Community Voices: A Message from the Head of School |
Dear Friends, The strength of the Ursuline community lies within each of you – every student, parent, teacher, and staff member. In my meetings this week with our Board of Trustees and the Ursuline Sisters of the Central Province, it was my privilege to share with them all that you are doing during these challenging times. They join with me in offering their thanks to you for digging deep and staying the course despite the obstacles of the pandemic. As we enter a three-day weekend in observance of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., may we each remember his selflessness, courage, and service to others, and strive to make these qualities ever more a part of our lives. In peace, |
In case you missed it: A recording of the Zoom meeting for parents on Wednesday, January 12 with Kate Levesque and Sue Petrone is available on the Student/Parent Portal. Scroll down to "School Links and Files" to find the recording. |
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Financial Aid Applications for 2022-2023 Due Tomorrow Applications for 2022-2023 financial aid are due tomorrow. Applications should be completed through FACTS. Financial Aid decisions will be emailed beginning March 5, 2022. Additional information can be found by visiting our website: Ursuline Academy Financial Aid. Questions about the financial aid process should be directed to Ms. Leigh Ann Luetzen, Director of Finance and Operations, at lluetzen@ursulineacademy.net. |
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Tea Room Lunch Menu Monday, January 17: No School Tuesday, January 18: Pulled BBQ Chicken Platter Wednesday, January 19: Pork Carnitas Nachos Thursday, January 20: Mandarin Orange Chicken with Rice Friday, January 21: Homemade Mac and Cheese Please note: The lunch menu is subject to change as ingredients' availability may be impacted by supply chain interruptions and shortages. The updated menu can be found at the SLA Nutrislice site: Tea Room Menu |
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| Fore the Girls Coffee Hour Social On behalf of Golf Chair Brendan King P '20 '22 and the event committee, parents interested in helping with the golf tournament this June are invited to an informal gathering this Wednesday, January 19, at 8 a.m. Conditions permitting, this will be held in the Alumnae Room of the Reynolds Center. Otherwise, it will be held via Zoom. You don't have to play golf to help. It's a great way to get to know other parents while supporting Ursuline's athletics program. All are welcome. RSVP to golf@ursulineacademy.net. |
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Important Health Reminders from Ursuline Academy All community members, regardless of vaccine status, must be fully masked when indoors at Ursuline. We ask parents' help in reinforcing this message with their daughters, and to please make sure that your daughter has spare masks with her. We continue to encourage everyone to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and when eligible, to receive the booster shot. Please note: all students and employees who are not fully vaccinated are required to test weekly for COVID. |
Reminder: Absences, Late Arrivals, and Early Dismissals If your daughter will be absent, a parent or guardian must report her absence by 8:00 a.m. by using the dedicated Attendance Line, which can be reached either by emailing attendance@ursulineacademy.net (recommended) or calling (781) 801-1589. |
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75th Anniversary Speaker Series |
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"Managing anxiety, stress, and the challenges of parenting teenagers during COVID-19" Save the date for our next virtual speaker series program on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 with Dr. Lisa Damour, psychologist, best-selling author, columnist, podcaster and contributor to CBS News. Lisa Damour is the author of two New York Times best-selling books, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood and Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls. Click here to register. |
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Ski Team Update Congratulations to the members of the Ski team, which was finally able to race last night. The team is currently in 7th place in the 12 team league. Ursuline's top finishers who earned points were: Sara Riedell (9th place with 40 points), Michaela Riedell (12th place with 37 points), and Becca McNulty (37th place with 12 points). | |
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Fitness Center Schedule Monday, January 17: no school/closed
Tuesday, January 18 3 p.m. - Ski team 3:30 p.m. - open
Wednesday, January 19 3 p.m. - Track 3:30 p.m. - JH Basketball 4 p.m. - open 4:30 p.m. - V Basketball Thursday, January 20 3 p.m. - Hockey 3:30 p.m. - Hockey 4 p.m. - Track - Throwers 4:30 p.m. - open
Friday, January 21 3 p.m. - open 3:30 p.m. - open 4 p.m. - open 4:30 p.m. - open |
| When the newly updated Swimming and Diving Team banner arrived back at the Reynolds Center this week, Isabella Lombard '23 (center) and Maddy Smith '22, along with Coach Paul Bimmler, were happy to show off their accomplishments last season! |
