Ursuline Update

A Message from the President – Gretchen Z. Kane

On behalf of the entire Academy, please accept my deepest gratitude to all of you who made the Spaghetti Supper such an incredible success. The number of raffle tickets sold by our student body totaled just over 35,000…WOW!!!

The number of hours that go into planning and preparation for the Spaghetti Supper is enormous, and this event could not be possible without SO many people doing SO much. Ursuline Academy is so very blessed to have such a wonderful group of parents and alumnae volunteers without whom the Spaghetti Supper could not be possible. I apologize in advance if I forget to mention any one of you and know how much we appreciate you and your generosity. Special thanks go to our EVENT CHAIRS: Cara D’Antoni and Mary Lee Harris. Heartfelt thanks go to our special coordinators:

Cake Booth – Ashley LeBeouf, Stephanie Musso and the Sioux of 1990
Activities – Pam Dalgo and Sarintha Stricklin
Food/Kitchen – Trudy Wright, Gina Brothers, Maritza Hyde, Littie Jefferson and Pam Duplessis
Set-up/Clean-up – UA Facilities Staff, Philip & Christi Rudolph, Mark Black and Richard Powajbo
Reservations/Check-In – Kathie & Tom Blash, Marie Schmitt, Sharon Linton and Jeannine Rigney
Drink Sales – Glen & Sherrie Romero
Wine Sales – Joe & Lisa Miller and Rakkier Sims
Basket Raffles – Pam Dalgo
50-50 Raffles – Louise Huete, Lisette Fabacher and Angie Castay
Pre-Supper Reservations/Cash Raffle Accounting – Marie Schmitt
P.R. & Communications – Amanda Lataxes
Cash Raffle Incentives – Kim Harper and John Gabriel
Lip-Sync Idol Contest – Pam Dalgo, Karen Mortillaro, Bekki Bonnaffee, Brian Cordes and John Gardner

Thank you to all ES Faculty Volunteers for set-up on Saturday and to all other faculty, staff, parents, students and alumnae who volunteered to work on Sunday.

During this Holy Week, Christians are given another chance to reflect on and to re‑live the last hours of Jesus’ life. There are many different expressions of piety which characterize these days, but most are directed to the resurrection, which is, as St. Paul says, the basis of our faith. We will not be able to share in our Lord’s resurrection unless we unite ourselves with him in his passion and death.

The account of the Lord’s Passion touches and moves our hearts, our faith and our capacity for loving. The contrast between the crowd that acclaims Jesus and the crowd that clamors for the crucifixion and, more generally, the frailness and susceptibility of human hearts, is only one dimension of the Lord’s Passion. We find its fullest meaning in the Apostle Paul’s words, “Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave. . . He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross.” St. Paul also tells us how effective the Son of God’s humiliation of himself has been for us, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Thus, it is precisely the humiliation, suffering and death of the Son of God that shed light on the mystery of God, but also on the mystery of man. If we look at the many human sufferings, especially the suffering of the innocent, we are bewildered and prompted to ask ourselves whether God loves us and takes care of us or whether, by chance, an evil destiny exists that not even God can change.

In the Cross of Christ, on the other hand, we come into contact with the true face of God, in the words of Jesus himself who tells us, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” The face of God does not lose its greatness and mystery, but becomes extraordinarily close and friendly, because it is the face of the One who, in his own Son, shares to the very end even the darkest side of the human condition. Therefore, from the Cross of Christ, strength and the hope of redemption shine out over all human suffering. The Cross of Jesus does not discourage or weaken us. From the Cross springs energy that is ever new.

Let us trust in the crucified and Risen Lord and put our life in his hands, just as he put his own life in the hands of God the Father.

A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

When we speak of improvement with our students – and when you speak of improvement with your daughters – we often have a picture in our minds of dramatic improvement, the kind where a student goes from failing grades to top marks in the class. The truth of the matter is that improvement is often incremental, and therefore, gradual rather than dramatic. The sports analogy of “worst to first” is often the glamorous model to which we pin our hopes. We often forget that change is difficult – and rarely linear. A success or two can often be followed by a defeat or setback that shakes our confidence – and our belief that we’re headed in the right direction.

The fact of the matter is that success is rarely, if ever, a smooth ascending glide to the top. Success is predicated on hard work and perseverance. We need to teach our daughters (and sons) that there will be setbacks, disappointments and failures. A bad performance on a test or exam is never a failure if we learn from it and use it as a springboard for future success. Let me encourage all of you to share this lesson with your children so that they, too, will be able to place difficult experiences in the proper perspective. Those of us working at the Academy will have our own disappointments and struggles – and we, too, will have to bounce back from our setbacks to continue forward. The seasons of Lent and Easter teach us a great deal about disappointment – and resurrection.  I pray all of us will keep Christ’s promise of overcoming despair and disappointment in mind as we celebrate this Easter season.

The High School’s totals for the raffle ticket drive finished at approximately ninety percent – which means that the girls won’t be faced with seeing their principal in an Ursuline uniform next month. The bad news is that approximately ten per cent of the student body has not earned the student holiday on Tuesday, April 6.  Students who did not sell the requisite number of tickets for the raffle will be expected to report for school on Tuesday, April 6. All of these students will report to the Lion’s Den by 8 a.m. for a full day of school. Teachers will submit assignments for the students who are reporting to school that day – and students will be expected to complete those assignments over the course of the school day. Students who did not sell their tickets and do not report for school on Tuesday, April 6 will be considered as delinquent and will serve an in-school suspension when they return to school. They will also (as per the Student Handbook) be expected to serve a Saturday detention on April 10, from 9 a.m. until noon. Should you have any questions about this policy, please do not hesitate to contact either me or our Dean of Students, Karen Mortillaro.

A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

What a wonderful weekend it was here at Ursuline Academy! The production of “Annie” opened on Thursday evening and ran through Sunday afternoon. If you were lucky enough to have attended, you know how fabulous it was. Additionally, Sunday was our annual Spaghetti Supper, and it too was a huge success. The weather was beautiful, the food delicious and the company of our Ursuline friends and families was wonderful. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the Spaghetti Supper the most successful yet!

On another positive note, the Elementary School, all grades T2 through 7^th, made their 100 percent quota, and therefore, will have the holiday on Tuesday, April 6. I very much want to thank all of our students and parents who supported the raffle ticket drive. In fact, as an entire school we reached an impressive 154 percent.

This weekend, with the raffle tickets, spaghetti supper and “Annie” production, it was obvious what can be achieved when we pull together and work together as a community. Thank you!

This Wednesday, March 31, is the last day before the Easter Holiday. The toddlers and lower school students will enjoy the Easter egg hunt in the morning. T2 and T3 will visit the courtyard at 9:30 a.m.; 2^nd and 3^rd will visit at 10:00 a.m.; 1^st and 4^th at 11:05 a.m.; Pre-K at 12:10 p.m., and kindergarten at 1:15 p.m. Our 7^th graders, under the direction of Mrs. Falk, will perform the Passion play for grades 1^st-6^th at 2:15 p.m. in the Chapel. Our parents and grandparents are welcome to join us for these Easter events.

Easter Holidays will be April 1-6. School will resume on Wednesday, April 7. I pray that everyone will enjoy a safe and Blessed Easter.

Upcoming Events: Parents’ Club General Meeting on April 15; “Thank You” crawfish boil for all parent, alumnae and faculty volunteers on April 16; ES Mother/Daughter Mass and Brunch on April 18, Dads’ Club Meeting on April 20, ES Spring Arts Festival on April 23.