judge at the Grand Tournament. Also, thank you Sister Josephine and Mr. Todd Smith for serving as judges and assistant coaches throughouttheForensicsseason.
honoring St. Lucy's 350th Anniversary which was held at the beginning of this year. e recording will takeplaceinaparticularlyacousticallypowerfularea of our campus....the stairway near the Chorus room on the Mother Ninetta Mezzanine! All are invited to listen.
Congratulations to the een VWA students accepted into the MPAC Student Art Gallery Exhibit and 13th Annual Program Cover Art Contest: Grace Calvano'26,TessCoffey'26,BridgetDrew'26,Blythe Dudley'26, Elizabeth Edattel'26, Libby Farmer'26, Samantha Innella'28, Amelia Kleinle'26, Isabella Propper Stuehr'27, Adriana Rizk'28, Cameron Shull'28, Alexis Sica'26, Maureen Simonet'23, SabrinaWaivada'26,andIsabellaWhite'26
e contest theme is “Imagine! Discover! Create! Celebrate MPAC and the Arts!” e artwork will be displayed in our Upstairs Art Gallery from March 7-March 20, 2023 and will be seen by tens of thousandsoftheatrepatrons!
ere will be an Artwork Gallery Reception on WednesdayMarch8thfrom7:00-8:00pm,wherethey can see their artwork displayed and enjoy the gallery exhibit.Atthereception,allstudents willbehonored and receive a special participation award certi cate for two complimentary tickets to certain shows at MPACthisspring.ejudgespanelhaveselectedone winning piece to appear on Program Books 4 as well asarunner-upwhowillbefeaturedinsideofourprogram book. Winners will be announced during the Gallery Reception, so stay tuned for possible further updatesonthisevent.
e cast and crew of e Sound of Music are busy preparing for the March 17-19 presentations. Stage manager, Lia Dyer'22, and our Assistant Director, OliviaMartin'24havebeenworkingwithMs.Vecchio, director, Mrs. Lanni, choreographer and Ms. Foster, music director, to manage rehearsals, set building daysandtoorganizethe amazinglyenergeticandenthusiastic cast of nuns, children and odd characters in this play atVilla Walsh.is is agoodtime togive abigshoutouttosomeoftheparentswhohavebeen tirelessly working behind the scenes to make Villa’s show shine. Mrs. McHugh is the producer, handling onethousandthingstokeeptheproductionontrack. She is assisted by Mrs. Wolckenhauer, Mrs. Lange, Mrs. Crucs, Mrs. Kramer and several others. ank youallparentvolunteers!TessCoffey’26istheamazing seamstress, having made from scratch several of the costumes that will be seen in this production. Mrs.Kandziolka andher mom,Mrs.D'Ambrosiaare super heroes when it comes to wigs and hair. Scenic designer, Mrs. Lieto, sees her ideas blossom in to reality by the magic hands of Mr. Meier, Dr. Kollar, Mr.Kramer, Mr.Wolckenhauer,Mr. andMrs. Innella,Mrs.Ziwot,Ms.Mogliawhohavebeenassistedby LilyMeier’25, SabrinaPasko’26,andthe Art Club.
e cast and crew are having a great deal of fun and hopetohaveagreatturnoutinsupportoftheirshow! Ticketscanbepurchasedonthe VillaWalshwebsite.
e Villa Walsh Chorus has been rehearsing Astro Di Luce, in preparation for the recording of the song whichwillbemadeavailableonYouTube.ispiece, intheItalianlanguage,wassungattheMass
WiththeMarch10tournamentatMountOlivecomingupfast,theSTEMinistshavebeeninthelabworkingontheirnewrobot,“Rosie.”Inthe“ChargedUp!” challenge, two competing alliances are tasked with creating a robot that can retrieve game pieces, such asplasticconesorcubes,fromasubstationandplace themintothe grid.eSTEMinistswillprovidethe
game piecestothe robotsfromoutsidethearenaand trytoscoreasmanypointsaspossiblebeforethetime runsout.
Over the past few months, the team has been working to complete “Rosie” in time for the competition. eyhavesuccessfullydonesoandhavebeenputting last-minute touches on “Rosie” including programmingforwhenithastoworkwithouttheSTEMinsist controlling it. ey can't wait to see the new robot in action for the upcoming competition season. Villa wishestheSisters1stthebestofluck!
Sheridan Caughey’23 4 points, 13 rebounds. e nalregularseasongameathomeagainstWallkillValley was a thriller game to the end but the Vikings fell short (44–51) and the Rangers escaped with a win. Chiara Fajardo’23 and Cara Fitzpatrick’26 were impressive for the Vikings. Chiara Fajardo’23 nished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and Cara Fitzpatrick’26 with 12 points, ve rebounds and twoassist,whileMaryBowers’23had10points(8free throws) four rebounds, three assists and a block. Isabella Pizzo’25 and Francesca Kearns’23 contributed with 5points apiece.
