www.providencehigh.org
Volume 6, Number 5
PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL 2011-2012 January 2012
Message from Head of School, Mr. Joe Sciuto Dear Providence Families, As we enter a new year, many of us will make New Year’s resolutions…that most of us don’t keep! The new traffic patterns and morning drop-off has already “postponed” my resolution - work out every morning before school. I need to be out in the mornings to help monitor the traffic and keep our students, faculty, and staff safe during the construction of our new science center. It’s the perfect excuse to break (okay, not even start) a New Year’s resolution! Perhaps we all need to establish resolutions that include the ones we love. That way we are more likely to keep the resolution. An easy resolution for a parent is to be more involved in their child’s life. Why not come to more school events? Check the Portal more often, and speak with your child about his/her classes? Establish breakfast and/or dinner time together? There are so many ways for us to connect and re-connect with our children. Use the Providence High School community as a way to strengthen your relationship with your child. I know that I will be looking for ways to connect more with my 14 and 16 year old sons. The years go by so quickly…let’s all make the most of our time with our loved ones. Happy New Year! Joe Sciuto Head of School Providence High School
The Providence Gala April 28, 2012 Lakeside Golf Course Honoring Susan and Victor Georgino
PAY TUITION ONLINE! Join hundreds of other parents in paying your tuition bill online! The quickest and most accurate credit to your account happens when you make your payments on-line by check or credit card. No additional fees are ever charged for this service. Please check the portal and website to access this service.
YOU BELONG HERE.
Science Center Construction Update The construction is progressing nicely and right on schedule. The new state of the art science center will be completed July 2012. Remember to give yourself some extra time to arrive to school during construction.
www.providencehigh.org
Volume 6, Number 5
Letter from Dean of Students, Mr. Dennis Bullock Happy 2012 to you! The new year promises to bring a great deal of excitement and challenge— often all wrapped up into one—to Providence High School. Our return from vacation ushers us all directly into the final two teaching weeks of the first semester, and to that end there will be a great deal of academic pressure on our students. It is imperative that students allot ample time for their studies, while also striking a balance in their lives by getting plenty of rest each night. Achieving this will take organization and commitment, and we urge you all to do your best to work with your kids to make sure they are using their time wisely. Finals will be upon us quicker than we can imagine. To put this in perspective, the second semester begins late THIS month. As all this transpires, construction (which began December 17th) will continue on and around campus for the rest of this year. The campus is going to derive a great deal of long-term benefit from the installation of the new Science Center, but the short-term will also see a bit of inconvenience—and in the beginning it will be rather acute unless we make sure we work together. The most conspicuous inconvenience will be morning drop-off. In recognition of this, we have developed a plan (which was sent home with the students December 17th and is also available on the school website, providencehigh.org) to which we are hopeful we can all adhere. This plan was formatted first and foremost with your child’s/children’s safety in mind. Here are the highlights: Morning Drop-Off and Parking The fenced-off construction area will constrict access to the campus. Our main entrance through the breezeway will be the only way in for both those who are dropped off and those who park. A coned-off walkway adjacent to the fencing along what was the grassy knoll will be created for students and faculty to travel to campus (see the map for a complete diagram). The driveway entrance to school will remain two lanes, but we will need to dedicate those lanes as follows: Right Lane—Parking Lot parking only; Left Lane—Student Drop-off only. The Parking Lot Lane: As you enter campus, enter in the right lane if at all possible. Once in the right lane, please keep proceeding to the parking lot without stopping unless you are forced to stop by an attendant or by traffic. Please never drop kids off in this lane as they will have to cross traffic, disrupting flow and putting them in unneeded risk. The first lane immediately to the right of the bottom of the hill in the parking lot will be one-way moving toward Pioneer Way. Those needing to park on the other side of the lot may make a left opposite the entrance to Pioneer Way and travel the freeway side of the parking lot one-way to their spot heading toward the construction/campus. The Drop-Off Lane: As you enter campus, enter in the left lane if at all possible. Once in the left lane, we need you to proceed as far as possible until you are forced to stop by an attendant or by traffic. When forced to stop, and only when forced, allow your child/children out of the car with great caution (space will be tight), preferably on the left side of the car if possible. Children will then proceed to the coned-off walkway to the left of the driver’s side, and use the path to get to campus. When directed to drive again, cars in this lane will make an immediate right into the parking lot and proceed out Pioneer Way as normal. If certain details change, we will inform you as quickly as possible. We will get through this together! 2
www.providencehigh.org
Volume 6, Number 5
Parent Service Hours Opportunities Here is an opportunity to get service hours by going shopping!! Take advantage of the after Christmas sales; get one service hour for each $10.00 spent: The Math, Science and Technology Fair Committee needs twenty big ticket items to raffle among the participating students. We need iPods, iPhones, lap tops, tablets, graphing calculators… appealing items for teenagers. Sound interesting? Contact Mr. Bird, extension 407 or at David.Bird@providencehigh.org Help us celebrate the X Anniversary of the Math, Science and Technology Fair in style! Ms. Paolone is still in need of donated items for Winter Formal. Please email her for a list of what is still needed. She also still needs help with Senior Lunch & Break Prom Fundraisers/Sales as well as Senior T-Shirts Reminder: No service hours can be granted without confirmation through Ms. Paolone and with a given receipt.
