Providence Day School
Encyclopedia
Providence Day School is an independent Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 12 school located in Charlotte
, North Carolina
, United States
. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,528 students and more than 120 classroom teachers (on a FTE
basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 9:1.
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive.
. 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 school, but interestingly there were no minorities among the group, signifying the racial tensions of the time.
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 (30,756.1 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 September 28, 1970, Providence Day School was born. There were 180 students in fifth and sixth grade.
In February 1971, the State Department of Public Instruction approved Providence Day 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. Murdock would become 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 fist turkey trot in memory of him. All the money raised would go to the American Heart Association.
The 1974-75 school year brought the school’s first state championship in sports (golf), the addition of the two-story building (later named Overcash Hall) and accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools
. 1975 was also 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 of 2010, Glyn Cowlishaw, Ed.D., was selected as the new Head of School. His tenure will begin on 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.
Portions adapted from Providence Day School Silver Memories: The First Twenty Five Years by Clara Ellen Peeler and Catherine Campani Messmer; Providence Day School, 1995.
Providence Day School has established a Global Studies program through which high school students may obtain a Global Studies Diploma after fulfilling course, extracurricular and travel requirements as well as completing a global research project.
The varsity football program is led by legendary high school coach Bruce Hardin. Coach Hardin has coached football for 42 years and has won three state championships. He was elected to the North Carolina High School Hall of Fame in 2010.
The girls basketball team was ranked by Sports Illustrated
as the third best in the nation in 2006.
In the fall of 2005, Providence Day School's boys cross country team won PDS's first NCISAA State Title in Boys Cross Country. The Charger harriers followed up their first NCISAA title in '05 by adding more in '06, '07, '10, and '11.
In May 2007, Providence Day School varsity lacrosse won its first ever NCISAA State Championship over the Charlotte Country Day School
Buccaneers.
The varsity boys cross country team won the CISAA conference title this year with a perfect score of 15. It was their 12th straight conference championship. At the NCISAA state meet, the team brought home the gold for their third consecutive state title.
In May 2009, for the second straight year, a Providence Day School team won the state title in Physics Lab at Science Olympiad.
In the spring of 2009, led by captains Brad Shugoll, Jonathan Fischer, Matt Morrow and Kai Dawkins, the Chargers men's track team won the state title for the first time since 1998.
For the 2009-2010 season, Providence Day won state titles in Girls Tennis, Girls Basketball, and Boys Tennis.
The 2011 graduating class is considered one of the most athletically successful class in the schools history, with nearly 30 student athletes with plans to continue playing at the collegiate level, Including:
For the fall of 2011, after winning their conference title and entering the playoffs as the number one seed, Providence Day defeated Charlotte Country Day School 20-14 and won the NCISAA State Championship in Football headed by coach Bruce Hardin.
This year Providence Day School was recognized by the United States Board of Independent Schools as a nationally recognized "Blue Ribbon" school of excellence.
Note 1:This facility replaced former relocatable classrooms known colloquially as "ReLos."
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,528 students and more than 120 classroom teachers (on a FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 9:1.
Awards and recognition
During the 1986-87 and 2003-04 school years, Providence Day School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive.
History
In July 1970, James Williams, Thomas Ridenhour and Gilbert Bell began discussing the idea of beginning a school. On August 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 schoolIndependent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
. 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 school, but interestingly there were no minorities among the group, signifying the racial tensions of the time.
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 (30,756.1 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 September 28, 1970, Providence Day School was born. There were 180 students in fifth and sixth grade.
In February 1971, the State Department of Public Instruction approved Providence Day 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. Murdock would become 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 fist turkey trot in memory of him. All the money raised would go to the American Heart Association.
The 1974-75 school year brought the school’s first state championship in sports (golf), the addition of the two-story building (later named Overcash Hall) and accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools
Southern Association of Independent Schools
The Southern Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based voluntary organization of more than 340 independent elementary and secondary schools through the South, representing more than 180,000 students...
