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All School News
2010-2011 Class Schedules Information
For Students Entering Grades 6-8
Elective schedules (Period 6 classes) will be available for viewing in NetClassroom by the end of the school year.  You will be informed when you can go online and check your elective class.  The core academic subjects (period 1-5, 7 and 8) will be scheduled during the month of June and the first part of July.  Information will be dispersed when full schedules are available for viewing in NetClassroom.  Paper copies of student schedules will be distributed in mid-August.

For Students Entering Grades 9-12
2010-2011 elective schedules are available for viewing in NetClassroom.  At your earliest convenience, please log in and see your Period 7 & 8 schedule for next year.  Log in information can be obtained in the Administration Office or from Mrs. Semsch.  Be on the lookout for the following scheduling issues and see Mrs. Semsch immediately if: 

·         You will be a senior and you believe you are short of credits needed to graduate (e.g., a Phy Ed course)

·         You have a blank slot in any of the class periods (Period 7 or 8 either semester)

·         You are enrolled in a course you have taken before, with the exception of Publications, Choir, Band or Strings

·         You are enrolled in more than one study hall in any given semester 

Effective immediately, course changes will be considered/processed only with the appropriate form and the $50 course change request fee will be assessed to changes that are approved.  You can obtain a course change request form from Mrs. Semsch or from either school office.  Course change requests will be processed at three different points: 

·         In mid-June, all of the course change request forms that have been turned in between now and that time will be processed

·         In mid-August, the forms collected throughout the summer will be processed

·         On the afternoon of the second day of school, the forms collected between mid-August and that morning will be processed 

No course change forms received after 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31^st will be considered, barring emergency situations, as outlined in the Academic Program Guide.  

The core academic subjects (period 1-6) will be scheduled during the month of June and the first part of July.  Information will be dispersed when full schedules are available for viewing in NetClassroom.  Paper copies of student schedules will be distributed in mid-August.

Bike Helmets from Plymouth Fire & Police
Plymouth Fire and Police Departments sell new bike helmets from 6:00 to 8:00 on Thursday evenings, through August 26^th, at Fire Station III at 3300 Dunkirk Lane North.  Firefighters are available to fit and size helmets so that they will protect and perform as designed.  Bell bike helmets in toddler through adult sizes are available for $10 and $12 and multi-sport helmets may be purchased for $15.  For more information, contact Plymouth Fire and Police Departments at (763) 509-5198.

Health Office Forms
Health Office forms for the 2010-2011 school year have been sent home.  Students entering Kindergarten and 7th grade will receive immunization update information in the mail before the end of school.  Thank you for your help in filling out these forms.

Looking for Providence Parents’ Opinions!
The ISACS satisfaction survey for parents will close at the end of the day this Friday, June 11th.  Providence undertakes the survey as part of the ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) accreditation process and the results are very important for renewal of our accreditation, the Academy’s self analysis and other long-term planning.  The link was distributed via a Special E-Bulletin on Thursday, May 27th. 

Thank you to those who have already responded.  Questions may be directed to Mrs. Julie Kennedy at (763) 258-2506.

Music In Plymouth Volunteers Needed
June 30th is the date for the 2010 version of Music In Plymouth!  This evening is sponsored by the Plymouth Civic League and supported with volunteers from Providence Academy.  We are looking for families to pass out programs from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. or 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. along the three paths that lead into the park behind Lifetime Fitness in Plymouth.  Music is played on the Hilde Center Stage from 5:00 p.m., featuring four local bands and the Minnesota Orchestra.  Fireworks commence at dark.  Many families bring a picnic dinner to enjoy or buy their dinner in the concessions area behind the Plymouth City Hall.  Free T-shirts are available for volunteers.  If you are interested in helping distribute programs at the event, please contact Mrs. Nancy Shaeffer at (763) 258-2504.

Phone Directory Changes
If you’ve had changes to your Student Directory listing over the school year (i.e., name changes, address changes, phone number changes, etc.) and would like your family’s information updated or if you would like the addition of one family e-mail address to appear with your phone directory information, please e-mail your updates to: courtney.daniel@providenceacademy.org or call the student services office at (763) 258-2502 prior to the end of business on June 25th.  Thank you for your timely attention to this matter.

