Patriot Moms

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-15T00:00:00.001-06:00

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Providence Academy wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy Christmas break with your family celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Tri-State Border Basketball Tournament

2011-12-07T12:30:00.002-06:00

Dear Providence Families and Supporters,

This coming weekend, December 9th -10th, Providence Academy will be hosting the inaugural Men's Varsity 2011 Tri-State Border Battle Basketball Tournament. This men's varsity basketball tournament will be comprised of the following Christian schools from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, including many former private school state champions:

· Providence Academy, AR (Defending OCSAA East Regional Champion, State Semi-Finalist)

· Lifeway Christian, AR

· Fayetteville Christian, AR

· Windsor Hills, OKC (Defending OCSAA State Champion)

· Southwest Christian, OKC

· Christ Prep, KC

· Columbia Christian, AR ( Pre-Season AACS Favorite)

· Gospel Light Christian, AR (Defending AACS State Champion/Six-Time AACS State Champion)

It is a real honor for Providence to be able to host this caliber of a basketball tournament, and we need for everyone to come out and support the event. You are going to see some great high school basketball, so please check out the attached bracket and mark your calendar.

Bring your friends, and come out to support your Patriot basketball team as they compete to bring home the 2011 Tri-State Border Battle Title!!

Go Patriots!

"Dude, You Hear What I Hear?"

2011-12-07T12:22:00.002-06:00

Friday night’s musical performance of “Dude, You Hear What I Hear?” ended with a bang. Literally. As the kids sang their last note and froze with their hands in the air, three confetti canons shot what seemed like millions of tiny pieces of paper into the air! I sprang to my feet with cheers and applause. Just hours earlier, I wasn’t sure what to expect at curtain. We were running around trying to finish all the details of what our mind’s eye thought was supposed to happen for this big night. Our motto? “It’s not about me.” Our goal? To reach anyone in the audience who didn’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, or to help rekindle the relationship for someone who had let life get them off track.

My heart was full of joy and excitement not only for the children that had worked so hard, but because I had been so clearly reminded song after song, scene after scene, that “God is here with us!” We can rejoice EVERY day because the savior of the universe came to us as a vulnerable baby so that we could have a relationship with HIM. This year’s musical was based in a shopping mall (Mondo Mart). A choir student that had been left behind discovers that the mannequins come to life after hours. She realizes their understanding of Christmas is simply the commercial ideas that we are bombarded with. Through witty dialogue and wonderfully choreographed songs, “Taylor” and the choir help explain to the mannequins and the audience the true meaning of Christmas. The evening concluded for some with parents cleaning up confetti and striking the set. If you hadn’t felt the heart of our school during the performance, you saw it as the headmaster vacuumed and parents were on hands and knees working to transform the shopping mall back into a sanctuary. Once again, Mrs. DeJarnatt’s talent and passion for excellence and theater arts has blessed our school tremendously. Special thanks should be given to Susanne Waller and April Jackson for being at countless rehearsals teaching the choreography. Mrs. Wainds and Mrs. Yates helped with direction and refining the acting talents of our cast. The amazing costumes were sewn by Mrs. Shell, Alicia Taylor, and Lisa Wiechman. Stacy Shankle designed and implemented every last detail of the amazing set. Many other moms helped in so many priceless ways. But most of all, to God be the glory.

By Beth Moody, Patriot Mom

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-18T10:54:00.004-06:00

This year, the 5^th grade class has been studying exploration. We have been learning about some of the first explorers, some of the dangers they faced, as well as their motivations for exploration. One particular group of explorers, the Pilgrims, traveled with the motivation to worship God in accordance with the Bible. Using our discoverers about the Pilgrims and their journey and encounters along the way, each student created a project to represent an aspect of the Pilgrim’s story.

Before we began the presentations of their projects, we partook in a Thanksgiving Feast prepared by the fabulous Providence parents. Some of dishes included at the feast were original Thanksgiving recipes, while others were Providence family traditions. It was incredible to see the effort and creativity that each student invested in his/her project, and encouraging to hear that families worked together in the construction process. It continues to be such a blessing to be a part of the Providence family!

Brooke Bryant, PCCA 5th grade teacher

Home Basketball Games Tonight

2011-11-14T23:58:00.005-06:00

Join us tonight for home basketball games against the Ft. Smith Patriots!

Junior Boys 6 p.m.

Junior Girls 7 p.m.

Senior Boys 8 p.m.

Bring your family, and enjoy Dickies Bar-b-q at the Patriot Cafe. Come support our Patriots!

Punkin' Chunkin' Contest

2011-11-14T23:52:00.002-06:00

On Thursday, October 27, the 8th and 9th grade students competed in the 2nd Annual Punkin' Chunkin' Contest. This was a project for physical science that culminated our study of velocity, force, and simple and complex machines. The students were asked to build either a slingshot, catapult, or trebuchet that would launch at least a 4 pound pumpkin. The teams were judged on the pumpkin's flight time and overall pumpkin distance. This year, we had 30 students competing in 14 teams. The overall winner was the trebuchet built by Mason Bowen (9th) and JT Gresham (9th). Their pumpkin had a flight time of 5.05 seconds and a launch distance of 311'11''. All of the teams did a fantastic job and all pumpkins were successfully launched! I am so thankful for a community of parents and students who embraced this challenge with me!

Looking forward to next year!
Robyn Maner

Games Friday Night in Fayetteville

2011-11-10T11:22:00.004-06:00

Please join us this Friday as our basketball teams face Fayetteville Christian at their campus.

5:30 Junior boys

6:30 Junior girls

7:30 Senior boys

We would love to have you come and support our Patriots!

Game location:

200 East Mission Blvd.

Fayettevlle, AR 72703

Christmas Brunch December 1st

2011-11-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

Providence Moms,

Join us for our annual Moms Christmas Brunch on Thursday, December 1st at 8:30 a.m. at Mimi's Cafe at the Promenade Mall in Rogers.

This year, we're making it easier than ever for your busy life! Stressed over what to bring? When to get to the store to get the ingredients? How will you find the time to make that great dish? No need for all that!

Just bring cash or card and order from the Mimi's menu. Then sit back, relax and enjoy the morning! You might even win one of our fun door prizes!

Still not sure if you're coming?
How about worship led by PCCA mom, Chanika McLelland? That powerful time will be followed by a special message shared by PCCA mom, and Director of Family Life, Theresa Hilliard.

Moms, take this time for yourself! Forget the hustle and bustle for 2 hours. Sit down, fellowship and soak up what HE has for you that morning!

Please RSVP on the e-vite sent to your e-mail inbox ASAP so that Mimi's will have adequate space set aside just for us!

Providence Pictures This Thursday

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

Don't forget, this Thursday is picture day! Please return the completed picture order form in your child's blue folder on Thursday.

Join Us This Thursday for Muffins For Moms

2011-11-08T00:21:00.001-06:00

This Thursday November 10th, is our monthly Muffins for Moms! We will be hearing about Advent and how we can make the Christmas season more meaningful with our children. If you like the idea of keeping the month of December focused on the birth of our Savior, you won't want to miss Muffins for Moms this month!

As always, we'll meet from 8:15-9:00am. However, due to other school events, we won't be in the gym this time. Instead, we'll be upstairs in the Theatre Room.

Hope to see you there!

Patriot Preview This Thursday November 8th

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Prospective Families are invited to attend our upcoming PCCA "Patriot Preview."

This is a great opportunity for parents to speak with administration, faculty, and students, as well as learn more about Providence Academy and University-Model Schooling® . Parents will also have the opportunity to take a tour and learn about admissions, financial aid, and student activities.

With PCCA class average scores on the SAT10 (National Standardized Test) consistently in the top 10-20 percentile in the U.S., and one of the lowest tuition rates for a private college-preparatory Christian education in NWA, we invite you to come and discover if PCCA is right for your family.

*Please note: Due to PCCA being a "Family-Education Model", both parents are required to attend one of the upcoming "Patriot Preview" events prior to their child being accepted for admissions to PCCA.

This event will be held this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the PCCA Grammar School Campus

(2555 S. 26th Street, Rogers, AR 72758)

2011-10-11T21:37:00.003-05:00

Patriot families,

There are going to be replicas of the ships from the first voyage by Christopher Columbus to America from November 11th through the 20th in Fort Smith.

If you are interested, click HERE for the link.

Meals for Moms

2011-09-29T13:00:00.007-05:00

Zucca Toscana

Recipe

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage – crumbled (I used a different variety of sausage.)

1/2 lb. smoked bacon – chopped

1 qt. water

(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth

2 lg. russet potatoes – scrubbed clean, cubed

2 garlic cloves – peeled, crushed

1 med. onion – peeled, chopped

2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard

1 cup heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper – to taste

Directions

1. Brown sausage in a pan over medium to medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks.

2. Drain sausage and set to the side.

3. Brown bacan in a pan over medium-high heat. Be careful not to cook crispy.

4. Drain bacon and set to the side.

5. Place broth, water, garlic, potatoes, and onion in a pot.

6. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.

7. Add sausage and bacon to the soup.

8. Simmer for 10 minutes.

9. Add kale and cream to pot.

10. Season with salt and pepper.

11. Heat thoroughly.

Submitted by Lori Bova, former Patriot Mom, and founder of Veritas Classical Christian Academy in Hobbs, New Mexico

I know I’m not a current PCCA mom, but I will always be one in spirit. I thought some of the moms would love this quick and easy soup recipe as the fall weather settles in. It tastes even better than the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden! Give it a try!

Moms Night Out This Tuesday September 20th

2011-09-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

Providence moms,

Please join us this Tuesday, September 20th at 6:30 p.m. at the upper campus.

Our own Carolyn Parsons will share with us about identifying personality types in our home, and how we can use that information to be better moms and teachers.

***Please bring an appetizer to share, as well as a framed picture of your family.

To learn about the book she will discuss, "Wired That Way," click HERE.

The Great Garage Sale-Stringers Moving To Peru

2011-09-02T13:26:00.004-05:00

**The Stringer family has accepted God's call to serve in Peru with Extreme Nazarene Ministries. As we prepare, we're having a huge garage sale the Friday and Saturday starting at 8am. 1904 S 16th Street (off New Hope) in Rogers. Please come out and find some treasures!

God is doing amazing things in our lives as we learn more and more to trust in Him and seek His peace. In this pursuit of living God's will for our family, we have been accepted by Extreme Nazarene Ministries to serve in Tacna, Peru for twenty-six months as a Cluster Support Family.

Extreme Nazarene is partnering with Peruvian Nazarenes to spread the gospel and plant churches in an extreme expansion of God's kingdom in Peru. Their ministry model is exciting and effective. Peruvians and Non-Peruvians are paired up to work together in discipleship and church planting. They are given the title "40/40's" because 40 pairs are grouped together for training. After language school and training they are sent to their ministry cities in clusters of 5-7 pairs with a Cluster Support Family.

