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Volume 6, Number 1
PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL 2011-2012
WELCOME! YOU BELONG HERE.
Message from Head of School, Mr. Joe Sciuto Dear Providence Families, Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! I am excited and honored to begin my first year as Head of School at Providence. This is a wonderful community. I have been so impressed with the support of the Board of Regents, the faculty and staff, and the parents. The students are eager to learn, and they really love their school. I could not feel more welcomed to a new community…I truly feel like “I Belong Here.”
your child at athletic events, plays, concerts, etc. Being involved enriches our school community and lives. Community is so important in this busy world in which we live. Get involved…I promise you, you’ll like it! I will continue to uphold the high academic standards, which we have at Providence High School. This is first and foremost a serious place of learning. Our talented faculty will challenge, encourage, and inspire our students. We also care a great deal about the moral development of the young people in our care. We live our Core Values of Respect, Compassion, Justice, Excellence, and Stewardship on a daily basis.
I have encouraged our students to get involved- try out for an athletic team, audition for a school play, join a club, complete more I look forward to the school year, Christian Service hours than and please stop by and introduce the requirement. Every yourself to me! student will find a place at Providence to get involved. I Yours in Providence, challenge our parents to also get involved. Come to parent Mr. Joe Sciuto events and meetings, support Head of School
September 2011 ACADEMIC SUPPORT CENTER NOW OPEN! The Academic Support Center is open for peer tutoring every week Monday-Thursday, from 7:15-7:55am , during lunch, and after school until 4:30pm. Questions? Contact Academic Counselors Clara Gaitan or Maribel Kuklish.
El Torito Restaurant FUNDRAISER Thursday, September 29TH ALL DAY @ the El Torito on Alameda in Burbank Mention Providence High School and we will earn 20% of your bill. This is a great opportunity to have a good meal with family and friends and also help our school.
Guided by our Catholic tradition, we will develop each student to her or his academic potential with strong moral values, a commitment to service, and a love of learning. Providence High School Vision Statement
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Volume 6, Number 1
Letter from Dean of Students, Mr. Dennis Bullock The 2011-2012 academic year is off to a great start. Spirits are up, and our students are actively engaged in numerous activities—from sports, to choir, to drama, to film‐making, to Theme Night… the list goes on. Although Theme Night is still more than four weeks away, it is already starting to take shape, and as you may know, we are always in need of assistance. You can earn parent service hours by helping to supervise Theme Night practices after school, or chaperoning the day/night before Theme Night (Oct. 20th) or Theme Day/Night itself. To do so, contact your student’s grade level moderator, me, or my assistant Ms. Kirsch . For those who are not aware of or have forgotten: danger lurks at the end of Pioneer Way! I want to warn you that police are often there waiting to issue a traffic citation to those who turn right into the hospital driveway. The “no right turn” sign was posted there by the city, and they enforce it. Also with regard to traffic, please remember that those arriving from the north enter on the north and
remain on the north side of the driveway. Those arriving from the south enter and stay on the south side of the driveway. Please don’t cross to the opposite side. Please, never drop your kids off on Buena Vista St. For the purpose of getting everyone off Buena Vista and into the driveway, pull forward as far as possible before stopping. When the line stops, students disembark up and down the line, and the line moves out, making room for the next lineup. So far, the lines are moving smoothly. Finally, if you did not have an opportunity to sign up for carpooling during Back To School night, please call Ms. Umeck (x.501), Ms. Kirsch (x.213), or me (x.204) to be added to the carpooling list. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, observations, or concerns. We want to do all we can to make sure your child is both safe and enjoying her/his experience at Providence High School. We seek to uphold the spirit of our credo: You Belong Here. Dennis R. Bullock Dean of Student Discipline & Activities
Parent Service Hours Opportunities Each PHS family is required to serve 40 Service Hours. These hours may be accrued through volunteering or donating goods and donations though out the year. Any donated item of $10 is the equivalent of one (1) service hour. Please check the portal, website, or parent newsletter for service hour and donation opportunities. * Ms. Paolone, English Dept. & Senior Class Moderator, ALWAYS needs assistance. In addition, the club Rock and Roll A to Z is in need of some new/updated items for this school year. Feel free to email her at Marisa.Paolone@ProvidenceHigh.org or you can reach her @ 818 846-8141x 107
**Volunteers are needed to help with Providence Fund mailing. We need help with folding and stuffing of envelopes at the end of September and beginning of October. Please contact Vickie Bagwell if you are available during the day to help.
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Volume 6, Number 1
FROM THE OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT There There We
will be NO Magazine or Gift Wrap Drives this year.
will be NO $250 Family Fundraising Obligations this year.
are in the midst of the Family Pledge Program. For more information, please contact Vickie Bagwell at 818 846-8141, ext. 403 or Vickie.Bagwell@providencehigh.org.
