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Future Blue Review
May 2020
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Virtual Deanery Fine Arts Fair showcases student art
Thank you to everyone who submitted works for the Virtual PHS Fine Arts Fair. There were more than 80 entries in the four categories from grades kindergarten through eight. The virtual gallery will launch on Facebook on May 10 at 8 p.m., and voting will begin May 17. All winners, including first, second, and third place in the juried categories, will be announced on Wednesday, May 20, at 8 p.m. on the Facebook event page and via social media.
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Senior named National Merit Finalist, three juniors qualify
Senior Amanda Pasierbowicz (Sacred Heart '16) has advanced to become a 2020 National Merit Finalist, the highest level awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Program. This distinction places her in a group of more than 15,000 students, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school graduating seniors.
Her Finalist status earned her a National Merit College Scholarship to the University of Alabama, allowing her to major in business management at no cost. The scholarship includes the school's Presidential Merit Scholarship as well as a National Merit stipend. Additionally, she has been accepted into the university's Honors College.
Three juniors recently learned they scored among the top 50,000 scorers on their PSAT taken last fall to be recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Allen Kruer (St. Paul '15, Providence Junior High '17), Rose Kempf (St. Anthony '17)
, and
Grant Dierking (Our Lady of Perpetual Help '17)
will be notified in fall 2020 if they have achieved the commended student or semifinalist level for 2021.
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Get to Know Providence through video series
Since mid-March, Providence has featured daily interviews with many of its teachers and coaches. The videos are posted on the school's YouTube channel and shared to its Facebook and Twitter accounts. If you'd like to know more about a teacher, department, or sports program, the series is a great way to do it. Check out the school's YouTube channel
here.
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Providence adapts quickly to extended eLearning
Providence has been prepared for eLearning since Day 1 of the stay-at-home order. Although moving to extended eLearning did require our teachers to adjust their teaching methods and learn some new technology, our students were ready with their own iPads and were accustomed to distanced learning. While we await guidance on the 2020-21 school year from the Governor and the Archdiocese, we continue to refine and improve our instructional methods to meet the challenges ahead. Contingency plans are already underway to prepare for whatever instructional environment we will face.
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Providence staff keeps makes a difference
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Mrs. Purichia with her goodie bag for Teacher Appreciation Week.
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The following is a letter from
Terri (Blunk) Purichia, Class of 1990, who is a Providence substitute teacher, volleyball coach, mother of three students, and wife of science teacher Jeff Purichia. Addressed to the Providence faculty, it's a testimony of how our teachers and staff have helped her and so many Providence families:
"I wanted to take a minute to say thank you (as a parent) to each of you for your amazing work during eLearning. I feel like I have the 'best seat in the house' when it comes to seeing what is happening right now at PHS. I am a parent of three students, all of whom have different learning styles and personalities, and all of whom are handling this lockdown differently. The way that you have reached out to my children has been amazing! The lessons that I overhear, the conversations that I see taking place, and the overall effort that I see each of you making right now...FOR THE KIDS...is just unbelievable.
"I am a wife of a teacher, who has been challenged to set up the 'technology game' and is working so hard to meet that challenge. I have witnessed numerous one-on-one Google Meets to explain assignments and connect with kids. I have heard so many parent calls for the students who are struggling, to offer support, and going the extra mile to help the kids during this time. It has been amazing to see what all of you have done to help the students succeed in your virtual classrooms!
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Senior Maggie Purichia helping her mom deliver goodie bags to fellow teachers. |
"And I am a faculty member, who has been blessed with the opportunity to 'be a helper' during this time and work alongside some of you for student visits, setting up virtual awards programs, make student outreach calls, and help fight the good fight everyday. YOU HAVE BEEN SO INSPIRING! I cannot tell you how amazed I am each and every day at the great people that I get to work with and work for! Those same people are the same ones that GET TO INFLUENCE my own children, and I am so, so blessed!
"This is such a difficult time for everyone! I know how hard this eLearning has been for each of you as a teacher, and I just want you to know THAT YOU ARE KILLING IT! ... I hope you know how much your efforts are appreciated. I hear so many stories coming from other places that are doing eLearning, and YOU are the difference why this semester has been a productive and an educational experience, despite the circumstances. Yesterday while on my 'goodie deliveries,' Sarah (Buschemeyer) Koetter (Class of 1987) said it best, 'We get to show everyone right now why we are different!'
"YES! YES! YES! You have shown that SO MANY TIMES! I am so proud of you!"
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Providence Math Team finishes successful season
The Providence Math Team completed its season before spring break and pulled ahead of New Albany to come in second in District 3 behind Louisville Eastern. The students on the team took four tests on separate occasions over several months. The scores of those tests earned them points for the school. Eleven of the students posted in the top 10 finishers.
Faculty sponsor
Dr. Stacey Yankey said that she is proud of the team and its accomplishment, noting that every player who took all four tests placed in the top 10.
