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National Honor Society Fosters A Heart For Service

One of our core values at PCA is to assist students in developing a passion for serving others. That value was recently put into action by four of PCA’s National Honor Society seniors along with their advisor Erin Grimsley.

The ladies volunteered to help paint decks at The Beautiful Gate Center, a school for children with disabilities owned by a family whose daughter graduated from PCA.

When approached with this opportunity, Grimsely did not hesitate. “National Honor Society is characterized by its four tenants: character, scholarship, leadership, and service,” she explained. “When we held our first meeting, I emphasized the importance of stewarding each of these pillars equally. Our students are of high character, they are excellent academically, and they demonstrate leadership within the school and community. It is my goal to instill in them a heart of service.”

And serve they did! The four girls, AnnaJaye Walters, Morgan Kammer, Mary Grace Booker, and Charlie Olson laughed and painted their way through the hot morning sun for a cause they felt called to help.

“Being at PCA I am blessed with a great education and an environment that fosters relationships,” AnnaJaye explained. “It broke me and my peers' hearts to hear that Beautiful Gate Center is the only site in Charleston specifically directed to give that educational and relational opportunity to children with special needs.” 

Each year NHS comes up with a focus and vision, and this year is no different. Grimsley says, “As a Christian school, it is our goal to follow Jesus and to conform to his image. Mark 10:45 states, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Our mission in NHS is to serve others, for I believe that service is the keystone that upholds the other three pillars of character, leadership, and scholarship."

And it is clear that NHS members agree. “After serving, I felt refreshed and convicted,” Walters said. “The leaders of that ministry radiate joy from a place of deep dependency on Jesus. They challenged me to see God’s kingdom in a broader way, and fired me up to be more surrendered in my day to day ministry.”

Mrs. McCoy's Class "Falls" In Love With The Season

Leaves, trees, and seasons. Those are the words that the kindergartners in Patti McCoy’s class were exploring in this month’s unit on seasons. 

“I love discussing the different seasons with my students!” McCoy said. “We read the book "A Tree for all Seasons" and it's so sweet to see how fascinated they are by God's creation! It led us into some great conversations about growth and how even when we can't see the Lord he's always at work.”

Putting their newfound knowledge on leaves into play, with brown paper bags in hand, the class took off to explore nature and find materials to make “leaf people” then set back off to the classroom to put material to paper. Moss for hair, pinecones for props, and of course leaves for the body, the creativity was going full speed.

“I now have students picking up leaves at recess because they found the veins that carry the water through the tree. They also just want to show off all the beautiful colors! It's wonderful to see them making connections and sharing what they've learned.”

Kindergartner, Tusker Tanner, said his favorite part of this activity was building his leaf man because, “it’s fun to build new stuff.”