We will be a Cluster Support Family. Our role is to come alongside our six pair of 40/40s as they pour out their lives sharing the gospel. We will provide team support in the areas of leadership, spiritual development, hot meals, logistics, administration, conflict resolution and much, much more. In short, we will manage and develop community and help oversee their ministries.

We are sustained by your prayers as we live out Christ's command to participate in the Great Commission. Will you commit to pray for us? Visit our blog followthepeace.shutterfly.com and "Ask to Become a Member" of our site (upper right corner of this page). You'll receive updates by email.

In order for our family to serve in Peru for twenty-six months, we need to raise $83,000 in support. This works out to $3200 per month. This includes plane tickets, insurance, language school, an emergency fund and $1800 per month living expenses. Please prayerfully consider supporting our ministry in Peru with a monthly or one-time donation.

Donations can be made through Rogers First Church of the Nazarene • 4911 W Pleasant Grove Road Rogers, AR 72758 or by visiting our blog at followthepeace.shutterfly.com/support. Giving by these means is tax-deductible.

Genna's schooling, toiletries and other needs cannot be paid for out of tax-deductible donations per IRS guidelines. If you would support us for those items, a check can be mailed to Steve Anderson at 98 Deer Trail Road Rogers, AR 72756 or given through the "Personal Needs" link at followthepeace.shutterfly.com/support.

Thank you in advance for participating in God's plan to reach Peru with the Gospel of Christ.

Following the Peace,

Chris & Anndee Stringer

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. - Ephesians 2:13

Simple Filing

2011-08-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

By Debra Guthrie, Patriot Mom

I thought this might be a good time to republish this blog entry from the last school year as we are setting up our filing systems at home. This is the filing system that I have found to be the best that we have used so far. To file my childrens school papers, I use this box with hanging files in them. It is compact, can be carried easily, and can be stored easily.

The hanging folders have tabs for: Assignment sheets, Bible, English, History, Latin, Math, Science, Art, Golf, and Providence Etc.

I also keep their "Free Homework Pass" paperclipped to the front of the first file for safe keeping.

I have used binders in the past to file my childrens papers, but I like that filing them in hanging files cuts out the step of punching, thus making it "simpler," which works best for me.

Our routine is that on Tuesday when my students bring home their blue folder, we immediately staple the blue assignment sheets together to keep in the left side of the blue folder. We then go through the returned, graded papers, and I have my child file them in the appropriate folder. That way all that is left in the blue folder is the work that needs to be completed.

At the end of each quarter, we sort through each subject and keep the papers that are meaningful, and discard the rest. That way, we start the new quarter with a clean file.

I know there are multiple ways that are successful to organize papers, but this is what works the best for us. Please "comment" if you have additional filing tips to share.

Providence Parent Kick Off Night

2011-08-17T21:29:00.003-05:00

August 18th 6:30 p.m. West Campus

Providence Classical Christian Academy is pleased to announce our inspiring guest speaker for Parent Kickoff Night, Dr. John Turner. An evening with Dr. Turner will be one that will bless you and your family goals. It is an incredible privilege to host Dr. Turner and his wife, Roxie Turner. We have spent many years with Dr. Turner at NAUMS conferences and meetings. His experience and wisdom will be a great encouragement. Parent Kickoff Night is a time to catch the vision for our 2011-2012 school year, prepare for a fresh start, sign up for Grammar School electives, and allow Christ to renew our minds, as we focus on Him and all that is eternal.

Special Sessions in the morning 10:00 a.m. West Campus

Special Sessions by Dr. John Turner and Mrs. Roxie Turner: Thursday, August 18^th

10:00am (Dr. Turner) The Value of Christ-like Character —For ALL 7-12^th Grade Students

10:00am (Mrs. Roxie Turner) Being God’s Daughter –-ALL Mothers of Providence

11:00am (Dr. Turner)–2^nd Annual NAUMS ISRAEL Trip Info. Session—ALL PCCA family members (including parents) 6^th Grade and older are welcome (Trip will occur next spring or earlier summer.)

There is no charge for these special sessions.

Students

All PCCA students grades 7^th – 12^th grades are invited to attend Dr. Turner’s session at 10:00 a.m. This session, The Value of Christ-Like Character, will take place in the Fellowship Hall at the West Campus, Roger’s First Church of the Nazarene. (Corner of Pleasant Grove Rd. & Champions Blvd.)

Moms, Faculty and Staff

While Dr. Turner meets with the students, you want to take advantage of a very special time with Mrs. Roxie Turner. All mothers of Providence are invited to attend Roxie’s session, Being God’s Daughter. This session will take place in the sanctuary of the West Campus, Roger’s First Church of the Nazarene. (Corner of Pleasant Grove Rd. & Champions Blvd.)

All PCCA family members 6^th Grade and older

Join us as we listen and learn about the plans for the 2^nd Annual NAUMS ISRAEL trip with Dr. Turner and Roxie Turner at 11:00 in the sanctuary of the West Campus.

Waterproof Water Bottle Labels

2011-08-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Megan Morgan, Patriot mom

Here's a back to school tip you might like. To make sure your items stay labelled, purchase the $12 for 300 package of Weatherproof Labels from Office Depot. These should be printed on a laser printer so the ink will not smear. You can include a cute graphic and your child and/or family's name for easy identification. I clean the surface off with alcohol and let it dry before applying the labels so they will adhere well. I try to hand wash as much as possible to make them stay on longer. They are great for lunch boxes and the outsides of textbooks and you can easily remove them with no residue when you are ready to resell your books.

Return Address Labels

Print up a page of 100 with your child's name in a small font to wrap around their crayons, scissors, pencils and other school supplies to help your child keep track of their things. Make sure to wrap the labels with the ends overlapping as they will try to pop off otherwise. This is why the font should be small to keep the name from being covered up. Your child's teacher will love you when there are 24 crayons x 15+ children floating around the room.

Please send in your own helpful tips to the moms blog! Just e-mail Patriotmoms@gmail.com

Equipping Yourself For A Successful School Year At PCCA

2011-08-02T13:08:00.006-05:00

Patriot Moms, please join us this Monday, August 8th, from 9 until 3.

*Bring a dish to share at lunch.

Workshops

9:00 Opening Session

10:00 Uniforms 101

10:15 Break

10:30 Building Your Toolbox

11:30 Luncheon with speaker Kendall Evans

12:30 Building Community

1:00 Organization 101

1:30 Break

1:45 Teaching with Preschoolers

2:15 Questions and Answers

The workshops will have wonderful ideas for your school year! You also just might get to see Beth Moody dressed as a fairy godmother, Stacy Shankle as "Jayne" Clever, and Ashley Shaver as a Providence Kindergartener!

D6 Conference

2011-07-27T13:19:00.003-05:00

Submitted by Debra Guthrie

Providence families,

A group of Providence parents attended this conference two years ago and were encouraged that it challenges parents to accept their role in passing down their Christian legacy to their children. You can read about the focus of the conference below, and click HERE to learn more information about the D6 conference in Dallas, September 21st thru 23rd.

D6 Conference Focus

Current statistics indicate that somewhere between 60-90% of children currently participating in church programs are going to walk away from their Christian faith by the time they become young adults. When asked why, the primary reason cited is that they believe Christianity is hypocritical.

Why do so many young adults today, who once were involved in church programs as children and teenagers, believe Christianity is hypocritical? It’s because they were raised in an environment where Christianity was something you did at church but not at home.

According to the Barna Group, less than 10% of Christian households pray in the home, read the Bible in the home, or engage in any type of family worship or service at home. Christianity was never meant to be church centric. It is a lifestyle that is to be lived 24/7, especially at home.

That’s precisely what God is calling us to do through Deuteronomy 6. It’s time for the church, through EVERY ministry from children’s to seniors, to reestablish the home as the primary place where faith is lived, expressed, and nurtured.

If anyone is interested in going, e-mail me at PatriotMoms@gmail.com and we could sign up to go as a group.

2011 Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday

2011-07-12T15:12:00.003-05:00

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday August 6, 2011, and ending at 11:59 p.m.
on Sunday August 7, 2011, the State of Arkansas will hold its sales tax
holiday allowing shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain School
Supplies, School Art Supplies, School Instructional Materials, and clothing
free of state and local sales or use tax.

All retailers are required to participate and may not charge tax on items
that are legally tax-exempt during the Sales Tax Holiday.

This would be a great time to stock up on school supplies!

Order Providence Uniforms Now

2011-07-09T00:12:00.004-05:00

Take advantage of this Lands End sale until July 13th. Logo your Providence apparel for only a penny! Don't forget to use our preferred school code: 900094483.

Providence ipad program on ABC 40/29 News

2011-06-25T19:51:00.006-05:00

Last Wednesday, our school announced the iProvidence initiative, a cutting-edge iPad pilot program that will start this fall in our high school.

On Friday, the ABC television station 40/29 visited the Providence campus to do a news segment. You can click iProvidence to see the video.

School Uniforms

2011-06-08T22:19:00.004-05:00

Patriot moms,

We have many new PCCA families this year who are asking what are your children's favorite uniforms? Please respond to this post to let us know what you consider are staple uniform items for your child's grade.

Thank you from the new Providence moms!

Wacky Wednesday Summer Schedule

2011-06-01T13:38:00.003-05:00

Wacky Wednesday Schedule 2011

The school year is over and it’s time for some fun summer activities! I hope you’ll join us for the fun adventures we have planned! This is a fun and easy way to get to know other Providence parents and help your children continue building the friendships created during the school year. We will continue to use the evite system to send out evite reminders and you will be able to RSVP online! (This will only be for the outings that require RSVPs.) Also, in case of bad weather, we will plan on either moving the bowling forward or attending a $2 Kids Klub movie at the Rogers Malco Theater. I will keep you posted via evite. Here is our fun summer schedule:

***BOOK TALKS: I would like to encourage you to take the initiative to plan a book talk for your child’s grade level once in June and once in July this summer. It could be at a park, at a classmate’s house with a pool, etc. Each child brings a book they have read this summer (individually or a family read aloud) and shares about that book for 2 minutes (Presentation can include showing cover to class, introducing title and author, short summary of the book (without telling the ending!), a story element (setting, character, plot, conflict, irony, themes, etc), and a “hook” to make the listeners want to read your book (“you’ll have to read this book to find out…”). Afterwards the kids could swim, play at a park, etc. It will be a great way to encourage friendships and a love of reading throughout the summer!***

May 25

Picnic at Tontitown Park Tontitown, AR

We will plan on meeting at the park at 10:00. Bring a picnic lunch and any other fun park games/toys that you have to share. Tontitown Park has picnic tables, plenty of shade, and a variety of playground equipment. We had a huge turnout for this one last summer!