Referrals Welcome!
Do you know a great family with a child entering Kindergarten for the 2010-11 school year?  A few spaces remain in Kindergarten for the upcoming school year at Providence Academy.  Your referrals continue to make a big difference in enrollment and are always welcome.  The Office of Admissions is open all summer and a representative can be reached by calling (763) 258-2502.  Thank you for spreading the word about PA!

Running Club Runs Laps for Life
The Running Club ran their annual Laps for Life on Thursday, May 20th.  The runners in grades three through six completed 292 laps combined, which came to 73 miles!  Each runner was pledged per lap.  A total of $1,576 was raised for New Life Family Services.  Mrs. Steinbrueck would like to thank all of the runners and their families who worked so hard!  Way to go!

Summer Camp Updates
Summer Camps will be starting before long!  For the latest information on changes, cancellations and additions, please refer to the Summer Camp Updates page on the PA website.

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Lower School News
Current & New Student Transition Events
Please consider attending, as a current student, the following transition event hosted by the Admissions Department.  Meet new friends and join in the fun!  We’d love to have you there.  Space is limited for these events and reservations are taken on a first come basis.  A variety of students from the desired grade levels will be represented at each event.  Please e-mail Courtney Daniel in the admissions office at courtney.daniel@providenceacademy.org for reservations and information.  Please look for additional events to be announced soon as each grade level will participate in two events over the spring and summer.                             

Plymouth Fire Truck at PA!
Who: For students entering Pre-Kindergarten in the fall of 2010 AND their parents
What: A play-date at PA with a Plymouth Fire Truck and Officer Baloun
When: Thursday, June 17th, 2010 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Where: At PA – Meet in the main lobby
Why: For playtime with new friends a look around a real fire engine

Last Day for Pre-K
The last day of school for Pre-K students is Tuesday, June 8^th.

Lower School Strings for 2010-2011
Calling Lower School students!  Those entering 2^nd-5^th grades are invited to come and play a string instrument next year.  Violin, viola, and cello lessons will start the second week of school in September.  Beginner class (students with no experience) meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m.  Advanced class (students with one or more years’ experience) meets on Monday and Thursday from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m.

Registrations forms were sent home after the Lower School Strings Demonstration Concert on Tuesday, May 25th.  Sign up today!  An orientation and instrument measurement meeting is scheduled on August 24th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Choir Room.  If you have questions, please call Mrs. Wolfe at (763) 285-5513.  Registrations forms will also be available in the Administration Office.

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Athletics Update
Providence Academy Lacrosse – Coming Soon!
Boy’s & Girl’s Club Lacrosse will be offered next spring to middle and lower school students.  The club offering will be a parent run initiative much like PATBA is for baseball.  Parents and students interested in learning more about this new program should email PALacrosse@hotmail.com

How to Receive Sports Communication
The best way to receive information at home about upcoming events and driving direction is to utilize the Providence Academy website.  Simply go to http://www.providenceacademy.org and click on the rSchoolToday Calendar link.  Information can also be obtained by calling the Sports Hotline at (763) 258-2580.  The Hotline is updated daily and contains all of the day’s information and happenings.

Schedules and Directions to Away Events
Both schedules and directions to away events can be found on the Providence Academy website at http://www.providenceacademy.org  From the home page, simply click on the rSchoolToday Calendar link.  Then select a sport from the View Schedules list on the right side of the page.

Weather-Related Cancellations
In the event athletic schedules change, the Sports Hotline is updated by 2:00 daily.  Please call the Hotline at (763) 258-2580 for the latest information.  The rSchoolToday Calendar will also be updated as soon as information is available.

Webcast America
www.webcast50.com is the place to go this fall for varsity athletics.  For ease of access, there is a link on PA’s home page to the Webcast America site.  Note all games and events on the site remain available to view for a calendar year.  Check out all the action you may have missed on Webcast America. 

Results
Looking for results for Providence Athletics teams?  Visit the Providence Academy website and click on the rSchoolToday Calendar link.  From there, select the blue tab labeled “Scores/Standings.”

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College Counselor's Corner
Graduates
Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2010!  Your final transcripts will be sent automatically to your chosen colleges.  If your college requires a specific form to be sent with the transcript, please be sure to get it to Mrs. Hogan ASAP.

