November 13, 2020 Community Voices: A Message from the Technology Team Dear Ursuline Families,
Many of you know the technology team as the day-to-day Help Desk and the people who run the iHub. Behind the scenes, we are also responsible for technology training, network and infrastructure support, administrative and academic software applications, and long-range planning and budgeting. We carefully monitor network activity and traffic for upwards of 800 devices on a daily basis to ensure bandwidth availability and quality of service. We also are moderators of several clubs that provide other areas of technology-related interests such as the Growl Radio Club, iHub Interns, Builder Bears, and Knit4Kids.
Charlie Kotsiopoulos Director of Information Services Greg Mertz Director of Innovation and Design
In case you missed the recent parent coffees and guidance office parent presentations, videos of these programs are now posted to the student-parent portal. If you need assistance in accessing them, please email support@ursulineacademy.net.
Parent News Ursuline's Got Talent! We hope everyone will attend our first virtual gala, a fun, family-friendly talent show to support the scholarship program at Ursuline Academy, on Saturday, December 12, 2020. Here's how you can help:
Click here for a special message from our guest host, Caitlin Burchill '08, news reporter for NBC Hartford. Thanksgiving Cards for Grandparents and Special Friends/Relatives Last chance to submit addresses! This year we will be sending Thanksgiving cards out to grandparents with a message about the mission of Ursuline Academy and a prayer of gratitude for their love and support of our students. If you have not yet responded and would like your child's grandparents or another special friend/relative to receive a card, please fill out the attached form by Monday, November 16. We will add these names, as well as those of all grandparents who have gone before us, to the special intention list for our Thanksgiving prayer service.
Counseling and Academics Parent Info Session on College Admissions Testing On Monday, November 16, from 6:30-7:45 p.m., parents of students in grades 9 - 11 are invited to join a virtual information session with Summit Educational Group about the current college testing landscape. Our speaker is Summit's Chief Brand Ambassador, Drew Heilpern, PhD. The goals of this session are to reduce anxiety, increase clarity, and impart confidence to families about the college admissions testing process. Session topics include:
Click here to register. If you cannot attend, register anyway to receive a link to the webinar replay. Important Clarification on Assessments Report Card Update Report cards for Ursuline Academy's first academic quarter are due to be posted to the portals on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. This year the administrative team has made a few changes to the look of the report cards. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Thorn at kthorn@ursulineacademy.net.
College Talk
Life on Lowder Street Chorus Performance This year, the Fine and Performing Arts department added a new music elective - Chorus. Despite the challenges of teaching music over Zoom and not being able to sing indoors, we would like to share our first project - a virtual video of 'How Can I Keep From Singing,' a Christian-hymn text with music by Robert Wadsworth Lowry. We thought the text was appropriate for the times! Inside the Classroom Student Blog Posts The Communications Intern team is a group of upperclasswomen who work with the Marketing and Communications Office to tell Ursuline's story through writing, video, and social media projects. They are starting off this year with an "Inside the Classroom" series, intended to provide a glimpse into the classroom experience at Ursuline. Happy Reading! Reagan Viens '22 wrote last week about how her Civics class learned about the election process through a simulated election. Read it here. This week, Annalee Petrella '22 tells us the ins and outs of building a crime scene in a shoebox for her Forensics class (as well as the benefits of Enrichment period!). Read it here.
Athletics Informational Meetings for Winter Sports Meetings and pre-registration for winter athletics continue this week for those interested in Winter Track and Skiing. Please note: these are informational meetings only. When the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) releases its recommendations for winter athletics, Ursuline will confirm plans for all teams. There are meetings scheduled for each cohort. They will take place during morning mask break at the tennis courts. In the event of inclement weather, listen for an announcement for a new meeting location.
Soccer The varsity soccer team played a strong game on Monday against a tough Notre Dame Academy of Hingham team. The Bears pulled out a 2-1 victory with goals scored by Kelly Cheevers and Katherine Heavey. Nikki Olson played another strong game in goal with a number of key saves. Hannah Daly and Teagan Young had strong games on defense. Pictured are team members celebrating their victory. This victory puts the varsity at 8 wins and 1 loss. The junior varsity team lost a tough game to NDA, much closer than the 4-1 score. They are currently 6-3-1. Swimming and Diving Ursuline swimming and diving completed the 2020 season on Tuesday. A season filled with obstacles ended with two losses vs. very tough opponents in Braintree High School and Wellesley High School. The final score vs. Braintree was 100 - 84, while Wellesley was 99 - 82. Congrats to Isabella Lombard '22, for breaking the 50 freestyle record with a time of 24.31, previously held by Anna Glass '19, with a 24.68. MIAA has canceled Sectionals and States for the Fall 1 season, and thus ends an incredibly memorable and fast season. Thank you to all the volunteers who made this season work and the Blue Hills facility for allowing us the use of their pool. If any parents or swimmers have any photos they want to share for the season, please email a copy to the coaches.
New Online Spirit Store is OPEN Last Chance to Order for Christmas
Reminders Uniform Guidelines - Dos and Don'ts Students are reminded to wear the plaid with pride! Shirts and skirts must be clean and ironed. Polo shirts do not need to be tucked, but oxfords must be tucked in.The uniform is a community standard. Much like an athletic uniform which indicates that you are part of a team, your school uniform shows that you are part of our Ursuline family. Please use this "Dos and Don'ts" reference guide to review uniform requirements. Thank you! Roche Bros. Lunch Orders Roche Bros. catering is now offering lunch options to families and employees from a limited menu of sandwiches and salads. Orders placed by the cut-off will be delivered to Ursuline and distributed in time for the lunch period. Click here for full details. Menu and ordering instructions are also available here on our website. Important Attendance Reminder Safety Reminder Flu Vaccinations Required Per the state of Massachusetts, all students need to receive the seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine by December 31, 2020. The new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please send proof of vaccination to the school nurse when your daughter receives the vaccine. Quick Links |