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.[1]

Providence Day School
Address
5800 Sardis Road

Charlotte
,
North Carolina
28270

United States
Coordinates35°09′38″N 80°46′52″W
Information
TypePrivate
EstablishedSeptember 28, 1970 (1970-09-28)
CEEB code340687
HeadmasterGlyn Cowlishaw
Faculty143 (on FTE basis)[1]
Enrollment1558 (as of 2015–16)[1]
Average class size12–20
Student to teacher ratio11.1[1]
Color(s)Red, white, navy blue
   
AthleticsFootball, baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, basketball, field hockey, wrestling, track and field, volleyball, cross country, soccer, cheerleading and swimming
Athletics conferenceNCISAA
Team nameChargers
RivalCharlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School
NewspaperThe Charger
Websitewww.providenceday.org

History

Providence Day School was founded in September 1970.[2] The school was the largest of a number of independent schools in the Charlotte area[2][3] that were quickly formed in response to busing orders that had been handed down[4][5] by James Bryan McMillan, a District Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.[6]

Several leaders of an area anti-busing group called the Concerned Parents Association[7] helped start Providence Day as an alternative to the newly integrated Charlotte-Mecklenburg public school system.[8] The founders organized as the Southeast Community Corporation and began advertising for applications for 5th and 6th grade students in September 1970 on a "first-come, first-served basis."[9]

In early September 1970, an approximately seven-acre site that included a former residence was secured at the intersection of Sardis and Rama Roads. The school was initially housed in four rooms inside the residence and four mobile classrooms. Classes began on September 28, 1970 with 5 certified teachers and 180 students in 5th and 6th grades.[2][10] The school operated without a headmaster until William T. Townsend Jr. was hired in May 1971.[11]

In February 1971 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction approved Providence Day School as a private school.[12] A new facility that included 13 new classrooms, administrative offices and a teachers's lounge were constructed prior to the 1971–72 school year.[13] Also in 1972 Douglas C. Eveleth was named new headmaster, joining Providence Day from Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina.[14] The student body grew rapidly in the early 1970s and by October 1974 had an enrollment of 670 students in grades 1st through 12th.[15] In December 1975 the school received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[16]

The size of the campus more than doubled in 1981 thanks to the $500,000 purchase of 14 acres of adjacent land. Each enrolled family was assessed $1,000 to finance the purchase.[17] The athletic center built on the land was named in honor of Thomas Ridenhour, who served as president of the board of trustees for 13 years.[18] The school expanded again in 1990, adding the McMahon Fine Arts Center, a 37,000 sf facility including a 500-seat theater, dining hall, and classrooms for both music and art.[19] Also in 1990, Providence Day added an additional 6.8 acres of land to the campus for $1.2 million.[20] The Dickson-Hemby Technology Center, housing computer labs, conference rooms, faculty offices and STEM classrooms was opened in 1998.[21] In 2015 Providence Day launched a comprehensive fund raising campaign that financed a new 80,000 sf academic center, campus gateway builidng and additional parking, while also increasing the size of the school's endowment and annual fund.[22]

Eugene Bratek became the school's third Headmaster in 1986.[23] Upon his retirement from the school in 2007, a new teleconferencing center in the school's fine arts building was named in his honor.[24] Bratek was succeeded by Dr. Jack Creeden[25] who served in the role for three years. Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw was selected as the new head of school in December 2010. His tenure began July 1, 2011 and continues to the present day.[26]

Academics
Providence Day School was designated a Blue Ribbon School in 1987 and 2003.[27]

In the 1986–87 and 2003–04 school years, Providence Day School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award by the United States Department of Education.[27]

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.

Athletics

Sports at Providence Day School are available to all students in 7th to 12th grades. The Athletics program supports 68 teams across the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels, 26 of which are varsity sports.[28]

Providence Day School competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA).[29] 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).

