Archive for Ursuline Update
A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane
WHO DAT!!! All of us in the Who Dat Nation are totally excited about the Saints’ first ever NFC Championship. I remember, as an eleven-year old, going to Tulane Stadium in the first year of the Saints’ franchise in New Orleans. Who knew then that it would take forty-three years for our first trip to the Super Bowl? Alexandre Dumas Pére once wrote, “All human wisdom is summed up in two words – wait and hope.” And, indeed, that is what the City of New Orleans has been doing – waiting, but always remaining hopeful.
On Wednesday we celebrate the feast day of St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursuline Order. In 16th century Italy, women really only had two choices – marriage or a cloistered religious life. Angela Merici, answering God’s call in a most creative fashion, developed an unheard of alternative – a ministry for single women to go out into the world serving others. In the seventeenth century, the Ursuline Sisters and their educational mission developed out of the seeds planted by St. Angela. St. Angela Merici was canonized on May 24, 1807, 90 years after the Ursuline Sisters began their teaching ministry in New Orleans.
Let us be ever reminded of the rich history of the Ursulines in New Orleans and pray in thanksgiving to their foundress, St. Angela Merici.
Angela, lover of Jesus, teach me to know him more deeply.
May sacred Scripture open my heart and my life to God!
Angela, deep listener, teach me to hear and to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
May your example show me how to follow God’s call!
Angela, gentle friend, teach me to respect and welcome all people.
May I grow in your keen awareness of God present in all Creation!
Angela, creative leader, teach me to find paths of justice and to build bridges between people.
May I learn your clear-eyed faithfulness to the Church and contribute to its renewal!
Amen.
A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel
In an attempt to address the needs of our students (and our parents) regarding preparations for the college application process, I am pleased to announce that our Director of Counseling, Karen Palmer, has designed our first College Day, on Monday March 22, 2010. Kim Stezala, also known as “The Scholarship Lady” and author of Scholarships 101: The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College, will make a series of presentations on this date to both students and to parents. These presentations are intended to give students and parents alike the opportunity to cut through the difficulties of procuring scholarship money and give families direction as they look at the myriad of scholarship possibilities available.
On that Monday in March, we will split the junior class into halves. Ms. Stezala will make two separate presentations to each group of juniors – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – concerning the best tactics for getting scholarships, avoiding the most common mistakes in attempting to find scholarships, starting a scholarship resume, and having their biggest scholarship questions answered. While Ms. Stezala works with one group of juniors, Ms. Palmer will be working with the other half of the class to show girls how to begin the search for the right college. Officials from local colleges will work with Ms. Palmer to help students. In the afternoon, the two groups will switch places and see the presentation they missed that morning.
That evening, Ms. Stezala will offer a scholarship presentation to our parents at 6:30 p.m. in our Auditorium. The presentation is open to all of our parents, not just the parents of juniors, and is provided free of charge. Ms. Stezala will give parents pertinent facts regarding scholarships, help them learn strategies for procuring scholarships, and start them on a personalized plan to increase the number of scholarships awarded to Ursuline students. The presentation should last approximately seventy-five minutes.
In a time where tuition costs continue to rise steadily and the need for financial aid increases, we believe our College Day will prove to be a major help for our girls and their families. I urge all parents – not just the parents of our juniors – to mark this date on their calendars and make plans to attend. Should you have any questions about College Day, don’t hesitate to call our Counseling Center at 504.212.6822.
A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper
Go Saints!!!
I want to thank you for your overwhelming generosity to the Haitian Relief Drive held last Friday. The Elementary School and High School each raised $2,700. We will combine the monies raised for a total of $5,400 and make a donation to Doctors Without Borders. Thanks again, so much!
Wednesday, Jan. 27 is the Feast of St. Angela. Students will spend the day in service and return to school for a 2 p.m. Mass. All parents and grandparents are invited to join us for Mass in the Chapel. Schedule of activities: T2-will be making Valentine cards for Covenant House; T3-will make Valentine cards and presents for the Ursuline Sisters; Pre-K-will make treat bags and cards for Children’s Hospital; Kindergarten- will do service centers in their classroom. 1st and 2nd grade classes will visit the Poydras Home on Magazine street and sing songs for their residents; 3rd grade classes will visit the Chateau de Notre Dame Retirement Home and sing for their residents; 4th grade classes will visit the St. Francis Villa assisted Living Home and perform for their residents; middle school students will travel to Braithwaite LA and do citrus gleaning. Middle school parents are welcome to join us and help with this project, but parents must take their own vehicles.
