An Update to our Families & Community: Campus Grounds

Dear Villa Community,
 

A few weeks ago, we shared that the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus decided to place the land adjacent to Villa Academy's core facilities for sale. When we learned of the sale, we committed to two things: sharing updates transparently with our community and exploring options that best allow us to maintain the integrity of our outdoor learning experience. 

I'm excited to share with you all that, in partnership with our Board of Trustees, we are exploring purchasing a parcel of land directly from the Sisters. While we are in the earliest phase of this exploration, we are optimistic as history sets precedent for a purchase like this. Before 2007, Villa Academy leased 100% of our property. Through the support from a dedicated and inspiring group of parents and fundraising initiatives, in 2007 we purchased and to this day maintain direct ownership of the land in which all our core facilities are located, including the Preschool, K-8 school buildings, gymnasium, multipurpose field, playground, and west lawn. It's incredible once again to have the opportunity to purchase additional lands that will secure Villa's commitment to educational excellence for years and years to come. 

We continue to believe that all of you are stakeholders in this process, and as such, we wanted to share information on what the coming weeks will bring:  

• Establish a Land Task Force: Last week, the Board of Trustees approved a proposal to form a Land Task Force to identify an appropriate parcel of land adjacent to the school's property. The Task Force will look at various land purchase options and the experiences we know are most special to our students' education to inform our proposed purchase.
   
• Transparency in Updates: We will include a new section in The Weekly to keep families apprised of developments in the land sale process and our progress in sharing a proposal with the Sisters.
   
• Open Lines of Communication with Families: We have established a new contact form, landsale@thevilla.org, where we encourage parents with questions or ideas to reach out directly. 

With this decision, we must once again rely on our Villa community's generosity and caring spirit to make this dream become a reality. Our fundraising initiatives are more important than ever to put forth the strongest proposal–one that takes advantage of this unique opportunity to enrich our existing program. 

Embarking on this exciting endeavor cannot be understated and is a call to action for community engagement. In this watershed moment, we have the chance to come together and achieve more for our beloved school, always working toward Villa's bright future while anchored by the confidence in our exceptional learning experience of today. Our commitment to excellence in whole-child education—grounded in fostering compassionate hearts and confident minds for our current and future students—remains unchanged. 

Please direct any questions or queries to landsale@thevilla.org. Thank you for your continued support during this time.  


With deep gratitude,
 

Julie Thenell Grasseschi, Interim Head of School

&

Chris Allen, President of the Board of Trustees