In an Academy Awards-styled presentation, the faculty at The Providence School, marked the end of their first year, by celebrating their students who worked diligently throughout the school's first year with a prize-giving ceremony dubbed "An Evening at Providence: The Oscars Ceremony".
In Oscar style fashion, the school's faculty donned black tie dress and welcomed their academic "titans", applauding their efforts, doling out trophies for subject awards, star student, honor roll and the Providence Titan awards which were given to students who achieved honor roll status for three consecutive terms.
Thirteen students were awarded Titan Awards, with Kaizer Briggs a second grade student leading the way with a perfect 4.00 grade point average (GPA). He even sat the Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT) a grade early. Achieving GPAs of 3.80 and better to receive Titan Awards were Denika Rolle (K5), Erin McPhee (3.80), Nathan Moxey (3.80), Dymonde Lundy (3.80), and Maquel Connolly (3.82). Tamouya Josephs (3.60), Rhjha Ward (3.30), Jonathan Miller (3.50), Nasir Williams (3.20), Jaden Duncombe (3.36), Selia Duncombe (3.45) and Rycheed Ward (3.55) were also Titan Award winners.
"To make the honor roll three times at Providence is really a feat," said Shacantila Hall-Briggs, head of school at The Providence School. "Providence is a school where you really do have to work," she said.
"What we were able to accomplish this year was absolutely fantastic. We were pleased to see that our kids were not only academically sound, but well-rounded. We had most of our children on the honor roll, and that at Providence was truly a feat. The first year was stellar."
Hall-Briggs said the school's goal in its first year was to ensure that their children excelled academically. In most of their grades (kindergarten through fourth grade), she said the children performed ahead of their grade level at what would be deemed a "regular" school.
"One of the things we wanted to do at our school is push our kids and meet them exactly where they are. If they weren't doing well in their subject, they get enrichment, if they were doing very well in a subject they got enrichment to push them to an even greater level," said he head of school.
As an institution she said they accomplished at least 98 percent of their goals. And recently reviewed their website to cross check whether they were on point for everything they promised, which she said for the most part they did. At the start of the last academic year she said their first goal was to produce honor roll students who were able to maintain their GPA; the second goal she said was to produce leaders at the student-centered school.
"One of the things we wanted to do was make sure our children were sound in terms of their character development as character education and service learning is a big thing at our school, so that we're producing not only academically sound kids, but children that can really become global citizens."
With the advent of the new school year, The Providence School will have its first fifth grade class which Hall-Briggs said is shaping up to be a phenomenal class. Hall-Briggs said they would be working at a junior school student level studying world history, literature, religious studies encompassing world religions.
"The technical component is so much better in our upper school because our children would already have been grounded in regular studies and now they will be beginning programming and decoding in their studies, so we're excited about fifth grade which will take our school to a completely different level," she said.
"In terms of the entire school I could not be happier. It's not been easy, as you know it's a business and it was the first year, but in terms of what we've done with the students and the school itself, I could not be prouder".
The head of school also cited parental involvement in them being able to accomplish what they did. With an enrollment of approximately 40 in year one, Hall-Briggs is expecting to double that in September, but she said at The Providence School they started out under the premise of being a small school and will continue to be a small school.
"After what we did with our student population in the first year, I know that we can do even more next year," said the head of school.
The Providence School is carrying out enrollment with assessments offered for K5 through grade five students. They accept students from K2.
Providence Titan Award winners
(Given to students who have achieved honors in three consecutive terms with a GPA of 3.0 and higher)
K5
Denika Rolle 3.90
Grade 1
Tamouya Josephs 3.60
Erin McPhee 3.80
Nathan Moxey 3.80
Ryjha Ward 3.30
Grade 2
Kaizer Briggs 4.0
Jonathan Miller 3.50
Grade 3
Dymonde Lundy 3.80
Nasir Williams 3.20
Grade 4
Maquel Connolly 3.82
Jaden Duncombe 3.36
Selia Duncombe 3.45
Rycheed Ward 3.55
The Incredibles Award
(Honor Roll)
Term II
K5
Denika Rolle
Grade 1
Jaden Clarke
Tamoya Joseph
Erin Mcphee
Nathan Moxey
Takiha Rolle
Rhjha Ward
Grade 2
Kaizer Briggs
Kamari Lockhart
Jonathan Miller
Grade 3
Dymonde Lundy
Nasir Williams
Grade 4
Sakai Armbrister
Maquel Connolly
Jaden Duncombe
Selia Duncombe
Dana Poitier
Rycheed Ward
Term III
K5
Denika Rolle
Grade 1
Erin McPhee
Tamouya Joseph
Perez Lightbourne
Rhjha Ward
Nathan Moxey
Grade 2
Jonathan Miller
Grade 3
Nasir Williams
Dymonde Lundy
Grade 4
Maquel Connolly
Jaden Duncombe
Selia Duncombe
Dana Poitier
Rycheed Ward
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