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PIONEER NEWS BRIEFS

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NEWS BRIEFS

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CLASS OF 2020 DELIVERIES Our faculty and staff set out to put a smile on our seniors' faces with a care package porch delivery complete with yard sign, t-shirt, mask, and other goodies. Participating faculty and staff members were so excited to see our Pioneers and bring some joy to them during this unprecedented time.

BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM ACCOLADES Congratulations to the boys' basketball team for making it to the CIF State Division III Regional Finals! Their season unfortunately ended with a loss to Arroyo Grande, however the team made PHS history by advancing to the state tournament title contest for the first time!

Special congratulations go to BRYCE WHITAKER '20 and A'JAHNI LEVIAS '20 for being named the league’s co-most valuable players! Additionally, Bryce, A'Jhani, and JORDAN SHELLEY '20, who each achieved 1,000 career points, were named to the all-league first team and ANDREW DABBAGHIAN '20 was named to the all-league second team.

DOING OUR PART DURING COVID-19 PHS donated all new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items that were on campus to Providence St. Joseph Health, which included 200 face masks, 80 goggles, and 2,400 gloves. Additionally, PHS partnered with Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and the American Red Cross to host blood drives in our Student Activity Center.

ARATH PEDROZA-ALBERTO '20 and his father made, packed, and distributed 2,000 masks for free in downtown LA.

SOPHIE NAZARIAN '21 and BELLA NAZARIAN '22 started Sisters Enriching Education for Kids, an organization to raise funds and shed light on the families and children affected by poverty. Due to COVID-19 they have shifted efforts and have donated funds raised to their local community.

In following with stay-at-home orders, KAYLA ARAKELIAN '21 passed out notes to her elderly neighbors to let them know that she would be happy to help them out by grocery shopping on their behalf.

CSUN OUTSTANDING PANDEMIC TEACHER MS. ANNIE MATTHEWS '93 was recently named one of California State University, Northridge's Outstanding Pandemic Teacher Award recipients. Only 20 of more than 200 teacher nominees were recognized for going above and beyond to support their students

PHS AND UNIVERSITY OF PROVIDENCE CROSS-OVER during this pandemic.

Cinema Arts Focus Program students ZOEY JAEGER '20, LAUREN SORENSON '20, ADRIANO ROY '22, and GUNNAR SIZEMORE '23 along with Cinema Arts Focus Program Director Mrs. Chris Schaefer, Cinema Arts Focus Program Assistant Mr. Sean Mier, and Mr. Scott McLarty traveled to Great Falls, Montana where they filmed a video for the Galerie Trinitas at the University of Providence.

PIONEER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Pioneer Achievement Award was created during the 2014-2015 school year to award academically high achieving students who are actively and positively involved in the Providence High School community. Recipients for the 2020-2021 school year are KARAN PATEL '21 and OLIVIA ROBINSON '21.

Karan is part of the Technology Focus Program and he is involved with the Students Run LA program. Karan raised $2,000 for St. Jude Children's Hospital when he ran the LA Marathon this past March. Olivia is a member of the tennis team and is involved in various organizations on campus, including ASB and in our newly formed Be Well Student Committee.

UCLA GREENSHORTS BEST FILM AWARD BEN CALOZA '21 was awarded Best Film in the Climate Hero category at UCLA's GreenShorts Awards Ceremony for his film, Pasta La Vista, Plastic Waste. GreenShorts is a competitive environmental film contest for students across Southern California.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH WELL BEING TRUST AND ONELOVE As part of Providence Health System and Well Being Trust's mental health initiative, special guests surprised students by dropping into several classes to share their experience with mental health, especially during COVID-19 and the stay at home orders. Former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Cliff Avril, actress Gail Bean, Scott "DJ Skee" Keeney, and singer/songwriter Baraka May were among those who "popped" into PHS virtual classes.

Additionally, Providence partnered with OneLove, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering young people to build healthy relationships. Earlier this year (prior to the quarantine), an assembly was held and students were a part of discussions about fostering healthy relationships.

WE ASKED OUR INCOMING CLASS OF 2024:

"What would you say to a friend who is nervous and anxious about starting the upcoming school year?"

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