THE MARIA ACADEMY MAGAZINE 5th EDITION b SUMMER 2017 INSIDE: Happy summer! The Villa Magazine b Summer 2017 b I VMA_AlumniMag_Summer2017.indd 1 6/26/17 1:44 PM VILLA MARIA ACADEMY Dear Villa family, Board of Trustees, 2016-2017 “Know where you stand. And stand there.” Sr. Sally Norcross, CND r. Patricia McCarthy’s monthly column in the The Rhode Island Catholic reminded me of Sr. Teresa Barton, CND these powerful words of Fr. Daniel Berrigan, SJ, in what must have been the shortest Mr. Paul Bossidy college commencement address in history. I’ll bet there was some disappointment in the crowd at the length of his speech and some surprised relief too! I can’t criticize him Mrs. Rose Burkhart S though. After all, after so many days and months and years at school, is there anything more Sr. Marion Andreykovic, CND to say when the time comes to say goodbye? Ms. Helen Cannistraci How do you say goodbye to children after all these days, feast days, birthdays, ordinary Mrs. Roberta Garland days — children who came to you knee high and leave towering over you? Here at the Villa, Sr. Eileen Good, CND our children learn their ABC’s and Algebra and everything in between. They learn the story of St. Marguerite Bourgyeos. They recognize God in one another. They understand God in Mrs. Gheri Kaufman themselves. They are nurtured, day in and day out, in an Mrs. Catherine Leon environment of love, care, and respect. They grow in the Mr. James J. Liao ways of righteousness. Sr. Jane Scanlon, CND On June 10th, we said goodbye to the Villa Maria Academy Class of 2017 — our 130th graduating class. These young men and women left our school to go out into the world to continue to learn and become and do and contribute. We taught them, and all the Villa boys and girls before them, to stand and to stand firm — for love, for peace, for truth, for Christ, for one another. So to all the Villa girls and Villa boys from the Class of 2017 and every class before them, know where you stand, and stand there. We said goodbye with a hug and a prayer for God’s con- tinued grace. Go with God, Villa girls and Villa boys. Take the spirit of Marguerite with you when you go. God bless you and your family. Sr. Teresa Barton, CND Guided by the vision Principal of the Congregation of Notre Dame, the mission of Villa Maria Congratulations to the Class of 2017 Academy is to provide Students SCHOLARSHIPS ACCEPTANCES NYC SPECIALTY a foundation in Archbishop Stepinac Cardinal Spellman HIGH SCHOOL received liberating education High School High School ACCEPTANCES scholarships Fordham Preparatory Dominican Academy Bronx High School within a nurturing School to 12 schools Kennedy Catholic of Science Catholic community. Iona Preparatory School High School Professional valuing more La Salle Academy Loyola School Performing Arts –Villa Maria ACADEMY than $1.4 Maria Regina High Monsignor Scanlon School MISSION STATEMENT School High School Talent Unlimited million, gained Notre Dame School of Sacred Heart High School acceptance into Manhattan High School Fiorello H. LaGuardia Preston High School School of the High School 4 New York City Regis High School Holy Child specialty high Salesian High School St. Catherine Academy schools and 9 St Jean Baptiste High The Monfort Academy School private high St. Vincent Ferrer schools. High School The Ursuline School 2 b TheVMA Villa Magazine Magazine b 5th Editionb 5th Edition The Villa Magazine b Summer 2017 b 3 VMA_AlumniMag_Summer2017.indd 2 6/26/17 1:44 PM Future “You Gotta Have Heart” As far back as most alumnae can remember, the Villa curriculum has been enriched by a strong focus on the arts. Music remains central to the curriculum, with a regular series of classes for every grade level. Every year the 4th-grade classes focus on a musical production. This year they brought down the house with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The Junior High Drama Club gives students in grades 6 – 8 the opportunity to participate in staging a full-scale Broadway musical. All interested students — and there are many of them — can participate as a cast member, behind the scenes or in other technical aspects of staging a show. This experience of performing, collaboration and team building has countless benefits as genera- tions of Villa alumni can attest to. This year, the Junior High Drama Club added to Villa’s illustrious history of bringing Broadway to the Bronx with its full-scale production of Damn Yankees — an uproarious comedy with some of Broadway’s most well loved show-stoppers. STEM-fest! Members of Preston Academy’s Math and Science Departments invited a team of Villa 7th- grade girls to participate in STEM-fest, an annual one-day event celebrating science, tech- nology, engineering and math. STEM is a cross-curricular initiative that focuses on creative thinking and problem solving to prepare students for