Directions: Take the 412/Sunset Exit off of 540 and drive west towards Tontitown. You will see the park on your left across the street from the Catholic Church.

June 1

Volunteer at Cobblestone Project Farm Fayetteville, AR
The Cobblestone Project is a grass-roots community initiative whose mission is to work towards “A Community Without Need.” The Farm is designed to use agriculture to help the under-resourced in Northwest Arkansas by focusing on six strategic pillars: Hunger Relief, Education, Economic Development, Community, Food Production, and Sustainability. We will spend the morning volunteering as a family (children of all ages are welcome) weeding, planting, and cultivating and learning about the farm.

Directions: From I-540, take the Wedington Road exit and travel 2 miles west. The Farm is across from The Event Place and Penguin Ed’s BBQ. We will meet at 9:00am. For more information, go to www.cobblestoneproject.org or http://thefarm.cobblestoneproject.org/ to watch a GREAT video about The Farm.

June 8

Tanyard Creek Nature Hike Bella Vista, AR
This is a great outing for a hot summer day! Come prepared to go on a little nature walk along some trails, and then it’s time to cool off in the creek!! Bring your water shoes and swimsuit, along with a few buckets and toys. We usually enjoy trying to dam up the creek, catch fish in a small pool, or play in the waterfall. We will also enjoy a picnic lunch either along the creek or up at the pavilion.

Directions: Travel north on 540 until you enter Bella Vista. Continue on to the Town Center exit. Go left at the light and follow 340 along a curvy mile or so. You will pass by a golf course on your left and then a small neighborhood. Just past these houses watch for a sign on your left for Tanyard Creek! There is a parking lot under a big tree next to an open grassy field. Let’s meet at 11:00.

June 15

Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari Gentry, AR
This 400-acre safari is home for a large variety of exotic animals. It includes petting parks, walk-through areas for interacting with or holding animals, and a 4-mile drive-through safari. (Be sure to have your children use the restroom before starting the drive-through part.) We will have a discounted group rate of $8 for adults; $6 for children ages 3-12; FREE for children 2 and under. (Tell them at the gate that you are with Providence Academy.) We will arrive at 9:00 and meet under the pavilion at 9:15 (sometimes there is a line of cars waiting to get into the entrance.) There is a picnic area for a packed lunch or a snack bar that has soft drinks, snacks, and candy. There is a map and more information at http://www.wildwildernessdrivethroughsafari.com

June 22

New Creation Camp Fayetteville, AR
Travis & Becky Fink, parents of 3rd grader Caleb, have invited us out to enjoy their 25-acre retreat! (www.newcreationcamp.com) They have installed a new zipline seat and stocked their pond with hundreds of fish, so bring fishing poles! We also have a new option this summer of doing their new Laser Tag Mission (with a $5 donation to missions). Some of the other possible activities include: fishing, swimming in the pool, playing in the creek, hiking trails, archery, ping pong, indoor basketball, and field games. Be sure to bring your swimsuit, a towel, and a picnic lunch. We’ll meet there at 10:00. You can mapquest their address: 17756 Summer Rain Rd; Fayetteville, AR 72701 Directions are also available on the website. Becky’s contact info is Info@newcreationcamp.com
or 479-790-8175

June 30

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Bentonville, AR
NOTE: This is a Thursday morning. We will begin at 10:00 at Crystal Bridges at the Massey on the Bentonville Square. We will view the 5x8 foot model of the art museum that is under construction and the preview exhibit showing the history and progress of the museum opening 11-11-11. We will then drive over to the construction site that is north of Compton Gardens and walk or ride bikes on the paved walking trail to view the construction site from the observation deck (and see the progress that has been made since we viewed it last summer). Bring a picnic lunch to eat at the Compton Gardens afterwards. For more information the website is www.crystalbridgesmuseum.org.

July 6

Geocaching Adventure! Lowell, AR
Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then can share their experiences online. Trey Auten and daughter Emily, a Providence student, are planning a fun geocaching adventure for us! We will meet at the Providence Lower East Campus at 9:00 to begin. If you would like to help plan the adventure or if you have a GPS that we can use for the day, call Trey Auten at 426-3118. For more information on geocaching to to www.geocaching.com.

July 13

Roller Skating at Roller City Springdale, AR
Get ready for a little roller skating, limbo, and shoot the duck! (Do they still do that or does that date me back to when I was in 6th grade?) They are opening Roller City just for us from 1-3pm! The cost is $3 for roller skates or $6 for in-line or speed skates (parents can skate for free).

Directions: From 540 take the 412/Sunset exit and turn east. Century St. is one block past 40th. Turn left on Century St. You will see Roller City about ¾ of the way down the block on the right side. The address is 1007 Century St. The phone number is 756-3866.

July 20

Rogers Bowling Center Rogers, AR
Get ready for a little friendly bowling competition! I hope they have gutter bumpers. We will be meeting at 11:00 at the Rogers Bowling Center (3500 W Walnut, Rogers – take Exit 85 and head east approximately 1 mile, it’ll be on your right). The cost is $2.50/person/game and $1.50 for shoes. No outside food is allowed in, but they do have a snack bar.

July 27

Ice Skating at the Jones Center Springdale, AR
Need to cool off a bit? How about ice skating? Come join us from 12:00-1:30.
We will receive a group discount to rent ice skates for $1 per person (this includes admission ticket). Be sure to dress warm – the temperature is around 45-50 degrees. You are welcome to bring snacks or drinks. Please, RSVP because we will need to pay as a group to receive the discount.

August 3

Wal-Mart Visitor Center and Splash Park Bentonville, AR
We will receive a guided tour of the newly renovated Wal-Mart Visitor Center including Mr. Sam’s truck! You can get lunch from the new Wal-Mart Café or bring a picnic lunch. Then we will go over to the downtown Bentonville Splash Park. We will meet at 11:00. Be sure to bring a swimsuit and towel. For more information go to http://walmartstores.com/aboutus/287.aspx.

Aug 8-19

Class Parties
I left these weeks open for you to plan back-to-school parties for your child’s class or grade level!

August 20 NW Arkansas Naturals—KLRC Faith & Family Night Springdale, AR
Note: This is a Saturday evening. Bring the entire family and join us for a special evening at Arvest Ballpark! KLRC and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals are joining to present the 2011 Faith & Family Night. We will meet outside the Grand Entrance at 5:15pm. The gates open at 5:30. At 6:00 is a concert by a contemporary Christian musician—yet to be announced. Game time is 7:30. Fireworks will follow the game. We will have a group rate of $5 per ticket on the lawn. (We’ll be in the grassy area behind 3rd base.) Don’t forget to bring blankets or chairs for seating. You will need to RSVP via evite by Thursday, August 11 to get this special price.

We are going to have a blast this summer! I look forward to seeing many of you on these fun adventures!

Ashley Shaver
LAshleyShaver@msn.com
479-799-7335

Wacky Wednesday June 1st

2011-05-29T00:44:00.004-05:00

Please join us on June 1st to volunteer at Cobblestone Project Farm in Fayetteville. The Cobblestone Project is a grass-roots community initiative whose mission is to work towards “A Community Without Need.”

The Farm is designed to use agriculture to help the under-resourced in Northwest Arkansas by focusing on six strategic pillars: Hunger Relief, Education, Economic Development, Community, Food Production, and Sustainability.

We will spend the morning volunteering as a family (children of all ages are welcome) weeding, planting, and cultivating and learning about the farm.

Directions: From I-540, take the Wedington Road exit and travel 2 miles west. The Farm is across from The Event Place and Penguin Ed’s BBQ.

We will meet at 9:00am.

For more information, go to www.cobblestoneproject.org or http://thefarm.cobblestoneproject.org/ to watch a GREAT video about The Farm.

We hope to see you there!

Armed And Dangerous

2011-05-02T10:24:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it is the last week of the school year? We are on the brink of our long summer break! Yippeee! We need to remember Mrs. Palen's idea that learning doesn't end when the school year does. We would like to encourage you to continue to hide God's word in your heart this summer and encourage your kids to as well. You never know when the Lord will use those words in mighty ways. The following are the words of a sweet PCCA mom, Beth Moody. She shares about how the Lord used the words she had hidden in her heart.

"I had to share about our verse memorization. I memorized Hebrews 12:1&2. I was matron of honor recently and had to give a speech. The wedding was for affluent people in Houston and was very formal. I was so worried I would embarrass the bride or her family in front of business friends and family. I had thrown out about 50 speeches. God really laid on my heart this was a chance to share truth and not just some romantic wish. But I kept feeling like I was preaching...and then would throw the speech away. So the day of, I wrote a few things I knew I wanted to say, but didn't know how...and then when it was toast time it came to me. The couple ran marathons. I was able to joke about that and then share my verse I had memorized (let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us...keeping our eyes on Jesus...). I reminded them to lean on Jesus and that he was the only perfect person. Husbands and wives were not. I was able to share truth about marriage and not giving up because it got hard. I can't explain the sense of peace I had as I spoke, and just knew God was using me. I had a minister, a couple of old men, and several friends and family come and tell me what a touching speech I had given and that more should be so bold. But the best part was knowing God had been able to use me because I took the time to hide his word in my heart."

If you have a story about God using the words hidden in your heart (or the heart of your children) we would love to share your story on the blog! Please email it to patriotmoms@gmail.com.

Are You Looking For A Mission Trip This Summer?

2011-04-22T22:38:00.002-05:00

Submitted by Katie Bader, Patriot Mom

“...to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Through a partnership with the Florida Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board, we are collaborating with a Haitian Church to do a short-term discipleship focused mission project. Our time will be spent building relationships with the pastors and leaders of the church, teachers and students in the school, and members of the church and community.

We will be teaching fundamental truths through stories from scripture, spending time in the school teaching basic curriculum, having training workshops for the teachers and leaders, and worshipping together.

Throughout the week, there will also be a group designated to the reconstruction of the church/school building, which was demolished during the devastating 2010 earthquake. Please pray about and consider joining us in this journey to disciple and help better equip this community to be disciple makers within their nation, while also rebuilding their school/church.

Through this project, our desire is to help meet the temporal and eternal needs of these people by showing them the love of Christ.

TEAM 1 July 5-11

TEAM 2 July 26 – August 1

For more information, contact Robby Bader at 479-595-1309.

