Research shows that reading aloud to children every day puts them almost a year ahead of children who do not receive daily read alouds, regardless of parental income, education level, or cultural background. So what better way to kick off the month of February in our Lower School than by enjoying World Read Aloud Day? An international day recognized by schools around the world, World Read Aloud Day celebrates literacy and encourages kids of all ages to read and be read to. With the help of our Ursuline community, we did just that!

 

Middle School: Spartan Speech Classic

 

"We awake every day to a world that challenges us, and we challenge it back," is a tenet of our Portrait of a Graduate that goes hand in hand with the mission of Dual School. Funded by Paul McConnell, Dual School provides high school students the opportunity to find solutions to a real-world problem that they are passionate about. 

Katie Carrig '20 was chosen to participate in the inaugural cohort of Dual School. She selected food waste as her problem to solve, and her project was creating a donation program for leftover school food that would support those who need it most. Over the course of the last three months, Katie researched the issue, collaborated with a professional with experience in her problem area, created and tested different prototypes, and learned that road blocks are a necessary part of the process. Dual School gave her the tools, motivation, and confidence to bounce back when hitting obstacles and to become comfortable with trying multiple ideas before finding success. 

The cohort's culminating event was a discovery day held on January 30 th  at Paul McConnell's 1313 Innovation Center in Downtown Wilmington. This event was a celebration of the 13 students who were part of the inaugural cohort and included breakout sessions from each participant presenting their Dual School experience, their trials and tribulations, their successes, and their next steps. With the success of the fall cohort, Dual School is now in the process of planning for the spring group. We had 10 students apply and look forward to having more of our students experience this unique opportunity.         

 

"Dual school has been such an amazing experience. It has really helped me build my confidence and grow as a leader, while making a significant impact on our local community. The food donation program I started at Ursuline has already donated over 100 food items. I really hope it continues to expand, and I hope other Ursuline girls get the opportunity to experience Dual School as well," said Katie.

 

Our Upper School teacher Erin McNichol has been instrumental in Ursuline's involvement in Dual School. Erin not only served on the initial planning team that helped develop Dual School but also served as a mentor for one of the students in the fall cohort. This work goes hand in hand with the Innovation and Leadership courses that Erin leads here at UA. Her hard work and determination has been instrumental in establishing Ursuline as a pioneer in the field of innovation, and in continuing the program that Paul McConnell has helped to fund over the past two years. Our partnership with Paul McConnell and the Horn Entrepreneur Program at the University of Delaware has opened the door in collaborating with many local entrepreneurs and national groups like Go Baby Go!. This partnership also allows us to continue to provide our students with an opportunity to challenge the world. 

 

Read more about Erin McNichol's impact in our Faculty Spotlight below, and click here to read more about Dual School.