October 15, 2021 Community Voices: A Message from the Athletic Director Dear Ursuline Parents and Guardians,
If you are like me, it is hard to believe we are in the middle of October, with two weeks left in the month - or in my case, two weeks left in the fall sports season. This coming week we will host our winter sports informational meetings (please see the schedule below). Many times, you hear the phrase "it takes a village," and that certainly applies here at Ursuline. With 61% of our students participating in a fall sport, schedules are always changing, communication is key, and there are logistics to juggle. Everyone contributes to make it work!
First and foremost, your daughters are the heart and soul of our teams; we certainly can't do it without them. Next, the administration provides funding and support, while the faculty and staff offer their understanding when student athletes need to be released early from class for their away games, and their support from the sidelines at our home games. Our facilities team works hard to maintain our field for practices/games and the gym is always ready for the next event. They, along with you, the parents and guardian volunteers, all help to keep the program running smoothly-- thank you!! Finally, our coaching staff does a tremendous job with our student athletes. As I write this, three of our teams, swimming and diving, soccer, and volleyball, have already qualified for post season tournament play.
With 203 of our students playing a fall sport, their health, wellness, and fitness are a major concern of ours. We are very fortunate that the administration understands this. Ursuline is one of the few all-girls schools that have a full-time Athletic Trainer (who also doubles as the Assistant Athletic Director). Kim Munsey and Heather Smart, our school nurse, both play a key role in your daughter's health. Kim constantly works with our coaching staff to ensure that warm-ups and drills are appropriate for the fitness and skill level of the individual teams. She also works with our strength and conditioning coach, Jessica O'Donovan, on exercise plans to help improve overall fitness. These include, but are not limited to, strength, power, conditioning, and agility, while also teaching proper body mechanics. These fitness plans are created for teams and any student (not just athletes!), faculty, or staff members may take advantage of working out in our fitness center after school. All of these injury prevention strategies have resulted in a significant decrease in injury rate and concussions amongst our student athletes.
Next Wednesday, October 20th at 7 p.m., Ursuline's 75th Anniversary Speaker Series will feature Dr. Ellen Geminiani '79, who will speak about Injury Prevention in Student Athletes. I strongly urge you to join me in watching this presentation. (See details below.)
Thank you for your continued support of your daughters and of the athletics program. Go Bears!
Mike O'Connor Athletic Director
Tips for making sure that Ursuline receives your emails Ursuline utilizes Google's Gmail for email communication. We have noticed that some legitimate emails are not getting through to Ursuline, due to the criteria set by Gmail's spam filter. Using artificial intelligence, emails can be blocked due to keywords, malicious links, suspicious phrases, even misspelled words and bad grammar. All are red flags for spam filters. To facilitate communication with Ursuline faculty and staff, please keep in mind that:
Ursuline Academy Fall Festival on Saturday, October 23, 1 - 3:30 p.m. Come for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in the Ursuline neighborhood, and stay for a family barbecue, UA soccer games, pumpkin decorating, and campus-wide bulb-planting! The UA Bookstore will be open too! All are welcome, but RSVPs are appreciated for planning purposes! WALK. Ursuline Academy will be raising money for breast cancer research with our annual Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk! Students are invited to walk an approximately 1.5-mile loop around the UA neighborhood (family members can walk too!) beginning at 1 p.m. Donate here to the UA Making Strides team. EAT. All walkers, students, and family members are invited for burgers, dogs, and treats from 1 - 3:30 p.m. While you're here, you can help with some campus-wide bulb planting or decorate a sugar pumpkin to bring home or enter into the Ursuline Academy pumpkin competition! CHEER. Come cheer on the Varsity and JV Soccer teams on their home field! The Bears will be facing off against rival Westwood High School with games at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Our teams will be hosting their annual raffle event to support breast cancer research as well!
This Wednesday, October 20, 7 p.m. Injury Prevention in Student Athletes:
Dr. Geminiani provides clinical patient care in sports medicine with a focus on figure skating and dance and research development to improve care and prevent injuries. Dr. Geminiani will speak about injury prevention relating to all student-athletes.
Campus Ministry Birthday Party Supplies Needed for Service Project On Wednesday, October 20 after school (3 - 4:30 p.m.), Campus Ministry is offering a service opportunity in the Tea Room to support Birthday Wishes. Birthday Wishes is a local organization that provides birthday parties for children who are living in shelters. Several times this year, UA will be assembling "Birthday in a Box" boxes. Our goal is to complete 15 boxes each time. But we need your help! Please see the attached flyer for the list of items that are needed for each box (e.g., paper goods, decorations, and cake mixes). Please deliver all donations to the Campus Ministry office (Rm. 123) by Wednesday, Oct 20. Ursuline Communities around the World Did you know that the Ursulines of the Roman Union have Provinces, groups, and communities across the globe? In October, our Office of Campus Ministry continues its monthly focus on a different Ursuline community from around the world with a spotlight on the important work being done by the Ursuline community in Mexico - the Provincial: Sr. Maricruz Garcia Macias. The Provincial includes the Superior Ursulinas in Iguala, the Hermanas Ursulinas in Tepoztlán, the Comunidad Ursulina Puebla and the Colegio Unión A.C. Puebla.
