August 29, 2025

"Spread Peace"

• As a reminder, carpool drop-off is one way: cars entering from Claiborne Avenue must exit through the Nashville Avenue gate. Please see here for the carpool flow for the 25-26 school year. 
• For the safety of our students, students should not be dropped off before 7 a.m. Campus does not open until 7 a.m. This includes all grade levels. Choir practice begins at 7:05 a.m. 

1st-10th-grade students will begin taking MAP tests next week. MAP Growth is a computer-adaptive test that measures a student's knowledge. Students will take the test three times throughout the year in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. The results will help teachers individualize students' education and will help the school identify areas of strength and areas for improvement in the curriculum. Students do not need to prepare for the test in any way. 

1st-7th-grade students will spend time working on the assessment each morning from Tuesday, September 2-Friday, September 5. 8th-10th-grade students will take it in their regular Math (Tuesday, September 9-Wednesday, September 10) and English classes (Tuesday, September 2-Wednesday, September 3). Parents may find more information about the MAP test here. 

We have a limited number of 24-25 yearbooks still available for purchase! From special events and school day photos to candid photos and classroom highlights, the Ursuline Academy Yearbook features our youngest students in Lily House to the Skips of 2025. 



8th-12th-grade students do NOT need to purchase yearbooks as they are included in their student fees.

Let us know that you'll be attending our first Parents' Club meeting of the 2025-26 school year on Wednesday, September 10, from 6-7 p.m. in Sisters' Dining Hall! Kindly RSVP below if you'll be attending and indicate if you'll need childcare for your Pre-K-5th-grade Ursuline girl by Noon on Monday, September 8.

Join us at City Park's Carousel Gardens for Leis and Lions: Parents' Club Mane Event 2025 on Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 6-9 p.m.! This is one of our community's favorite events of the year and the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Parents' Club. After the exciting night out, our students can enjoy sleeping in the next morning, as there is a 9:30 a.m. late arrival to school on Friday, September 26, 2025. 

Deadline to order shirts is Friday, September 5, 2025.

The Tinker Lab in our Early Childhood program is an imaginative space for our youngest learners to explore, build, create, and discover through hands-on activities and open-ended materials.

To help us bring this space to life, we’re inviting our Ursuline families to keep an eye out for everyday items that might otherwise end up in the recycling bin or junk drawer.

Please ensure all items are clean and free of sharp edges, glass, leaking batteries, or hazardous materials. Items can be dropped off at the front office. We’ll be gathering supplies throughout the month as we transform this space into a world of wonder.

Lions on the Loose, a fee-based, after-school enrichment program offered to our Toddler 3-4th-grade students, is back for 2025! Ursuline partners with vendors to offer a variety of class choices for our students, allowing them the opportunity to try out new things conveniently after school hours and on campus! Registration is through our partners. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Mallory Martin at aftercare@uanola.org. 

The Counseling Department wants to extend our support in light of the recent tragedy in Minneapolis. We know events like this can leave students feeling anxious, fearful, or unsettled. If you notice any students who may need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

K-12 Safe Environment

We are committed to providing a safe environment for your daughters and strive to ensure that Ursuline Academy protects and promotes their health and well-being. As part of that commitment, and in accordance with Archdiocesan requirements, every school year we provide our students with age-appropriate information to help keep them safe from abuse.

As part of the Safe Environment training required by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, all students in grades K-12 will receive a lesson provided by the Archdiocese. K-6th religion teachers will share the material, and counselors will deliver the material to grades 7-12. Safe Environment training will take place in your daughter's classes by the end of the semester. The lesson is under one hour.

If you have any reservations about your daughter participating, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we will be more than happy to talk to you about your concerns and offer alternatives, if necessary. 

Parents with students in grades K-6 may email jnettles@uanola.org

Parents with students in grades 7-9 may email dmcallister@uanola.org

Parents with students in grades 10-12 may email tbuccino@uanola.org

Elementary School Counseling

All Learning Profile letters that went home from Ms. Nettles for signatures are due back to her office by Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

High School Counseling

By now, seniors should have requested recommendation letters from teachers and started working on the Common App. Over the next few weeks, they should focus on finalizing their college list, completing applications, and drafting their college and scholarship essays.

• Tuesday, September 2 from Noon-12:50 p.m. - Alcorn State University
• Monday, September 8 from 10:55 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Brother Martin College Fair (Juniors)
• Monday, September 8 from Noon-1 p.m. - Providence College
• Tuesday, September 9 from Noon-12:50 p.m. - Rhodes College
• Thursday, September 11 from Noon-12:50 p.m. - University of Arkansas
• Tuesday, September 16 from Noon-12:30 p.m. - Sewanee: The University of the South
• Wednesday, September 17 from Noon-12:50 p.m. - St. Edwards University
• Monday, September 22 from Noon-12:50 p.m. - Spelman College
• Tuesday, September 23 from Noon-12:50 p.m. - University of Dallas
• Wednesday, September 24 from Noon-12:30 p.m. - Furman University

On the first Thursday of each month (September through May) at 8 a.m. in the Shrine, the Academy will host "Parents in Prayer" – Eucharistic Adoration and rosary, followed by coffee and fellowship.

