Mondays with Mike: Homecoming at PCA
Why We Gather
PCA Families,
Homecoming is here!
And at PCA, we are learning to think about Homecoming as something bigger than alumni returning or a weekend of athletic events. We want it to be one of those moments when a school we attend becomes more fully a community we belong to.
That is the heart of this week’s Mondays with Mike.
I’m joined by Megan Tuttle and Nate Paul—both PCA parents and leaders on our communications and storytelling team—to talk about what families can expect during Homecoming Week and, more importantly, why we hope you will come.
Friday is intentionally designed to bring the whole PCA community together: our youngest students through Upper School, parents, faculty and staff, alumni, athletes and non-athletes alike. Saturday adds another dimension as we gather with purpose through the Trueman Way 5K and Dig Pink / Spike Blue.
Listen: Homecoming at PCA — Why We Gather
Key Takeaways
- Homecoming is for the whole PCA family. Friday’s activities are intentionally designed so PCAP, Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School families can enjoy the campus together—not only families with students competing that day.
- We hope PCA increasingly feels like home. Alumni will return, but Homecoming is also an invitation for current families—especially newer families—to build relationships and begin to say, “This is my community too.”
- Our students help build the experience. Upper School student leaders will help lead activities and welcome younger students, creating relationships across divisions that do not always happen during an ordinary school day.
- Friday is about joy and shared life. Athletics, food, activities, play, school spirit, and time to linger give families room simply to enjoy being together.
- Saturday gathers us with purpose. The Trueman Way 5K gives our community an opportunity to remember and honor Grant Trueman, while Dig Pink / Spike Blue brings people together around perseverance, care, and the fight against cancer.
One of the things Nate said in our conversation has stayed with me.
He described his three-year-old daughter simply making friends at a PCA event—and, because she did, he found himself meeting dads he had never met before. Small interactions like those matter. A conversation on the sideline. Helping another parent with a toddler. Sharing a meal. Cheering together. Staying a little longer than you planned.
That is often how belonging begins.
So this week, come.
Even if you can only stay for part of Friday, bring the family. Let the kids play. Cheer for our Eagles. Have dinner here. Find someone you do not know yet and introduce yourself.
And if you can join us Saturday, come walk, run, play, remember, serve, and celebrate with us.
Community does not happen simply because we share a school name. We build it by showing up for one another.
Thank you for helping us continue to build the compassionate, Christ-centered community we desire PCA to be.
We’ll see you at Homecoming!
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
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