February 12, 2018      Visit Our Website      
Fine Arts Coffeehouse: A Night At The Movies On March 1st!

Enjoy a casual evening of delightful music and celebrate the remarkable talents of PCA's fine arts students!  We invite you to join us for our Fine Arts Coffeehouse on Thursday, March 1st at 6 pm in the Welcome Center.  Tickets are $5 and are available online on the PCA website. 
This year's theme is "A Night At The Movies". You'll enjoy an evening of classics and new favorites as our music students perform fantastic songs from some of the most beloved movies of all times. 
 
Proceeds from this event will benefit the Fine Arts Program. We encourage you to come out and support the hard work of these talented students!

PCA Participates In College Dual Credit Pilot Program

This semester, PCA is piloting an online high school/college dual credit program with Charleston Southern University. Senior Shelby Muirhead is one of the first five Lowcountry students to test the program, CSU Scholars.

Shelby chose a seven-week Survey of the New Testament course. "The course is intense but really good," she reports. It has given her practice in managing time, learning independently, and completing assignments called "deliverables" without being reminded. Through a combination of video lectures, online discussion boards, and independent reading, Shelby has learned that "the historical accuracy of scripture is inspiring. Eye-opening, in fact."

Academic Counselor Sally Pascutti sees the PCA/CSU partnership as a great fit. "It introduces students to college academics while still remaining true to PCA's mission to develop in students a Christian world and life view to fulfill their calling to the glory of God. These elective courses complement the CSU Spanish 101 course that Mrs. Loudin is already teaching on the PCA campus."

Each course costs $500 in CSU tuition, but students who enroll in CSU after high school are guaranteed a portion of that back as an early admissions scholarship.

The pilot period has been so successful that CSU Scholars will open online to all academically qualified 11th and 12th grade students in the fall. Mrs. Pascutti will help interested students make course selections during individual guidance meetings in April and May. Courses to be offered are:

CHST 112 - Survey of the New Testament
CSCI 209 - Introduction to Computer Systems
PSYC 110 - General Psychology
SOCI 101 - Principles of Sociology
HEAL 201 - Dimensions of Personal Health and Wellness
CRIM 210 - Introduction to Criminal Justice
ART 202 - Art Appreciation
MUSI 171 - Music Appreciation
COMM 110 - Public Speaking 
How To Make High School Count 

Parents of 8th graders -- are you ready for high school? A meaningful high school experience requires a thoughtful plan, and with that purpose in mind, Academic Counselor Sally Pascutti will hold two discussions of 
Making  High School Count -Tuesday, February 13 at 8 am  and Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30 pm.  Both meetings will be held in the Annex.

At this meeting we will cover:
  • A purposeful approach to developing the heart, soul, mind, and strength in the teenage years
  • Building a resume and a GPA for college admission
  • Scholarships for in-state colleges
  • SAT/ACT standardized testing
  • Community service
  • Co-curricular activities for career inquiry
  • Naviance online college and career planning program
  • How to "Make High School Count" with recommendations and lessons learned from PCA 11th and 12th grade students as well as PCA graduates
Please RSVP if possible to spascutti@palmettochristianacademy.org. It is not required, but it will help us prepare materials for the meeting.
PCA Alumna Selected As Clemson Student Of The Week

She was salutatorian of PCA's Class of 2014 and active in all areas of campus life. These days Katie Quinn is putting her leadership skills to work at Clemson University. We are so excited to share with you that Katie was recently chosen as the Clemson Student of the Week!   
Be sure to follow her on Instagram @clemsonstudents as she talks about her experiences, including her co-op in the admissions office. 
In one post Katie gives this advice, "Getting involved on campus is one of the best ways to leave your mark at Clemson." 
Through her work in the admissions office, Katie had the honor of representing Clemson at the recent STEM Fair in Charleston. Also, this semester, she will be traveling throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia representing Clemson University at college fairs and at high schools. Katie loves to speak about the University that she loves! 
Entrepreneurship 101 
Written by Selina Zubia

Attention 5th Grade Parents! Are you concerned about financial security in your twilight years? No need to be! Your 5th grade student has got your future portfolio in the bag.
 
As snow in the Low Country is only seen every 8-10 years or so, a local company, The Snowman Construction Company, has hired PCA 5th graders to develop and build original "snowmen" to sell.
 
Working on this project has helped the students hone their entrepreneurial skills (marketing, economic, design, construction, recycling, to name a few) in order to come up with original designs that are expected to take the marketplace by storm. Laying eyes on the finished products being carried into the building, each one is certain to draw top dollar. Emma Claire Thompson and Addie Cave posed with their proud fathers to show off their signature creations.
 
The "snowmen" will be on display upstairs in the breezeway for the next couple of days. Please come by to see which one you'd like to have grace your yard! 


