Ursuline News

A Letter From the Principal

Dear Families,

Monday’s eclipse was quite an experience. Culturally, we freely use the word “awesome,” but in this case, the word awesome was appropriate. None of us who witnessed this will soon forget seeing such a powerful sight, the spring afternoon turning dark within a few minutes and then the gorgeous view of the eclipse in totality breaking through the clouds. It took my breath away.

The best part, however, was experiencing this unique moment with our girls. All around campus, teachers and students gathered, wearing their “UA 150” branded eclipse glasses, and shared the moment together. At first, with the cloud cover, the girls were a bit restless, maybe not fully believing that we would see anything special. As the day darkened, however, these poised young ladies (and their teachers!) forgot to be cool for a few minutes and just embraced the mystery and wonder of the eclipse.

I could hear excited cheers erupting all over campus, and the girls close by me were sharing what they had learned about the eclipse in their science class. During totality, we were quiet – truly awe struck – and then, it slowly shifted back to a normal school day. And yet, we felt transformed by this moment of community and moved by the sight of our sun disappearing and then returning with its power and might. It seems to me that this event coming so close to Easter is God telling us to look at what his Son did for us. In His rising, Christ brings light and love, and we simply need to be open and ready to recognize and receive it. Luckily, we can look at Christ’s light directly and whenever we need it – no special glasses required! All we ever need are hearts seeking truth.

Dr. Andrea Shurley
Principal