PHA Family Newsletter
Your Source for PreK-12 School Updates
November 25, 2025
Dear Families,
I am grateful for each of you during this season of gratitude and giving. We each bring our own unique cultural and lived experiences to our richly diverse and inclusive community. Our holiday festivities and traditional/cultural feasts may vary from culture to culture. For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with friends and family and be thankful for all the goodness in our lives -- especially the people.
During this holiday, I encourage you to pause, take a breath, and care for yourself during unprecedented changes to resources, supports & structures in our lives. Then, I encourage you to give the gift of a warm hug, a sincere smile, or a kind word of encouragement to your little ones, tweeners, teenagers, young adults, seniors in your life, and strangers. -- may this simple little gesture extend peace & love to your loved ones and our ever so changing world.
I also extend my deepest gratitude for entrusting us with your beautiful, curious, and deserving children. This fall, we’ve been diligently developing solid roots and sowing the fall seeds, and we highly anticipate spring fruit that comes to bear for all of our PreK-12 scholars.
With gratitude,
Angela
Angela F. Allen Ph.D.
Head of School / CEO
- November 26, 2025: PHA Early Release
- November 27, 2025 and November 28, 2025: Schools Closed for Thanksgiving Break
- December 18, 2025: Thursday Thrive Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm (Webster)
- December 23, 2025: PHA Early Release at noon
- December 23, 2025-Friday, January 5, 2026: Schools Closed for Winter Vacation
- January 5, 2026: Schools Closed for Teacher Professional Day
- January 6, 2026: Schools Reopen After Winter Vacation
- January 15, 2026: Thursday Thrive Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm (Webster)
- January 19, 2026: Schools Closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day
- February 16, 2026: Schools Closed for President's Day
- February 16, 2026-February 20, 2026: Schools Closed for February Vacation
2025-2026 US World and News Report Best Highschool Ranking
PHA consistently places among the top high schools in the nation per U.S. News & World Report in its annual “Best High Schools” ranking.
Here are the details about PHA's ranking: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/massachusetts/districts/prospect-hill-academy-charter/prospect-hill-academy-charter-school-9233.
The U.S. News rankings include data on more than 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Community to Community: Harvest Basket Food Drive and Annual Gift Card Drive
Dear PHA Families,
Thank you! We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the PHA community for your generous contributions to the Community to Community: Harvest Basket Food Drive. We are truly touched by the abundance of food that you donated – a true testament to the care and compassion this community holds. We were able to distribute over 30 food baskets.
We now ask that you Please Donate to Our Annual Gift Card Drive to support PHA families who experience hardship this holiday season. The PHA community will once again collect gift cards from those who wish to contribute and distribute them to families experiencing extenuating circumstances.
Gift cards from stores such as Target, Walmart and Market Basket are especially helpful. Please note that we are unable to accept cash donations, checks, or physical gifts.
If you are able to contribute to our gift fund, please email or deliver gift cards—of any amount (even $10.00 is greatly appreciated)—to the Principal or the front office of your child’s campus by Friday, December 12, 2025.
If your family is experiencing extenuating circumstances and you require assistance in providing gifts for your child(ren), please contact Ms. Kim Lancaster, Executive Assistant to the Head of School, at klancaster@phacs.org by Wednesday, December 10, 2025. All information shared will remain confidential.
This initiative is coordinated across all PHA campuses to ensure that we can support every family that is experiencing hardship.
Thank you for your ongoing generosity and commitment to our community.
PHA Leadership Team
PHA Fall Fest
What a fabulous PHA Fall Fest was held on Saturday, October 18th!
Our PreK-12 community enjoyed a breezy, beautiful fall afternoon in the Early Childhood Campus school yard, with a bouncy house, arts & crafts, pumpkin and face painting, games, and delicious food and snacks.
The event also continued our year-long celebration of PHA's 30th anniversary, with the launch of PHA's 30 for 30 Student Reading Challenge and a heart-warming sing-along performance of "Always Be PHA," with lyrics adapted by EC music teacher Terri Deletetsky.
Thank you to all our wonderful student and family volunteers for helping to make the event such a success! Check out the Fall Fest photo album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5oSzYJhptVHTUn1o9
Early Childhood Campus
As PHA is celebrating our 30th Anniversary this year, our students Celebrated 30 Years on Day 30! The Early Childhood Campus helped kick off PHA’s 30-Year Anniversary today with a special 30-Themed Spirit Day!
Upper Elementary Campus
The Upper Elementary Campus had a great time at Bingo Night earlier this month!
We were thrilled to have our UE students and families came together as a community for an evening of fun, prizes, and popcorn.
High School Campus
This fall, our 10th graders celebrated the end of their Q1 zine project! Students spent time reading each other's zines and giving each other positive feedback on sticky notes. Copies of their zines will be displayed in a "Zine Library" located in the Learning Commons. Scroll to see a few highlights!
The purpose of this project was for students to practice memoir style writing using contemporary memoirs as model texts. They practiced writing with imagery, figurative language, and using an authentic voice to explore their past, their identity, and their perspective on America. Last week they collaged using magazines to pull their writing together, exploring how to use visual symbolism to represent their writing.
