2017-18 Calendar
You can find a one-page overview of next year’s calendar here. Like the last few years, we have a 34-week calendar, which is more than UMHB, but 2-3 weeks less than the local school districts. Note that the first day of the 2017-18 school year is Aug. 22; Christmas Break is Saturday, Dec. 16 – Jan. 8, and Spring Break is Mar. 12-16 (the same as the local school districts and UMHB. So the dates are similar to our first year of Providence, 2011-12, where we started Aug. 22 and school started up about a week after New Year’s Day. Why a slightly later start date? The alternative would be about a week earlier, which would put teacher training at the very beginning of August and Co-Teacher training not much later. Such early August dates can become difficult on summer activities and travel plans.
If you find it helpful, here are links to calendars from Belton ISD, Killeen ISD, Temple ISD, and UMHB (careful -automatic PDF download).
Loose Change to Loosen Chains
As 1st-4th grade students study about William Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery in England this week, we will be collecting change to help free modern day slaves. Wilberforce is an inspiration, standing up against injustice with perseverance and faith. As an extra challenge, we’ll have a boys vs. girls contest throughout March to see who brings in the most change. Feel free to empty your change containers and join in! Every little bit helps. Learn more here: LC2LC
Providence Parents’ Survey
We appreciate your feedback on your experience at Providence this year. Your ideas and opinions are important to us, and we welcome your honest and constructive feedback. Please complete one survey for each child you have at Providence. You can find the survey here.
1st-4th graders, co-teachers, and siblings enjoyed 4 different presentations at their Bell County Museum Field Trip on Friday. |
Shepherding a Child’s Heart Book Club meets Tuesday, March 7th after chapel
With only one meeting under our belts, we’d still love to have you join us. Email annette.kemp@provprep.org if you need a book. We’re discussing chapters 4-7 next which cover the following:
- You’re in charge
- Examining goals in parenting
- Reworking your goals
- Discarding unbiblical methods
Payment Dropbox
Need to pay for something – fees, tuition, curriculum, field trip, or something else? Please drop your payment into our dropbox, outside our office door (room 242). This helps to keep payments secure.
South Side Snack Thursday
PreK-4th grade students and families, meet us at the South entrance after school on March 9th from 2:55-3:30pm for a treat and some friend time. Let’s celebrate our break together!
5th-12th graders will get their treats the following day during house lunch. |
Charger Track and Field
From the CenTex Charger Homeschool Association:
Registration NOW OPEN!
The track meets we attend will offer competition for 7th-12th grades.
Sixth graders may participate if they would like to compete against 7th graders.
The state track meet will be for athletes age 9 through 12th grade.
If you want to participate in the track team or the state meet, please email centexchargers@yahoo.com and let us know the following information:
- Athlete Name
- Athlete Age on September 1, 2016
- Parent phone number
- Your ranking in order of best practice times for your family:
A – 10:00-11:30, Monday/Wednesday
B – 1:00-2:30, Tuesday/Thursday
C – 4:30-6:00, Tuesday/Thursday
WE ARE ACCEPTING ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS FOR VOLUNTEER TRACK & FIELD COACHES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COACH, PLEASE SUBMIT A COACH APPLICATION, FOUND HERE. |
Substitutes Needed
Providence is looking for a few good men (and women!) who would be available to substitute when one of our teachers is out. Sub plans and plenty of support will be provided. Compensation is $15 per upper school class. A day of subbing for grammar school includes over an hour of breaks and pays $70. Please contact Colleen if you would like more information or to apply. colleen.stafford@provprep.org
Tuition Assistance
Need some help with tuition for school year 2017-2018? Providence uses an online 3rd party called FAST for the application process. Please complete the FAST application here. There are limited funds available for scholarships, and the early bird catches the worm.
Please avoid glass water bottles
Please help us keep your students (and your water bottles) safe by only sending plastic water bottles with your students.
Thank you! |
Speech Meet: Afterword
While we recognize some students as superior for their grade levels, we are celebrating the efforts of all of our grammar school students this year who participated in Speech Meet. This year’s recitations showed more creativity and a greater level of difficulty on the whole. More students were sent to the finals than last year because of the quality of presentations. We’re making notes for next year already to help make the event go more smoothly for co-teachers and more beneficial for children. Thank you to all of our parents, teachers, and volunteers who encouraged and challenged our students. Your efforts made a difference! 2017 Speech Meet Results |
Coming March Events:
7 – Shepherding A Child’s Heart Book Club
7, 9, 10 – Senior Thesis presentations
9 – Stay and Play
13-17 Spring Break
21 – Stay and Play
23 – 4th-5th Grade Spelling Bee
23 – Thursday What’s Brewing with Mr. Billman
25 – Temple Daily Telegram Spelling Bee
28 – Shepherding A Child’s Heart Book Club
30 – Concordia Concert (Chapel, 7 pm, free)
31 – Spring Fest |
Senior Thesis Week
On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, the Providence Seniors will be presenting their senior thesis papers. While we call them “Thesis Presentations,” but a better phrase might be “Thesis Celebrations,” as these students already have much celebrate. Why?
