News

Can You Hear Those Bells?

'Tis the Christmas season and nothing quite says Christmas like the ringing of the bells. Here at Palmetto Christian Academy, the soft ringing can be heard from the band room to the balcony of the sanctuary, with sixth-graders Bella Davenport, Angelina Xio, Ashley DeWeese, and Emily Creech at the handles. Created this year by Middle School band instructor, Mike Doll, the team began by providing acoustics for the Thanksgiving chapel and will be performing "Oh Come all ye Faithful" at the Christmas Concert later this week as well as a potential performance in the spring. When asked what drew them to the bells, Bella Davenport explained that some of the girls had played piano, which lead them to the marimba and then to the bells. Seventh-grader Angelina Xio said, "the bells [sound] natural and pretty. [They] remind me of mini church bells". When asked about their future bell-ringing career, Davenport said, "I sure hope to continue next year". With such a talented group of bells, I can "hear ringing" in their future.

Charleston's History on Display

After the wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, on Monday, December 2nd, the third graders headed over the Ravenel Bridge for a fun and educational field trip! First stop was the South Carolina
Historical Society Museum on Meeting Street. An architectural treasure in its own right, the Museum is housed in a National Historic Landmark building and features interactive exhibits on the people, places, and movements that shaped our state and nation. The children were able to see maps, manuscripts, and artifacts illuminating moments in our state's past. A shared discussion was given also highlighting the Lowcountry's Cash Crops in 1800's, such as indigo, rice, peanuts, cotton, and tea. The children also discussed the history of the museum, how it housed documents, and ways it protected important city records from numerous natural disasters.

After a cool, sunny picnic in Washington Park, located next to the museum, the children walked the cobblestone roads to the Old Slave Mart Museum on Chalmers Street. The Mart was built in 1859, and this was where 35 to 40% of the slaves entered the United States. The Old Slave Mart Museum is considered the last surviving slave auction gallery in the state. It was used only briefly before the Civil War. The children used large informative graphics on the walls to answer scavenger hunt questions, and then they were able to have their questions answered by museum employees. Living in a town rich with culture and history, we feel honored to have such wonderfully informative field trips right over the Cooper! Thank you Mrs. Adkins, Mrs. Andrews, and Ms. Jones for planning such a wonderful learning experience.