What a blessing to celebrate Palmetto Christian Academy's 

25th Anniversary with you!

Do you know why sweetgrass baskets are made solely in South Carolina? It's because SC is the only place where the tradition continued after the Civil War and has continued to be passed down from generation to generation. The baskets were brought to America from West Africa where they were used by winnowers (rice cleaners) to separate the chaff from rice. Presently, the baskets are primarily collectible artwork.

 

Today, the fifth graders in Mrs. Huston's art class learned about the art of making sweetgrass baskets from PCA parents Darryl and Angela Stoneworth, owners of DNA Baskets. What does DNA stand for? You are correct! It stands for Darryl and Angela! However, it also stands for their "DNA" which they feel is interwoven into each unique basket.

 

Angela Stoneworth is a ninth-generation basket maker who began learning the craft at the age of five from her grandmother. Not only did her grandmother teach Angela the intricacies of weaving pine straw, palm leaves, sweet grass, and bulrush into baskets, she taught Angela the importance of applying Christian principles to everyday life. Mrs. Stoneworth told the children a story of when she was nine years old and all of her grandmother's baskets were stolen from her stand on Highway 17. Angela was furious! She wanted to find those baskets and punish the delinquents! To her amazement, Grandma didn't have the same reaction. Instead, she chose to ask God to bless the culprits. That mentality didn't make much sense to Angela at the time, but it's a valuable lesson that she's held onto and has passed on to her own children.

 

The students were captivated with the Stoneworths' presentation and even learned how to weave a small part of a basket! I know their daughter Lena (6th grade) is proud of her parents. I also know that Lena's well on her way to becoming a talented sweetgrass basket maker.

 

You can visit Darryl and Angela Stoneworth's website at www.dnabaskets.com .

It hasn't felt much like winter in the Lowcountry, but there's an arctic freeze in our Kindergarten classrooms. You'll find colorful penguins and icy snowmen who are quite expressive thanks to the artistic talents of our Kindergarten students. K5 Art Teacher Mary Gearhart is incredibly proud of this winter wonders collection, and says the students put in much time and effort. "We were able to explore many techniques as we completed our paper collage, tempera and watercolor painted creations. I especially enjoyed watching them embellish the penguins! Art for this age is a way to express personal creativity and imagination. I encourage uniqueness and have really enjoyed my time spent with these young artists!"

Thirteen professionals shared specifics about their career fields and what it looks like to serve

Christ in the workplace to an audience of 8th-12th graders last Friday. Students were able to select three different professionals to visit based on their interests. There was quite a selection to choose from including  STEM, health care, business, ministry, art, law, computer, aviation, and education. 

9th Grader Sophie Elias   particularly enjoyed listening to 4th Grade Teacher Lisa Shogren, calling her "really inspiring". Sophie said, "what's neat is how she has impacted her students and made a difference to those around her."

Brycelyn Fisher plans to pursue a career in nursing, and loved "having the opportunity to learn more about what I would like to do. Dr. Johnny Campbell emphasized that if you follow God's calling to a career field, you will be able to serve God better and really enjoy your job."

Senior Luke Kasian found great value in the experience. "I really enjoyed the practical use of seeing and hearing from professionals. It took it beyond the textbook to see real life examples of people honoring Christ in their careers."

Mission Impossible?  That's a great question to ask anyone in the 3rd grade!  Ms. Jones and Mrs. Bahadur's students visited the H. L. Hunley last Tuesday. They learned about the launch of the determined submarine on February 17, 1864. The Civil War was in full swing, and eight brave men took off from the Charleston Harbor on a mission to attack the Warship Housatonic. A 135-pound torpedo was sent on its way, and the H. L. Hunley became the first submarine to ever bring down a ship!  While the attack was a success, there are many theories that swarm about what happened to the Hunley and its crew, as it never returned to the harbor. The Hunley was found in 1995 and raised in 2000. The students were able to view the submarine, watch the crew work as they try to restore this piece of history, look at pictures and watch movies, learn about each crew member and his specific job, and sit in replicas of the original vessel. They were very interested and excited to see the diamond ring, diamond tie tack, and coin recovered from this crew. After listening to the details of what became one of the single most important events in South Carolina history, the students had the opportunity to vote on which theory they believed. It was an amazing adventure through some of our local history, that ended with wonderful fellowship over lunch at Chick-Fil-A. 

