Villanova Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
Villanova Preparatory School is an Augustinian
Catholic
co-ed
day/ boarding school
located in the small town of Ojai, California
, USA
. Sitting on more than 120 acres, Villanova's campus has sports fields and trails, modern gym, tennis courts and well equipped classrooms with up-to-date technology, modern labs as well as Internet access throughout the school. The school is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
.
Established in October 1924 at the request of Bishop John Cantwell (John Joseph Cantwell
), Villanova was founded by Augustinians invited to California from Villanova, Pennsylvania to open parishes in the early 1920s. Villanova is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association (ASEA) comprising eight secondary institutions in North America and over 100 schools worldwide. Villanova offers both a day and resident program and is the only co-ed Augustinian boarding school in the country. Villanova has a small chapel that holds mass every Sunday for both students and the public.
In 2007–2008, enrollment was 314 with some 42 faculty members. Some one-third of students are boarders, and represent 10 different countries.
Educational tradition and core values inspired by community, truth and love are firmly rooted in Sacred Scripture as handed down by St. Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century. The Augustinians claim a teaching tradition that dates to 1256, and yet focused clearly on the future.
Villanova expects its students to engage in rigorous college preparatory curriculum to develop a range of skills for studying, critical thinking, self expression as well as mature into socially active, global citizens.
Each Academic Department aims to guide students to recognize their full academic potential through rigorous college preparatory classes. Villanova uses a Liberal Arts education requiring content knowledge as well as developing thinking and communication skills. Within each department, the ability to read critically, analyze and evaluate information and express strong written and oral communication is emphasized. Additionally, a social and moral awareness towards our world and respect for other cultures falls within each department as they strive to prepare students for collegiate success as well as success in the 21st century world.
Operating on the semester system, students take seven courses each year with classes meeting a minimum of four times a week with extended 80 minute periods on most weeks.
The curriculum includes four units of religion: Old Testament, New Testament, Morality and Social Justice, and Christian Vocations. Math, English, Foreign Language, Religion and Science courses are required for all four years in order to graduate. Three languages are offered: Spanish
, Japanese
and Latin
. Virgil
is studied in the Latin Advanced Placement course. The school also offers eighteen Advanced Placement or Honors courses in other subjects such as Calculus, English Composition, English Literature, and US History.
Other graduation requirements include the completion of courses in: Fine Art, P.E, Health, Electives and a yearly completion of community service.
A majority of the boarding students come from Taiwan and South Korea, with a smaller number of students coming from China, Vietnam, Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, United States and other countries. In contrast, the non-boarding day students at Villanova make up about 70% of the student body. Roughly 50% are from the Ojai Valley, while the rest of the students come from surrounding cities such as Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo, Santa Paula, Oxnard, Somis, and Fillmore.
Wildcat Traditions are meant to build community and strengthen the Augustinian values of Truth, Love and Unity. A notable Wildcat Tradition is Wildcat Day where the student body is divided into 10 "tribes", traditionally led by seniors, to compete in games throughout the day. This experience allows students from different classes to bond with one another through friendly competition and brings the Augustinian values to life. Additionally, to celebrate the unique diversity of students that Villanova consists of, there is an annual International Day. On this day students group together with their country of origin and they cook traditional food such as: Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, etc...
, in 1488 and was brought up in Villaneuva de los Infantes, a nearby town; hence his name, Thomas of Villanova. In the year 1544, King Charles V
of Spain appointed Thomas as Archbishop of Valencia
. Thomas succeeded in the spiritual renewal of his diocese, and gained the title 'Father of the Poor'. He gave two-thirds of the income of his diocese to care for the poor in various ways. Each day up to 500 poor people came to his door to be fed and to receive money. Other English-speaking Augustinian Colleges named for this saint are St. Thomas of Villanova College
in Ontario, Canada, and Villanova College
, located in Brisbane
, Australia. He is also the patron saint to the popular Catholic college, Villanova University
located in Villanova, PA,USA.
happened in 1796 when Irish friars arrived in Philadelphia. Michael Hurley was the first American to join the Order the following year. Friars established schools, Universities and other works throughout the Americas, also including Villanova University
in Villanova, Pennsylvania
located just outside of Philadelphia (USA) and Merrimack College
(USA). Malvern Preparatory School
was founded in 1842 alongside Villanova University, and by 1909 two Augustinian houses and a school
had been established in Chicago, 1922 in San Diego, by 1925 this school; and Los Angeles; 1926 a school in Oklahoma
; in 1947 a college in Massachusetts
; in 1953 a school in Pennsylvania
; 1959 a school in New Jersey
and in 1962 a school in Illinois
.
