Providence Academy

All School News
Fall Book Feast
From Fall Fun Fairs to Fall Book Feasts…mark your calendars for PA’s First Annual “Book Feast,” taking place November 19, 20, 23 and 24. Our feast this year is all new as we partner with The Bookcase of Wayzata for delectable reads! Keep a watch for more details as we close in on the dates.

Flu Clinic at PA
Providence Academy will host a seasonal flu clinic on Wednesday, October 28th from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room. Ages 4 years and up are welcome. Parents must accompany students. Insurance will be billed directly if you have a participating plan. If your insurance is not a provider for this clinic, the cost is $24.99. Flu Mist nasal vaccine may be available at $32.00, if supply allows.

The consent and instructions for signing up online are on the Providence Academy website under Important Flu Information. Please print a copy of the consent form, fill it out and bring it to the clinic. You must also show your insurance card (or a photocopy). Participating insurance providers are listed on the consent form.

Grandparents’/Special Persons’ Day Details
Grandparents’/Special Persons’ Days are October 8th and 9th. These special days are reserved for grandparents/special persons, 18 or older, who do not normally have the opportunity to visit Providence. Due to space limitations within the school and parking lot, a limit of two guests per student is necessary. In order to make arrangements for all of our guests, we ask that RSVPs be returned to the Administration Office as soon as possible.

Middle/Upper School guests are invited to visit on Thursday, October 8th as follows:
Grades 6-8: 9:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Grades 9-12: 10:00 a.m.-1:26 p.m.

Lower School guests are invited to visit on Friday, October 9th as follows:
     PreK-AM: 8:30-10:00 a.m.
     PreK-PM: 12:10-1:30 p.m.
     K & 5th grade: 9:25-11:40 a.m.
     Grades 2&3: 12:15-2:25 p.m.
     Grades 1&4: 10:15 a.m.-12:25 p.m.

School Picture Retakes
Tuesday, October 20th, is School Picture Retake Day. Students who would like to have their pictures retaken may simply exchange their photos at the time of their sitting. Students who have not yet had their pictures taken should bring a completed form and payment with them. Additional forms are available in the Administration Office.

Fall marks the beginning of the United Way campaign in the Twin Cities. Remember: Providence Academy is an eligible 501(c)3 recipient of United Way contributions. In other words, if you contribute to the United Way campaign via a one time gift or by payroll deduction, you can designate the Academy as the beneficiary of your donation.

Providence Academy is also an eligible nonprofit recipient of employer-matched gifts. If you and your employer team up to make tax-deductible contributions to PA, the school will benefit doubly. And your family gets full credit for the doubled gift—including membership in our Lion Rampant Society for total gifts of $2,500 and above.

Gifts provide major support for need-based financial aid, arts and athletics, faculty development, and more. For assistance with completing United Way pledge forms, contact Mrs. Dawn Schommer at dawn.schommer@providenceacademy.org or (763) 258-2516.

Yearbook Orders
Don’t forget to buy a yearbook. The cost of the yearbook is $80 through November. Order forms may be returned to Mrs. Stachour. Please do not send checks, as student lunch accounts will be charged for the cost of the books.

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Middle/Upper School News
6^th Graders Request Scrapbook Materials
The sixth grade class is looking for parents to donate extra scrapbook materials for a Grandparents’ Day project. If you have any extra scrapbook items (paper, scissors, photo corners, die cuts, stickers, etc.) please send them with your sixth grade student to give to his/her Ultima advisor. Each student will be able to create a scrapbook page for his/her special person or grandparent(s) on October 8th. Please feel free to send supplies up to that date.

Fine Arts Trip to New York
Want to see the Big Apple? Did you miss the informational meeting? Current Upper School students interested in the New York City trip should pick up an information/ registration booklet from the Upper School Office. Questions? Please contact Ms. Zak.

Mark Your Calendars – Dinner Dance
The 2nd Annual Father-Daughter Dinner Dance is scheduled for Saturday evening, November 14^th. More details to follow.

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Lower School News
5^th Grade Coffee & Conversation
5th grade parents are invited to join Mrs. Galgano for a Coffee & Conversation on Thursday, October 8th at 2:00 p.m. in the Lower School Library. Invitations were mailed home last week. Please RSVP to amanda.gregory@providenceacademy.org.

Providence In The News

September 25, 2009 – Providence Academy Fine Arts Teacher Publishes Cast Painting Book

Providence Academy fine arts teacher Darren Rousar of Excelsior has recently published a book on cast painting titled Cast Painting Using the Sight-Size Approach. Click here to view the press release in its entirety.

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Providence Academy Parent Association (PAPA)
Family Service Opportunities
Do you want to help others, but don't how, when or where to go? Here is your answer! This will be a new section in the E-Bulletin that will highlight different events and ways that your family can help others. It is fitting that we are starting this month, as it is Respect Life month and National Make A Difference Month. These opportunities are open to all ages and families of all sizes.