Acts 20:24

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Once A Month Cooking

2011-04-18T10:39:00.004-05:00

Patriot Moms,

You may know one of our very own Patriot moms, Megan Morgan. She depicts the word "organized." I'm pretty sure if you look up that word in the dictionary, it has her picture by it. One of the ways that Megan stays organized in her busy life is by using the once a month cooking method. She has a meal exchange group that cooks once a month, and then exchanges frozen meals. That means that each mom comes home with 20 different frozen meals for her family each month.

If you would like a freezer stocked for a month with about 4 hours of work and $100, Contact Megan Morgan at Montymeg@sbcglobal.net or 633-2366 to join other families in a meal exchange. Slots to become a part of the group are now available, and recipes are provided.

Megan Morgan
479-633-2366
Montymeg@sbcglobal.net

Armed And Dangerous

2011-04-15T15:29:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Palen's word for us at the Mother's of Providence meeting was very timely... I had just been thinking - only 3 more weeks and we are done when she lovingly said that it isn't over in 3 weeks. Our learning should never stop. Learning doesn't always have to involve a pencil and paper. Our kids need to develop a love of learning so that they continue to learn even when there is not a blue sheet to check off. We need to be the model for them of loving to learn.

It should also be so with our love and learning of the Word of God. I heard Beth Moore say that she regularly asks God to give her a supernatural love for His word. Maybe you don't think you can memorize scripture. Maybe you think your brain is just not wired to do it. God can help you! Ask him! He created your brain - he knows how to get it working to soak up His words! It takes effort but effort produces results.

Leave a comment with a scripture you would like to memorize and then ask God for help!

Armed And Dangerous

2011-04-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

It's the 1st - April Fools Day! While today may be filled with fun and jokes, let it also be filled with wisdom and knowledge.

Proverbs 10:14
The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Join us as we store up knowledge by hiding God's word in our hearts. Please leave a comment with the scripture that you are choosing to memorize over the next few weeks. Maybe it is one about finishing strong. Maybe it is one about the power of the Holy Spirit, or maybe it is one about the magnificence of God. You choose. Other moms will be encouraged by reading your comment.

Finish Strong

2011-03-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Providence Moms, Mark your calendars for the next Moms Night Out on Tuesday, April 12th at 6:30 p.m. in the east campus youth room on the second floor. We only have 6 weeks of school left this semester! Let's get together one last time and "Finish Strong!" **Please bring an appetizer to share.

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-03-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted By Ashley Evans

"Its easy!"

We're all short on time right now, so here is a quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients:
Pita Pockets
Sauce
Toppings
Cheese

Cut Pita Pockets in half. Add pizza sauce, and desired pizza toppings and cheese. I use turkey pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Put Pitas on the George Foreman or in the oven until cheese melts.

Enjoy!

Order School Lunches For April Now

2011-03-27T15:48:00.005-05:00

Patriot Moms,

Please remember to order your school lunches by tomorrow!

You can click HERE to view the online ordering system that will allow you to view our school lunch menu, order, prepay, and manage some of your child's lunches on the web.

Don't forget, to order lunches for the month of April, the order needs to be submitted by March 28th.

Armed And Dangerous Scripture Memory Challenge

2011-03-16T19:31:00.000-05:00

Hey Ladies - Are you Armed and Dangerous? It is time once again to choose a
scripture you will memorize and post it under comments. If you participate in
another scripture memory group or if you are helping your kids with the
scriptures that they are memorizing for the Headmaster's challenge - go ahead
and post what you are learning this next 2 weeks as a comment. Reading your post
might just encourage another mom! That's what this blog is all about -
Encouraging One Another!

Romans 1:12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

Do You Have Extra School Supplies?

2011-03-12T13:02:00.001-06:00

Submitted by Barb Stewart, Patriot Mom

Many of you may have old curriculum or reading books that you no longer use. I know of someone who could use them and would be very thankful for the donation. My sister volunteers at a small Amish elementary school in Missouri. They have NO budget. Their books are falling apart and the library is practically non-existent. They are also in need of multiplication and addition flash cards and white boards and expo markers. If you have anything you would like to donate, you can drop it off at the Upper Campus Office before March 17th. I’ll deliver it during spring break. Thank you so much, Barb

Armed And Dangerous

2011-03-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

We hope many of you were encouraged in your fight of faith last night at the Mothers of Providence Armed and Dangerous Event. We had a great time. We had some basic training drills in this mothering battlefield. We learned about being a Spartan Mom, memorizing scripture, and even got the low down on how to stay plugged in with the mom's blog. We were encouraged by an example of the healing power of our God and by being around others that are in the battle with us.

Now is the time for action!

Join us as we become Armed and Dangerous. Leave your comment with the scripture that you have chosen to memorize and commit to memorize this over the next few weeks. Check back often and mark your calendars to leave a comment on the blog on March 15th with your next scripture.

Over & Out.

2011-02-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

Please pray for our Patriot Math students as they travel today and tomorrow to Conway Arkansas to compete in the Math Olympics.

Good Luck Patriots!

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-02-21T00:00:00.002-06:00

Submitted By Desiree Weber, Patriot Mom

Stuffed Sausage Sandwich (a hot sandwich)

1 lb. hot or medium ground sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 loaf (1 lb) French or Italian bread
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups grated Mozzarella
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375º. In a large skillet, cook the sausage, beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. (Note: add the garlic toward the end or it will burn.) Return meat mixture to skillet. Add the cream cheese, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, Italian dressing, and oregano. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Cut bread in half horizontally; hollow out top and bottom, leaving a shell. Place bread bottom on baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the Mozzarella cheese; top with sausage mixture and remaining cheese. Replace bread top. Cover (like a tent) with foil.
Bake at 375º for 15 – 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice and serve warm. Serves 5 – 6.

Enjoy!

Armed And Dangerous

2011-02-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to those of you that have joined us in the adventure of memorizing scripture! You already know to check in on the 1st and 15th of each month. You have one under your belt and get to start a new one today.

Leave a comment with your scripture you are going to memorize over the next 2 weeks.

If you are just joining us - jump in where you are! The verses don't have to be long. You don't have to memorize chapters. Start with something short and meaningful! Start with a scripture that the Lord is putting on your heart. The point is just to START!

Spread the word. Make sure all your friends, husbands, teachers and students know about this opportunity. We want to be ready for the battle. We have the perfect weapon - the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God available to us and Hebrews 4:12 tells us "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword." Let's arm ourselves and become dangerous!

And don't forget about a night of basic training for this mothering battlefield. Mothers of Providence Report for duty on February 28th at 6:00 in the east campus youth room on the second floor! Check out this link for details by clicking HERE.

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-02-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted by Lesley Riendeau, Patriot Mom

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (8oz) package sharp Cheddar grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup bread crumbs, toasted
¼ cup mayo
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 (3 oz) can French Fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir ¼ ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.

Press meat mixture in to a loaf pan or shape in to a loaf and pace on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10-15 min or until no longer pink.

Enjoy!

Mothers of Providence February Event

2011-02-08T09:35:00.003-06:00

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to report for basic training.

Private First Class Moms of Providence request the honor of your presence at the Mothers of Providence meeting on 28Feb 1800 hours at the Lower Campus Military Base.

Please bring chow and rations to share in the Mess Hall.

Please be prepared for basic training drills of survival, agility, endurance, strength and balance skills in this mothering battlefield. Dress Code: Uniforms are not required but would be very proper if worn.

See you Monday, February 28th at 6 p.m. in the east campus youth room on the second floor!

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Lesley Riendeau,Patriot Mom

TIP – When a recipe calls for onions, I use frozen chopped onions. They are in your veggie section. They never go bad and you never cry over them!

Lots O’Meat Lasagna

1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage (I use turkey sausage)
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground basil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 ½ cups small curd cottage cheese
1 (5 oz) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
9 oven ready lasagna noodles
2 (8 oz) packages shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.

Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley and eggs.

Spoon ¼ of sauce into bottom of a 13x9 baking pan. Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do NOT overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles, top with ¼ of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.

Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 min or until hot and bubbly. Rest 10 min before serving.

This is also a great meal to freeze for a busy day. Enjoy!

Armed And Dangerous

2011-01-31T00:00:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Lori Bova who won the Name That Scripture Memory Team contest!

Armed & Dangerous is our name! Becoming ready for the battle is our game!

Today is the day - February 1st - to leave a comment with your scripture that you have chosen to memorize.

If this is the first that you are hearing about this, we are joining together to memorize scripture, to become "Armed & Dangerous" as we fight the fight of faith together.

Be sure to leave a comment with the scripture you have chosen to memorize. Then commit to memorize that scripture over the next 15 days. When you see others around school, encourage them in their work to memorize God's word.

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword."

Tip Of The Day

2011-01-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Lori Bova, Patriot Mom

Before we start our schoolwork, we attach post-it notes to the front of each of our books where we have assigned reading for the day.

As my student finishes, they can cross it off the list. This allows us “portability” with our classroom without having to take our blue sheet along. We are able to move to the couch or take the books with us in the car for errand running. It’s not rocket science, but it eliminates constant referral back to the blue sheet. Once the note is full, we simply replace it with a clean post-it. Hope it can save you a little time today.

2011-01-26T00:00:00.001-06:00

Submitted By Susan Nettle, Patriot Mom

Did you know that hockey actually exists in NWA? The Northwest Arkansas Hockey Association has boys and girls ranging in age 3 to 18 playing organized hockey at the Jones Center in Springdale. It is amazing the number of NWA residents who are shocked to find out hockey in Arkansas is alive and well. While the Walmart/Sam’s vendor community and the varying states/countries that end up being represented here drive much of the involvement, there is a heavy and growing influx of native Arkansas kids participating. The University of Arkansas also has a club hockey team that plays at the Jones Center, and recently sold out their game against LSU last Friday night.

Carson Nettle, a 4th grader at Providence, has been playing hockey for 4 years. Over the recent Martin Luther King weekend, his team won the Championship in a St. Louis tournament by beating teams from both Kansas City and St. Louis. His team plays again on February 5th and 6th at the Jones Center. We would love to see you there! There is no cost to come watch them play, and it is a great opportunity for family fun! If you would like to know more information and/or want to know the times of the games, please email John and Susan Nettle at jsnettle@cox.net

Local Family In Need

2011-01-24T14:55:00.003-06:00

Patriot Moms,

One of our Patriot Moms has let us know of a need of a Northwest Arkansas family, and thought we might be able to help.

There was a local family who had a home fire, and their little boy's bedroom was a total loss. They are in need of boy's clothing shirt size 5T and pants size 4T. Of course other items would be welcomed as well. If you have items you would like to donate, Anndee Stringer will be collecting them at pick-up on Tuesday, January 25th at the east campus.

You may contact Anndee if you need additional information at Anndee@mac.com

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-01-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Lesley Riendeau, Patriot Mom

This is one of my family favorites. Easy and you can make ahead.

