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school Chicago’s west side school school onon on Chicago’s Chicago’s west west side side
ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY ADMISSIONS ADMISSIONS ADMISSIONS 2019-2020 2019-2020 2019-2020 making a better place,
www.psmnow.com 773-722-2222
OURS IS A HISTORY OF DETERMINATION... CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2018 FOR THEIR ESTEEMED COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES AND FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHED SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS!
Alma College • American University • Arizona State University • Augustana College • Ball State University Beloit College • *Boston University • *Carnegie Mellon University • Carthage College • Coe College Colorado State University • **CORNELL UNIVERSITY** • DePaul University • DePauw University • Drexel University *Emory University • Fisk University • Florida State University • George Washington University • Hope College Howard University • Illinois College • Illinois State University • Illinois Wesleyan University • Indiana University Indiana University NW • Iowa State University • Kansas State University • *Kenyon College • Lawrence University Louisiana State University • Loyola University • Marquette University • Maryville University Michigan State University • Mississippi State University • *New York University • Northern Illinois University Ohio State University • Ohio Wesleyan University • *Pennsylvania State University Purdue University • St. Mary’s College—Indiana • St. Norbert College • St. Olaf College • Seton Hall University Southern Illinois University—Carbondale • Spelman College • Syracuse University • University of Arizona University of Central Florida • *University of Chicago • University of Dayton • University of Denver University of Illinois at Chicago • *University of Illinois at U-C • University of Iowa • University of Kansas University of Kentucky • University of Louisville • University of Maryland • *University of Michigan University of Missouri • University of Nevada—Las Vegas • **UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA** University of Pittsburgh • University of Texas • University of Tulsa • University of Washington *University of Wisconsin—Madison • *Vanderbilt University • *Villanova University • Wartburg College *Washington University in St. Louis • Western Michigan University • Wheaton College • Wittenberg University
Top 200 National Universities/Liberal Arts Colleges *Top 50 National Universities/Liberal Arts Colleges **IVY LEAGUE**
AND A RECORD OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 3
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MULTIPLE SIBLINGS FAMILY ASSISTANCE At Providence St. Mel we know the importance of keeping your family together! 2 Children— As low as $350 per child / $700 family plan — 10 installments 3+ Children— As low as $275 per child / $825+ family plan —10 installments
Amounts may vary. Parents must complete the Providence St. Mel Financial Aid application for determination of needs based eligibility. Above Family Plans are for Middle & Lower School students. High School students will be slightly higher based on financial aid results. BUS TRANSPORATION Providence St. Mel provides bus transportation to students from the South and farther West sides of Chicago to help those with a longer commute.
class of 2018 average act score:
25 $30 million in college scholarships in the past five years!
IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY! Our full-day early childhood programming provides a focused, organized, and positive learning environment. Our youngest students learn and discover how to relate to the world around them through exploration, creation, inquiry, play, and interaction with others.
Our Lower School students begin the exciting journey of developing more advanced skills and taking on new challenges! During this critical stage in a child’s development, we offer increasingly sophisticated and diverse instruction. Teachers regularly evaluate student performance to tailor lessons according to their needs. A Providence St. Mel education piques the interests and curiosities of our younger students, showing them the wonders of learning and all that is left to be discovered. Students learn to experiment, think critically, ask questions about the world, inspect peculiarities, share ideas, and work both independently and with peers.
MISSION STATEMENT At Providence St. Mel, we believe. We believe in the creation of inspired lives produced by the miracle of hard work. We are not frightened by the challenges of reality, but believe that we can change our conception of this world and our place within it. So we work, plan, build, and dream —in that order. We believe that one must earn the right to dream. Our talent, discipline, and integrity will be our contribution to a new world. Because we believe that we can take this place, this time, and this people, and make a better place, a better time, and a better people. With God’s help, we will either find a way or make one.
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A MODEL FOR URBAN EDUCATION At Providence St. Mel School, our mission is to be a school where every child is able to receive a world-class education and is empowered to reach their fullest potential. For forty consecutive years since our founding as an independent school, 100% of our graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities. As our mission statement affirms, these accomplishments are “produced by the miracle of hard work”. Our dedicated faculty continues to challenge our hardworking students to be globally competitive, and our students continue to achieve. The Class of 2018 was no exception! Not only did they continue the tradition of 100% college acceptance, the ACT average for the Class of 2018 was 25. The national average for the ACT is 21, and the state average is 21.4. In the Chicago Public Schools, the ACT average is 18.4 overall and 16.9 for African American students. Recently, the Class of 2015 made school history—100% of these graduating seniors were accepted to “tier one” and Ivy League schools. High ACT scores are integral in receiving college scholarship funds. The average student that enters Providence St. Mel School as a freshman will increase their ACT score by 7-8 points from 9th grade to 11th grade. Despite not requiring an entrance exam, Providence St. Mel students still outperform their peers because our model intrinsically motivates and advances each student to reach higher and achieve more.
