Our Lady of Providence inspires Faith, empowers Hope, strengthens Love and the Formation of the whole person through exemplary Catholic Education
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May 22, 2020 - eVision News
Serving Parents, Alumni, and Friends of Providence High School
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PHS completes historic school year
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The 2019-2020 school year ended much differently than we envisioned when the seniors stood cheering outside the Student Entrance to welcome the new freshman students on the first day of classes. Yet we managed to maintain some of the year-end traditions, albeit virtually, including the
May Crowning Liturgy
,
Senior Awards Ceremony
, and
Senior Farewell
.
Transitioning to Extended eLearning was initially challenging for many, but our teachers and students soon adjusted. Although some students struggled to stay motivated outside of the classroom, a number of students thrived with the more flexible schedule.
Freshman
Elijah Ingram
was one who thrived with the support of the Learning Support Lab staff. He expressed his gratitude to the staff and all his teachers by creating a special video to thank them. In it, he says: “Thank you for helping me find new things I could do. … I think this (the COVID19 shutdown) will help all of us in the long run to appreciate life, and we all now know we can conquer things we never thought we could.”
Graduation is tentatively scheduled for July 12 at 5:00 p.m. at Providence, with approval still pending from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The Baccalaureate Mass is being planned but a date has not been set. Seniors can livestream
Archbishop Charles Thompson’s Baccalaureate Mass on Wednesday, May 27, on the archdiocesan
website
.
Several activities were postponed until next school year, including the
National Honor Society Induction and the Junior Breakfast. Other events were canceled, including Senior Assistance Day, Senior Shirt Signing, House Cup, and Prom and After Prom.
Four virtual activities were held this week and are still available for viewing on the school’s
Facebook
page and
YouTube
channel. One live event did coincide with the Virtual Senior Farewell -- the delivery of carnations to the seniors. Instead of the juniors handing out these flowers at the ceremony, however, faculty and staff delivered them along with the seniors’ cap and gown on Thursday evening prior to the livestream of the farewell ceremony.
As we end the school year, this issue of the eVision wraps up many of these activities.
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Seniors receive awards in virtual ceremony
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The 83 seniors in the Class of 2020 are a talented group, earning a collective total of more than $8 million in
direct award scholarships from numerous colleges. Twenty-three seniors received a total of more than $92,000 in awards from 21 community organizations. The seniors also accumulated more than 6,600 service hours before the shutdown.
Of those direct awards, four are full-ride scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship to The University of Alabama awarded to
Amanda Pasierbowicz
(highlighted last issue), admission to the Indiana University Southeast Baccalaureate/Doctor of Medicine Degree Scholarship Program to
Elyse Kristiansen and Logan Applewhite
, and appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy (as well as the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard academies) to
Brigid Welch
. The various colleges our students will be attending are represented in the banner at the top of this newsletter. Click
here
to read Elyse and Logan’s story.
Several of our students have committed to play in college. Two have received full-ride scholarships to NCAA Division I schools:
Courtney Glotzbach
, who will play women’s volleyball at Jacksonville State (Fla.) University and
Natalie Boesing
, who will play women’s tennis at Butler University. Others that have signed to play in college and previously reported:
Ceci Rush
, women’s volleyball, D-I University of Louisville;
Carlie Miiller
, women’s soccer, D-III Hanover University, and
Maggie Purichia
, women’s volleyball, D-III Spalding University. Two football players,
Alec Fougerousse
and
Bishop Edwards
, are mentioned in the Sports section of this issue.
The award ceremony also listed recipients of departmental awards and Providence awards. Several students also received leadership awards from Catalyst Catholic (formerly the New Albany Deanery Center for Youth Ministry). Click Read More to see all the awards and their recipients.
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A group of Clarksville car enthusiasts is planning a car cruise through the town on Saturday, June 6, at 1:30 p.m. to bring cheer to the Class of 2020. Students from Providence and Clarksville high schools are invited. The rain make-up date if needed is June 7. The cruise will start at the river at 715 W. Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville (at the old Rocky’s) and make its way through Old Clarksville and then along Providence Way then Gutford Road and finally ending at 706 E. Lewis & Clark Parkway. Seniors and their families are invited to wait at any point along the route to enjoy the cruise.
The route is as follows: Start at 715 W. Riverside Drive to South Sherwood to right on Montgomery, left on Marriott, left on Stansifer, right on South Clark, right on Harrison, left on Randolph and across Brown Station Way, right on Brooks, left on Eastern Boulevard, left on Lewis & Clark, right on Providence Way, right on Gutford Road, left on Blackiston Mill, right on Potters Lane, right on Veterans Parkway, right on Lewis & Clark, and end at 706 E. Lewis & Clark.