Elementary School Admissions testing for the 2010-11 school year will take place this Saturday, Jan. 30.
The Dads’ Club meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Progress reports are due in to the office on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
There will be a student holiday on Friday, Feb. 5 due to Faculty Retreat.
Parent/Teacher conferences have been moved from Feb. 8 to Feb. 22. Please adjust your calendars.
Grandparents’ Day and the toddler parade will be held on Feb. 12.
Mardi Gras Holidays will be Feb. 15 - 19 in School resumes on Monday, Feb. 22.
Below are the results from the Junior Beta Competition. Congrats, girls!
Maya Suell – 3rd in Spelling
Katie Jones – 6th in Math
Paige Lipetska – 4th in Poetry
Alexis Chapital & Emilee Abadie – 3rd in Poster
Madigan Reid – 4th in Science
Annie Wright, Lauren Cuneo, Christiane Petitbon & Abigail Sewell – 4th in Quiz Bowl
A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane
On Monday, we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the quintessential leader of the civil-rights movement in America. In his short lifetime, King traveled well over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice. At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. He led a massive protest in Birmingham, Ala., that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience and inspiring his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” an excerpt from which follows:
“How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality …”
At Ursuline Academy, our fervent hope, in fact, our prayer for our students is that they will enter into the world they will inherit with enough confidence to engage the changing world, and there, rooted in values, faith and learning skills, begin to fashion a world that is more human and more just. As world events reflect, however, we remain far from mastering the art of human relations. We have invented no technology that will guide us to those places that matter most. We must ask how long it will be before we are able to rise above the national, racial and gender distinctions that divide us and embrace the common humanity that binds us. The answer depends, ultimately, upon the choices that you and I and all of us make.
A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel
Those of us working in schools like to think that some times in the year are busier than others. I have not thought of January as a particularly busy time over the past few years – but the amount of activity at the Academy over the past few weeks, and during the upcoming several weeks, has forced me to reconsider my previous views.
For example, our fine basketball and soccer teams are in the midst of outstanding seasons. Both teams have been playing at least twice a week since we returned to school. Last week the basketball team defeated Cabrini and Pearl River in district competition thus remaining undefeated in district play. Yesterday, the girls had an amazing victory against Salmen by over 50 points! They will host Xavier Prep on Friday. Next week, the team travels to East Jefferson on Tuesday, hosts Riverdale on Friday, and then faces Dominican at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Alario Center as part of the LHSAA’s Hall of Fame Classic. Please come out and support Coach Joey Favoloro’s team.
As for our soccer team, they currently sport a record of nine wins, three losses and one tie. Saturday, they pushed number-one ranked Sacred Heart to the last twenty seconds before giving up a late goal in a 2-1 loss. Coach Winston Lewis and his team are currently ranked fifth in the state in their classification. Yesterday evening was Senior Night when the girls faced and defeated Cabrini at Audubon Park; Thursday evening they will play Riverdale in another district matchup. Two additional district games – against East Jefferson and Cabrini – await next week. The soccer team has yet to lose a district game.
On Friday, Jan. 22 we will have another Black & Gold “Saints” Dress Down Day, coupled with a relief drive for Haiti. For a minimum donation of $5, students and faculty may dress down in black and gold apparel. Jeans, tennis shoes and flat boots are allowed. In the spirit of Serviam, we are called to help and serve others. After Hurricane Katrina, the generosity of people from around the globe was eminent. Please join us in supporting both the Saints and the community of Haiti.
Next Thursday night (Jan. 28) is the National Art Honor Society induction ceremony in the Auditorium. We look forward to honoring the new members of this prestigious organization during the ceremony, which will be hosted by our art teachers, Marian McLellan and Maureen Cremaldi. And two nights later, our drama teacher, Dody Nolan, will be hosting Ursuline’s annual one-act play competition in the Auditorium at 8 p.m. The next morning, the Ursuline community gathers together for the annual Mother-Daughter Mass and Luncheon at 10 a.m. at the Hilton Riverside.
