PCA recognized the achievements of its 18 members of the Class of 2018 during Friday's Senior Awards Ceremony. Each student was celebrated and his or her future college plans were announced. In addition, seniors were recognized for academic achievement (highest GPA) in each subject along with special recognitions for fine arts and athletics.  

Shelby Muirhead was awarded the prestigious Headmasters Award for leadership while

Peyton Emerson received the Dewey Caulder Award for athletic distinction.

We are incredibly proud of this group of young men and women and how they have positively impacted our school and the community. 

Be sure to check next week's Eagle Edition for a special feature on the Class of 2018 Valedictorian and Salutatorian. 

Be sure to join us for the upcoming Upper School Academic Awards Ceremonies and the Lower School Close of School Program. All of the programs will take place in the Worship Center.

Here's what you need to know:

Upper School Academic Awards (Grades 8-11) - May 18 at 8 am

Upper School Academic Awards (Grades 6-7) - May 25 at 8 am

Lower School Close of School Program (Grades K-5) - May 25 at 9 am

Lower School students will be awarded Character Traits in their classrooms at a time set by each individual teacher. 

Class of 2018 Graduation - May 25 at 6 pm

On Thursday, May 10th the PCA upper school arts were on display at the annual Palmetto Show. The evening began with an entertaining concert by the PCA middle and high school Bands and Choirs. Selections from the bands included classical and popular tunes, including a John Williams medley which included songs from Star Wars and Jurassic Park. The bands have continued to grow under the direction of Mr. Mike Doll, and this year PCA was excited to add high school band among the music classes offered.

The middle school choirs also sang a collection of songs including songs from Korea and Africa, as well as a touching rendition of "What a Wonderful World" which was dedicated to Mr. Moser. The high school Ensemble sang a collection of songs including "Mojuba" from Nigeria, "I Surrender All" and "Singing in the Rain". Among the performances, were cameos by our three seniors who have all been in Choir at PCA for eight years. Samuel Biggerstaff performed an original piano composition, "Marshlands." Nicole Watson wowed the audience vocally with an Italian art song, "Vittoria, mio core!" and Katie Keenan ended the night with a tender solo on "This is Me" from the movie The Greatest Showman. Both Samuel and Nicole plan on continuing to study music in college. PCA is extremely proud of our seniors and all of our students for their work and performance in music!

The evening ended with an amazing display of upper school visual art, provided by PCA art teacher Rachel Tuck. Beautiful paintings, colorful drawings and realistic renderings from our PCA middle and high school artists were exhibited throughout the Welcome Center. Parents and students enjoyed the art walk and opportunity to see the many talents of our students. Art work for both the Palmetto show poster and program were presented by talented artists, Abby Landfried (11th) and Zella Horton (7th).

The Palmetto Show was a beautiful success! Thanks to all of our PCA students for sharing their many talents! 

(Video provided by Karen Velasquez - thank you Karen!)

This amazing crew of PCA high school sophomores recently put their faith into action by serving alongside other groups during ECBC's Love on Charleston event. 

The students spent three hours packing food so it could be distributed throughout the community.

We're proud of their commitment to serve and their desire to be the hands and feet of Christ!

If you have an upper school student who needs service hours, Mount Pleasant Track Club has a meet at Park West this Saturday, May 19 and is in need of volunteers for the afternoon shifts . 

5 to 8 volunteers are requested for various duties including.. helping at measuring tape for discus and shot put, collecting throwing instruments at events, or writing results on ribbons. The track meet is scheduled all day with over 1000 athletes competing but help is most needed from 12 pm to 4 pm. 

Lots of PCA kids will be competing in the meet. Please contact Sarah Corley at scorley@palmettochristianacademy.org if your student is interested in volunteering.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to serve as next year's National Honor Society officers! 

President - Abby Landfried

Vice President - Sarah Spivey

Chaplain - Lauren Pernell (not pictured)

Secretary - Anne Gregory Horton

Treasurer - Ben Salem

These students look forward to leading our PCA chapter in the upcoming school year. Students are inducted into the National Honor Society based on four primary qualifications: academic excellence, service, leadership and character. 

