Good evening, PSA families! 

       What a great second week at PSA! We're thrilled to share some incredible news in an article written by the Post & Courier: PSA was recently ranked in the“Top 10 Percent of Best High Schools in the Country,” by U.S. News & World Report. This is a huge accomplishment, and we couldn't be prouder of our students and staffulty! Here’s a closer look at PSA's rankings:

• #5 in South Carolina High Schools
• #1 among all SC Public Charter School District High Schools
• #3 in the Charleston, SC Metro Area High Schools
• #632 in the National Rankings

     These recognitions are a true testament to the hard work of our incredible students and the unwavering dedication of our staffulty! Thank you for being a part of this amazing community!

We are excited to see what is to come this year. Here is what you can expect at PSA in the next week.

“Attitude of Gratitude” Shoutouts Are Back! -

• Do you have a shoutout and/or positive feedback you would like to give a staffulty member or about PSA? Head over to our home page to submit an “Attitude of Gratitude” form to let us know who deserves a reminder that THEY MATTER!

Open House - August 27 at 5:30

• PSA Open House!
  • When: 8/27/25 5:30-7:45 
  • Who: All  PSA Families 
  • 5:30-7:35 Meet your Scholar's Teachers
  • Families will have an opportunity to follow their scholar's schedule attending their classes for 10 minutes and having an opportunity to meet the teachers and learn more about the scholar's courses. Be prepared to sign any missing technology/handbook forms and syllabi!
• Open House Schedule:
  • Parent Meeting in Gym - 5:30pm-5:55pm
  • Warning Bell - 5:55pm
  • 1A - 6:00-6:10
  • 2A - 6:12-6:22
  • 3A - 6:24-6:34
  • 4A - 6:36-6:46
  • 1B - 6:48-6:58
  • 2B - 7:00-7:10
  • 3B - 7:12-7:22
  • 4B - 7:24-7:34. 

Club & House Competition Updates - 

• 'Are you ready for the start of the College Football Season!? PSA is ready, and ready for our first Spirit Day of the new school year. This coming Friday, August 29th, come to school wearing your favorite college team's gear. Let's see those jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, and hats!'
• We strive to have 100% of our students actively engage in PSA life! A big part of that is getting involved with one (or more) of our clubs. We are excited to be working on organizing this year's club fair and will be sharing our current list of clubs this coming week and would love for you to discuss the options with your student. If there is a club that your student might be interested in starting and leading please have them fill out the New PSA Club Application Form once they have identified a teacher who will be the club advisor or have them talk to Mr. Sweeney, and we can help find someone to fill that role.
• Join the PSA Cyber Patriot Team!
  • If you are interested in becoming a digital hero and protecting the virtual world, consider joining the PSA Cyber Patriot Team! This is your chance to participate in the Air Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, where you will learn to secure networks, solve cyber challenges, and compete nationally. This opportunity is open to all middle and high school students, regardless of experience. It is a great way to build real-world cybersecurity skills, boost your college and career opportunities, and work with a team of mentors. If you are curious and want to learn more or sign up, please email Dr. Brzenchek at robert.brzenchek@psaschool.org. 

 

Counselor’s Corner - Ms. Widener (H.S) & Ms. Andersen (M.S.)

• Please check the school counseling website regularly for updates and important information.
• Schedules - We are no longer accepting schedule change request forms.  School counselors are working to complete all changes, but students should continue to follow their original schedule until they receive an email from their counselor.
• Virtual SC - Registration is now open for all grades (9-12) and will close on August 27.  New VSC students will need to create an account here.  Former VSC students only need to login and request their courses.  Students do NOT need to email their counselor after submitting a request.  We check regularly :)
• Dual Enrollment - Fall 1 and full Fall courses have begun.  The last day to drop a course (without penalty) is August 26.  Fall 2 registration is still open.
• All current DE students and parents must review the 25-26 PSA Dual Enrollment Handbook and sign the 25-26 PSA DE Approval Form.  Please note that fees for this school year for Trident Tech courses have increased to $300.
• Students who need to use a personal electronic device to access DE course materials can pick up a permission form from the front office.
• Seniors - Save the date!  The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026 will be Friday, May 22.  Senior Breakfast and a mandatory graduation practice will be held on Thursday, May 21
• Thank you for your patience while we get through the craziness of the beginning of the school year.  If you have an unresolved question or unanswered email regarding a high school student, please email Ms. Widener (kaytie.widener@psaschool.org). regarding a middle school student, please email Ms. Andersen,  (sherri.andersen@psaschool.org). 

Powerschool Nook - Ms. Madison Happy Friday! 

• Please email me @Shanelle Madison if you need assistance with PowerSchool. 

