Bear Essentials - February 11, 2018

Report cards for the second quarter were posted to the student/parent portal last week and are available for viewing or printing. If you have trouble logging in to the portal, email support@ursulineacademy.net. AP decisions were emailed to students on Friday afternoon.

Re-Enrollment Forms Due
Parents of Grades 7-11: Re-enrollment forms for the 2018-19 school year are now due in the business office. Please complete this form as soon as possible if you have not done so already.

9th Grade Sisterhood Bonding Weekend in Vermont
On April 6-8, grade nine students will be spending a wonderful weekend together at the Trapp Family Lodge (Stowe, VT). All students who registered to attend were given paperwork (due February 22nd) and parents were emailed the payment link. If you have any questions, please contact Dean of Students, Stephanie Williams, at swilliams@ursulineacademy.net.

Parent Discussion on Vaping with Dr. Lester Hartman

Ursuline Academy and Xaverian Brothers High School will be hosting a talk and open discussion by Dr. Lester Hartman about vaping, what these products look like and how they work, as well as the health effects of tobacco products, on Monday, March 5 at 6:30 pm. at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood. Parents are encouraged to bring their teens with them. Dr. Hartman has been practicing at Westwood-Mansfield Pediatric Office since 1986. Presently, he is also a Mass General Hospital researcher collaborating with a Harvard Medical School professor on youth and tobacco as well as doing advocacy work to raise the tobacco purchase age to 21 years. Click here to register.

Senior Celebrations Info Available
Senior Parents: All the details you need to know about senior year, including the service requirement, Prom, Baccalaureate Mass, and Graduation are in the Senior Celebrations packet. You can find it here, or your senior can pick up a paper copy from Mrs. Williams.

Life on Lowder Street

Ashley Thomas '18 Breaks School Record in Long Jump

Senior Ashley Thomas and the UA Winter track team competed last Sunday, Feb. 4th in the Last Chance meet at the Reggie Lewis Center. Ashley's 17' 5 ¼" long jump earned second place in the field of 78. Of greater significance, Ashley took down the UA school record by 4 ½ inches which was no easy feat. With the previous winter record longer than the spring record, it is the longest jump in our school history any season of the year. Congratulations, Ashley!

Blazer Student Newspaper is Now Online

This year, our student newspaper "The Blazer" has gone digital! From pieces on student life, current events, or entertainment, it's all here in a student-produced Wordpress blog. Check it out! The link is also available in the right sidebar of Bear Essentials.

Additional Featured Links

Bear Essentials strives to provide a snapshot of life at Ursuline Academy, but there are a number of ways to explore school life more fully. Check out some of the links in the right-hand margin!

School Event Photos: Additional photos from Junior Ring Ceremony, Winter Dance, "Our Town," and other school events are available for viewing or purchase at the "Ordering Photos" link.
Life on Lowder Street Blog: This blog features submissions from teachers, students, and UA Communications in greater depth than Bear Essentials.
Social Media: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for announcements and glimpses into school life.

Anatomy Students Use Skin Scope
As part of their unit on skin, Ms. Brown's Anatomy & Physiology class had a chance to see the effects of sun exposure on their faces with the Melanoma Foundation of New England's Skin Scope. They also got some cool UV detection bracelets, sunscreen, and SPF lip balm. The girls who used the scope were amazed to see the amount of skin damage the scope revealed even from day-to-day exposure.

Seventh Grade Learns about Ursuline's Global Network

Social Studies teacher Mr. Michael Noyes is helping his students understand their connection to the global Ursuline community. In partnership with the iHub, 7th graders worked collaboratively to locate another Ursuline institution (secondary and collegiate) before learning about the school's customs, region, and culture. Read More.

Robots in Plaid Compete at Mass FTC Qualifier

The Ursuline robotics team, Robots in Plaid, spent Saturday at Sharon High School, competing in the Massachusetts FIRST Tech Challenge qualifier match.

Serviam

UA Women for Change "Fostering Kindness" Collection
Reminder: The UA Women for Change club is running a "Fostering Kindness" collection drive until this Friday, Feb. 16 to collect new or gently used clothes, children's books, and baby items (diapers, bottles, etc.). All donations will be sent to an Outreach Center in Gulfport, MS, where the items will be distributed to foster children, many of whom are victims of domestic violence.

Upcoming After-School Service
Tuesday, Feb. 13th: Boxed Lunch (Tea Room)
Wednesday, Feb. 14th: Ellis Nursing Home
Thursday, Feb. 15th: White Oaks Cottages

Supporting Ursuline

Fore the Girls Golf Tournament - Save the Date!
UA's 26th Annual Fore the Girls Golf Tournament is Tuesday, May 29 at the Blue Hill Country Club. If you would like to help, you can join the Advancement team at our next golf committee meeting this Tuesday, February 13, at 7 p.m. at our 112 Lowder Street office. Fore the Girls is the second largest fundraiser for Ursuline Academy. If you're interested learning about other ways you can get involved, contact Kat McCarron at kmccarron@ursulineacademy.net or click here to sign up to volunteer.

Legacy Breakfast

A reminder to all Ursuline alumnae with daughters who are current students at UA that our Legacy Breakfast will be held this Tuesday, February 13, at 7:15 a.m. in the Convent to celebrate mothers and daughters who share an Ursuline connection. Please contact Susan Hehir in our alumnae office at shehir@ursulineacademy.net if you will be attending.

Save the Date! Mind and Muscle:
Evening of Yoga and Wellness
On Tuesday, March 13, current families and alumnae are invited to engage mind, body and spirit in the new Reynolds Family Athletic & Convocation Center. An evening discussion about living a healthy lifestyle facilitated by Mary Ambrefe '84, P'18 will be followed by a yoga class with Elizabeth King P '20, '22. Light supper at 5 p.m. Program begins at 5:45 p.m. All welcome. RSVP to specialevents@ursulineacademy. net.

UA Alumnae vs Parent Trivia Night

Over 100 alumnae and parents gathered in the Ursuline Tea Room on Thursday night to participate in our first alumnae vs. parents trivia challenge. While our alumnae team from the Class of 1986 emerged victorious, our tenth-grade parent team "Team Hang Ten" was close behind them and took home second place. It was terrific to see such a great mix of parents, alumnae, faculty and staff together in the Tea Room having so much fun. We'll definitely be bringing this event back in February 2019 so start brushing up on your trivia now!