Rising Seniors
College Book Awards
On Wednesday, June 2, juniors gathered in the Lecture Hall for the announcement of the 2010 College Book Award recipients.  These College awards are supported either by a local alumni chapter or directly by the sponsoring college/university, and were instituted to recognize and reward high school juniors nationwide who have excelled in academics and in their extracurricular achievements.  While selection of students is left up to each participating high school, specific criteria and/or guidelines have been provided by the colleges.  In the case of our seven recipients this year, all students would be classified in the category of high academic honors (roughly 3.9 and above) and their candidacy was affirmed by our Dean’s Council.  Although receiving these awards does not guarantee college admission, students are highly encouraged to investigate programs at these colleges further.  Alumni representatives and deans made the presentations to the recipients, who were nominated and chosen by the Upper School Dean’s Council, based on the criteria provided by the colleges.  Alumni included Pat Reis from the Notre Dame Club of the Upper Midwest, Woody Kingman from the Dartmouth Club, Amanda Carter from the Yale Alumni Association of the Northwest, and Katherine “Kiki” Batina from Williams College Regional Association.  Providence Academy is proud to announce this year’s College Book Awards recipients:

Martha Whiting (Dartmouth College Book Award)

Genevieve McCarthy (Harvard University Prize Book)

Kelsey Wiebusch (University of Notre Dame Spirit and Spirituality
   Award)

Reed Gardner (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal)

Ryan Millis (St. Michael’s College Book Award for Academic
         Achievement with a Social Conscience)

Jessica Kraker (Williams College Book Award)

John “Lou” Clark (Yale University Book Award)

Congratulations to each of these students! 

Summer College Essay/Application Bootcamp
Spots are still available for the Second Annual PA Summer ‘Bootcamp’ on writing college essays (and completing applications)!  Please note that the registration deadline is June 15th.  For details, please contact Mrs. Hogan at 763-258-5508 or sarah.hogan@providenceacademy.org.

College Counseling Meetings
Juniors should come prepared to their spring college counseling meeting with the following: 

1. A List of Prospective Colleges (to which they intend to apply in the fall)

2. A Leadership/Activities Resume (completed through Family Connection and/or in MS Word)

3. Writing Sample (draft of a college application essay or even an outline would be ideal)

4. The name(s) of the teacher(s) they intend to approach for letters of recommendation by the end of the school year.

5. A Summer ‘Action Plan’ for managing college applications, i.e. writing college application essays, planning around admission and financial aid deadlines, conducting scholarship research, making college visits, etc. Hint: check out the Summer ‘To Do’ List sent in previous E-Bulletins (and given to juniors in Religion classes) for ideas.

NCAA Athletics
Juniors planning to play NCAA Division I or Division II sports must also register through the NCAA Clearinghouse by the end of junior year. Please follow this link for details: https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/ and be sure to bring the copy of your release to Mrs. Hogan (so that your transcript may be sent to the NCAA).

Office Hours
Please note that Mrs. Hogan will have summer office hours, Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will be available by appointment to meet with students about their applications, essays, scholarship possibilities, etc.

Testing
Juniors contemplating re-testing in the fall of their senior year should carefully note college application deadlines. For most colleges and universities, the September and October test administrations of the ACT and the SAT are early enough to obtain and send score reports in time to meet early action, early decision, regular decision, and ‘priority’ deadlines (for rolling admission). Providence will be a test site for the September 12^th ACT exam.

Rising Sophomores and Juniors

Students in the freshmen and sophomore classes in ’09-’10 will be taking the PSAT exam as sophomores and juniors on October 13, 2010 and more information will be sent home by the mid-June. Also, rising sophomores and juniors ready to discuss their future planning for college may contact Mrs. Hogan to arrange a meeting over the summer. Mrs. Hogan will have regular office hours and will be available to meet with students about the college search process, college entrance testing and preparation, etc. Please call or stop by or call the College Counseling Office at (763) 258-5508 to make an appointment.

College Visit Opportunity
Students can benefit from visiting campuses over the summer--even ones where they may not have a strong interest—so that they can familiarize themselves with the colleges’ offerings and the admission and scholarship requirements. The Minnesota Private College Week (MPCW), June 21-25, is an excellent program, offering tours and information sessions at each of the 17 schools at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily. Like last year, we will offer to PA upper school students the opportunity to visit two campuses as a group, lunch included, at no cost (please see attached flyer).  More information will be sent home the last week of school. For more information on the MPCW, visit www.mnprivatecolleges.org/mpcw.

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