Time is such an odd concept, flowing like a swift river at times, and a slow trickle at others, but everyone can agree, Twenty-five years is a long time; enough time for a baby to grow up and get married to be exact.
From a humble beginning in 1997 with only 42 faculty and 300 students, PCA has grown to an impressive 360 faculty and 1800 students spanning 4 campuses with both a hybrid school and an online school. This year, PCA is abound with special events to commemorate the school’s 25 year anniversary. For each month on the 25th, there are special days with fun twists. With each month, there’s a Jeans Day and a special treat for all of the students. From August to May, special celebration days mark the 25th of each month.
From the beginning of the school to now, much has changed. Kindergarten Teacher Mrs. Robyn Pryor said, “The school originally started as a Kindergarten to Eighth Grade building. The entire faculty and staff could fit into one of the meeting rooms in the church. The unity of the school as well. In the beginning everyone was trying to make sense of their own part of the ‘wall’. It took time for all of the parts of the school(administration, teachers, business office, parents, etc.) to work together. Former Head of School Dr. Taylor played a huge role in uniting us with a clear understanding of our purpose and goals.”
Upper School Math Teacher Mrs. Lauren Leininger said, “The staff has changed a lot from when I started 10 years ago to now. There are quite a few teachers who have been here the whole time with me and even longer, but we’ve gotten to hire new teachers as well(even one of my prior students from here at PCA — Miss Rhodes), so I’m lucky to have amazing people to work with everyday!”
As for things that have stayed the same, Mrs Leininger says that the mission and their faith has stayed the same through the years, following the tenets of the Bible and following the same mission of spreading the word. This faith and ability to spread the word and share one’s faith is also Mrs. Pryor’s favorite aspect of the school.
Overall, through the 25 years of the school’s time, the growth of the school’s size and staff, and the concrete long lasting vision that started from its founding, are all great aspects of the school that make PCA what it is today.
