Bear Essentials: February 26, 2017   

On February 14, fifteen Ursuline alumnae who have daughters who are currently enrolled, enjoyed a Valentine's Day Legacy Breakfast at the Ursuline Convent.

Note to our readers: We don't want you to miss any important news! Please be sure to click the "view entire message" link when it appears at the bottom of your screen to see this entire newsletter.  You will know you are at the end of the email when you see the green Ursuline footer with contact information.  Thanks!

 A Message from the President

We have recently begun to organize a Strategic Planning Process to review the overall health and future direction of the Academy. Our last Strategic Plan was completed in 2009, and has served as the blueprint for Ursuline's major initiatives for the past eight years. Read More.

 From the Main Office

Parking Lot Safety

Reminder to parents: All pick-up and drop-off at Ursuline Academy must be done in the designated area leading up to the school building. Please do not pull into and park in the bus lot area or along the stone wall. This is extremely dangerous for our students. Thank you for partnering with us in ensuring the safety of all community members.

Uniform Check
Following the Winter Break, we will be reminding students of the importance of coming to school each day prepared and in appropriate uniform. We will be checking on shoes, skirt length and the uniform shirts, specifically. Respect for this policy leads us to a respect for the school, community and each other.

Follow Us!
You can follow Principal Michelle Smith on Twitter at @Micheducator for photos of school life and article links. The latest article links focus on grades and tracking grades

School News

Last Chance for SAT/ACT Prep Classes

This is the last chance to register for the ACT Preparation Class beginning this Thursday, March 2, offered by Summit Educational Group at Ursuline. There will also be an SAT Preparation Class beginning on March 21. Please contact Mrs. Ferrucci in the guidance office if you have any questions.  Students are encouraged to take advantage of this convenient way to participate in test preparation.

Bears in Action

Students Honored for Creative Endeavors
Ursuline is proud to announce that two UA students have been recognized in the 2017 Massachusetts Scholastic Art and Writing Award program. Izzy Orup '18 received a Gold Key and Lauren Grela '19 received an Honorable Mention. The regional ceremony will take place on March 11 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Congratulations also go out to Abby Wukitch '18 for taking third prize in the Classical Association of New England's annual writing contest. Her poem, "Tracing Trickery and Treachery through Antiquity," was one of 12 submissions from Ursuline, and one of many more across Massachusetts and New England. Her poem was judged on her creativity, imagination, and language skill. Congratulations, Abby, Izzy and Lauren! Read more here.

Athletics

Winter Sports Updates

• In Winter Track, Junior Ashley Thomas finished 5th in the Divisional race last week in the 55 yard dash, tying the school record and qualifying for the State Indoor Track meet this Sunday February 26, at the Reggie Lewis Track Center at 1 p.m.
  
• The Varsity Basketball team qualified for the State Tournament and will be travelling to Apponequet High in Lakeville on Wednesday, March 1, for a 6:30 p.m. game. 
• Hockey: Preliminary Round on Wednesday, March 1 at 4 p.m. at the Roche Rink against Milton
  

Junior Varsity Hockey Team Hosts Father-Daughter Game

Ursuline's JV Hockey team marked the end of the season with a father-daughter game on Saturday, February 11 at the Roche Rink in West Roxbury. A pizza party celebrating seniors Michaela Gillis, Ashleigh Marini, Ashley Mullen and Briana Pugliese followed the action-packed game.

Supporting Ursuline

Pave the Way for Ursuline's Future
The deadline to order commemorative bricks and benches is March 1, to guarantee engraving in time for the Athletic and Convocation Center opening. Order yours today!

• Stone bricks in the center of the plaza, 12" square, $300
  
• Bluestone pavers bordering the plaza, 2' x 3',  $2,500
• Bluestone benches topping a fieldstone wall, 18" x 4', $5,000

Thank you to the Senior Parents of the Class of 2016
Last year's Senior Parent Gift was used to replace the aging ENO boards in the main classroom building with the latest Interactive Display Panels from Smart Technology. The new equipment is now fully installed in the school building and teachers and students have been using it on a daily basis.The panels include an integrated Windows 10 PC, DVD Player, Bose Sound Bar, and collaborative whiteboard feature. In addition, a wireless keyboard allows the teachers to move about the classroom interacting with the display and teachers and students can log in directly on the panel to display their work via their iPads. The panels have a classroom life of 50,000 hours with limited maintenance required. Initial training has been provided by the technology team with additional training scheduled for March. This gift benefits the entire community and our technology team appreciates the trust and freedom given to them to fully research and install the very best options for Ursuline. 

Summer Opportunities

Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program 

Girls Who Code is offering a FREE 7-week summer program for rising 10th-11th grade girls to learn computer science, get exposure to tech jobs and join a supportive sisterhood of thousands of girls across the US! The program is an introductory computer science course and no previous experience is required. All eligible applicants who have an interest in technology and a willingness to learn are encouraged to apply. UA alum Paige Marino '11 works at the program host site, Trip Advisor in Needham, and highly recommends the program. Learn more and apply here.

Catalyst 2017 at Boston University
Project Radix is offering a six-week cross-disciplinary program for students in grades 10-12 this summer. The Catalyst program focuses on intense problem solving through skills-based education and collaborative, hands-on experiences. The program will be held at Boston University, where students will participate in an all-encompassing experience featuring rigorous academic work and full-day challenges. Application and program details are available here.

Note: While Ursuline Academy passes along information that may be of interest to our families as it becomes available, we do not endorse any particular summer program. 

On the Calendar

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