Dear SUA Community,

This is an exciting time at Saint Ursula Academy!  We are nearing the end of the first semester, and the December minimester is right around the corner.

Throughout the fall semester, we have been watching, listening, and evaluating how students, faculty, and staff are experiencing the new schedule.  Many elements have had a positive impact.  Most notably, both students and faculty appreciate the year-long courses. The extended format supports stronger instructional pacing, more processing time, and deeper relationships among students and their teachers.  WIN and Wellness Bells are providing meaningful, built-in support during the school day.  Academy Alum programming and club and organization meetings are making good use of our Academy and Community Times, while planned breaks offer important breathing room.  The all-school and split lunches add variety and allow students to connect with a wider range of peers.  We are very pleased that the new schedule is accomplishing its intended goals.

One consistent piece of feedback from students, faculty, and staff is a desire for greater predictability within the weekly schedule.  With the full endorsement of our faculty and staff, we will introduce a small but meaningful tweak for the spring semester.  Beginning in January, the types of schedules will be anchored to specific days of the week:

• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will always follow the same schedule each week, with a split lunch on each day.  Mondays and Wednesdays will always have WIN and Academy Time; Friday will always have Community Time.
  
• Tuesdays and Thursdays will follow the same schedule each week, including Community Time and an all-school lunch.
  

All other schedule features remain exactly the same, including the four blocks per day and the rotation of bells.  HERE is a visual of two weeks in the next semester in order to see how the bell rotations now will be paired with the weekly schedule.

We look forward to introducing this refinement when classes resume on January 6, 2026.  The easy-to-remember consistency throughout the week will serve as an additional benefit to our students.

As we approach Thanksgiving, Lelia and I are deeply grateful to be part of a school community that is always learning, growing, and placing the best interests of students at the center of our work.  We remain profoundly grateful that you share your daughters with us.  They are remarkable individuals who come together to create the extraordinary sisterhood that defines SUA.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kathy

This Week at SUA:  Reminders and tips to help your Bulldog in the week ahead

• As you anticipate the December minimesters, please plan for classes starting at 8:15 am on the two Fridays of the minimester:  December 5 and 12.  There will be no late start on Fridays during both the December and May minimeters.
• Fall Semester Exams start on Friday, November 21, and continue on Monday, November 24, and Tuesday, November 25.  Below is the exam day schedule. Lunch will be served on Friday, November 21, for students staying for the afternoon exam.  No lunch will be served on Monday or Tuesday, as exams conclude at 12:30 p.m. each day.  On all three exam days, students only need to be on campus for their scheduled exam bells.
• Thanksgiving Break starts on Wednesday, November 26, and classes resumes on Wednesday, December 3, with our December Minimester.  
• There is no school on Monday, December 1, and Tuesday, December 2, in order for teachers to finish their first semester grades and prepare for minimester courses.