Insects, Insects Everywhere! Kindergartners  Enjoy A Creepy, Crawly In-House Field Trip   

There was plenty of wiggling and squirming inside the Kindergarten classrooms last week.. but it wasn't the students. As part of our Environmental Educational in-house science program, students learned the many characteristics of insects and why they are important. The children discovered the unique  body parts that make up an insect. They  discussed that every insect needs to have a head, thorax, abdomen, antennae, six legs, and compound eyes. Each student got to touch larvae which they learned would turn into an insect. One of the real highlights of the program was meeting a Madagascar hissing cockroach face to face!
Get A Car Wash And Support PCA Golf

Our Eagles Golf Team will host a "Car Wash Fundraiser" on  Saturday, March 3rd from 8 am to 10 am in the  Vespa Restaurant Parking Lot on Daniel Island. 
You can drive away with a shiny clean vehicle, plus feel great about supporting our Eagle golfers, all while enjoying a little fellowship with friends. 
Proceeds will go to support the current golf season including tournament registrations and  equipment for the team.  We can't wait to see you there!
New Family Coffee: You're Invited On February 20!

For families in their first year at PCA, we would love to hear how your year has been and answer any questions about spring at PCA - activities & schedules, re-enrollment, financial aid & scholarships, field day, athletics, summer fun, volunteer opportunities, transitions to the next grade, and more.
Please join us for coffee on Tuesday, February 20 at 8 am in the Welcome Center. We look forward to seeing you!

Deadline To Order Yearbook: February 14 

This Wednesday is the final day to order your 2017-2018 Palmetto Christian Academy yearbook! F ull of incredible pictures and details of everything PCA, your student will enjoy pouring over the pages and remembering special events. Again, the deadline to order is February 14! You can purchase your yearbook for $25 and personalize it at an additional cost.

Let's Get Social: We're Ready To Connect With You On Instagram 

Are you a social butterfly? Or just looking for some behind the scenes peeks at what's happening at PCA? Well, we've got you covered. 
We invite you to join our community and be the first to know the great things happening at Palmetto Christian Academy by connecting with us on social media.
You can follow us at
www.instagram.com/palmettochristian. 
School In Session On Monday

We wanted to remind you that Monday, February 19 is a make-up day for one of the missed snow days earlier in the year. PCA students will attend school on this previous Presidents Day holiday. School will be in session for regular operating hours. 
Eagle Athletic News
Sophomore Maliek Brown Scores 1000th Career Point  

It is a milestone moment for a high school basketball player, and this milestone comes early in the career of PCA sophomore Maliek Brown. 
In Friday night's impressive win over Northside, Maliek scored an amazing 39 points to hit his 1000th career point. 
Officials paused the game and allowed PCA to present the game ball to Maliek for this incredible accomplishment. 
Maliek was the lead sports story last Friday night on ABC News 4, and also received some airtime on News 2 and Live 5 News.
Congratulations Maliek!!!

Fighting Eagles Basketball Week In Review
Written by Lewis Seabrook 

It was a full week of basketball for the PCA teams. The week opened on Tuesday with a four game road trip to Bishopville to take on the Cavaliers of Robert E. Lee Academy. The Eagles came away with a clean sweep, winning the JV girls game 31-16, the JV boys game 45-32, the Varsity Girls game 63-42 and the Varsity Boys game 59-56. The varsity teams were in action again Wednesday as they traveled to Kingstree for two games against Williamsburg Academy.  Varsity Girls won 52-44 and Varsity Boys won 76-29. The week ended Friday night with Senior Night at PCA. The Eagles took on Northside Christian Academy for three games and swept the visitors by winning the JV Boys game 44-28, the Varsity Girls game 57-30 and the Varsity Boys game 83-37. 

In  Tuesday's Varsity Girls action, the Lady Eagles were led in scoring by Maddie Davidson's 20 points. Maddie also had 6 steals and 2 blocks during the game. Lauren Pernell continued to provide balanced play by scoring 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. She also had 5 steals. Thievery continued as Katelyn Howard made 5 steals to go along with her 17 points. Peyton Emerson contributed 8 points, while Catherine Cave scored 4 and Olivia Horne added 1 point.

In the boys game, Maliek Brown led the way with 35 points and 10 rebounds.  Marc Haight scored 10 and had 4 steals. Thomas Michel scored 6, and hit 4 consecutive foul shots late in the game to preserve the Eagle's lead. Robert Gregg had 4 points, 10 rebounds and a crucial steal as time expired with Robert E Lee going for the tie to send the game into overtime. Grayson Silvester scored 2 points and grabbed 4 steals, while William Stewart scored 2, had 9 rebounds, 1 steal and a block.

Wednesday's girls game against the Stallions of Williamsburg Academy was a foul fest with a total of 46 fouls called on both teams. Three of our Lady Eagles fouled out, yet the team held on for the win. In a very balanced scoring game, Maddie led with 16 points, Peyton added 7, Lauren, Katelyn and Gracie Kammer all scored 6, Erin Wayman scored 5, while Catherine and Olivia both scored 3. Once again Lauren reached double figures in rebounds, this time grabbing 12 missed shots.

