Villa Walsh Academy NEWSLETTER
September / October 2025
GUIDANCE REMINDERS
SENIORS
ContinuetochecktheGuidancewebsiteto seewhen collegesarevisitingVillaWalsh;mostvisits have concluded forthe fall,butthere are stillafewscheduled for November.Sign-upsareinthe GuidanceOffice for college visits.
eGroupGuidanceclasshascoveredmanytopics this fall,particularlythe application process atVWA andthe importanceofdevisinga realisticcollege list.
AsdiscussedatbothCollege Nightandin Guidance class,transcriptrequestformsaredueatleast3 weeks priortotheapplicationdeadline.Eachstudent must submitoneformforeachschoolsheisapplying to(i.e. ifastudentisapplyingto6schools, shemust complete 6 transcript requestforms).
Mid-semester grades willbe availableforseniors toview anddecideif they wouldliketo sendto theircolleges. is transcript isan optionaltranscript thatwouldbe sent.
JUNIORS
PSAT scores havebeen released to both students and educators.Mrs.Devins willbeginindividualmeetings witheveryjuniorstartinginearlyNovember.She will reviewherPSATscore andcollegeplanning.
COLLEGENIGHTCLASSOF2026
On September 23,2025,Mrs.Devinshosted aCollege Nightfor parentsofthe Class of 2026.is meetingaddressedthecollege application process, Villa Walsh’srequirements forrequesting transcripts,lettersof recommendations,aswellasFAQs.
COLLEGEINFORMATIONNIGHT
On ursday,September25,2025,Mrs.Devins hostedaGuidance Information Nightfor9th and10th gradeparents/guardians. An overviewofyourdaughter’shigh school timeline,including standardizedtesting,courseoptions,involvement in various activitiesandquestions wereaddressed.
PEERTUTORING
Peertutoringis availableforallstudentswho feeltheycouldbene t fromsomeadditionalhelpwith aclass.esignupforrequesting andprovidingpeertutoringcanbe foundon thedoorofthe Guidance Office.PleasestopinoremailMrs.Devinsifyou haveany questions.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Over1.3million students tookthe 2024PSAT.Oftheseentrants, weare pleasedtoannounce thatElizabethEdattel’26 and Bryanna Liu’26arerecognized asCommendedStudents,placingamong the50,000highest-scoring participantsinthe 2026NationalMerit Scholarship Program. CongratulationsElizabeth and Bryanna!
APSCHOLARAWARDS
efollowingstudents earned the APScholarwithDistinction Awardbyscoringan averagescoreofat least 3.5onallAPExams taken,andscoresof3orhigheron ve ormoreofthese exams: ClaraAinsworth’25,MirandaAviles’25,TessCoffey’26,Blythe Dudley’26,ElizabethEdattel’26,AmeliaKleinle’26,Ines Lemee’25,BryannaLiu’26,AgustinaMartinezFerretti’25, SabrinaPasko’26,IsabellaPizzo’25,andMarthaSmart’25
efollowingstudents earned the APScholarwithHonorAward byscoringanaveragescoreofat least3.25 on allAPExams taken,andscoresof3orhigheronfouror moreof theseexams: GemmaCafasso’26,GraceCalvano’26,BerniceFernando’26, MadelineKnagenhjelm’25,NoraKra’25,LilyMeier’25,Emma Naughton’26,MaliaNugent’25,KatherineTreacy’27,Sabrina Waivada’26,AudreyWilbanks’25, andRoisinYosh’25
efollowingstudents earned the APScholarAwardby scoringa3orhigheronthree ormoreAP Exams: Olivia Barsemian’27,AvaBentz’26,BhavishyaBoga’25,Bridget Boler’26,MargaretBoler’25,AnnaCollins’25,Leah Costa’25,MariaCostello’25,NoraDam’25,BridgetDrew’26, RiordanFarley’25,LynetteGao’25,BrookeHetherington’25, ClaireImossi’25,So aJordao’25,SophieLewandowska’25, ErinLyons’25,NinaMody’25,MarissaNoonan’25, Kaitlyn Pavagadhi’25,AveryPoruczynski’25,Cora Reardon’25,AlexandraRezza’25,AvaSeaman’26,Cameron Shull’26,Sadie Smith’25,ClaudiaSteinberg’25,Cierra Wolckenhauer’25,DelaneyYosh’25,andKatherineZiwot’25
efollowingstudents earned the APCapstoneDiploma by scoringa3orhigherin APSeminar andAPResearch,and on4additional APExamsoftheir choosing: TessCoffey’26, ElizabethEdattel’26,AmeliaKleinle’26, andBryannaLiu’26.
efollowingstudents earned theAP SeminarandResearch Certi catebyscoring3orhigherin bothAPSeminarand APResearch:BridgetBoler’26,GraceCalvano’26,Blythe Dudley’26,SabrinaPasko’26,AvaSeaman’26, andCameron Shull’26.
