PHA Family Newsletter
Your Source for PreK-12 School Updates
February 16, 2024
Dear Families,
Last week marked the 100th day of school, and February vacation is now in clear sight. Check out ECC's 100th-day photos in this newsletter and the fun activities around Boston during vacation week.
Enjoy your vacation week, and we’ll see you again on Monday, February 26th. Fingers crossed for the arrival of spring with no SNOW! To that end, we anticipate seeing the fruits of our collective actions of kindness, hard work, and discipline in spring -- the equation to success!
Have a safe and enjoyable February vacation!
With gratitude,
Angela
Angela F. Allen Ph.D.
Head of School / CEO
Important Upcoming Dates
- 02/19/2024-02/23/2024: ALL Schools Closed: Presidents' Day and February Vacation
- 02/27/2024: Thrive Market 3:00-4:00 PM (Franklin)
- 03/11/2024: NO School: Professional Development Day
- 03/14/2024: PHA 7-12 Exhibition Night 5:00-7:00 PM ( Essex)
- 03/21/2024: Thrive Thursday Dinner 5:30-7:00 PM (Webster)
- 03/26/2024: Thrive Market 3:00-4:00 PM (Franklin)
- 03/29/2024: PK-12 Early Release Day
Black History Month Celebrates the Depths of Black History and Achievements.
Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party at the MFA in Boston
Banner [Virtual] Art Gallery weekly series presenting highlights of conversations between leading Black visual artists in New England.
It's MA Charter Public School Advocacy Week!
Honors and Achievements
Winter Debate Season
This past weekend, the PHA Debate Team attended the fourth and final debate tournament of the winter season at Suffolk Law School.
The following students received individual speaker awards:
Taygen R, 9th. place varsity speaker
Sun-N, 1st place novice speaker
Sun and Jawwad, 3rd place novice team
Taygen and Sybille, 5th place varsity team
The following students received awards for their year-long awards:
Bivan, PHA 23-24 Top Speaker
Presley S, PHA 23-24 Legacy Award
Please join us as we celebrate our graduating seniors, Presley, Bivan, and Sybille as they were all inducted as BDL Alumni at the tournament last weekend.
Presley S. is a finalist for the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues Debater of the Year Award, along with seven other high school debaters from around the country.
Congratulations Presley!!!
Celebrating Our Amazing High School Chemistry Teacher, Katie Harris
Celebrating our amazing High School chemistry teacher, Katie Harris, who recently conquered her 8th marathon with the Dopey Challenge at Disney World in Florida (48.6 miles in one weekend!). She runs not just for herself, but for those who fought or are fighting the battle against cancer. Let's applaud her dedication and support her cause for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! To date, Katie has raised $40,000 for LLS with Team in Training!
“Most of you know I don't actually enjoy running, but I do it because I can. I do it because we've all lost or know someone who fought a hard battle with cancer. I do it because I can do hard things. I do it for George and my mom and Abby and Richard. I do it for the 24 other names I will cross the finish line with and the countless other names who are not on my shirt.”
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Highlights From The First 100 Days of School
Dual Enrollment Program at PHA
At PHA, ensuring our students' successful journey to and through college is central to our mission. One exciting new initiative in service of our mission is our Dual Enrollment (DE) program, launched at the beginning of the school year.
Through the DE program, our juniors and seniors are able to take college-level courses at Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Technical Institute, while simultaneously earning high school and college credits. Not only will the DE program increase our students' likelihood to enroll in and graduate from college, it also enables them to explore potential majors and interests as they plan their career path.
Hear from PHA students Parshuna, Simon, Allison, and Bivan as they share their thoughts about the program and its impact on their bright futures.
ECC Celebrates the 100th Day of School
Check out our youngest scholars and our dedicated educators celebrating in style!!
PreK Learns All About the Human Body
Our PreK students have recently been learning about the human body. They read books about bodies, turned dramatic play into a doctor's office, and began thinking about what is inside their bodies.
Continuing their exploration, they took the train to the Museum of Science to see the Hall of Human Life. The children were especially excited to see real bones and brains. They made sketches at the museum which they brought back to the classroom to begin making portraits of the inside and outside of their bodies. Check out some photos of their experiential and play-based learning below.
5th Grade Scholars Visit the Sports Museum at TD Garden
Closing out their study of athletic leaders of social change, PHA's 5th grade recently had the opportunity to visit the Sports Museum at TD Garden. Our scholars learned about the history of sports in Boston and the timeline of Title 9 and women's sports, and explored the museum's collection of memorabilia of important parts of sports history. Students were even able to watch some of the Colorado Avalanche players practice before their game!
