PHA Family Newsletter

June 18, 2024

Dear PHAmily:

Happy last day of school and first day of summer!

Can you believe that today marks the end of our culminations and celebrations of the 2023-24 school year? Across campuses, we’ve celebrated our students and their lived experiences and cultures. More significantly, we’ve celebrated their achievements; their growth and development!

While summer is a time to relax and rejuvenate, it is also a time to exercise curiosity, to go on adventures, and to remain engaged in learning. Our educators at PHA suggest the following to retain and continue learning during the summer to avoid learning loss also known as the summer slide:

1. Limit screen time.

2. SET a daily summer schedule. It is important to know that kids still need structured learning time in the summer.

3. PRACTICE grade level mathematics facts.

4. Renew and/or use your library card weekly.

5. PLAY educational games. Here’s one resource to try: Common Sense Media

6. READ, read, read and read some more - at least one hour/day!

7. WRITE every day! Write stories about family history. Write a book summary. Write in a journal. Write letters to relatives, friends or a teacher. Write learning goals for next school year.

8. Be creative! Make something and use your imagination. Cook something.

9. Practice learning to compromise and negotiate.

10. Listen to and discuss podcasts and audiobooks.

To learn more: Turning Summer Learning Loss into Learning Gains

We look forward to seeing you at the various summer playdates and Ready for School events (listed below) and can’t wait to welcome our students’back in September.

• 6/29/24: Playdate for PreK-6 families (17 Franklin St, 10A-12P)
  
• 7/13/24: Playdate for PreK-6 families (17 Franklin St, 10A-12P)
• 7/27/24: Playdate in Everett for PreK families (Sacramone Playground, Everett 10A-11:30A)
• 8/17/24: Ready for School (54 Essex St Cambridge 12-3P)
• 8/24/24: Playdate in Somerville for PreK families (Lincoln Park, Somerville 10A-11:30A)
  
• 9/3/2024: Grades 1-12 First Day of School for the 2024-2025 School Year
  
• 9/3/2024 & 9/4/2024: PreK & K Family Interviews/Screenings (Webster)
• 9/5/2024 & 9/6/2024: Half Days for PreK & K: release at noon

Congratulations to our phenomenally talented PHA Class of 2024 graduates!!

On Sunday, June 9th, Prospect Hill Academy celebrated the Class of 2024 on a lovely evening at MIT Kresge Auditorium. We immensely proud of our seniors and can't wait to see where their bright futures take them!

Check out additional photos in the 2024 graduation album linked here.

May 1st marked National College Decision Day, the deadline for high school seniors to pick the college they plan to attend in the fall. PHA's Class of 2024 will be attending a range of local and regional schools, including Boston Collge, Boston University, MA College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins, and Suffolk, among many others.

The Collegiate Institute celebrated college decision season with weekly pinning ceremonies for the Class of 2024. The pinning ceremonies were an opportunity for our seniors to highlight where they chose to attend college on the College Counseling "Where I'll Be" map and provide space for their teachers and fellow students to celebrate them as a community.

PHA International Night was held on May 4th. We had an amazing evening celebrating our global and multicultural PHAmily. Thank you to all the students, families, staff, partners, and community members who helped to make this annual PHA cultural celebration such a success!

Check out more photos and videos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y285JP5t3eBCzWBa6

We are thrilled to share that Prospect Hill Academy was once again named a Best High School by U.S. News & World Report! PHA also ranked among the top 100 public high schools in Massachusetts. Each year, PHA consistently places among the top high schools in the U.S. News annual rankings.

The rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college.

Early Childhood Campus

EC's spring music concert was a success. Our students showcased their hard work and talent in music class this year. It was a joyous occasion where our community came together to enjoy the melodious tunes sung by our gifted children. We were thrilled to see over 100 families and friends in attendance, cheering our students as they performed familiar songs.

On June 5th, we hosted our annual All About Me Fashion Show. This event celebrates our students' individuality, where they will model excellence by showcasing their culture, interests, and traditions. It was a beautiful opportunity to appreciate the diverse components that make each of our students unique.

At EC, we support students' transition to the next grade level. To this end, each grade organized activities and conversations that promote their readiness to move on. These include insightful building tours of the following grade-level classrooms and engaging Q&A sessions with older students, who provide valuable insights about what to expect in September.

Upper Elementary Campus

It has been a very exciting end of the school year here at the UE Campus!

Last Wednesday’s Field Day was an absolute blast! Witnessing our students enthusiastically engage in friendly competitions alongside their classmates and teachers was truly heartwarming. It’s moments like these that remind us of the strong sense of community and camaraderie we foster here at the Upper Elementary Campus.

The beautiful Sixth-Grade Bridging Ceremony marked a significant milestone in our scholars' academic journey. It was a poignant celebration, symbolizing the culmination of their time with us and the exciting transition to middle school. Seeing the entire community come together to honor and support our students was truly touching.

