PCA Podcasts

Hope in the Hallways: Chaplain David’s Window into Student Life

A good Monday, peace, safe families.As we head into Christmas week, this episode meets you where you are and introduces Chaplain David Moore from Portsmouth Christian Academy. David shares his journey to PCA, his role focusing on the middle school, and how he quietly walks the halls—listening, praying, noticing, and being available to students and staff.David describes the real, thoughtful questions students are asking about faith and theology, the pressures they carry from social media and school, and the ways teachers and the Holy Spirit are present and active in their lives. He emphasizes partnership between school and families, and how PCA supports spiritual formation alongside academic growth.This conversation offers a calm, encouraging window into how hope is showing up for kids—often quietly, sometimes slowly, and always with care—and invites parents to feel confident that their children are seen and supported as they enter the Christmas season.

Voices & Strings: PCA Students Share All‑State Audition Journeys

Happy Monday from PCA: in the week before Christmas break, a group of young PCA musicians share how they discovered music, prepared for All‑State auditions, and balanced lessons, school, and extracurriculars.The students describe the audition process — learning repertoire in advance, sight‑reading on the spot, and for vocalists, memorizing excerpts — and reflect on practice routines, coaching, and the excitement of audition day.They talk about growth, competition, and community: 14 students auditioned and nine were selected, and many describe how the music program and teachers at PCA support collaboration and development across choirs, orchestra, theater, and worship team.With holiday concerts approaching, the students share favorite pieces they’re performing, including My Lord Has Come, an a cappella Deck the Halls arrangement, and Sleigh Ride, and they encourage younger students to join the rich, supportive fine‑arts community.

Inside PCA: Survey Results, Staffing Challenges & the Path Forward

Steve Leavitt interviews Head of School Mike Runey about the Fall 2025 Parent Survey and the biannual Student Culture Survey (grades 5–8). They review community feedback praising PCA’s relational, Christ-centered culture and exceptional faculty while highlighting key strengths such as students feeling safe and proud to attend the school.
The conversation also addresses primary concerns raised by parents and students: academic rigor in higher-level STEM courses (especially math and physics), difficulty finding qualified STEM teachers, clarity and consistency around grading and rules (including dress code enforcement and the headphone policy), and questions about dual-enrollment credit value.
They discuss student well-being and behavioral culture, acknowledging reports of bullying, the limits of on-campus counseling, and plans to partner with local Christian counseling providers. The school’s responses include recruiting national firms to hire skilled Christian STEM teachers, partnerships with Ethos and Colorado Christian University for advanced courses, work on grading clarity and consistent policy enforcement, professional development for staff, and facility improvements to support play and movement.
Mike and Steve close by thanking parents, students, and faculty for honest feedback, asking the community to pray and help identify qualified STEM teachers, and reaffirming PCA’s commitment to listening and improving school programs and culture.

Behind the Circles: Upper School Leaders Share How Small Groups Change Lives

In this episode of Mondays with Mike, three Upper‑School small group leaders—Maeve (senior), Jaela (junior), and Donovan (sophomore)—talk about how their groups have built trust, practiced vulnerability, and supported one another. They share specific moments like a deep discussion at Brookwoods, a student chapel message on love, and a creative prayer board project that helped students feel seen and prayed for.
The leaders also describe challenges of guiding conversations after chapel, how mentors and group members step in, and the ways small groups have shifted the school’s culture toward greater care and outreach. Each student closes by offering a short prayer request for their group during the Advent and Christmas season.
This conversation highlights quiet acts of faith, peer discipleship, and the real-life impact of student leadership on community and spiritual growth.

Thanksgiving Pause: Upper School Growth, Leadership & Community

Join Mike and Upper School Principal Jordan Heckelmann as they reflect on a fall semester of growth, leadership, and community just before Thanksgiving break. This episode highlights academic moments like a lively Socratic seminar on The Crucible, an advanced Spanish 5 literature course, inquiry-based chemistry labs, and creative projects in church history.
Jordan shares how teachers model curiosity and adapt new learning into the classroom, and how students are rising to academic challenges with perseverance and critical thinking. He also describes spiritual formation across the school, including development of small group leaders, spiritual renewal days with extended worship and prayer, and new practices like breath prayer.
The conversation celebrates student-led initiatives—a Thanksgiving feast born from student ideas, a student-led night of worship, increased senior leadership, and stronger cultural buy-in across events like homecoming and retreats. These examples show students taking ownership of their faith, community, and learning.
Jordan closes with gratitude for the Lord’s work in the community, thankful parents, faculty, staff, and student leaders, and optimism for continued growth through the rest of the school year.

