The month of May is both named for and dedicated to Mary, Our Blessed Mother. Tomorrow, the Ursuline Academy elementary school will hold its traditional May Crowning in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “In prayer the Holy Spirit unites us to the person of the only Son, in His glorified humanity, through which and in which our filial prayer unites us in the Church with the Mother of Jesus. Beginning with Mary’s unique cooperation with the working of the Holy Spirit, the Churches developed their prayer to the holy Mother of God, centering it on the person of Christ manifested in His mysteries.”

Ave Maria
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

On Saturday, May 5th, the Academy will welcome our new high school students for the 2012-13 academic year at a “New Student Welcome Day” scheduled from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Eighth and ninth graders new to the high school will spend their morning learning a little bit of Ursuline history as well as navigating the Academy campus. Thanks go to Mary Anteé, UA’s Director of Admissions, and the high school student council for coordinating this wonderful morning for our new high school students.

Please keep our senior class in your prayers as they enter into their final stages as students of Ursuline Academy. Today is the senior Macs last official day of classes. On Friday, seniors will celebrate Mass with the entire high school community for the last time and be honored with a host of awards for service activities and academic performance. It’s hard to believe their senior year is almost over. We are all so very grateful to the Macs of 2012 for their leadership in guiding the student body this year and for being models of our Ursuline ideals.

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

This week’s The New Yorker has a fascinating article by Ken Auletta about Stanford University and its relationship with Silicon Valley. I was stunned to read Stanford’s endowment is nearly seventeen billion dollars (no, you read that number correctly; the amount really is $17,000,000,000.00) and there are more millionaire faculty members at Stanford than at any other university in the world. And I couldn’t believe the fact that students accepted at Stanford who come from families that make less than $100,000.00 attend the university for free, in keeping with Stanford’s philosophy that undergraduate students should not be burdened by undergraduate debt.

As impressed as I was by the wealth and resources of Stanford, my real interest in Auletta’s excellent piece, however, concerned Stanford’s educational philosophy, and in particular, the importance Stanford places on learning across the lines of academic disciplines. The university also asks its students to work on projects that can help mankind through specific applications of what the students have learned. One example of such a project comes from Stanford’s Institute of Design, where undergraduates were asked to develop a method for inexpensively extracting water out of the ground to be used for irrigation – in, of all places, Burma. After travelling to southeastern Asia, Stanford students devised a water pump that sells for thirty-seven dollars. Twenty thousand pumps have been sold in Burma, helping to alleviate water shortages in farming and produce more food for the impoverished people living in that country.

I mention this article not because I see financial parallels between Stanford and Ursuline, but because I see an interesting nexus of service and learning at Stanford that we have already begun to explore here on State Street through our recently revised Service Learning Program. Nonsectarian Stanford recognizes the importance of service in learning. And as befitting a Catholic institution, Ursuline Academy has always championed the connection between service and education in its programs. But it seems to me our next steps in moving our Service Learning Program forward will concern tying our separate academic disciplines into our service program.

And the importance Stanford places on interdisciplinary projects also seems to be a direction we need to explore here on State Street. Several weeks ago in this space I wrote about the possibility of a capstone project for seniors that might incorporate service as a feature. While we will have to approach such a project from a different scale than the one Stanford uses, the fact remains for service learning to be a truly transformative experience for our girls, we must provide them with more than a week of service done each summer, or simply collecting a random number of service hours over the course of the year. Stanford’s example ought to provide us with interesting insights on just what a more effective service program might look like. We will keep you abreast of further developments here at Ursuline as we look to devise the finest high school service learning program in America.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

I’d like to thank Rhonda Musso and Mardi Black for chairing the Mother/Daughter Brunch on April 22. It was a beautifully organized event and a lovely day. Everyone in attendance looked like they enjoyed the morning. I’d also like to thank Andrew and Maritza Hyde of Pepperoni’s. The food and service were excellent, and the balloon arches were a very nice addition.

From April 22 through April 24, Ms. Kane; Mr. Gabriel; Mrs. Mortillaro, High School Dean of Students; Mr. Marc Ehrhardt, Ursuline Board Member; and I traveled to St. Louis for the Ursuline Administrators’ Conference. Each year the conference rotates to one of the central province school sites. Last year, due to an ice storm in St. Louis, the conference was cancelled. The year before last, it was held on our campus and, next year, it will rotate to Ursuline Dallas. These Ursuline administrator conferences allow the community of Ursuline Sisters and the Ursuline administrators from sister schools to meet with one another and discuss, collaborate, pray and deepen our spirituality as a wider Ursuline family. Ursuline St. Louis did a wonderful job of hosting us. Their hospitality was second to none and the conference presenter, Ann Garrido from the Aquinas Institute, was superb. She spoke on the book she is completing about spirituality of administration. She led us through a series of reflections and opportunities to share our various observations and experiences. During the day, we were called to reflect on our own spirituality as an administrator and what that means to us and those we administer.  We contemplated the many ways administration calls us to be closer to God.  We explored various themes of her book, which included invitations to deepen our spirituality and awareness of God’s grace. We discussed the call to trust, courage, forgiveness, hope, humility and more. Suffice it to say we all received a great deal from the presentation and even more from the sharing and community-building that took place among our fellow Ursuline colleagues. It is always beneficial to get away and learn, grow and be silent and contemplative in order to maintain perspective. In addition to attending the conference, Gretchen, John, Karen and I traveled about an hour out of St. Louis to visit the Ursuline Sisters who are now living in Alton in the retirement home. It was such a happy visit seeing the Sisters who were such big parts of Ursuline New Orleans for so long. Some of the Sisters you may remember are Sr. Teresita, Sr. Damien, Sr. Joan Marie, Sr. Marie, Sr. Angela and Sr. Miriam Theresa. They were overjoyed to see us and we gathered together for nearly two hours to reminisce and catch up on all that is going on at the Academy. They all send their love and prayers.

The May Crowning will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, May 1  in the Shrine at 8:15 a.m.  Parents are invited to join us.

The Middle School Athletic Awards will be held this Thursday, May 3 at 6 p.m. in the gym. All athletes will be recognized. Also, there will be a high school volleyball meeting following the awards for all students entering high school who are interested in playing volleyball.

The two uniform companies the elementary school uses, Schiros and Cloz, will have uniform fittings here on campus on Friday, May 4 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. and again on Saturday, May 5 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the auditorium. This is a great opportunity to get a jump on uniforms for next year.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the annual Ursuline Zephyrs  Night on Friday, May 11. The tailgate party begins at 5:30 p.m. and game will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. Tickets will not be sold at the gate. You must pay for your tickets by May 9.

Please remember to keep your cafeteria accounts up to date by paying off any negative balances. From now until the end of school, the cafeteria will only be accepting cash as payment on accounts. Thank you for your cooperation.

Wednesday, May 9 will be the lower school swim party for students who sold three books of raffle tickets. Thursday, May 10 will be the middle school swim party for students who sold three books of raffle tickets.

President Gretchen Kane’s Farewell Gathering will take place on Tuesday, May 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the courtyard. Students, parents, alumnae, faculty and friends of Ursuline are invited to come by and wish Ms. Kane all the best.

It’s a little hard to believe that less than six weeks remain until the end of this academic school year. And, for seniors, there are only 10 days left! I’m sure that the girls are anxiously awaiting their summer off, so we will be counting on all of our parents to help them keep focused on their schoolwork a little while longer.

The Board of Trustees and the Administrative Team of the Academy are already busy with planning for the summer, our next academic school year, and the Academy’s long term future. We continue to work on the building and funding of the new fitness and wellness center, formerly the historic 1935 State Street gymnasium, as well as to expand the Academy’s endowment. As most of you know, Ursuline Academy was the only severely damaged school after Hurricane Katrina to both keep faculty on full salary and benefits and to refund tuition dollars. This depleted the $1.2M in salary reserve that Ursuline had built up over the years, and replacing those dollars is of utmost importance. Endowment will also help us (1) to provide competitive compensation as well as professional development opportunities for our faculty (2) to offer scholarships and financial assistance to our students, and (3) to preserve and maintain our historic campus. The Keeping the Legacy Alive – Phase II campaign will provide many opportunities for all of you to participate in a variety of ways.

