PCA celebrates its first day of school
By Haleigh McWilliams, PCA Senior
On Friday, August 8, 2025, Pinewood Christian Academy opened its doors for the 56th time. Students lined the sidewalks, taking pictures with their parents, friends, and teachers, all celebrating the start of the new school year. Senior signs decorated the lawn outside the upper school building with even more people occupying the road around it. Seniors, parents, and faculty gathered in front of the building to take pictures and commemorate the first of many lasts for the Class of 2026. Everyone was ready for the day, seniors with backpacks themed with their favorite childhood characters, reminiscing on the days some students were about to experience for the first time.
At 7:45 am, surrounded by the sounds of pictures being taken by parents, the seniors lined the sidewalk as one class, locked arm in arm, and made their last first walk into the upper school building together. Once inside, senior parents began decorating their senior’s car with green, orange, and white balloons, window paint, fringe, streamers, and other decorations, even an inflatable football player or two.
Once homeroom was over, the seniors, however, did not have a typical first day of school; instead they headed to a bus outside the building and went on their senior retreat, hosted by the Claxton First Church. The retreat consisted of fellowship, worship, food, and games. Different speakers, Mrs. Bronwyn Williams, Mr. Philip Williams, Pastor Mike Lyons, Mrs. Lacy Shuman, and Mrs. Jennifer Bradley, broke down the word SENIORS into seven different topics all about influence. Senior Landyn Fries said: “It was really cool how they broke down SENIORS to show us that being a senior isn’t just about having fun in our last year, but about being role models and making a positive impact on the underclassmen and our whole school community.”
The Pinewood Christian Academy family extends a warm welcome to all new students, faculty, and staff joining the community this year. With traditions honored and new memories already being made, the 2025-2026 school year promises to be another exceptional chapter in PCA’s proud history. Go Patriots!
