Dear Ursuline Families,

It is my privilege and deep Joy to welcome you to the 2026-2027 school year, Ursuline’s 153^rd year! The hallways are too quiet, and we are all in a moment of eager anticipation for the return of our students. The teachers are getting ready, the buildings are shiny and clean, and we are focused on welcoming our beloved girls. We will soon see our seniors in their blue shirts and our freshmen in their crisp, new uniforms. It’s a marvelous turning of the page to open this new year – a year of Joy!

We have selected Joy as our theme for the year. It was an easy theme to choose as we encounter so much joy in our daily lives here. As we were choosing our theme, we were moved by Psalm 16:11: You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

What a gift these words are to all of us! It is easy to get too focused on the nuisances of daily life and forget to raise our eyes and see the joys. When we remember that God is with us, the uncomplicated and true joy flows!

We enter this year propelled by the momentum of good work done last year. Last year, Ursuline engaged in two deeply reflective processes that were distinct in purpose yet complementary in their impact. First, we began our strategic planning process, gathering feedback through many channels and hearing from more than 400 members of our community, including our students. This input and the work of the Strategic Planning Design Team – comprised of employees, trustees, past and current parents, and alumnae – helped us articulate the strategic direction for Ursuline’s next five-to-seven years. Stay tuned for our formal announcement this fall when we’ll unveil the strategic plan through a dynamic visual experience that brings our vision to life. We also began the work required for our ten-year reaccreditation with the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS). During the past year, faculty and staff from every department collaborated to draft the Self Study, a comprehensive reflection on Ursuline’s programs, operations, and mission. The Self Study also incorporates feedback gathered through survey feedback collected from employees, students, and parents.  I feel confident about the direction of the Self Study, and it is heartening to realize that the themes that surfaced as priorities in our strategic planning work also emerged in our Self Study process. We will have our reaccreditation visit in January, when a team of fellow ISAS educators spend three and a half days with us to see how the reflections shared in the Self Study show up in our daily work. You will hear more about this process as we get closer to the visit. We are eager to welcome the team!

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Psalm 16:11

The start of a new school year is a time of many joyful moments. I am eager to meet our new freshman class of 2030! Ms. Brown and I adore the moment the girls step forward and shake our hands. They stand at the start of their high school path filled with limitless potential. I am always so proud of the students as they move through their years here. The growth that happens between the beginning of ninth grade and Graduation is astonishing, and I feel honored to have a view into their journeys. The first few weeks are always a time of adjustment. While there may be a few bumps along the way as students settle into their new routines, they will be supported every step of the journey.

Our beloved foundress, St. Angela Merici, left us wise words in her last legacy in which she encouraged her companions to “persevere faithfully and joyfully in the work you have begun.” I have always loved reading these words. They tell me that hundreds of years ago, a future saint recognized that everyone needs a little encouragement when they face a challenge or if their focus is flagging. The beginning of the school year bursts with energy, and then as the calendar pages begin to flip, St. Angela’s wisdom comes to the rescue.

We begin our work in earnest next week, and I promise you that we are all here, faithfully and joyfully, prepared to accompany your daughters as they learn and stretch.

Please hold our faculty and staff in your prayers as they prepare to welcome our students. And, as always, you and your daughters are in my prayers every day!

Yours in Serviam,

Andrea Shurley
President