Ursuline Update

A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane

Occasionally, I find myself reflecting on a somewhat kinder, gentler time of my youth – when we didn’t lock our doors; when it was perfectly okay to walk to school or the nearby playground without an adult to accompany me; when there were no Internet or cell phone communications; when there were no inappropriate advertisements; when there weren’t the myriad of choices regarding specific material “must have” possessions; and, when the Christmas season wasn’t marked by sales campaigns begun well before Thanksgiving. And so, I thought I would share this passage which has helped me to be mindful of the Advent season.

BECOMING PEOPLE OF THE ADVENT SEASON

The race is about to begin.
The runners tense at the starting blocks.
They lean forward, they rise up on their toes.
The moment approaches, all the preparation is complete.
 
Careful planning, agonizing, training,
Even a positive mental attitude
Have all been skillfully cultivated.
The runners crouch, and hold their breath.
Their moment of action is about to arrive.
 
Olympic athletes will prepare for years
For a race that will be over in seconds.
High school relay teams will practice for months
To run 400 meters, passing the baton along the way.
 
Somehow, as we enter advent,
Much of the psychology of racing
Seems to have entered into our preparations.
As has much of the impatience of western culture.
 
Christmas is coming. Much joy is promised.
We want it all. We want it now.
If we think about the weeks leading up to Christmas,
We often think of frenzied activities.

Let’s make this one the best Christmas ever.
Let’s prepare more thoroughly this time.
Quick, climb the ladder, fasten the lights to the house.
Put a tree in the living room, and hang the ornaments.
 
Bake, decorate, plan, and schedule.
Go out and take part in lots of Christmas parties.
Arrange visits with both sides of the family.
Drive through neighborhoods, see the lights and colors.
 
Shop, and find the perfect gifts.
Curse softly under your breath
As carols play again and again in shopping malls.
Oh, no! Someone just took the last parking space.
You wind up circling the mall, snarling hopelessly.
But if you just pay enough attention to frenzied preparation,
Things are bound to turn out much better this year. Right?
 
Scripture offers us a different message.
God’s grace will surprise you.
God’s gift to you will arrive without warning.
And it will be wonderful beyond all imagining.
 
The people of Israel were waiting for the Messiah.
They waited for the day of the Lord.
A day when war would end and divine justice would rule.
Hope, peace, joy, and love were promised to them.
  
The prophecy of Isaiah, promising the day of the Lord,
Was written hundreds of years before Christ.
Written before Roman legions occupied the land.
Written before wish lists had crystallized.
 
What this Scripture did was invite the people to hope.
To look to a time in the future.
To wait with patience, yet trust without ceasing.
The silent waiting itself was a blessing from God.

As the people were oppressed,
As armies and earthquakes, famines and dust storms
Tore at the fabric of their daily lives,
They were comforted through trusting and waiting.
 
Would the advent season feel differently today
If we focused on watching, rather than on preparing?
If we valued patient reflection
In the face of approaching deadlines?
If silence displaced frenzy?
 
What we celebrate at Christmas
Is the grace of God, who so loved this world
That God sent his only Son.
So that whoever believes might not perish
But have eternal life.
 
That grace does not come to us as a reward
For careful, thorough preparation.
That grace astounds us by arriving undeserved.
Simply, because God loves us with a depth of love
Far beyond our deepest human comprehension.
If you will consider that simple anticipation
Can be a special gift of the season,
Perhaps you will find that the grace of God
Is also present in silent waiting and watching.
 
The stress of busy weeks
Should not overshadow the peace
That is given to you through anticipating
A time and promise that will surely arrive.
 
Scripture calls on us to prepare for God.
It does not tell us to count down the days and minutes.
We have time to love one another.
We have time to let God’s love touch us.

The grace of God, the joy of the season,
The peace that is found through waiting silently,
Are part of the gifts of God, for the people of God.
 
May the Good News of this advent season
Touch you, uplift you, and free you
So that you can soar on eagles wings
Within the arms of our loving, ever-present God.
 
Amen.

A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

The end of the first semester is rapidly approaching, and I want to take this opportunity to comment on student preparations for the first semester exams, which begin this week with elective exams. Semester exams pose a big challenge to high school students, particularly in regard to the amount of material that accumulates over the course of an entire semester. Whenever possible, students should begin preparations for exams as early as possible. Studying gradually (a half-hour a night, for four or five nights prior to the exam) is always preferable to the frantic “cramming” that some students attempt the night before the exam. Staying up all night before a particular exam is often counterproductive in that students are so tired after staying up all night that they perform poorly. Encourage your daughters to get a good night’s sleep prior to an exam whenever possible.

