Day at Ursuline High School

Our England delegation continues to have a wonderful adventures in the UK. Unfortunately, they are experiencing a rather intense heat wave in the UK and, of course, there is very little air conditioning. Despite these challenges, all attitudes remain upbeat and excited about the daily activities.

Today was a special day because our students gave a presentation to the Wimbledon students about life and culture in Texas. The Wimbledon students were particularly interested in the food from Texas and also on the topic of "speaking like a real Texan." Some of our most proper and enthusiastic British sisters are already incorporating "y'all" into their daily expressions!

 

Another excellent activity at Ursuline High School was the "Bookclub" meeting. The students met to discuss various poems and works of British literature that our UA students studies earlier this summer in their "Literary London" class. Their exchange of ideas was great fun!  

 

The evening was particularly thrilling because the group went out to the London theatre to see a production of "War Horse." All agreed that it was a superb production and many concluded the evening tearfully from the emotional ending of the play.  

Sisters!

Our Walking Tour of London

Today was a whirlwind trip through London! We started the day with a birthday celebration for Margaret and Izzy at the school and then boarded the train for London.  Our guide took us to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. James’ Park, White Hall, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Regent’s Park.  We ended the day with a picnic lunch in front of the London Eye.

Tomorrow we will be back at the school to make our presentation about Ursuline Dallas.  It has been a packed week so far, but we are learning a lot and having a great time!

Weekend in London

We asked our students to share a few photos of their weekend in London and with their host sisters. As you can see in the photos, the students made the most of the weekend and visited some of the most famous sites in and around London. While the students were enjoying the weekend with their host families, our teachers visited Cambridge and learned a great deal about the history of Cambridge University. It was a wonderful weekend for all! 

UA teachers visit Hampton Court

This afternoon we received the following festive news from Ms. Clark, the leader of our Wimbledon delegation:

So, today while the students enjoyed time with their host families, the teachers went on a boat ride to Hampton Court.  We learned all about how the fabled palace of Archbishop Woolsey was built, renovated and lived in by a host of British royalty including: Henry VIII and his wives, William II and his wife Mary II, William III and many more.  We also enjoyed a delightful lunch on the river Thames and a stroll about Hampton Court Village with our wonderful host, Debra Beale.

Welcome to England!

After a 3 hour delay at DFW, our enthusiastic UA delegation arrived in London on Thursday afternoon. The group was tired but in no way defeated. Our UK host sisters were eagerly awaiting their arrival and were ready with lots of hugs, posters and big plans for the week.

Today was the first full day for our group in England and they are already blending into the local culture, riding the tube and finding their way around London.

Our first outing was to the National Theatre for a lesson in the Comedia Del’Arte.  The students were able to bond with their English sisters as they did improv, warm-up exercises, and acted out several of the classic Comedia Del’Arte characters. We are proud to report that ALL of our UA students were enthusiastic and embraced every challenge (no matter how embarrassing).  Well done, girls!  

Tonight the students are back with their host families and the teachers are attending the Sports Dinner at the school.  The weather has been beautiful and everyone remains in excellent spirits. Cheers from London!

2015 Wimbledon Delegation

2015 Wimbledon Delegation


Today our UA 2015 Wimbledon delegation departs for England. The seven UA students have spent the last few weeks in summer school preparing for their British adventure through a course entitled "Literary London." The students will be visiting our sister school, Ursuline High School, in Wimbledon and will each stay with an Ursuline host sister. While in England, our UA delegation will visit various historical and educational venues around London related to British Literature. Our group could not be more enthusiastic - we look forward to hearing from them from England tomorrow!

Visiting Ursuline Schools in France

This week, as the school year comes to an end, we are already looking ahead at the year to come and to new relationships. We are currently visiting Ursuline schools in France and are very excited about future collaborations.  The first school that we have visited is called Blanche de Castille and it is located in Nantes, France. Nantes is located in northwest France and is one of the major cities of the historic province of Brittany.

Blanche de Castille

The Cathedral of Nantes

Ms. Nipp at the Castle of Nantes (can you see me?)

Ms. Hansson with the Ursuline community in Nantes

The second school that we have visited is also in Brittany but it is in a smaller city called Vannes. Vannes is a beautiful port city. The Ursuline school is called Lycée Notre‐ Dame Le Ménimur. It is a very large co-ed school of over 1000 pupils. The school administrators gave us a very warm reception and we also enjoyed an extensive school tour of all of the excellent facilities.  

Bienvenue! 

Downtown Vannes

The port 

The School Library 

New and Old friends - Ms. Nipp with School Administrators 

Our third school visit was to St. Ursule in Paris. We visited the two campuses of this large and historic school. St. Ursule is just over 100 years old and it is located in the Northwest part of Paris. It is a dynamic and beautiful school of about 1500 pupils (both boys and girls). 

Sr. Florence Marie, Ms. Nipp & Headmaster M. Jacomino

With the Ursuline community of Paris 

Our time in France has been lovely. We have seen and learned a lot, particularly about Ursuline education in France. As we return home, our hearts are full and our minds are working on plans for future collaborations. We will definitely be announcing a sister school partnership in France in the new year - Stay tuned for all of the excitement!