| Dear Providence Hall Parents,
As we prepare to begin our 2011-2012 school year, I would like extend to all our Providence Hall students and parents a warm welcome from the Providence Hall Board of Trustees. For those who are returning, we hope you have had a great summer and are looking forward to a new and exciting year. For those who are new, please know that you are going to be attending a very special school and we look forward to getting to know you and welcome you to our community.
I thought it might be relevant for all of you to hear a few details related to our school's organization and functioning. Like other Utah Charters, Providence Hall is its own district and operates independently of our local Jordan District and other Charters. We are held to the same requirements as other districts however, and rely heavily on a small group of board members, administrators, support staff and volunteers to do all the work normally done by an entire administration and district office. We are very proud of the results we have achieved, such as the high marks we recently earned in our accreditation review, and I want to highlight some of those who are helping with those efforts. Specifically, I would like to highlight some of those in our Administration so that you can understand the work they are doing and their importance to the ongoing success of the school:
Our Board is comprised 6 volunteers who serve tirelessly in the support of the school. Each is a parent with students in the school and each serves dozens of hours each week providing governance, guidance and direction to the school staff. They have a deep understanding of the functioning of the school and each board member has an area of specialty within the school in which they provide particular insight. The Board has the final oversight and control over implementing the school's charter and setting policy and direction for the school. We will be posting the biographies of each of the members of the Board of Trustees on the Providence Hall website within the next few days so that you may come to know each of these committed individuals.
Superintendent
Erin Preston is the Superintendent of Providence Hall and reports directly to the Board of Trustees. Erin is an experienced attorney and businesswoman as well as Providence Hall Founder and former Board Chair. She has served in many different capacities in the creation and governance of the school since prior to the school's opening and has been essential to the creation of the school that exists now. Due to her unique background, the Board asked Erin to accept this position and has tasked her with setting up the Junior High (facility oversight, staff hiring, budget development, etc.). After the Junior High is open, Erin's long-term role will be to ensure the Providence Hall charter and mission are implemented as directed by the Board of Trustees. She will be responsible to ensure the ongoing quality education for students throughout the school and oversee operations at both the Elementary and Junior High. She will also work with the parents, local community, charter community, Utah State Office of Education and others to communicate and promote Providence Hall. Erin will have an office at the Junior High but will split her time between the Junior High and Elementary. The Principals, Directors of Academics, Business Managers and IT staff will report to her directly. Please take a moment a learn more about Erin online.
Principals
Kathy Watson and Jim Freeland are the Principals of our Elementary and Junior High. Both come to us with extensive educational experience and provide unique contributions to the Administrative team. For instance, Kathy Watson is leveraging her 15 years in Special Education instruction in ensuring this program is consistently applied for all our students at both schools. Mr. Freeland, is leveraging his background as the Herriman High Athletic Director to set up our sports and activities programs. He is also leveraging his extensive background as an Administrator in the California schools to help us develop best practices in the set-up of our Junior High.
The Principals are responsible for the administrative oversight of their school staff and ensuring an environment of accountability and respect among faculty, students, parents and the community. The school staff and faculty will report to the Principals at each school. The Principals will report to the Superintendent.
Directors of Academics
Jodi Lusty and Peaches Sansom are the Directors of Academics at our Elementary and Junior High. Both are highly qualified and experienced teachers and International Baccalaureate experts. Jodi has been with Providence Hall from the time of opening and has been responsible for setting up the excellent academic program the school now enjoys. Peaches has over 30 years of teaching experience, has set up successful IB programs at two other Junior High Schools and is the foremost expert on the IB Middle Years Program in the State of Utah.
Jodi and Peaches are responsible for maintaining the academic program for Providence Hall. They share oversight authority of the teachers with the Principals and supervise the training, mentoring and professional development of our teaching staff. In addition, they have primary responsibility for our curriculum development, lesson planning and development and ensuring the quality of instruction in our school. The position of Director of Academics is a peer-level position to the Principals and report to the Superintendent.
We believe all of these individuals provide valuable and unique contributions to the past, present and future success of Providence Hall. As has been the practice of our school since the beginning, each person in the Board and Administration has their own areas of expertise and authority, but work with all the other members to form a stronger group than the individual members. We believe the skills and experience brought by each of these dedicated individuals will ensure the ongoing growth of our school. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments regarding any of our team members.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Providence Hall.
Robb Enger, CPA President and Treasurer of the Providence Hall Board of Trustees
On behalf of:
Laurie Compton Vice-Chair; Curriculum and IB Committee Chair
Sonya Peterson Foods program and Community Relations Specialist
Alicia Hansen Health and Safety Committee Chair
Stephanie Soper Junior High Committee Chair
Jolynne Jimenez Parent-Teacher Committee (PHAST) Liaison |