I need to offer a big thanks to Student Council moderator Amy Calloway and Dean of Students Karen Mortillaro for the superb job they did administering the Winter Formal last Saturday night. Despite the huge crowd, the evening went without a hitch. Our girls handled themselves with complete class. Last night, students Elia Saravia, Gabby Lavelle, Eugenie Brignac, Bridget Nourse and Beth LaCour left with Campus Minister Kim Otto to travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the national March for Life which occurs later this week to commemorate the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal. We wish our girls and Ms. Otto a safe trip as they march for the unborn.
Finally, we are in the final preparations for our celebration of St. Angela’s Feast Day on Jan. 27. Ursuline students will be performing service projects all over the metropolitan New Orleans area on that day in accordance with our motto of Serviam before returning to school to celebrate Mass at 2 p.m. This feast day is one of the Academy’s most important days of the year. We look forward to sharing our commitment to service with the greater New Orleans community next Wednesday.
As I said when I began, I guess we can’t call January a quiet month. But I know we can call it an Ursuline month. Come see us at our finest – in prayer, in service, in performance. I know that you’ll be impressed.
A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper
The Parents’ Club will hold its second general meeting this Thursday, Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium, followed by refreshments in the Lion’s Den. Please join us for an inspirational presentation by Sr. Judy Gomila. For $5, babysitting and pizza for the children will be provided.
Re-registration for the 2010-11 school year is due on Friday, Jan. 22.
On Friday, Jan. 22 we will have another Saints Dress Down Day coupled with a relief drive for Haiti. Not only are we a community called by God and in the spirit of Serviam to help and serve others, we also have lived and endured a natural disaster of our own. We have experienced firsthand the generosity of people from around the globe. We know the difference it can, has, and still continues to make in our lives. For a minimum donation of $5, students and faculty may dress down in Saints apparel. Please join us in supporting our Saints and in supporting the community of Haiti.
The last Elementary School Tours will be given next Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Please continue to pass this information on to prospective families.
Next Wednesday, Jan. 27 is The Feast of Saint Angela, Ursuline’s Foundress. This is the Academy’s annual day of service throughout the community. 1st through 7th grade students will be spending part of the day off campus providing service to various organizations. Please look for permission slips in your daughter’s book bags. All parents, grandparents and friends are invited to join us for an offering of service and celebratory Mass that afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Chapel.
Please don’t forget that Friday, Feb. 5 is a student holiday due to faculty retreat.
A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane
The New Year brings with it lots of resolutions, as well as reflections, on the year just ended. Faculty and students got some well-deserved time off for the holidays and probably began outlining their New Year’s resolutions right away. The list would surely include those things they wanted IN their lives in 2010 as well as those items they wanted OUT of their lives in the new year. Students would most certainly resolve to keep up with assignments and to try their best to keep procrastination “out” of their schoolwork. Teachers might resolve to implement at least one “alternative assessment” during the New Year and to toss “out” tests they gave ten years ago.
Each year, the Washington Post offers its “list” of INS and OUTS for the New Year. This year, that list included:
INS/OUTS
Black princess merchandise/Black president merchandise
Swine phew/Aporkalypse now
Deferrals/Funemployment
Justin Bieber/Jonas Brothers
Pantslessness/Leggings
Detroit artist colonies/Detroit auto plants
“Hoarders”/ “Intervention”
Thigh-high boots/Platform sandals
Muscle confusion/Interval training
Defriend/D-list
Ripped jeans/Ripped Abs
Apprenticeships/AP classes
Streetcars/Zipcars
Teen GPS trackers/Red-light cameras
Af-Pak/SarahPAC
Crashing climate talks/Crashing state dinners
It might be fun to apply this type of listing to the world of education with some references, of course, to Ursuline education.
INS/OUTS
Interactive Learning/Passive Learning
Brain Research/Ritalin
Thinking/Thinking Outside the Box
Ursuline Adaptability/”It’s the way we’ve always done it”
Governance & Sponsorship/Power & Control
Facebook & Twitter/Eloquentia Perfecta
Smartboards/Chalkboards
Courtesy, Loyalty & Courage/Arrogance of Excellence
“My computer crashed”/”The dog ate my homework”
“rents”/”parents”
Multi-media project/Term paper
Campus Ministry/Sodality
www.sparknotes.com /Cliff Notes
Standards/Standards
Serviam/”It’s all about me”
This list is by no means complete (or, for some, totally accurate). But, as I reflect on the “Ins and Outs” list, I am struck not only by the rapidly changing times we live in, but also by how Ursuline education continues to be rooted in meaning, inspired by the vision of St. Angela. It seems, therefore, that one of the biggest challenges facing Ursuline Academy, and all Ursuline schools, is being able to maintain a balance of change and convention – being able to live in the center of both innovation and tradition. As we confront the issues of the day and experience the steady diet of new developments in the world and our society, we resolve in 2010 to look to the spiritual vision of St. Angela to provide a context for examining and facing the challenges of our times. Ursuline schools form a powerful network united by this common vision, and we will continue in 2010 to share ideas and experiences so that we may discover the most effective ways to apply this vision to the education of our girls.