There have been so many exciting activities going on at Ursuline that sometimes it’s difficult to keep up. From the Spaghetti Supper, to the Senior Art Show, to the Volunteer “Thank You” Crawfish Boil, to the class of 1992 20th reunion, to the HS Mother-Daughter Luncheon, to this week’s Alumnae Association sponsored Senior Luncheon, and the ES Mother-Daughter Mass & Brunch, things are always active and energetic here at UA. Please know how much we all appreciate the many volunteers without whom these wonderful events could not take place. Thanks to all of you who so generously answer the call to Serviam.

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

All (or nearly all) parents of teenagers currently in high school recognize at least an element of truth in the statement I am about to make: there is a pervasive “youth culture” that exists today, a culture that exists outside of the strictures of the adult world. This “youth culture” is available to our children at all times and it pervades all aspects of teenage life. The advent of Facebook, cell phones, twenty-four hour cable television channels designed to appeal to the American teenager, and the internet, means that our children can – and often do – exist in a parallel universe, one where adult expectations and mores can be completely avoided by our children.

Prior to the advent of cable television, prime-time television had to appeal to a wide audience. After all, even major metropolitan areas had, at most, four or five television stations. But cable (and satellite) television have allowed the telecommunications industry to “narrow-cast,” thereby appealing to specialized audiences. Our children don’t have to watch what we watch anymore. We might legitimately ask just what we have gained by losing a common culture where teens and adults were forced to share what they consumed.

There are many reasons why the common core culture that existed in America some fifty years ago has disappeared. We are, of course, a much more diverse and pluralistic society than we were two generations ago. And the increase in diversity and tolerance that has marked American culture over that span of time has added immeasurably to the richness of our culture. But that increase in diversity and tolerance has also seen the diminishment of a common core culture. Our teenagers today are rarely challenged to meet the adult world on its own terms. Instead, people are encouraged to continue consuming a culture that has limited moral and ethical values. Our young people are among those encouraged to consume that culture. And we all lose in a culture defined by the lowest common moral denominator.

Don’t get me wrong: I do recognize the limitations of an America of one or two generations ago, particularly the limitations that world’s culture placed on almost everyone who wasn’t a white male. In many respects, our current world is a better place than the one it has replaced. Believe me when I say that I don’t want to turn back the calendar and start wearing a narrow black tie with a clip. But I don’t think that we have to reject all of the common standards that helped to define that world just because it wasn’t perfect.

There is much to admire in today’s art, music, literature and cinema. And informed, cultured people of all ages certainly need to be aware of contemporary culture. We need to actively share that world with our children and teach them how to view it critically. But we also need to encourage our daughters and sons to join us in a cultural space that includes the past, a space that demands one’s attention, challenges all of us to examine our views of the world, and places moral demands on all members of society.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Thursday, April 19 will be the school-wide dress down day for reaching our goal with the Spaghetti Supper raffle ticket sales.  All students are allowed to dress down on this Thursday. Please see your school handbook for dress down acceptable attire.

On Friday, April 20 all students who sold their first book of tickets by the March 9 will get an extended recess time in the inflatable jumper. The list of students who qualify will be given to the homeroom teachers by Tuesday. Students who qualify will be allowed to jump in their P.E. uniforms.

Thursday, April 26 will be the pajama and breakfast day for all students who sold two books of tickets.  Students who sold two books of tickets are allowed to wear pajamas to school and will be served breakfast in the Sisters Dining Room between 8:15 and 9 a.m.

Summer is right around the corner. If you have not signed your daughter up for a summer camp experience as of yet, click here and check out our Summer Arts Camp.

The Dads’ Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 17 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria.

The Elementary School Mother/Daughter Brunch will be held on Sunday, April 22 with Mass at 9:30 a.m. followed by brunch in the courtyard. The day will include kid-friendly brunch stations, a Pink Berry station, photographs by Pat Garin, and a seventh-grade tribute to their moms. The ticket prices are $12 for toddlers through third grade, and $22 for fourth grade through adult. You may send your order and cash or check to the elementary school office by Friday, April 13.

Middle school cheerleading try-outs for the 2012-13 school year will be held on April 18 and 19. Middle School Ursulette try-outs for the 2012-13 school year will be held on April 25 and 26.

There will be a Spring Holiday on Friday, April 27. (No School)

The May Crowning will be held on Tuesday, May 1 at 8:15 a.m. in the Shrine, followed by a reception for the second grade class.

The Middle School Athletic Awards Ceremony has been moved to Thursday May 3 at 6 p.m. in the gym. (This change was due to the SB Ivy League Championship game schedule.) All athletes and their parents are invited to attend. All athletes will be recognized.

I hope that everyone had a most joyous and blessed Easter. We do not want to forget, however, that like Christmas, Easter is a period of time rather than just a single day.

It is actually a seven-week season of the Church year that begins at sundown the evening before Easter Sunday and lasts for six more Sundays until Pentecost Sunday which is often celebrated as Ascension Day.

The Easter season is a means to shape sacred time, a structure in which to define what it means to be Christian and to call God’s people to reverent and faithful response to God. Easter encompasses a time of preparation, Lent, as well as a following period of reflection on its significance for the life of God’s people, Pentecost. However, while Epiphany following Christmas focuses on the mission of God’s people to the world, the Pentecost season following Easter focuses on the church as the witness to the resurrection. In anticipation of this emphasis at Pentecost, the Scripture readings during the Sundays of Easter are different, with readings from the Acts of the Apostles replacing readings from the Old Testament, emphasizing that the Church, as empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, is the best witness to the resurrection and the work of God in the world in Jesus the Christ.

For the Easter season, white symbolizes the hope of the resurrection, as well as the purity and newness that comes from victory over sin and death. Gold (or yellow) symbolizes the light of the world brought by the risen Christ that enlightens the world, as well as the exaltation of Jesus as Lord and King. The sanctuary color for the other five Sundays of Easter is usually also white and gold, although some churches use red, the color of the Church. During this time worshipers are called to celebrate God’s ongoing work in the world through His people.

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.

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

In this time of rapid educational change, we in the High School Division are looking carefully at how we might position the Academy most effectively in the coming years. We recognize that in post-Katrina New Orleans, parents and students have a plethora of viable school choices, and that some of these choices included public schools that do not charge hefty tuitions. The rising costs of Catholic (and all private) education mean that we must offer our families and our students a truly unique approach to schooling, one that encourages our students to literally transform the world in which we live. More than ever, Catholic schools must be much more than a public school which also teaches religion one period a day.

Two years ago, the High School Division radically changed its Service Learning Program in an attempt to make our motto of Serviam more of a lived reality. With the blessings of the Academy’s President, Gretchen Kane, and under the direction of the High School’s Campus Minister, Kim Otto, we unveiled a program where our students spent part of their school day each academic grading period working with “service partners,” or service agencies throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area, on a regular basis. We wanted to ask our girls to “go beyond their borders,” in St. Angela Merici’s words, and work with the underserved in various areas: the elderly, youth and literacy, adults with special needs, the hungry, and the homeless. We also wanted our students to build relationships with the people they served. Our ultimate goal with this program can be summarized very simply: we wanted our students to be able to see the face of Christ in the faces of those they served.

The response to our program has been incredibly positive. Students and parents alike have found their experiences in the program to be powerful. Testimonials from our girls suggest that they see service – and the people they are serving – in an entirely new light. And Ursuline’s Service Learning Program has been cited by the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Office of Religious Education and our accrediting agency, AdvancED, as innovative and unique. But the program we introduced two years ago is simply the first step toward a more comprehensive service learning program that we envision for the future.

