Ursuline Academy (Delaware)

Ursuline Academy is a private school in Wilmington, Delaware, which offers Early Childhood (Montessori (ages 3–5) and Kindergarten) and elementary (grades 1-5) school for both girls and boys, Middle (Grades 6-8), and Upper (Grades 9-12) school classes for girls. Established in 1893 by the Ursulines, it is an independent, Catholic, college-preparatory school.

Ursuline Academy
Address
1106 Pennsylvania Avenue Wilmington , New Castle County , Delaware 19806 United States
Coordinates	39°45′10″N 75°33′32″W
Information
Type	Private, Independent
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	Maritza Poza-Grise
Principal	Jeffrey Danilak (Upper School) Ann V. Phillips (Middle School) Samantha Varano (Lower School)
Grades	Montessori 3,4,5, Kindergarten, 5th - 12th grade
Average class size	14-1
Color(s)	Red and White
Song	Ursuline Academy Alma Mater
Athletics	14 Varsity Sports, athletics start in 3rd grade
Athletics conference	Catholic Conference
Sports	Cross Country, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Dance, Indoor Track & Field, Swimming & Diving, Crew, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Outdoor Track & Field
Mascot	Raider
Team name	Raiders
Rival	Padua Academy
Accreditation	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
Tuition	$7,450-$24,300
Affiliation	Private/Independent
Alumni	4,800

History

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

The vibrant history of Ursuline Academy of Wilmington began in 1893 with the relocation of the Ursuline Sisters from Bedford Park in New York City, at the request of the bishop, to occupy a convent and boarding school on the corner of Delaware Avenue and Harrison Street. This courageous and daunting move by the sisters showed not only their faith in God’s plan but their dedication to living in the footsteps of their founder and trailblazer, St. Angela Merici. With the steadfast commitment to and fearless passion for their mission from the bishop, the sisters successfully opened a Kindergarten in 1895 and added a boys department the following year.

Under the leadership of Mother Olympias Gleeson, the school flourished. Recognizing the school’s need for additional space, John J. Raskob purchased the Grant Estate, facing Delaware Avenue, and gifted it to the Ursuline Sisters. With the addition of Kennett Lodge, renovations began, and the sisters and their students moved into their new convent and school in 1924. After the purchase of the Downward Estate, an adjacent property bordering on Franklin Street, further renovations were completed in 1927, ushering in a new year for Ursuline’s 300 students. In 1955, under the leadership of Mother Maguire, the junior school was constructed in response to the demands of a student body that numbered more than 500. The Montessori program was added in 1964, and the Laffey-McHugh Gymnasium was added in 1980. In 2017, construction began to renovate the former Ursuline convent into a new, multi-functional space with classrooms, chapel, library, cafeteria, atrium, Innovation Center, and more. The Anthony N. Fusco Sr. Student Life Center was officially opened in January 2019.

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.

Kindergarten A curriculum for kindergarten 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	Geometry
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[2]
• Valerie Biden Owens, political strategist, sister of Joe Biden[3]
• Elena Delle Donne, WNBA player for the Washington Mystics;[4] played collegiately at the University of Delaware[5]
• Aubrey Plaza, actress in Parks and Recreation and other movies[6]
• Marjorie Rendell, federal judge and former first lady for the State of Pennsylvania [7]
• Val Whiting, former WNBA player; athletic hall of fame inductee at Stanford University[8]

Average Exit GPA

By most standards, exceptional scholastic achievements are the norm for the school. The majority of senior graduates, further applying to colleges, maintain a GPA of 3.87+.

Notes and references

1. MSA-CIWA. "MSA-Committee on Institution-Wide Accreditation". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
2. "Delawarean Erin Arvedlund reacts to ABC's portrayal of Bernie Madoff". Delaware Business Times. 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
3. Ursuline 2018 Inductees accessed 11/9/2020
4. "Val Whiting - Women's Basketball". Stanford University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
5. "Elena DelleDonne joins UD volleyball team". www1.udel.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
6. "Wilmington Native Aubrey Plaza Pokes Fun at Her Hometown on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert"". Delaware Today. 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
7. "The Private School Insider". Delaware Today. 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
8. "Val Whiting - Women's Basketball". Stanford University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-06-04.