AP CAPSTONE
VillaWalsh’sAP Capstone programis excitedtohavereached anextraordinaryacademic milestone:thankstothe hardwork ofagroupofstudentsandinstructors(Mrs.Julie Oliveros (AP Seminar)andMrs.KristinaPasko (AP Research))willingtotake onnewacademicchallenges,allofthestudents who completed the rsttwo-yearcycle(2023-2025) of Villa'sAP Capstone programsuccessfullyearnedtheAPSeminar andResearch Certi cateortheAPCapstoneDiploma.
eAP scoresdistinguish Villa'sAP Capstone students and open doorsforfuturescholarlyexplorations. Studentswho earnscoresof3orhigherinAP SeminarandAPResearchand onfouradditionalAP Exams oftheir choosingreceivethe AP CapstoneDiploma™.Studentswho earnscoresof3orhigher inAP SeminarandAP Research but notonfouradditionalAP Exams receivethe APSeminar andResearchCerti cate™.We lookforwardtorecognizingVilla's rstroundofAPCapstone studentsat thesenior awardsevent in thespring.
Our2024-2026AP Researchstudentsarealreadybusy with their chosen areasof study.OnSept.26, thegroup wentontheroad togather knowledgeandmaterialsfortheirresearch projects. anks tothegeneroustimeandresourcesofDr.omas GlynnattheAlexander LibraryatRutgers,the students learned howto accessandutilizedatabases through re nedsearching techniques,andhowtousethoseskillstolocatestudiesrelevant totheir uniqueresearch topics.
Aerward,the students wentona scavengerhunt:small teams weregivenabooktitleandassociatedcallnumber,andtheyhunted throughthestacks inaraceto ndtheir assigned book.Allthese efforts workedupanappetite,so analfrescolunchateYardon campuswasa delightfulway towrap up thetrip.
Ourresearchersarealso learninghow tocommunicateeffectively withprofessionals to requesthard-to-accessinformation.ey’ve discoveredthatprofessionalsatmajor institutions(including Virginia Tech,theUniversity of Copenhagen, theUniversityof Sheffield,theUniversity ofRzeszów,the University ofVeterinary MedicineViennaandthe University ofBarcelona),aregladtoshare data,questionnaires,andstudies, and toanswerquestionsabout theresearch process. Ourresearchers are realizingthe truth ofwhat Steve Jobssaid,describinghisown experienceasa twelve-yearold when hecalled BillHewlittto ask forsparecomputer parts,andgot them (aswellasa job):“Most peoplenever pickupthe phone,most peoplenever ask. Andthat’s whatseparatesthe peoplewhodo things fromthepeoplethatjustdreamaboutthem.”
MINISTRY
Bishop’sMass
Bishop KevinSweeney fromthe Diocese of Paterson presided atVillaWalshAcademy’s rstliturgyofthenewschoolyearon Tuesday,September 23rdinSt. LucyChapel.Celebratingthe memorialof St.PadrePio,Bishop Sweeney reminded usthatwe are allcreatedinGod’simage andlikeness and,asHisbeloveddaughters andsons,we shouldrememberthe greatblessingwehavebeengiven todevelop ourgisandtalentsina Catholicschoollike VillaWalsh Academy,preparing for ourlivesinthe serviceofHiswill.
Villa’sChorusstudents,under the guidanceofVilla’s chorusdirector, Mr.Paul Daher,led thecongregation in prayer andsong. anks to BlytheDudley’26,AmeliaKleinle’26,GiselleScannella’26, AvaSeaman’26,AzariahAndrews’27,EmilyMurphy’27,Ava Sansano’27,CeciliaTimmons’27, SaraCarvalheiro-Santos’28, BethKinney’28,HaileySimmons’28, andAbigailWright’28for helpingtoservethis liturgyby carryingcrossand candles,serving thealtar,readingScripture andpetitions,presentingthegis atthe Offertory,anddistributingthe mass programs. As ishiscustom, Bishop Sweeney generouslyannounced a“Bishop’sHoliday,” tobe celebratedonTuesday,January 20th,2026,extendingour observance of theMartinLutherKingholiday weekend.
BigSister/LittleSisterLuncheon
Seniorsfromthe Classof 2026welcomedourfreshmanstudentsof theClass of2029 to theVillaWalshAcademy familybyhostingthe annualBigSister/LittleSister Luncheon on Tuesday,September30 withapizza picnicbytheTower.eweatherheldoutbeautifully, as theseniorssetanexampleofkindness andthoughtfulnessfor theirnew LittleSisters. Villa’sneweststudentsweregratefulfor thepizza,thethoughtfulgisandballoons,andmost especiallyfor thehand of friendship extendedtowelcomethemtoVillaWalsh. CandyDay,theannual Villatradition thattakes placepriortothe luncheon,allows thefreshmento introducethemselvesastheyshare somethingsweetwiththe seniors.
CAMPUS
Specialthanksto theclassof2026fortheir kindandgenerous welcome to theirLittleSistersin thefreshmanclass.
Rosary
StudentsandfacultygathereveryMondayaer school at2:45PM topraythe rosaryforourneedsandthe needs of thewholeworld. Fromthe cross,JesusgaveusHismotherto beourmother,too. In timesof suchconfusionanddivision,seekingtheprayersof Our Lady,especiallythroughtherosary,can helptogive usthe peaceand protectionwe seek. Allarewelcome.
Adoration/Reconciliation
Inthe rstweekofeverymonth,eitherursdayorFriday,Villa WalshAcademy invites students,faculty,andfamiliesto join togetherinprayerin adoration of theBlessedSacramentinSt.Lucy Chapel. eSacramentofReconciliation isavailabletostudents duringtheirlunchperiod. Sign-upsheets are shared monthly,and allarewelcome.