Avid 9th Grade Students Visit the Frugal Bookstore in Boston
A group of avid 9th grade readers outside the classroom took a field trip this week to Frugal Bookstore Inc., where they chose Black History Month-inspired books to enhance our library’s collection. After exploring, reading, and making their selections, they headed to Fasika Cafe for a delicious Ethiopian meal. A special thank you to Clarrissa and Leonard for their warm welcome and assistance in picking the perfect books for our library!
PHA Winter Athletics
The girls varsity basketball team has advanced to the MCSAO championship after taking down the previously undefeated Neighborhood House Charter School 59-58 in the semi-finals. The championship game will take place tomorrow, Saturday, February 17th, 1:30 p.m. at Umass Boston's Clark Athletic Center. The team is currently ranked #18 in the state in the latest MIAA poll. Tickets for Saturday's game must be purchased in advance using the following link:www.mcsao.org/tickets
The boys varsity basketball team lost a close game 46-43 in the first round of the MCSAO playoffs, but they have the opportunity to qualify for the MIAA state tournament with a win in their final game vs Millis HS next week, Tuesday, February 20th, 2:00 p.m. at our home gym, St. Clement.
Our middle school basketball teams are both having excellent seasons! With one game left in the regular season, the boys currently have a record of 8-1 and the girls 7-2. They will each host the first round of the MCSAO playoffs on Wednesday, February 28th: boys will tip off at 4:00 p.m. followed by the girls at 5:00 p.m.
PHA Announcements
HELP PHA WITH STUDENT RECRUITMENT!
The PHA student recruitment season is in full swing and you can help! Word-of-mouth is the #1 reason new families join PHA. You are our best ambassadors!
Enrichment Opportunities and Vacation Activities
Plaza WinterFest at the Science Center Plaza in Cambridge
Running January 25 through March 7, Plaza WinterFest is a great way to enjoy the cold winter months in Cambridge! Join us at the Science Center Plaza for seasonal games including curling, ice bowling, and ice shuffleboard or year-round favorites including ping-pong, illuminated cornhole, or giant chess!
Engineering Week & February Vacation at Boston Children's Museum
The Children' Museum will celebrate National Engineers Week with age-appropriate activities that provide open-ended exploration and discovery opportunities for families.
STEAM subject matter infused with an informal, hands-on, playful approach make these activities accessible and fun, and will provide opportunities for rich interactions between adults and children.
Engineers work with others to solve problems for people, communities, and animals. Be an engineer as you try various activities and challenges throughout the February vacation week that you can explore, create, test and try again!
The Heart of New England at the Museum of Science
New England is one of the world’s most iconic regions, known for its seasons and landscapes, traditions and innovations. It is also a ruggedly beautiful place born of resilience and hope.
Join us in the Mugar Omni Theater for The Heart of New England, a one-of-a-kind giant-screen film production from the Museum of Science, Boston, and embark on an immersive journey across this storied part of the world. Narrated by native New Englanders Uzo Aduba and Mindy Kaling, the film showcases the region’s trademark tenacity and hope through snapshots and perspectives of many of those who call it home: storytellers, conservationists, athletes, students, scientists, engineers, and others.
Looking to entertain your kids over February vacation? The Foundry Consortium will host its second annual family festival February 17-24. The festival offers a week of free family-centered Arts and STEM programming for the community.
Experience art and design programs that drive social change! All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in as many activities as you are excited about.
You can learn more and find the current agenda here.
The Foundry Consortium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates The Foundry building in East Cambridge, MA. The Foundry addresses the problems of financial and spacial inequities affecting artists and other makers by providing access to specialized space and equipment for hands-on creation. Offering maker spaces, multi-purpose rooms, a dance studio, art studio, performance space, and demonstration kitchen, The Foundry brings STEM and the Arts under one roof for the Cambridge community.
Family Announcements
PHA Thrive Market
Pick up free grocery items while picking up your students! The markets will be held on the last Tuesday of each month, 3-4pm in the school yard or cafeteria at the Upper Elementary campus.
- November 28, 2023
- December 19, 2023
- January 30, 2024
- February 27, 2024
- March 26, 2024
- April 30, 2024
- May 28, 2024
PHA Thrive Thursday Dinners
PHA THRIVE Thursday dinners where PHA families and community members enjoy sharing a free, warm, delicious meal together at our Early Childhood campus. We hope that you'll mark your calendars and join us for our next dinner on March 21st!!
All PHA community members are welcome.