. 1975 was also the year of the school’s first graduating class.
In 1982, adjacent property was purchased for an athletic complex to accommodate football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. 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 of 2010, Glyn Cowlishaw, Ed.D., was selected as the new Head of School. His tenure will begin on 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.
Portions adapted from Providence Day School Silver Memories: The First Twenty Five Years by Clara Ellen Peeler and Catherine Campani Messmer; Providence Day School, 1995.
Current
The school is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions, each led by a Head of Division and a Dean of Students. In December of 2010, Providence Day School’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Glyn Cowlishaw, Ed.D., as the new Head of School. His tenure will begin on July 1, 2011.Providence Day School has established a Global Studies program through which high school students may obtain a Global Studies Diploma after fulfilling course, extracurricular and travel requirements as well as completing a global research project.
The varsity football program is led by legendary high school coach Bruce Hardin. Coach Hardin has coached football for 42 years and has won three state championships. He was elected to the North Carolina High School Hall of Fame in 2010.
The girls basketball team was ranked by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
as the third best in the nation in 2006.
In the fall of 2005, Providence Day School's boys cross country team won PDS's first NCISAA State Title in Boys Cross Country. The Charger harriers followed up their first NCISAA title in '05 by adding more in '06, '07, '10, and '11.
In May 2007, Providence Day School varsity lacrosse won its first ever NCISAA State Championship over the Charlotte Country Day School
Charlotte Country Day School
Charlotte Country Day School is a private, secular school in Charlotte, North Carolina, with classes in grades Kindergarten-12. A junior kindergarten program is also offered. Applications to the school are reviewed on the basis of character, intellectual ability, emotional maturity, curiosity, and...
Buccaneers.
The varsity boys cross country team won the CISAA conference title this year with a perfect score of 15. It was their 12th straight conference championship. At the NCISAA state meet, the team brought home the gold for their third consecutive state title.
In May 2009, for the second straight year, a Providence Day School team won the state title in Physics Lab at Science Olympiad.
In the spring of 2009, led by captains Brad Shugoll, Jonathan Fischer, Matt Morrow and Kai Dawkins, the Chargers men's track team won the state title for the first time since 1998.
For the 2009-2010 season, Providence Day won state titles in Girls Tennis, Girls Basketball, and Boys Tennis.
The 2011 graduating class is considered one of the most athletically successful class in the schools history, with nearly 30 student athletes with plans to continue playing at the collegiate level, Including:
- Gabby Gabriel- Appalachian State University (Tennis)
- Jack Taylor- The Citadel (Football)
- Sam Scott- Washington and Lee University (Football)
- Will Smith- Appalachian State University (Football)
- Ryan McGuirt- University of Miami (Football)
- Mark Young- Georgia State (Football)
- Price Litton- Towson University (Football)
- Jake Flynn- Hampden and Sydney (Lacrosse)
- Peter Ryan- Sawanee (Lacrosse)
- Joshua Covington- Wingate University (Football)
- Sarah Burnick- Wingate University (Basketball)
- Mac Sanders- Towson University (Football)
For the fall of 2011, after winning their conference title and entering the playoffs as the number one seed, Providence Day defeated Charlotte Country Day School 20-14 and won the NCISAA State Championship in Football headed by coach Bruce Hardin.
This year Providence Day School was recognized by the United States Board of Independent Schools as a nationally recognized "Blue Ribbon" school of excellence.
Facilities
- Fine Arts Building
- Providence Hall
- Williams Building
- Ridenhour Gym
- Sports Features
- Basketball Court
- Mini-Court
- Wrestling Gym
- Dickson-Hemby Technology Center
- Overcash Hall
- Mosack Athletic Center and Surrounding Fields
- Thompson-Jones Library
- Counseling Center
- West Wing1
Note 1:This facility replaced former relocatable classrooms known colloquially as "ReLos."