Mini Meatloaves

Base
• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 (16 ounce) package Stove Top stuffing mix
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Variation 1 (American-Style)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce

Variation 2 (Italian-Style)
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce

Variation 3 (Mexican-Style)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3/4 cup salsa

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Mix ground beef, stuffing mix, water, and the powder ingredient from the variation you chose. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Make an indentation in center of each meatloaf. With spoon, fill indentation with sauce (from chosen variation). Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Top with cheese, and continue baking for five minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Name That Scripture Memory Club

2011-01-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted by Becky Fink, Patriot Mom

I hope you have heard the exciting news that we are going to band together and memorize scripture! If not, see the post "The Word of the Lord is Flawless"

I hope you will join us as we stand shoulder to shoulder, armed with the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ep 6:17).

We have an exciting contest!

We need a name for our team... leave a comment with your suggestions. We will accept entries until Wednesday 1/26. The winner will receive a Chick Fil A gift certificate.

It is easy to be part of this team!
1. prayerfully choose a scripture
2. check the Patriots mom's blog on February 1st
3. leave a comment with your name and the verse that you commit to memorize.

That is it!

Then, when you see others around, ask them how it is going and encourage them in their effort to write God's word on their heart.

So 3 actions points!
• Leave a comment with your suggestions of a name!
• Ask God to show you the scripture He wants you to memorize.
• Mark your calendar to check the blog on Feb 1st and leave a comment with your verse.

Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Let Go!

2011-01-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Barb Stewart, Patriot Mom

I hold her hand lightly as she wraps her chubby fingers around my index finger. One, two, three steps and she stops, looking anxiously at Daddy, who is reaching out to her with his work worn calloused hands.

“Come, here, you can do it.” He gently coaxes- and I Let Go. She sways a bit, takes a step and falls into his arms. She did it- she walked! But it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t Let Go.

That is where the journey begins. Parenting is a series of Letting Go.

He stands on the edge of the pool, head down, arms extended. He is leaning over the pool ready to dive- all that has to happen is for me to Let Go of the hold I have on his swim trunks. Splash!! He did it- he dove. But it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t Let Go.

Letting Go gets harder as they get older. When they are small, we are still there to wipe away the tears if they fall.

The first day of school-he’s excited, she’s scared, I’m a mess. One last hug and kiss and then it’s onward and upward on the path of learning. Hold on tight, then Let Go!

What if I’m not there and she gets hurt- what if he gets bullied? Who will be there for them? That is a lesson in trust. And it doesn’t get any easier.

“Mom, can I sleep over?! We’re having a pool party and plan to stay up all night! It’s going to be a blast!!”- Let Go!

“Mom, can I have the car keys? I want to go for a spin. I do have my license you know.”- Let Go!

“Dad, I’ve decided I don’t want to go to the Community College. I’d really like to go to school in California.” –Let Go!

“Dad, I got that job in China that I was praying for!” – Let Go!

“Mom, Dad, I’m getting married!”- Let Go! You can only stretch so far and then you’ll tear- You have to Let Go!

Have you ever been asked, “What is the most challenging thing about parenting?”

Some say- The Diaper years, The Toddler years, Those crazy Adolescent years, or the Rebellious Teenage years.

My advice would be- Hold those babies tight, Walk beside those toddlers, Listen to those adolescents, Love those teenagers- Because one day you’ll have to do the hardest thing every parent has to do- Let Go!

God made our children to fly- but we have to give them wings and when we can do that, we learn the most important lesson of all- that we can truly trust God with our children because He loves them more than we do, and He will NEVER LET GO!

Money Saving Tips For Moms

2011-01-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Megan Morgan, Patriot Mom

Check out these coupon sites to save money on essentials. They oftentimes will tell you exactly which item is on special in the stores and which coupons go with them. I recommend you have a notebook set up with baseball card sleeves to store your clipped coupons, and 8.5 x 11 inch sleeves to store your weekly coupon inserts from the newspaper. I prefer to use a small accordian file to carry my coupons into the store.

Email me if you want to know more at montymeg@sbcglobal.net.

www.survivingthestores.com

www.passionforsavings.com

www.hip2save.com

www.totallytarget.com

www.wildforwags.com

www.southernsavers.com

www.iheartthemart.com

The Lords Word Is Flawless

2011-01-17T00:00:00.001-06:00

Submitted by Becky Fink, Patriot Mom

Psalms 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

The Lord has been after me for several years to memorize scripture. Seems to be one of those things that pops up all the time and in all different circumstances - especially when I am not expecting it! This seems to be God's preferred method of communication with me.

I was cruising around the web a few weeks ago and stumbled upon Beth Moore's blog about scripture memory. (Here again - I was not looking for anything about Scripture Memory but there it popped again!) She has a club that memorizes 24 scriptures a year that she calls Seista's Scripture Memory Team. She has been doing this "team" for several years. Over the course of the last few years, she has had several requests to design a cute spiral notebook for women to use to write the verse they are working to memorize. She has had over 6000 orders for this notebook! She said on her blog...

"We call this a Scripture memory “team” because that’s exactly what we are. We’re a really long line of women standing shoulder to shoulder with our swords drawn. And we don’t draw our swords to wound people, to convict our family members (God’s job) or to cut off the ears of our hearers. We draw our swords to fight the good fight of faith. While I was helping stuff Siesta Scripture Memory Spirals into envelopes on the 22nd, I said to my coworkers, “JUST THINK, what would happen if 6000+ women really did memorize 24 Scriptures in 2011?? What are the implications of that? What kind of repercussions might that have in our personal lives and our homes?” And we got all riled up. You bet this is a team."

Her group got me to thinking about our sweet group of mamas at Providence. We are all women standing shoulder to shoulder with our swords drawn ready to fight the good fight of faith with and for one another, for our families and our school! What if we banded together to memorize 24 scriptures in the next 12 months? What if we encouraged one another to dig into God's word and find the word that He has for each of us and memorized it?

We are going to be starting our own team on Feb 1st. It is really easy to be part of this club. Log on to the Mom's blog on the 1st and 15th of each month and leave a comment with your name and the verse that you will be memorizing. It is that easy. No additional meetings or gatherings...just you and God's word. Then ask others about their progress when you see them around school. We will have an event in Feb 2012 to share 12 of the 24 scriptures that we will learn over the next year.

So mark your calendars to check the Mom's blog on Feb 1st and leave a comment with your name and scripture! I can't wait to see what God is going to do as we commit to memorize His word! There will be some God stories I am sure!

Psalm 18:30 "As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him."

A Book You Might Enjoy

2011-01-10T00:05:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Becky Fink, Patriot Mom

I recently read a book that may be an area of interest to some of our moms. The book is called "Made to Crave- satisfying your deepest desires with God not food" by Lysa TerKeurst.

The website about this book says...

"Has food become more about frustration than fulfillment? Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. Author Lysa TerKeurst personally understands the battle that women face."

This book is not a how-to manual or the latest, greatest dieting plan. Made to Crave is a helpful companion to use alongside whatever healthy eating approach you choose — a book and Bible study to help you find the “want to” in how to make healthy lifestyle changes.

The author is starting a webcast on Monday night Jan 10th from 7:00 to 7:45. It will continue weekly from Jan 10th to Feb 14th. She will also play a recorded version on Tuesdays.

You can find more details by visiting their website at http://madetocrave.org

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-01-10T00:00:00.001-06:00

Submitted By Leslie Riendeau

This is a great recipe for snow days like today!

Chili

* 3 lbs ground beef (I use less)

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 1 medium green pepper,chopped

* 2 Celery ribs, chopped

* 2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

* 1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree

* 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa

* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

* 1 can condensed beef broth, undiluted

* 1 -2 cup water

* 1/4 cup chili powder

* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

* 1 tablespoon dried basil

* 2 teaspoons ground cumin

* 2 teaspoons steak sauce

* 1 teaspoon garlic powder

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

* 1 1/2 teaspoons browning sauce (optional)

* additional chopped onion optional)

* shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs

1. In a large Dutch oven, cook the beef and next 3 ingredients over
medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender; drain.

2. Stir in the beans and remaining ingredients,except for additional
onions and cheddar cheese.

3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 30 minutes or
until chili reaches desired thickness.

4. Ladle into serving bowls; garnish with chopped onion and cheddar
cheese, if desired.

Enjoy this warm chili after playing in the snow with the kids this week!

Upcoming Basketball Games

2011-01-09T00:05:00.000-06:00

Mark your calendars for the upcoming basketball games!

Tuesday, January 11th- Home game at 5 pm for Sr. Boys against Gentry Adventist.

Thursday, January 13th- Games at Tulsa against Wright Christian Academy.

Friday, January 14th- Home game at 6 pm for Jr. Girls, Jr. Boys, and Sr. Boys against WOOCA.

Friday, January 21st- Home game at 6 pm for Jr. Girls, Jr. Boys, and Sr. Boys against Fayetteville Knights.

Friday, January 28th- LAST HOME GAME for Jr. Girls, Jr. Boys, and Sr. Boys against Van Buren.

Come support your Patriots and eat dinner at the Patriot Cafe!

Upper Campus Patriot Spirit Week

2011-01-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

Upper campus students and teachers, please join us in celebrating Patriot Spirit week!

Monday is pajama day. Wear your modest P.J.'s to school.

Tuesday is Nerd day. Calling all nerds! No need to wear your PCCA uniform, just wear the nerdiest attire you can think of.

Thursday is Code Red day. Our true Patriots already know what that means. Wear RED!

Also, don't forget to really show your spirit by coming to the PCCA basketball games to support your Providence Patriots this week.

We Want To Hear From YOU

2011-01-04T00:00:00.001-06:00

Patriot Moms,

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to write a blog entry, please forward your entry to:

PatriotMoms@gmail.com

Our Patriot moms love to read about topics that stay true to our purpose to "Encourage one another, and build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Some topics of interest are book reviews, family fun, helpful schooling tips, home organization, supplemental education resources, devotions, or anything else you believe other Patriot Moms would find useful.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Monday Meals For Moms

2011-01-03T00:00:00.001-06:00

Submitted by Eleshia Ziegler, Patriot Mom

Seafood Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 Package of 8-10 flour tortillas

1 16 oz at least package of imitation flake crab meat

1 package of large peeled/tail off shrimp

1 package of taco shredded cheese

1 package of cream cheese

· Cut up the piece of flake crab meat into small chunks

· Cut the shrimp into halves (better with bits of shrimp vs whole)

· Sautee in separate pans the shrimp and crab meat. I use butter but
that is up to you

· Once sautéed place shrimp and crab in one bowl (drain the shrimp
before adding it)

· Then add shredded cheese to your preference, probably about a cup

· Mix well

· Heat a griddle or pan up.