Controversies

In late November 2020, an African-American ninth-grade student, Jamel Van Rensalier, was expelled from the school following an ongoing dispute between the student's mother, Faith Fox, and school administration.[30][31] The dispute revolved around the reading of August Wilson's play Fences in English class. Fox objected to the assignment because the play includes many racial slurs and she "imagined her son’s mostly white class at the Providence Day School reading the dialogue out loud... her main concern was that the themes were too mature for the group and would foster stereotypes about Black families." Fox continued her protests after being provided an alternative assignment and, out of five students who expressed discomfort with the material, Van Rensalier was the only student expelled.

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

References
  1. Providence Day School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 6, 2007.
  2. King, Warren (September 18, 1970). "Busing Order Spawns New Private Schools". The Charlotte Observer.
  3. McGirt, Brooks (March 28, 1972). "Private School Dot County's Educational Landscape". The Charlotte News.
  4. "Busing Plan In Charlotte Reaffirmed". The Raleigh News & Observer. August 4, 1970.
  5. "Schools Lose Bid to Delay Integration". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 26, 1970.
  6. Saxon, Wolfgang (1995-03-07). "James B. McMillan, 78, Judge Who Challenged Segregation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  7. Schultz, Will (2016). "North Carolina History Project – Concerned Parents Association".
  8. Lassiter, Matthew T. (2013). The Silent Majority: Suburban Politics in the Sunbelt South. Princeton University Press. p. 169. ISBN 9781400849420.
  9. "PROVIDENCE DAY SCHOOL". The Charlotte Observer. September 18, 1970.
  10. "Mission, Core Values, & History - Providence Day School". www.providenceday.org. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  11. "Georgia Educator Named to Providence Day School". The Charlotte Observer. May 11, 1971.
  12. "Providence Day School Granted State Approval". The Charlotte News. February 25, 1971.
  13. Reimler, Kay (April 27, 1971). "Providence Day School To Expand". The Charlotte News.
  14. Bostic, Henry (July 5, 1972). "New Providence Headmaster Named". The Charlotte News.
  15. Paddock, Polly (October 6, 1974). "Busing Spurs Growth In Private Schools". The Charlotte Observer.
  16. "48 Elementary Schools Now On Accredited List". The Charlotte Observer. December 31, 1975.
  17. Hammersly, Lisa (December 11, 1981). "Providence Day School Decides To Buy Land". The Charlotte Observer.
  18. "Athletic Center Named". The Charlotte Observer. October 12, 1982.
  19. "Class Acts". The Charlotte Observer. January 14, 1990.
  20. "Real Estate Transactions". The Charlotte Observer. April 30, 1990.
  21. "$4.2 million raised for new facility". The Charlotte Observer. April 19, 1998.
  22. Price (May 28, 2016). "Levines offer Providence Day $1M challenge". The Charlotte Observer.
  23. "Providence Day Gets New Headmaster". The Charlotte Observer. July 1, 1986.
  24. Dale, Katharine (June 15, 2007). "School Notes". The Charlotte Observer.
  25. Dale, Katharine (September 27, 2007). "Educator embraces change at PDS". The Charlotte Observer.
  26. "School News". The Charlotte Observer. December 19, 2010.
  27. "NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM School Recognized 1982 Trough 2018" (PDF).
  28. "Teams - Providence Day School". www.providenceday.org. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  29. "Member Schools – The North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association". Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  30. Fazio, Marie (2020-12-15). "A Black Student's Mother Complained About 'Fences.' He Was Expelled". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  31. Hamilton, Brandon. "Charlotte mom says complaint over 'Fences' assignment led to son's termination from school". www.wbtv.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  32. "Providence Day to honor 1987 WSOC-TV 'Gridron Great'". WSOC. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  33. "Reggie Love - 2004-05 - Men's Basketball". Duke University. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  34. "Mychal Kearse - Vfc Sports Agency". vafcallifc.wikifoundry.com. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  35. "Tiffany Mitchell". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  36. "Tomas Hilliard-Arce - Men's Soccer". Stanford University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  37. "Grant Williams, Boston Celtics, Power Forward". 247Sports. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  38. "Devon Dotson, Providence Day School, Point Guard". 247Sports. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
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