ID Badges Required on Campus Tomorrow, Oct. 3

Thank you to everyone who has picked up ID badges in the past two weeks! If you have not yet received your ID badge, please drop by the North Desk, and our staff will be happy to get yours to you. Please remember that all adults will be required to wear an ID badge while on campus beginning tomorrow, October 3; you may read more details regarding those protocols here. If you missed having one made, please reach out to Mrs. Hamson and upload a photo to Blackbaud in order to have your badge printed with the next batch. If you have a grandparent or babysitter that will require regular building access, please contact Mrs. Stafford to create a Blackbaud account for them. Thank you for supporting our measures to improve the safety of our students, families, and staff while on campus!

Fall Fling, Oct. 31

Our next Fun Lunch is Tuesday, Oct. 31, and students and staff are invited to wear costumes. The guidelines:

• Wear non-scary costumes inspired by literature or a historical figure from your student’s current history period. This is not a jeans and t-shirt day, so if your student doesn't dress up as a character, s/he must wear a uniform. 
• Leave all weapons at home (yes, even pretend ones!)
• House points are awarded to top costumes in Upper School.

Labels Help Us Help You

Our lost and found basket already has a few items in it. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to write first and last names on your child’s water bottles, outerwear, and other school items. 

Co-Teacher Connect, This Thurs., Oct. 5

All co-teachers are invited to participate in a reading and discussion of an excerpt from a chapter of Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass during our first Co-Teacher Connect Meeting this Thursday, October 5. We’ll read together and discuss the how and the why of cultivating humility as an intellectual virtue in ourselves and in our children. We’ll meet in the small sanctuary following chapel dismissal.

Grandparents’ Day Volunteers Needed

We are looking forward to welcoming our grandparents for Grandparents’ Day on Thursday, October 19 (grandparent registration link here). It’s not too late to sign up as a parent volunteer; please email us with your interest and availability. 

Kindergarten Admissions

2024-2025 online applications will go live on October 17. We will consider assessments in early November for kindergarten siblings whose application packets are completed and submitted by October 31. As in previous years, we will begin considering assessments in January 2024 for sibling candidates applying for first through eleventh grade. Please reach out to Dr. Baird with any questions!

Absences 

Missing school is challenging for all involved, especially the student, as real-time experiences and discussion cannot be replicated while there is still accountability for the information and work. Along with this, our shortened calendar creates issues with making up work from extended absences, affecting student learning.  Since sickness and other unavoidable situations cause absences already, we strongly encourage you to reserve planned trips for one of our extended breaks.  

If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please notify his/her teachers as well as the school nurse (who acts as attendance manager). Planned absences must be approved by an administrator in order to be counted as excused.

A Prayer Before a Teacher Conference

Thank you for these teachers whom you have appointed to play a special role in my child’s story. Give them wisdom, insight, and a generous spirit as they prepare for these upcoming conversations with me and other parents. 

As we meet together, may this time help us to be better partners for the benefit of my child. Give me boldness and clarity to speak about the big and small concerns on my mind. Help me receive feedback about my child with humility and grace. Please give us unity of spirit and purpose as we seek to help this child mature in every aspect, for his/her good and for your glory.

5th and 6th Grade Group Conferencing on Fri., Oct. 6 

We will have slots available for conferencing with your child’s 5th and 6th grade teachers as a group during the regular school day on Friday. We have a schedule planned for students that will allow them to still have their school subjects, while still allowing their teachers to meet with you. More spaces will be available for group conferencing on Monday, Oct. 9. Please schedule conferences with Ms. Boyd (6th grade Latin) or a different level math teacher as needed.

Co-Teacher Meetings

We are looking forward to meeting with you in grade level groups. There will be time to meet other parents, interact with teachers, and receive additional training.  

• Second Grade: Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 8:20 am. Our workshop focus will be addition and subtraction bar models. 
• Third Grade: Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 8:20 am. Our workshop focus will be multiplication and division bar models for multiple-step real world problems. 

Andrew Powitzky, Burke Mattix, Justin Byrd, Tate Hodge, Caleb Summers, and Rebekah Elliot compete in our annual FPT Rubik's Cube competition. Way to go to all of our competitors!

Upcoming House Service Projects and Socials

Bonhoeffer will hold their next social on Saturday, October 7 from 5:30 - 8pm at the Dosas’ home; please RSVP here. 

Augustine will hold their first service project of the year on October 28 from 9-11am at Oak Creek Academy in Killeen. Stay tuned for more details.

Scarves and Ties Ceremonies

Students new to Rhetoric School (9th-12th grade) will receive their house tie or scarf in a short ceremony in House Chapel over the next few weeks. Parents, don't worry if you can't attend. We will video it for you. 

