Student Life

Your Child's Education beyond the Classroom

Life isn't conﬁned to the classroom. In fact at PHDS, your child's learning extends not only to specialized school facilities, but to the playing ﬁelds of Brown University, the community, and the world.

The Sargent Avenue wing has been totally renovated with a brand new facility, flooring, classroom storage and a special new design for the Pre-k room.
In our Library, open throughout school hours, students and staff can enrich classroom learning.
Students all have computers that are connected to Google Classroom and many of our classrooms are equipped with Smart Boards to enhance Student Learning.
In our Art Studio, students in all grades learn still-life pencil art, shading, watercolor, acrylic and oil pastel painting. The curriculum exposes students to the styles of major artists and the inﬂuences and forces which shaped them. Drawing on their own experience, the children then create their own interpretations of those artists' techniques.
Students use lab tables, microscopes, Bunsen burners and other equipment to conduct experiments in our newly renovated fully equipped Science Laboratory.
From Pre-K through 8th Grade, all children take two 30-45-minute Physical Education classes a week. The school has usage of the Brown University's outdoor facilities where they play are softball, kickball, soccer, football, dodgeball, and volleyball. The program emphasizes inclusive sportsmanship skills, responsibility, and leadership rather than winning and losing.
Proper respect (Derech Eretz), moral behavior and (middos) proper values are integral parts of our curriculum. From rising when an adult enters the room, visiting the elderly, raising money for worthy causes all emphasize the development of good character. Our Judaic and General Studies teachers model, recognize and reward good character traits (Middos). Students from Grade 3 up write entries in the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation's annual sponsors many activities and programs that all enhance the schools’ values of chessed and kindness to each other.
Each class presents at least one assembly each year.
Every spring, our Academic Fair celebrates General Studies, Jewish Studies, and integrated secular/Judaic student projects in successive years.
Students in all grades take ﬁeld trips to such places as Phantom Farms, Roger Williams Zoo, Sturbridge Village, Providence Performing Arts, Biomes Marine Center, and Whale Watch.
With middle-school students as ofﬁcers, our Student Council organizes activities including Chesed (kindness) projects and fun programs throughout the school year.
The school sponsors many Extracurricular Activities for our students. Our weekly and Mishmor and Motzei Shabbos Winter sports program for our Middle School boys are very popular.

Special Services/Education

All Providence residents are screened by the Child Outreach branch of the Providence School Department for vision, hearing, developmental, and speech language delays. Students who do not pass the screening are re-screened a month later. If a student still indicates a weakness, a complete evaluation is performed by the School Department and, if needed, the child receives servicing.
When a child appears to be having difficulty in a certain area or is not achieving academic success, a referral is made to the administration. After engaging the child in a complete educational evaluation, the administrative and resource team meets with the parents and the appropriate teachers to share information and data from the evaluation. A plan of action is then formulated to give the child the support necessary for success. Members of the Providence School Department's special needs staff conduct individualized classes or work with small groups to meet the students’ needs. This service is available to non-Providence residents with an existent IEP from their home district. The Providence School Department staff includes early childhood specialists in the areas of speech, language, and educational resource.