Please contact her at Marisa.paolone@providencehigh.org or ext. 107 if interested. Case(s) of Water (36 Bottles/16 oz.) are always needed. Please deliver the water to the front office with your receipt attached, and write your student’s name at the top. Contact Mrs. Bordey (818) 8468141 x100 if you have any questions.
Reminder regarding Financial Aid for 2012-2013 School Year To be considered for financial aid for the 2012-2013 school year, you must submit an application by February 10, 2012. If you are already receiving financial aid, you still need to reapply each year. The application and instructions are available at www.providencehigh.org under Admissions/Tuition and Financial Aid, or you can pick up an application in the front office.
IM PO RTAN T D ATES:
January 4th: Sophomore and Junior parent meeting in the MPR at 7p.m. for PSAT test results January 11th: Financial Aid meeting for Senior parents held at 7p.m. at Bell Jeff High School
3
Volume 6, Number 5
www.providencehigh.org Don’t forget about the next child in line!
News from Advancement
Are your 8th grade students ready? Entrance Exam Workshop -‐ January 12th 3:30pm Pre-‐Registration required. Did you miss Open House? A "mini tour" and Q&A will take place at 4:00 on Thursday Jan. 12th Entrance Exam Dates -‐ January 21st and 28th, 9:00 am. Make sure your student's application is on file. Any questions, please call Judy Umeck 818-‐846-‐8141 ext. 501
The 2012 Providence Gala is coming up on April 28th, and the committee is always in need of volunteers and new members, as well as donations for the auction. Please contact Vickie Bagwell at ext.403 or Vickie.Bagwell@providencehigh.org.
From the Desk of the Dean of Studies, Claire Hickey Dear Parents & Guardians, As students come to the end of their first semester of studies, preparations for exams begin in earnest. Elective course exams are the week of January 9th. The Semester Final Exams are January 17, 18, & 19. At the semester, IF any student receives an “F” or “D” in a course, he/she MUST go to summer school and make-up this course before returning in the Fall next year. Providence is a college preparatory school and the colleges and universities do not accept a grade of “D” or “F”. Therefore, vacations must be planned accordingly, in order to accommodate your student’s academic needs. Semester Exams are completed by 12:00 noon each of the exam days. For any student who is absent on an exam day, make-up exams are Friday, January 20th beginning at 8 a.m. in the PHS library. Aeries Grade Book will be closed to parents and students while grades are being processed, from January 13th -26th. Report cards will be mailed January 27th. The Second Semester begins on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. There are essential General Parent Meetings in January and February. The January meeting will review critical information related to the PSAT taken by Sophomores and Juniors in October (parents of 9th or 12th graders need not attend). This test ultimately prepares students for the SAT test required for college acceptance. The February 21st meeting covers information related to the Course Selection process for the coming year, particularly recommendations for Honors and Advanced Placement classes (parents of seniors need not attend). Parents are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities, which benefit your students. Parent hours are given for meeting attendance. Lastly, please pay special attention to your student’s attendance in school. Grades are generally impacted by tardies and by being absent from class, including for illness or for medical appointments. For students who did well, PHS congratulates them on their hard work and good grades! 4
Volume 6, Number 5
www.providencehigh.org
Final Exams Parents, please encourage your sons and daughters to prepare and study hard for their final exams on January 17, th 18, 19 . Here are some suggestions to help them study: -
DO NOT procrastinate - start studying early! Organize class notes, quizzes, and tests Make note cards regarding important concepts and vocabulary / quiz one another using these note cards Review study guides provided by teachers Prepare a list of questions for teacher of concepts that need further clarification. Consult with teacher the week before to have these questions answered, not the morning of the exam. - Get plenty of sleep the night before each exam. - Eat a good healthy breakfast.
