Mondays with Mike: The Quiet Work that Shapes a School
Good Monday afternoon PCA families,
Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week nationally, and I found myself deeply grateful for the women and men who serve our students each day at PCA.
In this week’s Mondays with Mike, I reflect on what Teacher Appreciation Week revealed about our community: parents bringing meals, coffees, notes, and encouragement; volunteers covering classrooms; teachers greeting students on the welcome line; aides helping children grow on the new Eagle’s Nest playground; and faculty faithfully walking with students through both joyful and difficult seasons.
Much of Christian education is quiet work. But it is not small work.
▶ Listen to this week’s 9-minute episode (Tap the player below or open in your podcast app.)
Key Takeaways
- Much of Christian education is quiet work.
Some of the most important moments in a school happen in ordinary interactions: greeting students by name, helping children resolve conflict, staying after school for conversations, or patiently encouraging growth over time. - Presence shapes a school community.
From the welcome line to playgrounds, games, concerts, rehearsals, missions trips, and classrooms, teachers and staff consistently help students feel known, seen, and cared for. - Formation happens slowly.
Teachers are helping students grow not only academically, but relationally, spiritually, emotionally, and personally through thousands of ordinary moments over time. - Christian schools carry both joy and burden together.
This year has included celebration, growth, and visible progress, but also real sorrow and difficulty. PCA teachers have continued to pray, encourage, show up, and love faithfully in the middle of uncertainty. - Faithful Christian educators are one of God’s great provisions for PCA.
Reflecting on his father’s words as PCA’s Headmaster Emeritus, Mike shares that among God’s greatest gifts to PCA are the women and men willing to give themselves joyfully to the calling of Christian education.
One of the strongest themes in this episode is that students are shaped not only by what teachers teach, but by who faithfully shows up for them over time.
At PCA, that work happens every day—in classrooms, on playgrounds, at games, in rehearsals, through correction, encouragement, challenge, celebration, and quiet conversations no one else sees.
To our teachers and staff: thank you.
To our parents: thank you for partnering with us in this work.
And to our students: you are worth all of it.
We are grateful to God for all of you!
Grace and peace,
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
As a community, we just got through our second meeting and Washington’s army has escaped a trap in New York (barely).
If you missed the kickoff, you can watch it HERE.
If it requests a passcode, it is: E.q=Qn4@
Our first meeting was HERE.
Passcode: +Z@pqk87
Our second meeting was HERE.
Passcode: deT7vpH.
You can also access the family reading guide below (attached). This is a natural way to continue these conversations at home—about history, leadership, and the responsibilities that come with both.
Our next Zoom call is Thursday, May 21 at 5PM. The link is in the blog post HERE. Hope to see you then! We will be covering Section 3, Chapters 7-9—the miracle at Trenton on Christmas morning. It’s never too late to join!
To hear past episodes, share with your loved ones and friends, follow, and even review us, check out our PCA Podcast on these platforms:
