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Achievements in Our Classrooms
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Lower School: Forces and Motion
On Friday, February 23rd, our 4th grade class executed their first ever Forces and Motion Carnival! As an activity based on their science unit on forces and motion, the students each designed and created an arcade game to display various concepts they recently learned. Games such as Plinko Plop, Power Toss, Friction Frenzy Shuffle Board, and Supersonic Strawball were just some of their creations that displayed concepts such as velocity, force, acceleration, and speed.
Taking this project another step forward, our entire Lower School was invited to join in on the fun! Mrs. McHugh's class welcomed all students to attend the carnival and test out the games. Our Lower School students were excited to participate in the fun and were thrilled to leave the carnival with popcorn and prizes. A very big bravo to Mrs. McHugh and her hard working 4th grade class for bringing science to life for our Lower School community!
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Middle School: 7th Grade Science Fair
A major part of the 7th grade science curriculum is participating in the Science Fair. Preparation begins in September and continues through January. Each girl follows the steps of the scientific method to design and execute a science project. The Science Fair provides many important educational benefits such as developing skills in writing, oral presentation, critical and creative thinking, and hands-on science problem-solving.
On February 20th, our 7th graders presented their Science Fair projects to a panel of Ursuline alumnae judges who currently work or have worked in STEM fields.
The girls had fascinating experiments and presented themselves extremely well. The judges were impressed with the quality of work, and the poise and confidence our girls possess. Congratulations to all of our 7th graders!
Way to go girls!
1st place
- Chloe Gilliard - Electric Charge
2nd place
- Caroline Coyle - Up Goes the Cupcake
3rd place - Margo Matlusky - Unpoppable
Community Impact Award - Madelyn Dayrit - Activator or Incinerator
Originality Award - Sarah Saville - How Does Your Cookie Crumble
C
atrina Burgy - Rainbow Mind
Best Presentation - Laila Luft - Music to Your Ears
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Upper School: Alumnae Speaker Series
A "lifer" at UA and a parent of children in the Lower School, Kristin
Girardi Cunningham '95 was more than happy to share stories about her career as a pediatric occupational therapist at our lunchtime speaker series.
After graduating from Ursuline, Kristin received her bachelor's degree in health services from Saint Joseph's University and her master's degree in occupational therapy from Thomas Jefferson University. For the past 16 years, she has been working at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in specialty clinics and inpatient rehabilitation. She discussed the differences between occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech pathology.
Kristin also demonstrated tools that help her patients perform daily occupational tasks such as weighted utensils for eating, hooks for buttoning, and a device to put on socks. She also challenged girls to be observant and think outside the box to solve simple tasks that we take for granted.
In turn, students asked Kristin questions about the field of occupational therapy. They learned what her favorite part of her job is, how she balances work with her family life, and how they could get started in a similar career. Thank you, Kristin, for sharing your thoughtful stories, advice, and passion about a career in occupational therapy.
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Important Reminder for Parents
Re-enrollment Period is Here!
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This is just a reminder that our re-enrollment window for the 2018-2019 school year is still open!
Contracts along with a non-refundable deposit are due by Thursday, March 1st; however, if your family has been awarded tuition assistance, the deadline to secure your award was February 16th. Your adherence to these deadlines also secures your child's place for the year ahead and additionally allows the Academy to accurately plan staffing and overall budget. Thank you for your support in this effort.
Please complete your child's re-enrollment by clicking
here. You should have received a separate email with your current log-in credentials when we returned from the holiday break.
If you have any questions or are unable to re-enroll by the previously stated dates, please don't hesitate to contact the Admission Office at
[email protected].
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Faculty Spotlight
Middle School Science: Eileen Koenig
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Eileen Koenig serves as our Middle School science teacher and recently co-presented to our faculty strategies for deeper learning, where she shared methods for utilizing inquiry-based instructional approaches across the curriculum. Mrs. Koenig brings with her a wealth of experience in science and education as an environmental leader for local chemical companies, and more recently as a teacher of general science, environmental science, and earth science. Additionally, Mrs. Koenig volunteered for schools in the area by creating and implementing an after-school science program, Mad Science.
Since she was a child, Mrs. Koenig knew that she had a passion for science. From looking at science encyclopedias as a toddler to studying environmental science as her college major, she knew that she wanted to spend her days studying science. When the opportunity presented itself to combine her love of science with her natural teaching ability, it made perfect sense.
