Traditions
Traditions begin early at Providence. The annual Patriot back to school family swimming event and ice cream social kicks off each school year. The families at Providence embrace these events as a time to fellowship and rejoice in the blessings of having the privilege to raise up the next generation for the Kingdom.
Early in the school year, the exhilaration of the annual Leader Legacy Retreat for Upper School students is the talk of the community. The retreat reunites the Patriot students in a powerful celebration of God, teamwork, and fun. Faculty chaperone the retreat, and participate with students in a wide range of activities. Even Patriot parents take time out of their busy schedules to be part of the camp.
By the middle of fall Providence students are busy creating costumes for the upcoming fall musical that brings out parents and grandparents to enjoy. Meanwhile, players and fans are busy preparing for the beginning of basketball season. Students of all ages are jazzed knowing the upcoming pre-season Red/Navy basketball event and pep rally will soon be on campus.
In January, students begin practicing in class in anticipation of the Annual Latin Spelling bee. The event provides students the opportunity in grades 4th & up to compete in a lower and upper division contest to determine who will take home the “Constantine Cup”. Although the event is not mandatory for students, this event can be very exciting and competitive for some students. Past spelling bees have been known to last 30 rounds before a winner was determined. It is also not uncommon to have a local television station on campus to interview the winner.
Spring brings more sentimental traditions as well. Hundreds of grandparents canvas the campus escorted by their grandchildren. It is such an honor to have grandparents on campus to share in this special time with the children. This time of year is also a time of school-wide competition as students and parents square off in the annual Providence Academy Dodge Ball tournament.
The Arts department also takes over the campus in preparation for the spring musicals. It is a time to relax and enjoy the hard work of the students as they perform in front of hundreds of people.
The first week of May is also a time for the golfers to dust off their clubs in preparation for the annual Providence charity golf tournament at Lost Springs Country Club in Rogers. This event supports scholarships for students, and is always a big hit with supporters of the school.
The school year culminates with a myriad of traditions including kindergarten graduation, the school-wide awards ceremony, and the Patriot field day. Students are recognized for their character traits at the awards ceremony, and academic awards are also handed out. As for the Patriot field day, words can hardly describe the excitement of the event. It is truly a time of celebration and reflection of how awesome of a God we serve.
As students across campus finish finals, there is already a buzz around campus in anticipation of the release of the summer “Wild & Wacky Wednesday” events calendar. Providence is a family-based community of Christian families, and the summer time is filled with activities ranging from camping trips, canoeing, minor-league baseball events, and day trips to other states. This allows families to connect over the summer prior to the upcoming school year, since Providence students enjoy an extended summer break compared to many other schools.