PAW Feature: Chef Morris Whips Up Magic

One of the best aspects of Providence Academy is the lunches. From Greek Salad to Italian Dunkers, and even a soft-serve ice cream machine, every dish has its own appeal, and none of these would be possible without Chef Marshall Morris. 

This is Chef Morris’s 22nd year at Providence, but his dreams of being a chef extends farther back than that. 

“I have always loved food. Food brings people together,” he reflected. 

Before Providence, Chef Morris worked at Applebee’s as an assistant general manager. There, he worked with others to create the recipe for the fan-favorite Oriental Chicken Salad. He was there for nine years, then Morris worked for Radisson Blu. 

Students line up for one of Chef Morris’s creative, healthy and delicious lunches.

Chef Morris’s hard work in the kitchen does not go unnoticed. His meals make an impact on everyone who tries them. Delaney Flanigan, ‘25, says, “Morris’s lunches have brightened my days since kindergarten. I feel so lucky to come to school everyday and know that lunch will be delicious and healthy.” 

French Teacher Madame Anne Heitzmann added, “I have the utmost respect for Marshall. I’m always amazed at all the options he is able to put together.” 

Chef Morris is in charge of both the main line and the grill line, and he makes an array of different dishes. Some of the most popular include the Santa Fe Rice bowl, Crispy Orange Chicken, Buffalo Chicken basket, and Chicken Mini Tacos. 

Morris says, “My favorite food to make is the bowls. The bowls are very convenient for the staff and easy to serve. I love how everyone adores the bowls and it is fun to see how excited the students get.” 

Chef Morris’s work extends past just cooking the food for each day. He arrives at Providence at 5:45 am, and begins the day’s work. He starts by baking cookies and making the soups. He then makes the meals for the day and begins to supervise the other employees. Finally, after all the students have been fed, he goes back to his office, works on bills, and cleans up. 

Additionally, Chef Morris also creates the main line menu for the month. Many aspects go into the planning, like shopping for the groceries and scheduling the staff for the day. 

When planning the grill item, he tries to pair it with a mainline entrée to even out the wait times for students.

Explaining the most gratifying part of his job, he said, “The best thing as a chef is seeing empty plates. That’s how you know you’ve done your job.”

From Football to Formal, PA Takes on Homecoming Week

Homecoming week is one of the most anticipated events of the school year for all ages. From dress up days to pep fests, Providence Academy students had one busy and exciting week! 

The Upper School had plenty of out of uniform opportunities, with a new theme each day. On Monday, the students wore outfits inspired by different holidays based on their grades. The freshman theme was Valentine’s Day, the sophomore theme was St. Patrick’s Day, the juniors’ was Halloween, and the seniors’ was Christmas. 

Madelyn Steele, ’32, Quinn Sampson, ’32, Margaret Collins, ’32, Gabriella Campbell, ’32 and Bette Stephens, ’32 happily display their spirit wear and out of uniform shoes for Homecoming week.

The students also competed in a hallway decorating competition on Monday. Fifth graders voted on each Upper School grade level hallway’s decor at the end of the week. It was a tough choice, but the freshmen ultimately walked away with the win, earning an out of uniform day during finals. 

On Tuesday, students were invited to wear their “Sunday Best” for Mass. House leader, Lily Regensburger, ‘24, explained, “We were really excited that our idea for ‘Sunday Best’ was approved by the administration. It was fun to see everyone’s participation and also their respect for our Upper School Mass.” 

Chase Millerbernd, ’24, Patrick Newman, ’24, and Ronan Donohue ’24, show their west coast flair for homecoming. PAW Photo Credit: Maddyn Greenway

Wednesday, the high school was full of Hawaiian shirts and socks with sandals, as students participated in a “Tacky Tourist Day.” Alena Rossini, ‘23 commented, “It was so exciting to see my grade go all out on the theme!” 

Wednesday night was the annual Powder Puff flag football game. The junior and senior girls faced off in an intense game, which resulted in a senior win, despite the efforts of the juniors. Inga Nelson, ‘24, said, “Our class was underprepared but will do better next year!” 

Thursday’s theme was the always popular “Jersey Day.” “Jersey Day is my favorite theme because I can show support for my favorite teams and find out others’ favorite teams as well,” emphasized Alec Santelman, ‘25.

On Friday, everyone was dressed in either “West Coast” or “Wild West” attire. Some students wore jeans, boots, cowboy hats and flannels, while others wore “jorts,” chains and other oversized outfits. 

“My favorite part of homecoming week is the dress up days, because it is a fun opportunity to not wear our uniforms,” expressed Annabelle Whitaker, ‘25.

On Saturday evening, Gym A was bursting with excitement for the annual Homecoming dance. This year’s theme was “Out of this World,” with the gym decorated with stars and all things galaxy related. Prizes were awarded to six winners after the dance: Best Dressed went to Alyssa Condon, ‘23, and Peyton Bartz, ‘25; Best Dance Moves went to Miles Mueller, ‘24, and Bryn Brueggeman, ‘26; and Life of the Party went to Patrick Newman, ‘24 and Kathy Mogere, ‘26. 

“I’m very honored to have received this award and to have lived up to the Newman name,” said Newman.

The junior class Powder Puff team bands together after a tough fight against the seniors. PAW Photo Credit: Anika Austvold

The homecoming fun was not just for the Upper Schoolers, but for the entire school. Middle school students also had the opportunity to dress up for themes like “Blue Out,” “Sunday Best,” “History Day,” and were allowed to dress in PA spirit wear. 

In the lower school, students were allowed to wear spirit wear and their gym shoes all week to celebrate! 

The entire school attended the annual Homecoming Pep Fest on Friday afternoon. Students were able to participate in “Minute to Win It” games, Tug of War, and Musical Chairs. The Providence Academy band, lead by Mr. Thomas Jones, played many lively songs to get the crowd fired up as well. 

Friday night, the boys’ varsity football team, led by quarterback Eddie Dossantos, ‘23, beat Breck 17-6. Both touchdowns were scored by Josue Riley, ‘23; and Ryan Hutt, ‘23, successfully made both kicks for extra points, in addition to a field goal for the Lions.  

The fans made it a fun and memorable end to the week, dressed in plenty of white and gold, and of course the PA student section’s traditional team spirit added to the win!