A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel
I want to take this opportunity to remind parents (and students) about the importance of responsible use of the Internet. While the great majority of our students use good judgment regarding what is written and posted on the Internet via e-mail and particularly, Facebook, there have been occasions over the past several years when students at Ursuline have made poor decisions about what they decide to post on the Internet.
What is particularly troubling is that once information is posted on the Internet, the person doing the posting loses control of the information contained in the post. A post that is intended for one person can be easily “taken” by someone else and posted on other (unintended) sites – with embarrassing, and sometimes damaging, consequences. We must also understand that words that are posted are very different from words that are spoken in a casual conversation. The rule we stress to our girls here at Ursuline is “Don’t post something on the Internet that you wouldn’t want to read on the front page of the Times-Picayune.”
Our concern is for the safety and well-being of the girls who attend Ursuline. We don’t want to compromise that safety because of a careless post. I urge all students and parents to review the policies governing technology use that are printed on Page 29 of the Ursuline Academy Student Handbook. While the policy says nothing specifically about Facebook, Twitter, or any other internet application, we strongly suggest that all parents take the time to monitor their daughters’ postings. The Handbook’s section on Harassment, which directly follows the Technology section, is also worthy of review. Comments posted via the Internet can be construed as harassment; therefore, great care should be exercised regarding what is posted.
Regarding the Mother-Daughter Mass and Luncheon scheduled for Jan. 31, the deadline to sign up has been extended until Tuesday, Jan. 12. Here’s your last chance to sign up for what promises to be a wonderful day.
Friday, Jan. 15 will be a SAINTS Dress Down Day. Students may wear jeans and tennis shoes, as well as any SAINTS shirt, jersey or black/gold top.
And there is an exciting service opportunity available to all interested students (and parents) on Martin Luther King Day (Monday, Jan. 19). High school students from across the Archdiocese will gather at Jesuit High School for a short prayer service led by Archbishop Aymond before going out all over the city to do various service projects. Interested students can get more information about this special day from Ms. Otto, whose office is one the third floor. Permission forms are due Wednesday, Jan. 13.
A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper
Elementary School Tours continue tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and run through the month of January on every Tuesday. Please pass this information on to prospective families.
On Friday, Jan. 15, we will have a SAINTS Dress Down Day.
The Martin Luther King Holiday is on Monday, Jan. 18.
The Parents’ Club General Meeting is on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. Sr. Judy Gomila will be the guest speaker, and refreshments will be served in the Lion’s Den following the presentation. Please make every effort to join us. A flyer will be going home tomorrow.
Re-registration is due on Friday, Jan. 22.
Please periodically check the Academy calendar. There is a student holiday on Friday, Feb. 5 due to the faculty retreat.
With the cold weather upon us, please check your handbook for appropriate attire. Students are allowed to wear navy blue or white tights only. Only Ursuline sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets are allowed when students are inside the building.
Parents, please check our lost and found area on the second floor outside the lounge and the stairwell location outside the Lion’s Den. Both areas are full of student clothing and various belongings. Also, please mark all of your child’s clothing with her name.
A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane
On behalf of the entire Academy, allow me to express my sincerest wishes for the happiest of new years and the best that 2010 has to offer. Please join all of us at Ursuline in congratulating Sr. Carolyn Marie Brockland, OSU, the prioress of the New Orleans Ursuline sisters’ community, on her golden jubilee. That’s right … Sr. Carolyn Marie made her vows as an Ursuline sister 50 years ago on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. How appropriate that on the Feast of the Epiphany, when we are drawn to the light of Christ, that Sr. Carolyn Marie was called to a vocation dedicated to the imitation and work of Christ and the teachings of St. Angela Merici. Congratulations, Sr. Carolyn Marie!
Friday, Jan. 8, we celebrate a very important feast day, that of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. I do love the wonderful Ursuline story of how the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor for our Blessed Mother came to be.