Wednesday's boys game was one sided. The Eagles took a commanding 27-8 first quarter lead, then outscored Williamsburg 49-21 over the final three quarters to cruise to victory. Cole Silvester led the way for the Eagles with 23 points, followed by Maliek's 16. William added 11 points, followed by Grayson's 8, Marc's 7, and Robert's 6. Since there was no JV action, Malachi Ancrum and Sully Smith played up with the varsity and scored 3 points and 2 points respectively.

Friday's girls game saw our Lady Eagles build a 13 point first quarter cushion against the Crusaders from Northside, then maintain a double digit lead for the remainder of the game. Maddie led all scorers with 24 points, followed by Lauren's 12, and Katelyn's and Peyton's 6 each. Gracie and Olivia both scored 4 points, and Erin added 1. The Eagles' defense held the Crusaders' leading scorer to just 7 points. A special moment came with about a minute left in the game, when Coach Pouyat substituted for our lone senior Peyton Emerson.  The ovation she received when she came off the floor for the last time was very deserving and moving, leading to a few moist eyes (including mine).

In traditional PCA Senior Night fashion, Coach Harris started senior William Stewart who responded with 6 first quarter points and helped the Eagles build a 23-8 first quarter lead over the Crusaders. For the game, PCA was led by Maliek's monster night where he scored 39 points to gain the 1000 career point plateau (on an alley-oop dunk). Malielk also collect 18 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, stole the ball 3 times and had 1 big block. Marc was a recipient of many of Maliek's assists, scoring 21 points as well as grabbing 4 steals of his own. William finished with 8 points, Grayson scored 7, Cole added 6 and Robert finished with 2.

The week's victories leave our girls varsity with a 20-4 record overall and 9-1 region record.  Boys varsity holds a 24-1 overall record and remain undefeated in region play at 10-0.  Two regular season games remain -  Monday at Calhoun Acadmey in St. Matthews, where all four of our teams will play, then varsity only  on Tuesday at home verses Williamsburg Academy. State playoffs begin on  Friday, February 16. Times and game locations will be announced by SCISA sometime  Wednesday.

One final note, the JV boys basketball team defeated First Baptist 44-31 on Thursday and beat Northwood Academy 48-26 on Saturday. Combined with wins on Tuesday and Friday, this pushed their record to 4-0 for the week - all in convincing fashion.


High School Sports Report Names All State Athletes

Congratulations to the following PCA athletes who have been named to the HSSR All-State team for their sport!
Tennis:  Emily Shaw
Volleyball: Lauren Pernell  and Emma Patrick
Girls' Golf: Ava Romfo
Swim: Sam Biggerstaff and Will Vandergrift

The High School Sports Report held an all-state banquet at Seawell's in Columbia yesterday afternoon to recognize the accomplishments of these athletes. We are very proud of you all!
Chad Shimakonis Named To SCISA All-State Team

We want to congratulate senior Chad Shimakonis for being named to the SCISA 1A All-State football team as a defensive back! Chad had a great year on the football field for PCA leading the way on offense and defense this past season. 
Way to go Chad!  


JV Baseball Tryouts: February 13

Tryouts for PCA's JV Baseball team will be held on Tuesday, February 13 from 4 to 6 pm at Park West field #1.
Students in Grades 6 - 10 are invited to participate. Your child must have a physical on file with the PCA office before trying out for the team. Please email dhoover@palmettochristianacademy.org to register your child for tryouts.
Trident Basketball: PCA Teams Advancing In Playoffs! 

We're incredibly proud of our PCA Trident teams who have represented us well both on and off the court this season. Here's the very latest on post season tournament play:

The 5th grade girls beat Christ Our King-5 by a score of 10-9 on Saturday to advance to the second round against the other Christ Our King team on Monday at 7 pm in the Christ Our King gym. 

The 5th grade boys beat Buist Academy 43-25  on Saturday to advance to the next round. They will play an opponent yet to be determined at Haut Gap on John's Island at  6 pm  on Wednesday.

The 7th grade girls defeated Pinewood Prep 21-8  on Saturday and will take on Daniel Island on  Monday night at  8 pm in the Philip Simmons gym.

The 6th grade girls had a bye  on Saturday and will play Cario on Wednesday night at the Cario gym. Game time is set for  6 pm.
Yes, I Will Help With Home Basketball Games!

We're asking for your help to provide the best quality experience for our fans and guests at PCA Home Basketball Games. Will you take just a minute to sign up and volunteer for either gate admissions or concessions during the season? We very much appreciate your time and willingness to serve!  
Important Dates To Remember
  • February 15-16 - Winter Break/No School
  • February 19 - School In Session - Make up day from winter storm 
  • February 21 - Booster Club Meeting
  • February 27-March 2 - Spiritual Emphasis Week (Upper School)
  • March 1 - FCA Breakfast
  • March 1 - Fine Arts Coffeehouse 
  • March 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation Week
  • March 13 - End of 3rd Quarter
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