• To translate this newsletter please click TRANSLATE on the right side of this page
• Para traducir este boletín, haga clic en TRANSLATE en el lado derecho de esta página
• Para traduzir este boletim informativo clique em TRANSLATE no lado direito desta página
• Pou ou ka tradwi lèt nouvèl sa a klike sou TRANSLATE sou bò dwat paj sa a

Dear Families,

We are now in quarter 4 of the school year! The spring is always a very busy time at the Middle and High School so I will continue to update all of the dates shared below as activities and events are scheduled and finalized, so please be sure to check this newsletter every other week!

Teachers are currently finalizing grades for quarter 3, and you should expect an email notifying you that final grades are ready early next week. We have already sent out early summer school warning letters, but will also be sending out another round of those shortly after quarter grades are finalized.

Middle School Families- please also be on the lookout for information from Mr. Spencer being sent via email next week with middle school specific information around MCAS and other middle school happenings.

Finally, as a reminder, April 15-19 is school vacation week...I hope you all enjoy the week!

Wishing you all the best,

Christine Douglas

cdouglas@phacs.org

For all resources related to supporting our PHAmilies please see our the Family Central page on the PHA website!

On Wednesday, April 3, the MSA held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new prayer space. Freshman Jawwad Matubbar coordinated the design and development of the new space which our Muslim students will have access to during the school day for prayer time. HUGE SHOUT OUTS go to Jawwad for his leadership and to Mr. Valdez for his support in making this happen!

Dear parents,

My name is Lydia Martins. I am the senior class president for the Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Class of 2024, and I wanted to get in touch with you today in hopes to get help on raising money for our senior class! In this moment we are doing everything we possibly can to fundraise for our senior events this year and we wanted to ask families for some help financially. If you would like to donate, your donations would help us with our senior prom, yearbook and senior night! Thank you so much for all of the support you give to PHA and our students!

Here are our forms of payment:
Venmo: AllisonGD
PayPal & Zelle: +1 (339) 224-8273
Cash App: $Allisondavis25

Thank you,
Lydia Martins<3

High School

10th Grade Math- May 21 & 22

9th Grade STE (biology)- June 4 & 5

Middle School

7th & 8th Grade ELA - April 24 & 25

8th Grade STE (science) - May 7 & 8

7th & 8th Grade Math - May 15 & 16

PHA International Night is a celebration of the global diversity of our school community! This year it will happen on SATURDAY, MAY 4, from 5:30 PM- 8:00 PM, at the East Somerville Community School (50 Cross Street, Somerville). We invite ALL students and families from PreK to 12th Grade to participate in any way they can. The event has two parts:

1. a buffet dinner featuring foods from around the world provided by families and local restaurants, and
2. a stage show in a 300-seat auditorium featuring talent from students, family members, and local organizations connected to our PHA community.

Want to get involved? Email or call or text In Paik at ipaik@phacs.org or 716.202.0301 today.

Donate a dish to our dinner! Ask your students to perform or present on stage! Perform on stage with friends and family, teachers, and staff! We need help decorating, setting up food, asking our favorite restaurants to donate food, putting together music and sound for the stage performers, and getting performers and local organizations to participate! SCAN THE QR CODE to share your time, talents or donate a dish! We will let you know when our planning meetings are happening. CLICK HERE to share the flyer!

Watch the latest (April 3, 2024) Parent Webinar from Cartwheel on "Helping Our Pre-Teens and Teens Thrive: Parenting Strategies for the Adolescent Years" by CLICKING HERE.

The NEXT FAB [FAMILY ADVISORY BOARD] FORUM for Grades 7-12 FAMILIES on May 30, 6:00-7:30 PM on ZOOM

Join other parents and families of PHA Middle and High Schoolers to hear school news and updates from our Principals. Ask questions and share your experiences with campus leadership and community. Zoom link will be provided by email and text.

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY Parent & Family FAB HOUR for PreK-12 FAMILIES, EVERY WEDNESDAY at 5:30 PM on ZOOM
FAB (Family Advisory Board) HOUR is a virtual gathering for families with kids in PreKindergarten through 12th Grade to discuss all aspects of PHA, build community and support among families, and deepen our connections with teachers and staff. Zoom link will be provided by email and text.

