November 6, 2020 Community Voices: A Message from the President Dear Ursuline Families,
With four weeks of the concurrent/hybrid learning under our belt and the close of the first quarter, it was wonderful to connect with so many of you at our Virtual Parent Coffees over the last two days; our sincere thanks to those who were able to join us. Your thoughtful questions gave us an indication of what's on your mind as we move through this unusual academic year.
Blessings for continued good health and strength, Kate Levesque President
Reminder: There will be no classes on Wed., Nov. 11, in observance of Veteran's Day. ICYMI: Remote Learning Option for Quarter II
Health Reminders 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. Ursuline Community Flu Clinic Scheduled for Tomorrow, Saturday, November 7 There may still be spots available for the flu shot clinic on campus on Saturday, November 7 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. In order to expedite the clinic, and minimize wait times, please be sure to do the following:
Please reach out with any questions to our school nurse, Heather Smart at nurse@ursulineacademy.net. Reminder: COVID-19 Prevention and Safety Covenant
Report Card Update from the Registrar 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.
Term Classes: A performance scale will be used for all term classes: Art 7, Art 8, Computer Science Discovery 7, Computer Science Discovery 8, Music 7, Music 8, Wellness 7, Wellness 8, as well as all Guidance classes. The grading method used will be BE (below expectations) and ME (meets expectations). We will no longer be using an EE (exceeds expectations) level.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Thorn at kthorn@ursulineacademy.net.
Parent News Ursuline's Got Talent! Our first virtual gala and signature fundraising event will be streaming to you live on Saturday, December 12, 2020. Here's how you can help:
Don't be shy! Do it for Ursuline!! All talent registration forms received by Monday, November 9 will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. Actual talent videos due on November 20. 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. Grandparent and Special Friend/Relative Tributes This year, before Thanksgiving, we will be sending 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. In order to mail these cards, we ask that you fill out the attached form by Friday, November 13, with the names and mailing addresses of your child's grandparents or another special friend/relative. We will also 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. Parent Social Coordinators Wanted! Lawn Signs Arriving Next Week Ursuline students will be helping to distribute lawn signs and UA car magnets during afternoon pick-up next week. We will have "Proud to be a UA Bear" signs for homes and additional "Visit Ursuline" signs that can be placed at other spots in your communities to spread the word about UA. Please consider taking one of each sign. Please email Janet Reynolds at jreynolds@ursulineacademy.net if you need to arrange another time to pick up signs or to send them home with another student. In case you missed this week's Parent Coffees, videos will be posted to the student-parent portal in the next few days.
Important Food Services Announcement Due to low program participation, our dining service provider, SLA Management, will be suspending food service operations effective Friday, November 6, 2020. Beginning on Monday, November 9, Roche Brothers catering will be 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.
Athletics Winter Athletics The Athletic Department is now planning for its Winter season. There will be informational meetings and pre-registration for all students interested in Basketball, Ice Hockey, 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 informational meetings set up for each cohort. They will take place during morning mask break at the tennis courts.
The schedule is as follows: Monday, November 9 or Thursday, November 12: Basketball
In the event of inclement weather, listen for an announcement for the meeting locations. For additional information, feel free to contact Mr. O'Connor at athletics@ursulineacademy.net. Please note: if you are studying fully remote, you are not eligible for Winter sports. Swimming and Diving Ursuline Swimming and Diving had a great win vs. Malden Catholic on Monday, Nov. 2, defeating the Lancers by a score of 97 - 57. Congrats to the divers who competed on both the board and the blocks as members of the 200-yard freestyle relay. Madison Chin swam her season best in the 100 breaststroke in 1:21.36. Cara Hill swam a best time of 28.93 in the 50 yard freestyle. The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Onyekachi Nwazojie, Victoria Wright, Meagan Keaney, and Mary Powers swam a great race earning a 4:46.06.
Soccer
New Online Spirit Store is OPEN Introducing our Online Spirit Store:
Reminders Important Attendance Reminder Additional Email Requests Bear Essentials is sent each week to the "primary email" that we have on file in the school office. If you would like to have it sent to an additional email, please send a note to the Director of Communications by replying to this email. Also, be sure to add info@UrsulineAcademy.myenotice.com to your address book or trusted contacts to make sure the newsletter does not get intercepted by spam filters. Safety Reminder Daily Prayer Reminder Campus Ministry's Daily Prayer can be a great start to the day not just for students, but for anyone seeking to deepen their faith life. An archive of recent Daily Prayer emails can be found here. When you reach the page, click the bell icon if you wish to subscribe to the daily prayer by email. Financial Aid Applications for 2021-2022 Now Available Financial Aid applications for the next academic year are now available through FACTS. The deadline for financial aid consideration is January 15, 2021. Financial Aid decisions will be emailed beginning March 6, 2020. Click here for additional information. Quick Links |