Augustine October 20

Bonhoeffer October 27

Elliot November 3

Wilberforce November 10

10th and 11th Grade College Meeting, Oct. 10 

College planning meeting for Junior and Sophomores and parents, Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 3:45 pm in the small sanctuary. Get important information regarding your college search, applying to college, the SAT/ACT, and your Senior Capstone Trip!  

Please bring a laptop if possible. 

College Fair, Oct. 24

UMHB is hosting the TACRAO Central Texas College Fair at the Bell County Expo Center on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 6-8pm.

Scholarship Opportunity

The Betty Martin Chapter of the National Society DAR will award two $1,000 scholarships to promote American history to two high school seniors in the Bell County area. Find the application here.

PSAT, Oct. 25

All students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades will take the PSAT at school on Wednesday, October 25 at 8 am. Please arrive at 7:40am (and no later than 7:55am. This year’s test will be in a digital format for the first time which brings significant changes both to format and content. It’d be a good idea to take a practice test, found here. We have a few laptops to share, but we’ll need most students to bring a laptop (requirements here). Note that Chromebooks are not able to run the necessary software.

RamFam Friday Feast

Rhetoric School students (9th-12th) and Faculty/Staff are invited to place your order for Italiano’s Pizza by Thursday, October 5 at 4pm. 

Week in Review

Volleyball

Logic Green - W against St. Mary’s, Temple (25-20, 25-22)

Logic Green - W against Grace Academy (25-4, 25-6)

Logic White - lost to Grace (20-25, 14-25)

JV - lost to Grace (20-25, 22-25)

Logic White - lost to St. Mary’s, Temple (15-25, 25-22, 12-15)

JV - lost to Valor Prep in 3

Varsity - W against St. Mary’s, Taylor (25-21, 25-9, 25-7)

Varsity - W against Grace (25-23, 25-23, 10-25, 18-25, 15-11)

Football

Rams won, 33-19, remaining undefeated in the season.

Soccer

Rams won, 7-1, also remaining undefeated in the season.

Basketball Season Coming Soon

Today is the last day for students in 7th-12th grades interested in basketball to register in Blackbaud.

Rhetoric School students interested in applying for a manager position with the girls’ basketball teams should contact Coach Hodge.

Upcoming Games

Volleyball

Monday, Oct. 2

Logic School v. Austin Royals Purple at Temple Nazarene

Green, 5 PM

White, 6:15 PM

Tuesday, Oct. 3

Logic School at Taylor Saint Mary's

Green, 5:30 PM

White, 6:30 PM

Varsity at Waco Methodist, 5:30 PM

Thursday, Oct. 5

Rhetoric School

JV v. Texas Wind at Waco Parkview, 5:30 PM

Varsity v. Sterling is being rescheduled for the week of 10/23. More information to come.

Flag Football

Tuesday, Oct. 3

Logic School at Taylor St. Mary's, 5:30 PM

Soccer

Thursday, Oct. 5

Rhetoric Rams v. Gold at Heritage Park, 6:30 PM

Cathy Profiles,

Common Arts

Mrs. Hines has taught at Providence since 2021 and holds a BS in Communication Disorders from Truman State University and MA in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education from University of Oregon. 

“Prior to joining Providence, my philosophy of education was that children should be taught HOW to learn and to ENJOY learning. When God led our family to Providence, it was a perfect match. I so appreciate how our school does not merely fill the students’ heads with knowledge, but rather, we equip the students to be lifelong independent learners, even after they graduate and head out into the world. 

I often say that I do not “teach” the Common Arts elective, but rather, I “facilitate” it. Because I do not know most of these skills myself, I schedule guest presenters who are knowledgeable in each skill. As each guest teaches my class, I am learning right alongside my students, and hopefully modeling the joy of learning, even at my age. 

One thing that is super exciting for me is when I hear from students or parents about how a student took a lesson we discussed in class and used it out in the real world. Some of my students, past and present, have used skills learned to land a job, show appreciation to a family member, help in a medical situation, and even decide on their career field.”

Sara Jarolik,

Kindergarten

This is Mrs. Jarolik’s first year teaching at Providence. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from UMHB as well as 15 years teaching experience divided among Temple ISD, New Braunfels ISD, Rogers ISD and The Master’s School in San Marcos.

“What a joyous privilege it is to introduce classical education to our youngest grammar students here at Providence. I love seeing the excitement and wonder in every new discovery. The memory work component in classical education is so much fun in kindergarten, and I am amazed at how quickly our students can memorize! It is exciting to lay this key foundation in learning, and to see the connections and growth it provides. I think my favorite component so far has been the quality literature study provided in our Five in a Row curriculum that richly encompasses lessons in art, science, geography and history. Last week, we read Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans and learned about France. We explored paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet, and marveled at his paintings of water lilies. We experimented with blending and highlighting using watercolor crayons and paint brushes. We are excited about our upcoming field trip to UMHB to see real-life water lilies and to create our own watercolor impressions of God’s lovely creation.”