Dear SUA Community,
I know that Lelia and I often communicate in these letters, but there is an entire team of wonderful school leaders and support staff who are dedicated to the academic excellence and student experience at Saint Ursula Academy. Periodically, I would like to highlight some of these people. The Club and Organization Fair occurring this Friday, August 30, presents a great opportunity to introduce you to Kathy Hammond, our Vice Principal of Student Life.
Kathy hardly needs introduction as she is starting her 14th year at Saint Ursula Academy. Her first 12 years were spent teaching Latin in our World Languages Department. She has a long-standing passion for the student experience and developing the whole person in the spirit of our Ursuline tradition. After naturally assuming leadership roles in the areas of student life, last year she officially became the Vice-Principal of Student Life and now oversees all of our non-academic programming on campus. We know that important learning for students occurs both in and out of the classroom, so we provide a wide breadth of opportunities for all students and all kinds of interests. In addition to organizing our clubs and organizations, Kathy works closely with Faith in Action Days, our Ursuline Identity, and other Campus Ministry activities. She operates out of the Student Commons area, a place where students often seek her out for advice and sharing ideas about student activities.
This Friday all students will visit our annual Clubs and Organization Fair during lunch in the Gym. We have over 50 clubs and organizations on campus! The majority of them meet during the school day so that students are able to participate regardless of their after-school commitments. The best thing about our clubs and orgs is that they are rooted in student interest and are student-led; all students have the opportunity to apply to start a new club or org each spring.
This Friday students will have the chance to walk around, check out the options, and talk to student leaders about the clubs and orgs. A new element this year is that students will also have access to a Virtual Fair where they can read more about the clubs and orgs and eventually sign up. We like the fact that sign-ups happen after students have had a chance to reflect on the options through the online information. Your daughter received an email from Kathy on Monday with all of the details about how to access our Student Involvement website and Co-Curricular Booklet.
Kathy is a strong advocate of offering opportunities and promoting balance for our students. We advise that students do not sign up for more than three clubs or orgs so that they can participate without being over-committed. Making these choices is challenging for some students; one reason for sharing this information is so you can be a good sounding board for your daughter’s ideas about participation. Kathy is also more than happy to help guide students. She is a great resource for connecting students to their interests here at SUA.
Just a reminder: please mark your calendars to attend the events on Thursday, September 12. Join us for the Taste of SUA and the Meet the Greet with teachers and staff. These events will be followed by an Informational Evening for Parents/Guardians to learn more about the new schedule. The article in this Bulletin has all of the information!
Go Bulldogs!
Kathy