Gratitude & Growth: Lower School Fall Highlights with Dr. Carrie Abood

In this episode Dr. Carrie Abood, Lower School Principal, shares fall highlights and expresses Thanksgiving gratitude. She reviews how the school has embraced the core value of a compassionate community through chapel, kindness initiatives, and classroom projects.
Dr. Abood describes student leadership growth—especially among fifth graders—with examples like athletic involvement, Operation Christmas Child, and a new lower-school student representative group. She also highlights signature programs such as the speech meet, shepherding and reading buddies, and the responsive classroom approach that supports social-emotional learning.
She praises the teachers’ dedication, collaborative professional development, and commitment to both academic and spiritual formation. Academic progress is tracked with assessments like NEWA and DIBELS, with focused work on writing, reading comprehension, and math groupings.
Preparing students for transitions, particularly fifth graders moving toward middle school, includes executive skills training, increased responsibility, and leadership opportunities. The episode closes with Dr. Aboot giving thanks for the school community and praying for rest and growth for families over Thanksgiving.

Thankful Hearts in Preschool: A Conversation with Ms. Harley

In this episode, PCAP director Harley Tuttle shares highlights from the fall preschool program during Thanksgiving break. She discusses moments of gratitude, new friendships, and children’s excitement about learning.Harley describes how teachers use a Christ-centered foundation—daily prayer, Bible stories, and intentional conversations—to help children notice God in creation and practice caring for one another. She gives examples like a gratitude wheel and a child asking classmates to pray for a sibling.The episode also explores intentional, play-based teaching: learning centers, provocations that provoke curiosity, early literacy and numeracy skills, and rich socio-dramatic play. Harley emphasizes social-emotional growth, problem-solving, and preparing older preschoolers for kindergarten with confidence and practical skills.She closes by expressing thanks for the committed teaching team, preschool families, and joyful students, noting the program’s recent recognition and praying a blessing over the community.

Growing in Grace: PCA Middle School Highlights This Fall

PCA community and middle school community, happy Thanksgiving.Principal Lois Blatchley shares an encouraging update from the middle school during Thanksgiving break. She highlights moments of student care in Bible Homeroom, strong academic growth in writing, math, and science, and meaningful teacher collaboration across grades.The episode describes how chapel and small-group conversations are helping students wrestle with faith questions, how chaplain-led discussions deepen understanding, and how mixed-grade small groups build leadership—especially among boys with the help of staff and parent volunteers.Lois reviews transitions for sixth graders (gaining organization and confidence) and eighth graders (stepping into leadership and preparing for upper school), and expresses gratitude for students, teachers, families, and God’s faithfulness this fall.Listeners are invited to engage with teachers, celebrate student progress, and join in gratitude and prayer for the school community.

PCA Fall Season Recap: State Champs, Breakthroughs, and Team Spirit

Hello, PCA community — this episode captures reflections from upper school athletes as they wrap up an extraordinary fall season the week before Thanksgiving. Students and coaches discuss the highs and lows from women's and men's soccer, varsity and JV volleyball, and boys’ and girls’ cross country.Highlights include the varsity women’s soccer team winning PCA’s first Division IV state championship, the boys’ team rebuilding and fighting through a tough schedule, volleyball’s gritty underdog performances and JV state runner-up finish, and cross country teams achieving program-best results including a girls’ D3 runner-up finish and a boys’ top-three D3 placing with a New England qualifier.Throughout the conversation athletes emphasize leadership, faith, community support, coachability, and perseverance — sharing specific moments of teamwork, injuries overcome, comeback wins, and spiritual encouragement that defined the season.The episode closes with players urging the community to remember the character and teamwork behind the scores, and with excitement for winter sports ahead.

Veterans Day: Reflections on America at 250 with Dr. Ray Gamble

On the eve of Veterans Day 2025, host Mike speaks with Dr. Ray Gamble about America’s 250th anniversary, the Revolutionary War, and the experience of those who served. Dr. Gamble, a retired Army officer and longtime history teacher, shares his perspective on the long struggle from Lexington and Concord through Yorktown, the hardships faced by the Continental Army, and the evolution from militia service to a more professional force.They discuss causes of the Revolution, including post–Seven Years’ War British taxation and colonial responses, the role of leaders like John and Samuel Adams, and why George Washington’s appointment helped unite the colonies. Dr. Gamble also describes the daily realities of 18th-century military life, militia expectations, seasonal campaigning tied to planting and harvest, and the extreme suffering during the winters of the war.Mike and Dr. Gamble highlight Dr. Gamble’s teaching work—World History, World War II, the Cold War, and early American history—plus his community involvement coaching sports and advising clubs. The episode closes with a reminder to honor veterans, attend the campus Veterans Day chapel, and take time to ask veterans about their stories.Simple, thoughtful, and rooted in historical detail, this conversation connects local community life, classroom teaching, and national memory as listeners prepare to observe Veterans Day.