Day 3 in Chile

We spent today at the school attending classes.  The highlight of the day was cooking class and learning how to make empanadas.  You all would have been so impressed with the girl´s cooking and dish washing skills!  Two of the girls also volunteered to share their experiences of arriving in Chile and meeting their host family for the first time and the visit to Maipu so you can hear the student´s impressions of Chile instead of the teacher´s today!

Arrival in Chile by Grace:
"Our first Chilean adventure: driving to el Colegio from the airport.  While driving we saw the huge mountains all over the place, stray dogs, and beautiful, green plants growing everywhere!  When we arrived at the school our host sisters were waiting for us wtih signs and a big welcome.  After customary "hello" kisses on the cheek, they invited us in the school for some Chilean cookies and the most amazing pineapple juice any of us have ever had (except Sra. Vargas I´m sure)!  Then we took a tour of the school which included a song from the adorable kindergarteners and ended in class with our host sisters.  After school we all went our separate ways to our host families.

My host dad drove my three host sisters and me home where my host mom was waiting excitedly to greet me.  I talked with them for a little while, doing my best to explain the plane ride in Spanish.  Then the girls had their after school snack and did homework while I took a much needed nap after the plane ride.  After that we played Wii Mario until dinner.  Then we talked and played with their 5 pets (a dog, cat, rabbit, and birds) and little brother Diego until 12:30.  I told them all about Ursuline, explaining the different grades, senior privleges, what we like to do on the weekend, and all my extracurricular activities.  They were shocked to hear that I can drive and have a car.  When I told them about the "freshmen dance" created by the seniors to embarass the freshmen, they started laughing, saying it sounded just like the movies.  By that time it was 12:30 and we were all muy cansadas and had to go to bed."

Visit to Maipu by Katie:
"All the Ursuline girls had so much fun today [Tuesday]!  We went to a museum with colonial and revolutionary relics from Chile.  There was an entire room dedicated to gorgeous carriages that were important in Chilean history like one that the Queen of England rode in.  We also visited the remains of a church which Bernardo O´Higgins had dedicated to La Virgen del Carmen as a result of Chile´s successful revolution.  As he did not have the funds to complete the construction, it remained only a skeleton structure.  Unfortunately an earthquake destroyed parts of this structure.  Therefore, the Chileans built a massive church near this original structure.  After visiting these Chilean landmarks, we went to a second Ursuline school called Colegio Santa Ursula de Maipu.  We loved spending time with the girls and getting to know them.  Overall, it was a wonderful second day in Santiago!"

Pictures from today´s cooking class:

Grace feeling very powerful with the rolling pin!

Erin and Allie preparing the dough and cooking onions

Allie and Elizabeth

The whole group hard at work!

Katie working hard kneeding the dough and Grace looking on!

Mia, Maria, and Mary

Kelsey and Nicole

Brittany, Mary, Mia, and Maria all enjoying empanadas after their hard work!

Brescia House School - Johannesburg

Hello from Johannesburg, South Africa! As many of you know, we, along with 2 colleagues from Ursuline Academy in St. Louis, are currently visiting South Africa while our student delegation is in Chile. So, you will be hearing from 2 different continents over the next few days. Our first day at Brescia House was splendid! We met teachers, administrators and, best of all, some really wonderful (and extremely well-mannered) students. In the High School, we attended fascinating classes in subjects such as Zulu and Afrikaans and we loved seeing the little ones in the Primary School. These photos show a few of the highlights about what makes Brescia House such a special place!

Welcome to Brescia House School! 



Sr. Notburga presents an Athletics trophy at the Monday morning assembly

The Brescia House formal uniform includes this stylish hat!

Students arrive at 7:30 am and line up for the morning assembly

Student Art - so creative and vibrant!

Happy Ursuline girls - in the Summer Uniform (yes, it's summer here :) )

A playful moment between Mrs. Escamilla and Sr. Notburga



Eager to Learn!



