Mondays with Mike: Torchbearers and Trailblazers — PCA Class of 2025 and the NWEA Pizza Challenge!

This week’s Mondays with Mike honors the incredible Class of 2025—our “Faithful Forty”—whose academic strength, spiritual growth, and servant leadership exemplify PCA’s mission.

As we begin NWEA testing across Grades 3–11, I also offer a joyful challenge (involving pizza and ice cream!) to encourage every student to step into growth.

Whether you have a senior or a kindergartner, this episode will give you a reason to celebrate what God is doing across our school.

Key Takeaways:

• The Class of 2025 is exceptional. With a 3.76 GPA, over 8,400 service hours, and 160+ college credits earned, they embody PCA’s vision of joyful excellence and Christ-centered leadership.
• PCA students rank in the top 10% nationally in standardized achievement—your child is being prepared to thrive.
• Challenge is by design, not pressure. Nearly 67% of Upper School students take Honors/AP courses. Growth happens when students step into what is hard.
• NWEA Testing Week is here (Grades 3–11). Students are invited to do their best—not to prove, but to grow.
• Fun incentives are on the line. Classes that meet their growth goals will earn pizza; top-performing grade bands will win ice cream (see details and video below).
• Teachers matter deeply. Student shout-outs this week highlight how PCA faculty shape lives—academically, spiritually, and relationally.

This week, students in grades 3 through 11 begin their spring NWEA tests—and I want to offer both an encouragement and a challenge.

First—be at peace. These tests help us see how you’ve grown. You don’t need to be perfect. Just bring your very best, trust God, and show what you’ve learned.

Second—here’s the challenge:
If your grade meets or exceeds its growth goals in Reading, Math, and Language Usage—based on national comparisons—your whole class gets a pizza party, teachers included. And the top grade in each division—Lower, Middle, and Upper—gets ice cream on top!

Last year, you knocked it out of the park in achievement. You scored in the top 10–15% of the nation. In Math, nearly every grade grew well. But in Reading and Language Usage, fewer grades hit the growth goals. That is what we want to focus on this week.

This is your chance to finish strong—and I believe you can do it!

To hear past episodes, share with your loved ones and friends, follow, and even review us, check out our PCA Podcast on these platforms: