Providence Hall Junior High
1/17/22-1/21/22
When Life Hands You Novocaine...
Happy Monday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
I hope you are all enjoying this chilly day and taking advantage of a perfect opportunity to have a nice large glass of hot chocolate (heavy on the Chocolate and whipped cream, of course!) As we head into yet again another week of remote learning, I couldn't help but think of how much it reminds me of an experience I had just a short couple of weeks ago.
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of what happened that day, I want to give you a little back history on the cause of this fantastic chain of events. Over Christmas break, our best friends always fly in from Texas and stay with us for a week, and with each visit, our friends bring the much-anticipated delivery of homemade caramels that are only made and distributed to a select few once a year. These caramels hold as much stock in our house as Cadbury Eggs and Girl Scout Cookies do each spring.
So there I was, minding my own business, washing dishes while enjoying a piece of caramel. As I was eating it, I noticed something crunchy in the candy, and immediately assumed it must have been a bit of sugar that had not dissolved, despite the fact in eating these caramels for the last 15 years, that had never happened before. A normal and rational person would have spit out the candy to inspect, or at very least spit it out because it wasn't crushing despite multiple chewing attempts. I, however, am clearly not rational. Instead, I chose to swallow the mysterious hard chunk of candy. Not more than 30 seconds later, I noticed that a large crown on my back molar was missing... you guessed it...I swallowed my crown!!!
Now Patriot students, you probably don't know this, but I believe crowns are called crowns because of the extraordinary cost associated with having to have one placed.
One minute you are enjoying some candy, and the next you are questioning if you should be allowed to eat unsupervised for the remainder of your life. It was New Year's Eve, so our dentist was not open for the next few days, which left me with a very sharp tiny piece of gangling tooth to deal with for the time being, which in the scope of terrible things that can happen, was not that big of a deal.
Now fast forward to January 2nd. Many of you may not know, but I teach a Special Education class at the University of Utah as an adjunct professor. To get into the building and the classrooms, all faculty members are required to have a U Card that will beep us into the building. I had recently misplaced my U Card and was unable to get a new one because they were closed for the holidays until January 2nd...the same day I was scheduled to get my crown replaced.
Could I have gotten up earlier, gone and gotten my picture and replacement U Card before my dentist appointment, and avoided this calamity?
Absolutely...
Did I?
Nope...
Instead, I made up a story in my head that the novocaine used to numb and paralyze my mouth would wear off before I got up to campus and all would be well. As you can see from the picture, my friend, this did not turn out to be the case. When I pulled up to the school and looked in the mirror, I decided that despite what the muscles in my face thought, if I were determined enough, I could smile like normal and no one would know the difference.
This again was not the case.
Here I was walking into the Union office that is staffed by a college student who was probably the tender age of 20. I advised him that I had lost my faculty U Card and needed to get a replacement. "No problem," he said. He then advised me to give him my U number and stand in front of the screen for a picture. I looked at him and said, "Okay...so I have a small problem. I just got my tooth fixed, and they numbed my mouth, and I can't feel the whole left side of my face." He looked at me very confused and asked if I would like to come back and do it another time. To which I replied, "I can't do it another time, because I need to be able to get into the building tomorrow, so I'll just go ahead and do it now." I mean...How bad could it actually be?
Three minutes later, the student waved to me to come back inside the office. He had my card cradled up against his chest like someone who had just picked up a wounded bird that had fallen out of its nest and had broken its wing. I went to reach for it and thank him, and he asked: "Are you sure that you don't want to upload your own photo?" I assured him I didn't, and he ever so gingerly handed me the card and waited for my reaction.
Patriots, I can tell you, I have NEVER laughed so hard in my entire life. I couldn't even gain enough composure to walk out of the office. I simultaneously snorted and cried laughing all at the same time. I'm sure this poor kid thought I had just lost my last marble. Once I was able to catch my breath, I thanked him for the best photo ID I had ever had and assured him that for as long as I taught at the U, this would be my staff picture, and I would cherish it for as long as I lived.
Do any of you feel like finding out two hours before school got out on Thursday that we would be going remote for a week was a little like getting a shot of Novocaine and completely losing control of everything? Here we were in the school, planning out our next week, listening to the students in classes and walking down the hall, and then boom! A giant dose of numbing agent stabs us and puts everything on pause.
Is the pause lame?
Yes.
Is the pause what we planned?
Nope.
Do we get to choose how we react to it?
Absolutely.
I say, where possible, react with laughter in these crazy situations.
Patriots...we have gotten through far worse, and I want you to all know how proud I was of both the students and parents. I mentally braced myself for an inbox of angry emails (something of which I have still not quite grown accustomed to, but am getting better at), but all I was met with was kindness and even some comedy-show-worthy jokes about the closure.
It says a lot about our as a community, and the state of our hearts. When Patriots get unexpectedly large doses of Novocaine, we just give our best half-smile, roll with the punches, and get back to work.
We can't wait to see you all next week.
As Always Patriots...
You are LOVED!
