Providence Day School
Providence Day School is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Providence Day School | |
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Address | |
Providence Day School Providence Day School | |
5800 Sardis Road , | |
Information | |
Type | Private |
Established | September 28, 1970 |
CEEB code | 340687 |
Headmaster | Glyn Cowlishaw |
Faculty | 143 (on FTE basis)[1] |
Enrollment | 1558 (as of 2015–16)[1] |
Average class size | 12–20 |
Student to teacher ratio | 11.1[1] |
Color(s) | Red, White and Navy Blue |
Athletics | Football, baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, basketball, field hockey, wrestling, track and field, volleyball, cross country, soccer, cheerleading and swimming |
Athletics conference | NCISAA |
Team name | Chargers |
Rival | Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School |
Newspaper | The Charger |
Website | www |
As of the 2016–17 school year, the school had an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students and nearly 180 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 9:1.[1]
History
Founding and early history
In July 1970, James Williams, Thomas Ridenhour and Gilbert Bell began discussing the idea of starting a school. On Aug. 30, 1970, they held the first organizational meeting at the home of James Williams. Present were Gilbert Bell, Reid Caldwell, Joe Conrad, Charles Graves, Charles Harper, William Hester, John Locklear, Wilton Parr, Charles Reed, Thomas Ridenhour, Preston Sizemore and James Williams. These men formed the Southeast Community Corporation for the purpose of beginning an independent school. They also became the school's first board of directors. In September, a meeting was held to enlist interested parents. By the end of the night, 112 children from 108 families had registered to attend the new school.
Several days later, potential property for the school had been located. The board of directors, led by David Raphael, borrowed $200 from each family who had enrolled a child, purchased 7.6 acres (31,000 m2) of land for $75,000 on Sardis Road.
After the deed to the land was signed, parents went to work converting the house that was on the land into a school. On Sept. 28, 1970, Providence Day School was born. There were 180 students in fifth and sixth grades.
In February 1971, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction approved Providence Day School as a private school. In the summer of 1971, William T. Townsend Jr. was hired as the first headmaster and the late Gil Murdock was hired as the first coach and physical education instructor. At the time, Murdock was the longest serving faculty member in school history before retiring in 2006. He died three days later of a heart attack. The next year the school had its first (annual) Gil Murdock Turkey Trot in his memory, which collects donations for local charities.
The 1974–75 school year brought the school's first state championship in sports (golf), the addition of a two-story building (later named Overcash Hall) and accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools. 1975 also was the year of the school's first graduating class.
In 1982, adjacent property was purchased for an athletic complex to accommodate football, track, baseball, softball, and tennis. The gymnasium was dedicated and named the Thomas L. Ridenhour Athletic Center in 1983. In 1985, the wing between the Williams Building and Providence Hall was enclosed and three classrooms were added.
Eugene Bratek became the school's third Headmaster in 1986. Bratek retired from the school after the 2007 school year, and was replaced by Dr. Jack Creeden. In December 2010, Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw was selected as the new Head of School. His tenure began July 1, 2011.
In 1990, the McMahon Fines Arts Center was dedicated and the school purchased adjoining property and a house for the Extended Day Program.
In 1998, the Dickson-Hemby Technology Center opened and now houses math, science and computer classes. The Thompson-Jones Library and the Mosack Athletic Center were dedicated in 2001 at the conclusion of the “Tomorrow Begins Today” campaign. The Dining Hall in the McMahon Fine Arts center was expanded in 2005. This expansion also included a black box theater and more space for the band program.
21st century
The 6,000-square-foot field house and Nix Family Press Box were completed in December 2012.
In September 2015, Providence Day School celebrated the launch of the public phase of the Charging Forward comprehensive campaign, the largest fundraising goal undertaken in the school's history. The campaign was a projected five-year, $27 million initiative with three investment priorities: three capital projects (building a new four-story Academic Center, a two-story Campus Gateway building and split-level parking deck), doubling the school's endowment and growing Annual Fund. Construction began in June 2016.
In June 2016, construction began on a new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) workshop that was added onto the existing McMahon Fine Arts Center. The 430-square-foot addition, made possible through “fund-a-need” donations at the Parents’ Association annual auction, was to be used for set construction and tool storage.
Academics
In the 1986–87 and 2003–04 school years, Providence Day School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.[3][4][5][6][7] The Blue Ribbon Award recognizes public and private schools which perform at high levels or have made significant academic improvements.
Providence Day School is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions — the Lower School is led by a Head of Division and an Assistant Head, while the Middle and Upper schools are both led by a Head of Division and a Dean of Students. In December 2010, Providence Day School's Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Glyn Cowlishaw as the new Head of School. His tenure began July 1, 2011.
Athletics
Sports at Providence Day School are available to all students in 7th to 12th grades. The Athletics program supports nearly 70 teams, nearly 30 of which are varsity sports. Historically, more than 80 percent of the student body participates on one or more of the Chargers sports teams.
Providence Day School competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) classification. Locally, Upper School teams compete in the Charlotte Independent School Athletic Association (CISAA) while the Middle School competes in the Greater Charlotte Middle School Athletic Association (GCMSAA).
Facilities
- McMahon Fine Arts Center and Brinkley Dining Hall
- Dickson-Hemby Technology Center
- Thompson-Jones Library
- Overcash Hall
- Providence Building
- Williams Building
- Thomas Ridenhour Gymnasium
- Wrestling Gym
- Mosack Athletic Center
- Overcash Stadium with Mosack Field and Compton Track
- Activity and practice fields (including Gil Murdock Jr. Baseball Field, tennis courts, softball field and basketball court)
- Head of School House
- Levin Family Extended Day House
- Facilities House and Shop
- Institutional Advancement Office
- Academic Center
- DeMayo Gateway Center
- Split-level parking deck
Notable alumni
- Class of 1987 – Reggie Clark, NFL linebacker
- Class of 1991 – Brett Doar, multi-disciplinary artist, engineer, and contraptionist known for building Rube Goldberg machines
- Class of 1997 – Carson Porter, soccer coach
- Class of 2000 – Reggie Love, personal aide to President Barack Obama, former college basketball player, and media editor
- Class of 2001 – Andrew Coats, director, writer, and animator at Pixar
- Class of 2003 – Mychal Kearse, professional basketball player
- Class of 2012 – Tiffany Mitchell, WNBA player
- Class of 2014 – Tomas Hilliard-Arce, professional soccer player
- Class of 2016 – Grant Williams, NBA player
- Class of 2018 – Devon Dotson, college basketball player for the Kansas Jayhawks
References
- Providence Day School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 6, 2007.
- "Blue Ribbon Schools" (English). Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- Wong, Debra. "Providence Day earns blue ribbon", News 14 Carolina, October 7, 2003. Accessed November 6, 2007. "This year, the Queen City is boasting one of those jewels in her crown. Providence Day School became Charlotte’s only Blue Ribbon School of Excellence .... Providence Day won the blue ribbon in 1987 as well."
- Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982–1983 through 1999–2002 (PDF) Archived 2009-03-26 at the Wayback Machine, United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
- U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 through 2006 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
- CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department Archived 2007-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
- Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005