Good afternoon, PSA families! We had a great week at PSA! It was capped out with some great news! HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR PSA MISSION DESIGN STUDENTS FOR WINNING 11 out of 12 AWARDS AT THEIR NASA FINAL REVIEW IN ALABAMA TODAY! We are so proud of you! Also, congratulations to our our April Students and Teachers of the Month Winners:

• HS Students: Courtney Condon & Chase Powell.
• MS Students: Robert Waltz & Alex Forsythe.
• HS Teacher: Ms. Johnson.
• MS Teacher: Mr. Schrimsher.

We are looking forward to another great week as we close out the month of April. Here is what we have coming up.

 

National Teacher Appreciation Week - May 5-9

• We absolutely love our teachers and hope you do too! National Teacher Appreciation Week is quickly approaching, May 5 - May 9. If you would like to send a kind word to show your appreciation for your student’s teacher or any staffulty,, please do so on our “Attitude of Gratitude” form to let us know who deserves a reminder that THEY MATTER during this week, or sooner!
• If you are interested in donating towards our Teacher Appreciation Week, please fill out this form to let us know how you, your business, church, etc, would like to sponsor a breakfast, lunch, treats, gifts or something else our teachers would love during this week of celebrating!

 

A Special Shoutout from our Teacher of the Year - 

• "Dear Parents and Guardians,
  On behalf of our staff and students, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your generous donations of food, drinks, and decorations for our Middle School Dance and Movie Night. Your contributions helped create a fun, welcoming atmosphere and made the evening feel that much more special for our students. From snacks to drinks and everything in between, your support made sure no one went hungry while they danced the evening away or relaxed in the "theater" to Moana 2. We are so grateful to have a school community filled with parents and guardians who are always ready to step up and support our events in such meaningful ways. Your kindness and generosity didn’t go unnoticed – and it helped us create an evening the students will remember for a long time. Thank you again for being such an important part of our school family and rising up like the Phoenix!"

Purple Up Day / Purple Start Designation Ceremony / Military Appreciation Spirit Week -

• PSA will be celebrating our Military Students next week with a special event Monday and a spirit week! On Monday, PSA will be receiving a Purple Star Designation recognizing our commitment to providing a quality education for children from military families. Monday will also be Purple Up Day, and we will be having a recognition ceremony for all of our military connected students. That ceremony will take place at 10:15 in our gym and the parents of those students are cordially invited to attend! 
• Spirit Days:
  • Monday: Purple Up! Day  
  • Tuesday: Camo Day
  • Wednesday: Favorite team / Where have you been? 
  • Thursday: Hats Off Day 
  • Friday: Red, White, and Blue Day

VEX Robotics Fundraiser - 

• Hi PSA VEX Robotics families! We hope you'll join us on Monday, April 28th at the Come Back Shack at 1132 Bowman Road in Mt. Pleasant for a Fundraiser to benefit our Worlds-bound teams. Just let the cashier know you're there for VEX Robotics or add the fundraiser item to your online order. Proceeds will come back to PSA VEX Robotics. 

Counselors’ Corner - 

• All - Please continue to check the school counseling website for important updates and information!
• Summer Opportunity - Charleston Southern University is offering a Criminal Justice Summer camp for students 14-18 June 16-20.  More information and registration can be found here.
• Spring Virtual SC Final Exams - All courses end on April 29, and exams will take place on Wednesday, April 30 and Thursday, May 1.  Ms. Widener will send emails directly to students with specific details and times.
• TTC Dual Enrollment - Spring Full, Spring 2, and Minimester D classes end on April 27.
• Seniors - VERY IMPORTANT - Email Ms. Widener ALL of your college acceptance letters, whether you plan to attend or not.  Also, email any scholarship award letters that you may have, whether from specific colleges or third party organizations.  Parents, please help remind your students :)
• Graduation -  
  • Please check the graduation page of the school counseling site for more information and specific details regarding our graduation ceremony, graduation practice, senior awards, and more.
  • Cap and gown distribution will take place on Monday, April 28 during both lunches.
  • Graduation practice will be held at Northwoods Baptist Church on Thursday, May 22 after Senior Breakfast.  This practice is REQUIRED.  Students who do not attend practice will not be permitted to walk in graduation.

 

2025 Fourth Circuit Student Essay Contest -

• Students are invited to consider and share their thoughts on the question: "How do T.L.O. and Riley impact the search of a student's cell phone by school officials on public school grounds, and how would you protect a student's rights while balancing the school's responsibility to maintain a safe and effective learning environment?” Click here to find out more.

 

PSA Parent Community Association - 

• The PCA needs YOU for the 2025-2026 academic year! The PSA Parent Community Association is a volunteer organization that exists to support and enrich the academic and community life of the PSA community. Each year, through the generous support of our families, the PCA funds things like teacher appreciation activities, classroom needs (such as furniture and musical instruments), landscaping projects, and much more.  Join us in support of our phenomenal faculty and extraordinary students! Some of our current PCA Board officers / committee chairs are going to be "graduating" over the next year or two and volunteers are needed to help ensure a smooth transition. Current PCA officers will provide turnover assistance to new officers. Meetings are scheduled based on the availability of the active PCA leaders, so don't let this year's meeting days/times deter you if scheduling is an issue. The PCA generally meets 8-10 times per year, and serving on the PCA Board satisfies your annual family volunteer hour commitment. We are seeking nominations for all positions below. Please complete the form below and email with nominee suggestions, to volunteer, or for more information! Please complete the form below and email pcapresident@psaschool.org with nominee suggestions, to volunteer, or for more information!
  • President
  • Vice President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Member at Large

 

District and/or State Dept. Of Education - 

• Maxwell Leadership Student Ambassadors
• The Office of Student and Community Engagement (OSCE) in partnership with the Maxwell Leadership Foundation is pleased to offer high school students in South Carolina, who are passionate about leadership, problem-solving, and serving, the opportunity to become a Maxwell Leadership Student Ambassador (MLSA). See MEMO for further detail. 

Growing Online Threat

• The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has partnered with the South Carolina Attorney General's Office (SCAG) to alert you all and your schools to a growing online threat targeting children and teens in South Carolina.  Please review this letter from the Attorney General when you can, as it will require everybody working together to keep each of our students safe from online predators.

Athletics - Please review our PSA Athletics Newsletter for updates pertaining to PSA Athletics.

 

Mark your calendars:  

April 25 - Softball HOME vs Philip Simmons

April 28 - Purple Star & Purple UP Designation Ceremony (9:30-10:30) & 6th Grade Field Trip

April 29 - Soccer HOME vs. Beaufort Academy, Softball HOME vs NCHS (Senior Night)

April 30-May 2 - Virtual SC Exams

May 1 - Spring Band Concert, Soccer HOME vs CCMS (Teacher Appreciation Night)

May 2 - Q4 Progress Reports Dissemination, Softball HOME vs First Baptist

May 15 - JV Sports Banquet (Volleyball, Basketball, Cheer) at 6:00 pm in the Gym

May 20 - Varsity Sports Banquet (Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Cheer, Soccer, & Softball) at 6:00 pm (Gym) 

May 23 - Graduation at Northwoods Baptist 3:30pm (scheduled TBD)

PSA Parent/Student handbook. 

We hope everyone enjoys their weekend as we sprint into the month of May! To all of our families and community members, don’t forget…