This school year started with a flood, the possibility of moving north next year, and many new families at Providence. We also have the joy of welcoming five new teachers: Mrs. Cynthia Plante, Mrs. Brook Backholm, Mrs. Jentry Day, Mrs. Lisa Sandeno, and Ms. Katie Bascom (from left to right in the following photo). They are wonderful additions to our school and you will all enjoy getting to know them!

1st Grade | Mrs. Lisa Sandeno

A Northwest native and long-time classical Christian education advocate, Lisa Sandeno counts it a sincere privilege to teach first grade. Lisa graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Family Studies. She has also completed training from the Association of Classical Christian Schools. Lisa aims to provide a peaceful and secure classroom in which students are enabled to grow in academic achievement, character, and delight in the Lord and to develop a love of learning that they will build upon for a lifetime.

2^nd Grade | Mrs. Brook Backholm

Though new to 2^nd grade, Brook Backholm has been a part of the Providence community for the past 6 years. She has served as a parent, PTF volunteer, classroom aid, and the PE teacher for the past 4 years. Brook graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English and a Masters degree in K-8 Education (MIT). Brook’s enthusiasm for teaching and love of learning is evident in the way she interacts with her students inside and outside of her classroom.

5^th Grade | Mrs. Cynthia Plante

Cynthia Plante hails from New England and most recently Rhode Island and was relocated with her family to Washington through divine providence. She is a veteran grammar-level teacher and has taught Pre-K-4^th grade over the years. She taught overseas at an International Mission School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and has homeschooled her eldest child. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and is passionate about all the aspects of English Literature and writing. Cynthia’s two boys are joining Providence at the secondary level—Joshua in 8^th and Stephen in 10^th grade—while her daughter is a sophomore at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Grammar PE | Mrs. Jentry Day

Jentry comes to Providence after working for eight years as a 3rd, 4^th, and 5^th-grade classroom teacher in Nevada and Washington and as a 1st-6th grade and college-level conversational English teacher overseas. She and her family joined the Providence Community in 2012 when her twin daughters, Brynn and Chloe, began the Pre-K program. She is excited to work with the grammar students teaching many games and skills for physical education.

Secondary English, Rhetoric | Ms. Katie Bascom

Katie Bascom hails from Baltimore, South Bend, Cleveland, and, most recently, Russia. Her experience attending a classical school in Maryland prepared her for the structure of her classes at Providence, while her study of literature has given her the content. She is glad and grateful for the opportunity to discover truth, goodness, and beauty together with her students in their classes.