The seniors finishing in the top 10 for their class include Zoe Libs (St. Mary of the Knobs '14, Providence Junior High '16), sixth place; Lauren Stapp (Holy Family '16), seventh; and Shelby Wright (Sacred Heart '16), eighth. The juniors in the top 10 for their class include Allen Kruer (St. Paul '15, Providence Junior High '17), second place and Grant Dierking (Our Lady of Perpetual Help '17), 10th. For the sophomores, Zach Van Wie (St. Anthony '18) placed fourth, Zach Applewhite (St. Mary of the Knobs parish) sixth, and Abby Shavers (Holy Family '18), seventh. The freshmen also had three students in the top 10: Eric Riddle (St. Mary of the Knobs '19) placed second, Samantha Murphy (OLPH '19) placed fourth, and Ben Kelly (St. Anthony '19) placed sixth.
Several juniors only took one or two tests but added to the team's final score:
Wilson Stemm IV (St. Anthony '17), Rose Kempf (St. Anthony '17), Samuel Bowles (St. Paul '15, Providence Junior High '17), and
Miranda Harley (St. Anthony '17).
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New coaches for football, girls' golf
Providence welcomes new coach
Daniel McDonald
to the football program, and announces the boys' golf coach,
Vic Beeler '94
, will now also coach the girls' program.
McDonald was most recently the defensive coordinator for Louisville Male High School. In his three seasons as defensive coordinator at Male, the team was No. 2 in scoring defense in KHSAA 6A football in 2017 and 2018, the KHSAA 6A state champion in 2018, and the KHSAA 6A state runner-up in 2019.
Previously, he was defensive line coach for Male for one season, offensive coordinator for Louisville Seneca High School for three seasons, and head coach at Louisville Waggener High School for one season in 2012-2013.
Coach McDonald has a bachelor's degree in secondary education from Indiana University Southeast, where he was the captain of the men's baseball team, an NAIA Academic All-American, a Gold Glove winner, and a member of the IUS Athletics Hall of Fame. He has taught eighth grade language arts for three years at Louisville Newburg Middle School.
Coach McDonald said he is looking forward to beginning to work with the team and becoming part of the Pioneer community once school is able to resume and IHSAA guidance allows a return to contact with athletes. He has already started working virtually with the team to get to know the players and challenge them to stay in shape.
"I am absolutely honored to be a part of the Providence football tradition and to have the opportunity to grow that tradition," Coach McDonald said. "We're going to bring a new energy, enthusiasm, and relentless effort."
Coach McDonald also eagerly anticipates supporting and working with Catalyst Catholic youth football staff in the New Albany Deanery to assist in building that program as well.
Coach McDonald is a native of Louisville and a graduate of Waggener. He and his wife, Courtney, who is a native of Madison, Ind., have two sons, Landon, 6, and Cruz, 4. The family attends St. Athanasius Parish in Louisville.
Coach Beeler, who has been head of the boys' golf program since 2017, was previously varsity girls'
golf coach at Mercy Academy of Louisville for five years in the early 2000s. He also played boys' golf at Providence.
Coach Beeler led the boys' team to regional in 2018, with the team placing third at sectional. The 2019 team saw improvements all season, culminating with each player achieving a personal best at sectional and Caleb Popp '19 advancing to regional.
Coach Beeler will be assisted by Pat McGuire. Coach Beeler said he is looking forward to starting the season and building on the successful program built by Coach Ken Allender, who recently retired.
"I wish to first thank Coach Allender for all he has done for the Providence Golf program during his tenure as coach and to congratulate him on the program's successes under this leadership," Coach Beeler said. "I am excited and look forward to taking over the Girls Golf program and meeting with the ladies to set our goals for the 2020 season."
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Providence Grads Are Going Places
Just as our seniors' hopes for the spring semester were changed by the stay-at-home order, many of our alumni who are seniors in college had a much different final semester experience. Our alumni continued to excel, even online. Here are two noteworthy examples:
Jenna Gilley (Holy Family '12, PHS '16) graduates Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor of arts in art history from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. She received the Apollonian Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and the William Bruce '11 Award for Outstanding Paper in Art History. Her plan to secure an internship at a museum in New York, Philadelphia, or Boston in the fall has been delayed by the closure of museums due to COVID-19. She does plan to continue her education at some point by pursuing a graduate degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology or New York University in fashion and textile studies. Her ultimate goal is to pursue a career in museum studies, particularly in art curation or museum education
Jacquie Hornung (St. Mary's New Albany/Holy Family '12, PHS '16) graduates Summa
Cum Laude with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and a minor in mathematics from Bellarmine University. She receives the Ryann Marie Tewell award, which goes to the top economics student each year. Jacquie began her college career playing volleyball and studying sport administration at IUPUI and transferred to Bellarmine her sophomore year. Her volleyball career ended after her junior year due to a knee injury. Transferring to Bellarmine was the best move for her education, she said.
"Bellarmine set the bar to a different level for me. I was challenged and taught so many valuable lessons that I know will be useful in my professional career," which begins at the end of this month at Churchill Downs Inc. as a business analyst. "I cherish the time I spent in college learning and building relationships that will last me years to come. I couldn't imagine ending my undergraduate experience at any other place."
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