Providence St. Mel is uniquely prepared to equip our students with the tools and encouragement they need to excel academically. Our curriculum has provided generations of our students with the resources needed to be productive and dutiful citizens. Our school continues to imbue students with the confidence, academic discipline, and personal values they need to succeed in life after high school.
Average Faculty tenure:
15 years
88% hold advanced degrees 5
AT PROVIDENCE ST. MEL, WE BELIEVE. 6
WE BELIEVE IN THE CREATION OF INSPIRED LIVES PRODUCED BY THE MIRACLE OF HARD WORK. 7
STUDENT EVENTS & ASSEMBLIES
Kindergarten Celebration!
Holiday Assemblies Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly
All School Field Trip DAY
Dance Recital
Engineering Week!
Collage Concert
Mother’s Day Tea
Each quarter, we recognize the accomplishments and daily
hard work of our students at our Honors Assemblies! These school-wide celebrations give students the chance to applaud their peers and recognize their shared successes.
Work, Plan, Build, Dream!
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WE ARE NOT FRIGHTENED BY THE CHALLENGES OF REALITY... 9
OUR SUCCESSFUL HISTORY. YOUR BRIGHT FUTURE. A Providence St. Mel education provides access to: Full-day early childhood programming Field trips focused around curriculum Enrichment courses for parents and students Opportunities for classroom visits and student performances for family members throughout the
year Immersive courses in English, Math, Science, Technology, and Social Studies Starting in our Lower School, a variety of electives and clubs to match student goals and interests A vast array of additional learning opportunities, including our Fine Arts Program and our STEM Program,
which open up pathways for students in college and beyond After-school and Saturday tutoring offered through our Academic Intervention Model to help students struggling with classes or a specific subject
2018—2019 EARLY CHILDHOOD COURSE OFFERINGS Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten Reading, writing, & language
Science & technology
Through the Wright Skills program, students learn phonological and phonemic awareness, oral language, and letter recognition. Our curriculum uses strategies to effectively work with students of diverse learning styles. Students develop writing skills through multi-sensory play-based instruction. By the end of the year, students are able to write letters correctly on lined paper, and will be introduced to rhyming words, compound words, opposites, and sequencing. They will also be able to discuss an author or illustrator’s purposes.
Our pre-school and pre-kindergarten students are introduced to technology on day one. For visual understanding, a classroom iPad is used daily within lessons in all core concepts using songs, short videos, and learning apps. Students are introduced to a computer keyboard and learn pre-keyboarding skills, such as identifying and typing letters.
Math Each lesson provides opportunity for experimentation and direct, hands-on experiences. At the end of the year, students will be able to recognize numbers 1 to 20, count to 100, and explain the differences between long, short, big, and small. Additionally, they will be able to distinguish between and recognize colors, shapes, and patterns.
Starting in kindergarten, students are introduced to beginning concepts of numbers and operations, geometry, measurement, time, classifications, simple addition and subtraction with a web-based, digitally connected program.
Music As an In-School Partner with the Chicago Center for Music Education (ChiME), we offer the Suzuki-Orff Music Program.
Our youngest students are also introduced to coding and participate in National Engineering Week! By the end of the year, students will be able to identify and understand a specific
product from a picture/model used throughout the final quarter.
Students develop a greater understanding of the world around them by exploring scientific concepts like: Principles of Energy , Health & Nutrition , Plants & Animals , and Weather & Seasons
Social Studies Students learn about communities in different homes, schools, and neighborhoods, and the different holidays celebrated throughout the country. In pre-kindergarten, students expand on their knowledge of community by learning about the cultures of other major countries around the world. By the end of the academic year, students will be able to state their full name, birth date, address, and phone number, and talk about their family members. Students also learn about key influencers who have contributed to the creation of a better place, time, and people.
In kindergarten, students delve into concepts like culture and diversity; time, continuity and change, and; people, places and environments. Reading and language arts skills are reinforced in a quarterly research project on citizenship, culture, 10 economics, geography, history, or a STEM theme.
MAKERSPACE LAB Our MakerSpace is equipped with a 3D printer and offers a blend of innovation, play, and exploration, allowing students to guide themselves through interactive projects. In this space, our students learn concepts such as robotics and coding, working in teams on a variety of building and problem solving activities. This space also serves as a way to apply skills students learn in their core STEM courses with essential soft skills such as communication and project management. Student Jaliya shares her favorite part of MakerSpace is "making mistakes because we learn best from our mistakes".
