Archived E-Bulletins

E-Bulletin

February 11, 2008

In This Issue:
Headmaster’s Notes

All School News
     Academy Chorale Sacred Concert
     All Strings Concert
     Dad's Night Out    
     Financial Aid Applications Due March 1^st
     Lenten Talks by Dr. Hippler
     New Class Registration Process for 2008-09 School Year
     Spring & Summer Camp Offerings
                        
Middle/Upper School News 
     11th Grade Coffee & Conversation
     Upper School Evening Coffee & Conversation
     Upper School Field Day
                
Lower School News
     Lower School Choir Reminder
     Parent/Teacher Conference Sign-Up
              
Providence In The News
        
Providence Academy Parent Association (PAPA)
   
Athletics Update

College Counselor's Corner

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Headmaster’s Notes
Todd R. Flanders

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All School News
Academy Chorale Sacred Concert
All are welcome to attend the Academy Chorale’s Sacred Concert entitled, “The Way of the Cross” on Sunday, February 24^th.  The concert will be held at the Church of St. Anne in Hamel at 7:00 p.m.  Join in prayer as the choir performs musical selections to reflect on each Station of the Cross.  For more information, please contact Mr. David Sorkin at (763) 258-2542 or david.sorkin@providenceacaademy.org

All Strings Concert
Mark your calendar for the All Strings Concert on Tuesday, March 4^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Gallery.  Performers should check in at 6:30 p.m. that evening, dressed for the concert (Sunday best for Lower School; Middle and Upper School students in all black attire).  Everyone is invited to enjoy the sounds of our wonderful musicians.

Dads’ Night Out
Mr. Ferdinandt invites you to join him on Thursday, February 28^th, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. as he shares a father’s and administrator’s perspective on fathering with love and logic.  Come to this “dads only” event and explore together how to raise responsible, self-motivated children from cradle to college.  A presentation will be followed by dessert and Q&A.  All men are welcome!  Please RSVP to Mrs. Kelly Wilder at kelly.wilder@providenceacademy.org  or (763) 258-2587. 

Financial Aid Applications Due March 1^st
Providence Academy will use TADS, Tuition Aid Data Services, again this year for financial aid applications.  If you would like to apply for need-based financial aid, please pick up a form in the Student Services Office or fill out the electronic form at www.tuitionaid.com.  A copy of your Form 1040 and a W-2 must also be mailed or faxed to the TADS office.  Families may use their 2007 tax return for the required information or can use their 2006 tax return, provided that family income has not changed by more than 5% from the prior year.  This year’s TADS fee is $29.00.  An extra form is required for families that own a business or farm. 

Providence acquires financial aid funds from the generous donations of our community through the annual fund and the spring gala.  Financial aid priority is given to high school students and current families that run into short-term financial difficulty.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis also offers financial aid grants to those families who have students in Catholic high schools on an archdiocesan wide basis.  TADS automatically includes your application in both financial aid pools.  For more information about financial aid, please call (763) 258-2504.

Lenten Talks by Dr. Hippler
Dr. Arthur Hippler of the Upper School Religion Department will be offering a series of Lenten talks on “The Suffering and Death of Jesus Christ in the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.”  Presentations will take place during the last week of February (25th through 29th) from 8:30 to 9:10 a.m. in the Lecture Hall.  All are welcome!

New Class Registration Process for 2008-09 School Year
2008-09 registration is just around the corner and Providence Academy is pleased to introduce to 5^th through 11^th grade students and families, a new method of registering for classes online, using NetClassroom.

Online registration improves the efficiency of scheduling and allows students to gain a new skill in technological communication.  Registration packets will be distributed this week to current 5^th through 11^th grade students.  The packets will include registration guides that contain graduation requirements and course descriptions, online registration instructions (including dates and deadlines), and resources for help with the online registration process.  Please read through this information carefully as a family and consult Emily Semsch, School Counselor, with any questions at emily.semsch@providenceacademy.org. 

Please note that students must turn in reenrollment contracts and deposits before registration will be processed.  The Admissions office can be contacted with reenrollment questions.

Spring & Summer Camp Offerings
The PA spring and summer camp offerings have been established and recently communicated in the February issue of Lions’ Pride (green inserts).  A link to the document is also included here for your reference.  Greater details for the camps and activities offered by many of the PA staff may be found on the appropriate PA staff web pages.