We have SOLD OUT of our Stingrays tickets at the special discounted rate of $5. 208 tickets have been sold for our PCA Day with the Stingrays  on  Sunday, March 12th at 3:05 pm. You may still purchase tickets in our group block for $13 per ticket. Just click the link below to order your tickets today!

Touring our campus and seeing our students and faculty in the midst of their day is an invaluable opportunity to experience our distinct approach to an exceptional Christ-centered education. Students in grades 6-12 are welcome to shadow another student during a normal day of classes. This is a special experience designed to inform students about our school's programs and provide a unique look inside the classrooms. Interested parents should contact the Admissions Office at 

admissions@palmettochristianacademy.org to register their child to visit on March 15th.

On Friday, our varsity "Diamond Eagles" beat Charleston Math & Science 5-4 in 8 innings. Drew Ashworth was the winning pitcher and scored the winning run. Corbett Ciali had the game winning RBI. Stephen Hickman had 2 triples and Isaiah McLeod made a diving  catch in right field to end the 7th inning, keeping the Riptide from scoring a go-ahead run. Jason Bartlett and Tyler Fragola made great plays on defense.

On Friday, PCA's Varsity Girls Soccer team hosted Northside Christian School from Charlotte, North Carolina while our Boys team hosted First Baptist. 

Our girls came out on the short end of a 4-3 game that was both fun to watch and highly competitive.  Northside is a Christian school that participates in NCISA and brought a large contingent of players (40 by my count).  Our girls had moments of excellence, particularly on the defensive end where keeper Hannah McGrew recorded 9 goal saves, and defensive middle back Lauren Pernell had several goal saving tackles.  All three PCA goals were scored by Mackenzie Patrick, giving her six goals for the season.  After the game our girls hosted Northside to a lasagna/hamburger/hot dog dinner in the Annex. Good food and good fellowship were shared by all. The Girls team stands at 1-1 overall with the next game on  Friday, March 10th  at home against Hilton Head Christian at 4 pm. This is our first region game of the season.

In the Varsity Boys game, PCA and First Baptist battled to a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. PCA goals were scored by Grant Lonneman and Brandon Caddell. Luke Kasian provided assists on both goals. After a scoreless overtime, the game went to a penalty kick shoot out. First Baptist prevailed 3-1 on the penalty kicks, thereby earning the victory. The Eagles were down a few players, but Coach Shimakonis said he was proud of the boys efforts, adding "...we are just getting started. This team will bounce back."  The Boys team is now 2-1 overall after a victory earlier this week against Calhoun Academy. The Boys team hosts John Paul II on Friday, March 10th at home starting at 6 pm.

We wrap up our feature on each of our Trident Basketball teams this week with a look at our two 5th Grade Boys teams. These two teams played with heart and showed great character on the court. We are thankful to our coaches for their commitment to PCA Athletics.  Here's what the coaches had to say about their seasons.

5th Grade Boys coached by Greg Moser:

"It has been a pleasure to coach the 5th grade boys on the PCA-5 team. The goal at the beginning of the year was to focus on getting better and we have definitely seen a lot of growth in their individual skills in just a short time, but we also have learned how to compete appropriately. They are very unselfish, get along with each other, and don't boast in their successes which is refreshing to see in this "me first" culture. I've enjoyed getting to know the boys and their families this season and look forward to the coming years of PCA basketball!" 

5th Grade Boys Team

5th Grade Boys coached by Kevin Jimenez:

"O ur 5th grade boys had an amazing season and there was so much interest from so many boys!  We split the group into two teams and we so proud of their growth and their dedication"

5th Grade Boys Team