- They’re approaching the end of a long process. The students began the process with a research paper their Junior year, and then they begin transforming these papers into well-crafted arguments. The thesis paper is at least 10 pages long; the presentations will be slightly shorter and crafted with an audience in mind.
- They’ve overcome obstacles. The seniors have researched their topics extensively, and only some of that research directly influences their essays (that’s the nature of research). Under Mrs. Glenn’s tutelage, the students have written about 8 drafts of the essay.
- They’ve committed it (mostly) to memory. The seniors are allowed a couple of pages of notes for the presentations, so they have had to spend a lot of time memorizing their own words (which is a great way to refine one’s own writing).
- They’ve considered their topic from a biblical worldview. The pre-Senior year summer reading book is Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey, which shows how serious academic work can be approached from a perspective grounded in faith. In each paper, the students have considered what their topic means for the Christian.
- They’ve found the process rewarding. I can’t speak for all of them, but several of them have told me that the process has been challenging, but worth it. While they are (understandably) a bit nervous about the presentations, they have also said that they’re excited to share their work with others.
Congratulations to the Senior class – break a leg!
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
3:45-4:15 John Eric Brown
“It’s a Musical World: How a Return to Classical
Music Education Can Preserve Order amidst Chaos”
4:15-4:45 Compton McMurry
“Art and Algebra: Revisiting Arithmetic, Geometry, and Other Useless Studies”
5:00-5:30 Miranda Williams
“Talk to the Hand: Achieving the Best School Option for Deaf Students”
5:30-6:00 Danny Rognlie
“12 Million Names: The Terrifying Effects of Holocaust Denial”
Thursday, March 9, 2017
3:45-4:15 Audrey Godley
“Cheaper than Therapy: The Role of Exercise and Community
In Alleviating Depression”
4:15-4:45 Ben Ringle
“The Cup Runneth Over: Why We Must Pay Attention to the
Advertising Claims of Sports Drinks”
5:00-5:30 Hannah Menn
“Vivisection Exposed: A Look into the Animal Testing and
Research Labs”
5:30-6:00 Emma Stacey
“GM-No?: Why Genetically Modified Foods Should be Used in
the Developing World”
Friday, March 10, 2017
3:45-4:15 Joe Stowers
“Mind the Gap: Middle-Class Prevailing Beliefs on the Subject
of a Gap Year”
4:15-4:45 Faith Stafford
“The Eyes Have It: These Beauties are Damaging Our
Beasts”
BIBLE/CHAPEL
SING: Hymn of the week: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
PRAY:
Focus Country of the Week: Martinique
Challenges for prayer: Martinique can be a dangerous place to live. It periodically suffers major volcanic eruptions and earthquakes – in 1902, Mt. Pelée erupted, killing 30,000. Tropical storms and misuse of pesticides are more recent blights upon the population. But spiritual apathy (apathy – not caring) is the most dangerous element that grips much of the population. Pray that they may see their basic instability, and that they will and be shaken out of their carelessness.
Scripture Memory: Romans 3:22b-24: There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
READ/TALK:
Tuesday, Mar. 7 Reading in morning chapel: The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37
Discussion Questions:
- Why is it surprising that the priest and Levite did not stop to help the hurt man, while the Samaritan did.
- According to Jesus, who is our neighbor?
- What are some ways we can show love for others?
| Wednesday, Mar. 8 Reading at home: The Widow’s Gift, Mark 12:41-44
Big Picture Bible: “A Dead Man is Raised to Life” (this is tomorrow’s chapel reading; save for Friday or Monday if you like)
Jesus Storybook Bible: “Washed with Tears”
Discussion Questions:
- What was Jesus trying to teach with the example of the Widow? (Jesus was trying to teach that it is not how much you give but the heart behind your gift. The widow’s gift was all that she had, so her gift showed that she was trusting God for her care.)
- How should the widow’s example affect the way we give? (The widow’s example doesn’t mean we have to give all our money away. It does mean that we should give sacrificially. God blesses us so that we can give back to him and help others.)
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Thursday, Mar. 9 Reading in morning chapel: Jesus Raises Lazarus, John 11:1-44
Discussion Questions:
- What amazing thing did Jesus tell Martha?
- What did many of the people do when Lazarus was raised from the dead?
- What hope does this story give us?
| Friday, Mar. 10 Review passages from the week |
| Monday, Mar. 20 Reading at home: The Vine and the Branches, John 15:1-17
Discussion Questions:
- Who is the vine? The branches?
- Why does this passage give us great hope? (see verse 7-11 especially)
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