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Ursuline Hockey: City of Boston and DCR Vaccination Requirements Ursuline has been informed that the Roche Arena is included as part of Boston's vaccination requirement for indoor facilities. For Ursuline purposes, this applies to everyone in the facility, including spectators, players, coaches, game staff, and officials. For more information regarding the requirements, please visit the City of Boston's website. Starting Saturday, January 15, everyone should have proof of vaccination ready when entering the building to help expedite the process. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation in this constantly changing situation. Please feel free to reach out to athletics@ursulineacademy.net with any questions or concerns. |
Spring Sports Informational Meetings Thanks to all the student athletes, parents/guardians, and coaches as we navigate these unusual times. The athletic department thanks everyone for their patience. As we move forward with winter sports, we are starting to plan for the spring season. We will be having informational meetings the week of January 24th for each of our spring sports. The schedule is as follows: - Monday, January 24: Golf
- Tuesday, January 25: Lacrosse
- Wednesday, January 26: Softball
- Thursday, January 27: Tennis
- Friday, January 28: Track and Field
All meetings will be held in the gym during Activity period. If your daughter plans to try out for a spring sport, it is very important that she attend the meeting for her sport. For those who are looking ahead and planning summer vacations, fall sports tryouts will take place the week of August 22nd. |
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School and College Counseling |
Junior Parent College Planning Meeting on Portal Thank you to the parents of juniors who attended Ursuline's School and College Counseling Department meeting on January 13. The meeting provided an overview of the college application process from both the college and UA perspectives. If you were unable to attend, you will find the recorded program on the Student/Parent Portal by early next week. Scroll down to "School Links and Files" to find it. |
SAT/ACT Prep Classes for Winter Summit will be offering SAT/ACT Prep classes at UA beginning in January. SAT Prep classes will meet on Tuesday afternoons from January 25 - March 8. ACT Prep classes will meet on Tuesday afternoons from February 15 - March 29. See SAT flyer here and ACT flyer here for details. |
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Ninth Grade Ice Skating Outing The ninth grade class parents have planned an event for all ninth grade families: Please come and join us for ice skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond on Saturday, January 29th at 3 p.m. The rain date is March 5th. For more info and to sign up, please use this sign up genius so we can get an idea of numbers. The cost is $6 to skate and an additional $12 to rent skates. We hope to see you there. Email Tracy McGrath at tracymcgrath25@gmail.com with any questions. |
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New England Math League Contest Thank you to all who joined us for the fourth New England Math League Contest of the year on Tuesday. Our top finisher was Erin Uniacke '23. Other high scorers include: Mia Daoust '23, Tara Feeney '22, and Waverly Smart '23. Congratulations and thank you to all the students for their enthusiasm! The next contest is Tuesday, February 8 during activity period, so please save the date! |
| | How do YOU serve? As part of our 75th Anniversary efforts, we are taking the opportunity to recommit to the Ursuline value of Serviam throughout our community. During this "Year of Serviam," we invite students, parents, faculty/staff, and alumnae to tell us about the organizations that you support in your daily lives, whether it is a food bank, your local parish or place of worship, or another cause. Our goal is to serve 75 different organizations by May 14, 2022, which will be celebrated as International Serviam Day by Ursuline schools across the country. Please use this brief form to tell us about organizations with whom you currently volunteer, recently volunteered, or plan to volunteer, wherever they may be. |
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International Trip to Japan, April 2023 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. |
Ursulines Around the World |
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This month on our journey around the world we visit the Ursulines in Australia. In 1879, the Ursulines who were in Greenwich, London, were invited to Australia, along with many other Catholic orders, to establish religious communities and schools. They arrived in 1882 and since then have opened 15 schools, mostly on the East Coast of the island/continent. Four Roman Union schools and three other schools with Ursuline connections remain open. Their mission work has been throughout the country. Two of their main initiatives are working against human trafficking and offering faith sharing communities for women throughout Australia. The current Prioress General of the Ursulines of the Roman Union, Sr. Susan Flood, is from the Australian Province. She was elected Prioress General on September 28, 2019 and will serve an 8-year term. |
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In case you missed it on our social media accounts, Ms. Sedman's 9th Grade Colloquium class recently spent some time learning important car maintenance skills in order to get themselves out of a jam! Tire-changing, tire pressure, checking the oil level - the 9th graders have it covered! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more insight into day-to-day life at Ursuline! |
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Ursuline Academy | 85 Lowder Street | Dedham, MA 02026 | 781.326.6161 |
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