Please note the below changes or edits to some previously published camps:

• Beginning French Language Camp’s contact is Gail Woodbury.  Mrs. Woodbury may be contacted at (763) 258-2539 or at gail.woodbury@providenceacademy.org.
   
• Classical Drawing is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
   
• Music Lessons for piano or strings is offered to students ages 5 and older of any playing ability. The rate is $27.50 per 1/2 hour.  These lessons are for the summer only and do not carry over into the school year.
   
• Tennis Camp offered August 11 – 14 is designed and run by the PA Varsity coaching staff and Varsity team captains.
   
• Tutoring by Mrs. Heidi Bowman will be offered on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
   
• Writing Skills Enrichment II (previously published as Writing Skills Enrichment Session IV) class is offered on Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
   

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Middle/Upper School News
11^th Grade Coffee and Conversation
All 11th grade parents are invited to attend Coffee and Conversation with Mr. Ferdinandt on Friday, February 15th at 2:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.  This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and to discuss relevant topics for parents of 11th graders.  Please RSVP to Mrs. Kelly Wilder at (763) 258-2587 or kelly.wilder@providenceacademy.org by this Wednesday, February 13^th.

Upper School Evening Coffee & Conversation
Parents who have been unable to attend a Coffee & Conversation for your student(s) are invited to attend an Evening Coffee & Conversation.  On Wednesday, February 20th at 7:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall, Mr. Ferdinandt will meet with parents of all grades who are interested.  This will be a valuable opportunity to discuss a range of topics open to each grade level.  Invitations will not be mailed home for this event.  If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Mrs. Kelly Wilder at (763) 258-2587 or kelly.wilder@providenceacademy.org by this Friday, February 15^th.

Upper School Winter Field Day
Upper School Field Day is scheduled for Tuesday, February 26th.  Once again, students will be spending the entire day at Afton Alps, either skiing or snow tubing.  Providence Academy will provide transportation and lift tickets for all students—the only cost to students will be lunch, snacks, and equipment rentals (if needed).  Parents must sign permission forms and students must return them to their House Advisor by Wednesday, February 20^th. 

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College Counselor's Corner
College Applications Update: Mrs. Hogan has asked that seniors report on every admission and scholarship decision they have received thus far, not only for tracking purposes, but also for advising on next steps (especially in the case of wait lists, postponement, etc.). 

Mid-Year Transcripts:  Mid-year transcripts/reports were mailed last week to colleges to which seniors have applied for admission.  From the college admission and scholarship standpoint, seniors should continue to ‘stay the course’ (that is, avoid the ‘senior slide’) in the coming months.

Financial Aid Reminder:  Many colleges have February deadlines on submitting financial aid paperwork (e.g., the FAFSA and CSS Profile)  Please make sure you have contacted your colleges to determine these deadlines.  Pay special attention to deadlines for college scholarships, as well as corporate or other “outside” scholarships.  Helpful financial aid information can be found on the following sites: FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov), CSS Profile (www.profileonline.collegeboard.com), Get Ready For College (www.getreadyforcollege.org), and Financial Aid Calculator (www.finaid.org/calculators).

AP Exams: Registration for AP Exams will be available soon.  Stay tuned!    

Juniors
Mrs. Hogan recommends that juniors who have not yet taken the ACT register for the April 12th or June 14th exam dates.  Students may register at www.actstudent.org.  Juniors should register for at least one ACT and one SAT exam in the spring (www.actstudent.org for ACT or www.collegeboard.com for SAT).  For test preparation options and suggestions, please contact the College Counseling Office.

AP Exams: Registration for AP Exams will be available soon. Stay tuned!    

The Parent Insights Questionnaire is still available online.  Parents of juniors, please take some time to compose your answers and plan to complete the questionnaire before student/parent college counseling meetings (February/March).  Click the link below or copy it into your browser to access the survey:
http://connection.naviance.com/fc/go.php?t=b2xnQitqaE1FSW89&m=&e=11475&r=0&i=6035&END 

Sophomores and Freshmen
Update: Sophomores who took the PSAT and PLAN in October and November, and freshmen who took the PLAN exam in December will receive their score reports from Mrs. Semsch during the last week of February (after registration).

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