WINTERSPORTS BasketballVarsity
e Vikings defeated Montclair Kimberly Academy inthe1stroundofthePrep BTournament(44-29)at home. e victory was led by Sheridan Caughey’23 with 10 points and 6 rebounds, Francesa Kearns’23 netted 3 three-pointers for 9 points, and 3 rebounds, Mary Bowers’23 and eresa Bowers’26 combined for 13 points, and 14 rebounds and Siobhan Bracken’23chippedinwith5pointsand3assists.Nextstop was a road trip to cross-town rival Academy of St. Elizabeth,wheretheVikingsengagedin atightbattle defeatingthePanthers(48-47).SheridanCaughey’23 hadagame-high16points,12rebounds,3steals,and 2blocks,ChiaraFajardo’23netted13points,includinga deep three-pointer in the 4th quarter to put the Vikings ahead, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, Mary Bowers’23 chipped in 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals and Isabella Pizzo’25 hit two clutch free throws in the 4th quarter nishingwith5points,3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. A down to the wire contest with Mountain Lakes on the road showcased some tight defense by the Vikings but not enough to pull off a conference win (26-29). Sheridan Caughey’23 led all scorers with 11 points and 8 rebounds while Chiara Farjardo’23 netted 9 points and 3 steals in the loss.Wecelebratedour“Seniors”on 2/13/23 athome vs. Boonton. A turbulent start by both teams in the rst half led to halime score of (7-7). Foul trouble in the second half for the Vikings gave the Bombers an advantage. ey were outscored 13-6 in the 4th quarter and were subdued (20-32) by the Bombers. All scorers included eresa Bowers 23’ 6 points, 5 rebounds, Chiara Fajardo’23, 5 points, 3 steals and
On 2/14/23, the 2023 NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament, North Jersey, Non-Public B teams were announced and the Vikings were seeded 9th overall.e team took a road trip to 8th seeded Eastern Christian on 2/22/23. e Vikings used an 18-4 run in the rst quarter to defeat Eastern Christian (50-29) in the opening round. Sheridan Caughey’23 scored a gamehigh 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals, Chiara Fajardo’23 netted 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists,andIsabellaPizzo’25had6points,5steals,and 2assistsinthewin.
BasketballJV
e Villa Walsh JV Vikings had a very productive and successful basketball season. e team nished with a regular season record of 11-1. ey placed as the #5 seed in the Morris County JV Tournament and went on an exciting County Championship run, defeating Mendham (#12) and Hanover Park (#4), but eventually losing a hard-fought battle in the Semi-Finals to #1 seed Morris Knolls. e Vikings nished the year with an overall record of 13-2, but more importantly, theteamseemed toimproveat eachgame.
e JV Vikings’ 2022-2023 season was lled with many lessons, learning, laughing, and winning. Leading the team in points this season were freshman Michela Vaccaro’26 (15 ppg) and Cara Fitzpatrick’26(16ppg).GemmaCafasso’26(6apg)andNora Dam’25 (5 apg) led the team in assists this season. So a Jordao’25 (6 rpg), eresa Bowers’26 (5 rpg), and Margaret Boler’25 (4 rpg) led the lady Vikings in rebounding this season. Angelina Santorelli’26, Martha Smart’25, Avery Poruczynski’25, Nora Kra’25, Charlotte Stager’26, So a Kearns’26, and Gisele Longo’26 also chipped in this season, having a
signi cant impact on the team’s defensive culture & overallsuccessthisyear.Wecan’twaittoseewhatisin storefornextseason.Greatjobladies!GoVilla!
BasketballFreshman
e freshman basketball team nished their season 4-10. e record does not show how far they came this season. e last few losses against Randolph and Pompton Lakes were less than 10 points losses. e girls have worked hard all season and nished the season beating Mountain Lakes 32-24. Coach Foley wouldliketothankthegirlsfor theirhardwork!!!
BasketballMiddleSchool
Middle School Basketball nished another fun, successful season with a record of 9 & 6. e team had a close loss in the GMJSCA Tournament vs. Riverdale with ascoreof 22-25.eyhadanexcitingwinvs. St. Vincent Martyr in the last game of the season with a score of 25-24. Lexi Stappas’27 was the high scorer with 9 points followed by Azariah Andrews'27 with 7points,EveLoughran'27with5points, OliviaBarsemian'27 and Rebekah Saxon'27 had 2 points each. e team celebrated with an end-of-season pizza party on Feb. 6th. Congrats to Lexi Stappas'27, who earned the team Most Valuable Player award, averaging11pointspergame.Congratsonagreatseasonto allplayers!!
