Our History

Villa Victoria Academy is a Catholic, private, independent, college-preparatory school owned and operated by the Religious Teachers Filippini. St. Lucy Filippini founded this religious order of Sisters in Montefiascone, Italy at the end of the seventeenth century. Since that time, the Filippini Sisters have eagerly followed St. Lucy’s instructions to “Go and Teach”.

In 1910, five Filippini sisters arrived in the United States, settling in Trenton, NJ. As the ministry of the Filippini sisters prospered, the bishop of Trenton at the time, Most Reverend Thomas Joseph Walsh, dedicated himself whole-heartedly to the development of their institute.

With the help of a New York businessman, James Cox Brady, Bishop Walsh was able to purchase the Fisk Estate in the suburb of West Trenton in 1920. Soon after the purchase of the estate, it was renamed and dedicated Villa Victoria after Mr. Brady’s late wife, Victoria May Pery Brady. The forty-four acre estate and the building that stood upon it were donated to the Religious Teachers Filippini to be used as the Motherhouse and Novitiate for their American Province. In 1933, Villa Victoria Academy was formally christened as a private academy.

Villa Victoria Academy has grown and flourished into a progressive institute of learning at both the primary and secondary levels. Villa Victoria Academy strives to seek out and cultivate the distinct gifts of each student in her care. This thirst for knowledge and innovation is balanced by a high regard for Villa Victoria Academy’s long-standing tradition of excellence in education. Today Villa Victoria educates girls in Grades 6-12. The Villa Middle School is grades 6-8 while the High School Program is for grades 9-12. Villa Victoria Academy students reside in Mercer County, Burlington County, Bucks County and Middlesex County.

The VVA Mission

The mission of Villa Victoria Academy, consistent with the Catholic vision of the Religious Teachers Filippini, is to respect the inherent dignity of each individual, to educate the whole person, and to empower young women to reach their full potential and influence the world in a truly Christian manner.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Villa Victoria Academy admits female students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate (on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and/or ethnic origin) in the administration of its educational policies, in its admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and/or school-administered programs. As a Catholic school, all decisions, plans, and programs must support the teachings, mission, and philosophy of the Roman Catholic Church.

We believe the following:

Life is a gift from God and should be safeguarded. Every person, created in the image and likeness of God, possesses inherent worth and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Every person has the ability to learn and reach her potential. Children are our community’s most valuable asset and have a right to safety, love, and learning.

Education is a shared responsibility of the school community which consists of the administration, faculty, parents, and students. The academic and spiritual formation of girls is vital to the human family. Effective education develops the whole person – spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically.

HARASSMENT/INTIMIDATION/BULLYING POLICY (HIB)

HIB is defined as discriminatory or abusive behavior (comment, conduct, and/or body language) that demeans, humiliates or embarrasses a person; depending on the nature, this may apply to a one-time or ongoing incident(s).  It is against the mission of Villa Victoria Academy.  This type of behavior is unacceptable and contrary to Catholic values, undermines productivity, and degrades, intimidates, isolates, and discriminates against individuals.

Examples of HIB

Examples of HIB include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Verbal abuse: derogatory remarks, demeaning jokes, taunting, and the like

  • Physical abuse:  damage to property and unwelcome physical contact

  • Disrespectful behavior: when behavior undermines or interferes with the dignity and worth of persons so that a person feels that she is not a valued part of the school community, which includes deliberate exclusion/ ignoring of another person

  • Bullying:  behavior that is intimidating, threatening, or fixated on trivial, unwarranted or invalid criticisms and false allegations, and/or creates a hostile educational environment

  • Visual displays: derogatory sentiments whether expressed on paper, on an electronic medium, or displayed in artwork

Grievance Procedures

  1. The individual, believing she has been subjected to HIB behavior, must register a written or verbal complaint to the principal.  Parents may register the complaint as well.

  2. The investigation will consist of personal interviews with the complainant, the individual(s) against whom the complaint is filed, and others who have knowledge of the alleged incident or circumstance giving rise to the complaint.  The investigation may also consist of the evaluation of any other information or documents, which may be relevant to the particular allegations.

  3. After identification and evaluation of the kinds of present and future damage that may have been caused by the HIB behavior, including harm to the victim, the offender, and the school community, disciplinary action may be taken according to the decision of the principal and the Behavior Review Board.  Parents of those involved then will be contacted.

Disciplinary Sanctions

An offense that is defined by the HIB policy will require the student to be placed on a strict Behavior Improvement Plan according to the terms set forth by the principal.  The student may be disenrolled, depending on the severity of the offense.  The final decision remains with the principal.

If a subsequent offense occurs while a student is on the Behavior Improvement Plan, her status will be reviewed by the principal and Behavior Review Board.  This second offense may be viewed as a lack of improvement and the student may be disenrolled.  The principal will make the final decision.

Complaints determined false will be considered an offense as described in the HIB policy.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Villa Victoria Academy prohibits all forms of sexual harassment by all members of the Villa Victoria community. Such behavior undermines Catholic values and is contrary to the religious principles that guide us and animate our educational endeavors.  Sexual harassment is also against the laws of the United States and of the State of New Jersey.  It is unacceptable and will neither be condoned nor tolerated. Unwelcome sexual overtures and conduct, either physical or verbal, and regardless of the gender of the person or persons involved, are viewed as a form of misconduct and will be dealt with accordingly. Sexual harassment refers to offensive sexual advances, propositions or flirtations.  It obviously includes any pressure or coercion for sexual activity, especially in relation to one’s employment status.  However, it also includes less obvious advances such as unwelcome intentional touching, the discussion of sexual activities, repeated remarks with sexual implications, and the display of lewd or sexually suggestive pictures, cartoons or other such material.

Those who believe that they have been subject to or witnessed sexual harassment shall immediately report the alleged activity in writing to the principal.  There will be no retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.

INVESTIGATIONS

All employees, students, and parents will cooperate in any investigations (disciplinary, HIB, sexual harassment, etc.) concerning members of the school community when requested.

Learn More About The Religious Teachers Filippini