“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” LUKE 2:52 OUR!MISSION! is To assisT ChrisT- ian parenTs by helping equip sTudenTs To embraCe bibliCal TruTh, sTrive for aCademiC exCellenCe, and model ChrisT- like leadership To influenCe Their homes, ChurChes and C ommuniT ies for ChrisT. A PCA GrA duAte... ቢ Fears & respects God ባ Upholds a stronG work ethic & inteGrity ቤ enGaGes cUltUre with both Faith & intellect ብ embraces the creative natUre oF God ቦ seeks oUt a biG pictUre perspective oF the world I know what we’re doing is preparing young lives to make a difference in the world for the cause of Christ.” portrait of a g r a d u a t e HAT!A!PRIVILEGE!IT!IS!TO!BE!A!PART!OF!WHAT!GOD!IS!DOING!AT!OUR!WONDERFUL! SCHOOL"!AS!I!REFLECT!ON!THE!PAST!YEAR#!SO!MANY!GOD-MOMENTS!HAVE!OCCURRED! THAT!ARE!WORTHY!OF!CELEBRATION"!I!HAVE!THE!PRIVILEGE!OF!SEEING!AND!EXPERIENCING! MANY!OF!THESE!ON!A!DAILY!BASIS#!AND!TO!BE!HONEST#!THEY!STILL!FILL!MY!HEART!WITH!JOY because I know what we’re doing is preparing young lives to make a $28.5 million has been difference in the world for the cause of Christ. Tank you for generously given or pledged to the investing in Prestonwood Christian Academy. I don’t take it lightly. It PCA Initiatives with an is your generosity and the Lord’s blessing that allows us to mold each additional $5.3 million student after the portrait of a graduate that we hold in such high esteem. being given to non-cam- paign related projects. Sharing an annual report with you, our customers, friends and donors, is not only good practice, it is good stewardship. You invest in PCA in God has truly used you to help so many ways: volunteering, generous support to our various projects advance PCA to the next level. and annual giving opportunities and often, I hope, through your As you read through this Annual Re- prayers. Terefore, it is important that we share with you some of the port, please remember that every dollar important and exciting things that God allowed the PCA community represented here represents an oppor- to achieve throughout the past school year. tunity to impact a young life. Every vol- In the 2013-2014 school year we were able to celebrate much: unteer hour (and there have been thou- sands) represents an investment in a ቢ Completion of the Lower School playground…one that is also life, and every prayer offered on behalf used by the lower grades of our Middle School. of our school is one that God uses to en- ባ Signifcant progress in the areas of technology, campus security able us to significantly impact lives. and our Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Tank you again, and may the Lord (STEM) program. bless you for your commitment to and ቤ Te PCA Initiatives campaign continued to receive funding al- love for PCA. lowing us to initiate construction on the New Student Life Cen- Sincerely ter. By the time you read this, preliminary work will have begun, and we anticipate that the building will be completed and ready to be occupied in Aug. 2015. Larry Taylor, Ph.D. ብ Our two annual giving campaigns, Te PCA Fund and Spon- PCA Head of School sor-A-Child program, received strong support as well. To date, 3 …we give God the glory that over the past eight years, 1,495 students and parents have accepted Christ.” ቢ a PCa graduate FEARS & RESPECTS GOD artists, musicians and academic compet- HE!EASIEST!TIME!IN!LIFE!TO!CAPTURE!A!PERSON’S! itors are all taught to expect excellence and to pour out their God-given talents HEART!FOR!CHRIST!IS!DURING!THE!CHILDHOOD! while giving the glory of success to Him. YEARS"!AT!PRESTONWOOD!CHRISTIAN!ACADEMY#! Parents who embrace Kingdom edu- STUDENTS!ARE!TAUGHT!AT!EVERY!AGE!WHAT!IT! cation believe the home, church and MEANS!TO!FEAR!AND!RESPECT!GOD"!! school must give full attention to bib- lical principles for children and youth Students develop a foundation of wisdom and learn their true from birth through maturity to best identity is secure in Christ (Col. 2:9-10). Te transformation of prepare children for the future. In a hearts can be seen daily throughout the PCA campuses! Young recent survey, Prestonwood Christian students are learning the great stories of the Bible while older Academy parents continue to credit children in Lower School are memorizing and storing lengthy involvement at PCA as a factor for Bible verses in their hearts. Middle School students are discussing and stronger parenting practices.* Trough debating God’s will in advisory groups. Upper School students are chal- PCA’s focus on eternal perspective and lenged to know the Bible and have the ability to defend their faith in any discipleship, we give God the glory that situation. Trough Campus Ministry, students of all ages are meeting over the past eight years, 1,495 stu- in small groups and learning how to study the Bible. Student-athletes, dents and parents have accepted Christ. 5 Servant-led leadership, therefore, is paramount.” 