Visit to Maipu

We met at school this morning and all were happy and very excited to share stories from meeting their host families.  They all agreed they are getting lots of opportunities to practice their Spanish and it is only day 2!  After being introduced at the school´s Tuesday morning assembly, we boarded a bus with the 10th grade and went to Colegio Santa Ursula in Maipu, about 30 minutes away.  While the 10th grade attended a retreat, Sor Angela took us to Templo de Maipu which is a tribute to Virgen del Carmen.  We saw the beautiful church, as well as visited a museum that taught us about the history of Chile, especially how Chile gained its independence.  After a walk back to school, Sor Angela treated us to juice in a beautiful coutryard.  All agreed that Colegio Santa Ursula in Maipu is a very relaxing and beautiful place!  The girls had a chance to visit an English class where they practiced asking questions in Spanish and the girls from Chile answered in English.  They had lunch with some of the students and then had an opportunity to tour the grounds of the school and see all of the fresh fruits and vegetables grown on site.  As the girls boarded the bus, they all expresed how welcoming and fun the Ursuline girls of Maipu were!

Arriving at Colegio Santa Ursula in Maipu

Hugs and kisses from Sor Angela

The entire group with Sor Angela after juice

Grace, Katie, and Mary posing as statues.  Many other interesting pictures were taken in the coutryard waiting for lunch!

Maria and her new Chilean friends bonding over their love of One Direction!

Caitlin, Mary, Mia, and Grace trying to befriend the horse.

Talking with our new Chilean friends under the grapevines.

Greetings from Chile!  We arrived in Santiago this morning after an overnight flight.  The girls were troopers on our long flight and enjoyed sharing stories of how they tried to sleep on the airplane!  After arriving in Santiago, we exchanged money and tried to look our best before meeting Claudia and Lorena, two teachers from Colegio Santa Ursula.  We arrived at the school and were greeted by the host students and teachers.  We enjoyed cookies and juice while introducing ourselves in Spanish!  After the introductions were complete, the girls received a tour of the school and were treated to a picnic lunch in one of the school´s many courtyards.  The girls spent the afternoon in class with their host students and were looking forward to meeting their families tonight. 

Ready to board the plane at DFW!

Arrival in Chile

Welcome signs at Colegio Santa Ursula

Touring with our host sisters

Introductions in Spanish!

Picnic lunch

Special Texas cupcakes made for the teachers by 3rd grade

UA Teachers arrive in South Africa!

After two long days of travel, our UA teachers, Mrs. Escamilla, Ms. Chinuntdet and Ms. Nipp have arrived in South Africa! The purpose of this awesome trip is to visit three Ursuline schools (plus another very special school - stay tuned) and to investigate the possibilities for collaboration and exchange with our South African sisters. It has already been a great trip and we have only been here one day! Today we attended Mass, visited a crafts market and had an authentic African dinner with Brescia House School administrators. It promises to be a wonderful week of learning and adventure!

Half way to South Africa - on the train in Amsterdam

Mrs. Escamilla chatting with Mrs. Nott, our host and the Headmistress of Brescia House School

Ms. Nipp with a new friend, local artist Teresa (originally from zimbabwe) - loved her art which depicts women working

Mass at the Church of the Resurrection

Many houses are behind walls here.

A Stained Glass window of St. Angela :)

UA Faculty and Administration attend NAIS 2012

The beautiful city of Seattle

Last week, many of us from UA Dallas made a short journey to the fabulous city of Seattle in order to attend the annual NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Conference. This conference is always full of energy and excitement and this year was no exception - It was awesome! The theme was Innovation: Imagine, Invent, Inspire, Dream . We were privileged to hear such renown speakers such as Bill Gates and Amy Chua (the "Tiger Mom").  Also attending the conference were many of our old friends including Matt Nink, Director of GYLI (Global Youth Leadership Institute), Kim Bouldin-Jones, Director of MFA (Medical Facility Aid) and Peter Morgan, former UA College Counselor. It was thrilling to be together and to be able to share new ideas about Global Education.

Being in Seattle also allowed us a little time to visit the recently-opened Visitor Center at the Gates Foundation. What a fantastic museum! If you are in Seattle, you must go visit this interactive space which not only explains the history and work of the Gates Foundation but also calls visitors to action about what they might contribute to our world.