Our first event will be on Saturday, October 24^th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. This is a chance to help the elderly with leaf raking and fall yard clean up through H.O.M.E. (Household & Outside Maintenance for Elderly). We will meet in front of Providence at 1:00 and caravan to different locations to help the elderly with outside raking. Please bring your rakes and leaf blowers. If you would like to sign up to go, please follow the link:

http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=raking_and_lawn_care_for_seniors.

If you have any questions, please contact Allison Adducci at adducci@mac.com or (763) 509-0160.

Homecoming Thank You
Thank you to all who helped make the Upper School Homecoming Tailgate party a huge success-- Carmen Bohlke, Ruth Eliason, Michelle Beddor, Corinne and Dietrich Lawrenz, Tom Hayes, Cindy Kuhar, Susan Steadman, Nicole Bernardi, Beth and Alan Trombley, and Mr. Wagner and his crew for helping set up and take down and

being patient with us while we tried to get rid of the last of the burgers and brats! We raised a good amount of money for the Middle/Upper School Soccer uniform fund and had a ton of fun doing it.

--Glen and Jenny Littler (PAPA Co-Vice Presidents – Upper School)

Lower School Service Project
Please join us on Sunday, October 25 for the first Family Service Project of the school year. It will be from 2:00-3:30 in the afternoon in the Great Room. Come as a family and do service for those in need. It is a great family activity. The whole family is welcome and encouraged to attend. Have questions? Please contact Mrs. Allison Adducci at adducci@mac.com or (763) 509-0160.

PAPA Meeting Minutes
The first PAPA meeting of the year was held on Tuesday, September 22^nd. The notes from the meeting are posted on the PAPA website.

Parent Parties
Parent parties are held to allow parents to get to know other parents of children in the same grade. Parties have traditionally been held at a parent hosts home, although a host may choose to hold the party at another venue. A group of parents may join together to host a party as well. On average attendance is about 40%. The parties are to be held on Friday or Saturday nights from September to Thanksgiving break, with only one party held per night whenever possible, allowing parents the opportunity to attend parties for each of their children. Occasionally, two parties are held on the same night, but only if there is no overlap for families having more than one child. If hosts are not found for a grade there will not be a parent party for that grade.

PAPA reimburses hosts $7.50/person for cost of beverages, paper products, etc. In most cases, the host asks guests to bring an appetizer or dessert to share. PAPA provides printed invitations, envelopes, address labels, return labels and stamps. The host assembles and mails the invitations.

Currently, hosts are needed for the following grades:

2^nd Grade
4^th Grade
5^th Grade
8^th Grade
11^th Grade
12^th Grade

Please email Mrs. Kathi Wade at wadekat@mchsi.com or call (763) 553-9497 if you are interested in hosting.

The following Parent Parties have been scheduled and invitations will be mailed soon:

Kindergarten: Saturday, October 24^th at the home of Todd and Lisa Sylvester. Kindly RSVP to Lisa at (763) 577-1422 or lsylvester1@yahoo.com.
4^th Grade: Saturday, November 14^th. Details to follow.
7th Grade: Saturday October 10th at the home of Karen and Ken Richelsen. Kindly RSVP to Karen at (763) 478-6565, karen.richelsen@mchsi.com
9^th Grade: Saturday, November 6^th (more information coming soon).
10th Grade: Friday October 9th at the home of Catrina and Ken McAuliffe. Kindly RSVP to Catrina at (952) 473-0499 or catrina@sandixonline.com

Treats for Faculty Meetings
Please help me in showing how appreciative we all are of our incredible faculty here at Providence Academy. I would like to provide a treat at each faculty meeting throughout the school year. It can be anything really: fruit, cheese and crackers, a home baked goodie, chips and dip—let your imagination run wild. E-mail me at adducci@mac.com to get the date of your choosing and please specify if you would prefer the Upper, Middle or Lower School meeting. Thank you.
--Allison Adducci

Upper School Mother/Son Event
If you are interested in helping to plan an Upper School Mother/Son event, please join us on Wednesday, October 7^th from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. All Upper School parents are welcome. We will meet in the front Living Room by the statue of Mary.

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Athletics Update
2009-2010 Winter Sports Registration
Enclosed in the first edition of The Lion’s Pride, please find winter sports registration forms. Your registration with payment must be turned in to the Administration Office (Attention: Mrs. Julie Kennedy) no later than Friday, October 9th! The following offerings are available this winter:

*An informational meeting is planned for Wednesday, October 7^th at 6:00 p.m. in Gym A at Providence for those interested in Weight Training or Movement Training.

Winter Speed and Strength Program
Providence Academy and Velocity Sports Performance are teaming up to offer a Winter Speed and Strength Program. This program will provide cutting edge performance training for all interested athletes at Providence Academy. This intensive training program will assist the athletes in the following areas:

The Velocity Sports Performance coaches will join Providence Academy’s coaches to bring your athlete the most comprehensive training available at the middle and high school level. We invite you to join us on Wednesday, October 7th at 6:00 p.m. in Gym A. We’ll cover:

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 fall 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
Seniors
MEA Weekend is fast approaching and is a great time to visit colleges, many of whom have open house programs or individual visits. Many schools require two weeks notice, especially if you plan to have an interview.