SoupKitchenMeal
Everymonth, VillaWalshAcademy preparesa mealfortheSt. MartindePorressoup kitchen, anoutreachofthe Franciscan Friars oftheRenewal inserviceoftheirpoor neighbors. Fundedfromthe proceedsofadress-downday,themealthatthe studentsprepare feeds 200people. Inorder tohelp,students in thehigh school completea Google Formandmeet in thekitchen of theGraceAnn Cafeto cookandassembleeight large cateringtrays of ahearty, deliciousmeal. ankstothe student volunteersfor theirworkto remember andservethe poor in ourcommunity.
JuniorRingLiturgy
eannualJuniorRingliturgy,honoringthe students fromVilla Walsh’sClass of 2027,wascelebratedinSt.LucyChapelonMonday, October20th. isannual Academytraditionrecognizes our studentsbytakinga pausehalfwaythroughtheir high school careers tore ectonallthattheyhavealreadyaccomplished,andtocelebrate thefriendshipsandthe bondsthey have createdintheir Villa sisterhood.
St. LucyChapelwas lledwith Academystudentsaswellasthe parentsofthe Class of 2027towitnessthisbeloved milestone and toaskGodto continueto bless andguide our students to thelives andvocationstowhich He iscallingthem.In additiontotheir rings,studentseachreceived apink rose thatre ectsthebeautyof thefriendshipsthat theyhave formedhere. VillaWalshAcademy’s Chorus,underthedirectionof Mr.PaulDaher, led thecongregation insongandpraiseduringthe liturgy,whichwas onceagain celebratedby Fr. Lance Reis, who blessedthe students’ringsat the conclusion of themass.
SpecialthankstoLaurenPetrie’27andKieraVowells’27,who cantoredthe responsorialpsalmandsangthecommunion meditation,andto CeciliaTimmons’27 forcreatingthe artwork for theprogramcover.
JuniorClassCommissioner BiancaPetrucci’27 welcomed theClass of2027 andtheirfamiliesaer Massto alightreception in the auditorium,followedbyphotosonVilla’scampus.
anks alsoto AzariahAndrews’27,MaeveDam’27,Angelina Dattolo’27, ValentinaDePaco’27,LiaGriffin’27,Alexa Lombardi’27, EveLoughran’27,EmilyMurphy’27,Katelyn McGowan’27,IsabellaNilio’27,IsabellaOrosz’27,Isabella PropperStuehr’27,AnneRionda’27,AvaSansano’27,Lexi Stappas’27,and EllaTrzesniowski’27 fortheirroles incarrying thecrossand candles,welcomingthe congregation,reading theScripturesofpetitions,bringingup thegisintheoffertory procession,orleadingthestudentsandtheir parentsinsong.
anks alsotoseniors AmeliaKleinle’26 andMiaMagnier’26 for servingthe altar forFr.Lance.Specialthanksalso toSr.Elaine Bebyn,M.P.F.andSr.LauraBezila,M.P.F. forarrangingthe owers andpreparingsanctuary,andtoSr.BarbaraPaci,M.P.F.andour HSA volunteersfor coordinatingtherefreshmentsintheauditorium for the students andtheirfamilies.
FreshmanRetreat
StudentsfromtheClassof2029tooka dayoff-campusto spendon retreatatonWednesday October2ndattheChurchofSt.James in BaskingRidge.
Studentshadthe opportunity to spendtimetogrowin theirbond offriendshipwitheachother,andwith Jesus.Inadditiontoicebreakergames andlotsoflaughter,thestudents, accompaniedand led byeologyinstructorsLaura WilliamsandColetteGeraghty, andfacilitated byLive Vertical Ministry,spentbeautifultime kneelingbeforethealtar inadorationofthe BlessedSacrament,and participated intheSacramentofReconciliationas wellasmass. With laughterandsong,thestudents returnedto Villa’scampusrenewed andrefreshed,andmoredeeplyconnected toeachotheras aclass thanwhenthey le.
Epoch Ministry
Epoch is backinfullswingasourCampusMinistrycontinuesto runthisserviceopportunity for allhighschool students.
Everyursday,VWAHighSchoolstudentsareinvited tojoin theirpeersingoingto EPOCH. EPOCH (EducationalPrograms ofChildrenHandicapped)isa uniqueaer-school program for specialneedschildrenwhoareunabletoparticipateintraditional aer-schoolactivities. Established in Madison nearly50yearsago,it servesdevelopmentallydelayedchildrenbetween theagesof6to 21.
At Epoch there areawidearrayofindoorandoutdoorrecreational activitiesincludingarts and cras,games,cooking, libraryvisits, holidayparties,andmuch more! Sofarwehaveenjoyedplaying football,basketball,ConnectFour,and morewith ourfriends at EPOCH.
MarchForLife Trenton
Together,agroup ofVillaWalsh Academystudents Marie(Mia) Magnier’26, ElodieCooney’26, GemmaCafasso'26, Ellen DiDomenico'26,SienaLanni'28,ZoeYe'28,JulianaKenworthy'28, EmmaMurphy’29,andGraceGreguske'29 joinedDelbarton
studentsto travelto Trenton,NewJerseyforthe March For Life on September26th.As part of our witnessasa community thatrespects life, itwasa joytobe among othersprayingand standingupforthose who are themostvulnerable.