Our next step in the program is to work toward introducing a service learning component not just in each Religion class the girls take during their respective careers in the High School, but in each academic class. Over the next two years, we will work to develop pilot programs in classes outside the Religion Department that include a service component. We will also look carefully at other possibilities regarding service, including exchange programs with other Ursuline schools across the globe that feature service learning, and the possibility of a “capstone” project for seniors that deals with some aspect of service. Our goal is to make our service program more effective and more responsive to our school’s mission.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Welcome back. I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. It is hard to believe that this final fourth quarter is halfway complete. Progress reports will be posted to Ed-line and mailed home on Monday, April 16. Please don’t forget to monitor your daughter’s homework and study habits and ensure that she is studying some every evening.

Thanks again to all who sold their raffle tickets. The elementary school not only met their goal of selling 100% of their raffle tickets, but finished with a total of 138.29%.

The Dads’ Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 17 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria.

The Elementary School Mother/Daughter Brunch will be held on Sunday, April 22 with Mass at 9:30 a.m. followed by brunch in the courtyard. The day will include kid-friendly brunch stations, a Pink Berry station, photographs by Pat Garin, and a seventh-grade tribute to their moms. The ticket prices are $12 for toddlers through third grade, and $22 for fourth grade through adult. You may send your order and cash or check to the elementary school office by Friday, April 13.

Early childhood vision and hearing on Friday, April 13.

Middle school cheerleading try-outs for the 2012-13 school year will be held on April 18 and 19.

Middle School Ursulette try-outs for the 2012-13 school year will be held on April 25 and 26.

There will be a Spring Holiday on Friday, April 27. (No School)

The May Crowning will be held on Tuesday, May 1 at 8:15 a.m. in the Shrine, followed by a reception for the second grade class.

The Middle School Athletic Awards Ceremony has been moved to Thursday May 3 at 6 p.m. in the gym. (This change was due to the SB Ivy League Championship game schedule.) All athletes and their parents are invited to attend. All athletes will be recognized.

Dear Ursuline Family, 

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 over 36,000…WOW!!

 CONGRATULATIONS to the cash raffle winner:  $5000 cash winner – Mohammed Raheem (ticket sold by Hebah Mohuiddin – 2^nd grade). 

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 CHAIR: Sarintha Stricklin and JUNIOR CHAIR: Nikki Scalia. Heartfelt thanks go to our special coordinators:

Sweet Treat/Cake Walk – Kristin Van Hook Moore & Skips of 1992 

Activities Chair – Becky McLellan

Supper Chair – Sharon Tamporello

Set-up/Clean-up – Ian Barras & UA Dad’s Club, Donnie Broussard, and UA Facilities Staff

Reservations/Check-In – Jill Condon

Beverage Chair – Sherrie & Glen Romero

Operations Chairs – Susan and Brent Boten

Gaming Chair – Jeanne Roques Blanchard

Festival Foods Chair – Barbara Holstein

Class Creations – Gina MacLaren

Performances – Rene Barras

Basket & Board Raffles – Jeanne Roques, Emily Sontag,

50-50 Raffles – Louise Robbert Huete ’69 & Lisette Robbert Fabacher ‘74

Pre-Supper Reservations/Cash Raffle Accounting – Marie Schmitt

P.R. & Communications – Sarah Miller

Cash Raffle Incentives – Elementary & High School Administrations

Bookstore Sale – Yvette Squires  

I would also, on behalf of the entire academy, extend congratulations to the cast, crew and directors of Willy Wonka for a brilliant production. 

Although we are still testing and accepting applicants for the elementary school, it appears that our total Academy enrollment will be somewhere between 755 and 760 students. This is roughly the same as this year’s enrollment. There are still openings in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First, Second Fifth, and Seventh Grades.

Yours in Christ,

Gretchen Z. Kane

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

As is befitting a principal, I often write about academic concerns in this space.  But one of our core values here at Ursuline is the development of the whole person.  Last Friday morning was a busy time on State Street for the High School Division that clearly illustrated our commitment to that particular core value.  Our sophomores, juniors, and seniors had the opportunity to participate in the Mock Crash Program sponsored jointly by the LSU Public Hospital, the Louisiana State Police, the New Orleans EMS, the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, and the Academy’s High School Counseling Office.  The program showed our girls a re-enactment of a fatal car crash where impaired driving was involved.  The re-enactment utilized actual Ursuline students and parents to heighten the emotional effect of the presentation.  Needless to say, all of our girls found the program to be a powerful and emotional experience.  Many thanks are due to the students and parents who helped make this presentation so affecting:  junior Claire Oswald; junior Meredith Morphy and her parents, Paul and Megan Morphy; junior Farrah Veal and her mother, Suewann Dixon; and Taylor Hellmers and her mother, Lauren Welch.  I also want to thank our Director of Counseling, Karen Palmer, for her work in bringing the Mock Crash Program to Ursuline.  We plan to make the Mock Crash an every-other-year event on State Street.

While the older girls were experiencing the Mock Crash program, our younger students had different programs designed to address special issues.  The ninth-graders were split into two groups:  half the class worked with representatives from Project Fleur-de-Lis, a New Orleans-based mental health program that works with area schools, on a depression-awareness program.  The other half of the ninth-grade class (which has already experienced Fleur-de-Lis’ depression awareness program) spent time working with the High School’s Curriculum Coordinator and physics teacher, Tess Belt, doing a career assessment workshop using the High School’s new Naviance software.

Our eighth-grade students were the beneficiaries of two distinct programs.  Our Dean of Students, Karen Mortillaro, took half of the ninth graders for an hour-long presentation on bullying and community-building.  Academic Assistant Principal Alice Bairnsfather and I split the other half of the eighth graders and did a special workshop with them concerning grade-point averages for both Ursuline and for Louisiana’s Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS).  Mrs. Bairnsfather and I taught the eighth-graders how to calculate their own grade-point averages for both Ursuline and TOPS, and we explained how standardized testing percentiles worked for TOPS qualifications.  After an hour, we switched groups with Mrs. Mortillaro so that all eighth-graders attended both workshops.

As a personal aside, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed working with the eighth-graders on Friday morning.  Their reactions to the workshop confirmed what I have experienced over my four-year tenure at Ursuline: our girls are hard-working, intelligent, and ambitious.  They understood everything we presented to them – and I believe this workshop will help them take their high-school studies more seriously.

We closed out our Friday morning in the Shrine with our weekly Lenten Prayer Service – led this week by our senior class.  Each of our classes has had the opportunity to design a prayer service during Lent using their service learning experiences this year as the focus of their prayer service.  Several of our seniors gave eloquent testimonials about their experiences at the Rebuild Center downtown and how their time working with the homeless really helped them see the face of Christ in others.  Seniors Jeanna Signorelli, Julia Elbaum, Hannah Gudan, and Savannah Lloyd all shared some aspect of their experiences at the Rebuild Center.  These older students told their younger sisters that their experiences at Rebuild helped them see the homeless as real people, not statistics or faceless individuals in a news story.  We had many visitors in the Shrine Friday morning who were fortunate enough to hear our seniors talk about Serviam as a lived reality, not an empty slogan.  Please believe me when I tell you that you would have been very proud to have heard what these exceptional young women had to say about their experiences working with the homeless. 

Test scores and grades are surely important parts of a high school education.  But what our girls experienced on Friday morning is critical to the completion of our mission as an Ursuline school.  Know that we take our mission as educators in the Ursuline tradition very seriously.  Ms. Kane has said it many times before when she reminds us that we are standing on the shoulders of greatness.  The twelve Ursuline sisters that began this incredible legacy back in 1727 in our city have set an incredible standard for us.  Together, we will continue to fulfill the mission these amazing women began nearly three centuries ago. 

