April 17, 2025
Dear PHA Families,
Spring has finally sprung! We are excitedly beginning to see the buds and vibrant flowering blooms of the seeds we sowed at the start of the school year. From our youngest scholars to our graduating seniors, the academic learning outcomes indicate that this is our winning season! Our seniors have been accepted to colleges from the East Coast to Hawaii!!
We are also CHAMPIONS beyond the walls of the classroom; our Middle School Girls Basketball team are MCSAO champions!
Sincerely,
Angela
Angela F. Allen Ph.D.
Head of School / CEO
- April 18th: PK-12 Early Release
- April 21st-April 25th: Schools Closed for Vacation
- April 28th-April 30th: 4th Grade-Outdoor Classroom Trip
- May 3rd: PHA International Night
- May 7th-9th: 9th Grade Farm School
- May 21st: SEPAC Meeting 6:00-7:00 PM (via Zoom)
- May 22nd: High School Prom
- May 26th: Memorial Day: Schools Closed for the Holiday
- June 9th-13th: Junior Journey Trips
- June 12th: 5th Grade Bridging Ceremony
- June 13th: 6th Grade Bridging Ceremony
- June 15th: PHA 2025 Graduation 5:00 PM MIT Kresge Auditorium
- June 19th: Juneteenth Holiday: Schools Closed
- June 20th: Last Day of School: PK-12 Early Release (as of April 17th)
- September 2nd: First Day of School Grades 1-12
- September 4th & 5th: Half Days for PK and K
March was National Nutrition Month
In honor of National Nutrition Month, and we highlight PHA Meals Program Director Michelle Doyle, for always advocating so passionately and effectively for greater school nutrition funding and providing fresh, local, and healthful school meals for all students!
Michelle recently had the opportunity to attend the Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C with her colleagues from School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts (Michelle is a board member). Michelle joined school nutrition professionals from around the country to meet with their representatives (including Representative Jim McGovern and Representative Ayanna Pressley's staff), urging lawmakers to protect funding for school meals. We are grateful to Michelle for using her voice to represent the interests of students and families, both at PHA and across the state of Massachusetts!
On April 1st, the 10th Grade held their inaugural American Studies Theatre Festival at the Central Square Theatre. Students wrote, directed, and performed mini plays exploring topics like immigration, gambling, aliens, family drama, and more. View some scenes from the event in the video linked here.
Although they faced some challenges, both the students and teachers alike confirmed that it was a valuable and rewarding experience:
From students:
"I feel proud of myself for being able to go up there and perform without a script. I would love to do something like this again."
"One thing I feel proud of is how even though I had stage fright and wanted to just skip school and pretend to be sick, I put on a brave face, came to school and tried my very best to act well and speak loudly to the audience."
From teachers:
"It was an enormous feat to put on 15 plays with props and original scripts, but it all felt worth it after every student engaged in the work, produced something original and tried their best on stage. We have lots of ideas for how to make it better next year!"
Thank you to the Central Square Theater for hosting us!
PHA National Honor Society
Recently, the senior members of PHA's National Honor Society attended the Rotary Club of Cambridge (MA, USA) Scholarship Breakfast. Senior Taygen R. was awarded a scholarship for college as well as a donation to a charity of the student's choice. Taygen chose Commonwealth Seminar, an intensive training program that Taygen has worked closely with, focused on teaching diverse leaders how the legislative process really works. The breakfast was also an opportunity for the NHS students to network with Cambridge leaders and rotarians and learn more about leadership.
At PHA, the athletic experience is an integral part of the education of the whole child. Upwards of 40% of our students in grades 7 through 12 participate in at least one sport, with many being multiport student athletes. The sports that we offer include soccer, volleyball, cross-country, basketball, cheerleading, softball, and track. PHA participates in the MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) and we're members of the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Conference.
Please watch the video to learn more about the program from our Athletic Director Geoff Lerner, and to hear from PHA student athletes Arshley, Cleeve, and Alejandro about what they think makes PHA Athletics so special.
Support Team PHA Thrive
Support Team PHA Thrive at Project Bread's 2025 #WalkforHunger on Sunday, May 4th! https://give.projectbread.org/team/643726
Prospect Hill Academy Thrive is joining Project Bread's 2025 Walk for Hunger to make sure kids and families get access to needed food. As part of their Commonwealth Program, we get to use a portion of the amount we raise to address food insecurity within our PHA community. The remaining funds will go to Project Bread's efforts to fight hunger across the state of Massachusetts. It's a win-win for all! Every contribution—big or small—makes a real impact in the fight against hunger.
STEAM at Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children’s Museum’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) programs and exhibits engage children in the excitement and creativity of discovery, making, and problem-solving. Inviting children and families to engage in STEAM challenges, use tools, and develop skills, Museum STEAM activities provide opportunities for hands-on, open-ended explorations that ignite imaginations.
Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary
A community nature center and wildlife sanctuary with trails that traverse meadows, woods, and wetlands; home to over 150 species of birds, 40 species of butterflies, and more than 350 species of plants.