The military opportunities meeting originally scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for August due to conflicts with schedules.

This meeting will provide details regarding what a military education has to offer including valuable information on admission to US Military Service Academies and ROTC scholarships. 

We'll be sure to keep you updated with a new date and time when we return in the new school year.

Our 5th Grade students enjoyed their recent trip to Virginia visiting such sites as Richmond, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Monticello. It was a rich learning experience as students were able to travel back in time to participate in historic reenactments of important events that shaped our nation.

This trip was truly a unique opportunity as students were able to walk in the footsteps of the historical figures that they have studied.

A special thank you to our wonderful chaperones for giving of their time to help make this trip possible.

Last Monday, the third grade classes enjoyed a lovely May morning at the Boone Hall Plantation. The students heard the history of the plantation dating back to its origins in 1681 when Major John Boone and his wife received the land as a wedding gift. They also learned that over the years Boone Hall Plantation has produced a number of cash crops including lumber, brick, indigo, cotton and pecans and that it houses the oldest building in Mount Pleasant- a smokehouse built with bricks made on the Plantation in 1750. Another interesting fact about the Plantation is that its stable was once home to Princequillo, a Thoroughbred whose progeny includes three Triple Crown winners - Secretariat, Seattle Slew and America Pharoah.

The students also heard a powerful and moving lesson on Gullah history by Ms. Jackie Mikel, the Gullah Gal. Ms. Mikel taught the group that the Gullah culture has its roots in Western Africa because the people there could tolerate the heat of the South and had developed an immunity to malaria which was a problem during the warm months on the plantations. Also, we learned that the slaves dropped parts of their words and spoke quickly so the the slave owners couldn't understand them. By doing so, this led to the development of the Gullah/Geechee language.

What an exciting opportunity for our 2nd grade students as they visited the beautiful and historic Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner. The park is the site of America's first true canal built from 1793-1800.  The students participated in a Swamp Things class with interaction and discussion about swamp animals! They were also amazed by an Incredible Insects class and a Reptile Program. It was a memorable way to connect their classroom learning with hands on exploration!

If you weren't at PCA's Field Day, you missed out! On May 2, PCA Lower School was divided into the 12 tribes of Israel: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin. All the tribes had a dance warm-up led by the one and only, Coach Kaiser. Then they rushed to a big field where all the best activities were set up including an obstacle course, soccer, and the tug of war!

The water balloon toss was a favorite! When Jake Vandergrift and Burket Yaun were asked which event they liked best, the response was simple. They liked the water balloon toss because, "it squirted all over my face." But Bria Olson liked the hula-hoop chain. Not only did she like it because it was exciting, but she felt that the game "builds teamwork."

With all these competitions, well, was there a winner? Yes! For every event the teams won, the team leaders were given a medal to wear around their necks. After all of the tribes were finished with all of the events, the medals were counted. In the end, the tribe of Gad came out with the win! But there was also a Fruit of the Spirit Award! There were spies all over the field, looking for the fruits of the spirit. Cole Garner's tribe won this award. Garner says, "It's a time to get to know other people in other grades." Mrs. Blalock also gave her thoughts. She says that Field Day was, "to have fellowship and healthy competition."

After the winners had been announced, it was time for the spotlight to shine on Dr. Martin and Mr. Zubia. They decided to do a water balloon toss! With all of the Lower School watching, they tried not to drop the balloon. After that, all the fifth graders competed in an intense tug of war! Yes, we all love Field Day, and we greatly appreciate all the volunteers' help. Field Day was amazing!

Thank you to all you parents who clipped and sent in Box Tops this year! Those little pink squares were a big boost to our volunteer budget and the proceeds were used to supply workrooms with coffee, celebrate teacher birthdays and provide breakfast for end-of-year meetings. A big shout out to Kim Calderon and her Boxtop team for diligently counting them all year! 

