At Villa Maria Academy Lower School, our mission is to empower young women through leadership and service in the IHM tradition.
Leadership
It is important for girls to see themselves as leaders from the beginning.
Villa Maria Academy Lower School empowers students to be bold leaders. At Villa, students are taught that leadership is primarily related to the power of their influence. Internalizing this concept, we believe, is the foundation to future success.
At Villa, we seek not only to educate our students, but also to form young women who will one day lead with courage and serve with compassion. This formation begins with the individual herself. Before a young woman can lead others, she must learn to lead herself. Through the loving example and guidance of parents, and the instruction, encouragement, and gradual empowerment offered by teachers, our girls learn to take increasing responsibility for their choices, their learning, and their actions.
Leadership begins with self-discipline and the ability to make good choices, to persevere when learning becomes difficult, and to accept responsibility for mistakes, recognizing that growth requires effort. These are skills that develop over time, are nurtured first at home and strengthened through the daily experiences of the classroom and school community.
Embedded in the academic program is a commitment to the understanding of group dynamics, social responsibility, and leadership through love and service. Our goal is not simply to help each girl succeed today, but to fortify her with a character that bears creative hope that she will lead and succeed in the future.
Service
The primary Gospel mandate is that of service. Service learning helps students to build character by allowing them to foster and develop personal values, beliefs, awareness, confidence and a sense of empathy and social responsibility. Students learn to understand the impact of the individual on the local and global community. Service is a key leadership tenet that permeates every aspect of Villa’s culture.
Emphasis on service includes
- School-wide student service projects
- Collaboration with community charity programs
- An outreach component to Student Leadership Team
- Service programs required of all athletic teams
- Support of student/family service projects
- Daily opportunities to be of service to one another
- Responding to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable
Service projects
Although projects change each year, below are some of the projects and organizations which Villa has and continues to support.
- Annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive with Nutritional Development Services
- Support for the IHM Family Literacy Center in Coatesville, PA from Mission Day
- Collection of canned goods for the Saint Agnes Day Room from Mission Day
- Collection of items for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Coatesville, PA
- Collection of Thanksgiving Food Items for Kids Against Hunger
- Support from selling Candy Grams for Toys for Tots, Chester County
- Collection of hats, gloves, scarves for the Mother of Mercy House
- Collection of Christmas gifts for the Holy Family Christmas Program
- Assembly of Creativity Kits for Pathways, PA
- Christmas Caroling for the IHM Sisters at the Motherhouse
- Collection of Valentine’s chocolates, creation of Valentine cards, and singing for the IHM Sisters at the Motherhouse
- Creation of Spiritual Bouquets during Catholic School’s Week for the IHM Sisters at the Motherhouse
- Collections of socks for men, women, and children for the Joy of Sox
- Support for the CRS rice bowls
- Collection of Easter basket items and assembly of Easter Baskets for Partners in Outreach
- Collection of Easter outfits for Partners in Outreach
- PreK 100th Day Celebration entertainment for the IHM Sisters at the Motherhouse
- Saint Patrick’s Day caroling for the IHM Sisters at the Motherhouse
- Support for The Vanguard School
- Hoops for Holga support for Holga and her family
- Support for the Laurel House
- Support for CHOP