Ourstudentsattended massatthe CathedralofSaint Maryof theAssumption.emasswascelebratedby thebishops from manydifferentdiocesesthroughoutNew Jersey,includingour own Bishop Kevin Sweeney.Students then attendedtherally andheardspeakersandjoined in prayerwithallofthose in attendance.We concluded thedaywalkingthroughthestreetsof Trenton.
Itwasa greatdayforcommunitybondingandbeingabletojoin alongwithother schools andmembersofourcommunity and diocesestandingup for life.
MiddleSchoolRetreat
e 7th and 8th graders wentontheir yearly retreat on Monday, October20th.emiddleschool students traveled together to St. JamesChurchinBaskingRidge,NJ.emorningstarted with studentsparticipatingin fun icebreakersandgames, followed byAdorationandConfessions, then a beautiful Massin thechurch. AerMassstudents gottoenjoylunch togetherfollowedbyan excitinggameof musical chairs-to strengthentheir bonds andbuildcommunity.eytooktime for personalre ectionandjournaling,focusingonthetheme ofGod’s immenseloveforeachofus. edayalsoincluded a deep dive intotheCorinthiansChapter 13scripturepassage, wherestudents engagedinmeaningful discussionsaboutwhat love meansand how we actinlove. is retreat wasa wonderful opportunity forourmiddleschool girls tostepawayfromtheir dailyroutinesandgrow closer toJesus through prayerand fellowship.
RespectLifePrayerService
On Tuesday,October 28th,2025,VillaWalshAcademy students KayleyBascom'26, TeaganMacPherson'26, and Jillian Paolino'26 alongwithMissGeraghtyled our RespectLifePrayer Servicetorememberthosewhohave losttheirlifetragically or violentlyandtoprayaswellforrespectofall life andfor our loved ones.
eprayer servicebeganwitha beautifulsingingof Mary's Song byourVWAChoir. SamanthaInnella'28,Abigail Wright'28,EmmaNaughton'26 and MiaMagnier'26 allread scripturepassages. MiaMarulanda'29 readour re ection;which wasfollowedbyabeautifulversionofthe Ave Maria,sungbyour VWA choir.
Intercessions forthosethat havetragicallylosttheirlivesthrough hatred andviolencewereprayed for byourwholecommunity. Acandlewasalsolitforeachof ourintercessions.ese intercessionswerereadby AmeliaKleinle'26,ErinJacobs'26, WhitneyWitko'28, and AvaSansano'27.
en, BlytheDudley'26 led our whole communityinpraying adecade oftheRosaryforourintentions.Tocloseourprayer service, KayleyBascom'26 ledourclosingprayerandour VWA chorus ledourclosinghymn, "Jerusalem,MyDestiny".
Itwasa beautifultime for ourcommunitytocometogether and uniteinprayer,timetorememberallofthe liveslostandtime to re ect onmovingforwardwithgreathope.
Halloween
On Halloween at mid-day,theseniorsandfreshmenvisitedthe SistersofSt.JosephHall.ey sang"PumpkinCarols" andgaveout candytreats totheSisters.eSisterswereverygratefulforthe visit andenjoyedtheyoungpeople.ankyou to Mrs.WilliamsandSr. Helen fororganizingthevisit.anks alsoto theFreshman class whowroteHalloween notes toalltheSistersinSt.Joseph Hall and MotherNinettaHall.
ROBOTICS
Sisters1stRoboticsKicksOff aStrongStarttothe
Season!
Sisters1stis kickingoffthe newroboticsseasonwithenergy, teamwork,andpurpose.Ourlab hasbeen buzzingasour membersaresharpeningtheirskills! Whether it’s learningnew fabricationtools,buildingprototypesinCAD,or improving ourcodefor nextyear’srobot,the team ishardatworkas we arepatientlywaitingfortheexciting season ahead.Atthesame time,ourmediaandcommunityoutreachteams havebeen busygrowingourcommunity;theyaretrainingnew members indesignplatforms,planningposts andvideos,andhostinga successful MovieNight featuring eMovieRuleBreakers,where weraised$220to supportwomen in STEM inunderserved countries.Nextmonth,we’re excited towelcome alocalGirl Scouttrooptothelabto help themearntheir roboticsbadges, continuingourmissionto inspirefutureinnovators.
Aswegearupforourupcomingmockkickoffand driveteam tryouts,we’re gratefulforthe incrediblesupportfromour sponsors- BAESystems,GeneHaasFoundation,ande MezzalinguaFamilyFoundation.eirgenerositypowers everythingwedo!We’realways lookingfornewsponsorsto joinourefforts,ifyou orsomeone youknowisinterested in supportingourteam,pleasereach outto robotics@villawalsh. org
Withastrongstart,Sisters1stisreadytotakeonthisseason!
ATHLETICS VILLA SERVES
VillaServes collected50+coatsforchildrenandfamiliesofSt. Margaret’sChurchinMorristown. Underthedirectionof Villa Serves member, AnneRionda’27, coats,hatsandgloves forchildren insizes 2ttosize 12werecollected.