A Note to Freshmen Parents
2012 W inter Form al Saturday Feb. 4 th 7:30 to 11:00pm
from the Counseling Dept. th
Winter Formal tickets go on sale Mon. Jan. 30 at lunch; last day to buy tickets @ the pre-sale price is rd Friday Feb. 3 . Pre-Sale tickets are $ 35 for a single ticket and $ 50 for a couple. At the door only single tickets will be available at $ 40 each; no couples prices.
Your sons and daughters are almost done with their first semester of high school. It's been a pleasure getting to know them these first few months, and they are hard working students determined to do well academically. This week during Freshmen Seminar they will attend a presentation introducing them to the final exam process at PHS. National Honor Society students will be providing study group sessions after school the week of January 9th. On January 11th they will review important study strategies during freshmen seminar. Please encourage your sons and daughters to take advantage of the extra help provided to them by their teachers, and these additional study sessions.
From the Desk of the College Counselor, Clara Gaitan Seniors Parents: By now college applications are almost completed and mailed in! Congratulations -‐ to you and your student!! It is, as you have seen, quite a process. Some colleges have begun to notify applicants of admission status, but most colleges and universities will send their letters beginning in March. The UC schools will notify students from March 1 -‐ March 31 (UCLA and Berkeley most likely at the end of March). Private schools vary in their notification times. So now is time for patience! Your student should be continuing to: • Study hard and achieve good grades (all admissions are provisional -‐ final admission is dependent on final grades!) • Search for scholarships -‐ search the internet, and watch for announcements in the media and at school through the scholarship newsletter • Complete and mail FAFSA and CSS forms -‐ the deadline is March 2nd!! PHS will submit all GPA’s for Cal Grant consideration electronically. Junior Parents: If you did not attend the PSAT presentation, please send your student to pick up their results. I will be meeting with all juniors, individually in February, to explain the PSAT, college entrance exams and select courses for next year.
5
www.providencehigh.org
Volume 6, Number 5 Exciting News!
It is my pleasure to inform you that the Board of Directors of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) has accepted Providence High School into provisional membership. PHS can now participate in the activities of the Association for the remainder of the school year. The school year 2012-2013 will be the first full year of our provisional membership, with evaluation and accreditation for full membership taking place in either the second or third full year of provisional membership. This is terrific news for our school! Our faculty and staff are now immediately eligible to attend an array of events that CAIS sponsors to promote the professional development of teachers and administrators, and we are members of an organization that includes only the TOP independent schools in the state of California! Best Regards, Joe Sciuto
Senior Parents: Information will be coming soon about purchasing a Senior Ad in the 2012 yearbook. Please contact Mrs. Talley at ext. 217 if you do not receive the paperwork by January 16.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: Jan. 3rd Classes Resume
Jan. 19th End of 1st Semester
Jan. 9th -12th Elective Course Exams
Jan. 21st High School Entrance Exams
Jan. 12th Christian Service Hours due
Jan. 23-24th Semester Break-No School
(at least half)
Jan. 13th Peace & Justice Mass Assembly Jan. 16th Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday No School Jan. 17th- 19th 1st Semester Exams
6
Jan.25th Kairos II Parent Meeting, 7pm Jan.28th High School Entrance Exams Feb.4th Winter Formal Homecoming Dance Feb. 10th PHS Financial Aid Application Deadline