Pantego Christian Academy

Thank You God

Jay Pritcher — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:43:56 +0000

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” ~ Psalm 121:1-2

The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. On the sixth day they’ll gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

God meets daily needs daily! You look at tomorrow’s demands, next week’s bills, next month’s calendar. Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert. “How can I face my future?” you ask.

God tells you to look up! Trust Him. Make it your day changer. Give your attention to what God is doing right now. Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Mark 7:37 says, “God has done it all and done it well.” ~ Max Lucado

Faith, Culture and Family: Student-Led Apologetics Conference

Jay Pritcher — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:11:07 +0000

One example of the power of the family and church being reinforced by the school in our children’s lives is “Faith, Culture & Family”, the high school student-led Apologetics Conference scheduled for this Friday morning (February 17th). One more reason I’m passionate about the impact of PCA; not just academically but eternally…

Main and break-out speakers will come from both our faculty and wonderful local ministries and will provide an apologetic focus on critical relational and family issues for our high school students and guests (we can accommodate up to approx. 100 guests). Guests should arrive at 8:00 a.m. to register and there is a suggested donation from guests of $10 at the door. Below is a link of the agenda with speakers, times and topics so you can pray for our students and speakers, even if you are unable to attend!

View the 2012 Apologetics Conference Schedule

Happy Valentine’s Day

Jay Pritcher — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:07:56 +0000

While there are many legends surrounding the three martyred St. Valentines, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day around 496 A..D. as a holiday set aside to celebrate and show our love for each other. Our demonstrations of love now are primarily a material expression – dinner, jewelry, chocolates, flowers, cards, etc. Just in the US today, there will be over 180 million cards exchanged and over $13.19 billion spent (around $120 for each consumer)!

But I’d like to direct our focus today back to the source of love, and actually the focus of the most plausible of the St. Valentine legends – agape love. Agape love is not the emotion-driven love romanticized in our media but the essence of God – a sacrificial love of which we are not capable separate from Christ.

God has written each of us a personal love letter – some have taken the time to read it and accept his priceless gift while others have been too busy or distracted. Below is a beautiful paraphrase of the Word, written as a true love letter to each of us with scriptural reference for each statement made. I encourage us to take the time to read this with our families today, and to share this with others through our social media, e-mail, or hard copies.

Much as we seek to keep the focus of Christmas on the birth of Christ, let’s choose to stand out in our culture today by focusing on the on the author, creator and source of love – thank you God for first loving us!

In His service, Jay Pritcher

View Father’s Love Letter

PCA Students Partner with AISD’s Berry Elementary in Book Club

AJewell — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:15:08 +0000

Pantego Christian Academy’s 9th through 12th Graders have a volunteer opportunity to be a part of the Berry Elementary Book Club. The Berry Elementary Book Club is aimed at the 5th and 6th students who need to improve their reading skills. This is PCA’s 2nd year of a continuing state grant through the Justice Department to partner with area schools and students to improve their reading skills which is a major contributor for school success. PCA students who volunteer would be involved with the program at Berry Elementary on Mondays and Wednesdays after school from 3:30 until about 4:15. Teachers from Berry Elementary will work with the 5th & 6th Graders in small groups and PCA students will work with the teachers to assist them with their group.

Students will need to arrange their own transportation to and from Berry Elementary. All volunteers with the Arlington School District will be required to complete an online application and background check. For the students participating in the Class Honors program, the volunteer hours and service will count for that program.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Mr. Newby at snewby@pantego.com.

The Panther Express – New Shuttle Service for 2012-13

AJewell — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:46:06 +0000

The “Panther Express” shuttle will begin operation on the first day of school in August transporting students from the Mansfield campus to the Arlington campus in the mornings and back again in the afternoons. A twelve passenger van will be used initially and spaces will be limited.

Following are some details and specifics regarding the shuttle:

Current Mansfield 5th grade students get first choice of reserving a seat on the shuttle. These seats must be reserved prior to February 10th by contacting Cindy Sherrill at csherrill@pantego.com.
Other available seats may be reserved by current PCA students who will be in middle or high school for the coming school year and who have completed registration. These seats may be reserved beginning February 13th by contacting Nancy Palavicini, the registrar.
Elementary students are not eligible to ride the shuttle unless space is available and they are currently (2011-2012) enrolled at the Arlington campus. Current Arlington Elementary students can begin to register for a seat on Feb. 21st, again, they must be currently enrolled at the Arlington campus.
The shuttle will leave the Mansfield campus at 7:15 each morning and leave the Arlington campus for the return trip at 3:40 each afternoon.
There will be a nominal fee of $2.00/trip or $4.00/day. This fee will be managed through Renweb.

Cyber-Safety and Digital Citizenship

AJewell — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:49:09 +0000

This past week, the Pantego Christian Academy Technology Department presented a program on cyber-safety to the middle and high school students as part of their grade-level enrichment series. Principles emphasized include:

Digital Golden Rule – do not post anything digitally online (texts, email, Facebook, etc.) that you are not prepared to have made public and permanent
Digital Consciousness – be accountable and responsible for your use of the powerful devices available to you (cell phones and laptops)
Personal Information Security – As a part of the Global Village, be vigilant in protecting yourself and your personal information from those savvy and unscrupulous individuals who seek to gain this information from you

Cyber-Safety & Digital Citizenship Slideshow

View more presentations from PantegoChristian.

Robotics in the Classroom

AJewell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:04:11 +0000

In an effort to expand the role of higher technology in classrooms beyond computers and the internet, Pantego Christian Academy applied for and received a matching grant through the Golden Rod Research Corporation for the YouthTouch Technology Integration System. Goldenrod’s multisensory robotic tools bring math and science to life for young learners and develop 21st century process skills, the foundations for future STEM education:

number sense
critical thinking
creative problem solving
teamwork

Goldenrod designs and builds an array of hands-on learning tools created for students. Special software provides a unique opportunity to program a real-world robotic arm, RoboArm. Younger students use a joystick-controlled robotic arm, RoboAC, to reinforce learning. RoboVue is a miniature closed-circuit television camera that easily attaches to RoboArm and RoboAC.

A tabletop fluid power training system, HydrauLift, uses common tap water for power. Hydraulift², a more advanced system, is controlled by students from a personal computer. YouthTouch stations allow students to produce immediate results that they can see and touch. Tempest, an electronic console that suspends plastic balls on columns of air, incorporates RoboAC in student challenges, which are designed to develop teamwork and analytical skills. Automated timing and scoring create further incentives for students to participate.*

PCA also received an “Outstanding Technology Innovator” plaque, acknowledging their commitment to technology integration in the elementary and middle school classroom.

Science teachers for grades 3-8 and the elementary AIM teacher received training on the robotic tools in December and PCA Arlington students have already started using them in the Robotics Lab. Students and teachers alike are excited about the opportunity to work with these amazing new tools.

*Product information obtained from Goldenrod Research website

Welcome to the Pantego Christian Blog

Jay Pritcher — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:51:20 +0000

We are excited to launch our new website today! We hope you find the new website information and easier to navigate.

If you have feedback regarding the new site, send it directly to me at jpritcher@pantego.com

Thanks!

Jay