ClodaghBateson’26organized a collectionofLegobricks tohelp kidsinneedandprovidecreativeplay byreusingpre-loved Legos. VillaServes is thrilledto sharethat we collected over 36pounds of Legos!!
For manykidsacross NewJersey,Halloweentraditions arenotan essential part of thefamilybudget. JustintimeforHalloween, Eve (Vivi)Loughran’27,collectednew and gentlyusedcostumesfor Jersey Cares.JerseyCaresisanorganizationwhohelpstobringthe magic ofHalloween tochildrenlivingin NewJersey.
BlytheDudley’26organized a Halloweencandy collectionto bene t Soldiers'Angels. Withyourgenerouscontributionsofcandy,Villa Servescollectedover 54poundsofcandy!
VillaServes joinedforceswithMr.Roy GoldmanandMrs. Isabelle Goldman incollectingpaperbackbookstobene ttheArmed ForcesPaperbackBookProject. Over 200bookswerecollected to bedeliveredto American Troopsoverseas,aswellas veterans and military familiesat home.
BlytheDudley’26led VillaServes in adrive to collect stuffed animalstosupport thework ofMary’sHandsatStMargaret’s of Scotlandin Morristown. Mary’sHands providesone-on-onefamily assistanceasneeded,and connectsclients with localservices. In addition,Mary’sHands hasbeen asourceof compassion formany families,includingnewmothers andchildren. TeresaPrendergast, directorofclientservices,will use thestuffed animalsas gis, incentives,andasource ofcomfortforthechildren andfamiliesshe workswith.
DiversityCafé
DiversityCafé kickedoffthecelebrationofHispanicHeritage MonthatSeptemberfest this year withbeautifulskiesandweather. DiversityCafe'delightedourownstudentsandfamiliesaswellas ourguestsfromotherschools withmulticolorfriendshipbracelets, coloringpages,bookmarks andtemporarytattooscelebrating themonth. Ahuge thank youtoallthefamiliesthat sharedtheir heritageandthefoodsoftheir heritage.
Incelebration ofNativeAmericanHeritage month,DiversityCafé hasplaceda bannerinthe cafe',booksinthelibraryanddistributed specialbookmarksto remindusofthe contributionsof indigenous peopleinthe United States.
TennisVarsity
eVarsity tennis teamhada fantastic,competitiveseason, nishingwithan overallrecordof6-7anda 4-6recordinthe LibertyDivision.eysecured two shutoutvictoriesagainst MorrisCatholic andVernonTownship HighSchool.eteam swepttheseriesagainstMadison High School andsplitwith AcademyofSt.Elizabeth.eseasonconcluded onahighnote withawin againstMadisonHighSchoolonSenior Day.Parents, teammates,andfriendsgatheredtocelebratethe remarkable careersofoursixexceptional seniors. AngelinaSantorelli’26, afour-yearvarsity starterandcaptain,playedhersecondyear at rst singles.She achievedawinningrecordandwasawarded theExcellenceAwardforherconsistent andoutstanding play. CameronShull’26,afour-yearvarsity player,playedher secondyearatsecondsingles.Shehada winningrecordand the mostwinson theteam,earninghertheMVPAward. Giselle Scannella’26,athree-yearvarsityplayer,madeherdebutatthird singlesthisyear,havingplayeddoubleslastyear. Giselle was recognizedwith theGreenandWhiteAwardforherleadership, teamspirit,andpositiveattitude. OliviaParrillo’26,athreeyearvarsityplayer,playedevery matchat rstdoubles alongside junior EllaTrzesniowski’27.is team formed a strongbond earlyin theseason andshowcased remarkablematches,many ofwhichwentinto athird-settie-breaker. estrength of this teampropelled themto thequarter nals atthe Morris County Tournament. ElizabethEdattel’26and KristinaDangler’26, bothnewto thevarsity this year,hadplayed together forthree yearsonJV. Elizabeth wasawardedthe MostImprovedAward for herremarkable growth inskillandgame understanding.She servedastheanchorofthe seconddoublesteam,partnering withvariousplayersthroughouttheseason.Alsoearningvarsity playingtime are juniors ValentinaDePaco’27,sophomore WhitneyWitko’28,andfreshman ElodieTuck’29.ese players arepoised tosecurestartingpositionsandleadershiproleson theteamnextseason.
TennisJV
JV tennis hadagreat endto the2025season, nishing with a recordof6-6.Lossescame against theMorristown BeardSchool (2),MadisonHighSchool (2),andMountainLakes HighSchool (2).e team’swinscame againstAcademyofSt.Elizabeth (2), HanoverParkHigh School(2), Vernon HighSchool(1),and Montclair KimberleyAcademy (1). Highlightsfromthe season includeteambondingevents:a visit fromtheIceCreamTruck right atour tennis courts,fortheVarsityandJVat theendof pre-season,the JV girlsenjoyedateamdinnerfromChick- l-A andItaliandinnersbefore some ofourmatches.eJVtennis teamhasa15person rostercomprisedofcaptains Isabella Orosz’27andIsabellaNilio’27;junior AngelinaDattolo’27; sophomores EmmaAllen’28,GalinaDangler’28,Siena Lanni’28,OliviaLeuzzi’28,AvryRiley’28,AdrianaRizk’28, and LaylaVreeling’28.Roundingoutthe rosterarefreshmen KayleighHatton’29,NorahKennedy’29,GiannaNunes’29, CamillaZazzali’29,andIsabellaZelinsky’29.
