Boys Tennis team now plays on new home courts
Construction of the new tennis courts is now complete, and Fr. Adam Ahern
, school chaplain, blessed them earlier this month. The Boys Tennis team played its first match on the new home courts on Labor Day, Sept. 7, against state-ranked St. Joseph High School of South Bend. St. Joseph won the match 3-2 after some close-fought battles. The next home game is Friday, when the JV team hosts Christian Academy of Indiana.

We thank all the alumni, parents, grandparents and friends who made this project possible.


STUDENTS IN ACTION

Senior discovers hidden talent in photography
Occasionally, someone will stumble on a talent he never knew he had. Such is the case with senior Evan Rivard, who realized last summer he has an eye for photography. He began by shooting videos and then started taking pictures. Pretty good pictures, especially for someone self taught. Click to read more.


Sophomores experience social justice first hand 
Over the last two weeks, the sophomores split into four groups to attend a day of reflection. The sophomore retreat experience includes participating in a day of activities planned by Crossroads Ministry of St. William Parish in downtown Louisville. The educational program is intended to introduce students to various social justice issues as well as the daily struggles of those who are homeless or disadvantaged. Students attend a prayer service, hear from agencies that serve the disadvantaged and volunteer at either a day care facility for disadvantaged, mentally challenged adults or an activity center for the elderly. Click here to read reflections from two of the students who participated.


New name, same fun: Guerin Day still competitive
By senior
Maresa Kelly

The annual House Cup Competition has come to be a much-loved tradition for the students, faculty and staff of Providence. This year, however, some changes will be made to the day of fun and competition. The day will fall on Sept. 25 and has been renamed "Guerin Day" to coincide with the feast day of the foundress of the Sisters of Providence, St. Mother Theodora Guerin (which falls on Oct. 3).

The new name reflects the new format for winning the actual House Cup.  Traditionally, the House Cup has been awarded to the House with the most points after the day of competition is over. However, this year the competition will last the entire year. Houses can gain points by attending sporting events, theatre performances, morning Mass, or even by simply wearing their lanyards. The winning House of the Guerin Day competition will earn a spot in a new competition to be held in the spring. Additionally, each of the first three academic quarters, the House with the most points will earn one of remaining three spots. The date and specifics of the spring competition will be announced later in the year.

Guerin Day will include the same activities as in years past, including dodgeball, sumo wrestling, kickball, Family Feud, an obstacle course, talent show, and much more. In addition, there will be a guest speaker and lunch provided to all the students. This year's guest speaker is leadership speaker Kent Julian. The day will count as a full day of school and, quite certainly, will not disappoint. Dismissal will be about 2:30.

Vocal talents to be showcased in Fall Concert
The Music Department will be featuring the talent of its students at the second annual Fall Concert on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. in the Robinson Auditorium. The concert will include performances by the Providence Singers and students in seventh grade music and in Choir-Musical Theatre class.  Admission is $5 at the door. Children ages 5 and under get in free.

Students learn about Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
Sophomore U.S. History students acknowledged Patriot Day on an in-school field trip to learn about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their impact on our country. 

Mr. Gary Grigg '88, who was on a business trip to New York that day and in the south tower of the World Trade Center, shared his personal account with students.

Congratulations to the Homecoming Court
Fall Homecoming will be celebrated next week with an all-school liturgy, an assembly and the crowning of the king and queen at the home football game vs. Jeffersonville on Sept. 25. The court includes freshmen Megan Flanagan, Anna Thomas, Kaden Williams and Isaac Coker; sophomores Kirstie Krininger, Skylar Richey, Jack Wagner and Eli Lucas; juniors Lexie Libs, Caitlyn Freville, Carl Carney and Reid Masterson; and seniors Abbi Hamm, Kaitlyn Hellinger, Alyssa Hyndman, Brooklyn Paris, Jared Clemons, Josh Rinzel, Alex Roederer and Tre Watson. The king and queen will be selected by a school-wide vote from among the senior candidates.  

Clubs celebrate holidays
Several clubs took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend to hold activities. 

The Hiking/Naturalist Club hiked at Clifty Falls State Park on Monday, Sept. 7. Next Wednesday, the club will host Jean Merritt, who will talk about Southern Indiana wild flowers.

Last Saturday, Sept. 5, the Fishing Club ventured to Pekin for a morning of fishing. "The water was perfect, and we caught several keepers; everyone had a great time," sponsor Mr. Alan Mathews '88 said. The event was hosted by Paul and LaVern Ernstberger, long-time supporters of Providence. The club plans to hold at least three more fishing trips this year.


On Sept. 3, prior to the weekend, the Bowling Club celebrated National Bowling League Day by participating in a bowling outing.



Juniors take part in LSI NEXGEN series
Four juniors have been selected to participate in the youth leadership program NEXGEN, sponsored by Leadership Southern Indiana. Reid Masterson, Justine Oppelt, Abby Posey and Alexa Wilson are four of 44 juniors from fourteen area high schools taking part in the program. The program is designed to "develop, hone and prepare leadership skills for the journey ahead," according to LSI literature.
 