Ursuline's Got Talent is Back! Our Virtual Gala Returns on Sunday, December 12. Ursuline's Got Talent is back again this year by popular demand! Mark your calendar for an evening of fun from the comfort of your home, and get in the game to cast your vote for the most deserving talent! This year, talent segments are requested from current Ursuline Academy students only. Look for an email next week with sponsorship opportunities! As we begin our preparations, we are in particular need of parent volunteers who may have experience using (or would like to learn) fundraising software (e.g. Greater Giving or a similar platform) as well as those who can help with auction item acquisition. If you are able to assist in either of these capacities, please email the advancement team at gala@ursulineacademy.net. If you have already joined the planning committee, thank you.
School News Open House Lawn Signs Available! Our annual Admissions Open House is scheduled for Sunday, November 7 and we need your help! If you have not already taken a lawn sign to promote the event at your home, business, or church, please have your daughters stop by Angela Hall on their way out of school to pick one up! Word of mouth is our best advertisement and we appreciate our Ursuline families sharing the details of our Open House with neighbors and friends in their hometowns! Thank you. Contact admissions@ursulineacademy.net with any questions. Student-Parent Handbook - NOW DUE!! The 2021-2022 Student-Parent Handbook (available here) is an important document that outlines all of the academic and non-academic policies that govern our school community. Students and parents have been asked to read it, and print and sign the statement of commitment on the last page. If you have not yet done so, please return the signed copy in person to Regina MacLeod in the main office or by email to rmacleod@ursulineacademy.net as soon as possible. Thank you. Wednesday, October 27, 7 p.m.: UA/XBHS Parent Speaker Series Coping Skills for Current Times: Supporting the Mental Health of 7-12th Graders. Join clinician Linda Price for an engaging workshop about supporting youth in grades 7-12 in developing coping skills for the current times. It can be hard to tell what's typical for development and what is the result of anxiety, depression, loneliness, grief, and fear. When teens are struggling, they often turn inward or act out to manage their mental health. Dr. Price will offer a framework to understand these responses, share the most common emotional needs and behaviors, and provide strategies for supporting a teen's mental health and wellness. Interactive Q&A to follow. Click here to register. Christmas Orders from the Online Store
Athletics Updates Fall Sports With two weeks left in the regular season, our Fall sports teams continue to do well.
Winter Sports
It is very important that students who are interested in a winter sport attend the meeting for their sport. Important information is given out regarding paperwork requirements, transportation, scheduling, cost (where applicable), time commitment, etc.
Fitness Center Schedule The Fitness Center is now open and all students are encouraged to use it during the open time slots, whether they are on a team or not. The trainer will explain how to use the equipment and assist students with any questions they have. Please note that open times are for any student/staff use. Monday, October 18
Wednesday, October 20
Thursday, October 21 Friday, October 22 3 pm: S/D Reminder -- Face masks are required in the Reynolds Center.
Life on Lowder Street We were honored to welcome the grandparents and special guests of our 7th and 8th graders on Wednesday for our annual prayer service and breakfast. After the service, students had a chance to take their guests on a tour of the Reynolds Center, including a stop at the iHub to see the technology in action and pick up commemorative stickers! "Tomatina" festival at Ursuline! Greek Symposium in AP Art History Students donned their peplos and laurel wreaths in preparation for this year's ancient Greek symposium! Mrs. Petti's AP Art History class held a themed discussion on the three principles of Classical Era Greek art—Humanism, Realism, and Idealism—and compared it to our world today. Art and Design Class Visits deCordova Sculpture Park Ms. Rufo's Visual Art & Design II class went on a field trip to the deCordova Sculpture Park to observe and analyze different aesthetics in sculpture. This trip prepared the art students for creating their own abstract sculptures utilizing a balance of Modernist and Wabi Sabi aesthetics.
Ursuline Japan Tour - April 2023 International Trip to Japan Ursuline Academy is planning an international trip to Japan for students in April 2023. Current 10th and 11th graders are eligible to enroll. The tour itinerary will include Tokyo, from the Imperial Palace to video game mecca; folk villages and gardens in the Japanese "alps" Kanazawa and Takayama; an overnight in a traditional Japanese inn (Ryoken); Kyoto with its Geisha district; a Tea Ceremony and traditional dancing show; Himeji Castle; and a visit to Hiroshima (atomic bomb site) via bullet train. April is cherry blossom season in Japan. Enroll at: explorica.com and use Tour Center ID: Petti-9568. Contact Mrs. Petti in Room 104 or email lpetti@ursulineacademy.net with questions. Japan Tour Financial Aid Announcement Through the generous donation of $4,500 from an anonymous benefactor, financial assistance is available to help defray the cost of the April 2023 tour to Japan. Current 10th and 11th grade students who receive financial aid from Ursuline may be eligible to receive aid thanks to this donor's gift. To be considered, please email your name to Mrs. Petti (lpetti@ursulineacademy.net) by October 31. Names will be shared with the Business Office to confirm eligibility. Recipients of the aid will be selected by lottery and will be notified by November 8. All names will be kept completely confidential. Quick Links |