Villanova's athletic director is Jon Wyers. Villanova offers 19 sports.
Fall sports include: football, boys water polo, girls volleyball and girls tennis.
Winter Sports include: boys basketball, girls basketball, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls water polo.
Spring sports include: baseball, softball, swimming, track and field, boys golf and boys tennis.
In 2010, the boys tennis team swept league, ending up with a league record of 8-0.
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
co-ed
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
day/ boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
located in the small town of Ojai, California
Ojai, California
Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Sitting on more than 120 acres, Villanova's campus has sports fields and trails, modern gym, tennis courts and well equipped classrooms with up-to-date technology, modern labs as well as Internet access throughout the school. The school is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
.
Established in October 1924 at the request of Bishop John Cantwell (John Joseph Cantwell
John Joseph Cantwell
John Joseph Cantwell was the first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.Archbishop Cantwell was born in Limerick, Ireland. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 18, 1899 and was initially assigned as curate of Berkeley's St. Joseph The Worker...
), Villanova was founded by Augustinians invited to California from Villanova, Pennsylvania to open parishes in the early 1920s. Villanova is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association (ASEA) comprising eight secondary institutions in North America and over 100 schools worldwide. Villanova offers both a day and resident program and is the only co-ed Augustinian boarding school in the country. Villanova has a small chapel that holds mass every Sunday for both students and the public.
In 2007–2008, enrollment was 314 with some 42 faculty members. Some one-third of students are boarders, and represent 10 different countries.
Educational tradition and core values inspired by community, truth and love are firmly rooted in Sacred Scripture as handed down by St. Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century. The Augustinians claim a teaching tradition that dates to 1256, and yet focused clearly on the future.
Academics
Villanova Preparatory School offers a rigorous college prep curriculum for grades 9–12. Villanova encourages students to work to their full potential not only to gain skills necessary for college, but to gain a broad knowledge in the humanities, arts and sciences. Since its opening, Villanova has consistently placed students into many of the top colleges in the nation.Villanova expects its students to engage in rigorous college preparatory curriculum to develop a range of skills for studying, critical thinking, self expression as well as mature into socially active, global citizens.
Each Academic Department aims to guide students to recognize their full academic potential through rigorous college preparatory classes. Villanova uses a Liberal Arts education requiring content knowledge as well as developing thinking and communication skills. Within each department, the ability to read critically, analyze and evaluate information and express strong written and oral communication is emphasized. Additionally, a social and moral awareness towards our world and respect for other cultures falls within each department as they strive to prepare students for collegiate success as well as success in the 21st century world.
Operating on the semester system, students take seven courses each year with classes meeting a minimum of four times a week with extended 80 minute periods on most weeks.
The curriculum includes four units of religion: Old Testament, New Testament, Morality and Social Justice, and Christian Vocations. Math, English, Foreign Language, Religion and Science courses are required for all four years in order to graduate. Three languages are offered: Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
is studied in the Latin Advanced Placement course. The school also offers eighteen Advanced Placement or Honors courses in other subjects such as Calculus, English Composition, English Literature, and US History.
Other graduation requirements include the completion of courses in: Fine Art, P.E, Health, Electives and a yearly completion of community service.
The Boarding Program: Living Where you Learn
The residential life program aims to bring students and staff together in a supportive, nurturing environment while instilling Augustinian values (Love, Truth and Community). Two resident halls—Cantwell Hall and Glynn Hall—house approximately sixty five boys and thirty girls. Each resident assistant is responsible for nurturing each individual student in order to develop that student's potential.A majority of the boarding students come from Taiwan and South Korea, with a smaller number of students coming from China, Vietnam, Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, United States and other countries. In contrast, the non-boarding day students at Villanova make up about 70% of the student body. Roughly 50% are from the Ojai Valley, while the rest of the students come from surrounding cities such as Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo, Santa Paula, Oxnard, Somis, and Fillmore.
