News

A Fantastic Evening At The Chili Cook-off & Concert!

What a fantastic, family focused evening of fun at this year’s Chili Cook-off & Concert! The recent rains moved our celebration indoors, but it didn’t lessen the joyful atmosphere and satisfied smiles of all in attendance! 

Inside the Welcome Center, families enjoyed toe-tapping music (provided by PCA Board Member Greg Horton's band) and sampled a variety of delicious chilis from ten different teams who decorated their tables in unique themes that represented each team’s style of chili. From “The Classroom Cowboys” to “The Grateful Red”, there was a type of chili for everyone to enjoy!

Across the hall in the main building gymnasium, children were delighted with three different jump castles, giant games, and hot dogs. Just outside, an ice cream truck provided sweet treats for a perfect finishing touch to the evening.  

We want to give a special thanks to everyone who entered a team for this year’s chili cook-off. We appreciate your efforts in making this such a special event for our families. It was a tough decision for our official judges as they sampled each chili and cast their votes in several categories while parents and students cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award. Here’s a look at the winning teams: 

Best Overall Chili - Pork and Beans  
People’s Choice - Pork and Beans
Best Tailgating Theme - Chili Minions
Best Creative Recipe - Pedro’s Chili
Best Traditional Recipe - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Screams of delight filled the air as this year's winners were announced! A special thank you to the Chili Cook-off judges.. Bill Macchio - Editor of Mount Pleasant Magazine, Van Barnhill - ECBC Administrative Pastor, Jennifer Horton - CEO of ZAGS, McLeod Best - Lifepark Church Middle School Minister, and Megan Masters - Owner of Mulberry & King. 

We also want to give a huge thank you to Tifany O’Neal and Margaret O’Hanley for all of their time and enthusiasm in making this event shine! And thank you PCA families for showing up in a big way to celebrate the evening with us!

Celebrating Achievements & Excellence During Black History Month

Throughout the month of February, in a variety of methods and settings, students at Palmetto Christian Academy fostered vibrant celebrations learning about Black History Month, weaving it seamlessly into various academic disciplines. Middle School Math Teacher Sasha Heiney, who took part in leading this emphasis, explains how students were able to celebrate Black History Month in her class. 

"My 7th and 8th grade students embarked on a mini-project highlighting black mathematicians who made profound impacts on the world of mathematics. Students selected a person of their choice, researched them and learned about that person’s biography and achievements in the field of mathematics, and then made a poster to share their findings."

Students say this was a meaningful learning experience. Will Chandler was blown away learning about David Blackwell, “David Blackwell was brilliant and an insightful mathematician. It was interesting to learn how he contributed to probability theory and information theory.” Millie Ralph also gained appreciation for black mathematicians, “I learned about Morgan Ray who gave women a greater voice within the society among African American mathematicians.”

Kara Karnes, a history teacher at PCA, expresses delight in integrating Black History Month into her classes. She led students through a study encouraging students to dive into both familiar and lesser-known stories of contributions of Black Americans. This project not only informed but kindled excitement among students as they continually discovered new historical figures.

Elle Hinson emphasized the broader perspective gained, recognizing the diverse achievements of African Americans and their enduring impact on the fabric of America: “In this project we were able to read and learn about the many diverse achievements of different African Americans and the fundamental contributions and impact they had on America.”

Palmetto Christian Academy's commitment to such interdisciplinary, engaging initiatives during Black History Month ensures a holistic and enriching educational experience for its students. PCA remains committed to honoring the past and actively shaping compassionate and informed Christian leaders for the future.