Student Feature: My PCA Community
My PCA Community – by Phoebe, Grade 8
My time at PCA has taught me what a community is. For me, a community is a group of people that work together to bring each other up. When someone falls, we help them back up. When someone is down or feeling stressed, we comfort them. When someone is confused, we do what we can to help them understand. We work together to make sure everyone is successful.
Community is important to me because before PCA I never really got to experience it. At my old school, people weren’t quite as attentive or kind. If you were having a bad day, or if you were struggling, the students weren’t always willing to take the time out of their day to help. It didn’t feel as though my classmates really cared. It didn’t feel as though teachers always wanted to take the time to look out for their students either, at times turning a blind eye to the personal troubles their students were facing. I didn’t feel welcome to talk to them or ask any of my questions. It was difficult to know if I was supported.
School should be a great example of a community, one that students can feel they’re a part of. I’ve experienced that, here at PCA, we bring each other up. If someone feels confused on their homework, and they ask one of their peers to walk them through it—no matter who they asked—that person will more than likely be happy to help. If a student is feeling upset or lonely, or can’t seem to make friends, you can bet that through the course of the day that person will be approached by another student making sure they’re okay. And let’s not forget about the teachers, as they are a key part of the school community as well. At PCA, my teachers are approachable, and I don’t feel afraid to talk to them, or to ask them a question if needed. They want me to succeed just as much as I do. That is a true example of a thriving community.
Before I came to PCA, I sometimes felt alone in those days, which is why the PCA community has become so important to me. I treasure it. It means so much to me that we can come together and lift one another up the way we do at PCA. This community taught me that while it’s great to watch those around you succeed, it’s greater when the people you’ve been watching want you to be successful with them.