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PHA Family K-12 Newsletter
June 2017: Our 21st year is in the books, thank you for another incredible year at PHA!
K-12 News
Bienvenidos Prospect Hill Academy: Celebrating a decade of Cultural and Language Immersion,
Service Learning, and Friendship
Juniors in the Collegiate Institute visited Guatemala for our annual Spanish immersion and service
learning trip. Our students travel to Antigua, Guatemala, where they live with local host families. Each
day, they enjoy four hours of individual Spanish instruction before travelling south to a school in the
small town of San Pedro, that PHA has collaborated with for the past ten years. Students spend four
hours a day teaching English to Guatemalan students. Throughout the year, PHA students raise
money to help the school restore their facilities and provide basic necessities for its students. This year
our PHA students used the funds to renovate the snack shack, fix the roof of a third-grade classroom,
and paint the inside of the building and the basketball court. Our students learned a lot from their
travels, and you can read about their experiences on their blog. Click here to check out the blog
that our students created while on their journey!
On the left, PHA students Thais and Brenda are pictured with students they taught. In the middle is
PHA junior, Ana Luiza, teaching English to Guatemalan students. On the right students and teachers
pause for a selfie.
Hats off to the Class of 2017
On Sunday, June 11th, Prospect Hill Academy celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2017 during
commencement ceremonies held at MIT's Kresge Auditorium. We are incredibly proud of the achievements of
our graduates and look forward to hearing about their future successes in college and beyond. The colleges
and universities where our graduates will matriculate in the fall include:
Bates College
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
Bentley University
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater State University
Bryn Mawr College
College of the Holy Cross (3)*
Denison University (2)
Fitchburg State University
Hampshire College
Harvard University
Ithaca College
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (3)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MCPHS - Massachusetts College of
Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Mills College
Northeastern University (2)
Providence College (2)
Regis College
Rhode Island School of Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
Saint Anselm College
Salem State University (4)
Salve Regina University
Suffolk University (2)
The George Washington University
Trinity College
Tufts University
UMass Dartmouth (5)
UMass Amherst
UMass Boston (2)
UMass Lowell (3)
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Westfield State University
*A number in parentheses indicates multiple students will be attending that school.
Click here to view the 2017 Commencement Photo Album.
K-6 News:
Second Grade visits the State House
In May, the entire second grade visited the Massachusetts State House in Boston. After many weeks
of learning about Boston and the State House, students were thrilled to take a tour of this historic site.
Students had the opportunity to sit in the chambers where legislation is passed, and even listen in on
a session. Students were excited to meet Principal Alach’s son, Sasha, who is a legislative aide at the
state house. Afterwards everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch on the common, a lovely and insightful day
was had by all!
Biking program
Terri Deletesky, Integrated Arts teacher, and Marcello Gooden, PE teacher, have worked together to
start a biking program at the Early Childhood Campus. Students started a biking unit in early May
until the end of the school year. At the beginning, most students couldn’t ride a bike without training
wheels, and some had never been on a bike before. By the end of the unit, over 30 students who
weren’t able to ride a bike learned to do so. The teachers were excited to see so many
Kindergarteners riding on their own and were thrilled that PHA students have a new way to stay
active and healthy! If you have any old helmets or bikes (even if they need a tune up!) that you
would like to donate, please contact Marcello Gooden.
7-12 News
The Climate Can Change. Can We?
Students created thought provoking artwork in an environmental advocacy poster contest created
by Ms. Shao and Ms. Blake. The contest was open to students in grades 7-12 and gave them the
opportunity to illustrate their ideas on climate change. Guided by the question above, they took an
introspective look at possibilities for the future of our planet. Starting in June 2017, PHA student artwork
that was part of the “The Climate Can Change, Can We?” project is on display at Workbar and
Improv Boston; they are scheduled to be on display at the Central Square Library branch from August
1st – September 1st.