Congratulations to all our 6th graders who crossed the bridge to 7th grade and will start at the Middle School in the fall!

As we look forward to summer and the coming school year, students and families should be on the lookout for the Summer Learning packets being sent home with all rising fourth through sixth graders. We hope everyone will complete their BINGO boards and bring their journals back with them at the start of the school year. The team here at the UE wishes everyone a wonderful and restful summer vacation!

Middle School

8th grade Graduation

Earlier today, our 8th grade scholars- or the PHA Class of 2028 - celebrated the end of Middle School at the 8th grade moving up ceremony. Families, faculty, and staff, including teachers from the Upper Elementary campus, came together to mark this significant milestone along our students’ educational journey. With flowers, balloons, and heartfelt cheers, the audience watched as students received various awards for their achievements and progress as well as plentiful reassurances that they are ready for the increasing independence and rigor of the high school.

High School/Collegiate Institute

9th Grade End of Year Exhibition - Visions of the Future!

On June 17, 9th graders presented a creative combination of their final ELA and Biology projects in the form of an Art Gallery Opening. The event showcased students’ visions of the future for themselves and for how humans and the natural world are intricately connected. The exhibition opening, which took place at Warehouse XI in Union Square, Somerville, was attended by many families, faculty, and staff who enjoyed listening to their students present their projects. Student DJs and local food ensured a celebratory atmosphere for all to enjoy!

Junior Journey

The Junior Journey Program at PHA began in 2008 as a three-week adventure to Antigua, Guatemala for twenty-five members of the Junior Class.

This year, the juniors traveled to the Domicincan Republic, New Orleans and Puerto Rico.

In the Dominican Republic, students worked with local community members to build concrete floors for Haitian migrant workers who live in the Bateyes. A lot of these workers live in tin houses that have dirt floors, so this was a way that our community could give back to the local community! Students learned about the greater history of the DR and its connection to Haiti through the island of Hispaniola.

In New Orleans, students learned about the cultural history of slavery in the area, which was home to many freed black people. They learned about the continued impacts of Hurricane Katrina and how the city is preparing for the next natural disaster. They completed community service with Common Ground, where they built dry ponds and planted cypress trees, which will help rebuild lost wetlands and build a more resilient city.

And, in Puerto Rico, students learned about the impacts of Hurricanes (like Hurricane Ida). They served the local community by helping to rebuild homes, creating metal structures for the outside of homes, and also rebuilding roofs.

Spring 7-12 Athletics Updates

Hi PHA Families,

School year 2023-2024 has been big for the Meals Team! From September to May, the team served over 29,000 breakfasts and 64,000 lunches to our students. For the first time ever, our kitchens were producing fresh cold lunches for our students–over 8,000 handmade sunbutter & jelly sandwiches, 7,000 yogurt and fruit parfaits, and 6,000 assorted salads and “busy boxes” (our trademark “charcuterie box” filled with whole grain crackers, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheddar cheese, and a low-fat protein such as turkey, sunflower seeds, or hummus). Thanks to state and federal funding, we are proud to serve these fresh meals to all of our students for free!

A HUGE thanks to our team (Beatrice, Carmen, Cheryl, Fay, Ivonne, Maria and Marquelle) who run our kitchens and cafeterias every single day.

Equipment grants supported the purchase of new hot and cold serving lines, commercial refrigerators and commercial freezers at our Early Childhood and Upper Elementary campuses; as well as new stainless steel serving tables at our Middle and High School campus.

I was fortunate to receive two grants to attend two very important events this year–the School Nutrition Association’s Legislative Action Conference (LAC) in March and the USDA’s Produce Safety Academy (PSU) in June. LAC gave me the opportunity to express my support for universal free school meals to our Massachusetts members of congress. PSU taught me the intricacies about where our produce comes from, and how we can keep the produce in our school meals safe. I look forward to sharing what I learned at both of these events with the Meals Staff, school staff and families!

Thank you for another fantastic year! We look forward to feeding your students when they return in September.

Michelle Doyle

Meals Program Director

A few items from the Nurse team regarding student re-enrollment and medication administration for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year...
All students entering grades 4, 7, and 10 require an updated physical exam for re-enrollment. A valid physical exam would be one that was performed on or after 09/01/2023. Please upload this document (all pages) to Power School when you go to re-enroll your student.
If your child has an upcoming appointment, please let your school Nurse know the date of the appointment so that we can authorize the enrollment. You will be unable to enroll your student without either the valid physical or the date of an upcoming appointment.
Also, if your child takes any medications in school, including inhalers, epipens, prescription medications, etc. we will need a new prescription from your child's healthcare provider, as well as a new medication and action plan for asthma or food allergies. Please request these items from your healthcare provider well in advance of the beginning of the school year.
Please reach out to your School Nurse with any questions.