Ursuline Academy (Delaware)

Ursuline Academy
Ursuline Academy
Location
	Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19806; United States
Coordinates	39°45′10″N 75°33′32″W / 39.75278°N 75.55889°W
Information
Type	Private, All-Girls
Motto	Serviam; (I will serve)
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic; Ursulines
Patron saint(s)	St. Angela Merici
Established	1893
Founder	St. Angela Merici
President	Dr. Trisha Medeiros
Chairperson	Thomas Tattersall
Director	Erin Barillare (middle school)
Principal	Carolyn Zogby, Lisa Clody (lower school)
Grades	Montessori 3,4,5, PreK/ Kindergarten 3,4,5 - 12th grade
Average class size	14-1
Color(s)	Red and White
Song	Ursuline Academy Alma Mater
Athletics	13 Varsity Sports, athletics start in 3rd grade
Athletics conference	Catholic Conference
Mascot	Raider
Team name	Raiders
Rival	Padua Academy
Accreditation	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Newspaper	Ursuline Chronicle
Tuition	$4,304-$18,340
Alumni	4,800

Ursuline Academy is a private school in Wilmington, Delaware, which offers Early Childhood (Montessori, Pre-kindergarten, and Kindergarten,) Lower School (grades 1 to 5) for girls (co-ed through third grade,) Middle School (grades 6 to 8), and Upper School (Grades 9 to 12) for young women. Established in 1893 by the Ursulines, it is run independently within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.

History

Saint Angela Merici founded the Ursuline Order in 1535. Her mission was to educate girls and her goal became known throughout the world.

On July 31, 1893, the Ursuline Nuns arrived in Wilmington from Bedford Park, New York. Ursuline Academy was created when they succeeded the Visitation Nuns who, up to that time, had conducted a boarding and day school at another location. Students received a strict education along with training in the Fine Arts.

In 1926, the cornerstone of the present Ursuline Academy was laid.

In 1954, a new building was constructed to accommodate the Lower School classes. A major development program began in the summer of 1977. At that time, the Lower School Auditorium-gymnasium was converted into instructional areas. After a period of temporary use of the auditorium and gymnasium by all Ursuline students, a modern gymnasium complex was constructed for use by the Academy in 1979. In 1992, classroom additions were constructed adjoining the Upper School to accommodate Middle School students.

In the summer of 1994, the convent was renovated to accommodate the Fine Arts Center. The full name of this building is the Rollins Fine Arts Center.

The entire second and third floors of the Upper School were renovated during the summer of 2002. In the fall of 2002, the second floor science labs and third floor instructional areas opened. In addition, the third floor is the home of the Chapel of St. Angela, where students go for reflection and prayer. Also in 2002, the Academy purchased the former Christian Scientist Church adjacent to the campus. The building is now Ursuline Academy's Performing Arts Center. Not to be confused with the Rollins Fine Arts Center, the Performing Arts Center (PAC) is the location of some school masses and performances. ^[2]

Location

Ursuline Academy is located in the Cool Spring and Tilton Park section of the West Side of Wilmington.

Academics

Montessori The hallmark of the Montessori Method is individualized instruction using concrete materials designed to be sequential and to relate to other materials in the classroom.

Pre-K/K A curriculum for pre-K/K children would include open-ended Language Arts, reading skills, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Foreign Language, and an appreciation of the arts, technology, and activities that focus on fine and gross motor skills. Pre-reading and language skills are taught through thematic units, which focus on phonemic awareness and children's literature.

Primary A curriculum for primary children includes Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Foreign Language, and an appreciation of the fine and performing arts.

Intermediate A curriculum for intermediate girls includes Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Foreign Language, and involves critical thinking, problem solving, higher order thinking skills, and creativity and exploration through various forms of the fine and performing arts. This is accomplished through teacher-directed activities and cooperative learning, reading, discussion, varied strategies, and continuous assessment.

Middle School

6th Grade	7th Grade	8th Grade
Religion (8 hours community service)	Religion (15 hours community service)
Language Arts (Writer's Workshop, Reading Workshop...)	Language Arts (...Literature, Vocabulary)
Foreign Language (Spanish I, French I, Chinese I)	Foreign Language (Spanish I, French I, Chinese I)
American History I	American History II
Pre-Algebra	Algebra I
Physical Science	Earth Science
Chorus, Studio Art, Drama, Dance, Music, Band	Chorus, Studio Art, Drama, Dance, Music, Band
Physical Education/Health	Physical Education/Health

Upper School

Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior
Theology	Theology	Theology	Theology
English	English	English	English
Social Studies	Social Studies	Social Studies	Social Studies, Math, Science...
Mathematics	Mathematics	Mathematics	...and/or Foreign Language
Foreign Language	Foreign Language	Foreign Language	Physical Education
Lab Science	Lab Science	Lab Science	Elective
Physical Education	Physical Education	Physical Education	Elective
Health	Driver Education	Elective	Elective
Elective	Elective

Advanced Placement courses are offered in Art History, Human Geography, European History, United States History, United States Government, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, French, Spanish, Calculus, Statistics, English Language, English Literature, and Studio Art.

Athletics

Beginning in 3rd grade, students may participate in sports. 3rd to 8th graders participate in CYM sports, while 9th to 12th graders participate in the Division II Diamond State Catholic Conference. Sports offered in the high school are cross country, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, swimming, dance, indoor track & field, golf, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, soccer, and softball. If a student in 8th grade excels in a certain sport, she may be able to participate on the high school team.

Notable alumni

Erin Arvedlund, financial journalist^{[citation needed]}
Elena Delle Donne, WNBA player for the Washington Mystics; played collegiately at the University of Delaware^{[citation needed]}
Aubrey Plaza, actress in Parks and Recreation and other movies^{[citation needed]}
Marjorie Rendell, federal judge and former first lady for the State of Pennsylvania ^{[citation needed]}
Val Whiting, former WNBA player; athletic hall of fame inductee at Stanford University^{[citation needed]}

External links

Notes and references

^ MSA-CIWA. "MSA-Committee on Institution-Wide Accreditation". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2009-07-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Ursuline Academy Handbook, 2009

[MSA-Committee_on_Institution-Wide_Accreditation-1] MSA-CIWA. "MSA-Committee on Institution-Wide Accreditation". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2009-07-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[2] Ursuline Academy Handbook, 2009

[1]

[2]

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington
Bishops	Thomas Albert Andrew Becker Alfred Allen Paul Curtis John James Joseph Monaghan Edmond John Fitzmaurice Michael William Hyle Thomas Mardaga Robert Edward Mulvee Michael Angelo Saltarelli William Francis Malooly William Edward Koenig
Coadjutor bishop	Hubert James Cartwright
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Cathedral Cathedral of St. Peter Parishes St. Joseph's Church, Greenville, DE St. John the Baptist Church, Newark, DE St. Joseph's Church, Middletown, DE St. Peter's Church, Queenstown, MD St. Francis Xavier Church, Warwick, MD Resurrection Church, Wilmington, DE Immaculate Conception Parish, Elkton, MD St. Anthony's Church, Wilmington, DE St. Catherine of Siena Church, Wilmington, DE St. Hedwig's Church, Wilmington, DE St. Joseph's Church, Wilmington, DE St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Wilmington, DE St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Wilmington, DE
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