Student Showcase

Villa Maria offers students a rewarding environment and the opportunity to grow and take pride in their achievements throughout their high-school years!

student council

The Villa Maria Student Council is elected by the student body each year. It represents students to school administrators, and its president also sits on the parent-teacher associations of the French and English sectors. General Assemblies with all students are held once a month.

By serving on the Council, students have the opportunity to develop organizational and leadership skills as they work on a wide range of activities and events promoting Villa Maria school spirit.

In addition to the Student Council, each class has its own Class Council. These councils work with the Student Council as well as teachers, dealing with everything from class routines to encouraging class involvement in school activities.

2024-2025 student council

Secondary 5

Zoé Courchesne (Co-President, French Secondary)
Victoria Nacked-Cabral (Co-President, French Secondary)
Chiara Corradi (Co-President, English Secondary)
Sofia Fontanarosa (Co-President, English Secondary)

Secondary 4

Julian Haldane-Ainsworth (Councillor, French Secondary)
Camilla Fata Allegrezza (Councillor, English Secondary)

Secondary 3

Ethan Zhu (Councillor, French Secondary)
Tatiana Fay Athanasiadis Bertazzo (Councillor, English Secondary)

awards

Villa Maria has established a number of ways to recognize and honour its students’ achievements, community involvement and contributions to school life. Our awards seek to encourage involvement in the school community and beyond, to recognize student achievement in its many forms, and to foster and awaken in them a sense of community.

Honours Program

Special mentions will be awarded to students from Secondary 1 to 4 who have posted a final three-term average of 85%. A report produced by the School will be noted on the report card and a certificate issued by the office of the Director of Educational Services will be mailed to the student’s home. In the case of students graduating from Secondary 5 with Honours, the School will produce a report, the honours mention will be noted on the report card as well as in the graduation program, and a certificate issued by the sector office will be presented at the graduation ceremony.

Award Ceremony

Every year, the Award Ceremony recognizes students who have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following categories: academic excellence, academic progress, know-how, helpfulness, effort and perseverance, involvement and positive attitude, dedication, quality of work, and more.

Recognitions and certificates during the year

At the end of the 1^st and 2^nd terms, each teacher awards special mentions to students who have distinguished themselves in different ways: perseverance, participation, attitude, excellence, progress, etc. Students who have accumulated a certain number of these mentions are recognized at assemblies and receive a certificate.

Graduate prizes and awards

Villa Maria Medal: Awarded annually to the graduate who best represents the sprit of Villa Maria in terms of effort, cooperation and involvement, as well as respect for and openness to others. The recipient of this medal is a well-rounded student who has demonstrated academic excellence, respect for others, and active participation in school life over 5 years at Villa Maria.

Other prizes and awards are also presented at the graduation ceremony:

French sector

Academic prizes
Group prizes
Student Life Prize
Perseverance Prize
Nellie Maillard Prize
Jacqueline Leduc Prize
Lucie Quesnel Prize
Quebec Lieutenant Governor’s Award
Governor General’s Academic Medal
And many more.

English sector

Academic prizes
Tony Shorgan Prize
Jacqueline Leduc Prize
Exemplary Student Award
Josephine Watters Memorial Award
Lucie Quesnel Prize
McGill University Science Award
University of Toronto Book Award
Humanitarian & Global Citizenship Award
Lieutenant Governor’s Award
Mothers’ Guild Award
Thérèse Casgrain Prize
And many more.

Prestigious scholarships are offered each year:

French sector
Lucille Desjardins Scholarship
Thérèse Casgrain Scholarship

English sector
Catherine Tutino Scholarship
Brenda & Mario Plescia Scholarship
Mothers’ Guild Bursary and Scholarship

Community Involvement

Villa Maria students have many opportunities for involvement in both the local and international community.

Volunteer Program

Our volunteer program allows students to:

put into practice values such as sharing, mutual aid, openness to others, and global citizenship
develop a sense of belonging by getting involved in school activities
contribute to society as responsible citizens by volunteering with community or other organizations
gain valuable experience working with those in need

Connection to the community and the world.

Every student volunteers for 5 to 15 hours a year, and these hours are officially recognized at the Secondary 5 graduation ceremony. This volunteering can be carried out at school or with community or social organizations, but they may not, under any circumstances, be remunerated or take place during class hours.

A few examples of volunteering opportunities

Fundraising for breast cancer or local organizations
Tutoring at a homework help centre
Serving as hosts at open house events and admissions exams
Helping at a seniors centre