Bear Essentials: April 9, 2017   

"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord."  -- Matthew 21:9

 From the Main Office

Festival of the Arts
Please join us as we celebrate the artistic achievements of our students at the Ursuline Academy Festival of the Arts on Wednesday, April 12, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. This year, the festival will be a two-part event. The senior students Studio Art Exhibit and reception will take place in the convent with light refreshments from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Music and dance performances will follow in the gymnasium from 5:45 to 7 p.m. with desserts.  Other visual art and design work will be on display in the gym. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Faculty-Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Monday, April 24 is the annual Ursuline Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon. This is the professional development day at the end of Spring Break. As in years past, all Ursuline Faculty and Staff will be invited to enjoy a soup and salad lunch provided by our Ursuline families. Donations, especially crock pots of soups and stews, are still needed. See the sign-up form here. Thank you in advance for your donations toward making the luncheon a successful event. It is greatly appreciated by our staff members.

Lunch Program Reminder
Please check your daughter's lunch account balances periodically to be sure there are funds available for their use. In addition, please check your spam mail for emails that may have been sent via MySchoolBucks for low balance reminders.All senior lunch accounts need to be paid in full prior to senior service. Please see our website for further details on the lunch program and ways to fund this account.

Life on Lowder Street

Tea and Tour with the President 
On Monday, the Class of 2017 was treated to tea with President Rosann Whiting in the Convent foyer, before having a private hard hat tour of the inside of the new Athletic and Convocation Center. After signing a wall inside the building, the girls assembled a time capsule to be stored in the building until 2067. The morning was capped off with the traditional senior class balloon pop on the convent steps.

Apollo Software Developer Jane Goode Visits Ursuline
Students in grades 9-12 enjoyed a presentation on Wednesday by Jane Goode, the only woman on the team of software developers for the Apollo missions in the 1960s. Ms. Goode was a team member at MIT's Draper Labs and worked on the software for the Apollo Guidance Computer. As part of her presentation, she discussed the world's first computer user interface and the way the crew had to interact with the computer using the noun-verb command paradigm. One of her big contributions was leading the effort used on Apollo 15, 16 and 17 to minimize the keystrokes required by the pilot by automating much of the process, basically working on the world's first autonomous vehicle. Thank you to Dr. Michael Ricard, our Robotics Team moderator for facilitating this visit.

Student Close Up Program in Washington D.C.

Want to learn about how things work in Washington, D.C.? Students are invited to learn more about the Close Up Program. Close Up is a nonprofit education organization that "informs, inspires, and empowers young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy." The program uses experiential issue-focused collaborative activities to achieve these goals. Over this past February vacation, UA students Bridget Cahill, Anna Fantozzi, Julia Mullert, and Olivia Saraf, along with faculty member Ms. Jessica Stokes participated in the Close Up program in Washington, D.C.  Check out the vlog posts from this year's trip. Ms. Stokes and this year's participants will hold two informational meetings about the Close Up program. The first informational meeting with be Thursday, April 27 (the first Thursday after April vacation) during Activity Block in room 108. See you there!

Bears in Action

Bearitones Concert
On Saturday, April 29, UA's very own Bearitones will join A Cappella performers from Needham High School, Lexington High School, and Newton South High School in a concert to benefit the Boston Center For Refugee Health & Human Rights at Boston Medical Center. Sponsored by NHS Friends of Music, the Vocal Support A Cappella Invitational starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Needham High School auditorium. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. To purchase tickets in advance at the discount price of $12, visit the Friends of Music website. Tickets will be available at the door for $15.

Latin Club Joins Classics Day at Holy Cross
On Thursday, April 6, members of the UA Latin club joined over 400 other high school students at Classics Day at Holy Cross. The students competed in certamen (classics trivia) and art contests. In their respective preliminary rounds of certamen, UA's Blood of Olympus team came in third and the Agricolae came in first. Many students submitted beautiful artwork, and Sawyer Strouth won first prize for her painting of the oracle at Delphi. All participants had a great day engaging in the world of the classics!

Ursuline Lacrosse Tournament

Welcome back to UA's varsity lacrosse team from the Annual Ursuline Lacrosse Sister Schools Tournament in New Rochelle, NY.  They left in dreary weather on Thursday, accompanied by Athletic Director Mike O'Connor and Dean of Academics (and lacrosse coach) Shannon Parker for the Ursuline School in New Rochelle. UA Dedham participates in this annual all-Ursuline lacrosse tournament with teams from our sister schools in New Rochelle, St. Louis, and Wilmington, Delaware. 

Nurse's Corner

Important: Epipen Recall

Mylan has placed a nationwide recall on several lots of EpiPen 2-Pak. Please see the attached press release from the FDA to check the expiration date and lot number on your EpiPens and contact Mylan at 800-796-9526 and refer to Mylan.com/EpiPenRecall for information on the recall and instructions on how to obtain a new device should theirs be one of those recalled. Individual contact with the parents of students at Ursuline whose EpiPens were affected has been made so if you did not receive a call from Nurse Heather Smart, it means your student's Epipen 2-pak at school is unaffected. Please check any others kept at home and as always, please provide the original box with all EpiPens you provide to the school.

Serviam

Bethlehem Farm Service Trip
Looking for an opportunity to serve this summer? Join us at Bethlehem Farm in Talcott, West Virginia, from June 24th to July 2nd. Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic community in Appalachia that transforms lives through service with the local community and the teaching of sustainable practices. Service hours can count towards this year's or next year's hours. Please see Ms. McNally to learn more and to sign up! This trip is open to any sophomores, juniors or seniors. Learn more about Bethehem Farm here. Click here for a great look at the program at Bethlehem Farm.

Senior Retreat

Last weekend, 50 senior students attended their Senior Retreat at St. Thecla's Retreat House in Billerica. The seniors spent time reflecting on their years at Ursuline and looking ahead into the future. We prayed together, meditated together, and listened to witness talks given by alumnae and teachers. A great time was had by all! Thank you to our Alumnae, our Theology Department, to Mrs. Glancy, Mrs. Smart and Mrs. Thorn for facilitating a special weekend for the Senior Class.

The Community extends its blessings to the Class of 2017
as they embark on their Senior Service Projects following Spring Break.

Supporting Ursuline

Fore the Girls Golf Tournament - Monday, May 22
Our 25th Annual Fore the Girls Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, May 22 at the beautiful Wollaston Golf Club in Milton. Volunteers are needed to help on-site at the tournament and banquet. If you would like to help, please see the attached sign-up form. We are also seeking parents to make phone calls to prospective players. On select nights from 5:30 - 8 p.m., parents gather to recruit players, enjoy pizza and help to support a great cause. To join our efforts, contact Kat McCarron, Director of Advancement.You can also go online to register for golf or dinner, to sponsor the tournament, or to donate an auction item.

Please Help Spread the Word: Girls School Event at Simmons College
The National Coalition of Girls' School is hosting the "Girls' School Advantage" – a free event for Boston area prospective families to learn about the effectiveness and unique environment of all-girls schools on Sunday, April 23, from 1-3 p.m. at Simmons College.  The day will include a presentation by Ms. Helen Drinan, President of Simmons College, and a Q and A panel of students from each of the eight participating schools. Mrs. Maura Polles, our Director of Admissions, will also be in attendance to represent Ursuline Academy. Please spread the word about the event to any families who may be considering options for their daughter's education. You can help by forwarding the attached flyer with information about registering for the event.

On the Calendar

 Ursuline Academy | 85 Lowder Street | Dedham, MA 02026 | 781.326.6161