“Two things cannot be in one place. Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.” - Frances Hodgson Burnett
At Pinecrest Academy, our goal is to empower students to be Christian leaders in the world today and in the future, with an emphasis on strong character development.
Research has shown that most students risk some degree of learning loss in the summer months. But the end of a school year doesn’t have to mean that learning stops. The relatively unstructured days of summer are perfect for family activities and adventures that keep learning fresh and practice necessary developmental skills, all while having fun together.
The Pinecrest virtue for May is Joy. Joy is the mark of a Christian. Our faith is one of hope and joy because Jesus’ life and mission did not end in the pain of the cross and the stone-cold tomb. He conquered sin and death through the glory of his resurrection, giving us a permanent reason for hope and joy, as well as sure proof of his love for us. All of this is a reason to live our life in hope, joy, and charity. Since we have a reason to be joyful in Christ’s resurrection, every circumstance can be an opportunity for good, even the difficult circumstances.
Over 80 Pinecrest Academy Middle School students participated in Holy Week Missions, during which they spent the three days leading up to Easter in service to the community. Here is one student’s summary of this meaningful experience.
Emma. what have you been up to since you left Pinecrest?
After graduating from Pinecrest in 2012, I attended Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where I majored in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a concentration in Public Relations, and minored in Political Science. I’ve always been pretty politically inclined and love a good debate, but it wasn’t until I took an internship at Americans for Tax Reform the summer before my senior year that I knew I needed to combine my love for politics and public relations to pursue a career in the public relations/public affairs field. After returning to Samford for my senior year, I had no doubt in my mind I would end up in DC one day. My senior year, I accepted a public affairs internship at a small boutique firm in downtown Birmingham, where I received first-hand public affairs experience working on telecommunications, manufacturing and ticketing issues. I had grown to love Birmingham as the “small but big” city that it is but knew DC was where I wanted to end up. Three days after graduating, I moved to Washington, D.C. in hopes of working in public affairs or crisis management. I had applied for a couple of jobs at public affairs firms and was waiting to hear back after a second interview with one of the firms. On the 11-hour drive with my mom, I got a call from HR saying they wanted to offer me the position. I accepted the offer on the spot and started work two weeks later.
Four planes. Six days. Eight service projects. Ten piñatas. Forty-six seniors. Hundreds of enthusiastic children.
These images and descriptions may sound random, but together, they encompassed perhaps the busiest, yet most impactful week for the class of 2017. This year’s Senior Mission Trip to Nicaragua is one that produced lifetime memories I believe no one will forget. We were able to serve the elderly, the imprisoned, the disabled, the poor and the abandoned.
With each passing show week, my passion and love for the theater is rejuvenated and strengthened. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the cast and crew as they realize that they were capable of so much more than they thought, as they finally come together to work for a common goal, and as they take personal responsibility to do their part to help make all the pieces of the show come together. I am inspired by these amazing young people and honored to have the opportunity to work with them.
Art Williams’ quote comes to mind when I reflect on show week. “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” Show week is long and tiring. It can often be stressful and challenging. But when it comes to an end, it’s always an incredible and memorable experience – definitely “worth it”. This week was no exception.
Please join us for a middle and high school production of The Sound of Music Thursday, March 16 and Saturday, March 18 7:00PM Upper School Gym, Pinecrest Academy
For the Theatrical Arts students at Pinecrest, Monday marked the start of our Spring Show Week. Show Week is a magical time in the world of theater. The hours of memorizing lines, learning songs and choreography, building and painting sets, organizing costumes, and creating props all culminate during these “countdown” days. The cast and crew will spend 20+ hours this week working to bring all the necessary components together to produce an excellent production.
“OBTC.” It’s not just a saying, but a way of life as a Pinecrest student athlete. As a former student at Pinecrest Academy, this was one of the many valuable lessons that I was taught and has remained with me to this day. I was a sophomore basketball player, and my coach told our team that “OBTC” would be our motto, but it became more than just a saying; it was our identity.
In the true spirit of Valentine’s Day, we have been working on the virtue of Charity this month with our Lower School students. Charity is more than just being generous with the poor and less fortunate, or donating to “charities”. Charity in its fullest meaning is following the greatest commandment that Christ gave us: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
When Nathan started using internet pornography, he found that over time it somehow got less and less exciting. His daily routine soon included hours spent consuming porn, yet he had grown “almost numb to it,” he recalls. Like many men with addictions, he was discovering that the compulsive use of porn dulls the pleasure receptors of the brain, forcing them to seek ever-greater amounts of stimulation in a desperate quest for sexual satisfaction.
But Nathan was not yet a man. He was just twelve years old...
Birthplace: Quonset Point, Rhode Island Title/Responsibilities: Daughter Mom of Nicholas Jordan Teacher - 8th Grade English Grade Chair Head Coach - Varsity Swim Team and Middle School Swim Team Assistant Coach - Varsity Girls’ Soccer Summer Swim Instructor - Swim Lessons for All Ages
Education: B.A. in English from Mercer University Atlanta; M.A.T. in English from Georgia State University
Family prayer has always been a topic close to my heart. My dear Irish mother would always say, “A family that prays together, stays together.” I grew up in a family that had a great devotion to the Eucharist and learned that when you put God first in prayer and the sacraments, God will provide for all your needs. While family prayer is never easy, making a plan to pray will help your family begin a habit that will keep everyone united in Christ.
