Providence Hall Junior High
1/4/22-1/7/22
State Your Case...Present Your Evidence...Watch What Happens
Hello Patriots!!!
Boy oh boy, have I missed all of your beautiful faces!
I hope you all have enjoyed your break as much as I have, and are all rested and excited to tackle the second half of the year.
Can you believe we are at the halfway point of the year and in a few short days, we will officially be closer to the end of the year than we are to the start? (Creepy huh!) I don't know about you, but for me, this year has FLOWN by, and I credit that to having a job that allows me to share a space with all of you wonderful humans!
Over the break, I had some time to reflect on a lot of things. Like for example, the reason puppies are so cute must have to do with their species survival. In order to trick you into bringing them home, they have to start as fluffy irresistible muffins, before they turn into car-title-eating Velociraptors. I also noodled on questions like: "Why some snowflakes are so fluffy and light while others are just plump over-hydrated raindrops?"
Also, "Why is it that Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles are so delicious to eat but so awful to scrape off of a bowl if not immediately washed off?" Just doesn't make much sense, if you ask me.
I have also been reflecting on my time as your Principal. Due to the way the position is structured, sometimes I wonder if I am making any sort of positive impact on our students' lives. Usually, when I hear about issues, someone is angry, something is flooded, and if it is a real adventure-filled day, kids are diving face down the ice hill during lunch and are now upset because they are now too wet and too cold to possibly be able to take notes.
Just as I was questioning my life purpose, I got an email from a student, that immediately proved to me that we ARE indeed making a positive impact. And that the hard work we do is getting through to students (even if TikTok would lead us to believe differently sometimes).
One thing I have really tried to encourage with students and adults in our community is that if you have an issue or have an idea you would like to propose, you should professionally write up your concerns, back up your concerns with data, and then make an appointment to present the proposal with possible solutions to the issue. Several ideas that we have implemented this year have come directly from requested student meetings, PowerPoint presentations, and as you are about to see, student drafted emails.
As you may all remember, we were graced with the rare and beautiful gift of a snow day right before Winter break. If you have lived in Utah for any amount of time then you know that snow days are few and far between, and despite what some may think, I am not the one that gets to decide if it is a snow day or not. I am so glad that the student that was presenting her case believed that I was the one with that type of great power. This email gave me hope and belief that we are helping to raise and educate the most amazing generation of students EVER!
With the student's permission, I would like to share this email with you now...(Unedited)
"Dear Mrs. Summers,
As you know it snowing quite hard outside and won’t stop till about five AM. We have three inches of snow and meteorologists are saying that the snow will be at a constant rate of two inches per hour, so if you multiply 7 by two that’s fourteen inches with three to four already on the floor. It would be incredibly dangerous for those who cannot walk to school and for those who can! It would not be in the student's safety and best interest to go to school tomorrow, as I’ve said my reason why.
I personally have a terrible driver for a parent so I can say that I definitely do not feel good with her driving. She also has like PTSD from being in so many accidents in the snow and I don’t talk for just myself. Basically, just think about how it could potentially affect us as a school and a society. I hope that was persuasive enough and I hope you get a good night's rest!
Thank you Mrs. Summers !"
Now, if that is not the most beautiful, professional, and well-written argument for a snow day, I don't know what is. It had meteorologists, math, and appeals to ALL of my emotions. Every single one of her teachers and her parents should be bursting at the seams with pride for the amazing written appeal made by this student.
As we go into this new year, I hope we all take a moment to reflect on the great impact that we as a community have on each other. Despite how it may feel sometimes, our kiddos are recovering from the closures and are about to take over the world. Take a second this week to write an email or send a letter and thank someone that is positively impacting your life.
It is a great way to start a year and your heart will thank you.
As always Patriots...
As always Patriots...
You are loved!
❤️
Mrs. Summers
Mrs. Turley
Mr. Hawkins.
If You Know Someone That Would Make A Great Patriot, NOW Is The Time To Apply!
Important Enrollment Note For Current and Returning Patriots
Families of current students do NOT need to complete open enrollment. On January 8 you will receive information via Skyward on how to confirm your child's enrollment for the 2022-23 school year.
End Of Term Is THIS FRIDAY!!!
The end of the second quarter is on Friday... If you have been avoiding looking at Skyward, now is the time to be brave and either get those grades up or keep them up and finish strong.
Parents...Remember, teachers have 200+ kids they are grading for. If your kiddo is missing a ton of assignments and the teacher is still accepting late work, be patient and kind with grading turnaround time.
It is a lot like that I Love Lucy episode where she gets a job working the chocolate conveyor belt.
Are You Curious If Students Made Their SRI and SMI Growth Goals???
Do you remember what would happen if 80% of students made or exceeded their individual growth goals?
Is it possible that you all grew that much???
Do you think you earned the glow-in-the-dark dance???
Well, wonder no more. Check out the announcement below...
Don't EVER let anyone tell you that you can't do hard things.
Patriots take hard tasks, chew them up for breakfast, and ask...What's next??
Patriots Would You Like To Earn Dress Down Days And Stay In the Know?
Finally... Complete The Mobile App Survey To Count Toward Earning Dress Down Days
Dress Code Tune Up
We are going to keep this short and sweet.
Providence Hall has a dress code. It is part of our charter, and one of the rules you agreed to when you signed up to become a Patriot. Compared to other Charter Schools, our dress code is an absolute dream, and super easy to follow.
Please take a moment to review the dress code policy pictured below.
Parents and students, please know if students choose to come out of dress code, then you will be given a PH t-shirt or sweats, and then will be sent back to class. If we don't have something in your size, then you will have to call home and get clothes brought to you.
This will not make parents happy and it can quickly kill the vibes of a good school day.
Please help us to not have to fight this battle at school.
Starting next week our Front Office staff will be handing out "Caught IN Dress Code" tickets to students that are showing understanding of the rules, and following the school expectations.
"Caught IN Dress Code" tickets can be put in a weekly drawing for some pretty cool rewards...
Lets DO THIS Patriots!