Coming Soon: MAKERSPACE DISCOVERY ZONE
We are in the process of building our new Rooftop MakerSpace Discovery Zone, an environment for early childhood students to collaborate, build, invent, and learn using crafts, tools, and technology. This new space
will allow us to further provide a wellrounded and rewarding education in a safe, secure, and dynamic learning environment. In this globally competitive world, we are proud that we continue to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge learning techniques. Concept photos of the space are below.
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Performing & Fine Arts As schools nationwide are drastically eliminating music and art programs, Providence St. Mel is soaring in the Performing and Fine Arts! Spanning over the entire PreSchool through Grade 12 student body, our well-known academic program is accentuated with an extensive Fine Arts curriculum, including: 5 choirs 5 instrumental groups Annual Broadway Productions Dance Program Studio Art Program
“The program gave me a sense of direction. What I learned, opened up music
as a possibility for my future. It had a blossoming effect. I knew one aspect of music, and the more I learned, the more petals grew around what I knew to expand my knowledge… My best memory is when Dr. Baar allowed me to conduct the choir. During a competition, I was able to teach my class and conduct one choir while my teacher conducted another. Both groups scored a Division I score! I was empowered to lead, and it was meaningful.” - Jessica Bailey, Class of 2016, Yale University — Sociology and Musical Theater
S.T.E.M. In an ever-changing world where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pervade nearly every part of our lives, Providence St. Mel strives to inspire the next generation of critical thinkers and innovators,
beginning as early as kindergarten. Students have handson opportunities to experiment and test scientific concepts, and in math they have opportunities to master and practice core concepts such as problem solving, computing, and reasoning to develop all strands of mathematical proficiency. 12
2018—2019 LOWER SCHOOL COURSE OFFERINGS Art Covers the Elements of Art and Art History. With a focus on visual arts, students are exposed to the art of various cultures.
Reading wonders Through a web-based digitally connected curriculum, students focus on subjects like poetry, real-life connections, vocabulary, grammar, and theme. Students also write in a daily journal and take weekly spelling assessments.
math With a web-based, digitally connected program, students in grades K-5 build on basic mathematical concepts, and progress to more advanced topics with each grade level, such as: Numbers and Operations • Classifications • Addition and Subtraction Story Problems • Strategies • Comparisons and Data Formats • Fractions Measurements • Time • Multiplication • Probability Geometry • Multi-step, Real World Problems
science Encourages and empowers students to ask more questions and think critically about topics like: Energy, Motion, and Matter • Light and Sounds • Plants and Animals Earth and Space • Engineering • Coding
Social Studies 1st grade: Explores various types of communities and how they celebrate customs, traditions, and holidays. Economic concepts such as spending and saving are introduced, as well as governmental structure, citizenship, and map reading skills.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT A child’s opportunities today determine their successful future in Middle School and High School. The foundations that our students build in our early childhood program and Lower School put them ahead of their peers as they begin to prepare for college-level coursework. Once they enter high school, students will have access to Advanced Placement courses. These classes allow students to take exams for college credit and get a head start in their college coursework! Each year, our students pass at a rate above the state and national averages! 13
2nd grade: Focuses on geographic mastery with timelines and map skills. Primary themes include: Culture, Time, Continuity and Change; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development and Identity; and Power, Authority, and Government.
3rd grade: Coursework focuses on customs, cultures, economics, local, state and national government, and citizenship. Encouraging students to develop a personal commitment to their community, students use reading and writing skills to answer questions such as: How does where you live affect how you live? • How do communities change over time? • How do people change communities?
4th grade: Studies the regions of the United States, including its geographies and landforms, industries, economics, and people. Content enables interesting connections to the present. With research and technology, each student experiences a deeper and more thorough understanding of the United States. 5th grade: Explores ancient civilizations and how these cultures lost power and became the countries they are today. Students learn to compare and contrast events in history to those occurring in our current political climate, and discover the importance of becoming informed in current events.
Music Lower School Choir • Honors Choir • Orchestra • Musical Theatre
2017 PASS RATES:
85%
PSM Class of 2017
State Average
National Average
66% 60%
BUT BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CHANGE OUR CONCEPTION OF THIS WORLD AND OUR PLACE WITHIN IT. 14
“I came to the school very shy and embarrassed to ask questions... It isn’t only the program, but the people I am surrounded with that tell me I can do it. My teachers, the principal, and my classmates all have pushed me to be more confident.” - Destiny (Right), Class of 2018
"The other schools that I applied to and was admitted to were too easy, and I needed a
challenge." -Antasia (Left), Class of 2015, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business
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“Long story short, there wasn’t really any reason to invest much in me; I
wasn’t showing much promise, yet look where I am now. That’s why
investing in Providence St. Mel makes a difference; they invest in people like me, making the biggest difference possible.” - Sam (Right), Class of 2013, U.S. Air
Force Academy Graduate
“I know the classes are tough, but I realize it is because our teachers want the best for us. My teachers know what it takes to prepare me to go to college… At first when I came to Providence St. Mel and I was having a difficult time, I was embarrassed and hesitant to ask for help. My teachers encouraged me to come and get additional help after school. They reminded me that I
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was capable and committed.”