The students took part in the initial session on Sept. 1, which focused on discovering their learning style and the traits of good leaders. Future topics will include diversity, government, economical issues and more. New this year will be a focus on philanthropy.

Abby said she enjoyed the first session and is looking forward to the next three. "At our first session, I met a lot of students from other schools in the area, and we talked about how diversity benefits leadership," she said. "I am looking forward to our future sessions, and I hope to gain a better knowledge of leadership in our local community."

PARENT CONNECTION

President Hurley to retire at end of school year
At the end of this school year, Providence President 
Joan Hurley plans to retire. She will have served the school for 12 years, having started in the 2004-2005 school year. At that time, she promised to stay for 10 years and exceeded that goal because working here "has been so enjoyable and so meaningful," she said. 

During the past 11 years, Mrs. Hurley oversaw the completion of the Vision of Hope Capital Campaign, which resulted in the construction of the Sam & Paula Robinson Performing Arts Center, new locker rooms for the Pioneer Football team, the Ray Day Little Theatre and the music room as well as upgrades to the 1951 portion of the building, including air conditioning throughout the building.

Mrs. Hurley also made sure our facility and students kept abreast with technology by upgrading the computer labs, installing interactive white boards, overhead projectors and WiFi throughout the building, and implementing one-to-one technology with student iPads. She also is overseeing the latest campaign, Endowing the Future, which has resulted in the new turf football/soccer field, new tennis courts, and upcoming additions such as the new chapel, relocated baseball field with a turf infield, and relocated cafeteria. Plans are underway to build a field house entrance at Murphy Stadium and the baseball field as well as to replace the home side bleachers in Murphy Stadium.

Mrs. Hurley said she has enjoyed working at Providence. "What a great blessing and privilege it has been to serve this school and the community," she said. "I have enjoyed every minute of it. There is no doubt in my mind that Our Blessed Mother wants her school to grow and the future here is bright."

A search committee for a new president is being formed with oversight by the Providence Board of Trustees and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Final fall show weekend

The final performances of  Anne Frank & Me are this weekend, Sept. 18 and 19, at 7 p.m. You won't want to miss this  moving story about the awakening of a modern teen's understanding of the Holocaust when she is transported to Nazi-occupied Paris in the early 1940s. Tickets are $10, and seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased online or from the main office.

Deadline for donation drive extended
The deadline for the Walk the Town project to collect donations of travel-sized toiletries and T-shirts has been extended until Friday. Students are asked to donate toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, lip balm, towels, toilet paper, travel-sized toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and deodorant, and new or gently used T-shirts and socks . The donations will  help those who are homeless by providing some basic necessities. Students may drop off the items in designated boxes in their House faculty sponsor's classroom through Sept. 18.

The items will be given to the Coalition for the Homeless, a local organization that counted around 1,600 homeless people in the metro area in January 2014. The coalition will be taking the items donated by Providence students and creating at least 100 backpacks with basic necessities to give to those in need.

Reminder CHIRPS permission slip due Oct. 1
As Dr. Mindy (Lankert) Ernstberger '74 stated in her recent parent letter, the State of Indiana has made schools responsible for entering student immunizations into the Indiana Department of Health CHIRPS database. That letter included a permission slip that must be completed and returned to the main office no later than Oct. 1. Additionally, seniors must have received their booster dose of MCV4, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine by Oct. 1.

Save the date: Deanery Night Oct. 2
We invite all Deanery students and families to attend Deanery Night on Friday, Oct. 2, during the Pioneer Football game vs. Mitchell High School. At halftime, football teams from the New Albany Deanery will be recognized, and the Southern Indiana Catholic and Clark County Catholic third/fourth and fifth/sixth grade teams will scrimmage on the field.
Deanery students in kindergarten through eighth grade wearing a T-shirt or athletic uniform representing their Deanery school or team will be admitted for just $1 when accompanied by an adult. Regular admission is $5. Game time is 7 p.m. Click here for more information.
 
ALUMNI NOTES

Your support is needed and appreciated
Join us for the Annual Student Assistance Program (ASAP) Appreciation Dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at Huber's Orchard and Winery Plantation Hall.  Last year, nearly 45 percent of our students received some type of financial aid. We are grateful to all our generous alumni, parents, past parents, grandparents and friends who provide the contributions necessary to make that financial support possible.  If you gave to the ASAP fund or would like to support current and future Providence students who otherwise could not afford to attend, we hope to see you there.

The guest speaker for this complimentary dinner is Dr. Daniel J.Elsener, president of Marian University in Indianapolis, who will offer his thoughts on the value of Catholic education. Prior to joining Marian in 2001, Dr. Elsener was the executive director for the Office of Catholic Education and executive director for the Office of Stewardship and Development for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, as well as superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Wichita, Kan.

To register for the event, please contact Ronda (Miller) Stumler '83  
at (812) 945-3350 or [email protected]

Still time to sign up for Alumni Glow Golf
The Alumni Association has a few more spots available for teams in the second annual Alumni Glow Golf Challenge this Saturday, Sept. 19, at Covered Bridge. The Glow Golf Challenge is played in a fun, unique format and is open to alumni, family and friends ages 21 and over. The event is open to the first 15 teams of four. The cost is $50 per player and includes nine holes of golf, a special glow-in-the-dark golf ball, appetizers and prizes. 