· Then take tortillas and spread cream cheese onto it

· Add the meat mixture onto the tortilla.

· Sprinkle with more cheese

· Fold over and place onto griddle.

· Cook on each side until golden brown.

· We always cut into 3 triangles.

· Serve with salsa.

Salsa

Ingredients

1 large can of whole tomatoes

1 bunch of cilantro

1 white onion

Lemon juice

Salt

Blender or food processor

· Place tomatoes into either processor or blender

· add a pinch of salt

· a splash of lemon juice.

· Chop up a big handful of cilantro into big piece. Add to tomatoes.

· Cut up ¼ to ½ of the onion depending on the size. Add to tomatoes

· Select chop on the blender/processor.

This is all to taste, so add sparingly because you can always add more. The
lemon juice brings out the taste more so, that's its purpose.

Enjoy!

PCCA Spelling Bee Winner 2010

2010-12-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Andrew Roberts, our Patriot 2010 Spelling Bee winner.

Please come and support him at the Benton County Spelling be on Saturday, January 22nd at 9 a.m. at the Northwest Arkansas Community College.

Attention Patriot Nation

2010-12-10T13:03:00.003-06:00

Attention Patriot Nation,

It's a BIG night at our West Campus Gym. These are our last home games of the 2010 calendar year. We need you to come out and support YOUR PATRIOTS ! It's going to be a packed house with a great Friday night that includes our Pee Wee Girl's team AND our Little Dribblers.

Here's the lineup:

- 5:20 Pee Wee Girls Scrimmage

- 6:00 Jr. Boys Tip Off vs. St. Vincent DePaul of Rogers

- 7:00 Little Dribblers Perform

- 7:15 Jr. Girls Tip Off vs. St. Vincent DePaul of Rogers

- 8:30 Sr. Boys Tip Off vs. Cave Springs High School, Bunch, Oklahoma

Remember students, we have our "Code Red" Student Section and we need you here loud, crazy, and rowdy. In other words, we want you to act the way your parents tell you not to at home.

Our concession stand will include Dickey's Bar-b-Que, Pizza, Chili, and Hot Dogs.

It's Friday night and there's nothing better to do than come get crazy and be a part of the Patriot Nation !

Support Our Patriots

2010-12-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Join us this Friday evening to support our Patriot basketball teams.

6:00 p.m. in the west campus gym vs. St. Vincent DePaul

8:00 p.m. in the west campus gym vs. Cave Springs High School

Plan to support our booster club by eating dinner at the Patriot Cafe and enjoy a Dickie's barbq sandwich. See you there!

Frugal (a.k.a. Cheap) Me

2010-12-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Lori Bova, Patriot Mom

Okay, we’re among friends, right? Since I’ve been on a roll of confessing my deep dark secrets, here’s another one for ya. I’m a bargain hunter. Not like an occasional seeker of a deal…more like a don’t buy it unless it’s a steal!

God stirred me a couple of years ago (Suffice it to say He was really busy that year!) to be a better steward of what He has blessed us with. He wanted me to provide for my family, but He also wanted us to be more giving to others. Being a serious bargain shopper has enabled me to do both to levels that I can hardly believe. In tracking deals, I have been able to create a pantry stockpile at our house as well as giving loads of goodies away to those in need. This has simplified my shopping patterns, meal planning, and serving others, as I always have plenty of items on hand to whip up a little happy.

Here are my two favorite blogs that I follow to keep up with the best deals. They also have facebook pages if you prefer that method of communication. There are literally gillions of sites like these, so find ones that you like.

Passion For Savings
Deal Seeking Mom

Many of the blogs have the coupon policies of the chains. I especially love Walgreens and Target as they allow you to “stack” one of their coupons (from the paper or their websites) with a regular manufacturer’s coupon (from the paper or online sites). This when coupled with a sale is what results in free or very cheap products. I also love Harp’s which doubles coupons up to .50 cents! Who can’t stand to keep one of your hard earned dollars on something you would purchase anyway!

I know most of you are thinking that you don’t have time for this. Well, never fear. These great bloggers do the hard work for you. They match up, on a weekly basis, the best deals at each store. All this leaves you to do is clip the coupons and do the shopping. Take it slow at first. It may seem a little overwhelming, but it becomes quite fun once you get the hang of it. If you’re up for the challenge…give it a shot. I’ll be cheering you on!

PS-I rarely pay for tooth brushes, toothpaste, or deodorant. When I find deals that are free or extremely cheap, I buy multiples. All are mainstream name brand products. When canned goods are under .50 cents, I stock up. That way I always have the ingredients for a great side dish or casserole very reasonably. The holiday season is the best time of year to stock up on food items. The sales are abounding!

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-12-06T00:08:00.002-06:00

Submitted by Lesley Riendeau, Patriot Mom

Brunswick Stew

1 ½ lbs. chicken cooked & diced
1 ¼ lbs. ground beef
1 lb smoked turkey, chopped
1 large onion & 2 TBS butter (sauté)
1 tsp salt
1 ¾ tsp pepper
4 shots of hot sauce (optional)
3 oz. vinegar
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cans Italian Style stewed tomatoes (Del Monte makes this)
1 lb potatoes diced and cooked until soft (sometimes I cheat and buy the frozen hash browns)
1 18 oz. bottle BBQ sauce
2 can creamed style corn
1 can lima beans
4 -5 14 oz. cans Swanson chicken broth (I usually add broth from the cooked chicken as well)

Everything goes in a large pot to heat over very low heat. The creamed corn will stick if it gets too hot. I usually spray Pam on the bottom of the pot before putting everything in. Everything is already cooked, so it’s ready to eat after it’s simmered for several hours. It’s better on day 2, and it freezes very well, too.

Enjoy!

Need A Little Help For The Holiday Season?

2010-12-03T11:18:00.002-06:00

Submitted by Carrie Husong, Patriot Mom

I would like to tell you about Elli Ledzinski and her new business, Dinner Divas. I met Elli at Bible study last year. She is an amazing cook and is now sharing her talents by making and delivering freezer meals. My family has sampled several, and they are really good. They are great for busy nights and also make great gifts for families with newborns or illness.

Dinner Divas ~ "when you are too cooked to cook!"

Dinner Divas offers homecooked meals that are delivered to your doorstep frozen for you to use at your convenience. All meals are intended to be around $3-4 per serving which make them a VERY affordable and HEALTHY option to eating out or drive-thru. Gather your family around the table and produce a "homecooked" meal (they don't have to know it's not from you) that takes you less then 10 minute to prep. Cook times for the menu items vary from 10 minutes to 1 hour, but it will take you no longer than 10 minutes to prep the dish yourself. To view the entire selection of items or to place an order go to her website: www.dinnerdivasnwa.com.

I hope you enjoy this service as much as I have!

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-11-29T23:54:00.002-06:00

Submitted by Joy Looney, Patriot Mom

Minestrone soup

Brown together:
1/2 lb. sausage (I often use Italian turkey sausage)
1/2 C celery, diced
1 C onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Add above to:
6 C. chicken broth (or even more if you like)
1 16 oz. can garbanzo beans (or navy beans)
1/2 C. diced carrots
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 C. chopped cabbage
1 diced zucchini
little bit of dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Right before you are ready to eat, add 1 to 1 1/2 C. macaroni or any kind of pasta like shells.
Simmer for 15 minutes longer until pasta is cooked.
Add grated parmesan cheese to individual bowls when serving.

Enjoy!

Moms Christmas Brunch

2010-11-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to host our 7th annual Mother’s of Providence Christmas Brunch on Thursday, December 2nd at 9:30 AM in the East Campus Youth Room. You should have an invitation in your blue folder. Be sure to return it on Tuesday, November 30th to take part. Take note that this is the Tuesday that we return from Thanksgiving break.

We need your RSVP and $5 as we are having a lovely catered brunch. You won’t want to miss out on the scrumptious crepes that will be made to order, as well as a variety of other yummy items.

Come enjoy some fellowship, food, and encouragement. We hope to see you there.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-19T00:00:00.001-06:00

Enjoy your Thanksgiving break with your family!

Psalm 50:14
"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving."

Spirit Day Thursday

2010-11-17T00:00:00.001-06:00

Thursday is Patriot Spirit Day. Students can wear their favorite PCCA t-shirt with blue jeans. Also, if your child ordered Chick Fil A, there is no need to pack a lunch.

If you need to order spirit wear, please contact Lisa Bivens at LBivens@Providence-Academy.com

More Than Enough

2010-11-16T00:05:00.001-06:00

Submitted By Lori Bova, Patriot Mom

Hello, My name is Lori and I am a recovering perfectionist.

Did you know that deep inside I am an uptight, stressed out, perfectionist? God started revealing this to me over the last couple of years. In 2008, I was diagnosed with another autoimmune disorder that is exacerbated by stress. Not only were my crazy, nit-picky ways making me sick, I am quite confident that they were making those around me “sick” as well. In 2009, I was able to go to the annual NAUMS conference in Dallas. The first session that I attended was titled “Perfectionism vs. Excellence.” Read more about the session HERE.

Needless to say, I cried the entire time because God was convicting me right there (in front of everyone!). God also began putting other mommas in my path that do things differently. While I know that I don’t need to “look” like them, I am always up for learning a new way to approach something. He showed me through all of these things that He was getting NO glory from my perfectionist ways. I wanted the credit for a job well done. I craved the recognition. I wanted to be the Super Mom.

I began asking myself, “What and who are your striving for?” I found that I was striving for something that was unattainable and self-gratifying. As I continually fell short of the “goal”, I felt like a failure and feared rejection. He began to show me that as long as I was striving for anything other than Him, it would never be enough. The house could never be clean enough. The kids could never be well-behaved enough. My husband would never be perfect enough. The finances would never be enough. (You fill in the blank with your “never enough” thoughts.) I now realize that I had little faith that God could use me. I certainly was not willing to let Him take the wheel and get my attitude on the right course.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I am so thankful that He sometimes (“often” is probably more appropriate here) allows me to fall to my weakest point so that I can find Him there. He outweighs all of our earthly striving and accomplishments to a degree that we cannot fathom. HE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!

Library Volunteers Needed

2010-11-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

We need parents to volunteer in the east campus library on Tuesdays from 11:15 until 12:30.

If you are available to help, please e-mail Mrs. Spreutels at PSpreutels@Providence-Academy.com

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-11-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Desiree Weber, Patriot Mom

This is a family favorite. It can be doubled and frozen as well.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

2-3 chicken breasts
1 whole onion-chopped
3 celery stalks-chopped
1 small jar of pimento
1 small can of green chilies
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 half package of Velveeta cheese-cubed
1-2 pounds of whole wheat spaghetti noodles (or other pasta)-cooked according the package.