“Peace Garden” Unveiled at the Upper School
Early this June, PHA's 10th grade art class unveiled their spectacular "Peace Garden" mural in
the Learning Commons of the Upper School's 54 Essex Street building. The Peace Garden is the result
of a five-month collaboration between Upper School art teacher Doug Anderson's Level 3 art class
and visiting ceramic artist (and former PHA parent) Julie Peck. Inspired by renowned mosaic
artist Isaiah Zagar's "Magic Gardens" in Philadelphia, the Peace Garden is a ceramic tile mural that
brings together a range of ceramic techniques including carving, "graffito," sculpted relief, and
mosaic, in the form of a stylized depiction of a garden. If you look closely, you can see the word
"peace" is stamped in multiple languages across the entire mural. The project was made possible
thanks to a generous STARS Residency grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Come by 54
Essex to see the exquisite artwork in person!
Creative Digital Media Class
Students in Ms. Farmery’s Creative Digital Media class went to the Edgerton Center for Education
Outreach at MIT for a class in Digital Photography. Along with Ms. Mayers, students created the
images below while learning about digital photography techniques. Check out the fun!
Community Happenings: Click the underlined links to learn more!
• 50 Free Things to do with Kids in Boston this Summer!
• 50 local outings and adventures for the family under $50!
• Meals Program: Starting July 5, 2017, enjoy FREE breakfast and lunch prepared by Somerville's
award-winning Food and Nutrition Services Department, available all summer for any youth
under the age of 19. Look for the Food and Nutrition truck to get your nutritious free meal!
Click here to learn more and to view the information in Haitian Creole, Spanish, and
Portuguese.
• Summer Sundays at Harvard Semitic Museum, Cambridge, Free, July 2, 2017-August 27, 2017.
Every Sunday this summer drop in for free, fun “make and take” family activities. Create
Egyptian accessories, play ancient board games, inscribe clay tablets to explore arts from the
lands of the Ancient Near East.
• Lowell Summer Music Series - Kids' Shows, Lowell, Free, July 5, 2017-August 10, 2017. Enjoy free
performances for kids at Lowell's Boarding House Park, with free snacks, crafts & trolley rides at
every show. In case of rain, shows move across the street to LHS auditorium.
• Bookworm Wednesdays: Showcase Cinemas, Massachusetts, Free. July 5, 2017-July 26, 2017.
Bookworm Wednesdays is a fun and rewarding summer reading program developed to
encourage young children to read during the summer months. Kids get free admission to
select kids' films when they present a book report!
• Brookline Summer Concert Series at Emerson Park, Brookline, Free, July 5, 2017 -August 9, 2017
Brookline Summer Concert Series takes place at the Daniel Ford Playground at Emerson Park
from 6pm-8pm on Wednesdays. Bring a picnic basket, lawn chair, and sit back and enjoy a
variety of music including pop, folk, oldies, bluegrass, country, and rock.
• Tito Puente Latin Music Series 2017, Boston, Free. July 6, 2017-August 10, 2017. The Tito Puente
Latin Music Series takes place in July and August at outdoor locations across Boston. The six-
concert series is an infectious soundscape of salsa, bolero, danzón, Afro-Latin, Caribbean, jazz,
funk, R&B, and more.
• Summer Concert Series on the Paul Revere Mall!, Boston, Free. July 6, 2017-July 27, 2017.
NEMPAC presents a free outdoor concert series in the North End, in partnership with the City of
Boston! This family friendly event will feature live music, dancing, and community fun.
• Passim Presents Berklee Concerts on Palmer Street, Boston, Free. July 6, 2017. Passim/Berklee
Summer Concert Series in Partnership with the Cambridge Arts Council where multiple artists
will perform on Palmer Street at Brattle Street, by the Harvard Coop.
• Live Music Thursdays, Somerville, Free, July 6, 2017. Live Music Thursdays: Assembly Row is
bringing back the summer music series. Running monthly from May-Sept. from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
in the Baxter Park amphitheater.
• July Storytimes at The Curious George Store, Cambridge, Free. July 7, 2017 -July 28, 2017. Our
in-house storyteller is going to pick out her favorite read-alouds for today’s storytime. There will
be a mix of new favorites and old.
• Fresh Fridays at Boston Children's Museum, Boston, Free. July 7, 2017-July 28, 2017. The four,
free Friday outdoor evening events, are designed to encourage families to make healthy food
choices and dine together. The events include cooking demonstrations highlighting kid-
friendly recipes.
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
617-284-7800
www.phacs.org