Dear Parents, It has been quite a year for all of us as we've done our very best to keep teaching and learning moving forward, while protecting our children and families from the international pandemic that surrounds us. But now we find ourselves in the midst of a...

Entering Villa Maria School as its Interim Head last August, I knew I was in for an adventure and a time of discovery. The school was fairly empty of people though I was welcomed immediately by the administrators and the administrative support staff who had been...

Though I’m working remotely most of the time now, when I go into school to drop off or pick up the mail or other things I need, I can’t help but walk through the halls. It is so quiet and empty … so joyless. The bubble of children, the enthusiasm and laughter of our...

At Villa, we follow a daily schedule which works well for our students. In the morning at 8 a.m., we all gather to start the day together. This is a time when children and teachers begin the day with a simple school prayer (not related to any specific religion); say...

We are excited today as we will be welcoming Congressman Himes to Villa Maria. We answered his call for ‘Valentines for Veterans’ and have been busily making Valentines that we will present to him at a mid-morning assembly. It is an initiative that has allowed us to...

PARENTING GROWS EVER MORE CHALLENGING! As I watched my own grown children interacting with their children (my grandchildren) over the holiday break, I was struck by the newest challenges coming their way … that of monitoring and controlling the amount of screen time...

It’s Holiday Time … Be Prepared to Support Your Child. The excitement of holiday time is upon us, and whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, or Kwanza, there will be some difficult moments ahead. Often holidays just don’t turn out to be the perfect ones we see on...

I recently attended a conference given by an organization called Learning & the Brain. These conferences are given in order to bring educators, researchers and medical doctors together to learn more about research on the brain and its relevance to those involved in...

There was electricity in the room during our morning meeting one Friday, three weeks ago. Usually the children are quiet and still waking up when we begin our days together. Feeling the excitement, I asked them was something different or special about Friday, assuming...