careers of the future. Villa is focusing more and more on incorporating STEM clubs and projects that enhance rigorous math and science. The enthusiasm, encouragement, and coaching of their teachers helps too. Kayleigh, Lauren, Brianna, Jade, Kalia and Victoria worked in teams on a STEM challenge — dropping an egg from a height without cracking it. Kayleigh and Lauren were the second- place team finishing up with a pristine egg! Men and Women of Character The newest members of the Saint Marguerite Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society were inducted in a beautiful ceremony at the Villa. The honor society invites new members who exhibit scholarship, citizenship, service, leadership, and character. The purpose is to create new opportunities to further develop these traits through acts of service and leader- ship in the school community. Outgoing chapter leadership, Vice President Marisa M. and Chapter Secretary Christopher S., presented the incoming candidates with certificates of membership as new members inscribed their names in the chapter log. New leadership including Chapter President Mohani A., Vice President Megan S., and Secretary Madison S. each gave touching speeches. Plaques were presented to all graduating members. Guest speaker, Samantha Giorgio ’13 spoke, recalling the significance of her honor society experience to her personal and academic growth. In existence for 88 years, the National Junior Honor Society encompasses more than one million members across all 50 states plus US territories and Canada. Villa “Math-letes” Rise to the Challenge Villa sent another victorious team to the Iona Prep Math Olympiad coming home with the 2nd-place team trophy from a field of 15 schools. Two Villa students — Alex G. and Joe H. — topped the individual category with 1st- and 2nd-place titles, respectively. This team of 7th-graders carries on a years-long tradition of Villa success at the Iona Math Olympiad thanks to a challenging advanced level of study, individualized attention, and a confidence-building attitude that comes from insisting that math is fun!a The Villa Magazine b Summer 2017 b 3 VMA_AlumniMag_Summer2017.indd 3 6/26/17 1:44 PM Where are they now? JUDY MAUSER MORRISS ’55 udy was a member of the last boarding class at the Villa Maria Academy, from 1954 – 1955. When her mother, Julia Mauser, died in September 1951, Judy was just starting her freshman year so she moved into the Villa building as a boarder joining her older sister, Nancy. Judy fondly recalls and appreciates the leadership of Mother St. Margaret who was principal during her Jschool years. Her classroom teacher, Mother St. Thomas, was especially encouraging and supportive, which she remembers as a hallmark of the entire faculty. Inspired by Villa teachers, Judy sought a career in education. She went on to get her bachelor’s degree from the College of New Rochelle in 1959 and then a Masters of Arts degree in Speech Pathology from Lehman Inspired by Villa College (CUNY) in 1972. Over a career in special education that spanned 35 years, Judy enjoyed working one-on-one with students and watching their teachers, Judy progress over the years. In the meantime, Judy travelled the world with her husband of 57 years, sought a career John Morriss. She is the mother of three and grandmother of seven. Her children — Michael Morriss, Julienne Morriss Callaway and John Morriss in education. — hold bachelors and masters degrees and have held influential positions in the world of finance. The foundation in faith she built from her years at the Villa instilled in Judy a firm belief in Catholic education. All three of her children were educated in CCD and the sacraments and graduated from Catholic high schools and two from Catholic universities — her daughter from Georgetown and her son from the College of the Holy Cross. Over the past fifty years, Judy has continued to support Catholic education through annual giving to both the Villa Maria Academy and the College of New Rochelle. a 4 b The Villa Magazine b 5th Edition The Villa Magazine b Summer 2017 b 5 VMA_AlumniMag_Summer2017.indd 4 6/26/17 1:44 PM CAROLINE MAAS Wacker ’35 aroline Wacker’s parents sent her to the Villa to make a lady out of her and it worked. At first she was a little annoyed because there were no boys but then she fell in love with the Sisters. They were “lovingly strict and treated the children like they were their own.” They gave plenty of opportunities to express her tomboy energy too. As a very athletic girl, she played on varsity teams, aced archery and even won the medal Cfor tennis — silver with two crossed rackets — two years in a row! All this athletic success came despite having to wear navy blue bloomers to practice! The granddaughter of German immi- grants, Caroline was born and raised in the Bronx, and married and raised her own children there.