For Ellie Alexander Poorman, attending Wilmington Friends School means much more than just education – it means family, and generations of it. The historic school, founded in 1748, is older than the country. Friends will start celebrating its 275th anniversary Sept. 5 when it opens its doors for the 2023-2024 school year. Poorman, 88, sent all four of her children …
Winnie the dog, seniors welcome back Ursuline students
Cheering Ursuline Academy seniors waving signs welcomed students of the lower school back to the classroom Wednesday, along with a new furry friend. Winnie, who’s celebrating her first birthday Wednesday as students return, is a poodle mix that was adopted by the academy to provide emotional support for students. Donna Kinzel, Usuline’s chief financial officer, said that …
Padua’s graduation traditions start with painted skirts
The uniforms worn by the senior Pandas of Padua Academy were a little more colorful than usual this week. The soon-to-be graduates kicked off their end-of-year traditions by painting their skirts with the logos and colors of the universities they’ll attend in the fall. “This tradition is really important to everyone at Padua because it’s a culmination of our …
Meet Padua Academy’s 4 valedictorians. Yes. 4
For the first time in school history, Padua Academy will honor not two, not three, but four valedictorians to top their class of 2022. Arundhati Dole, Mary Katherine (Katie) Dorsey, Esosa Ediae and Emily Malone are this year’s Padua valedictorians. The young women all say that the honor reflects the sisterhood of Padua, which is an all-girls Catholic school in …
Phillie Phanatic celebrates reading with Ursuline students
The Phillie Phanatic visited Ursuline’s elementary classes to celebrate reading. Ursuline Academy found a way to lure their youngest students away from screens during the cold, snowy month of January. The private school in Wilmington jumped at the chance to be part of “Snow Much Reading with the Phanatic,” just one piece of the Lower School’s multi-year literacy …
For private schools and prospective students, it’s Admission Season
Padua Academy students lead visitors through Open House tour. When Gabby Guerke was ready to leave Odyssey Charter School for ninth grade in 2019, she wasn’t sure what she wanted in a high school. “My parents and I just felt like we needed to look everywhere,” she said. “So that’s what we did.” Like hundreds of other eighth graders …