Overall, the high school administration has been very pleased with the transition in our schedule from the ninety-minute period to the seventy-minute period. While the change has not been completely smooth, the new schedule has afforded students much more class time with their teachers. As students – and teachers – become more accustomed to the new schedule, we are very confident that student performance will continue to improve. Teachers are still re-calibrating their expectations for homework, of course, but increased familiarity with the new schedule will minimize some of the problems we encountered with the new schedule during the first semester. We will continue to work with our faculty to help them adjust their workload expectations for homework.

We know that there has been much concern, from both students and parents alike, about the impact our new schedule might have on grades. However, an analysis of first quarter grades showed no drop in student performance levels from previous years at Ursuline. Well over half of all grades given by teachers in all subjects were grades of A or B. If there is more work being asked of our girls, their continued high performance suggests that they are meeting those challenges effectively.   

Just as we will work with teachers about their expectations for homework, we will also help teachers monitor their grades to ensure that our girls’ grades show an effective correlation to their standardized test scores. High grades without correspondingly high standardized test scores pose a problem for students that school administration and faculty must recognize. We want all of our students to achieve to their highest potential. Grades and test scores are useful tools in our attempts to monitor our effectiveness as a school. Rest assured that we will continue to work toward improvement in all areas of our academic program.

A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

During the Christmas season, it is easy to get disheartened and worn out by all that needs to be done – shopping, decorating, preparing meals, visiting family and friends, etc., not to mention the normal daily activities like housework and homework. I, too often find myself wishing it would be over; wishing it away. As parents and educators, it is important to stop and enjoy the moment and the process – and especially the joy. It is important that our own children, and those that we teach, see us do so. If we allow ourselves, there is so much to be joyful for: our family and friends, our health, the comforts of a home and necessities, as well as an abundance of things we could live without. What we can’t live without  is laughter, hugs, cuddling with our children, being present to our children whether we’re doing homework, reading a book, sharing a T.V. show, decorating the tree … We also need our faith and the joy that the Coming of Christ brings to our lives. My hope for you and your family, as well as myself, is that amid the hustle and bustle we allow ourselves to feel joy, to take time, and to be present and inspired by the moments that make this season, and each day, so precious.  Merry Christmas!  
 
Congratulations to our 4th through 6th graders who participated in the DeLaSalle Math tournament this past Saturday. They won the overall Spirit award, and their huge trophy is outside the office. They also won 4th place overall and had many top ten individual awards.  Thanks also to Mrs. Demma and Mrs. Pham for preparing the girls and to our parents who helped as well. Way to go Ursuline!
 
Tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass is at 8:15 a.m., and parents and grandparents are invited to attend.

6th and 7th grade exams will be held on Wednesday through Friday mornings this week. Religion and Science will be on Wednesday; Math and English will be on Thursday; Reading and Social Studies will be on Friday.
 
The annual Parents’ Club Christmas Boutique is this Thursday and Friday. Class schedules went home last week. Parents are invited to come and shop with their daughters, or you may send an envelope with money for your daughter to shop with the assistance of teachers and parent volunteers.
 
The middle school drama play will be Friday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium.
 
On Sunday, Dec. 13, from 2 until 4:30 p.m., the 5th and 6th grade recorders, 7th grade hand bells, recorder consort, chorus, and Ursulettes will perform at the “Miracle on Fulton Street,” located on Poydras and Fulton Streets. Information and permission slips went home last week. Please join our Ursuline community for an entertaining afternoon.
 
On Monday, Dec. 14 at 11:30 a.m., the chorus will perform at the Monteleone Hotel. The 7-1 hand bells will perform on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 11:30 a.m.
 
 The Middle School Christmas Concert will be at 6 on Wednesday evening, Dec. 16 in the auditorium.
 
The Lower School Christmas Concert will be on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium.
 
The Early Childhood performances will be held on the morning of Thursday, Dec.  17.
 
Aftercare Parents: we ask, when picking your children up from aftercare in the afternoons, that you park in the gravel/rock area along the playground area, and that you remind your children to be courteous when opening and closing the car doors, as to not hit a car on side of you. Aftercare bills went home in November and are due no later than Dec. 11. Please bring your accounts current before the holiday break.
 
Elementary School Tours begin in January and are held every Tuesday in January at 8:30 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. We will be sending home two invitation cards per student. We ask that you please pass these invitations on to neighbors, friends and co-workers. Most applicants report that they learn about Ursuline through word of mouth and current U.A. parents and students. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.