The Ursuline School is an American all-girls', independent, private, Roman Catholic middle and high school located on a 13-acre (53,000 m2) campus in New Rochelle, New York, in Westchester County.
The school was founded in 1897 by the Order of St. Ursula. The school is part of a network of 15 Ursuline schools in North America and many around the world.[1]
The school has approximately 800 students, grades 6 through 12, that come from throughout the metropolitan area, including the Bronx, Westchester County, Rockland County, Manhattan and Connecticut.[2]
Ursuline's brother school is Iona Preparatory School, also located in New Rochelle.
The school began as the Ursuline Seminary for Girls in September 1897, operating out of Leland Castle at the now-closed College of New Rochelle. As registration increased, a wing was added to the southern end of the castle and the College of New Rochelle was founded.
By 1929, The Ursuline School, then a kindergarten through twelfth grade day school, moved to its present location at 1354 North Avenue. The North Building was added in 1960, the gym in 1981, the Chapel of St. Angela in 1986, The Mooney Hancock Arts Center in 2002 and the Lobby and Welcome Center in 2021.
Students must complete 24 specified credits in order to graduate, including four years of English, social studies, and religion; three years of science, mathematics, and a foreign language; a year of Latin or art/music; and a semester of computer applications and health. Physical education is also a requirement. More than 90 percent of students take four or more years of science, math, and a foreign language.
The traditional college-preparatory program includes three modern foreign languages (French, Spanish, and Italian), five years of Latin, a year of classical Greek, a broad range of fine arts courses, computer courses, and a variety of electives.
Honors courses are available in all disciplines, and Advanced Placement courses are offered in art, Spanish, Latin, Italian, English, calculus, biology, environmental science, physics, and European, U.S. history and U.S. government.
The school also offers an Authentic Science Research program through which, in addition to their regular science courses, students engage in three years of directed independent study. Seventh- and eighth-grade students have the opportunity to earn high school credit in a foreign language, mathematics, and science.[3]
The school belongs to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, with 30 interscholastic teams in swimming, tennis, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, cross-country, cheer leading, basketball, softball, lacrosse, golf, and indoor and outdoor track.
Athletic facilities include a full-size gymnasium, a multi-sport playing field, and three tennis courts. The swim team had been undefeated for eight years as of 2013.