Student life
The Student Life organization at Villanova aims to provide positive life experiences and show the importance of service to others all while building a community. Some of these opportunities include: over 20 clubs, Student Government (ASB), all school Mass, Christian service program, Class Retreads, Drama Productions and Wildcat Traditions.Wildcat Traditions are meant to build community and strengthen the Augustinian values of Truth, Love and Unity. A notable Wildcat Tradition is Wildcat Day where the student body is divided into 10 "tribes", traditionally led by seniors, to compete in games throughout the day. This experience allows students from different classes to bond with one another through friendly competition and brings the Augustinian values to life. Additionally, to celebrate the unique diversity of students that Villanova consists of, there is an annual International Day. On this day students group together with their country of origin and they cook traditional food such as: Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, etc...
Patron saint
The school is named in honour of St. Thomas of Villanova, a sixteenth-century Spanish Augustinian. Thomas was born at Fuenllana in the diocese of Toledo, SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in 1488 and was brought up in Villaneuva de los Infantes, a nearby town; hence his name, Thomas of Villanova. In the year 1544, King Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
of Spain appointed Thomas as Archbishop of Valencia
Archdiocese of Valencia
The Archdiocese of Valencia is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, part of the autonomous community of Valencia. The archdiocese heads the ecclesiastical province of Valencia, having Metropolitan authority over the suffragan dioceses of...
. Thomas succeeded in the spiritual renewal of his diocese, and gained the title 'Father of the Poor'. He gave two-thirds of the income of his diocese to care for the poor in various ways. Each day up to 500 poor people came to his door to be fed and to receive money. Other English-speaking Augustinian Colleges named for this saint are St. Thomas of Villanova College
St. Thomas of Villanova College
St. Thomas of Villanova College is a middle school and high school in King City, Ontario, Canada. It was established at Mary Lake by lay educators Paul Paradiso and Grant Purdy in 1999 at Mary Lake Augustinian Monastery as a Catholic school together with the Order of Saint Augustine's friars of...
in Ontario, Canada, and Villanova College
Villanova College
Villanova College is a private and catholic school for boys located in Coorparoo, a southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy for all years and caters for approximately 1,150 boys in three schools, Junior, Middle and Senior from year five to...
, located in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia. He is also the patron saint to the popular Catholic college, Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
located in Villanova, PA,USA.
The Augustinian Order in North America
The North American foundation of the OrderOrder of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
happened in 1796 when Irish friars arrived in Philadelphia. Michael Hurley was the first American to join the Order the following year. Friars established schools, Universities and other works throughout the Americas, also including Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in Villanova, Pennsylvania
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Villanova is a community in the United States Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It straddles Lower Merion Township of Montgomery County and Radnor Township of Delaware County. It is located at the center of the Pennsylvania Main Line, a series of highly affluent Philadelphia suburban towns located...
located just outside of Philadelphia (USA) and Merrimack College
Merrimack College
Merrimack College is an independent college in the Roman Catholic, Augustinian tradition located in North Andover, Massachusetts, north of Boston, Massachusetts. It offers undergraduate degrees in business, education, science, engineering, and the liberal arts...
(USA). Malvern Preparatory School
Malvern Preparatory School
Malvern Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Malvern Prep, is an independent Catholic middle and high school for boys located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It was started and is still run by Order of Saint Augustine...
was founded in 1842 alongside Villanova University, and by 1909 two Augustinian houses and a school
St. Rita of Cascia High School
St. Rita of Cascia High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and is operated by the Order of Saint Augustine...
had been established in Chicago, 1922 in San Diego, by 1925 this school; and Los Angeles; 1926 a school in Oklahoma
Cascia Hall Preparatory School
Cascia Hall Preparatory School is an Augustinian Roman Catholic coeducational college-preparatory day school in Tulsa, Oklahoma.-History:Cascia Hall was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1926 at its current location, a campus at 2520 South Yorktown Avenue in midtown Tulsa. The school's...
