January 15, 2021 Community Voices: A Message from the Athletic Director Dear Ursuline Families,
Many of you know Kim and me, but for those of you who don't, let me introduce ourselves to you. Kim Munsey is our Assistant Athletic Director and Athletic Trainer and is in her 12th year at Ursuline, while I'm in my 11th year as Athletic Director. It has been a pleasure working with your daughters, our student athletes, during this time.
Outside of the academic program, the athletic program is one of the largest programs at Ursuline, where an average of 71 percent of the student body participates in at least one of our 14 interscholastic sports. This is an amazing number when you realize that students are not required to participate in sports. Our goal is to make participating in sports fun, challenging, and competitive. We have made great strides during the past 10 years, thanks to the support of the administration and our wonderful coaching staff. Ursuline has 38 coaches, including faculty and staff members Paul Bimmler, Lily Higgins, Natalie Mayo, Corinne Murphy, and Morgan O'Donnell. In addition to doing extremely well in our athletic contests, we are consistently recognized for our sportsmanship by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association -- a tribute to both our coaches and your daughters.
I have a great deal of pride in the athletic program that we offer at Ursuline. We encourage all students to try out for a sport, which is a wonderful way to meet other students and have an enjoyable experience. In addition to competing against other local schools, we also participate with other Ursuline schools across the country in basketball and lacrosse tournaments annually. We have developed strong relationships with the Dedham Recreation Department, Dedham High School, and Xaverian Brothers High School, all of whom assist us with use of their facilities.
Thanks to all for your support, especially in making sure we have the paperwork necessary for participation in athletics. Because the health and safety of our student athletes is of paramount concern, we are strict about the requirements. If you have any questions regarding the athletic program, please feel free to reach out to me at athletics@ursulineacademy.net.
Sincerely, Michael O'Connor Athletic Director
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. "Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles; Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it. Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right." -- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On this weekend when we remember and honor the life and legacy of the much-beloved Dr. King, we share with you this beautiful presentation by Mrs. Susan Glancy. With so very much to do in the fight to create opportunity, space and leadership for equality, inclusion and justice, the history of this anthem is both a reminder and an essential call to action. WE SHALL OVERCOME.
Important Reminders Reminder: Remote Learning Option for Quarter III Junior Ring Ceremonies on January 26 and January 29 Junior parents should have received an email today sharing information about Ursuline's in-person Junior Ring Ceremonies for each cohort later this month. The Angela Cohort ceremony will be held on Tuesday, January 26 at 1 p.m. and the Ursula Cohort ceremony will be held on Friday, January 29 at 1 p.m. Guests are limited to parents only and must register in advance, so that we may plan for adequate social distancing between families and contact tracing if necessary. Register to attend using this link by Friday, January 22.
School and College Counseling College Talk on Tuesday, January 19 Parent Zoom Speaker Series on Tuesday, January 26, 7 p.m. The School Counseling Office will be sponsoring "Conversation Corner" with Dr. Nadja Reilly on Tuesday, January 26 from 7 - 7:45 p.m. as part of its Zoom Parent Speaker Series. Come and join Dr. Reilly as she shares her thoughts on "How to have Difficult Conversations with Your Daughter" and gives us strategies to best support our daughters and students. (This program will be recorded and available in the parent portal.) Click here for Zoom link. SAT/ACT Summit Educational Group Virtual Prep Classes Summit Educational Group is pleased to partner with Ursuline Academy to offer Online SAT and ACT Prep Classes this spring. In their online programs, teacher and students will meet together at a set time in a live virtual classroom using Zoom. SAT Prep Class for April 13 test date: Classes run from March 3 - April 7, 2021. ACT Prep Class for April 17 test date: Classes run from March 9 - April 13, 2021. SAT Prep Class for May 8 test date: Classes run from March 23 - May 4, 2021. ICYMI - Junior Parent College Meeting Recording Available The School and College Counseling team held its annual Junior Parent College Meeting via Zoom this week on Wednesday, January 13. During the program, parents were given an overview of the UA College Counseling practices and the application process. If you missed this event, you may view the recording on the parent portal now. To find the recording, log in to your account on the UA parent portal, and scroll down to the bottom of the home screen to "School Links and Files." The School Folder includes general documents/videos for parents. When you change the School Folder to "Guidance," you will find the recorded Parent Speaker videos coordinated by the School Counseling Office. See details here. Essay Scholarship Contest Yawkey Scholars Program Scholarship The Yawkey Scholars Program is designed to make college affordable for talented, motivated, low-income, first-generation college-bound high school seniors from Massachusetts, to complete bachelor's degrees at private colleges in Massachusetts. On the program's 15-year anniversary, the Yawkey Scholars Program has updated its scholarship award beginning with the 2021 Cohort by increasing the four-year renewable tuition scholarship to $35,000 per year. For information. please click here. Deadline: February 12, 2021.
Life on Lowder Street Paws4Pets Club Donation Drive UA's Paws4Pets club is holding a drive from January 11-22 to support local animal shelters in need. Drop off any dog food, cat food, toys, leashes, cat litter, food bowls, etc., in the boxes located outside the main building, in the foyer, and in the counseling office. Athletics - Informational Meetings During the week of January 25, the Athletic Department will be holding informational meetings for Volleyball and Winter Track. Both of these sports have been moved to the MIAA's Fall 2 season, scheduled for February 22 to April 25. Meetings will be held during each cohort. Dates and times will be announced in next week's Bear Essentials. Please note: Winter Track, which is normally an indoor sport, will most likely be held outdoors. The Reggie Lewis Track Center is closed until further notice. More information on Winter Track will be given out at the informational meetings. Info Meeting for AP Art and Design 2021-22 Ursuline Speech Team Competes in New Year Tournament Congratulations to the Ursuline students who competed in this past weekend's "Happy New Year" Speech Tournament! Special congrats to finalists Olivia Spalla (6th place - Children's Literature) and Meagan Keaney (7th Place - Novice Oral Interpretation). Way to go, ladies! Students who competed included Meagan Keaney '23, Olivia Spalla '21, Priya Raskin '24, Kayla Sullivan '24, Jordyn Robinson '24, Emily Helm '24, and Sana Dhillon '23. Traffic and Visitor Reminders Last month, we began implementing some new approaches for the afternoon pick-up to keep the pick-up line moving steadily with safety as our top priority. Click here for full details. In addition, in order to increase the safety and security on the campus of Ursuline Academy for our students and staff, we now have a new visitor management program. This system will require all visitors to report to the main office of the school, present identification to office staff, sign in, and receive a self-expiring visitor badge. Thank you for your cooperation. Quick Links |