Final note:  Congratulations are in order for all who have been involved in the Spring Musical production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Saturday night’s performance in the Auditorium.  Director Mandy Zirkenbach has done a fabulous job in her first production here on State Street.  I also want to congratulate Assistant Director Margaret Van Ryckeghem, Musical Director Ben Viguerie, and Technical Director Bart Colosino for their efforts at making the production such a huge success.   I also need to acknowledge the efforts of our senior Macs who are participating in their final production at the Academy:  Daniella Corzantes, Hilary Hingle, Jo Ripoll, Julia Elbaum, and Hannah Gudan.  Finally, I want to thank my colleague, Elementary School Principal Kim Harper, for all her hard work in serving as the administrative liaison for the production.  Kim puts in many, many hours in this role – hours I don’t have to put in – and works them with grace and patience.  Thanks again for all your help, Kim.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

I am saddened to inform our school community that the son of Betsy Falk, M.S. religion teacher, passed away on Thursday, March 29^th. The wake will be held on Tuesday, April 3^rd 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. The funeral Mass will be at 2:00 p.m. at Transfiguration of the Lord on Elysian Fields Ave. at Prentiss Ave. Internment will take place on Thursday, April 5^th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Louis Cemetery No.3 on Esplanade Ave.  Please continue to keep Mrs. Falk and her family in your prayers. 

Due to the absence of Mrs. Falk, the Passion Play has been cancelled.  Instead, we will have Stations of the Cross at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4^th.  We invite parents, relatives and friends to join us. 

Thank you to all who volunteered to work at the Spaghetti Supper. It was a lot of fun and a great success. 

Also, I’d like to thank the cast and production team of our Academy Musical, Willy Wonka.  Much talent and hard work went into making it a huge success.  Special thanks go out to Amanda Zirkenback, Margaret VanRyckeghem, Ben Viguerie, and Bart Colosino. 

Progress reports are due in to the office on Thursday, April 12^th. They will be posted and mailed home on Monday, April 16^th.  

*Due to Mrs. Falk’s absence, middle school religion grades will include assessments through March 29^th.

Some of our orchestra and recorder students will be traveling to New York on April 13-14 for a music competition. We wish them the very best! 

The Easter holidays will be Thursday, April 5^th through Monday, April 9^th.

Raffle ticket holiday for the entire elementary school on Tuesday, April 10^th.

School resumes on Wednesday, April 11^th.

Dads’ Club meeting will be on Tuesday, April 17^that 6:00 p.m.

The Elementary School Mother-Daughter Mass and Brunch will be held on Sunday, April 22^nd beginning with Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Shrine, followed by brunch in the courtyard.  Flyers were sent home.  You may RSVP by sending the form and a check to the office by April 13^th. Tickets WILL NOT be sold at the door.  Tickets are $12 for Toddlers through 3^rd grade and $22 for 4^th through 7^th grade.   Featuring “kid friendly” stations, Pink Berry station, photos by Pat Garin, and 7^th grade tribute to their moms.

 Spring Holiday on Friday, April 27^th – No School

Dear Ursuline Family, 

Ursuline Academy of New Orleans is one of three educational institutions sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of the Central Province. The Ursulines of the Roman Union is comprised of 28 provinces and groups situated in 36 countries around the globe, and the Central Province is one of four provinces in the United States. The Ursuline sisters and their ministries have been guided over the past five years by the following General Chapter message: 

Strengthened

by the Word of God

and by communion

with each other,

let us have the courage

to go beyond our borders

and, with Angela, to be signs

of reconciliation

and of hope. 

This message offers a challenge as well as a guide for living in the coming years. And, it is appropriate during this Lenten season for each of us to reflect on the implications of being signs of reconciliation and hope in our individual roles, in our Ursuline family, and in the larger community. 

From “Springtime – Season of Hope:”

“Lent” is the Medieval Germanic word for what we have come to call the season of “Spring.” In our northern hemisphere, the coinciding of spring and lent has great spiritual significance. The signs of new life that bud forth in spring are reason for hope. 

And, from a prayer of the missionary sisters of St. Charles, Honduras: 

To have hope

Is to believe that history continues open

To the dream of God and to human creativity. 

To have hope

Is to continue affirming

That it is possible to dream a different world,

Without hunger, without injustice,

Without discrimination. 

To have hope

Is to be a courier of God

And a courier of men and women of good will,

Tearing down walls, destroying borders,

Building bridges. 

To have hope

Is to believe in the revolutionary potential of faith,

Is to leave the door open

So that the Spirit can enter and make all things new. 

To have hope

Is to begin again as many times as necessary. 

To have hope

Is to believe that hope is not the last thing that dies. 

To have hope

Is to believe that hope cannot die,

That hope no longer dies. 

To have hope

Is to live. 

 Yours in Christ,

Gretchen Z. Kane

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

I want to tell all of the Ursuline community about the visit thirty-five juniors from our sister school, Ursuline Academy in St. Louis, paid us last week.  These young women continued a tradition UA St. Louis began shortly after Katrina, when they began to send juniors on a service trip to Southeast Louisiana each year during their spring break.  With the help of Sister Regina Marie Fronmuller, OSU, the juniors from UA St. Louis have been working with The St. Bernard Project in rebuilding homes in St. Bernard Parish and Orleans Parish.  The girls spent their nights sleeping on inflatable mattresses in the Ourso Gymnasium and were usually out working at their project sites by 8:00 a.m. each morning.  They were accompanied by UA St. Louis faculty members Jaime Gilligan, Mark Gilligan, Rosemary Kunz, Steve Schoemehl, and Sister Mary Ann Dooling, OSU, and Sister Peggy Moore, OSU. 

Our sloppy weather last week didn’t dampen their enthusiasm or their zeal to help others.  Despite heavy rain and localized flooding that occurred during the week, the young women from St. Louis worked every day to help rebuild flood-ravaged parts of St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward.  UA New Orleans’ campus minister, Kim Otto, and some of our girls who work with Ms. Otto in Peer Ministry, sponsored a dinner for their sisters from St. Louis Wednesday night.   Senior Jeanna Signorelli arranged for our guests to enjoy New Orleans snowballs after dinner.  They were properly impressed with the native cuisine, of course. 

I think all of us were impressed with the St. Louisans, too.  On Friday morning, we were able to give our guests a tour of the State Street campus, including a special tour of the Academy’s Museum.  Right before our guests had to leave to catch their plane back to St. Louis, we were able to gather in the auditorium as a High School community during an assembly to thank them for their work over the course of the week.  Two UA St. Louis students, Elizabeth Suntrup and Leigh Rocca, spoke briefly with our girls about their service work with The St. Bernard Project.  They also had the opportunity to compare and contrast the two Ursuline Academies (the New Orleans girls are pushing hard for spirit t-shirts on Tuesdays, after listening to Liz and Leigh). 

All of our girls truly enjoyed visiting with their sisters from St. Louis.  The shared spirit of Serviam is surely the most important similarity the girls experienced over the course of the week, but the girls of both schools also recognized the pride both schools feel about their respective Ursulines.  Seeing the girls share these special bonds was a powerful experience.  Again, we want to thank our St. Louis friends for their visit – and their important work in helping our community.  We also want them to know they will always be welcome here in New Orleans whenever they visit again.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

As you can probably guess, the most important factor in student achievement is the quality of instruction in the classroom. The best teachers have a clear sense of what they want to accomplish, are good communicators and help others believe in their ability to be successful.  The best strategy for improving schools is developing the collective capacity as educators to function as members of a professional learning community.  We are continually striving at Ursuline to be the best that we can be, which means that this process is never complete. We are continually seeking to be self reflective in our practices. Some months ago I told you that the high school and elementary school had partnered with the School Leadership Center to participate in the SLC’s Discovery Walk Program.  After a few months identifying areas of focus for our rubric, we finalized the template with our leadership team and faculty, and our leadership team conducted our very first Discovery Walk last week. I am pleased and excited to say that it was an extremely valuable and productive experience. 

The Discovery Walk entailed that our leadership team along with two educators from the Leadership center conduct 15-20 minute classroom  observations in which we looked for certain identifiable elements in a lesson. Examples of these are: purpose of lesson written and verbalized; students actively participating in classroom talk and providing evidence for answers; type of instruction – whole class, small group, individual etc.; Ursuline mission and Catholicity evident in classroom; levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy – remember, understand, apply, analyze evaluate, create;  brief student in interview. After each walk, the team assembled for five minutes to discuss what we saw and then we entered our responses on iPads and moved to the next classroom. I’m happy to say that we visited all 1^st - 7^th grade classrooms, therefore having a full sampling of data to review and discuss. In the afternoon, the team met to discuss the data and to use the data to further identify areas in which we want to focus on for greater improvement. The team will share the results with the faculty and conduct another walk on April 20^th.  After April 20^th the leadership team will begin training our entire faculty in the way of making Discovery Walks.  These Discovery Walks will eventually become part of our learning culture and will continually provide us data to use for improvement.  Of course, Ms. Mollere and I will continue to observe and evaluate teachers, but the Discovery Walk Program will help our faculty see best teaching practices in action and help identify problem areas and ways to address these areas.  I will continue to keep you updated on our progress. 

Testing has been going well this week and I appreciate you as parents partnering with us to make sure the students are rested and prepared to be at their very best. 

The raffle ticket drive will be coming to an end on Friday, March 30^th. The elementary school is doing very well with our totals, and the administration appreciates your support. We just have a couple of classes left to reach 100%. Don’t forget that if a student sells a 2^nd book of raffle tickets, she receives a delicious breakfast and pajama day. If she sells 3 books, she receives also, a pool party at Mrs. Casey’s house (grades 1-7) McDonald’s party (T2-Kindergarten). 

Don’t forget to order your Willy Wonka tickets.  Performances run Friday, March 30^th through Sunday, April 1^st.  It is going to be FABULOUS! And our girls have worked so hard!  E-mail mprovenzano@ursulineneworleans.org or call 866-5260 to reserve your tickets. 

Spaghetti Supper is this Sunday, April 1^st noon until 4:00 p.m.  Please join us for a fun family day. 

Easter Holidays: Thursday, April 5^th through Monday, April 9^th.  Raffle ticket holiday for all classes reaching 100% on Tuesday, April 10^th. 

Please remind your daughter that it is a privilege to be allowed to bring cell phones to school.  They are only allowed for the specific purpose of students being able to call their parents regarding after school activities, or changes in schedule. Cell phones are to be turned off and placed in lockers during the day. They are not to be used in the mornings in the cafeteria, or in aftercare. They are never to be used without explicit permission from the teacher on duty. They are never to be used on campus to play games, take pictures or send texts or emails. These rules were discussed with the students at the beginning of the year assembly and we as a faculty are constantly reminding the students of the rules. These policies exist for the students’ well being and safety. If a student forgets, and/or chooses to disobey the policy, she will receive a detention. I ask that you please support us in helping to teach your daughter accountability and responsibility.

Dear Ursuline Family,

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 contemplatives 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.

Yours in Christ,

Gretchen Z. Kane

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

I want to bring to the attention of all our students and our parents some interesting information regarding Facebook that has important ramifications.  According to a recent article in Escapist Magazine, many colleges and employers are now requiring access to applicants’ Facebook passwords so that the contents of an applicants’ Facebook account can be thoroughly examined for questionable or objectionable content.  Even more interesting is the fact that such practices are completely legal.

While there may ultimately be legal challenges to this practice of requiring access to one’s Facebook page, the fact remains that individuals applying for admission to colleges or for job openings may find themselves denied admission or a job because of what they choose to post – and even what they have posted at any time in the past.   That’s right:  some schools and some employers require that a history of posts to one’s Facebook account be supplied during the application process.  A poor decision made by a young person during his or her high school career can have calamitous consequences regarding the future.

While Ursuline clearly delineates its acceptable uses of technology, including the Internet, in our Student Handbook, we believe it is important that students and parents understand that what one chooses to post on Facebook has consequences far beyond one’s high school career here at the Academy.  Needless to say, parental supervision of a student’s Facebook page is important.  Don’t hesitate to have a discussion with your daughter regarding this important issue.

I also want to take this opportunity to clarify policy regarding the delivery of food to school for student lunches.  Please remember that only parents are allowed to deliver food for students during the school day.  Deliveries attempted by food suppliers or other outsiders during the school day will be refused by the High School Office and the front desk – and the student for whom the delivery is intended will face discipline consequences.  Should you have any questions about this policy, please do not hesitate to contact our Dean of Students, Karen Mortillaro, or me.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Dear Ursuline Family, 

I recently reread a piece called “The Bike Ride” that I thought I would share with you. 

THE BIKE RIDE

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge – keeping track of things I did to know whether I merited heaven or hell. He was out there – sort of like a president. I recognized His picture, but I didn’t know Him. 

Later on, when I met Christ, life became a bike ride. It was a tandem bike, and Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don’t know just when He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since. Christ makes life exciting. 

When I had the control, I knew the way. I was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. When He led, He knew delightful long cuts – up mountains and through rocky places – and at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on!! Even though it looked like madness. He said, “Pedal!” I worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to trust. 

I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people who gave me gifts of healing, acceptance, joy and peace for our journey. He said, “Give the gifts away.” So I did to the people we met. And I found that in giving I received, and our burden was light. 

I did not trust Him at first to control my life. I thought He’d wreck it. But He knows how to make bikes bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. 

I am learning to be quiet and pedal in the strangest places. I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face. And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more – He just smiles and says “Pedal!” 

During this Lenten season, let us give ourselves over to God. Let us have faith and hope in our God. Allow us to be sensitive in our devotion to God and to live in His smile. 

Yours in Christ,

Gretchen Z. Kane 

Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

When I arrived at the Ursuline nearly four years ago, Academy President Gretchen Kane told me that she wanted the High School Division to improve its academic standing.  In particular, Ms. Kane wanted us to work on improving our students’ performance in math and science.  Presciently, she pointed out that over the course of the next decade or more, many career opportunities for young people would become available to those who excelled in the areas of math and science.  The High School’s Science and Math Departments, in conjunction with the High School Administration, have been working hard over the last three years to improve our programs in these two vital areas.   Last week, we saw further evidence that our efforts in these areas are beginning to pay dividends. 

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the High School Division’s eleven award winners from the 2012 Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair, which announced its awards last week at a ceremony at the University of New Orleans.  All of the High School’s sophomores and juniors who participate in the Honors Program are required to participate in the Fair.  From our sophomore class, Tiffany Nguyen received a third place in the Cellular and Molecular Biology competition; Iman Naeem received a third place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences competition; Elise Bourgeois received a third place in the Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering competition; Anam Ismail received a second place in the Environmental Management competition; and Emily MacLaren received a first place in the Biochemistry competition.

Junior award winners include Rachelle Drygalla, who received fourth place in Animal Sciences; Hannah Sensenbrenner, who received second place in Behavioral Sciences (and also received the American Psychological Association Award for Outstanding Research in the Behavioral Sciences); Amanda Granier, who received second place in Medicine and Health Science; Gabrielle Mendy, who received second place in Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical (and also received an award from the Society of Women Civil Engineers for an Outstanding Project in Engineering); Samantha Adams, who received a first place in Chemistry; and Mia Muhsen, who received a first place in Engineering:  Materials and Bioengineering (and two additional awards, the Odebrecht Construction Senior Engineer Award and the American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Project Award for Structural Engineering).

Ursuline’s Science Department received the Patrick F. Taylor Award for having a minimum of ten projects competing at the Senior Division of the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair – the third time in four years that the Science Department has earned this award.  We also want to congratulate the High School’s Chemistry teacher, Elizabeth Harney, who received both the Odebrecht Construction Teachers’ Award and the Structural Engineering Institute of American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Teacher Award.  Needless to say, we are very proud of the accomplishments of our students and our teachers.  As for our ninth and twelfth grade students, respectively, they have entered other competitions.  We will keep you posted on their accomplishments when we receive word on their competitions.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Grades will be posted to Ed-line on Thursday and mailed home. 

Congratulations to Gabriella Trentacoste who won 2^nd place in the Earth and Space Science Division of the Science Fair. She also received the Broadcast Masters Award and the Society of Engineers Award. Her project will advance to the State fair at LSU at the end of March. 

The elementary school is in the process of preparing for our five year accreditation review with the Louisiana Council on Accreditation and School Improvement/AdvancED . Our review is scheduled for April of 2013. In preparation we will be asking you to complete several surveys. The first of which deals with our Catholic Identity. Please take time to complete the Catholic Identity Program Effectiveness Adult Survey  and the Catholic Identity Characteristics Adult Survey. The survey will be available until March 15. Thank you in advance for assisting us in our ongoing process of self-improvement. 

Terra Nova testing will be administered at the end of March from Wednesday, March 21^st through Tuesday, March 27^th.  A student cannot prepare for these tests in the traditional way of studying some designated material; however, one can prepare by gaining an understanding of the test and what it measures as well as getting a good night’s rest and eating a healthy breakfast.  I have included a link for you to read and discuss with your daughter in preparation for these assessments. Click here for testing information. Also, I want you to be aware that our teachers have been preparing the students all school year for these tests and they will be reviewing some previous concepts leading up to the tests.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. 

Vision and Hearing testing for grades 1,3,5, and 7^th will take place on Tuesday, March 6^th. 

We will have a dress down day on Friday, March 9^th to benefit our U.S. troops. The money raised will go to purchase USO Care packages that will be sent to our men and women abroad. There is a minimum $2.00 donation to dress down, but you may send more if you’d like. 

Our Quiz Bowl Team will compete Saturday at Brother Martin. Good luck to our girls! 

There was a mistake on the March Calendar: The High School Mother/Daughter Brunch is March 11^th . The Elementary School Mother/Daughter Brunch is on April 22^nd. More information will be going home soon. 

Don’t forget to sell your raffle tickets! We are offering some great incentives to motivate the students to sell all they can.  You might recall that we haven’t had any fundraisers this year-like the Sally Foster Gift Wrap Drive and the Entertainment Books. We purposefully eliminated these in hopes that parents who would normally participate in those, would instead put all of their support toward the Serviam Drive and the Raffle Ticket Drive. Both of these extremely important initiatives directly impact the Academy operating budget, thereby benefiting student programs.  Please know that your support is needed and very much appreciated. 

All students who sell their 1^st pack of tickets, $80.00, by this Friday, March 9^th will receive the day off, a dress down day, and the bonus incentive of extended recess time in a blow-up jumper. Great fun!!! 

Don’t forget to reserve your tickets for our Academy Musical, “Willy Wonka”, March 30^th through April 1^st by contacting Ms. Melanie Provenzano at mprovenzano@ursulineneworleans.org.

As it is the Lenten season, I thought I would again share reflections from Sarah Stockton, a writer, writing teacher, and spiritual director, whose articles have appeared in America, the Christian Science Monitor, The San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications. She is the author of Restless in Christ: Answering the Call to Spiritual Commitment.

“We come together in Lent as a faith community to be a companion, witness, and disciple of Christ as he begins his long journey toward death and resurrection. How can we best be attentive to the spiritual journey during this time of grieving, introspection, seeking, and redemption? As Christians we are offered two significant pathways toward a closer communion with God, in Christ. First, we are invited into a community of fellow seekers. And second, we are invited into our own personal relationship with Christ, as we seek to find points of connection through his words, his story, his example, and his living spirit, to our own lives today.

Lenten Reflection
Lent comes each year laden with the memories, teachings, assumptions, and wisdom that each of us has accumulated over the years of our church experience. This can be both a blessing and a challenge. A blessing, in that we are reminded of the cycle of birth and resurrection. We are re-called, called again, to our connection with not only the liturgical calendar, but the cycle of life itself. In the familiarity of our rituals and celebrations we are re-connected to our faith and the family of God. The challenge of Lent is to find a way to make it a vital, living, immediate experience of the life of Christ and our connection to that life, in all that it both asks and promises. The writing exercises offered here invite you to explore both the blessings and challenges of this season.

The Blessings of Lent
Take a few minutes to think about what it is you truly look forward to in the Lenten season. This could range from daily events to more general feelings or awareness. Now go beyond what first comes to mind. Is there something that attracts you every year, when the season of Lent first begins its approach? What about it especially beckons you, what is it that draws you to want to be a part of this experience? Is it the change in seasons, the promise of spring? Is it the comfort of tradition? Is it some sense of a new start in your life, or a chance to go deeper into your prayer life? It may be all, or none of these things. Write about what the blessings of Lent are, for you, this day.

The Challenges of Lent
There are several challenges before us during Lent as well. How to stay the course of Christ’s journey without losing heart. How to not judge the way others are “doing Lent.” How to keep the incandescent reality of our faith alive in the midst of the harsh reality of daily life. In some Christian denominations, Lent has also traditionally been used as a time of giving up something we enjoy or rely on, in order to demonstrate our personal repentance and our allegiance to the suffering that Christ experienced. Yet the story of Christ is not just a story of suffering, but of a human being who lived in the complete fullness of God. Our challenge therefore is to learn to live in that same complete fullness, as best we can, through Christ’s example and his ever-present love. What is it that keeps us from full communion with Christ? What can we “give up” this Lenten season that has until now served as a barrier between us and Christ? Is it some behavior, some pattern, some way of thinking about ourselves or others? Or could it be some unrealistic desire that keeps us from the present moment? Or are we avoiding an unexplored dream that might fulfill us? Write about what you might “offer up” to God during this season as a way of acknowledging your desire to come closer to God. What door could you open, in what way could you stop hiding from God’s love?”

Yours in Christ,

Gretchen Z. Kane

A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

I have written about Ursuline’s association with the School Leadership Center of New Orleans and, in particular, our decision to participate in the SLC’s Discovery Walk program several times over the last few months.  We in the High School Division recently finalized the rubric we will be using with our teachers for the Discovery Walk program and I wanted to take a few moments to describe this rubric to you and talk about how the data generated by the rubric will influence classroom teaching at Ursuline. 

When we presented the Discovery Walk program concept to our faculty back in January, we asked them to identify two areas where they believed the program could be helpful in generating useable data.  The two areas the faculty identified concern the ability of the teacher in promoting a positive learning environment and the teacher’s ability to communicate effectively with her or his students.  While these areas of concern have been used before to evaluate teacher performance, we wanted to identify measurable objectives in these areas so that teachers could generate meaningful data for their colleagues regarding performance in the classroom. 

The first area, promoting a positive learning environment, concerns the teacher’s ability to keep students on task and engaged in the learning process while building a classroom environment consistent with the Ursuline core values of respect for the uniqueness of the individual, development of the whole person, and the development of a nurturing community spirit.  Therefore, we want our teachers to establish a learning environment where sarcasm and ridicule are never used to establish classroom order, where the teacher establishes clear behavioral expectations for all learners, and where student interactions are respectful and help to create a nurturing environment.  As for the second area of concern, effective communications, we want our teachers to encourage interaction with their students, to incorporate and develop student responses to help enrich instruction, and to utilize interaction to assess student learning. 

The High School Administration identified two other areas were quantifiable data might be generated to encourage further professional development.  First of all, we wanted to have teachers look at their use of measurable objectives in instruction: does the teacher post the objectives, does the teacher verbally refer to the objectives during the lesson, and does the teacher utilize activities that show evidence of the objectives.   The second area the Administration chose to examine concerns how teachers develop meaningful engagement of their students.  While we want our teachers to have students learn material at basic levels (the remember/understand level of Bloom’s Taxonomy), we also want our girls to provide evidence for their answers, draw conclusions to create new meanings and understandings, and apply these new understandings to solve tasks. 

To these ends, we have created a rubric concerning these areas that teachers can use when they observe their colleagues in the classroom.  As important as administrative oversight can be in monitoring the performance of teachers, the Discovery Walk program will go beyond mere administrative oversight to afford our teachers the opportunity to observe teachers in action.  The data our teachers generate with these indicators will not be used in teacher evaluation; instead, it will serve as a springboard for teacher discussion of “best teaching practices” and ultimately, professional development programs designed by our teachers to help our teachers.  Administration will continue to observe teachers in action, of course, but the Discovery Walk program will help our faculty see good teaching in action and help identify problem areas – and ways to address these problem areas.  We are excited about our participation in the Discovery Walk program and believe it will help us better address the needs of our students for many years to come.  I will keep all of you posted as we move forward with the program.

Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a fun and restful Mardi Gras break.

6^th and 7^th exams begin on Wednesday.  Math and reading exams are on Wednesday, February 29^th,  science and religion exams are on Thursday, March 1^st, and the English exam is on Friday, March 2^nd. The social studies projects counted as the exam grade. 

The 3^rd quarter ends on Friday, March 2^nd. Grades are due in to the office on Monday, March 5^th. 

The Spaghetti  Supper raffle tickets are being sent home. Every student’s participation is needed and appreciated. Please sell, at least, your one book of 40 raffle tickets valued at $80.00. We are offering some very cool incentives for those who sell. Thanks so much!!! 

Incentives:

 1 pack/$80 = day off of school on April 10^th and a free dress down day

2 packs /$160 = all of the above plus breakfast and pajama day

3 packs/$240 =  all of the above plus: pool party for lower school and middle school, McDonald’s lunch for early childhood 

• Each week I will draw a name from those students who have sold their tickets to win a no homework pass.
• The very first class to reach 100% will receive an ice-cream sundae party.
• Each class who reaches 200% will receive a picnic at Audubon park. 

Bonus Incentives: all students who sell their 1^st book of tickets by Friday, March 9^th will receive an extended recess in a blow-up jumper.  

All students who sell their 2^nd book of tickets by Friday, March 16^th will receive an extended recess party in the gym with Mr. V as D.J. – bring your own iPods. 

*** These bonus incentives are in addition to the above mentioned incentives. 

More surprises to come!

 Terra Nova testing will take place March 21^st through March 27^th. 

Don’t forget to purchase your “Willy Wonka” tickets by contacting the elementary school office at mprovenzano@ursulineneworleans.org or calling 504-866-5260. Performances will be held on Friday, March 30^th at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, March 31^st at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 1^st at 4:30 p.m. Our Academy musicals feature students in grades 2^nd through 12^th and are always top notch professional performances.         

We are looking for a parent with some track and field experience who would be willing to help out with our middle school track program. There are 4-5 track meets in the spring. If you are interested in learning more about this great opportunity to help UA, please contact our Athletic Director, Jan G. Ezzell at jezzell@ursulineneworleans.org.

Dear Ursuline Family,

Happy Valentine’s Day! I wondered about the origins of Valentine’s Day, and I found that there really may have been a St. Valentine (although who he actually was is not certain). Here is the quick quiz I found:

St. Valentine was:

a)  a priest in the Roman Empire who helped persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was thrown in jail and later beheaded on Feb. 14.

b)  a Catholic bishop of Terni who was beheaded, also during the reign of Claudius II.

c)  someone who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden, or suffered in Africa, or wrote letters to his jailer’s daughter, and was probably beheaded.

d)  all, some or, possibly, none of the above.

Since I didn’t know the answer, I guessed (d). Although the mid-February holiday celebrating love and lovers remains wildly popular, the confusion over its origins led the Catholic Church, in 1969, to drop St. Valentine’s Day from the Roman calendar of official, worldwide Catholic feasts.

On a more serious note, if you haven’t sent in your registration for next year, it’s very important to do so right way. We are in the middle of our application process for new students, and, without having an accurate count of the number of families who will not be returning to the Academy next year, we are unable to offer some of our prospective students a place. The principals will be sending a reminder letter so that our current families have every opportunity to respond in a timely manner. Unfortunately, after the stated deadline, we will have to offer a spot occupied by a current student who is not re-registered to a prospective student who is eager to be a part of the Ursuline tradition. 

The packet of information regarding our annual Spaghetti Supper will be distributed the week we return from Mardi Gras break. There are many ways to contribute in order to make this important fundraising effort a success (volunteering to work on April 1; being an event sponsor; making donations; etc.). Please remember that we need everyone to participate in selling their allotment of cash raffle tickets. Know how much Ursuline appreciates your assistance and loyal support.

A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

I need to acknowledge several accomplishments that our girls have achieved over the last couple of weeks.  First of all, I want to congratulate senior Rachel Romero for being named the twelfth-grade Student of the Year for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  Rachel, the daughter of Sherrie and Glen Romero of Harvey, was selected as the outstanding senior from all of the twenty-one high schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  Needless to say, all of us are extremely proud of Rachel and wish her well as she continues her quest to become Louisiana Student of the Year.  We will keep the Ursuline community updated regarding her status. 

Last fall, the High School Division announced that senior Katie Stahel, the daughter of Kim and Gregory Stahel of Marrero, had been named a National Merit Semifinalist.  I am pleased to inform everyone that Katie received notification last week that she has been named a National Merit Finalist for her performance in an essay contest she entered last fall.  Katie, an eight-time state champion in swimming during her career in the High School Division, has also proven herself to be an outstanding student.  We are very pleased with her achievements and wish her well in the difficult task choosing the right college scholarship opportunity. 

The Times-Picayune has honored two of our student-athletes with recognition as Large School Players of the Week over the last two weeks.  Sophomore Jenna Deemer, the daughter of Brendel Deemer of New Orleans and the leading scorer on this year’s basketball team, won the award two weeks ago; eighth-grader Alex Thomas, the daughter of Erika Mann of New Orleans and Daryl Thomas of New Orleans and the leading scorer on this year’s soccer team, won the honor last week.  The basketball team finishes district play tonight against Warren Easton at Easton before the state playoffs begin.  The soccer team has already advanced to the quarter-finals of the state playoffs and will face Teurlings Catholic this evening in Lafayette.  A win tonight will mark the furthest the soccer team has ever advanced in state tournament play.  We wish both teams the very best in their quest to bring a state championship back to State Street. 

I also need to acknowledge the efforts of Dody Nolan and the Queen’s Players in making last Saturday’s A Night of One-Acts such a success.  For those of you unfamiliar with this great Ursuline tradition, each class in the High School stages a one-act play in a competition.   Individual actresses from each grade level are recognized as Outstanding Actresses, and one play is recognized as the Outstanding Play.  The Outstanding Actress in the eighth grade was Kristen Kass; the ninth-grade winner was Mignon Blanc; the tenth grade winner was Rachel Charbonnet; the eleventh-grade winner was Farrah Veal; and the twelfth-grade winner was Daniella Corzantes.  The Outstanding Play was the seniors’ “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” which was directed by Julia Elbaum with assistance from Daniella Corzantes and Ellie Williams.  Other directors included senior Jo Ripoll, who worked with the eighth grade (assisted by senior Grace Lamy) in the production of Shakespeare’s “Pyramus and Thisbe;” senior Hannah Gudan, who worked with the ninth-grade production of “MacBeth Mixed Up;” Sarah Gamard, who directed her fellow tenth-graders in “Sound Cues;” and Farrah Veal, who directed the junior production of “Sensitivity USA.”  The entire night served as a wonderful showcase for the wealth of dramatic talent present in the High School.  Again, I want to thank Dody Nolan for her help in organizing and administering this important Ursuline tradition.

A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Valentine’s Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 14^th.  Students are allowed to wear Valentine/red accessories to school.   

Class pictures will be taken on Wednesday, February 15^th.

Grandparents’ Day will be celebrated on Friday, February 17^th.  Please invite your daughter’s grandparents to join us for a very lovely morning.

Early Childhood: 9:30 a.m. -10:45 a.m. Grandparents’ reception in early childhood center, followed by parade in the courtyard.

1-7^th grades: Grandparent reception beginning at 9:00 a.m. ( 1 and 2^nd grades in the classrooms, 3^rd in St. Ursula’s Hall, 4^th in Sisters’ Dining Hall, 5-7^th in the cafeteria) reception will be followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. in the Shrine, and then followed by the toddler parade in the courtyard.

There will be NOON DISMISSAL – NO AFTERCARE.

Mardi Gras Holidays are Monday, February 20^th through Friday, February 24^th.

Don’t forget to join us at the Dads’ Club BBQ for the Thoth Parade. The Dad’s Club will be located at the Strive Center, 1139 Napoleon Ave. on Sunday, February 19^th beginning at approximately 6:00 a.m. and staying through Bacchus. There will be food drinks, and bathrooms available. We look forward to seeing our Ursuline families and friends.

Our Character Trait for the month of February is Fairness. The definition of fairness is free from favoritism or bias, and being consistent with rules, logic, or ethics. If you would like to emphasize fairness at home, you may help your child identify ways to use fairness in daily life, such as by sharing chores with siblings, solving disputes calmly, sharing with friends at school and on the playground.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The only authorized drop-off and pick-up area for the elementary school students is the carport area. Anyone who is being dropped off or picked up anywhere else (back of Lion’s Den, faculty parking lots, the street, etc.) will receive an automatic detention. This procedure is crucial for student safety. Parents should not pick up at the Lion’s Den in the afternoon unless a student is at aftercare and it is not before 3:30 p.m. (NOTE: If you are part of a high school carpool and have a note on file in the office, you may be dropped off at the horseshoe.)

Raffle tickets will be sent home Monday, February 27^th and all students are expected to participate. The students have been working on new ideas for ticket Incentives and they will be going home soon.

6^th and 7^th exams will be held on February 29^th through March 2^nd. 

Prayer of Compassion

Jesus, you the Innocent One, were unjustly condemned to death.
We see you condemned today in the millions who are deprived of basic human rights, and in prisoners of conscience deprived of their liberty to speak and act according to their convictions and beliefs. We also remember those who have given their lives for the right to speak out against injustice.

Jesus, you bore the Cross, ours rather than your own.
You still bear intolerable burdens today in those who are kept poor, hungry and ignorant; in those weighed down by guilt and rejection.

Jesus, the women of Jerusalem wept to see you suffer.
We thank you for all those who bring compassion and healing to the minds and hearts of persons in affliction.

Jesus, you were laid in the tomb – but only to rise gloriously from the dead.
We thank you for your Resurrection; we thank you for all those working for peace and justice who spend themselves to bring the fruits of the Resurrection to individuals, groups of peoples, thus establishing your kingdom and ushering in a new Heaven and a new Earth.

Lord Jesus, you said “As long as you did it to one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me.’ Awaken us from our sleep that we may respond effectively to the urgent demands of your Gospel today. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We have so much to be proud of and to be thankful for at Ursuline. I have the great fortune to see our girls developing every day, growing intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Know that everything we do and every decision we make is with the girls’ well-being in mind. Thank you for your support of our wonderful mission.

If you haven’t sent in your registration for next year, it’s very important to do so right way. We are in the middle of our application process for new students, and, without having an accurate count of the number of families who will not be returning to the Academy next year, we are unable to offer some of our prospective students a place. The principals will be sending a reminder so that our current families have every opportunity to respond.

A Message from the High School Principal – John Gabriel

Last Friday’s annual meeting of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association holds two points of interest for the Ursuline community. The LHSAA, an association of principals from member schools across the state of Louisiana, represents both public and private high schools. Two very important proposals came up for a vote on Friday. A proposal by Marlin Ramsey of South Beauregard High School that advocated for a division of public and private schools during state playoffs was tabled, meaning that the Association can revisit the idea next year. A second proposal, written by Michael Giambelluca of Jesuit High School and Wesley Watts of Zachary High School, would allow schools to “play up” one classification from what they are currently classified. This proposal did, indeed, pass and will be effective immediately.

Mr. Ramsey’s proposal had, and has, huge implications for private schools (and “select” schools, as charters and magnets are included in the “select” designation) like Ursuline. Ramsey’s proposal would have relegated all “select” schools to just two classifications, whereas public schools would have competed for championships in four classifications. Ursuline would have been forced to compete against schools two and three times its size during the state playoffs – a move against which we objected strenuously. Ursuline has competed – and will continue to compete – against larger schools in pre-district schedules, but we strongly believe that the LHSAA should continue to foster a playoff system that promotes fairness. The LHSAA’s decision to table Ramsey’s proposal was the correct decision.

As for the second proposal, schools now have the option to play in a larger classification. While Ursuline does not wish to “play up” at this point in time, we certainly respect the rights of those schools who choose to play in a larger classification. The passage of this second proposal has fueled some talk about resurrecting the old Catholic League in New Orleans. While some schools may find such a move to be advantageous, we at Ursuline believe the interests of our students will be best served by maintaining our current classification. If, in the future, we find playing up to be to the Academy’s advantage, we will revisit this question.

I wanted to thank Kim Otto, the High School’s Campus Minister, for her incredible work in organizing and administering last Friday’s day of service for the high school students in honor of the Feast of St. Angela. The logistics in organizing such an event for nearly four hundred and forty young women is mind-boggling, and yet the day went without a hitch. Ms. Otto’s patience and her sense of humor were on display throughout the day’s activities, which culminated with our school-wide Mass in the Shrine. I need to thank our teachers, too, for their work with our students on this very important day. Our girls made a huge impact on the greater New Orleans community last Friday, and the work of our teachers was vital in ensuring that our girls could work throughout the community.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate juniors Samantha Adams and Marcelle Meyer, who won this year’s essay contest sponsored by the Freedoms Foundation. Both Sami and Marcelle will be attending an all-expenses-paid trip to Philadelphia later this spring to attend a youth leadership conference sponsored by the Foundation, a national organization created to develop an understanding and appreciation of the nature and benefits of freedom among young Americans. Students from Ursuline have gone on to win the national contest sponsored by this organization over the last three years. We wish Sami and Marcelle the very best as they continue in the competition.

A Message from the Elementary School Principal – Kim Harper

Progress reports are due in to the office on Wednesday, February 1. They will be mailed home and posted to Ed-line by Monday, February 6. Please continue to monitor your daughter’s daily homework and studying.

This Thursday, February 2 is the Parents’ Club General Meeting at 8:15 a.m. in the Sisters’ Dining Hall. Please join us for coffee, king cake, administrative updates, and information about Academy service projects and monthly Adoration.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Reminder: There is no school for students on Friday, February 3 due to the Academy Faculty Service Day.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, February 9 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.

We will have a Dress Down Day to benefit Raintree Children and Family Services on Friday, February  10. Look for the flyer that will be going home.

Class pictures will be taken on Wednesday, February 15.

Grandparents’ Day will be held on Friday, February 17. All grandparents are invited to join us for light refreshments before Mass and then to celebrate Mass with us at 10 a.m. in the Shrine. We will then attend the early childhood Mardi Gras parade at 11 a.m. in the courtyard. School will be dismissed at noon. There is no aftercare.

The Mardi Gras Holidays are Monday, February 20 through Friday, February 24. School resumes on Monday, February 27.