Registrar’s Desk - Ms. Brown 

• Happy Friday PSA Families!
  • We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls and emails regarding registration, address changes, and records requests. We appreciate your patience and will respond in the order received.
  • Transcript requests may take up to 10 business days to process during this peak season.
  • If you are not receiving Friday Notes, or if you know someone who hasn’t been receiving them, please email denora.brown@psaschool.org with the following information:
    • Your first and last name
    • Student’s first and last name
    • Student’s grade level
    • The email address and phone number you’d like associated with the student’s account
  • If you are new to PSA this year, please be sure to withdraw your student from their former school. If your child is a rising 6th or 9th grader, they must be withdrawn from their feeder school as well. We are still waiting on records for many students, and previous schools will not release records unless the student is officially withdrawn from their system.
  • All Active Duty Military Families must submit a copy of their current military orders for the student’s permanent file. Please email the full document to registration@psaschool.org as soon as possible.
  • If your student will be withdrawing from Palmetto Scholars Academy, please complete the Withdrawal Form found on our website. If your student has an outstanding balance, please reach out to Mrs. Stanley | alisha.stanley@psaschool.org before submitting the form.
• Wishing everyone a safe and restful weekend!

Athletics (Website) - Coach Philip Keefe (Athletic Director)

• Tomorrow’s Cross Country Meet at Pinewood has been cancelled due to weather conditions.
• Our Fall sports teams are underway with their seasons and we are excited to see how these teams will grow throughout the season!  Participation Fees for Volleyball (JV & Varsity) and Cross Country (Girls/Boys) need to be paid through RevTrak and BigTeams by Friday, August 29th.  Uniform deposit fee of $100.00 needs to be turned into Coach Keefe (AD) by Friday, August 29th.
• Following of our Athletic teams and updates from our AD will be posted weekly (Monday by Noon) in the Athletic Newsletter found on our Phoenix Athletics website.  Let's continue to support our Swag Store through BSN located on the Athletic website.

Board of Directors (Website)

• {GETINVOLVED} Volunteers needed to apply for a seat on the Palmetto Scholars Academy Board of Directors 
• You do not need to have a student at PSA, nor do you need to have previous board experience. What you do need is: 
  • A commitment to following the mission of PSA as a public charter school; 
  • An ability to listen and provide unbiased insight; 
  • A willingness to support our students and faculty; and 
  • Experience in one or more of the following areas: fundraising, facilities management, finances, policy writing, public relations, or human resources. We are particularly interested in someone who could act as the board’s military liaison with JBC or who has fundraising and development experience. 
• We currently have a vacancy for a position to run for a one-year term. 
• For more information, please email Christine LaRue, Nominating Committee Chair, at christine.larue@psaschool.org. 

Parent Community Association (PCA) -

• Parent Volunteers Needed!
• Our school thrives on the support of our amazing parents, and we have some wonderful opportunities for you to get involved this year. We are currently looking for volunteers to join our Parent Community Association (PCA) committees. This is a fantastic way to meet other families, support our students and staff, and help make a real difference in our school community.
• Please consider signing up for one of the following committees:
  • Grant Committee: Help research and apply for grants to secure additional funding for school programs and resources.
  • Fundraising Committee: Join a team that plans and executes events to raise money for various school initiatives.
  • Beautification Project: Help us keep our campus beautiful through our gardening and landscaping efforts.
• We also have a general volunteer list for those who are willing to help with various one-time events or needs that pop up throughout the year.
• To learn more, please visit our PCA page on the PSA website or sign up here - Parent Teacher Volunteer Sign Up.
• Thank you for your support! 

SC State Department of Education - 

• No Updates to Report. 

School Supplies - 

• This will be updated as received. Students will get a teacher’s supply list once their schedules are completed or on the first day of school.
• High School
• 6th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 8th Grade

2025/2026 Back To School Important Links & Forms - 

• This FLYER will provide you with links and information to the following items that need to be filled out, signed and returned, or reviewed.
• Paying Fees - Revtrak 
• Lunch ORDER TIMES: After 2nd lunch (After 1:00pm) Before 8:45 a.m. the next day
  • HOW TO ORDER:
    • Links are bookmarked on students’ Chromebooks
    • Or visit psaschool.org → Click “Order Lunch” at the top right of the page
  • IMPORTANT:
    • Students are responsible for placing and picking up their lunches.
    • If a student orders a lunch, the student will be charged whether it’s picked up or not.
    • Lunch must be picked up at the beginning of lunch before any other activities

Mark your calendars -  

• August 25 - Volleyball @ First Baptist 5:00 pm
• August 26 - Volleyball @ Faith Christian 5:00 pm
• August 27 - SCLead Orientation 3:30 pm & Open House - 5:30 pm
• September 1 - Labor Day - No School
• September 29 - Picture Make-Up Day is 
• May 22 - 2026 Graduation Ceremony (May 21 - MANDATORY Graduation Practice)

Miss a previous Friday Letter to Families, catch up on our website under “PSA General News” here.

 

We hope everyone has an amazing weekend! To all our PSA families and community members, please don’t forget,