At Providence St. Mel, we believe.
We believe in the creation of inspired lives
produced by the miracle of hard work.
We are not frightened by the challenges of reality, but believe that we can change our conception of this world and our place within it.
So we work, plan, build, and dream - in that order.
We believe that one must earn the right to dream.
Our talent, discipline, and integrity will be our contribution to a new world.
Because we believe that we can take this place, this time, and this people, and make a better place, a better time, and a better people.
With God's help, we will either find a way or make one.
Every morning our students begin their day by reciting - in unison - the inspirational words of our mission statement.
At Providence St. Mel School in all grades from Kindergarten through High School, we are driven by a single-minded purpose: to prepare our students to be admitted to and succeed in some of this country's best colleges and universities. For twenty-nine consecutive years, 100 percent of our graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities. What's more, since 2001, more than 50 percent of our graduates were accepted to colleges and universities rated by U.S. News & World Report to be among the "top-tier" institutions in the country.
The School That Refused to Die Now a Model for Urban Education
When the Archdiocese of Chicago closed the last Catholic high school on the West Side in 1978, the principal, parents and students of Providence St. Mel let it be known they didn't agree with the move.
Principal Paul J. Adams III embarked on a fight that would cement his place in history as one of America's modern-day freedom fighters.
With support from the community and from across the nation, Adams incorporated the school as a private, independent institution.
The school continues as a vibrant presence on Central Park Avenue. In 1980's, a Middle School was created, and in Fall1987 Fifth and Sixth grades were added; in 1993 the lower grades were expanded to include First grade. Kindergarten classes started in 2000.
Read this article in Reader's Digest by William M. Hendryx. "A School That Wouldn't Die"
Click here to
connect with the Providence Englewood website.
The successive three decades saw continued growth and prominence for the school, as evidenced by the following highlights:
1980's | 1990's | 2000's | And Beyond
- President Reagan visited the school once in May 1982, and again in January 1983. Mr. Adams was selected by President Reagan as a member of the White House Commission on Private Sector Initiatives.
Please click here to read a transcript of the President's visit.
- Summer Opportunity of A Lifetime (SOAL) program debuted in 1990. Through the SOAL program, Providence St. Mel students travel the globe to attend schools, camps, and participate in internships. In 1991, the SOAL program expanded from 60 students to 200, with generous assistance of free air transportation for the SOAL participants. United Airlines continues its involvement to this day.
- At the 1993 Celebration Dinner, talk-show hostess/actress/publisher Oprah Winfrey announced a personal donation of $1,000,000. Winfrey also narrated a PBS documentary entitled Paul Adams: A Man and a School, which aired nationally in 1994 and 1995.
- Also in 1995, McDonald's Corporation opened a full-scale, open-to-the-public McDonald's restaurant in the school. The partnership ended after a year or two, but the beautifully renovated space now serves as a school cafeteria for Providence St. Mel.
- In 1996, the Providence St. Mel School house, financed by private donations, was built on a vacant lot north of the school. That same year the school made a commitment to improving its technology capabilities by fully networking the school, establishing three computer labs (including an open lab for subject-area use), creating a staff posting for a technology coordinator and computerizing the library catalog system.
- Also in 1996, Paul Adams announced his retirement as principal of the school, remaining at the helm as school president.
- With a generous grant from the Fry Foundation, 1996 brought a new and innovative program that targeted students who did not meet PSM entrance qualifications of scoring in at least the 35th percentile. The "Fry Scholars" entered PSM in the first grade with the additional support of a learning improvement specialist and a school social worker, who also worked with parents through the Saturday Enrichment program. The program ended when these students reached middle school, but the Saturday Enrichment program and the social worker staff position are key components of the lower and middle school.
- A trend that continues today can be traced back to 1997 when Mr. Adams announced the goal of increasing standardized test scores. All departments in grades 1-12 developed action plans, and with a new emphasis on accountability, improvement began to be made: the May California Achievement Test showed a significant gain - from 53% in 1997 to 61% in 1998. Test scores have steadily risen; today our school-wide Terra Nova scores are 74%. Click here to see Providence St. Mel's test scores.
- In 1998 our boy's basketball team won the regional championship. In March, one of our former basketball stars, Lowell Hamilton, Class of 1985, was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.
- The faculty compensation model began in 1999-2000 with teachers earning a portion of their salary based on their experience and education and demonstrators evaluated for the from the previous year's performance. In June, teachers and administrators worked together to align our curriculum with national and Illinois learning standards resulting in a curriculum guide (1-12), which is revised and updated annually.
- In 2000, Paul Adams named Jeanette DiBella the new principal of Providence St. Mel; Mr. Adams retains the title of president.
- Providence St. Mel is proud of its tradition of 100% college acceptance, which began in 1978 and continues today. In 2002, 42% of the graduates of 2002 were accepted to top tier/ivy league schools; today more than 50% are accepted to schools of this caliber. Concurrently, Loyola University's Center for Urban Research found that 73% of PSM graduates graduate from college. Considering that the national norm for graduating from college is 52%, PSM is well above average.
- Other news made 2003 a memorable year. A $10 million matching grant was announced by Board Member Karen Pritzker, given in memory of Dan Pritzker's father, Jay. Thanks to money raised from a board-led capital campaign, long-awaited construction projects transformed the school, including a new fine arts center and science labs, central air conditioning, bathroom renovations, new elevator, new lighting, to name a few.
- Our students' ACT scores increased to 23 for the first time in the 2004/05 school year. This same year our AP scores were the highest in the school's history to date.
- Dr. Michael Pressley, internationally renowned educational psychologist at Michigan State University, published his study of the school in the June-July 2004 issue of the Journal of Educational Psychology. The study was appropriately titled, PSM - a Model for Urban Education. Dr. Pressley concluded that a PSM education produced "better life outcomes for graduates".
- The 2005-2006 school year began with the celebration of the 65th birthday of Paul J. Adams III, who was honored with the establishment of a permanent scholarship fund in his name. One hundred percent of faculty and staff showed appreciation to Mr. Adams through generous contributions to establish this scholarship.
- At the annual Celebration Dinner in October 2005, it was announced that the board was extending the mission of PSM through the establishment of Providence Englewood Charter School opening grades K-5 in August 2006, and expanding to K-8 with an additional grade each year. The PSM Leadership Team will train and develop instructional staff. Paul Adams served as principal for the first year, and in January, Angela Johnson-Williams assisted him as administrator-in-charge. She assumed the role of principal in August 2007.
- In 2007, the board began a strategic planning process, primarily investigating the prospect of further expansion. By studying the school's mission, demographic projections, and educational trends, the board will compile a plan designed for review at least every three years.
