'Servium' Once Again Theme to Start Ursuline's Year

With a school mantra of "servium" or "I will serve," Ursuline Academy asks its students to give back to the community, and on Wednesday - the first day of school - many students were ahead of the curve and already volunteering in many ways. 

Jillian Craven, a sophomore from Dedham, helps out at Josiah Quincy School in Boston and aiding teachers at Riverdale Elementary School in Dedham.

Kylie Makia, an eighth grader from Dedham, said she teaches Irish dance to younger children.

Kristen Hickey, a sophomore from Dedham, is a devout athlete who plays soccer, basketball and lacrosse. She said she enjoys playing against her friends in public school, but concedes that she always loses to them in soccer.

As her community service she chose to work with her mom at Eastwood Care Center in Dedham, where she entertains the elderly.

Sandra Nedder, eighth grader, participates in choir at St. Bartholomew in Needham and was a counselor in training at day camp this past summer.

Many students said they were excited for their first day, which would consist of scheduling their classes, meeting up with old friends and getting to know their new teachers.

What the students seemed most excited about were the new lockers. Craven described the old lockers as narrow and not easy to use with plenty of "old weird sticky stuff" at the bottom from years of use. 

They are also excited about a new scoreboard in the gym that was paid for by parent fundraising with some help from Needham Bank.

As part of the volunteerism aspect of the curriculum, Patrice Howard, Ursuline's communications director, said all students this year will be participating in a walk in conjunction with Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury to raise money for cancer research. 

The walk will be later this year in Boston and begin at the Hatch Shell next to the Charles River.