Most of you are busy working on applications while also attending to your rigorous academics. Try to plan ahead so that you are not too rushed trying to meet application deadlines. With rare exceptions, you must complete the Transcript Request Form (distributed to seniors in early September) two weeks before posted admission deadlines. It is okay to complete the request form while you are still working on your online portion of the application. Also, remember to send your ACT and/or SAT scores directly from the testing companies. If you have questions about application processes or components, please schedule a meeting with Mrs. Hogan before school, after school, during lunch or study periods.

College visitors will continue to be on campus throughout the next few weeks. If you are applying to a school, it is a very good idea to stop by when their Admission Representative is at Providence Academy. Check Family Connection, listen for the reminder announcements, and/or check out the posters outside the College Counselor’s Office. Remember, college visit passes must be obtained from the Upper School Office no later than the morning of the day of the visit.

Juniors
Juniors, for those unable to attend the College Night on Thursday, October 1, your packets are available for pickup in the Upper School Office. Also, the first follow up session with Juniors using the Naviance/Family Connection program will take place during Religion classes on November 12.

All juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT Exam on Wednesday, October 14th all morning, then board the bus for an official college visit to the University of St. Thomas. Permission slips for this field trip were distributed to juniors last week and are required and due Friday, October 9th. Score reports from the PSAT will be returned to students by the College Counseling Office in December. Mrs. Hogan will let you know when your results are available. Regarding ACT and SAT preparation, Providence will offer its annual ACT Exam Prep Course the three Saturdays before the February 6, 2010 ACT Exam (Providence is a local test site) and online prep for the SAT using Method Test Prep (via Naviance/Family Connection).

College admissions visitors coming to Providence are eager to meet with Juniors. This is an easy way to learn about a college or university before deciding to visit the campus. Take advantage of this resource but be sure to obtain a College Visit Pass from the Upper School Office no later than the morning of the visit.

Sophomores
A reminder to sophomore parents to attend the upcoming College Night for 9th/10th grade parents next Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.

All sophomores will take the PSAT Exam on Wednesday, October 14th in the morning, then return to classes in the afternoon. The PSAT is considered a practice exam for tenth grade students. The results should be used to determine areas of academic strength and the areas in which each student may want to improve. Sophomores will take the PSAT again their junior year, when their scores will be entered into the National Merit Scholarship competition.

Freshmen
A reminder to sophomore parents to attend the upcoming College Night for 9th/10th grade parents next Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. All freshmen will take the PLAN exam on Wednesday, October 14th. The PLAN is a pre-ACT exam administered to help familiarize students with college entrance test content and format, to give them a feel for timed testing, as well as to help them identify areas of academic strength and weakness. Freshmen were given information on the PLAN last week during the Assembly period, which included a short presentation by Mrs. Semsch, School Counselor, on maintaining balance during high school to prepare for college. Speaking of preparation, the best way to prepare for the PLAN Exam is to get adequate sleep the night before and eat a healthy breakfast the morning of the exam.

College Visits
Please note that all college visits may be viewed on the college visit calendar in Naviance/Family Connection. Members of the Providence community may access this information by logging in as a guest (password: lions) at: https://connection.naviance.com/providenceacad.

In the remaining weeks of October, juniors and seniors may visit with representatives from the following colleges here at Providence (or in the area):

Monday, October 5^th
The University of Montana, Missoula – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
University of Southern California – 1:45 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Davidson College – 2:30 p.m. in the Upper School Library
Northwestern University – 2:30 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Indiana University at Bloomington – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Library

Tuesday, October 6^thAgnes Scott College – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Library
Southern Methodist University – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Ripon College – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Michigan Institute of Aeronautics – 7:30 p.m. at Highland Park Senior High School

Wednesday, October 7^thBethany Lutheran College – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Boston College – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Library
Texas Christian University – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Library

Sunday, October 11^thWashington University in St. Louis – 2:00 p.m. at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott

Monday, October 12^thUniversity of Denver – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Washington University in St. Louis – 2:30 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Tuesday, October 13^thSt. Catherine University – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Clark University – 1:45 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Monday, October 19^th
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Benedictine College – 1:45 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
University of Dallas – 2:30 p.m. in the Upper School Library

Tuesday, October 20^thUniversity of Notre Dame – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Duke University – 7:30 p.m. at the Breck School Chapel

Wednesday, October 21^stBentley University – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Thursday, October 22^ndUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Monday, October 26^thIowa State University – 1:45 p.m. in the Upper School Library
Saint Louis University – 1:45 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Tuesday, October 27^th
Augustana College – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
University of St. Thomas – 1:45 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Wednesday, October 28th
Creighton University – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Library
Regis University – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Friday, October 30th
Boston University – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Monday, November 2nd
Cornell College – 8:00 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Wartburg College – 1: 45 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Wednesday, November 4th
St. Olaf College – 12:55 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Thursday, November 5^th
Hamline University – 2:30 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room
Carleton College – 3:15 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room

Headmaster’s Notes Todd R. Flanders

September 25, 2009 – Providence Academy Fine Arts Teacher Publishes Cast Painting Book

Headmaster’s Notes
Todd R. Flanders