St. Ursula Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio)

St. Ursula Academy, located in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Catholic college-preparatory high school for young women that offers an intensive four-year program in the fields of English, mathematics, science, social studies, French, Spanish, Latin, and religion. An entrance test is required of all prospective freshmen students. Academic scholarships are also based on the results of this test.

History

St. Ursula Academy was established in 1910 by the newly-founded Ursuline community as a private academy for students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. The sisters had an enrollment of sixty-three pupils that first year, when classes were held in a house they rented at Ingleside and McMillan. The following year the school was in session at 1339 East McMillan in the Worcester residence, which the sisters had recently purchased. In December 1910, the community acquired the Schuster-Martin building. The facilities were enhanced in 1915 with the building of a chapel wing, which connected the two original buildings and also provided enlarged kitchen and dining areas. About the same time, the far west building was built by Mr. and Mrs. Bellamy Storer as their residence. When the Storers died, the building became the property of the sisters and was utilized for additional classroom space. In 1952 two smaller houses adjacent to the west wing were purchased. The original gym-auditorium was added in 1954. Every inch of space was used to the fullest to accommodate the growing number of students. A new classroom wing was added to St. Ursula in 1967. In 1960 the purchase of a twenty-five acre estate in Mt. Lookout enabled the community to provide space for the elementary division, known as St. Ursula Villa.

For several years the McMillan Street site was the school for grades seven through twelve. Now it is chartered as a four-year college preparatory high school, and grades seven and eight are located at the Villa. November 1985 marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of St. Ursula's foundation. With the generous support of alumnae, friends, and parents, the physical plant underwent extensive renovation, enabling the school to accommodate an increasing number of students.

From the beginning until the 1990s, St. Ursula Academy was owned and operated by the Ursulines of Cincinnati. From its earliest days, however, the support and assistance of lay alumnae, parents and friends was critical for its success. In the late 1970s the sisters formalized that support by establishing the Advisory Board. In 1994 St. Ursula Academy was incorporated as a separate entity and is now governed by a Board of Trustees. In 1999 St. Ursula Academy purchased the McMillan Street property from the Ursulines of Cincinnati. In March 2000, the two small buildings at the comer of Upland and Fleming Streets were demolished to make room for the construction of a new academic building, Margaret Unnewehr Schott Hall. This building encompasses four levels and provides eight new science classrooms/labs, 10 general classrooms and two music rooms. In all these changes, the philosophy of the school, its emphasis on the religious formation of its students, and its pursuit of academic excellence are being strengthened by the combined commitment of the Ursulines of Cincinnati, the faculty , the administration, and the Board of Trustees. In June 2002, construction began on a gymnasium/convocation center and was completed in June 2003.

Starting with the freshman class of the 2006-2007 school year, the school started the Tablet PC program. All classes after the class of 2010 now use the Tablets daily in class, and their classes are expected to be "paperless" for the most part. This program has been successful for the past few years that it has been in effect.

The dedication and excellence of the teaching staff have always been strengths of St. Ursula. The staff's interest in providing an excellent education in a religious and congenial atmosphere is high. With student and parent support, St. Ursula Academy will continue to provide such an experience for its students.

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

* Girls Golf - 1994,1997cite web|url=http://www.ohsaa.org/|title=Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site|accessdate=2006-12-31|author=OHSAA]
* Girls Soccer – 1991,1993cite web|url=http://www.ohsaa.org/|title=Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site|accessdate=2006-12-31|author=OHSAA] ,2007
* Girls Volleyball – 1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,2001,2003cite web|url=http://www.ohsaa.org/|title=Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site|accessdate=2006-12-31|author=OHSAA]
* Girls Swimming – 1993,1994,1995cite web|url=http://www.ohsaa.org/|title=Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site|accessdate=2006-12-31|author=OHSAA]
* Girls Cross Country – 2006cite web|url=http://www.ohsaa.org/|title=Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site|accessdate=2006-12-31|author=OHSAA]

Notable Alumni

* Heather Mitts, Olympic soccer star and ESPN analyst
* Marge Schott, former owner of the Cincinnati Reds

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.saintursula.org/ School website]