; in 1947 a college in Massachusetts
Merrimack College
Merrimack College is an independent college in the Roman Catholic, Augustinian tradition located in North Andover, Massachusetts, north of Boston, Massachusetts. It offers undergraduate degrees in business, education, science, engineering, and the liberal arts...
; in 1953 a school in Pennsylvania
Monsignor Bonner High School
Monsignor Bonner High School is an all-male Augustinian Catholic High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, United States. Bonner was created in 1953 as Archbishop Prendergast High School for Boys...
; 1959 a school in New Jersey
St. Augustine College Preparatory School
St. Augustine College Preparatory School is an all-boys Roman Catholic four-year high school located in the Richland section of Buena Vista Township, New Jersey, United States...
and in 1962 a school in Illinois
Providence Catholic High School
Providence Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in New Lenox, Illinois. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Providence Catholic is a private school run by the Order of Saint Augustine. The president of Providence is Father Richard McGrath, OSA, with Mr...
.
Athletics
Villanova's Athletic program embodies the ideal of "Pursuing Victory with Honor". The dedication to an athletic team teaches students a commitment to hard work, respect for all and the ability to embrace good sportsmanship in the process and are all cornerstones of the program. The Villanova Athletic Program offers multiple sports during all three sport seasons. The majority of the students participates in at least one sport, with many participating in two or more over the course of the school year.Villanova's athletic director is Jon Wyers. Villanova offers 19 sports.
Fall sports include: football, boys water polo, girls volleyball and girls tennis.
Winter Sports include: boys basketball, girls basketball, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls water polo.
Spring sports include: baseball, softball, swimming, track and field, boys golf and boys tennis.
Football
Villanova discontinued its football program in 1974, but it was brought back as an 8-man program in 2001. In 2004 the program went to 11-man as an Independent (non-league) Division XIII team.Tennis
Last year, the girls' tennis team was the runner-up in the Division 4 CIF final.In 2010, the boys tennis team swept league, ending up with a league record of 8-0.
Aquatics
Villanova has successful swimming and water polo programs, and has won numerous championships. Villanova was in Division II swimming in the 2011 season which has led by Jermaine Brittion. Top swimmers from the 2010 session included Edward Camapana, Thomas Campana, Nico Navarro, and Ian Borchard. All of whom competied in CIF Div. 2 in the year 2010Frontier League Affiliation
All of the Villanova athletic teams have recently joined Frontier League.Controversies
- In 1998 James Woodstock, a 31-year-old religion and morality teacher, was convicted of statutory rape after impregnating a 16-year-old student.
- In early 2006, it was discovered that the headmaster had hired a LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
teacher Shannon McCreery who had been convicted of second degree murder for assisting in his father's suicide in 1996. Though the headmaster was aware of the conviction, he did not disclose this information to the school's board of directors nor the rest of the staff. Fallout from the incident included McCreery's dismissal and an attempt to oust the headmaster.
Notable alumni
- William P. Clark, Jr.William P. Clark, Jr.William Patrick Clark, Jr. , American politician, served under President Ronald Reagan as the Deputy Secretary of State from 1981 to 1982, United States National Security Advisor from 1982 to 1983, and the Secretary of the Interior from 1983 until 1985.- Life and career :A devout Catholic, former...
– Justice on the California Supreme Court, National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan (1982–1983), and Secretary of the Interior (1983–1985).
Notable staff members
- Parry ShenParry Shen-Early life:He was educated at Archbishop Molloy High School, then an all boys, Roman Catholic school in Briarwood, in Queens, New York, and at the University at Buffalo. When he moved to California he worked as a dorm parent at Villanova Preparatory School, a private college preparatory school in...
, a Chinese American actor best known for his performance in the 2002 movie Better Luck TomorrowBetter Luck TomorrowBetter Luck Tomorrow is a 2002 crime-drama film directed by Justin Lin. The movie is about Asian American overachievers who become bored with their lives and enter a world of petty crime and material excess...
, worked for several years at the school as a member of the dormitory staff and Drama teacher.
External links
- Villanova Preparatory School
- Order of St Augustine, International Homepage
- Augnet International Cooperative Web Site for Schools in the Tradition of St. Augustine