Mondays with Mike: Preview of “Principals’ Insights on Your Child’s Growth – Mid-Year Review”
PCA Families,
As we dive into the 3rd quarter, we’re grateful for how your kids and grandkids are flourishing—growing in faith, knowledge, strength, and skill.
Join us this Thursday at 3:45 PM in Troiano for the State of the School—a 45-minute gathering open to staff, faculty, parents, and grandparents. Childcare is provided. This is a key moment to hear about our school’s growth, challenges, and vision moving forward.
This week’s podcast wraps up our four-week podcast series, “Timely Talks: Equipping Families Today.” We’ve covered safety and health at PCA, AI in education, and teens and cell phones, and this week, we turn to a crucial topic—maximizing student potential. Our three principals provide a mid-year update on academic, spiritual, and character growth across all divisions. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand how PCA is more than just a school—it’s an integrated learning and growth community. You’ll see how our mission ties together across Lower, Middle, and Upper School, and how your child is rising to the challenge.
Lower School Principal
Middle School Principal
Upper School Principal
This week’s episode delves into the mid-year reflections and observations from the principals of a thriving educational institution. With the backdrop of completing mid-year report cards and wrapping up assessments, the leaders share fascinating insights into the academic, emotional, and spiritual growth of students at various school levels.
Dr. Carrie Abood discusses the lower school’s focus on leveraging data from NEWA and DIBELS assessments to enhance student learning and enrich their educational experience. Field trips, innovative teaching strategies, and creativity in learning form pivotal aspects of their growth strategy. Highlights include engaging projects like hot cocoa instructional writing, a visit from a local geologist, and unique endeavors like the SeaPerch challenge, fostering curiosity and problem-solving skills.
Lois Blatchley shares the middle school’s journey, emphasizing the transformative experience of sixth graders and the deepening of academic and spiritual conversations. With a focus on critical thinking skills, students navigate through engaging projects such as historical analysis and book club discussions. The culmination of efforts is evident in activities like a speech meet and science presentations.
Upper school principal Jordan Heckelman discusses the rhetoric development stage, where students synthesize learning through initiatives like mock trials and leadership classes. Balancing academics with extracurricular activities, students explore their potential in a supportive environment. Spiritual growth remains a cornerstone, with students actively engaging in service and missions projects.
The episode concludes with reflections on the holistic and community-focused approach of the school, celebrating student achievements and looking forward to continued growth and engagement in the upcoming semester.
Principals’ Interview: Growth and Rising to the Challenge
Lower School Takeaways (Dr. Carrie Abood):
- Academic Growth: NWEA and DIBELS assessments guide strategic mid-year adjustments. Lower School students are excelling, requiring enrichment opportunities like field trips and advanced learning experiences.
- Curiosity and Engagement: Teachers creatively integrate hands-on learning, such as third-grade geology projects, the second-grade Immigration Fair, and the fifth-grade Sea Perch underwater robotics competition.
- Spiritual Formation: A renewed focus on humility, with students reflecting on their own faith growth, demonstrating strong character, and engaging in prayer and service.
Middle School Takeaways (Mrs. Lois Blatchley):
- Academic Growth: A shift toward critical thinking—students debate literature, analyze historical conquests, and conduct in-depth science projects.
- Spiritual Growth: More student-led discussions on identity in Christ, strong engagement in chapel, and an upcoming parent book study on The Anxious Generation.
- Resilience in Adolescence: Middle School is a season of challenge and opportunity, and students are stepping up through leadership roles, fine arts, and athletics, gaining confidence and self-discipline.
MATH. This chart represents the percentiles your kids as a group (by grade) are scoring on Achievement compared nationally in Math. You can see the remarkable consistency–which demonstrates that they are growing while continuing to perform at very high levels semester over semester. Note: Winter 24-25 make-up tests are still ongoing this week.
READING. This chart represents the percentiles your kids as a group (by grade) are scoring on Achievement compared nationally in reading.As with math, your kid’s growth is leading to consistency of achievement at exceptional levels. Note: Winter 24-25 make-up tests are still ongoing this week.
Upper School Takeaways (Mr. Jordan Heckelmann):
- Rhetoric and Leadership: Students move beyond critical thinking to persuasion and leadership, showcased in mock trials, student-led worship planning, and public speaking assignments.
- Balancing Opportunities: With high participation in academics, athletics, and the arts, students are learning to manage competing priorities while developing executive function and time management.
- Spiritual Maturity: More students are praying for each other, engaging in deeper faith conversations, and stepping into leadership roles in chapel and service projects.
This conversation highlights how PCA’s mission is lived out daily, developing well-rounded, Christ-centered students ready to impact the world. Further, I encourage you to listen in and join us Thursday to see the bigger picture of what makes PCA a place where students flourish in faith, character, and academic excellence.
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