The Ursuline sisters had already been in New Orleans for almost a century when Spain ceded the area to Napoleon Bonaparte. The Spanish Ursuline sisters left for Havana, Cuba, leaving only seven Ursulines to staff a hospital, a day school, a boarding school, and an orphanage. Desperate for help, Mother St. Andre Madier wrote to her cousin in France asking her to send help in the persons of young women interested in joining the Order and in working with the Ursuline ministries in New Orleans.
It was in 1808 that Agathe Gensoul wrote to Pope Pius VII requesting permission to sail for Louisiana with young women interested in joining the Ursuline Order in New Orleans. But, the letter stayed in her desk for three months until one day while praying before a statue of Our Lady, she was inspired to say, “O most holy Virgin Mary, if you obtain for me a prompt and favorable answer to this letter, I make the promise to have you honored in New Orleans under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor.” The next day the letter was on its way to Rome seeking to reach the imprisoned pope. On April 28, 1809, the pope granted his approval and blessing, and, Miss Gensoul set out to have a statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor carved in fulfillment of the vow she made.
Very quickly after her statue was enshrined in New Orleans, devotion to Our Lady of Prompt Succor spread among the Ursuline sisters and the girls they taught. Prayers to Our Lady of Prompt Succor are credited to the miraculous shifting of winds that saved the Ursuline convent during the fire which engulfed the city in 1812. On January 7, 1815, after hearing that the British planned an attack on the city for early the next morning, General Jackson warned the Ursuline sisters of the approaching battle and begged their prayers for victory for his out-numbered American forces. All night long, the Ursuline nuns and the women of New Orleans, as well as older men unable to bear arms, prayed to Our Lady of Prompt Succor for an American victory. And, the rest, as you know, is history!
In gratitude for the miracle of America’s victory over the British, the Ursuline sisters offer a Mass of Thanksgiving on the feast day of Our Lady of Prompt Succor each year on Jan. 8. This year marks the 195th Eucharistic celebration honoring this Ursuline commitment. Please make every effort to attend Mass on Friday and to be part of a piece of history that is uniquely Ursuline.
A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel
For those in the Ursuline community fortunate enough to have attended on Sunday morning, the Mass honoring Sister Carolyn Marie Brockland for her fiftieth anniversary as an Ursuline sister was a very special occasion, indeed. The Mass was an opportunity for those of us currently associated with the Academy to recognize Sister Carolyn Marie for a lifetime of service to the Order of St. Ursula. The thousands of lives she has touched – and changed -through her work in New Orleans (which she calls her “second home”) and elsewhere surely deserves recognition. We at the Academy who have had the privilege of knowing her and working with her owe her profound thanks.
But Sister Carolyn Marie’s efforts over these past fifty years need to be viewed in the larger context of the Ursuline mission that started back in 1727. Our President, Gretchen Kane, often reminds our students and alumnae that all of us associated with the Academy are “standing on the shoulders of greatness,” meaning that we are continuing the efforts of the original Ursulines who arrived in New Orleans nearly three centuries ago. As Ursuline’s mission in our city continues, all of us need to keep Sister Carolyn Marie’s example in mind. While few of us, if any, may be able to match her contribution, we still have the opportunity to contribute something to the Ursuline legacy. As we begin this new year, let all of us resolve to do our best to make the Academy a better place. Someday, there will be someone else standing on our shoulders.
A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a happy and restful holiday. Thank you so much for the many delicious and lovely Christmas gifts.
The Lower School Christmas Concert is rescheduled for this Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. Students must arrive by 5:45 p.m. and be dressed in their school uniforms.
Re-registration packets for 2010-11 school year will be mailed home tomorrow and are due back by Jan. 22.
Elementary School Tours will be held every Tuesday in January for prospective students. Tours will be at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Eucharistic Adoration is Thursday, Jan. 7 from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
We will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on Friday, Jan. 8. The Academy Mass will be held at 8:15 a.m. in the Shrine. The city-wide Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. in the Shrine.
7th graders – High School Application Day is Saturday, Jan. 9. Testing begins promptly at 8 a.m. Students should arrive by 7:45 a.m. and may wear appropriate dress down attire (jeans, sweater, etc.). It’s always a good idea to bring a light jacket or sweater to allow for the temperature of the classroom.
Ursuline Academy • 2635 State Street • New Orleans, LA 70118-6399 • 504.861.9150 •