Now we are back in Dallas energized for the work ahead. Thank you to NAIS for another inspiring conference and for always raising the bar for more and more excellence in education!


Chatting with Bill Gates about innovation and education



Workshop on UA's Global Education Initiative

NAIS President Pat Bassett

The recently opened Visitor Center at The Gates Foundation

Conference attendees Ms. Nipp & Mr. Bianchi

Every session begins with a sharing of student talents

Chile Delegation Prepares for Travel

The 2012 Chile Delegation

Next week, while UA is closed for Spring Break, a group of 13 students and 3 teachers (most pictured here) will be attending school at Colegio Santa Ursula in Santiago, Chile. This vibrant and cheerful group will represent Ursuline Dallas as the third student / teacher delegation to visit our sister school in Chile. Students will attend classes, participate in a service project and live with host families as part of this educational and cultural exchange. Stay tuned to our blog to follow their South American Adventures!

Welcome Mr. Rafael Bianchi from Brazil

Mr. Bianchi with Sr. Lois and Ms. Nipp in the Global Village

 These last two weeks, you may have noticed a new and friendly face around Ursuline Dallas. This special person is Mr. Rafael Bianchi, our current guest from a wonderful Ursuline school in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. We first met Mr. Bianchi last summer when Ms. Bourgeois and I (Ms. Nipp) attended an international Ursuline educator conference at his school. It was such a great experience that we extended an invitation to Mr. Bianchi to visit us in Dallas so that we could deepen our relationship with his school. Now,  we at Ursuline Dallas are assisting with some of the planning for an upcoming Ursuline student conference to be held in Brazil next September. Mr. Bianchi is the primary contact for the conference and we are looking forward to having our students meet and work together on global issues next year.

Mr. Bianchi tells us that he loves Texas and has learned so much at our school. He is hoping that his students in Brazil will contribute regularly to our online newspaper The Bear Facts Online and he is also very grateful for the many faculty friends that he has made in Dallas. He tells us that he does not know what he will do without Tex-Mex food now that he has dicovered it and that he hopes to bring some students to visit us in Texas one day - That would be great!

Currently, Mr. Bianchi is traveling with a large group from Ursuline Dallas and is attending the annual NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) conference in Seattle. We are so happy that he has been able to spend this quality time with us and we can't wait for the student conference in Brazil!

UA Hosts Giant Traveling Map of Africa

We at Ursuline Dallas are currently enjoying the Giant Traveling Map of Africa from National Geographic. The map, measuring 35 feet by 26 feet, is designed as a geo-game board to introduce students to the power of maps and the diverse geography of Africa. The map will be with us for a two week period which will end all too quickly this Friday, the 17th. The map comes with all sorts of accessories, interactive activities and photo cards which teach students about the physical characteristics of the continent as well as the rich history, wildlife and varied cultures of Africa.  We are delighted that the map is being used by a wide variety of departments at Ursuline including Math, Social Studies, PE and Theology. Staff members are also visiting the map throughout the day as we are all eager to learn as much as we can about Africa. We are so happy to be a part of the Africa Map's tour - It has been so much fun that we have already requested the map of Asia next year!  

Having fun - Ms. Ross promotes World Peace in West Africa while Mr. Villalobos imitates a Gorilla in the Congo

Ms. Nipp sends greetings from the Giant Map after walking across the Equator

Ms. Haley's World Geography students enjoy a playful moment after studying the regions of Africa 

Ms. Vander Linden walks along the horn of Africa

Saying Goodbye to our Peruvian Sisters

The time to say goodbye to the Peruvian delegation came much too quickly. Even though the group was with us for three weeks, the visit seemed far too short. Our farewell on Friday consisted of a breakfast at St. Ursula's where all were chatting and laughing and telling stories of funny moments that were shared during the last weeks. And then the dreaded moment came when we had to say goodbye - and lots of tears flowed ... Now we have huge holes in our hearts because we miss our Peruvian sisters but we are so grateful for the many joyful memories that we will never forget.