By Linda Borg PROVIDENCE -- On Yom Kippur, a day when most students are off having fun, 60 students from one of the lowest-performing middle schools in the city are studying to take the entrance examination for Classical High School.

By Linda Borg PROVIDENCE -- Classical High School has a new principal, Scott D. Barr, a former Classical High School social studies teacher and brother of former Lincoln state Rep. John Barr. Barr takes over the helm from Cheryl Gomes, who retired this summer.

By Linda Borg; Emily Perry PROVIDENCE -- Emily Perry is the valedictorian, an athlete, a peer tutor and the head of the Science Olympiad. She is also the center of controversy in the wake of her speech before a group of Classical High School alumni.

By Linda Borg; Journal Staff Writer The alumni group wants to restore extracurricular programs that have fallen prey to budget cuts.

By Linda Borg; Journal Staff Writer PROVIDENCE - Classical High School, long the flagship of the city's public school system, has its first active alumni association in many years, one that is modeled after a famous public school in Boston.