Mental Health Partnership & Family Webinar Opportunity

This fall, we partnered with a mental health agency that will offer several supports to our counselors, students, and families. One of these supports is access to virtual family workshops that PHA families can access free of charge. Interpretation available in multiple languages including Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Portuguese during the live webinars. The next webinar, Helping Our Pre-Teens and Teens Thrive: Parenting Strategies for the Adolescent Years, will take place on April 3rd, at 7:00 pm. Please register here. If you cannot attend, you can register and a recording will be emailed to you!

Upcoming family engagement programming

On Thursday, March 7th, the 7-12 Counseling Team joined the 7-12 FAB to share more about counseling services at PHA. The slides and recording from the presentation are available on the counseling page of the PHA website.

Erin McElligott, Director of College & School Counseling, Alumni Support

Nan Young, HS Counselor

Annika Hudson, MS Counselor

Dana Naliboff, MS/HS School Psychologist

Important FAFSA information for senior families

At this point, many FAFSAs have processed! Some students will need to make corrections once their FAFSA processes and they need to do this in a timely manner. Students can login to studentaid.gov to check the status of their application, and they also receive emails when there are updates to their accounts. MEFA, a trusted financial aid resource, is offering families additional help through their webinar on April 18th: “Personalized Help Completing, Updating, and Correcting Your FAFSA.” Families can register here.

Other information for senior families

Depositing: Seniors received an email this week with this information about making their admissions deposit: “Almost all seniors will have until at least May 1st to make their deposit, so there is no rush! (It would be rare to have a date earlier than this and would almost always be because of an ED agreement or very specific major requirement; please see your college counselor if you think this applies to you.) Some schools have moved their deposit deadlines to June 1st, but not all. It is your responsibility to research these deadlines for all of your schools that you've been accepted to. You should have received all of your financial aid award letters before you make your deposit. It is strongly encouraged that you enter all of these letters into the Award Letter Tool and review them with your college counselor before making your deposit. In some cases, you can appeal a financial aid award letter. Please see your college counselor if you would like to learn more.”

Attendance: On-time attendance in CCR class is important for seniors to maintain through the end of the year. We will be covering very important information including financial aid and finding resources and support in college. Several seniors have failed the class at this point due to attendance; Ms. Martin emailed all seniors and parents in this situation. If a senior needs the credit to graduate, they have the option to compete 2 additional assignments and Ms. Martin included this information in the email.

Graduation requirement: It is a PHA graduation requirement to apply to at least one 4-year college. At this point in the year, 90% of seniors have applied to at least one college, and almost half have received at least one acceptance to colleges and universities across the U.S.!

Information for junior families

This semester, juniors are participating in a weekly, semester-long College & Career Readiness class, taught by Mr. Costa. Students have been learning about and preparing for the SAT and registered for the exam.

Erin McElligott, Director of College & School Counseling; Alumni Support

Devan Martin, College Counselor, CCR 12 Teacher

Leo Costa, College Counselor, CCR 11 & 12 Teacher

Good luck to all of our students competing on spring teams!

Spring Sports

Boys Volleyball

Girls Softball

Co-ed Track

Please email Mr, Lerner with any questions- glerner@phacs.org

Any student who will be entering 7th or 10th grade must provide an updated physical exam and immunization record for re-enrollment. In addition ALL STUDENTS need to have an updated physical exam on file with the nurse in order to participate in field trips off campus.

You may submit the physicals by email to: nurses@phacs.org

Thanks so much for your attention to this!

-PHA's Nursing Team

• General PHA Meals Program Information can be found here.

• Please note that families are no longer required to pre-prder meals!

Michele Quinlan- 7-12 Administrative Assistant- mquinlan@phacs.org

Dominga Soto- 7-12 Administrative Assistant - dsoto@phacs.org

Christine Douglas-7-12 Principal- cdouglas@phacs.org

Ben Spencer- Middle School Assistant Principal bspencer@phacs.org

Jacques Faublas jfaublas@phacs.org

Amy Dickson- High School Assistant Principal for STEM- adickson@phacs.org

Holly Fritz-High School Assistant Principal for Arts & Humanities- hfritz@phacs.org

Patrick Nolan- 9-12 Dean of Students- pnolan@phacs.org

High School Front Desk- 617-284-7921

Middle School Front Desk- 617-284-7920

If your student is absent or late to school, please contact us to excuse the absence/tardy::

• 7-12 Absence Phone Line- 617-284-7990

• Email Michele Quinlan for grades 9-12: mquinlan@phacs.org