The evening begins with registration and happy hour at 7:00 p.m. Shot gun start is approximately 8:15 p.m. Price includes appetizers, golf, one glow golf ball, and prizes.  If you are interested in forming a team, please contact  Brad Denman '02 at [email protected].  

Thank you to the sponsors of this event: First Savings Bank/Brad Denman '02, Beach Bum Vacation/Lisa (Naville) Zwissler '99, Orange Clover/Rachel (Hall) Smallwood '00, Richard's Repair/Kyle Andres '99Megan Landis, MD '00 - Dermatology Specialists, Nance Florist/Brian Nance '99, Pizza King New Albany, Edward Jones - Greg Nash '92, Koerber Jewelry, Newcomer Funeral Home/Susie (Geswein) Naville '73, Sounds Unlimited Productions/Brent Rogers '89, Matt Rogers '98, Chris Hughes '89, Chillers in Jeffersonville, Resch Construction and Dress & Dwell/Amanda (Gibson) Mulvene '03.

Alumni Night a success
Thank you to all the alumni who attended Alumni Night, including those former players who represented their fall sports team. Eleven teams were honored at halftime as they celebrated the anniversary of their postseason victories.

Three freshmen receive Alumni Scholarship
Congratulations to the three freshmen who received a free iPad as recipients of an Alumni Scholarship:
Alexandria Henderson, Brandon Schafer and Hayden Burke The freshmen were recognized during last weekend's football game during Alumni Night.

Reunion updates
Providence has been notified of the following reunions:
  • 1960 - (55 years) Sept. 19, 4 p.m.-? at Carolyn (Galligan) Kirchdorfer's river home. Check out the class website for more info.
  • 2000 - (15 years) Nov. 7. Sam's at the Montrose. More info coming soon.
  • 2010 - (5 years) Sept. 19 at Big Four Burgers in Jeffersonville. Click here to RSVP.
Reunion planning for 2016 will include classes with years ending in one and six. If you'd like to be part of the planning committee, please contact Ronda (Miller) Stumler '83 at [email protected]

BLUE PRIDE ON DISPLAY

Welcome Mrs. Fougerousse to the front office staff
There's a new face in the Main Office greeting visitors and helping students.  Mrs. Nan (Blunk) Fougerousse '84 has joined the office staff, replacing Mrs. Vicky Edelen , who left to spend more time with family.

But Mrs. Fougerousse is not new to the school, having had a son, Luke '15, graduate last year, and having a daughter, Mia, a junior here. She also has a son, Alec, who will be a freshman here next year.

Even though she had two children here last school year, Mrs. Fougerousse said she felt like she missed many opportunities to attend events because of her job as a claims analyst supervisor for an insurance recovery business. "I was spending a lot of time in my car," she said. "I just missed a lot of stuff."

When she saw the job opening for the office assistant posted, she said, she decided to apply because she was ready for a change, having spent her career in the insurance field. Now that she is working at Providence, she said, she is glad to see so many familiar faces among the faculty, staff and students. And she is happy to be working in a more relaxed atmosphere. "Providence has always been a family," she said.


BLUE NEWS OF OLD

Blue News of Old: Volleyball team is a smash! 
By Ray Day '57, school archivist

Th e storied volleyball program at Providence has earned many accolades through the years including 29 sectional titles, nine regional titles, and four semi-state titles. They were five-time state finalists, one state runner-up and in 2013 and 2014, state champions.

Such good things must have a nativity. Click here to read about the birth of the PHS Volleyball program.
 
COMING EVENTS
Sept. 17 - Deanery Faculty & Staff Appreciation Dinner 
Sept. 18 - Scholarship Spirit Wear Day
Sept. 18 - Deadline to turn in Walk the Town donations
Sept. 18 & 19 - Anne Frank & Me , 7 p.m., Ray Day Little Theatre
Sept. 21 - Eighth Grade Day of Reflection
Sept. 22 - RSVP deadline for ASAP Appreciation Dinner
Sept. 25 - End of the First Quarter
Sept. 25 - Guerin Day, 2:30 p.m. dismissal
Sept. 25 - Homecoming at Pioneer Football game vs. Mitchell, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 - Fall Concert, 2 p.m., Robinson Auditorium
Sept. 28 - first Junior Retreat 
Sept. 29 - ASAP Appreciation Dinner, 6:30 p.m., Huber Winery

LET US PRAY
T h e month of September is devoted to Mary, Mother of Sorrows. In hono r o f this devotion, we pray:

Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us. Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.

From the CatholicCulture.Org  website.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christa (Payne) Hoyland '84
Director of Communications
Principal eVISION reporter/writer

Ray Day '57
Website  Coordinator, Archivist and Co-editor

Our Lady of Providence Jr-Sr High School
707 Providence Way, Clarksville, IN 47129
812-945-2538 | E-mail | www.providencehigh.net


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