Building Community and Preparing for a New School Year at PCA

Hey, PCA families, it is Mike, and it is another Monday, and we are three weeks from the start of school. We had a great day here on campus. It was the first day of Shine Week, a time dedicated to preparing the school for your kid's arrival and your return to campus soon.

Tomorrow, we will be in-processing some of our new teachers, helping them with personnel and tech, and getting them ready for the new teacher onboarding next week. Our goal is to ensure they are highly effective from day one when they welcome your child into their classroom.

Shine Week started about five years ago and is rooted in our appreciation for the amazing campus God has provided us. This campus, which began as an old hospital building, has grown into a vibrant place of learning and community over the last 25 years. We are blessed with facilities like two gyms and multiple school buildings, all situated on 60 acres of protected land.

While we have this incredible place, we also need a strong community to support it. Our school brings together families from over 50 towns across three states and multiple countries, representing more than 100 different churches. Our shared vision is to help your kids grow into their God-given potential.

Maintaining our campus requires a collective effort. Our facilities manager, Josh Gronblom, along with a small team, relies heavily on volunteer support. People like Paul Gases, a retired firefighter and PCA grandfather, contribute significantly to our campus upkeep. We also have contractors and other volunteers who help with various tasks.

This week, during Shine Week, we saw an outpouring of community support. Around 30 volunteers, including staff, faculty, new families, and returning families, came together to help with projects like installing a fence for the K-5 playground, clearing woods for a Wilderness Play Area, and working on our cross-country track. Get a sense from our Volunteer Coordinator, Summer Heath, at this link on our Community Page. 

We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. From assembling furniture for classrooms to maintaining trails, each contribution helps create a welcoming and well-prepared environment for our students.

As we look forward to the new school year, we encourage you to think about how you can engage with our community. Whether through prayer, volunteering, or using your unique skills, your involvement is invaluable. Supporting one another as parents and working together with our teachers and staff will help us build a strong, healthy community.

Thank you to everyone who participated today and will join us later this week in Shine Week. We look forward to seeing more of you on Wednesday and throughout the coming weeks. Let's continue to support each other and create a welcoming environment for all PCA families.

God bless you, and we'll see you on campus soon.