Parents

at Portsmouth Christian Academy

Thank you for partnering with us in the education of your children. We hope you will become an active member of our compassionate community, whether that be through groups such as Moms in Prayer or Fathers in Prayer or through our Volunteer Service Program!

Below you will find helpful links and resources that are available throughout the year including school calendars and information regarding our transportation, lunch, and volunteer programs. To keep up with events on campus throughout the school year, be sure to read the PCA: News of the Week (NOW), which is delivered to your email weekly.

Calendars

Our 2023-2024 School Overview Calendar, Yearly Planner and Athletic Calendar can be found below. For a more in-depth look at your child’s specific calendar, please visit your Parent Portal on Veracross.

2023 – 2024
Key Date Calendar
2023 – 2024
Yearly Planner
2023 – 2024
Athletic Calendar
2024 – 2025
Key Date Calendar

Veracross

Portsmouth Christian Academy uses Veracross as a School Information System for all of our internal and external school data management. Through Veracross, parents have access to a Parent Portal where they can view their child’s/children’s information including grades, schedule, etc.

Access Your Parent Portal

New families will receive access to Veracross and login information at the start of the new school year (August). 1 If you have trouble accessing your account, please reach out to Cheri Wilson at 603-742-3617, ext. 139.

Blackbaud Tuition

Portsmouth Christian Academy offers an opportunity to pay your tuition on an annual, semester, or monthly plan.  This plan is offered through Blackbaud Tuition Management (formerly Smart Tuition).  The Blackbaud Tuition program can be accessed and managed through a convenient online portal.

Login To Blackbaud Tuition
Open a Blackbaud Tuition Account

If you have any questions regarding the Blackbaud Tuition program, you can contact Allison Russell in the Business Office at 603-742-3617, ext. 107.

Volunteer Service Program

Parent partnership is a huge component of success here at PCA. One of the many ways we partner with families is through our Volunteer Service Program. We encourage parents to be involved in the life of our school and welcome them to campus often. A few ways for you to be involved include helping: teachers with daily classroom needs and events, with our annual auction, in the library and in the art rooms, with the yearbook, in our Swap Shop, take photographs, with lunch distribution, in athletics, with theater costume design and many more opportunities.

Visit our Support Page to learn more and sign up to be a PCA volunteer.

Please use this form to log volunteer service hours performed outside of normal school hours and/or off campus.

Student Health

Absences

If your child is ill and will be absent, please alert the Upper School Office/Lower School Office and the Nursing Team. The Nursing Team will assist you in determining a timeline for return to school as needed.

PCA’s return to school policy states: Students who have had diarrhea, vomiting, and/or a temperature over 100.4 F degrees should be kept home until free from symptoms for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (i.e. acetaminophen, ibuprofen).

A child with a bacterial infection that can be spread to other children (strep throat, impetigo, etc.) must be on an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

SNAP Health Portal
SNAP Health Portal

Portsmouth Christian Academy utilizes the SNAP Health Portal to better connect you with your child’s health and wellness information. Because we require this health information to be in a secure environment, each parent has a unique username and password. Once logged in, you will be able to access the Portal and enjoy direct access to the electronic medical record for your student(s), where you can update information as desired. Each time an update has been made, the Nursing Team on the SNAP Portal will receive a notification. Please take a moment to access your account if you have not already done so. Go to the SNAP Health Portal (www.studentehr.com) and enter your unique username and password. If you do not have this info, follow the link and enter the email you use for PCA communication and select “forgot password.” SNAP will reset it for you. The Nursing Team will communicate to you via email or phone rather than over SNAP.

Student Health Forms
Health Office Policies

Lunch

PCA has arranged with several local restaurants to provide lunches to our students which parents may purchase on a quarterly basis throughout the school year. This provides an alternative to packing a lunch each day for your child.

Online lunch registration begins a couple weeks prior to each quarter and parents are notified via email when registration is open. The price of each lunch option is calculated by taking the cost of the meal and multiplying by the number of days that lunch will be served during the quarter. (Please note that lunches are not served on early dismissal days which are designated on the PCA calendar.) All quarterly meal payments are non-refundable and must be paid in full prior to the start of the quarter. Once online registration closes, any orders received for the quarter will be assessed a $25 late fee and the quarterly lunch cost will not be prorated.

Changes to a quarterly order may be made during the first two weeks of the quarter. After that time, a fee of $25 will be charged for every change request.

Drive: The PCA Carpool Network

PCA families come from more than 55 towns in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine! Join our DRIVE Facebook group to connect with other families who live in your area.

Not on Facebook? Find families near you on Veracross using the instructions at this link.

Bus

PCA is pleased to offer families an additional option for transportation to and from school. Registration opens in early August and grants current riders priority.

For your reference, the following links break down bus routes, bus contract and rates for the 2022-2023 school year. Please note, routes, contract and rates are subject to change from year to year.

If you are interested in registering your student or have questions about payment, please reach out to Allison Russell in the Business Office at extension 107.

Moms in Prayer

Come and get acquainted with other moms who are interested in gathering weekly to pray for their children and our school Moms in Prayer is an international organization whose sole purpose is to bring moms together to pray for the needs of their children from Preschool to college and career. We also welcome any woman who has a heart to pray for grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or just a special child in your life.

Moms with children in the Lower & Middle School meet Tuesdays at 8:15am at the Lower School.

Moms with children in the Upper School pray together on Wednesdays at 8:30 am in the Miller Room in Runey Hall.

Please contact Glory Koshy for Lower & Middle School Moms in Prayer and Ann Kohl for Upper School Moms in Prayer.

Fathers in Prayer

Fathers in Prayer is a group of PCA fathers who gather monthly to pray for PCA, its leadership, teachers, students, and mission in the His Kingdom. It is a time for fathers to be in God’s presence, surrounded by others who can understand the struggles each of us face and mentor each other as our kids grow from PCAP to adulthood. While it is true that on certain occasions we get to get our hands dirty and help around the school, our focus is prayer and support of each other to be fathers to our families.

Fathers in Prayer gather together one Saturday a month at 8am at the Upper School Library in the Science and Arts Building.

If you wish to join us, please contact Gene Watson.