The Middle School science lab is a place teeming with activity. Mrs. Koenig said, "I love seeing groups of students working on problems and creating new things."
She tries to surprise students with labs and experiments that have unexpected outcomes. Mrs. Koenig also teaches the abstract concepts of science in ways that make them more concrete. Whether it is building models out of pool noodles, holding the law of motion balloon races, or mashing strawberries to collect DNA strands, our Middle School students discover and learn from the inside out under Mrs. Koenig's expert guidance.
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Summer at Ursuline
New Summer Programs for Boys and Girls
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Summer is right around the corner, and it's time to start planning on how your little one will spend their time during the warm months. We're excited to introduce the new summer enrichment programs at Ursuline this year!
For ages 3 to rising 1st grade, Summer Skippers gives kids a place where they can feel like true captains! With a variety of fun weekly themes, kids can venture on land, in the water, and in the air in search of animals, great and small.
The newest extension of our summer programs is Lavner Camps, aimed to inspire campers to shoot for the stars by providing the most innovative and cutting-edge summer camps in technology and the arts. Boys and girls ages 6-15 have the opportunity to experience culinary arts, video game design, spy tech, fashion design, theater, computer programming, and so much more! With a focus on experiential, hands-on learning and developing real-world skills, campers can gain expertise, build self-confidence, and have lots of fun!
Summer will be here before you know it, and camps will fill up fast! You don't want your kids to miss out on the summer of a lifetime. Click
here to learn more about Summer at Ursuline and to register.
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Author Visit
Elena Delle Donne
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We are very excited to have alumna Elena Delle Donne, 2015 WNBA MVP, Olympic Gold Medalist, and author visit Ursuline Academy on Wednesday, March 7th to share her books, Hoops #1: Elle of the Ball and
My Shot: Balancing it All and Standing Tall.
If your Lower or Middle School child would like to order a book and have it signed by Elena, click
here for an order form
. All forms are due back by Thursday, March 1st, with checks made out to Ursuline Academy. We are looking forward to welcoming Elena back to our school!
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TEDxYouth
Event Date Change
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Please note, the date for our TEDx event at Ursuline has been changed! It will now be held on
Sunday, May 20th.
The deadline for speaker applications has been extended to Friday, March 9th. We are still looking for student, alumnae, and family speakers.
The theme this year is "Pioneers and Poets". The
foundation of the theme is that while pioneers explore the unknown, the poet
must craft something beautiful from their explorations. This is an incredible
opportunity for us to collectively ask ourselves where we are today and where
we want to be tomorrow.
If you have an idea worth spreading, we want to hear from you. Click here
to apply today!
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Upcoming Event
2018 Distinguished Alumnae Hall of Fame
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It is our privilege to announce our 2018 Distinguished Alumnae Hall of Fame inductees. This esteemed panel of women will be honored on Sunday, March 11th at Ursuline Academy.
Commissioner Mary McDonough '71
Judicial Officer and Human Trafficking Court Program Founder
Megan Manlove McGlinchey '90
Executive Director, Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware
Valerie Biden Owens '63
Vice Chair of the Biden Institute at University of Delaware and
Vice Chair of the Biden Foundation
CDR Kristie Robson '91
Director for Medical Services at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton
Robin Toner '72
First Female National Political Correspondent of The New York Times
Jessie Woolley-Wilson '81
President and CEO of DreamBox Learning®, Inc.
Please join us as we recognize them for their talents, careers, and service as demonstrated throughout the community. Tickets are $40/adult and $25/current Ursuline student. For more information and to purchase a ticket, click here.
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Golf and Tennis Committee
Volunteers Wanted!
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Attention parents! Do you have a love or interest in golf or tennis? If so, please consider joining our 22nd Annual Ursuline Academy Jim Keegan Golf and Tennis Committee. This is a great way to meet other parents and get involved in one of the largest school fundraisers to benefit tuition assistance. This event takes place on Monday, May 21 at the DuPont Country Club.
Anyone with an interest or experience is welcome to join the committee. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, February 28th at 6pm at the DuPont Country Club. To learn more, please contact
Joanna Arat at
[email protected] or (302) 658-7158 x6257.
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