Letter from the Dean of Studies Dear Parents or Guardians: At Providence we aim to prepare all students for a life of meaning and value in a fast-changing and complex world. We maintain a challenging and engaging college preparatory curriculum. Students must do three things to assure success: rest well, eat a good breakfast (!) and study honestly and vigorously. A current record of assessment of your child’s academic performance is available through the Aeries Gradebook. Your students already have their Log-ons and can take you on a “tour” of each class site as well as the Gradebook. Parents will be getting their log-in information in the mail this week. New parents are encouraged to attend an Aeries Gradebook training session 30 minutes prior to (6:30) the 7 p.m. General Parent meeting on September 20th in the PHS multi-purpose room. An IT person will also be available to assist with questions. Regarding your child’s academic performance, the 1st Grading period ends October 7th. October 13th Progress Reports will be mailed. Parents are encouraged to be proactive in viewing their student’s grades in the Aeries Gradebook at least once a week. All D/F grades require attendance of Students and Parents for a Teacher Conference on Oct. 19th. Appointments can be made through Mrs. Kathleen Pantaleo, ext.111. The importance of teaching and learning cannot be overstated. As educators, we strive continually to provide quality education in our classrooms and to maintain open communication with the parents and guardians for the good of the student. Thank you for allowing us to partner with you in this endeavor. Yours in Providence, Mrs. Claire Hickey Dean of Studies 3
Media Focus Update I have come to appreciate that teaching is a wonderful combination of the new and the constant, woven into a structure as cyclical as the changing of the seasons. As the new school year begins it is reassuring to consider the cyclical rerunning of assignments and projects, always with the ambition of tweaking improvements here and there, but knowing that we have a plan and that the plan works. Having said that, there are a few new things afoot in Media Focus. We plan to purchase two or three additional high definition cameras to supplement our inventory and complement our growing resources of portable audio and lighting equipment. Room 214, the neighboring classroom to the media department, has become part of the media complex. There is still much work to be done in converting this space into a functioning, flexible studio space as well as a site for animation and Avid editing equipment. The challenge will be to find the resources to fill this versatile space with green screens, lights and grip equipment, additional cameras and all the other bits of wizardry that we need to keep Media Focus current with technology. I hope the many friends of Providence
Media Focus will lend a helping hand in this effort. If you or someone you know is replacing media and technology equipment please consider donating your old equipment to our Media Focus program. Last year we were off to a magnificent start in our corporate donation program and hope to enlarge upon it this year. Ms. Chris Harty-Schaefer is back with us this year as an advisor and collaborator to the department making her many years of experience as a director and producer available to the students and myself. Sadly, Igor Borovac, our talented technical adviser, will be leaving to begin fulltime work as an assistant editor. Luckily, he will be back from time to time to join our network of industry volunteers who give so generously of their time and effort. The Media Focus Parent Committee will meet soon to plan this year’s slate of initiatives and consolidate what was accomplished last year. As always, Media Focus looks to new school year as an opportunity for increased student productivity, creativity and new examples of student excellence. Joe Ingraffia Media Focus
From the Desk of College Counselor, Clara Gaitan I hope this newsletter will keep you informed about important info regarding the college admissions process and academic counseling available for students. Please visit the College Counseling page on the portal as well for valuable information regarding entrance exams and college admissions. Students and parents can access and download college admissions forms as well as keep up to date with current announcements and college visits. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ext. 405 or at clara.gaitan@providencehigh.org Seniors Parents: I am currently visiting all senior homerooms, reminding seniors of what they should be doing and distributing handouts. Also, I will be meeting with all seniors on September 21st to continue speaking about the college admission process. Student appointments are on a first come, first serve basis and parents are more than welcome to join us. During the next two months, your student should be doing the following: • • • • • • •
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Finalizing their college list Taking SAT Reasoning, SAT Subject Test or ACT tests as needed Planning college visits Attending on-campus college presentations Starting to work on the UC & Cal State applications Working on college essays Preparing Early Decision and Early Action applications
Volume 6, Number 1
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AIDS WALK 2011 The AIDS Walk event is on Sunday, October 15th- it begins at around 8 AM with registration at the West Hollywood Park at the corner of Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevards. Students are responsible for their own rides to and from the event. Parents are welcome to attend the event. Students who complete the walk receive Christian Service hours. However, parents do NOT receive any service hours but are encouraged to accompany their child on the walk. There will be no formal supervision due to the large gathering and the nature of the assembly and activity. PHS students will have a designated place in the park to meet under the banner of the LA Archdiocese HIV-AIDS/Catholic Ministry. Pledges and funds can be turned in on-line or directly to the Catholic Ministry to support their ongoing efforts with people affected and their families. Parents who would like to assist for the first few hours can contact Dr. Harjani via e-mail arjan.harjanimd@providencehigh.org. Our Team is Providence Pioneers- 0274. To join the team go to: ttps://www.kintera.org/faf/teams/registerTeam.asp?ievent=478830&lis=1&kntae478830=CCC6ADC65F464 B8DD0A13318A0FE94&teamAction=join
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY QuestBridge is pleased to announce the launch of the 2011 National College Match program, which helps high-achieving low-income students gain admission and full four-year scholarships to leading colleges. For more information visit their site www.questbridge.org/. There are eligibility requirements and amounts vary by need. Two PHS students were selected in the past.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: Sept.16th Back to School Dance, 7:30pm Sept. 20th General Parent Meeting, 7:00pm Sept. 27th Freshman Retreat
Oct.15th AIDS Walk, 8:00am Consectetuer: Oct. 21st Theme Night Oct. 24th Independent Study- No Classes for students
Sept. 29th Christian Service Contracts Due
Oct. 25th General Parent Meeting, 7:00pm
Oct. 5th Kairos I Parent Meeting, 7:00pm
Oct.28th Halloween Dance
Oct. 7th End of 1st Grading Period
For complete calendar of events, please check the school calendar at www.providencehigh.org
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