Brown your chicken breasts and cut into small pieces. Carmelize onions and celery. Add pimento, green chilies and chicken to onion and celery mixture. Place cooked pasta in 9x13 dish. Add vegetables and chicken. Pour soup and cubed cheese over. Stir thoroughly. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. I usually stir the pasta 1 or 2 times while it is cooking.

I have also added a can of Rotel, mushrooms, various peppers, and jalapenos. This is a good recipe for those who want their little ones to try new vegetables, without them knowing!

Easy Rolls
1 package frozen bread dough rolls
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon basil, oregano, or other italian seasonings

Let rolls rise about 2-3 hours. Spray cake or bread pans with cooking spray. Melt butter in one dish and combine with garlic. In another dish, add your seasonings. After dough has risen, individually dip each roll in the butter and then the seasonings. Place in pan. The rolls should be crowded so that they overlap. Let them rise again about an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned. My kids love to make these!

Enjoy!

Through The Fire

2010-11-10T10:42:00.002-06:00

Earthquakes, floods, hunger, car wrecks, cancer, terrorism, ecoli, Alzheimer’s, flu,…the list of calamities with which we are faced is innumerous. Tragedy lurks behind every turn, and manifests when we least expect it. There is never an end to prayer requests for safety, healing, and comfort to families who have lost one they love. The world spins and sometimes we feel out of control. We look to the politicians to protect us and bring peace and safety, but they continually fail us. Where does one find rest in this chaotic depraved world?

God reminds us,
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome that world.”
I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

I John 5:4-5 "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Sometimes God delivers us from the fire, but sometimes God delivers us through the fire. Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we often are thrown into the fiery furnace, but God will be there with us, taking us through the trial.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Let us not grow weary in well doing, and lose faith. As trials come, and they must, let us look to the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not be like unto the world, but rather let us believe God and see what He will do when we have faith as a child!

Cindy Palen
Patriot Mom and 5th grade teacher

Code Red!

2010-11-08T17:51:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, November 9th is our first home basketball game of the season against the Ft. Smith Patriots at 6pm at the west campus.

Tuesday at school is our "Code Red" day. Wear your red uniform shirt to support our Patriots! At the game, either wear a red Providence T-shirt, or a red uniform shirt.

There will be a Pep Rally at each campus during the last 20 minutes of the school day. Go Patriots!!!

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-11-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted By Marni Wyand, Patriot Mom

Note: I found this recipe on Southern Living years ago. I like to use half beef/half sausage (see alteration at bottom). It makes a lot, and freezes well, so I typically fill two dishes and freeze one. It is my standard "deliver to friends" meal. The green chiles are what make this unique.

Cheesy Sausage-and-Tomato Manicotti

Yield: Makes 6 servings

1 (8-ounce) package uncooked manicotti noodles
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with garlic, oregano, and basil
1 pound Italian pork sausage
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cold water. Drain.
Process tomato sauce and diced tomatoes in a blender 20 seconds or until smooth. Set aside.
Remove casings from sausage, and discard. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Spoon into manicotti shells; arrange stuffed shells in lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Pour tomato mixture over shells; sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let casserole stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Note: Casserole may be assembled and frozen up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you prefer a smaller casserole, use 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes. Proceed as directed.

Ground Beef and Tomato Manicotti: Substitute 1 pound lean ground beef for sausage. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon fennel seed. Proceed as directed.

Enjoy!

Teacher Appreciation Week

2010-11-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

At Providence Academy, WE LOVE OUR TEACHERS!

Don't forget to take the opportunity this week to express to our teachers and staff how much we appreciate all they do for our children at PCCA.

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-11-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted By April Jackson, Patriot Mom

I tried this recipe sort of by accident tonight. I had too many cooked spaghetti noodles that needed something to go with them. I did an online search for an easy recipe that consisted of things I already had at home. I found this one and it was a HUGE hit! One of my PCCA kids took one bite and said, "Can I have this for lunch tomorrow?"

Spaghetti Pie
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
garlic powder to taste
26oz jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 pkg cream cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente: drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain and crumble. Along with cooked beef, stir salt, pepper, garlic powder and pasta sauce into skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and cream cheese. Set aside. Coat a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and add the cooked spaghetti. Spread the cream cheese mixture over it. Add the meat mixture on top and sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

We've Got Spirit!

2010-10-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

Don't forget that tomorrow is Patriot Spirit Day! Everyone remember to wear your favorite PCCA shirt to school.

Also, if you purchased Chick Fil A, there is no need to pack a lunch!

Operation Christmas Child

2010-10-26T15:11:00.002-05:00

We are now collecting Christmas wrapped shoe boxes in support of “Operation Christmas Child”.

These shoe boxes need to be packed with small gifts, and $7.00 per box for shipping costs. Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations worldwide through simple, gift-filled shoe boxes and evangelistic materials that tell the Good News of God’s love.

Here are some ways you can make a difference:

PRAY, PACK A GIFT, GIVE, and VOLUNTEER.

Mrs. Hankins has 100 boxes in her office for PCCA. Please stop by and we will give you as many boxes as you would like to prepare. PCCA will collect wrapped boxes until Monday, November 14, 2010.

For gift ideas and more information go to: www.samaritanpurse.org/occ

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-10-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted By Cindy Palen, Patriot Mom and 5th grade PCCA teacher

You will enjoy this easy and yummy fall recipe!

Beef Stew

2 lbs. stew meat
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup beef broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
4 carrots sliced
3 potatoes diced
2 onions diced
1 stalk celery sliced

Put meat in crock pot; mix flour, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over meat and stir. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 10-12 hours.

Fall Playdough

1 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water.
Mix ingredients together. If mixture is too sticky add more flour. You may need to add more water depending on mixture.

Thank You Mrs. Brinson

2010-10-20T23:07:00.003-05:00

At Providence Academy, we all just love Mrs. Brinson, our history chair who makes learning about history fun! Last week, PCCA 7th graders had the opportunity to visit Little Rock and learn about our state history.

The field trip started out with a visit and tour of the State Capitol, and then onto Central High School where the students sat outside to sketch the building. At the Central High School Museum, they learned about the history of the Little Rock 9, the 9 African Americans who were segregated into Central High School back in 1957. After that, they toured the Old State House, where the students watched a reenactment of 1861, the Civil War in Arkansas.

Thank you Mrs. Brinson for all you do to bring history to life at PCCA!

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-10-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted By Jeannee Rodgers, Patriot Mom

Crock Pot Chili

4 stalks celery
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 lg onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
salt and pepper
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained

Brown meat. Drain. Put in slow cooker.
Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, 2 cups water, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Cook on low 4-5 hours.
During the last 30 minutes add kidney beans.
Top with shredded cheese and serve with Frito chips.

This is a perfect easy fall recipe. Enjoy!

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-10-12T13:49:00.003-05:00

Submitted by Joy Looney, Patriot Mom

Lazy Lasagna (crockpot recipe)

1 lb. ground beef
12 oz. package of egg noodles
32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
8 ozs. shredded mozzarella cheese
16 ozs. cottage cheese

Brown ground beef. While beef is browning, cook noodles. Drain beef and noodles. Stir spaghetti sauce into browned beef. Layer 1/3 of beef sauce at the bottom of the crockpot, and then 1/2 of the noodles followed by half of the cheeses. Repeat. Top with rest of the sauce. Cover and cook on Low Level for 3 to 4 hours, or you can cook on High Level for 2 hours. Let it set for 10-15 minutes before eating for the sauce to thicken.

Enjoy!

Coffee With The Headmaster

2010-10-09T16:35:00.002-05:00

Patriot parents,

We would like to invite you to make plans to attend the upcoming "Coffee with the Headmaster". This will be an informal time of discussion with Mr. Ross and Mrs. Hankins.

Dates & Times

K-2nd Grade (October 19th @ 8:30 am.) in the East Campus Theatre Room

3rd-5th Grade (October 21st @ 8:30 am.) in the East Campus Theatre Room

6th-11th Grade (October 14th @ 8:15 am.) in the West Campus Fellowship Hall

We hope to see you there!

Spirit Day

2010-09-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

This Thursday, September 30th is our first Spirit Day of the school year.

Have you seen the new 2010 t-shirts?

You will want to order one for each of your family members.

If you haven't had the opportunity to order a new 2010 PCCA t-shirt yet, then contact Lisa Bivens at LBivens@Providence-Academy.com for an order form.

Also, don't forget that if your student ordered Chick Fil A, there is no need to pack a school lunch.

From Turbulent To Tranquil

2010-09-27T00:00:00.005-05:00

Patriot moms,

We will be offering a presentation called, “From Turbulent To Tranquil: Managing The At Home Days” on Thursday, October 7th at 2:30 p.m. at the east campus in the theatre room. Child care will be provided for the first 20 children. Please reserve child care at Patriotmoms@gmail.com

Monday Meals For Moms

2010-09-27T00:00:00.002-05:00

Submitted By Lesley Riendeau, Patriot Mom

Hello Providence Moms! We are going to start featuring a recipe on the blog every Monday, called Monday Meals for Moms. These recipes will be from our own PCCA moms. If you are interested in contributing, these are the general guidelines:
The recipes should be ones that you have a made a few times or are in your family rotation of loved recipes, they are simple, and they are family friendly.

This will be a great way for us to get some new meals in our rotations. I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for new ideas for dinner that I know will be yummy.

Please forward your recipes to Lesley Riendeau (riendeauhome@bellsouth.net). You can send them to me now while you are thinking about it and I will hold on to them and post when it is time or send them to me throughout the year. Send in new ones as often as you want!

Here is one to get you started. I serve it with a salad for an extra serving of veggies. I also make it ahead during nap-time and then cook it later in the day.

Have fun cooking for your family!

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 cups cubed/shredded chicken (I cook mine in the crockpot)
• 16 oz frozen mixed veggies, thawed
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup Bisquick

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook cream cheese and broth in large saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently with whisk. Stir in chicken, vegetables and garlic salt. Spoon in to 9-inch pie plate or other dish. Beat egg and milk in medium bowl with whisk until well blended; stir in baking mix until moistened. Spoon over chicken mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple Pound Cake

• 3 cups peeled apple, chopped small (I like McIntosh or Granny Smith)
• 1 ¼ cups oil
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all together. Pour in well-greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Glaze if desired with powdered sugar frosting below.

Powdered Sugar Frosting

• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons milk

In a mixing bowl, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over top.

Enjoy!

Fall Fun

2010-09-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a fun idea for family time, visit the new Ozark Corn Maze. It's a 5 1/2 acre corn field labyrinth in Cave Springs, AR.

