September 3, 2021 Newest Members of Ursuline's Professional Community Dear Parents and Students,
We have just wrapped up an intensive week of professional development -- it has been wonderful to witness the interaction among the faculty and staff and their collective eagerness to welcome our students next week and to come to know them in the days ahead.
This spring, Ursuline bid farewell to several members of our professional community. As with many employers, we learned that the pandemic prompted some of our colleagues to take stock of their careers. Whether retiring, relocating, choosing a new career direction/opportunity, or returning to school full-time, we wish them every success as they embark upon new chapters in their lives.
We were busy hiring over the spring and summer, and are delighted to welcome a talented group of professionals to our team. Having had the chance to work closely with them this week, it is clear that they bring great energy, expertise, and commitment to the education of young women. A brief introduction to each of them may be found here.
Our faculty and staff joined in a beautiful celebration of the Mass here yesterday; please be assured of our collective prayers for your daughters and our wider community as we begin the new year.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Labor Day weekend,
Best regards, Kate Levesque President
In Case You Missed These
Back to School FAQs When does school start for new students? School begins for all new students with a half-day orientation session on Tuesday, September 7, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Click here for details.
When does school start for all students? School starts for all students on Wednesday, September 8 from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
What time does my daughter need to be at school? What time does she need to be picked up? Homeroom starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving to their classroom after the 8:00 a.m. bell will be considered tardy. Students may remain at school as late as 5:00 p.m., and do not have to register to stay after school as they did last year. How early can my daughter arrive at school? Your daughter can arrive to Ursuline Academy any time after 7:00 a.m. and before the homeroom bell. So, do we have a normal schedule this year? Yes, we have gone back to the 8-period, 8-block schedule with an activity period at 10:30 a.m. and three lunch periods during the mid-day. Where can I find my daughter's schedule? You may find it in the Student/Parent Portal, Click "More" and then "School" and then "Schedule." Will we need to drop our daughter off at specific doors by grade like we did last year? We are not continuing that protocol this year. Students may enter any door they wish.
I've seen a tentative calendar with some important dates on it, but is there a more in-depth calendar to be found anywhere?
Reminder for all returning students
News and Announcements Parental Consent for COVID testing Student Directory Permissions - Last Call Our Student Directory for 2021-2022 will be posted to the Student/Parent portal in the coming weeks. This may be useful for those families who are interested in carpooling. If anyone does not wish to be published in the directory, please contact Ali Hodge at ahodge@ursulineacademy.net by the end of the day on Tuesday, September 7. Mass of the Holy Spirit - Livestream Available The Ursuline community will celebrate a Mass of the Holy Spirit to begin the new school year on Friday, September 10, at 12:45 p.m. Full uniforms, including blazers and tights, are required for all students. Families are invited to watch the Mass via livestream at https://youtu.be/qJZoT-sD9_c. SAT Prep Classes Begin This Week Summit Education Group will be offering an SAT prep class at UA on Tuesday afternoons in September beginning next week (September 7,14, 21, and 28), geared towards the October 2 SAT. Please see the attached link for details. Bus Transportation Options There is space remaining on each of our bus routes. Please see the attached documents for full details and route information for the coming year. Information is also available on our website.
Questions about transportation options may be addressed to Leigh Ann Luetzen, Director of Finance and Business Operations, at transportation@ursulineacademy.net or call 781.493.7708.
Upcoming Calendar Highlights
New Families - Reminders for the Start of School New Student Tech Session on September 7 For those students who were unable to attend our technology help sessions in August, Ursuline's tech team will be available for help on Tuesday, September 7, following the half-day new student orientation. Staff will be on hand in the school library to help between noon and 1 p.m. Technology support will help students set up iPads and download eTexts. Please be sure to have your iPads and Apple IDs with you.
Uniform Requirements for First Day of School Students must be in the "basic" uniform (Ursuline skirt, polo shirt), as student ID photos will be taken. The first time the formal uniform (blazer and button-down shirt) will be required is Friday, September 10, for our school-wide Mass of the Holy Spirit. Uniform requirements and guidelines can be found on the website here. Uniforms can be purchased through JB Pride Uniforms at their retail locations (see website for addresses) or online at www.jbprideuniforms.com.
Health Information Requirements IMPORTANT - Proof of COVID Vaccination All students, faculty, and staff who are eligible are expected to be fully vaccinated. If you have not done so, please send a picture (cellphone photo works well) of your vaccination card as soon as possible to Heather Smart, School Nurse, at nurse@ursulineacademy.net with the subject line COVID Vaccine and your daughter's grade (e.g. "COVID Vaccine - Gr. 8"). It is important that Ursuline knows the vaccination status of all students for contact tracing purposes, if necessary.
Important Forms for EpiPen Users Parents of students who require an EpiPen for a life-threatening allergy may access the forms that need to be filled out for the upcoming school year here. These forms need to be filled out by parents and students' physicians. Please submit the completed forms with an accompanying EpiPen by the first day of school.
Immunization Requirement for All Juniors Parents of rising juniors are reminded that a new immunization requirement will take effect for school entry in September. All juniors are now required to receive a booster of the Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (state-mandated as of Sept., 2020). If you have not sent in an updated physical with this additional immunization listed, please do so as soon as possible. Should you have any questions, please email Heather Smart, School Nurse, at nurse@ursulineacademy.net.
Health Forms Due for New Students All new students must submit proof of a physical within the last 12 months along with their immunization records to the attention of school nurse, Heather Smart, as soon as possible. Please email nurse@ursulineacademy.net with any concerns or questions.
Additional Reminders from the Main Office Course Lists and Summer Work Summer assignments are available by clicking here and opening each academic department folder to find course information and assignments. Note: If a course does not appear in the folder, then it does not require any summer work. Contact registrar Kathy Thorn at kthorn@ursulineacademy.net with any questions.
Purchasing Textbooks and Course Materials Textbooks and course materials for the 2021-22 school year should be purchased through Ursuline's online bookstore, managed by MBS Direct. Visit https://bnck-12.com/ursulinema to order both the physical and digital books required for the courses your daughter has been assigned for the fall. Click here for complete information on book ordering.
Lunch Accounts SLA Management, our food service provider, will begin service in the Ursuline Tea Room on Wednesday, September 8, and will offer an array of menu options at lunch and break. Purchases can be made either with cash or with the student's ID card, which can be linked to an account. Information is now available for Ursuline families. Click here to learn more about SLA's online lunch account system, including how to fund your daughter's account.
Parent News Parent Social On September 17, there will be a social gathering for all parents from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Meet your fellow parents and school staff to celebrate the start of a new year. The timing of this event coincides with the student bond-fire, so that parents and students can come and leave together. Key members of the administration will be on hand to introduce themselves. Refreshments will be served. RSVPs are appreciated by September 13 to parentevents@ursulineacademy.net.
Save the Date: Coffee with the Principal and President On Thursday morning, October 14, parents are invited to attend a coffee hour with Kate Levesque and Sue Petrone. Stay tuned for more information.
Parent Ambassadors and Class Parent Representatives Look for information in next week's Bear Essentials about opportunities for Ursuline parents to volunteer as a parent ambassador and/or a class parent representative. Parent ambassadors should save the date for an orientation reception on Tuesday evening, September 28.
Athletics On behalf of the athletic department staff and coaches, welcome! It was good to see many of you at the Cross Country, Field Hockey and Soccer parent meetings this past week. There will be parent meetings next week for the Swimming and Diving team, and all four Volleyball teams. Athletes will be told the date and time for each meeting.
Thank you! Thank you to all those families who donated items on short notice to help with Hurricane Ida relief in New Orleans. Quick Links |