PHA FALL ATHLETICS RECAP:
- Girls Varsity Soccer had a successful season, making the MCSAO playoffs and MIAA Preliminary Tournament Game.
- Boys Varsity Soccer played well with a younger team this year and looks forward to building upon experiences for next season.
- Cross County Team had more student-athlete participation this year, with several experiences to travel and enhance their cardiovascular skills.
- Girls Varsity Volleyball had a successful season, making the MCSAO playoffs and MIAA tournament experience.
2025 PHACS All-League Student-Athletes
2025 Varsity Boys Soccer All-League
North Division
Jefferson Hernandez 11
Gedeon Leroy 11
Anurag Lemichanne 11
2025 Varsity Girls Soccer All-League North Division
Valeria Reyes Sepulveda 12
Isabella Prophete 8
Alaecha Fodoasse 12
Kenley Alexis 11
2025 Varsity Girls Volleyball All-League North Division
Gabbi Bell 11
Tenzin Khando 12
Sirin Ghimire 8
We are incredibly proud of our PHA Fall Athletics Teams and look forward to celebrating them at our all school Winter Rally in December!
We would also like to express our appreciation to our dedicated coaches. Thank you for everything you do for our program and our community!
Winter is coming! Check out the Sweatshirts and Fleece Jackets at Lands' End
Lands' End School offers a wide variety of dress code apparel items and a broad range of sizes, in grade level categories, PK-12, featuring Prospect Hill Academy’s official logo. From November 27 through December 3, school families can take 25% off most school uniforms.
Lands' End offers a wide range of sizes K–12 including regular and extended sizing, such as tall, slim, husky and junior.
Step-by-step instructions on how to measure your student.
Shipping. All Lands' End orders have a quick turnaround time (10-12 business days) and will be shipped directly to your home.
Returns. All products are guaranteed and returns are always accepted for any reason, regardless of whether the product has been washed, worn, or embroidered with a logo within 90 days of purchase.
PHA School Logo. The code/number- 1728591K - may be applied to any Lands’ End product via the website that can accommodate a logo. Please call 1-800-469-2222 to order product(s) that are not on the PHA uniform page. Families will need to call in to add products with a logo not showing on our PHA custom site.
To view and purchase Prospect Hill Academy Charter School available through Lands' End School:
Click on the below link or visit landsend.com/school
Click on SHOP BY SCHOOL
Search by school name and location or enter the Prospect Hill Academy Charter Academy School Preferred School Number: 900198680
Message from the Nursing Team
As the colder days are approaching, we anticipate that we will see a significant increase in respiratory illnesses. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports an increase in cases of pneumonia and pertussis (whooping cough) this year. Both of these illnesses are characterized by a persistent cough, often accompanied by other general respiratory symptoms.
During fall and winter, we can also expect to see other illnesses, such as flu and Covid19. Vaccination of eligible individuals against flu and COVID-19 plays a critical role in preventing illnesses and hospitalizations.
Recommendations:
See your healthcare provider for severe or prolonged symptoms
Limit Spread of Disease: Keep your child home if they are ill, particularly if they have a persistent cough.
Diligent handwashing.
Vaccination: Stay up to date on vaccinations. Your School Nurse will contact you if your child is not up to date with required vaccines. Flu and Covid vaccines are still highly recommended for prevention of severe illness.
Thank you for your attention to this very important matter.
Gabby Mendez, Lead School Nurse
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The PHA Nurse Team
Gaby Mendez(MS/HS) 617.284.7908
Courtney Farber (UE) 617-684-8508
cfarber@phacs.org (UE) 617.684.8508
Ernsy Alabre(EC) 617.284.7808
Nurse fax: 857.575.1274
Fossil Day at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
What treasures are found in the Harvard University paleontology collections? Meet Harvard paleontologists to find out! See their favorite fossils, learn about their research, and ask them your questions. Join us to celebrate National Fossil Day with short talks and table-top presentations for all ages.
All ages are welcome; talks recommended for ages 10 and up.
Regular museum admission rates apply. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.
Presented in collaboration with the Stephanie Pierce Lab of Vertebrate Paleontology and the Javier Ortega-Hernández Lab of Invertebrate Paleontology.
All Aboard! Trains at Science Park Opening on November 22nd
Explore intricate miniature train displays featuring snow-covered peaks, colorful landscapes, and detailed scenes complete with décor, buildings, and tiny townsfolk. Watch model trains of various scales power along their tracks through delightful, meticulously crafted settings.
Guests of all ages can enjoy a range of interactive experiences: “drive” a train through a snowy mountain scene, discover trains from around the world, and compose your own symphony using train sounds and musical elements. Little engineers will love exploring wooden train tables, brio layouts, and a design-a-train activity in the expanded play area.
Celebrate the wonder of the season with friends and family at this beloved Museum of Science tradition.
Presented in English and in Spanish.
HARVARD SQUARE HOLIDAY FAIR 2025
Corner of JFK St & Winthrop St
Dec 12th - 14th Friday thru Sunday
Dec 19th - 21st Friday thru Sunday
Fridays: 12-7 Saturdays: 11-7 Sundays: 12-6
Peace, Love & Holiday Shopping since 1986