FromFrustration toFlourish:A YearofGrowth,Grit, andGoals”- Aerarebuildingyearin 2024,VillaWalsh returnedto thepitchthisfallwithrenewedbelief anda point to prove.eresult? Astandoutcampaign de nedby attackingintent,defensivediscipline,anda 12–6–1record thatsignalsa program rmly backon therise.
enumbersalonetellastory oftransformation.Villa Walshimprovedtheiroverallrecordfrom7–9–2lastseason to12–6–1in2025,whiletheirconferencerecordjumped from6–2–2to 9–1–1inthe NJAC Independence Division.
atsurgerepresentsa 71%increaseinwinsanda 33% reduction in losses. Offensively,the teamnetted48goals—a jump of41%fromthepreviousyear’s 34—while conceding just16,nearlyhalfasmany asthe 28shipped in 2024.
eearlyweeksofSeptember weremixed,astheteamfound itsfootingthroughtough testsagainstPequannockand Kinnelon.But as themonth woreon,themomentumbuilt. ConvincingwinsoverBoonton,Parsippany,andAcademy ofSt.Elizabeth reassertedtheteam’s attackingpower,while thedefense grewin con dence.ByOctober, VillaWalsh hadhitfullstride,winningseven of their lastten gamesand nishingthe regularseasonincommandingform,andfor the rsttimeina decade,winning ve straight games.
If2024’s storywas aboutlearning,2025wasaboutlocking thingsdown.ebackline wasmarshaled byseniorcaptains KayleyBascom’26,AshleeMartin’26,andveterans
eresaBowers’26 and So aKearns’26andfurther supportedby seniorgoalkeepers GiselleLongo’26 and Cara Fitzpatrick’26,andprotected inthedefensivemid eldfrom CaptainJaneAnderson’26.Altogether,theydeliverednine cleansheets acrossthecampaign.eirorganizationand calmnessunderpressure turned narrowdefeats intowins.
Season2025wasled byafreshmanforwardline of GeorgianaHushon’29,EmmaGubernat’29, and Grace Boler’29.Freshman GraceBoler’29ledthewaywith 8goalsand5assists,showing poisewellbeyondher years.Sophomore KaylaBurrell’28 addedcreativityand controlinmid eldwith7goals and5 assists,whilesenior KayleyBascom’26 balanced defensiveleadershipwith attackingpresence,scoring7 timesandassistingtwice. Honorablementionsgoto ClodaghBateson’26 (G-6 A-2) and GeorgianaHushon’29(G-4 A-5)whoweremassive contributorsin bigmoments.Roundingoutthevarsity teamare KatelynMcGowan’27,LyndsaySheaffer’28, EveLoughran’27,LexiStappas’27,SaraCarvalheiroSantos’28,JosephineRezza’28,RylieMcAloon’29, andteammanager MiaMagnier’26. Froma seasonof uncertaintyin 2024to conference contenders,VillaWalsh’s transformationwas built on commitment,trust,andbelief inthesoccerprogram.Withseniorleadershippavingthe wayforanewgeneration oftalent,thefuture looks bright for VillaWalshGirlsSoccer.
SoccerJV
e2025JVSoccer team completedtheir seasonon October27th, withabigwinagainstJeffersonHighSchoolbringingthem toa winningrecord of5-4-1.e girlsalso nishedtheir seasonon a four-gamewin streak.roughoutthe season,thegirlshaveshown immenseimprovementandcamaraderie.Ourdefensiveplayers, SamanthaInnella’28,AnneRionda’27,AvaVanEtten’29,and EmmaMurphy’29recordedatotal of fourshutoutsand provided uswith consistent protectionanddepth.Ourmid eldplayers, MiaMarulanda’29,NaomiScotto’29,GraceGreguske’29,and ClaireWitko’29,although allfreshmen, playeda crucialrolein ourteam’spossessionanddistributionforscoringopportunities, whichultimatelyled tooursuccess. Ourforwards, Caroline McAdams’29,JoellePaolino’29,and Ashley aler’29,wereall threatstoouropponents'backlines andreliable goal-scorers.e JV Soccer teamhadasuccessful2025seasonfull of growth andfun.
VolleyballVarsity
eVilla VarsityVolleyballteamisled bysenior captains MichelaVaccaro’26 andSabrinaWaivada’26.eother ve seniorson theteamare GemmaCafasso’26,GraceCalvano’26, ElodieCooney’26,EmmaNaughton’26,andKarinaSiegel’26. Representingthejuniorclass are AzariahAndrews’27,Maeve Dam’27,EmilyMurphy’27,KieraVowells’27,andswingplayers AvaSansano’27and PeytonSimmons’27.To complete theteam, thecoaches relyon sophomores SatineNader’28 andSibylla Ramos’28
esquadstartedthe season abitchoppy, butgained major momentumwhenVillabeat threetough in-division opponents in a rowtoearna5-2recordearlyon.In thematchversusHigh Point, SabrinaWaivada’26earned 11assists,and MichelaVaccaro’26 had 3kills.A majorcontributortothewin versus Morris Catholicwas SatineNader’28 with her threeaces and 14digs. ElodieCooney’26 added5 kills,andKarinaSiegel’26 served up12servingpointsthat aernoon.
