Ursuline Update

Posted March 16th, 2010

A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane

Those of you who know me well know that I often use movie dialogue to make analogies. Do you remember the film, Atlantic City, starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon? Lancaster plays an aging, small time gangster who is down on his luck at the film’s start. Sarandon is a beautiful young woman who moves all the way from Saskatchewan to South jersey to find fame and fortune in one of the brand new casinos. Through a series of accidents, this unlikely pair falls in love and comes into a pile of money. To celebrate, Burt takes her to what used to be Atlantic City’s most elegant eatery. He orders a bottle of wine and performs the proper rituals. Susan is mightily impressed. She looks into his eyes and says, “Teach me stuff.” He responds with the best line in the movie: “What do you want? Wisdom or information?”

We need to keep this distinction in mind because it is not always obvious to our students or to us. There is increased pressure to amass information, which is obviously more readily available than ever before. The over plus of information requires well defined discernment skills; otherwise our students will be overwhelmed. All of us need to get better at determining what sorts of information are worthy of sustained attention. Attaining wisdom, of which discernment is an integral part, takes time. It is not immediately cost-effective, and it is hard, if not impossible, to measure. As a school in the Ursuline tradition, we must continue to carve out time for the cultivation of wisdom, but I am afraid that the rapid pace of our lives will impinge adversely on this time in the future. Too many other interests and issues clamor for our attention, so we must reconfirm our commitment to becoming contemplative in action.

One of the reasons the Order of St. Ursula and its schools thrived for so long in so many places is that St. Angela promoted adaptability. This kind of flexibility is future-oriented, and it enables us to embrace what is to come instead of slavishly imitating what was done in the past. St. Angela was able to be flexible because she was confident in her core values and the goal set that grows out of those values. As partners in education with an eye toward the future, we need to renew constantly our commitment to key Ursuline values and insights so that we can articulate goals appropriate to our circumstances. We also want to introduce students to this dynamic – and warn them that balancing timeless values while setting timely goals is bound to cause tension. I have heard Ursuline educators talk about the tensions our graduates may experience when they enter “the real world.” Perhaps we can’t resolve those tensions for them. Perhaps we should not even if we could. But we might want to give them a head’s up about the counter-cultural quality of the education they have received. Perhaps, too, we can encourage them to be creative in the context of tension. Tension is not all bad. It can be the occasion for tremendous ingenuity.

A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

Last week we began the process of scheduling students for the 2010 – 11 academic year. Alice Bairnsfather, our academic assistant principal, met with each returning class and handed out scheduling forms to each respective student. These forms contained the placement information for each student in their core classes (English, math, science, social studies and foreign language). We based these placements in core subjects on several factors: grades in current classes, teacher recommendations, and analysis of current and past standardized test scores. Our goal in this process is to ensure that our girls find themselves in classes that challenge them to develop their potential as completely as possible – but not overwhelm them and discourage them.

Some girls and their parents may discover that the process I have just described in the preceding paragraph recommends that they move out of a particular honors class, or into a particular honors class. Our recommendations are based on the solid educational data I mentioned above. This data, however, is not the final word in the placement process. Should parents and students decide that they don’t agree with the recommendations we’ve made, I encourage them to contact Ms. Bairnsfather so that we might review our placement decision with them. Grades and test scores can help predict future academic performance, but these indicators don’t tell the entire story. A motivated student with lower test scores may be able to succeed in an honors class. If parents and students are willing to commit to staying in an honors class for the entire year, we can make exceptions to our placement recommendations.

I would also like to briefly discuss the scheduling of elective classes. The Department of Education’s new CORE 4 graduation requirements mean that all Louisiana students must take at least one full credit of an arts class (in theater, music or studio art), beginning with the class of 2013. Our new Course of Study reflects that change in state law. The new Course of Study also allows our non-honor program students to take a half-credit of an arts class each year they attend Ursuline. Students who elect to participate in our Honors Program will still meet the Department of Education’s requirements for graduation, but will not have the same flexibility in scheduling art classes.

We are pleased to make this change in the High School’s curriculum and believe that this change will ultimately help us build a stronger fine arts program at Ursuline. Student scheduling forms are due in the office by Wednesday, March 17, so that we can make staffing decisions for next year.

Our annual Academy wide musical, “Annie,” will be performed March 25 – 28. Please contact Ms. Melanie at mprovenzano@ursulineneworleans.org to reserve your tickets. If you would be able to advertize for us by posting one of our “Annie” posters, contact Kim Harper at kharper@ursulineneworleans.org.

Our next Parents’ Club Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 15. If any parents would be interested in serving on the Parents’ Club board for the 2010 – 11 school year, please contact Kim Harper at kharper@ursulineneworleans.org.

Our next Dads’ Club Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 20. Please mark your calendars now, and contact 2010 – 11 President Mr. Ian Barras at barras@carverdarden.com if you’d like more information on the Dads’ Club and upcoming activities.

A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Report cards will be mailed home on Friday, March 19.

Terra Nova testing begins on Wednesday, March 17 and runs through Tuesday, March 23. Please make sure your daughters get a good night’s rest and have a nutritious breakfast. Our cafeteria will stop serving breakfast by 7:50 a.m.

Please don’t forget to sell your raffle tickets. Mrs. Vanrykeghem’s 5^th grade homeroom has won the ice-cream sundae party as the first class to reach 100%. Congratulations girls!

We are still in need of volunteers for to help for the Spaghetti supper on March 28. Contact Development Director Mary Lee Harris, at mlharris@ursulineneworleans.org if you are able to lend a hand.

The annual Mother/Daughter Brunch will be held on April 18 in our lovely courtyard. Mark your calendars now. More information will follow. If you would like to help with this event, you may contact Mrs. Gina MacLaren at gina.maclaren@att.net .