SwimmingVarsity
Another wonderful swim season has come to an end. Villa Walsh nished off their last regular season on a high note. e meet came down to the last relay and Vwimming came out on top! e victory over Morristown-Beardsnappedan8meetlosingstreakto nish the season 1-8. e team then traveled down to Lawrenceville for the 2023 Prep championships capping off their season. Notable performances at Lawrenceville: Madison Molinaro’23 100 y and Victoria Wong’23 100 breast. End of season awards wereasfollows:MostImproved-NevinMahoney’23; Green and White Award - Kelly Keyes’23; Coaches Award - Madison Molinaro’23; and MVP - Victoria Wong’23. Congratulations to all on a great season of VWASwimming!
WinterTrack
For the 17 Villa Winter Track athletes, the season nishedwith3bigmeetsinFebruary.Togetreadyfor
thetwo nalStateMeets(NJSIAAandPrep),theVilla team traveled to the Ocean Breeze facility in Staten Island for a highly competitive invitational meet on February 8, 2023. Personal records were achieved acrosstheboard:AbigailFreshwater’23inthe 400m, Jesse Kramer’24 in the high jump, Kayla Castellano’25 in the400m, CoraReardon’25in theshotput, Ava Brancatella’24 in the high jump and the 400m, Sadie Smith’25 in the 800m, Natalia Tole’24 in the 400m,BlytheDudley’26inthe800m,InesLemee’25 in the 1600m, Erin Lyons’25 in the 800m and the 1600m, Emily Poruczynski’24 in the 800m, Delaney Yosh’25in the 800m, and ClodaghBateson’26 in the 55hurdlesandthe 400m.
On February 17, 2023, at the NJSIAA State Group Meet in Toms River, Villa placed 5th out of 14 small non-public teams. Anyone scoring in the top 3 in an event earned a spot in the Meet of Champions. Abigail Freshwater’23 scored 2nd in the pole vault, and Blythe Dudley’26 came in 3rd in the 1600m. Four unlucky4thplaceswereachievedbyJesseKramer’24 inthehighjump,InesLemee’25inthe3200m,Blythe Dudley’26 in the 800m, and our 4x400 relay consisting of Abigail Freshwater’23, Natalia Tole’24, Kayla Castellano’25,andBlytheDudley’26
Afew dayslater, the team wasback attheTomsRiver “Bubble” to battle it out with the teams who are part of the Prep-League, small school (“B”) division. Two Villa athletes achieved 1st places: Ines Lemee’25 in the 1600m and Blythe Dudley’26 in the 800m and 3200m (large and small school combined!). Two girls earned 2nd place: Abigail Freshwater’24 in the pole vault and Jesse Kramer’24 in the shot put. Emily Poruczynski’24 earned a 3rd place in the high jump, as well as the 4x400 team consisting of Kayla Castellano’25, Emily Poruczynski’24, Abigail Freshwater’23, and Blythe Dudley’26. It came down to the last few events, and Montclair Kimberley nished off strongtoclinchthetitleby8points,withVillaplacing 2ndoverall.
Blythe Dudley’26 and Abigail Freshwater’23 will compete one more time on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. Good luck toourtwoquali ers,andcongratulationsonaterri c seasontotheentireWinterTrackTeam!
A pep rally was held on February 16 and the student body celebrated the VWA sports teams and their wonderful VWA spirit! A special thanks to Delaney McKee,MaeveKenny,andAveryWalsh for their energy and enthusiasm in MCing the event! Way to go VWA!
Details and permission form will be shared closer to thedate. enextALCmeetingisonMarch23rd.
AttheFebruary15meeting,theALCdiscussedplans for movie night to be held aer Field Day on April 28th.MovieNightwillbeheldfrom6:30-9:00pm.
e next Booster Club meeting will be on Monday,April3rd,from7:30-8:30pmintheSr.Doris Lavinthal Athletic Center. All parents are welcome andinvited toattend!Wehopetoseeyouthere.
Wednesday March8 MiddleSchool Luncheon ursday March9 PSATtestingforGr.8&9
Friday March17 NoClasses–Musical–students mayattend morningshow10am
Saturday-Sunday March18-19 SpringMusical7pm,3pm
Monday March20 Bishop’sHoliday–NoSchool
Tuesday March21 CollegeNight
ursday March23 GuestSpeakerKelsey Tanish9:15am- Auditorium
Friday March24 Father/DaughterDance– 7:00pm- Auditorium
ursday March30 CareerDay
Friday March31 CoffeeHousesponsoredbyeDiversityClub