March 27, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians of Ursuline Students,

"Wherever God has put you, that is your vocation.
It is not what we do, but how much love we put into it."

How Mother Teresa's words take on a new meaning today! Through these uncertain times, her words are a persuasive reminder that what matters most is taking care of one another. As we all manage at home with walls that can be too thin, voices too loud, or internet bandwidth that's not quite wide enough, I hope you and your family are strong and well, and finding the silver linings in time spent together.

I wanted to address a few of the questions that we are hearing often from our families:

In keeping with Governor Baker's directive issued earlier this week, Ursuline will continue to engage in remote learning through at least May 4.

It is unclear if there will be a spring athletic season. Early in the week, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) had issued guidelines on the topic of tournament play; however, these were no longer valid with Governor's Baker order on Wednesday. The MIAA will meet next week and we will continue to update you as we know more.

Our 8th grade trip, scheduled to depart for Philadelphia on May 7, has been rescheduled to November, 2020. Details on this change will be sent directly to the families of those students who registered for the trip, including refund provisions.

Our Four and a Half Country Tour, scheduled for June 2020, has been rescheduled for April vacation of 2021. Similarly, additional details about this will be sent directly to those signed up for the trip.

A separate letter was sent yesterday to all seniors and their parents about graduation and senior activities. At this time, we have committed to celebrating together when we are safely able to do so.

Given the necessary restrictions under which we are all living, our service requirements for all students will be waived for the remainder of the school year with additional information coming from our Campus Ministry office. For now, the kindness, patience, and compassion with which we treat our family members may be our most needed service.

In accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Health's stay-at-home advisory, and while we are not in school on Lowder Street, please be reminded that students are not allowed to congregate in the parking lot or on the school property for any reason.

We know how difficult it is for our students to manage the disappointment associated with the postponement or cancellation of events; our counseling staff has been in touch with resources supporting our families on this issue. We will continue to consider all creative and innovative ideas for the time when we can safely be together again. In the meantime, we are working to develop additional remote opportunities in which our students can connect and support one another.

Despite our geographic distance, we hope you and your daughters can feel all that we at Ursuline are doing to take care of them. I am deeply humbled, grateful, and very proud of the innovation and effort of our faculty, staff, and administrators, as they work not only to educate our students, but to offer spiritual and emotional support as well. I marvel at our successful transition to distance learning and promise that as a learning community, we will continue to adapt to meet the needs of our students in today's environment.

And your daughters! We miss seeing them in person, but even from afar, they continue to amaze us with their curious minds and compassionate hearts. They have embraced our new mode of learning, pivoting with ease to these methods while continuing to look out for one another and stay connected as their generation does so well. The digital connectivity that adults have often collectively bemoaned has become an essential lifeline of the times, and enables our students to support one another.

More than ever, I am grateful for the strong partnership that we have with our families. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your daughter. Our priority is to take good care of her.

I hope the blessings of health and strength are with you and your family. Wishing you the peace of Christ,