Halloween fun with our British sisters

Halloween is always a special day at UA Dallas. This year was extra special because we celebrated the day with our friends from England. The day began with an early morning parade of costumed faculty and staff. The Wimbledon delegation surely thought that we were all crazy but, of course, they were too polite to say so. All day long, they endured our costumes, decorations, high-pitched screams and incessant quests for candy. The students did seem to enjoy decorating scary scenes with our junior advisory and, at the end of the day, they all went happily trick-or-treating around the school.

One other thing that made the day super special was the presentation made by our Wimbledon delegation. Not only was it extremely informative but it was also extremely entertaining - We at UA Dallas are now practicing our "proper" British accents and vocabulary now that we've had such a "brilliant" lesson in authentic English expression.

All in all, it was an extraordinary day which we loved sharing with our Wimbledon sisters!

 

 

Discussing the Kennedy Legacy all around the world

Today we at UA Dallas participated in an international video conference call with students from DISD (Dallas Independent School District), from Ghana and from our sister school, Colegio Santa Ursula, in Brazil. The topic of the call was "The Legacy of JFK around the world" and it was organized in collaboration with our friends at the World Affairs Council of DFW and the 6th Floor Museum.  Our guests from Wimbledon represented students from the UK on the call. 

The video chat provided a second opportunity for us to hear from Dr. Larry Sabato, author of The Kennedy Half Century. It was also a thrill to see our friends from Brazil once again as we are still missing them here in Dallas! All of the students asked great questions about President Kennedy - about his role in the Civil Rights movement, about his Catholic background and about his time in the UK. It was very interesting to learn about the many avenues, buildings, schools, etc. around the world that that bear the Kennedy name today and to consider the lasting impact of Kennedy's work, particularity his legacy of service in such entities as the Peace Corps. Of course, as Ursuline schools, we appreciate Kennedy's legacy of service most of all. What a great way to spend the morning and to remember President Kennedy! 

Getting ready .....

Hello Dr. Sabato! 

Our friend Bruna at Colegio Santa Ursula in Brazil - Oi Bruna!!! 

Hello Ghana!!! 

As always, Bear Facts reporters were in attendance getting "the scoop"   

Exploring the legacy of JFK

November 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas. As such, it is a time to reflect, remember and learn - especially for those of us in Dallas. Because of this important occasion, our Wimbledon delegation is focusing on learning about President Kennedy while they are here in Dallas. So, on Monday evening, a large group from UA Dallas accompanied the Wimbledon delegation to a lecture sponsored by our friends at the World Affairs Council (WAC) of DFW. The speaker was Dr. Larry Sabato, head of the Politics department at the University of Virginia. He has just published a book entitled The Kennedy Half Century where he explores the presidency, the assassination and the legacy of JFK. 

Additionally, before going to the 6th floor museum yesterday, the students met with our very own Ms. Smith who told them her memories of November 22, 1963. Sadly, she was a little girl seated in class next to a young boy who would lose his father that fateful day. Her classmate was the son of Officer J.D. Tippet, the Dallas Police Officer killed by Lee Harvey Oswald that same afternoon. 

JFK enthusiasts among our UA faculty and staff

The Wimbledon Delegation, members of our Jr WAC club and Dr. Larry Sabato

Excellent reading suggestion

Ms. Smith tells the Wimbledon girls about where she was on November 22, 1963 

Hello from the Dallas City  Performance Hall 

UK teachers with Sr, Margaret Ann - all very enthusiastic! 

Host families give British guests a taste of Texas!

Our UA host families made the most of our long weekend and shared a great deal with their guests from Wimbledon England. The students all report that they had fantastic adventures with their host families. Some visited Ft. Worth ( "real" Texas) while others went up the new GeoDeck at Reunion tower. Still others just enjoyed family and teenage life doing typical Texas things like attending a Homecoming football game (with mums!) and other sporting events. Here are some of the awesome "all around DFW" photos that we received from our festive host families.

Hello Wimbledon sisters!

Continuing with our October of welcoming the world, we greeted our sisters from Ursuline High School in Wimbledon, England on Thursday. We wasted no time in getting the group "properly" attired for Texas as you can see from our photos. It was a happy reunion for many as several of the student delegates hosted girls from our UA delegation last summer. This lovely group will be visiting us for 9 short but action-packed days. Many began their Texas adventure with "Ranger Day" on Friday. All are with their Dallas sisters this weekend enjoying American life and the joy of getting to know new friends. We are so happy to have our Wimbledon sisters with us once again - It's going to be a "brilliant" visit !!!

 

Goodbye German Friends

It was a rather sad morning this morning for our UA Host students and our German guests. The days together passed very quickly and our friends left for Washington DC this morning after an "overwhelmingly good time" here in Big D! Though the time was short, the friendships made were deep. Each girl received a special pin from UA as a memento of this special time together - The German students received a Texas pin while the UA Dallas students received a friendship pin with the flags of Germany and the USA. 

We wish our German friends a wonderful visit to our nation's capital and a very safe journey home! 

Germans Go Western!

Today our German friends experienced authentic Texas life in Ft. Worth. they visited the Cowgirl Museum, the Ft. Worth Stockyards and the Amon Carter Museum. Most of the students agreed that seeing the longhorns (and riding them!) was especially fun and not something that they could ever do at home in Germany. We are delighted that our new friends enjoyed the typical Texas experience (and they looked fabulous in their hats and boots!)! 

Learning about life in Germany

Today we learned about life in Neuss, Germany, the home of our current guests. The students gave an interesting presentation in the KIVA where they discussed their school, their lives and their country. We were all extremely impressed with their excellent English. Vielen Dank (Many thanks!) for sharing such fascinating information with us!