Ahighlightofthe seasonwastheMorrisCountytournament matchversusChatham.Villatookthe rst set but lost thefollowing twoina ercebattle.Everyonecontributedtoa solidperformance, especiallyin defense. KarinaSiegel’26 had11digs, Satine Nader’28 and EmmaNaughton’26added9and4,respectively.
eseniorstook careofouroffense,led by MichelaVaccaro’26 with3 killsand GemmaCafasso’26,ElodieCooney’26,and Grace Calvano’26,allwithtwo killsapiece againsta solidChatham block.
eteamlostoutonmovingaheadin thetournament,butthe matchcertainlyboostedtheplayers’con dence.
Everyonewillremember ElodieCooney’s fourteenservice points (3 aces)that led tothebiggest comebackoftheseasonfroma de citof9-20inthe secondset versusWhippanyPark.In theend, Villawonthe set 26-24aer going29-27in the rst set. Wayto go, Elodie!
EventhoughVilladidnot “survive”the rstroundofthePrep-B tournament,theteamgainedvaluable experienceforlaterin the season,playingagainst thestrongattackersofNewark Academy.
EmilyMurphy’27 had11digsand6 killsinthatmatch,showcasing heroffensive and defensivestrengths.GemmaCafasso’26 wasable togetthe ball3 timespastthetallNewarkAcademyblockersand onto theground. SibyllaRamos’28 scoredtwiceinoffenseand recorded3 digsand1ace,foranall-aroundsolid performancethat day.
CaptainSabrinaWaivada’26 ledtheteamwith13 assistsand5 aces inamemorable2-0win (25:15,25:14)over St.E’s on October14, 2025.Adaylater,the teamtraveledtodivisionalopponentHigh Pointandsuffereda1-2loss,whichblew thedivisionchampionship wideopen.MichelaVaccaro’s’26 ten kills, EmmaNaughton’26, and SibyllaRamos’s’28combined7aceswerenot enoughthat late eveningin the mostnorthern cornerof New Jersey.Sowhen thedivision titlecamedowntothe match against MorrisCatholic onOctober21,2025,theVWAVdefense tookcareofbusiness, combiningfor30 digs and greatteamspiritonandoffthe court.
DigPink2025wasa greatsuccessinboth fundraisingand volleyball.Villabeat Pequannock2-0,andthe team collectedwell over $1,000to donate totheSide-OutFoundation,which supports stage4 breast cancerresearch.ankyouto allwho supported the event!
eseniorswerecelebrated atthelast regular match of theseason against MontvilleonOctober30,2025.isgroup ofseniors has been playingtogetherfor4yearsandbringsa lotof experience and greatenergyinto thelastexcitingpartoftheseason,the NJSIAA StateTournament. Villaistravelingto HawthorneChristianon November6,2025.Goodluck,VWAV!
VolleyballJV
VillaWalsh JV Volleyballwasled bygamecaptains AvaSansano’27 and PeytonSimmons’27.erestoftheteamincluded sophomores AveryDraeger’28,MaryCafasso’28,Hannah Warjanka’28,HaileySimmons’28,JuliannaKenworthy’28, KendallKiraly’28,LaurenDoss’28,LeahBourdoin’28,Maria Kalavrouziotis’28,NatalieBrinkworth’28,SarahShalhoub’28, So aMarcello’28,SophiaDannenmann’28,VivienneQiao’28, ZoeYe’28andteammanager, AmyPerlera’28
eteamstartedthe season with awinoverMorristown-Beardand showedaverypromisingstart.eygainedmomentumandsoared toa 5-1record goingintoourannualSeptemberfest.Althoughthe teamdidn’tclinch theJV titleandfelltoPayne Techin theplayoffs, theirVillaprideshowed throughoutthefun- lleddaywith alot ofgreenandglitter.JVthenwent on numerouswinning runs throughouttheremainderofthe season.Somebigwins included doublewins overMorrisCatholic andrivalAcademyofSt. Elizabeth’s.Coach Smith especiallylovedthe win overPequannock. CoachSmithsaid,“Itwasour lastgameofthe season,andwelost tothempreviouslyinthe year.e girlsralliedwith theexcitement ofDigPinkandgot thewin.Mostimportantly,everyone got inthatmatch.Itwasagreat waytoendtheseason;eachplayer deserved toplayinthatgame.Iamsoproudofthemandwhatthey accomplishedthis season.” VillaWalshJVVolleyballended their season13-6.