Mrs. Summers
Mrs. Turley
Mr. Hawkins
Virtual Spirit Week In Honor Of Martin Luther King Jr. Teachings
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we wanted to come up with a way to celebrate his teachings, while also bringing us all together during this week while we are apart. We could think of no better way to bring us together than a virtual PHJH spirit week.
How are we going to do a virtual spirit week you ask?
Well have no fear, we have figured that out.
Each day we will be issuing a challenge that goes along with one of MLK’s famous quotes. Your job is to post a picture of you completing the challenge and then submit that picture to FB, Instagram, or email it directly to asummers@providencehall.com.
Once you have submitted your picture, your submission will be assigned a number to be entered into a drawing to win a dress-down day wristband. You can enter up to three different submissions a day. We will have a drawing each evening on Instagram Live to choose a winner and share the submission with all of our PHJH community.
Tag your pictures with #phjhMLKkindnesschallenge
Here are the challenges for the week:
Monday: “The time is always right to do what is right.” challenge- Take a picture of yourself doing something that is the right thing to do, but not always the easy thing to do.
Examples: Putting the shopping cart away in the stall at the grocery store. Holding a door open for a stranger or a family member. Taking the trash out when it is full without having to be asked. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Tuesday: “What are you doing for others?” Challenge-Take a picture of yourself doing something to help someone else with something that will make me smile or lift a burden off of their shoulders.
Wednesday: “In some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.” Challenge- Write a thank you card to someone that would not expect it. Someone that you have never given a card to. Take a picture of yourself giving the card to someone or secretly delivering it.
Thursday: “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream” Challenge- We all have dreams, and even COVID can take away those dreams. Draw or write one of your dreams on a piece of paper and take a picture of yourself sharing the dream. Use big writing and be as colorful and creative as possible.
Friday: “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”Challenge- Write an email to one of the staff members at PHJH. It can be a teacher, front office staff, Building Maintenance, Nutrition services, administration…Anyone! Tell them how they have positively impacted your education.
We can’t wait to see all of your submissions!
Watch for announcements on the PHJH App and on Instagram for the drawing times.
What Should I Expect To Do During Virtual Learning Week?
Good news? We are masters of Canvas, we know how to email, and Zoom isn't even scary to us anymore. We are seasoned pros with these online shenanigans...
Bad News...Pretty much the same as the good news but said with a sad face...
It is all in your facial expression and delivery!
Here are some FAQ...
Hey Summers…What Should I Expect For Online?
Your teachers have planned some fun activities for you to do online this week!
Students can expect short activities that will take them 15-20 minutes to complete per class. If the assignment takes longer than 15-20 mins to complete, students need to hit the pause button and reach out to their content-specific teacher for help. DO NOT SPEND MORE THAN 20 MINUTES ON AN ASSIGNMENT!!!
Students should make a schedule and stick to it, which should include getting up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and then planning to do school work. Take a break every 30-45 minutes and do something that is NOT screen-related. Get up and do something active.
Hey Summers…Who Do I Call If I Need Help And Can’t Get Ahold Of The Ghost Busters?
For tech support (trouble logging in, etc): Contact Mr. Turnbaugh at mturnbaugh@providencehall.com
What if I have an IEP and need some help from my case manager or the school?
For students with IEPs needing support please contact your child’s case manager at the school or our Special Education Director, Mr. Brennen Katsos (bkatsos@providencehall.com)
What if I need to get into the building to pick up a computer, instrument, or school supplies?
You can come and check-in at the office with a mask from 8:00-12:00 M-F each day and go and snag your things. If you need a laptop you HAVE TO HAVE A PARENT come into the office to check out the device.
What if I need some help from my teachers?
Great question! Please check out the teacher office hours below. They will be available to answer questions and can set up 1:1 Zoom appointments through Calendly.
Office Hours for teachers at the Junior High are as follows:
Tues, Jan. 18-Thurs., Jan 20:
- Math: 8:00-10:00
- History: 8:30-10:30
- ELA: 10:00-12:00
- Spanish: 10:30-12:30
- Science: 12:00-2:00
- PE: 12:30-2:30
- Performing Arts/Visual Arts/CTE: 1:00-3:00
All teachers will have a Calendly link on their Canvas page if students would like to make an appointment to get on and get some help or have questions on assignments during office hours.
Friday, Jan. 21 Schedule
- Math: 8:00-9:00
- ELA: 9:00-10:00
- Science: 10:00-11:00
- History: 11:00-12:00
- Spanish/Performing Arts/Visual Arts:12:00-1:00
- PE/CTE: 1:00-2:00
For questions that are a little strange, you need to vent,rage or you just want someone to tell you some funny dad jokes and throw chocolate out the window.
Contact: Awbree Summers, Ally Turley, or Brandon Hawkins at:
Next To The Stage...Performing Arts
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.
If We Each Gave $5.00 Look What We Could Do
Click on the link below to donate to the Drill a Well Project
Patriots Would You Like To Earn Dress Down Days And Stay In the Know?
This is our LAST week to get the dress-down reward.