Collegiate Block Schedule

Saint Ursula Academy is excited to share information about the new schedule students will benefit from beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. 

SUA is a leader in all-girls’ education in Cincinnati and is known for high academic achievement and results …. as well as whole-person programming and support. Therefore, it was critical to pursue a fresh schedule model that allowed SUA to maintain its high academic standards while creating opportunities for real-life experiences that will set our students apart in the college search process. 

An Overview 

SUA took years to develop the new schedule, and included students, teachers, education leaders and nationally recognized schedule experts in the process. We took our time to get it right. 

The new schedule keeps many of the aspects SUA students love about our current collegiate block schedule and addresses some of the challenges. We also added components that are aligned with how students learn best. The result is a schedule model that we feel will position our students best for the future, while providing life balance and many innovative opportunities for real hands-on experiences that will bring learning to life.  NEW SCHEDULE VIDEO OVERVIEW

What is Staying the Same and Why it Works 

• We will continue to have 4 class bells per day (75 minutes each)

• For a student shadowing SUA, the day will be structured about the same as it is now.

• Class times will still rotate, allowing each student and teacher to meet at their best time of the day during the week.

• Clubs and organizations will still meet during the school day, avoiding conflicts with after-school activities and making it easy for girls to meet students with similar interests.

• Non-academic programming will still take place during the school day such as club and organization meetings, guest speakers, formational programming, and opportunities to grow in faith.

• Break times will still be built in, in addition to lunch, for a mid-day pause/breather.

What is New and How it Solves our Former Challenges

• Each school day will begin at 8:15 am and end at 3:00pm. We currently start at 8:00 am. 

• Most courses will run the length of the school year, instead of being just one semester long. This solves a few challenges with our current schedule.  It prevents gaps in the continuity of learning in subjects like math and language that continue to build on the previous content.

• End-of-course timing is ideal for AP’s, as the courses naturally wrap up just prior to the universal AP testing dates, giving each student the greatest opportunity to achieve her best score.

• We will have six bells and an additional wellness bell that will run across the fall and spring semesters. The wellness fills an actual class period and is in addition to the morning and lunch breaks. 

• We have also added what we are calling a “minimester” at the end of each semester. 

What is a Minimester?

• Students will take two (2) minimesters a year, one in December and one in May

• Each minimester will earn a half credit, totaling one full credit each school year. 

• The minimester class is an experiential learning course that runs 12 consecutive school days. Teachers have developed more than 60 minimester course options from which students can choose. 

• One of the minimester's main features is experiential learning, a highly effective learning strategy where students learn by doing and have time to reflect on their learning.  

• By nature, experiential learning is hands-on, project-based, and interactive. DO NOT think that you will be sitting in a traditional classroom doing traditional learning activities all day.  

• Some of your learning activities will take place on campus, and some of the learning activities will take advantage of SUA's proximity to some really amazing places to visit.

• We believe the minimester will give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they are learning to real-life situations and give them an advantage when applying to college because they are bringing real-world experience with them.