Bear Essentials - September 3, 2016   

 First Day of School

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times

Students should plan to arrive at school by 7:45 a.m. The school building opens at 7 a.m. each day and homeroom begins at 8 a.m. This year, students are allowed to enter the main school building through one of three entrances: the student entrance, the main glass entrance, and the entrance of the science wing. We recommend that cars pull up as far as possible, and exit onto Lowder Street either at the driveway closest to the student entrance or behind the Athletic and Convocation Center. Afternoon pick-up time at the end of the day is 2:45 p.m. Please note that your daughters may remain in the building each day until 5 p.m. We encourage families to consider a later pick up time to ease traffic on Lowder Street. Also, please observe the directional arrows on the pavement carefully, as traffic patterns have changed.

In addition, in light of the importance of this day and our honored guests:

• NO sneakers at all will be allowed on the first day of school - even those with a nurse's note!
• Any headbands worn should be either black, white, navy blue or dark green
• Seniors may wear their navy blue polos on the first day of school, and their tie-dye t-shirts on the second day.

Other First Day of School Info

• As part of the opening day activities, a BBQ lunch will be provided to all students (including gluten free options).
• For the convenience of our students, we recommend that they bring half of their books on the first day of school, and the other half on the second day of school.  No textbooks will be utilized on the first day of school.
• Parents of new students should not enter the school with their daughters on the first day of school. Current students will be on hand to direct our new students to their rooms.

From the Main Office

Co-Principal's Letter

Dear Parents and Friends,

The technology department has tested the new sound system, the facilities team has waxed the floors to a gleaming shine, faculty members have prepared their classrooms for optimal learning experiences; we are ready to begin the school year at 85 Lowder Street!  St. Angela would be proud of our efforts to "live in harmony, united in one heart and one will." Read More: This week's letter focuses on our academic schedule.

Students will continue to be allowed to carry a drink of their choice throughout the school day, but all drinks should be carried in a bottle that can be fully sealed and placed within a backpack to reduce the frequency of spills in our halls, as well as our community's ecological footprint. Students may use any resealable drinking vessels that they choose, and Ursuline Academy reusable water bottles and coffee containers are available in our bookstore.

Spirit Wear and Gym Uniform Purchases

The Ursuline Academy Bookstore will be open in the Tea Room during all lunch blocks on Wednesday, September 6 and Thursday, September 7.  Ursuline quarter-zips, gym uniforms and other spirit wear will be available for purchase. Cash and checks are preferred and the cost of gym shorts and t-shirt is $38.00. For questions or to make arrangements to purchase items at another time, please contact Kate Gormley, our parent bookstore coordinator, at kggormley@verizon.net.  Thanks, Kate, for your valuable service to UA!

Transportation

Updated Bus Schedule
There have been some changes to the time departure schedule in the morning for all three buses. Please check the revised schedule to be sure of your morning pick-up time if you are scheduled to take the UA/Catholic Memorial bus.

Carpool Connection 

In an effort to better serve our families' needs, we are pleased to announce that Ursuline Academy has partnered with CarpooltoSchool to help facilitate transportation for your UA student(s). Parents who wish to start or join a carpool can connect online at our exclusive carpool webpage. This site gives our community a safe, easy way to form or join a carpool, and its intuitive interface makes planning easy and convenient. Features include a secure matching service integrated with Google maps, scheduling, and built-in text messaging to remind parents when it's their turn to drive. After signing up, users will receive approval from Ursuline Academy within 48 hours and be able to start utilizing this service. In order for this effort to be a success, both those who are willing to provide transportation and those in need of it have to participate. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stephanie Williams, Dean of Student Affairs. 

Bears in Action

UA Field Trip to MIT
Ever since Dr. Kathleen "Kate" Rubins was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be a scientist. Her passion for understanding disease brought her from some of the country's most prestigious institutions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she studied monkey pox. But the suggestion of a friend changed her path forever. Kate applied to become a NASA astronaut, and she got the job! In July 2016, Kate launched into space as a crew member of Expedition 49. During her three months in orbit aboard the International Space Station, she was the first person to sequence DNA in space. Now she's coming to MIT to give a firsthand account of her space travels on Tuesday, September 12th from 3:30-4:30 pm. Interested UA students in Grades 10-12 are invited to attend. Chaperones are Mr. Sanford and Mrs. Ferrucci. Click here for the UA permission slip and first-come, first-served registration. 

Ursuline Faculty and Staff Service Day
Ursuline faculty and staff wrapped up their week of preparation by spending a morning at Community Harvest Farm in Grafton, continuing to build community among themselves and harvesting vegetables to feed families in Worcester County. The team harvested

tomatoes (4,950 lbs, 15,147 servings) and cherry tomatoes (276 lbs, 839 servings) for a total of  5,226 lbs, 15,986 servings.  Thanks to Campus Ministry for arranging this opportunity for our staff.

Supporting Ursuline

RSVP Today for Backyard Socials

Parents are reminded to join fellow parents and staff at our Backyard Socials this week and next to celebrate the start of a new year. Socials will be held at the backyard of 112 Lowder Street, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. See calendar above for specific grade-level event dates. RSVPs are appreciated. In the event of rain, the socials will be held in the Tea Room.

Grandparents Day 

Parents of 7th and 8th grade students are reminded to fill out the attached Grandparent Information form so that we may invite them to our annual Grandparent Day on October 19. Invitations will go out in the next two weeks.

On the Calendar

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