Our Grand Total Winners for this year are:

 
Upper School -  Mrs Olson's 6/7th graders with 2138 Boxtops 
Lower School -  1st - Mrs. Welch with 1075
                          2nd - Mrs. Wilson with 1005
                          3rd - Mrs. Sorenson with 750
PCA Preschool - Miss Emily and Miss Karen's 4-year-old class with 506

These students have lived, learned and grown with us here at PCA. We are so proud of our senior class and its accomplishments. As we near the end of the school year, we want to highlight each member of our Class of 2018 over the next several weeks in a feature called "Senior Spotlight". Let's celebrate together what God has in store for their future.

At what grade level did you start Palmetto Christian Academy? I began attending PCA in seventh grade.

 

Are you involved in extracurricular activities? If so, what are they and have you received awards in these activities?  I play baseball, football, and basketball. In my junior year I received the all-state award in baseball.

 

What are your plans after graduation? I plan to study physical therapy and play baseball for Anderson University.

How has PCA made a difference in, or impacted your life? Do you feel that Palmetto Christian Academy has prepared   you for life after graduation?  PCA has equipped me with the knowledge and tools for success in college.

At what grade level did you start Palmetto Christian Academy? I started attending PCA in 6th grade.

 

Are you involved in extracurricular activities? If so, what are they and have you received awards in these activities?  I played varsity soccer and made the all-state team.

 

What are your plans after graduation?  I plan to study biology at Clemson University and become a physician's assistant.

If your college or university has released scholarship recipients, have you received scholarship money? I will receive the Life scholarship.

How has PCA made a difference in, or impacted your life? Do you feel that Palmetto Christian Academy has prepared you for life after graduation?  PCA has shaped me into the person I am today and has prepared me for the next step in my life. 

At what grade level did you start Palmetto Christian Academy? I started at Palmetto Christian Academy as a freshman in high school, at the start of my 9th grade year. I have been a student at PCA for the last four years now!

 

Are you involved in extracurricular activities? If so, what are they and have you received awards in these activities?   I have been involved in the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, the Worship Team, the Science Club, and the Girls Varsity Golf Team. For the Future Business Leaders of America, I have competed at the National Competition for 3 Years, I won first in all my events at the District Competition for 3 years, and enjoyed serving as the Chapter Secretary of the PCA FBLA team. I also served as the Co-Captain of the Girls Varsity Golf Team, and I have had a lot of fun leading the PCA Science Club as President for its first official year. PCA presented me with so many fun extracurricular opportunities, and I have enjoyed being a part of each one!

 

What are your plans after graduation?  I plan to attend Clemson University in the Fall to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. In the future, I would like to possibly work for Boeing, or I would like to work for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or the Mars Science Laboratory.

If your college or university has released scholarship recipients, have you received scholarship money?  I have received the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship!

How has PCA made a difference in, or impacted your life? Do you feel that Palmetto Christian Academy has prepared you for life after graduation?

Palmetto Christian Academy has well and truly been the biggest thing that has ever happened to me. Over the last four years, I have had the incredible opportunity to grow and flourish in my relationship and understanding of the Lord in a supportive environment. I have also been able to build great relationships with good people and it has been a learning experience that has allowed me to step out and do things I would have never dreamt about. I have been able to push boundaries and develop in so many aspects, including leadership. Palmetto Christian Academy has greatly contributed to who I have become today, and I will take everything I have learned here with me as I embark on the next chapter in my life. I want to thank all the kind people who have generously invested their time and energy into me over the course of the last four years. I will never forget how PCA has contributed to my life, and I am excited to see how my preparations for college here at PCA come to fruition!

Here's a look at the final exam schedule for Grades 8-11. The first exam of each day will begin at 8 am. The second exam will begin at 9:35 am. Exams should be wrapped up by 11:05 am. Students only need to attend during the times of their exams.

Monday, May 21 - Regular school day 

Tuesday, May 22 -  1B and 2B

Wednesday, May 23 - 1A and 2A

Thursday, May 24 - 3B and 4B

Friday, May 25 - 3A and 4A

Just a friendly reminder that Friday, May 25th will be an Early Release Day.  

Grades K-4 will be dismissed at 11:30 am. Grades 5-7 will be dismissed at 11:45 am. Grades 8-11 will be dismissed at 11:05 am upon completion of final exams.

If you haven't visited our PCA Smugmug page in a while, you may want to check it out. You'll find pictures of several of our Varsity and JV spring sports teams in action..  including soccer and baseball.   