We hope you will be able to join us for our first Parents in Prayer on Thursday, September 4, at 8 a.m.

You can park in front of the Shrine and enter through the main doors. The Rosary begins promptly at 8 a.m. and is usually done by 8:20 a.m. For those who have to get to work, please feel free to leave as needed. If you would like to stay, you are welcome to remain for Eucharistic Adoration and/or join us in the Shrine Room for coffee and breakfast treats.

The Class of 2026 Ring Mass and Ceremony will take place on Friday, September 5, at 10 a.m. in the National Votive Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. Families should enter the Shrine through Outside Chapel (main entrance of the Shrine on State Street). Doors to the Shrine will open at 9:30 a.m., and the Mass and Ceremony should last approximately 1.5 hours. 

Seniors should check in at Date Door by 9 a.m., wearing their white or off-white dress (appropriately fitting and modest, with a hem no more than 2 inches above the knee) 

under their graduation gown, accompanied by white shoes (heels should be no higher than 3.5 inches). Students do not need to wear their graduation caps for the Ring Mass and Ceremony.

Please keep in mind that seniors will not have class on Friday, September 5, so that they can celebrate this momentous occasion with their family. 

Don’t miss this special evening of memories, dancing, and celebration!

Please join us in the Shrine on Sunday, September 7, at 9:30 a.m. for Traditions Mass and the Blessing of the Backpacks and our brand-new Serviam Shuttle!

The Traditions Mass honors those families for whom an Ursuline education is a tradition and also celebrates the families who have chosen to make it a new tradition. Join us in prayer as we celebrate our entire Ursuline Family. Students, please bring your backpack to Mass for a special blessing! We look forward to also bestowing a special blessing on our brand-new Serviam Shuttle. Our beloved Sister Regina Marie will be returning to State Street for this special tradition. After the Mass and blessing, enjoy coffee and beignets from a Café du Monde food truck in the Academy's State St. horseshoe!

Connect with fellow Ursuline 7th-grade parents, hear from Ursuline leadership, and engage in meaningful conversation about the transition into high school at the 7th Grade Parent Coffee on Thursday, September 11, from 7:45-8:30 a.m. Parking will be available in the State Street Lot, the Horseshoe, as well as on-street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Please RSVP by Monday, September 8, and email Director of Enrollment Management Kate Uhle at kuhle@uanola.org with any questions regarding this event.

All 8th-12th graders are invited to attend the NOLA Catholic Youth Conference on Saturday, September 27, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at Jesuit High School. The theme is "Illuminate," and the day will feature dynamic speakers, including Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR, high school students from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, praise and worship with The Vigil Project, Mass with Archbishop Aymond, and more! This is a great opportunity for faith, fellowship, and a whole lot of fun.

The registration form is due by email or in person to Miss Sensenbrenner by Tuesday, September 2. The cost is $45 and includes lunch and registration.

For questions regarding this event, contact Miss Sensenbrenner or Ms. Joubert. 

All 5th-7th-grade girls are invited to join us on State Street on Saturday, September 27, from 5:30-8 p.m. We look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful Uptown campus to play games, meet new friends, learn from UA high school girls, and have lots of fun. 

Please join us on Friday, October 3, for K-7th Grade Grandfriends' Day! We will begin with Mass at 9 a.m. in the Shrine, followed by group activities in St. Ursula, Lion's Den, and Legacy Dining Hall. For the safety and well-being of our school community, an RSVP is required by Monday, September 29. Your response ensures we can prepare appropriately and provide a safe, welcoming experience for all.

Please note, K-7th-grade students will be dismissed early at 11:30 a.m. on this day for Parent Teacher Conferences at 1 p.m. More details regarding K-7th-grade Parent Teacher Conferences to come.

All 11th and 12th-grade students are invited to attend the annual Close-Up Foundation Washington, D.C. Program, scheduled for January 18-23, 2026. Before students can receive their Close-Up login information, they must submit a $150 deposit to Ursuline Academy. This non-refundable deposit should be paid by check and delivered to Mrs. Schlaudecker in Room 122. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Schlaudecker at cschlaudecker@uanola.org.

Ursuline Academy is proud and excited to once again host our annual Bach Contest on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The Ursuline Academy Bach Contest, founded in 1960 by Sr. Elizabeth Marie Landry, OSU, began with piano and now includes a strings division, and is open to all students in the greater New Orleans area.

If you have any questions, please email bach@uanola.org.

Each week, a designated student will take home an 11" resin statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor along with an intention card. Each intention card will be collected and remembered in prayer by our community. Students will be able to keep Our Lady in their home from Friday through Tuesday, returning her to school on Wednesday. 

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, patroness of our city and state, hasten to help us!

In the spirit of community, we would love to pray for the special intentions of our Ursuline family. Prayer intentions can be submitted through this form. Please note that during our Academy Masses, we mention the names of families who have lost loved ones.

If you have recently lost a loved one and would like your family name to be mentioned during Mass, please complete this form.