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Students thank teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week
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Several students came up with different ideas to thank their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week earlier this month. The Student Ambassadors wrote letters of appreciation to the teachers, and a group of students created videos each day thanking the staff from each department. Another group of students decided to visit several of their teachers to thank them in person.
Seniors
Elyse Kristiansen, Jessica Hartlage, Nadia Brooks,
and
Sterling Huber
started out wanting to visit a couple classmates who hadn’t been out of their homes since the stay-at-home order began. The idea to visit their teachers came from there, Elyse said.
“We thought it would be a nice surprise for them since they have been working so hard for us these past few weeks,” Jessica added.
The group visited
Mr. Jeff Purichia
and
Mrs. Terri (Blunk) Purichia ‘90
and their family;
Mrs. Stephanie (Mayfield) Mauk ‘99
;
Mr. Bart Makowsky ‘87; Mrs. Leah (Cissell) Kelly ‘05; Mrs. Maria (Cochran) Harritt ‘10; Dr. Kathryn Jacobi; Mr. Larry Denison ‘86; Mr. Brad Burden
and
Mrs. Donna Burden
and their daughter; and
Mrs. Emily Losey.
The students said they were glad to see their teachers in person again.
“It was great to see all the teachers,” Elyse said. “I really missed seeing them. It felt almost like everything was back to normal, to be able to see them and talk to them like we would if we were in school.”
And they enjoyed seeing the joy on their teachers’ faces when they visited.
“It was so fulfilling to see how appreciative and excited the teachers were when they answered the door,” Jessica said. “We have missed them a lot in this time, so seeing them in person instead of over a computer screen made us very happy.”
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Family project becomes senior’s art assignment
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Senior
Courtney Glotzbach
was looking for an art project to complete for her Advanced 3D Art class when her parents began talking about replacing an old table near their backyard pool. They decided to build a stone-topped table with a gas-lit fire in the middle. Courtney asked if she could help and got permission from
Mrs. Donna Burden
to apply her work to her assignment.
Her father,
Brent Glotzbach '88
, built the base of the table and installed the gas line to fuel the fire pit. Courtney and her mother,
Kim (Mooser) Glotzbach '88
, "stoned the wood, laid the stone, and grouted the table," Courtney said. Her father finished with a sealer and installed the gas fire insert. The project took about a week and is something the family can enjoy for years to come.
“What I liked most about this project was just the fact that it gave us something to do when we were stuck at home,” Courtney said. “I liked seeing that we started with nothing and ended up with something so cool with just my parents and me building it.”
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Advanced Theatre students see themselves on stage
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Students in Advanced Theatre had fun imagining themselves as stars of a Broadway show in one recent assignment. The students recreated a playbill for their favorite show. For many of the students, it gave them the chance to pair their love for theatre with their interest in art.
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Junior
Anna Isler
recreated the playbill for
The Band’s Visit b
ecause she likes “the vibes of the music,” she said, adding that the project was fun “because I love musical theatre and messing around with Photoshop.”
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Senior
Stephen Wilson
had a lot of favorite musicals from which to choose but ended up choosing to recreate
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying “
because it looked kind of funny, and it gave me an
ex
cuse to wear a suit.” He used a basic photo-editing app on his iPad and ended up fairly pleased with the results.
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Senior
Regan Elias
said she enjoyed the creativity of the assignment and chose the musical
Falsettos
, one of her favorites. She said she had fun dressing in costume, taking selfies, and using Photoshop to insert her photos into the original image.
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Advanced Theatre also had several guest speakers this semester, including some Broadway stars.
Aaron LaVigne
, who plays Jesus in the tour of
Jesus Christ Superstar
spoke to the students in a Google Meet today.
Andy Tofa
, who is in the touring cast of
Hamilton
, and
Eliza Donahue ‘12
, who toured with Todrick Hall in Straight Outta Oz and had a recent spot dancing on the television series
Empire
, also were among the recent speakers.
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Student-athletes make All-Area teams
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The News & Tribune continued its recognition of local winter sports student-athletes, and several of our students are included.
- Girls Basketball: Senior Natalie Boesing was selected as a NTSPY finalist and named to the All-Area First Team. Senior Brigid Welch was named to the Third Team, and senior Kaylee Kaiser received honorable mention.
