"The Villa Way" : A Special Benedictine Educational Experience
Villa Madonna Academy is a Catholic school, built on the Benedictine values of reverence, respect, hospitality, prayer, peace and service. The faculty and administration openly discuss and encourage these values, along with daily prayers and announcements that guide students in putting these values into action. Religion classes, current texts and special periodicals impart to students a consistent message of the importance of faith lived out daily.
The only Greater Cincinnati Catholic high school to receive consecutive National Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education, VMA High School is a college preparatory program that cultivates within students the ethics of academic rigor, quality, integrity and independence. Villa features one of the region's widest offerings of Advanced Placement courses and a higher level of individual attention than is possible at most other schools. Many of our graduates earn a sizable number of college credits through their work at Villa, placing them ahead of most of their undergraduate peers in college.
VMA's Elementary and Junior High School also received the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2007 and enjoys a reputation as one of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky's premier K-8 programs. Our small class size allows all teachers to know students and their families, 90% of which volunteer in some capacity during the school year. This strong partnership, along with our 105-year tradition of Benedictine and academic excellence, creates an intimate family-like environment.
Community service is an essential part of the spiritual life at Villa. From kindergarten through senior year, every student is required to actively engage in service to others. Faculty and parents work together to encourage students to work with outside agencies and groups to serve those in need. Some examples of VMA service activities include an annual mission trip to Guatemala, Prepare Affair, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Brighton Street Center Christmas Party, Welcome House, special visits to local nursing homes, clothing collections for children and adults and many more.
Extracurricular activities and programs are plentiful, offering students a robust variety of opportunities that also promote Benedictine values. These clubs include: Student Council, National Honor Society, Christian Outreach Program (COP), Pep Club, VSADD (Villa Students Against Destructive Decisions), SWAC (Student World Affairs Council), Debate Club, Principals Advisory Committee (PAC), Academic Team, Future Problem Solving Team, Intramurals and more. These programs and activities provide an avenue for students to develop leadership, character and self-discipline. Clubs and activities at Villa are inclusive, providing a chance for students from all grade levels to interact.
Villa Madonna has a successful high school athletic program that offers all varsity sports except football and wrestling. Villa athletics has a full participation policy, meaning that students are not eliminated from a team based on talent, provided they are willing to invest the commitment, time and energy required at the high school level. Villa Madonna also offers one of the area’s top elementary and junior high school athletic programs, availing a wide range of sports for students in grades 1 – 8.
While these planned programs and activities are important and reflect our school’s basic mission and beliefs, there is a certain intangible atmosphere at Villa that reflects the living faith and values of the school community. There is an integration of respect and reverence that permeates Villa and makes it such a unique school. We invite you to come experience “The Villa Way” for yourself, and see the difference that an educational excellence in the Benedictine Tradition truly makes!