Mondays with Mike: Preview of “HOS Eagle Eye View”

This week’s Mondays with Mike provides insights into where PCA is headed, emphasizing faith, academic excellence, and student growth. Below, you’ll find a summary of key points, along with attached slides for further details.

📌 Key Updates & Highlights

✅ Who Comes to PCA?
PCA families prioritize faith and academic excellence in different ways:
70% prioritize the Christian faith in education.
60% emphasize academic excellence.
30% value both equally.
PCA remains committed to both, ensuring your child receives an excellent Christian education that integrates faith into all aspects of learning.

✅ PCA’s Educational Philosophy: The Academy Model
PCA balances faith, competition, creativity, and core academics to holistically prepare students from preschool through upper school.
Students progress through the grammar stage (foundational learning), logic stage (critical thinking), rhetoric stage (persuasive learning), and, for some, into the wisdom stage in upper school (college-level work).

✅ Academic & Standardized Testing Insights
NWEA (Growth-Based Testing): Tracks skill mastery in reading, math, and language. PCA students perform above national averages.
SAT (Critical Thinking-Based Testing): PCA is seeing a gap between strong NWEA performance and SAT scores, indicating a need to strengthen problem-solving and test-taking strategies.
Parents should encourage students to engage with SAT prep resources to develop higher-level thinking skills.

✅ Spiritual Growth & School Culture
Encouraging Trends:
Most students view learning as a gift from God and see their work as part of His plan.
More students are embracing humility, prayer, and serving their peers.
Areas for Growth:
Encouraging more biblical conflict resolution among students.
Helping students prioritize rest and Sabbath practices for balance.

✅ How PCA Supports Students Beyond Academics
Research suggests students need five trusted adults guiding them outside of their parents. PCA aims to be a strong partner in your child’s spiritual, emotional, and academic journey.
Life is full of challenges, from academic struggles to social pressures. PCA is committed to walking alongside your child in both successes and hardships.
📢 Parent Action Steps

📚 Encourage Deep Reading – Help your child build strong reading habits beyond schoolwork.

🎯 Support Healthy Struggle – Growth comes from challenges. Encourage perseverance in academics and faith.

📖 Promote Scripture Engagement – Set aside time for personal Bible reading and discussion.

🗣️ Talk About Conflict Resolution – Reinforce biblical ways to handle disagreements at home.

📝 Prepare for College & Career Readiness – If your child is in middle or upper school, talk about their future goals and standardized testing plans.

For more details, please review the attached slides and watch the full recording. As always, I welcome your feedback!