- Boys Basketball: Senior Sterling Huber was named to the All-Area Second Team and senior Austin Grantz to the Third Team. Junior Nick Sexton received honorable mention, and Coach Ryan Miller ‘99, was named one of the Boys Basketball coaches of the year.
- Wrestling: Senior Chase Aldridge was named to the All-Area First Team, and freshman Henry Lovan received honorable mention.
- Girls Swim & Dive: Senior Lauren Stapp and sophomore Julia Thomas received honorable mention.
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Two seniors commit to play college football
Senior
Alec Fougerousse
has committed to continuing his academics and football career at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, about 25 miles north of Columbus. Alec will be studying sports administration and will play tight end for the NCAA D-III Fighting Bishops in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
Alec, who played Football and Boys Basketball, said he is “looking forward to being able to play football and meet new people.”
Senior
Bishop Edwards
, who played Football and ran sprints and did long jump and discus for Boys Track & Field, has made a new college choice following the closure of Urbana University, where he originally intended to play football. He has now committed to study education and play for NCAA Division II Pittsburg State Gorillas in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Coincidentally,
Andrew Grantz ‘07
, former Boys Basketball coach, attended graduate school at Pittsburg State and was a graduate assistant coach for the men’s basketball team there. Grantz was recently named the new head coach for the Boys Basketball team at Jeffersonville High School.
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Athletic Awards ceremony debuts in virtual format
This year was to be the inaugural year for a new annual recognition ceremony, the Providence Athletic Awards. The Athletics Department and coaches opted to move forward with the ceremony, making it virtual and honoring the top student-athletes in fall and winter sports. Click
here
to view the video, and
here
for a list of winners.
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Sports Spotlight: Boys Track, Baseball
This issue our Sports Spotlight is on members of the Boys Track and Baseball teams. Four-year seniors on the Boys Track team include
Brandon Barron, Bishop Edwards, Taylor Hensley, Alex Perkinson
, and
Gabe Tucker
. Three-year seniors include
Jack Arnson, Austin Grantz
, and
Christian Tate.
The seniors on the Baseball team include
Gavin Galligan, Bryce Hutchins,
and
Caden Sidebottom
. The Q&As for those who wanted them published can be found on by clicking Read More.
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Summer camps information
June Summer Camps have been cancelled, and decisions are still pending on July camps. Watch the school website for more info.
Break from summer reading
There will be no summer reading assignments for students in grades 10 to 12 for the 2020-2021 school year. Assignments were already communicated to the rising freshman class, so those assignements will go on as scheduled.
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Library books due by May 28
Several freshman and sophomore students have yet to return library books. These must be returned to the school Drop Box (near the front entrance, to the right of the windows to the Main Office) by Thursday, May 28.
Yearbook distribution plans TBA
The 2018-2019 yearbooks will be arriving at Providence soon, but distribution plans are not yet finalized. An update will be provided in the coming weeks.
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Welcome to our new Board of Trustee members
The Providence Board of Trustees introduces its newest members:
- Lisa (Naville) Zwissler ‘99, is a member of St. Mary, Navilleton, parish. She is a future parent and ardent supporter of PHS via personal and business connections as well as philanthropy.
- Bob Kleehammer ‘60, is a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish. He is a reliable and valued member of the PHS Finance Committee. His insights will be helpful as we transition the CFO role to Tricia Huber in 2020-2021.
- Vaughan Scott, is a member of Holy Family parish. He is a Providence parent, and his association with the University of Louisville MBA program and the local business community will be an asset.
Providence maintains a matrix-style Board of Trustees, utilizing the diverse gifts and talents of professional women and men from each Deanery parish, past-present-future parents, and alumni and non-alumni to be sure we have a comprehensive view from the entire Providence Community. These folks serve one or two three-year terms.
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Deanery Fine Arts Fair results posted
Thank you to all who submitted entries to the Providence Virtual Deanery Fine Arts Fair. The winners are acknowledged in the video viewable
here
. And the online gallery is still viewable
here
.
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Coach Miller to take on Advancement role
Coach Ryan Miller ’99
will now add the role of advancement and alumni relations manager in a full-time capacity to his duties.
President
Steve Williamson
said he is eager for Miller to bring the same energy to the Office of Institutional Advancement that he does to the basketball court.
“Coach Miller has already distinguished himself in his first year as the Pioneers’ boys’ basketball coach,” Williamson said. “His keen awareness of both strategic and tactical leadership, and his deep understanding of the PHS community, will make him most effective in this new capacity. We are anxious to have Coach Miller on campus with us every day as he will help energize our advancement and alumni programs."
