PCS Traditions
“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” -- Aristotle
YEAR LONG TRADITIONS
Social Graces — Our students quickly adopt the school culture of good manners that are demonstrated by all member of the PCS community. Students hold the door for others, they rise when a guest enters the room, they rise to answer questions in class, they give appropriate greetings, and they maintain eye contact when carrying on a conversation with adults.
Weekly Chapels for Upper School and Lower School — Students attend a weekly chapel service which includes praise and worship, short sermons from area clergy, and collection of offerings to our fund for special needs within our school community.
Prayer Buddies — Younger and older students are paired up for the school year and given opportunities to meet and pray together. These mentoring relationships often develop into a lasting friendship.
House System for Upper School — The PCS house system, for grades 6 and above, offers an opportunity for students to engage in community beyond their class groups. Students have embraced the concept and are enjoying special activities such as house sporting competitions, socials, and service projects. Click here for more detailed information.
Field Trips — Field trips enrich our classroom curriculum and most are aligned with each grade level's history and literature studies.
Uniforms — Uniforms help to create a sense of belonging and order that contribute to a respectful learning environment.
Open Door — Parents are encouraged to invest themselves in the PCS community which is truly enriched through the many parents who volunteer their time and talents, attend weekly chapels and other events, participate in parent-teacher fellowship groups, and faithfully pray for the school.
SEPTEMBER
Back to School Family Picnic — A few weeks after school starts, all of our families come for a kick-off picnic. Providence provides the entrees and families bring potluck side dishes to share.
OCTOBER
Grandparents and Special Friends Day — This is a highlight of our academic year. Our grandparents and special guests attend a heartfelt morning program where all the students perform and then our guests visit with their special student(s) in their classroom and participate in specially planned classroom activities. The students and their guests also enjoy refreshments at an outdoor reception.
NOVEMBER
Veteran’s Day Ceremony — This standing room only event honors area veterans with a powerful presentation by our fourth grade students which includes a salute to our service members by singing the full song of every branch of the military. The program also includes an address to the students by a military veteran as our guest speaker.
Junior Ring Ceremony — On this special evening, our parents/guardians present their junior with a PCS class ring or other item of significance to their family in recognition of the effort their child is making to honor God through dedication to their education. The students, their families, and members of the faculty, enjoy a formal dinner together as part of the celebration.
DECEMBER
Christmas Chapel — Students and families look forward to our annual Christmas chapel when our first graders present the Christmas Story with a full recitation of Luke 2 which they proudly recite from memory. The program also includes special musical performances of soloists and ensembles to celebrate our Savior's birth.
JANUARY
Twelfth Night Celebration — Twelfth Night (also known as Epiphany Eve) is a festival that takes place on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas, marking the coming of the Epiphany. Since we are usually just returning from our Christmas break on the traditional Twelfth Night day of January 5th, our celebration and merry making usually takes place in the second week of January. Sixth through twelfth grade students come to school in semi-formal attire and leave campus to attend this special event filled with skits, dancing, and dining.
MARCH
Spirit and Service Week — This week is marked by daily collections for five local charities and themed dress-up days. Each day is kicked off with a school pep rally and filled with friendly competitions. Each of our houses plans a special service project to complete sometime during the week. The week is typically capped off with an evening pep rally for students and families.
APRIL
Class Trips/Internships — Freshmen and Sophomores travel to Washington D.C. or New York City to supplement their classroom learning, while Juniors participate in an internship geared towards a field they are interested in pursuing.
Senior Quies Day — Senior skip day is a planned event that our senior class enjoys as a class bonding day away from school.
MAY
Passing of the Papers — The whole student body gathers and makes a human corridor through which the seniors will progress as the hard copy of their senior thesis paper is passed hand to hand through the student body. This is a recognition of their work and precedes the formal presentation of the thesis to the faculty and board.
Shakespeare Festival — On this day students come to school in renaissance attire and participate in plays, puppet shows, catapult contests, archery, and more.
Rhetoric School Prom — Ninth through twelfth grade students may attend our annual prom. The seniors take a primary role in determining the theme and decorations for this event usually held at the Williamsburg Golf Club ballroom.
Baccalaureate — Prior to our commencement ceremony, Providence seniors and their guests participate in a religious ceremony of thanksgiving at the Wren Chapel at the College of William and Mary. The senior girls all where white dresses and the boys wear sports coats and ties to this God honoring service.
Water Day — On the last day of school the lower school students come in swimsuits and rotate through water related stations that are run by the upper school students.