6 ባ a p C a graduaT e upholds a sTrong Work eThiC Students also learn by observing role & inTegriTy models. In the pursuit of spiritual and scholastic excellence, Prestonwood Christian Academy seeks and attracts high-quality staff members that are HATEVER!YOU!DO#!WORK!HEARTILY#! exceptional in their professional com- AS!FOR!THE!LORD!AND!NOT!FOR!MEN"”! petency, deeply committed to their faith in Jesus Christ and passionate %COL" '()'*!IS!A!BIBLICAL!PRINCIPLE! about investing in the next generation BY!WHICH!STANDARDS!AT!OUR!SCHOOL! for the cause of Christ. Te Preston- wood Staff Institute recognizes Christ ARE!SET"!A!STRONG!WORK!ETHIC!AND! as pre-eminent and is established to INTEGRITY!IS!EXPECTED!OF!EVERY! challenge faculty and staff members to grow spiritually and remain committed STUDENT!WHO!ATTENDS!PRESTONWOOD! to excellence in all areas of the school. CHRISTIAN!ACADEMY"! PCA alumni serve as great leaders and Students are taught that leadership is defined by the standards set role models for our students! Preston- by Jesus Christ. Servant-leadership, therefore, is paramount, and wood Christian Academy has a strong our students are encouraged in everything they do to be others-cen- alumni base with graduates serving the tered. Beginning in Middle School through Upper School, students world in many different capacities that have the opportunity to serve in the Student Leadership Institute. God has called them to do. Te alumni Te mission of which is to assist young people in the develop- do their work while magnifying Him ment of their leadership philosophy and skills by exposing them through all that they produce and to to a biblically-based, practical, multifaceted year-long program. all with whom they come in contact. 7 God has given different abilities and learning styles to each student...” ቤ a PCa graduate engages CulTure WiTh faiTh & inTelleCT Advanced learning methods are em- AITH!AND!INTELLECT!COME!TOGETHER!IN!POWERFUL! ployed throughout the PCA curriculum, and the increased importance and WAYS!AT!PRESTONWOOD!CHRISTIAN!ACADEMY#!WHERE! prevalence of technology in instruc- WE!STRIVE!FOR!SPIRITUAL!AND!ACADEMIC!EXCELLENCE"! tional and learning methods requires an expansion of technology infrastructure. It is essential to the full development of the mind and is best Students are competing nationally with fulfilled in a learning environment framed by a Christian liberal Future Problem Solvers, Mock Trial arts design, where critical thinking and communication is expected and the National Speech and Debate throughout all of the scholastic disciplines, resulting in an authentic Association to think critically and speak biblical worldview. Students are prepared to engage today’s culture confidently. PCA has a strong Science, with the credibility of the gospel. Te Bible isn’t only discussed during Technology, Engineering and Mathemat- Chapel, but rather faith is intentionally integrated into everything a ics (STEM) program and offers multiple student does through school resulting in a distinctive environment Advanced Placement courses challenging and community. students and preparing them for college. PCA graduates matriculate to a broad Cognizant that God has given different abilities and learning styles to spectrum of colleges and universities, each student, teachers foster their intellectual life strengthening and ex- including Ivey League institutions. Te panding our core curriculum. Whether a child is advanced in their think- graduating class of 2014 received a record ing and intellectual acumen, an average learner or has specific learning amount of scholarship dollars totaling differences, a thorough and challenging education is provided accordingly. $12.4 million! 9 From a young age, students are taught creative and critical thinking skills... students are taught creative and critical ብ a p C a graduaT e embraC es The CreaTive naTure of god Both Socratic and inquiry-based in- structional models are used to encour- LIBERAL!ARTS!EDUCATION!AT!PCA!ENCOMPASSES! age well-balanced thought and discus- sion. Disciplined questioning is used A!RIGOROUS!CURRICULUM!THAT!INCORPORATES! to pursue thought in many directions A!BIBLICAL!WORLDVIEW!THROUGH!CROSS- and for many purposes, including ex- ploration of complex ideas, analyzing CURRICULAR!STUDIES!OF!THE!GREAT!IDEAS!OF! concepts, distinguishing known versus WESTERN!CIVILIZATION"!CORE!COMPONENTS unknown and following logical implica- tions of thought. Teachers pose ques- of PCA’s Liberal Arts program include broad in- tions, problems and scenarios rather tellectual landscape and an emphasis on rheto- than simply presenting established facts. ric — both writing and speaking. Te study of God’s word and the pursuit of understanding Te Fine Arts department challeng- the entire narrative describing the Creation, Fall and Redemption es and enhances students’ creativ- story assists in developing an authentic biblical worldview and de- ity with courses in art, theater, vocal velops the life habit of taking every thought captive (2 Cor.