- Darion (Left), Class of 2021
COLLEGE & BEYOND SCHOLARSHIPS + SUPPORT
At Providence St. Mel, every student receives financial aid. Although the average education cost per student is $15,700, Providence St. Mel covers $6,638 of this cost for all students. In other words, 0% of our students pay full tuition. Additionally, 88% of families receive additional financial aid and scholarships worth an average of $3,205 per student! 2017-2018 ACT SUMMARY
Through our Guidance Program, which starts as early as middle school, Providence St. Mel students are taught test taking skills that help prepare them for the ACT. Scores on this exam directly effect college enrollment and scholarship
opportunities. The 2017-2018 ACT score results highlighted below demonstrate our students’ abilities to compete with their peers at selective enrollment schools.
29 25
29 26
25
18
*Selective Enrollment
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21
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SO WE WORK, PLAN, BUILD, AND DREAM — IN THAT ORDER. WE BELIEVE THAT ONE MUST EARN THE RIGHT TO DREAM. 18
OUR TALENT, DISCIPLINE, AND INTEGRITY WILL BE OUR CONTRIBUTION TO A NEW WORLD. 19
PROVIDENCE ST. MEL ALUMNI HAVE BECOME PRODUCTIVE AND DUTIFUL CITIZENS “Providence St. Mel has been and continues to be a foundation for a better life. Everyone who gets an education at PSM is set for life if they continue to do what they have learned there. It is also like a family, and when I got out in the world, I found the tenacity that I had while at Providence St. Mel helped me in life.” - Gregory C. (Class of 1983), Operations Officer for the Surgeon General of the Army and White House Social Aide
“The principles of the mission statement continue to influence my choices. Providence St. Mel is connected to every positive experience that I have encountered particularly those that relate to professional and academic accomplishments.” - Kimberlee B. (Class of 1988), Founder and Executive Director of A Child’s Space
“When I reflect on those who have sacrificed greatly to provide me the opportunity to step forward, the faculty at Providence St. Mel stands at the forefront. An organization centered around providing a strong, stable education for an extremely vulnerable population of students—at arguably the most critical point in each of their lives—must be respected. During the greatest financial and emotional struggle of our lives, my parents enrolled me at Providence St. Mel with the faith that I would at least have a chance to succeed. And needless to say, their faith was not misplaced.” - Damari C. (Class of 2011), Harvard Medical School, 2017 Rhodes Scholar finalist
“On my first day in college, I realized that everyone at Brown is smart. Compared to some of my cohorts, I am extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to attend such an amazing institution for high school because the crucial skills for success and a passion for learning have been instilled in me.” - Eshe H. (Class of 2013), Brown University 20
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WITH GOD’S HELP, WE WILL EITHER FIND A WAY OR MAKE
Below are just a few accomplishments of Providence St. Mel students in 2018:
Congratulations to our students participating in the Chicago Area Stock Market Game! Our teams in the grades 4-8 division won 2nd and 3rd place. To celebrate their success, our students attended an awards reception on Tuesday, May 8th at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE)! At the ceremony, 6 teams gave presentations from the Chicago and suburbs area. We are delighted that all three of our teams were selected to present.
Jada A. won 1st place in her grade level and overall for the 2018 Organ/Tissue Donor Awareness Student Poster Contest for the state of Illinois.
We had seven students featured on Tracey Butler’s Weather Sketchers on the ABC7 morning news program last year. Compliments to the following talented artists: Charles S., Erica P., Dion N., Myles H., Paulie C., Jordan W., and Kennedy B.
In April 2018, some of our dynamite students performed at the Providence St. Mel Dance Recital! Congratulations to the performers for showcasing their hard work and talent!
This February, our lower school students created cards to say thank you to our service men and women and veterans at our annual 'Valentines for Veterans' celebration.
We congratulate the PSM Class of 2015 as they near college graduation! Antasia G. will be graduating from University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, Jessica B. will be graduating from Princeton University, Mariah B. will be graduating from University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, and Ebonie O. will be finishing at Washington University in St. Louis!
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119 South Central Park Boulevard
YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Chicago, IL 60624 773-722-7756 | psmnow.com
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