Dear Ursuline Family,

Act, move, believe, strive, hope,
cry out to God with all your heart.
For without doubt you will see marvelous things,
if you direct everything to God's praise and glory and
the good of all.

COUNSELS OF ST. ANGELA

This selection from the Counsels of St. Angela is a good reminder for us all to direct everything we do each and every day to God's praise and glory and the good of everyone. And, at Ursuline Academy, we are, indeed, seeing marvelous things.

The school year opened with its first day of classes on August 24, less than a month ago. Yet, so much is going on. Ursuline traditions have taken center stage:

• Annual Mass of the Holy Spirit: Fr. Alfonse uniquely dramatized the day's gospel message of the greatest of God's commandments — love God above all else, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

• Senior Community Days not only provided time for seniors to come together as a class but also opportunities to deepen and expand their sense of sisterhood; Senior Breakfast, sponsored by the Dads Club, is a memorable way for the senior class to begin their last first day of school.

• The Freshman Dance is always a big hit; Freshman Retreat, led by members of the junior class, was a meaningful experience and included an appearance by St. Angela Merici played by our very own Sr. Lois Castillon; Freshman Convocation where freshmen are officially inducted into Ursuline will occur next week.

• The Mother/Daughter Mass and Brunch is such a special way to celebrate the unique relationship between mothers and daughters. When Jae DeLeon read her letter to her mom at the end of Mass, there wasn't a dry eye anywhere!

Another annual occurrence is the Parent Survey sent out at the end of the school year. This year we heard back from 475 of the 1,447 parents invited to participate (based on individual email addresses).

We were delighted to learn of the many areas where Ursuline performs well. Among top strengths indicated were Overall Academic Program, Serviam at the Heart of Ursuline Education, Proficient and Responsible Use of Technology, Promotion of 21st Century Learning Skills, and Global Awareness. It was also helpful to gain insight into areas suggested for improvement: Student Workload Coordination, Teacher Communication with Parents, Understanding of Pressures Affecting Students, and Varied Leadership Opportunities for Students.

Certain of Angela Merici's presence among us and influenced by her strength and thinking, we are confident that Ursuline education will continue to center on excellence, preparing young women to be confident, compassionate leaders in the world they will inherit.

As we look to the future informed by a rich past, we thank our parents, our alumnae, and our friends for their support of the Ursuline mission.

Yours in Christ,

Gretchen Z. Kane
President