Miller will be filling a new role created out of the departure of
Tony Perito
, vice president of Institutional Advancement since 2010, and
Ronda Stumler
, director of special events and alumni relations since 2015.
Perito previously announced his retirement at the Providence Gala Dinner & Auction in January and has graciously continued his ministry in a part-time capacity. Stumler, whose youngest of three children graduates from Providence this month, is returning to wedding and interior design work this summer.
Perito and Stumler will be instrumental in supporting Miller’s orientation in the coming weeks.
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Reunion dates for 2020
Reunion planning season is starting for the class years ending in 5 and 10. If you don't see your class below, contact
Ryan Miller '99
at
rmiller@providencehigh.net
. Note: Dates below subject to change based on the extent and length of the COVID-19 outbreak.
2020 reunions.
- 1955: 2020 Quarterly Gatherings - Sept. 11, and Dec. 4, 2020. 11:30 a.m., The Radisson dining room, 505 Marriott Drive, Clarksville.
- 1956: Class Gatherings - October 9, 2020. 11:30 a.m., The Radisson dining room, 505 Marriott Drive, Clarksville.
- 1958: 2020 Luncheon Gathering: June luncheon postponed until June 2021.
- 1960: 60-year reunion Aug. 22, 2020. Calumet Club in New Albany. Invitations to follow, and full information will be made available on our class website, www.olp1960.com. Annual mini-reunion brunch Dec. 12, 2020.
- 1970: Sept. 19, 2020. Contact Kathy Kull at 502.558.0173 or Laura Baker Buehler at 812.923.5260.
- 1974: Sept. 12, 2020. More details to come. Email ProvidencePioneers1974@gmail.com with questions.
- 1980: 40 Year Reunion. Sept. 12, 2020, Covered Bridge Recreation Center, 7 p.m. Please contact Chris or Ann (Kaiser) Day for details (Chris 812.989.3268 or Ann 502.396.9943).
- 2011: Planning has begun for 10-year reunion to be held in 2021. For more information contact Clancy Hauber at clancyhauber@gmail.com or 812.987.1729.
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Financial need greater in these times
All of us are making adjustments to the new reality brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic with implications ranging from serious to inconvenient. As we at Providence adjust and align our instructional program and the allocation of our financial resources to comply with Diocesan and civic guidelines, we anticipate that many of our families will face challenges brought on by layoffs, health issues, and other unforeseen financial complications during this crisis.
Our administration and Board of Trustees want to be as responsive as possible to what will surely be a greater need for tuition assistance. Please consider a gift to our Annual Student Assistance Program (ASAP) which addresses that need, as generously as your own circumstances will allow. The achievements of those receiving a Providence education in many variations of public service illustrate the importance of ensuring that our school continues to provide it for all who desire it.
As part of the CARES Act the government just enacted, there is an above-the-line deduction against gross income in the amount of $300 for charitable contributions made after Dec. 31, 2019, by filers taking the standard deduction. Although this is modest tax relief, it is a dollar-for-dollar reduction against gross income.
To make a contribution online, go to the PHS website and click the Give Now button at the top of the home page (
www.providencehigh.net
). You can also send your contribution by check to our mailing address, 707 Providence Way, Clarksville, IN 47129.
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We would love to hear how you, your family, or your business have creatively found ways to stay connected, serve one another, or conduct business in a new way that enables you to help our community, or those who are directly dealing with or are affected by this virus.
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Interim principal leads Sacred Heart through extended eLearning
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Cathy (Meiners) Bremmer ‘81
accepted the interim principal job at Sacred Heart Catholic School for the 2019-2020 school year intending it to be a one-year term. Quickly, she found that she loved the job, and after ending her first year leading the school through its first extended distance learning, she has been named the permanent principal for the school.
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May 28:
All library books, balances due
May 29:
Second Semester grades posted
July 12:
Tentative Graduation date
TBD
: Baccalaureate Mass
Aug. 20:
Pioneer Golf Scramble
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Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary during the coronavirus pandemic
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O Mary,
you always shine on our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of the Roman People,
know what we need,
and we are sure you will provide
so that, as in Cana of Galilee,
we may return to joy and to feasting
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who has taken upon himself our sufferings
and carried our sorrows
to lead us, through the cross,
to the joy of the resurrection. Amen.
Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Do not disdain the entreaties of we who are in trial, but deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
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---------------------------------------------
Christa (Payne) Hoyland '84
Director of Communications
eVision reporter/writer
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