You can find out more information about this Razorback corn maze by clicking HERE.

Paying It Forward

2010-09-22T15:04:00.012-05:00

The Moms night out was packed wall to wall. What a blessing! Mrs. Palen made the above book mark for the Patriot moms to remind us to stay in Gods Word each day. We received the note below about the event from a Patriot mom and thought it would be good to pass along, as it really captured the main points of the evening.

" I wanted to tell you ladies how sincerely grateful I am for you taking time to put last night together. I knew moms that were not going because they thought it was geared towards new parents. I went because it was such a blessing to me as a new Providence parent last year. I remember feeling "included" by veteran moms and wanted to pay that forward. I also remember all of Cindy's scripture that overwhelmingly screamed that I needed to extend my child the same grace my heavenly father gives me every day. It revolutionized our school year from that night on. I also liked the idea of getting away, no strings attached, just because there was a meeting at school!

I was pleasantly surprised to feel it was very relevant for a returning mom. I needed to hear that disciplining myself to abide in God's word will bring peace to at home days. I needed to see that other moms were imperfect. I loved all the input from the NAUMS conference. It was convicting. But mostly, I needed to be reminded that my children are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that I should never compare them or myself to anyone. Instead, I should be praying that God would help me develop my student into who the creator of the universe planned them to be.

I love love love this school! Last night reminded me how much."

Beth Moody

Get Connected

2010-09-16T09:39:00.007-05:00

The first Mothers of Providence night out is this Tuesday, September 21st at 6:30 p.m. in our west campus fellowship hall. Get your baby sitter lined up, because you don't want to miss our evening to "Get Connected" and fellowship with Patriot moms.

Don't forget to bring an appetizer to share.

Send In Your Pictures

2010-09-15T00:44:00.006-05:00

Patriot Moms,

Here's a fun contest for you. Send in your favorite pictures of your students either on their first day of school, or working in the satellite classroom at home. We are putting together a slide show for the first Mothers of Providence night out next week, and want to include all of the students. The pictures don't have to be of this school year. You might even want to send in a few pictures from the past to show how much your students have grown!

You have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Starbucks, so start sending in those pictures to Patriotmoms@gmail.com

The winner will be announced at the moms night out.

You Matter To God

2010-09-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

Submitted By Jennifer Mitchael, Patriot Mom

The world is a big place, and sometimes I feel invisible. Can anyone see me behind the dishes, the laundry, in line at Wal-mart, taking kids here and there?

I forget that there is ONE who notices me. He sees me smile, when I want to scream; He sees me give, when I feel like I don't have anything left. He counts the (graying!) hairs on my head. He cares about my grocery list.

He cares when I am lonely. In a room full of people, He knows my insecurities.
He notices me. And regardless of how I feel, He loves what He is seeing.

Isaiah 46:4 "I have made you and I will carry you."

I matter to God, and to those around me, even when I feel invisible. That makes me wonder, are THEY feeling invisible, too? I will give arms to the God who made us both, and love on them. I will tell them they matter to me, but most of all, to God.

Lands End Sale

2010-09-10T08:46:00.004-05:00

Thanks PCCA moms for letting us know about the penny logo sale.

Lands End polo's are on sale for $12 plus a penny logo and

free shipping until September 13th.

Some Patriot moms are even stocking up for next year!

Peanut Free School Lunch Recipe

2010-09-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Since our grammar school campus has gone peanut free, many of us are looking for good ideas for lunches. Here is a good peanut free lunch recipe submitted by our very own Beth Moody.

Mexican Pinwheels with Turkey

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature (I used generic low fat)
4oz can green chiles drained
2 cups shredded cheese (I used 2% version)
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Ranch Dressing Powder (could substitute seasoning salt or taco seasoning for a different flavor)
Lunch meat slices (I used Hormel All Natural Turkey)
10-12 fajita sized or 8 full size tortillas (I used whole wheat)

Optional ingredients to mix and match include: grated carrots, pimientos, or diced olives.

In a bowl mix together the first 5 ingredients. Shmear a layer of this mix onto a tortilla. Place lunch meat in center of tortilla. (I lined up 2 slices on a large tortilla end to end). Roll the tortilla up. Wrap individually in cling wrap. Continue with more tortillas until all your filling is used. Refrigerate about 8 hours to let the seasonings soak. These are good up to a week. BONUS, it can be frozen up to a month, so make as many in advance as you want!

One Of The Many Reasons We Love Providence Academy

2010-09-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Submitted By Lori Bova, Patriot Mom

One of the many reasons we love Providence…

Bible Assignment – 4th Grade
Pray together with your family. Ask God to help you find a scripture that would be a good mission statement for our class. Write it down and bring it to class tomorrow.

All praise and honor and glory to our Father. He is so good to allow our family to be part of His school.

Join Fellow Patriots In Walking To Cure Diabetes

2010-09-08T19:41:00.004-05:00

Patriot Moms,

We're writing to tell you that we'll be walking in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes this year, and to ask you to join The Krause House.

Taking part in the Walk is a great experience. Not only will you be making a real difference in helping to find a cure that will change the lives of millions... you'll be having FUN, and getting a good workout too!

First, let me tell you a little about why this cause is so important. Our youngest son, Gabe, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in January of this year. It has changed our world in so many ways and now given us the opportunity to reach out and show Christ to others.

Every year, at least 30,000 new cases of type 1 diabetes--the most severe form of the disease--are diagnosed in the United States alone, a large and growing percentage of them children. Day-to-day living is a challenge for people with type 1 diabetes--and multiple insulin injections are only the beginning.

Thanks to research funded by organizations such as JDRF, people with diabetes have a new sense of hope. Scientists are making tremendous progress toward a cure for type 1 diabetes.

That's why this is such a crucial time, and why we're asking you to join use in walking, and raising money that will speed these scientists toward that cure. Every walker, and every dollar, brings us that much closer.

So please, come join The Krause House for this very special day... and a chance to make a real difference! For more information on how you can take part, please e-mail TheKrausehaus@yahoo.com

I'll be walking at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR on September 18, 2010.

Thank you and Blessings,
Patriot Mom, Kelly Krause

Citiscapes 2010 "Best School" contest

2010-09-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Patriot family and friends,

Please click on the link below to vote for Providence Academy as the best school in Northwest Arkansas. Show your Patriot pride!

Click HERE to vote for PCCA.

Eat Mor Chikin

2010-09-02T20:51:00.006-05:00

Thanks to all the Patriots who came to Chick Fil A for Spirit night. We had a super time, and a great turn out!

Quick And Simple Dinner Idea

2010-09-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

Submitted By Missie Erskine

Wednesdays are always the perfect day to have a quick and simple dinner such as this one below.

NOT-YOUR-MAMA'S TUNA SALAD

2 small cans of albacore (chunk light is fine)
1 C store-bought pesto sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
4 chopped scallions
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound of pasta shells
salt & pepper to taste

Combine pesto and lemon juice. Add tuna and flake with fork. Add remaining ingredients and coat evenly. Great left over, but add a little olive oil or lemon juice to moisten.

Enjoy! If you have leftovers, these make great lunches for school.

Patriot Moms In Business

2010-09-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Come this week and support our very own Patriot Mom Ashley Shaver, owner of Rhea Lana's consignment sale in Northwest Arkansas.

Don't miss the Providence used uniform sale at Rhea Lana's. You will be able to purchase PCCA uniforms and spirit wear at a fraction of the retail price. A percent of the profits will go to Providence Academy.

John Q Hammons in Rogers

Wednesday, September 1st from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Thursday, September 2nd from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Half Price Days

Friday, September 3rd from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 4th from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Click HERE for more information.

Chick Fil A Spirit Night

2010-08-30T18:33:00.007-05:00

Why cook dinner?

Join us Thursday evening September 2nd, from 5 until 8 p.m. for PCCA Spirit Night at the Pleasant Grove Chick Fil A.

Patriots, bring the red slip from your childs blue folder, and either dine in or drive-thru. PCCA will get credit for every meal purchased. Invite your friends and family to join us. Based on sales from spirit night, Chick Fil A will make a donation to Providence Academy. The class with the greatest participation will win a special prize.

Patriot Moms

Merry Christmas!

Tri-State Border Basketball Tournament

"Dude, You Hear What I Hear?"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Home Basketball Games Tonight

Punkin' Chunkin' Contest

Games Friday Night in Fayetteville

Christmas Brunch December 1st

Providence Pictures This Thursday

Join Us This Thursday for Muffins For Moms

Patriot Preview This Thursday November 8th

Meals for Moms

Zucca Toscana

Recipe

Directions

Moms Night Out This Tuesday September 20th

The Great Garage Sale-Stringers Moving To Peru

Simple Filing

Providence Parent Kick Off Night

August 18th 6:30 p.m. West Campus

Special Sessions in the morning 10:00 a.m. West Campus

Special Sessions by Dr. John Turner and Mrs. Roxie Turner: Thursday, August 18th

Waterproof Water Bottle Labels

Equipping Yourself For A Successful School Year At PCCA

D6 Conference

2011 Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday

Order Providence Uniforms Now

Providence ipad program on ABC 40/29 News

School Uniforms

Wacky Wednesday Summer Schedule

Wacky Wednesday June 1st

Armed And Dangerous

Are You Looking For A Mission Trip This Summer?

Once A Month Cooking

Armed And Dangerous

Armed And Dangerous

Finish Strong

Monday Meals For Moms

Order School Lunches For April Now

Armed And Dangerous Scripture Memory Challenge

Do You Have Extra School Supplies?

Armed And Dangerous

Monday Meals For Moms

Armed And Dangerous

Monday Meals For Moms

Mothers of Providence February Event

Monday Meals For Moms

Armed And Dangerous

Tip Of The Day

Local Family In Need

Monday Meals For Moms

Name That Scripture Memory Club

Let Go!

Money Saving Tips For Moms

The Lords Word Is Flawless

A Book You Might Enjoy

Monday Meals For Moms

Upcoming Basketball Games

Upper Campus Patriot Spirit Week

We Want To Hear From YOU

Monday Meals For Moms

PCCA Spelling Bee Winner 2010

Attention Patriot Nation

Support Our Patriots

Frugal (a.k.a. Cheap) Me

Monday Meals For Moms

Need A Little Help For The Holiday Season?

Monday Meals For Moms

Moms Christmas Brunch

Happy Thanksgiving

Spirit Day Thursday

More Than Enough

Library Volunteers Needed

Monday Meals For Moms

Through The Fire

Code Red!

Monday Meals For Moms

Teacher Appreciation Week

Monday Meals For Moms

Special Sessions by Dr. John Turner and Mrs. Roxie Turner: Thursday, August 18^th