A huge thank you to Preschool Director Sharon Basha for sharing her photography skills with us to capture these wonderful moments for our student athletes.

Visit PCA's Smugmug site!

Dennis Uniform will be selling high school uniforms at PCA for one day only this summer: Thursday, July 12. 

A limited amount of PCA uniform inventory will be available for purchase on that day in the Annex from 10 am to 6 pm.

Families who are not able to attend on that day need not fret! PCA uniforms continue to be available for purchase on the Dennis Uniform website 24/7.

Shop for High School Uniforms Online

You're invited to join us for a women's summer Bible study entitled "Discerning the Voice of God". It's a 7-week video study with Priscilla Shirer on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-11:30 am in the Worship Center from June 19 - August 7 (no meeting July 3). Childcare is available but fills quickly in the summer so please register early.  

 

If hearing God has seemed challenging, you are invited to explore a more intimate relationship with Him, one that can make hearing Him, His will, His heart, and His voice, your on-going experience. Discover how you can listen with greater confidence, clarity and discernment.

Find More Information and Register here

Make plans to join us for a special Mother Daughter Night at ECBC on July 17 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Welcome Center. 

This special event is for Mothers and Daughters from K5 to adult.. including grandmothers, aunts, spiritual mothers, and daughters-in-law. Lauren Beech will share an edifying word about relationships that will appeal to all ages. We will have a photo booth, tea and treats, a craft, worship music and fun for all. Come celebrate! Cost is $15 per person; please register online. Childcare is available.  

Find More Information and Register

Peyton Emerson was awarded the Bill Simpson Award by Mr. Larry Watt, the SCISA Executive Director, at the Senior Awards Day last Friday. The Bill Simpson Award is the highest award presented to an individual student-athlete in the South Carolina Independent School Association. The Award is presented annually to a graduating male and female student-athlete in memory of Mr. Bill Simpson. Mr. Simpson served the South Carolina Independent School Association for seven years as the Athletic Secretary. Mr. Simpson, an educator first and foremost, laid much of the ground-work for an association built upon athletic and academic success. Throughout his career as a teacher, coach, official and administrator, he emphasized the importance of academic achievement. Qualifications for this award include lettering in a minimum of two varsity sports during high school, having a proven record of student leadership, being active in school clubs and organizations while having a record of outstanding academic achievement and making worthwhile contributions as a student-athlete. While others have been nominated in the past, Peyton is the first person from PCA to be awarded this prestigious honor. Way to go Peyton!

The Moultrie News held their first annual Best of Prep Sports Awards at Alhambra Hall last Monday night. In a room full of the most successful prep athletes from the area, PCA Junior Lauren Pernell was honored as the 2018 Female Athlete of the Year. Guest Speaker and former Clemson Tiger Ben Boulware was impressed by Lauren's ability to play 6 varsity sports at a high level by saying "I don't know how you play 47 sports and make All-State in everything. That's just sick." The emcee for the evening, local celebrity Warren Peper commented "you have to be always going to practice or going to games."  

Read the Moultrie News article

Senior Grant Lonneman and Junior Sarah Spivey were recently named to the SCISA North/South boys' and girls' All-Star Teams respectively.  Congratulations to Grant and Sarah!

The Varsity Boys' soccer team ended its season with a first round playoff loss to Christian Academy by a score of 0-3. With the loss, eight seniors played their last game for the Eagles, finishing as the winningest class in PCA boys' soccer history.

Rising 6th-12th grade girls wanting to play Varsity Girls Golf next year should attend the informational meeting to be held Tuesday, May 15 at 3:15 pm in Room B219. If you absolutely cannot attend, please contact Coach Tom Orth at orthtr@yahoo.com or Mrs. Erika Romfo at romfoek2@hotmail.com.  

Rising 5th-12th grade boys and girls wanting to run Cross-Country next year should plan to attend the informational meeting on Thursday, May 17 at 3:15 pm in Room B214. Information will be given about summer practices and expectations. If you absolutely cannot attend, please e-mail Coach Hoover at dhoover@palmettochristianacademy.org.