My child goes to the Villa Academy. We want our kid to be a decent citizen. If she becomes a corporate tycoon, a brilliant scientist or an astronaut, great. But we would like her to do those things while leading a life that respects her fellow man/woman. Next to the door of one of the kindergarten rooms at Villa, the teacher has created a mural with the words, «Respect, Compassion, Self-Discipline, Citizenship, Trustworthiness, Honesty, Responsibility, Fairness, Perseverance, Integrity». The Villa Academy is not some haven for rich kids that merely gives lip service to these values. They walk the walk. Even the earliest preschool classes have seasonal projects that focus on helping others. Service to others is a main focal point. Our child’s teachers have all been excellent. Small class sizes with classroom assistants keeps the classroom environment orderly and focused on learning. Mrs Olson, you ROCK. To an outsider, I’m sure Villa might appear to be a bastion of the WASPs. Be careful. As soon as you drop your guard, and stop viewing people as wealthy snobs, you just might discover that most parents at Villa are really very warm hearted folks. People go out of their way to help each other out. And Villa parents are very, very dedicated to both the kids and the school. While my child has benefited from Villa, I think I have grown as a person as well. For what its worth, there are plenty of folks who are not Catholic who send their kids to Villa, and quite a few who are not Christians. We are very, very happy Villa parents. I won’t make light of the cost, its not cheap. But people send their children there for a reason, and its not to brag to the neighbors. Its an excellent school, and an excellent community.