VolleyballFreshmen
efreshmen volleyballteamclosedouttheseasonwithan awesome10-3record.At Septemberfest,theycamein 2nd place aer atough matchwithVernon.eyalsoplayed in theMadisontournamentwithgreat effort anddetermination. Overall,theteamhadanincredibleseason!emembersof the2025-2026 freshman volleyballteam are: TessaArturi’29, CarolineCaughey’29,GraceCosta’29,ElizabethCullen’29, ElyseDeLuca’29,EvaDzaynukoff’29,eodoraHronides’29, JulianaJoshi’29,AinsleyKaplan’29,BrookeKenny’29,Richa Lanjewar’29,NoreenMack’29,RileyMurphy’29,Emily O’Malley’29,CristiannePerez’29,BriannaPolito’29,Leila Sexton’29,AlyviaSimmons’29,SophieSims’29,andAudrey Streem’29
CrossCountryVarsity
e2025-2026 VillaWalsh AcademyCross Countryteamhas hadaphenomenalseasonthusfarandislookingforwardto somebig meets comingup inNovember. eteamcompleted itsNJACLiberty Division dualmeetschedulewith a5-1 record. eteamkickedoffits championshipseason on October 14thby winningtheNJAC“smallschools”championship race, nishing rstamongthe eldof24teams. iswasthe5th consecutive teamchampionshipand10th overalloutof apossible15. Blythe Dudley’26wastheindividual champion,earningher3rdNJAC titleinhercareer. OnOctober21st,theteamreturned to Central Park of Morris Countyforthe MorrisCountyChampionships, wherethe team nishedin astrong4th placeoverall. Blythe Dudley’26 wonher2ndindividualMorris Countycrosscountry title, nishingwitha timeof18:33. CatherineAzares’29 also earnedAllCountyhonors, nishingin7thplaceoverall.e teamtraveledto Blair AcademyonOctober29thto compete intheNJISAA Prep Bleaguechampionships. With 3 runners placinginthe top ten, BlytheDudley’26,CatherineAzares’29, and AmeliaKleinle’26,theteamwon its 3rd consecutivePrep Btitle.roughout theseason,theteamhasreliedupon Blythe Dudley’26,CatherineAzares’29,AmeliaKleinle’26,Lucy Smart’29,and BridgetBoler’26asits top 5 scorers. Contributing tothe varsitylineupthisseason areValentinaCalipa’26,Ava Seaman’26,JillianPaolino’26,HelenaEast’29,and Natalia Bruzzichesi’29. Alsocompetingforthecrosscountryprogram areBerniceFernando’26,LaurenPetrie’27,IsabellaPropperStuehr’27,ElizabethKinney’28,and MilaChevalier’29. eteamis nowfocusedondefending itsNJSIAA Non-Public Bstatechampionship,whichwill takeplaceatHolmdelParkon November8th.
CrossCountryMiddleSchool
eMiddleSchoolCrossCountryTeamis ayounggroupof 10seventh gradersand2eighth graders.Mostofthegirlsare runningforthe rsttimecompetitively and having alotof fungettingto knowtheirnew teammatesandclassmates.e onlyreturningrunnerfromlast yeariseighthgrader Bailey Gardner’30.Sheis joinedbyclassmate AdrianaAboyoun'30.
eenthusiastic7th graderscompletingtheteaminclude: NorahAli’31, So aAli’31,NayahAmin’31,Amanda Carter’31,SheridanDavidson’31,KaitlynKu’31,Carina Lehnes’31,ElianaSexton’31,AlexaVanSlyke’31,andEllaVan Slyke’31. Attheendof September,the runners participated in theAssumption Invitational atCentral Park inMorrisPlains. AlexaVanSlyke’31 captured 4th placeandmedaled,alongwith Kaitlyn Ku’31 andCarinaLehnes’31, whoroundedoutthe top15.Allthe runners recordedtheirpersonalbesttimes and celebratedtheprogressthey hadmadethisseason!egirls all ranwellatboth theGrade Raceandthe CountyChampionship Race,displayingtheir progress.ehopeis thatallofthe7th graderswill returnnextyear to continuetheircrosscountry journey.Wewish BaileyGardner’30and AdrianaAboyoun’30 thebestasthey pursuetheirsportsinterestsinhigh school!
AthleticLeadershipCouncil(ALC)
e2025-2026 ALCcametogether for the rsttime inAugust atthe annualALC workshop.ey welcomed Mr.FoxBeyer andVWA’sown swimcoach, CoachCallahan.epresentation wasinspirationalanda greatway tostartthe2025-26school year!At theSeptembermeeting,PresidentTessaBowersand Vice PresidentSo aKearnsled an activityon sportsmanship, andmembersactedoutskits promotingsportsmanship.e ALCdiscussedcharacter asitrelatesto thequote“Character iswho youarewhen no one islooking,”andmadeplansfor theupcomingVilla’s NightIn eventon11/7atthe Sr.Doris LavinthalAthletic Center,whichtheALC sponsors.Wehope tosee allVWA studentsthere!Permissionslipsaredueon Tuesday,November 4.
Septemberfest-September2025
ankyouforcomingouttocelebratethe VWA studentathletesonSeptember20that Septemberfest!It wasa great day for ourteams, alumnae,parents,friends,andvisitingteams.e games startedwiththeNationalAnthemsungbeautifullyby AvaSeaman’26.Aspecial thanksto Booster President Hilary Dudley andtheBooster Clubmemberswhovolunteeredto set up,clean up,grill,sellVW merchandise,helprunthevolleyball tournament,help with parking,donate snacks andwater,and more! anksto allofthe volunteers,thedaywasabig success!
BOUTIQUE
echillinthe airmeansit’stimetogearupforfallfun! Cozyupwith thelateststylesatthe VWABoutique and makeeveryout ta statement!
Don’tforgettoelevateyouruniforms andunleashyour schoolspiritEVERYFRIDAYonSpirit Day!
eBoutique isopen 24/7foryourshoppingspree: stores. villawalsh.com
LET YOURLIGHT SHINEBRIGHT!
