Prestonwood Christian Academy

Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) is a private Christian school in the Dallas, Texas area, consisting of two campuses, an online program, and partnerships with independently operated schools.

History

PCA started operations in 1997 (two years before its sponsor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, relocated to Plano).

Organization

PCA operates, or otherwise partners, with the following:

• A full K4-12 school on the Plano campus of Prestonwood, which includes athletic facilities for its sports programs.
• A K4-12 school at the Prosper campus of Prestonwood, with a limited number of athletic facilities.
• An online academy (PCAplus) which includes a hybrid program combining online and in-person activities
• A partnership with St. Timothy Christian Academy (a school for students with learning challenges; St. Timothy operates from the Plano campus but is organizationally independent)
• A partnership with The King's Academy, a school located in the Bonton area of South Dallas (a predominantly black, low income neighborhood); the school opened in Fall 2019 as a K4-1 program with plans to add one grade per year in the future

Mission, Vision, Core Values, Code of Honor, and Crest

PCA operates under the following mission, vision, and core values, and has adopted the following code of honor and crest:

Mission

"In pursuit of excellence in education the mission of Prestonwood Christian Academy is to assist Christian parents by helping equip students to embrace biblical truth, strive for academic excellence, and model Christ-like leadership to influence their homes, churches and communities for Christ."

Vision

"To advance a Christian school of excellence through Kingdom education so that the generations to come will know the truth of God’s Word and not forget His works, nor be taken captive by the vain philosophies of their day."

Core Values

"In order to successfully fulfill the mission, Prestonwood Christian Academy will give priority to seven core values. Each core value must have operating principles that will allow PCA to put these core values into everyday practice in every aspect of its educational program."

The seven core values are:

• The Bible: " The Bible is the inerrant Word of God that gives direction to every aspect of life. - 2 Timothy 3:16. PCA will encourage board members, administration, faculty, students and parents to be active in a Bible-believing local church and to use the Bible as a tool to implement spiritual development into their everyday lives. This means PCA governs itself according to biblical principles in...
  • All aspects of School life.
  • When using financial resources.
  • Developing all academic curriculum."
• Christ-Likeness: " "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." - I John 2:6 PCA will employ or appoint board members, administrative staff, and faculty whose actions and attitudes model Christ. Discipline and behavior standards will be based on biblical principles that lead to Christ-likeness in students' lives. This means PCA will...
  • Encourage students to apply the qualities of Christ in their own lives.
  • Train students on how to communicate their faith to others.
  • Challenge parents to demonstrate Christ-like character in their lives, before their children and to the community."
• Christian Family: " The Christian family is God’s training ground for preparing future generations to know and serve Jesus Christ. - Deuteronomy 6:6-9 PCA will develop policies and procedures that honor Christian families. PCA will also provide...
  • Training and resources to help parents build a Christ-honoring home.
  • A Kingdom education that is accessible to like-minded families.
  • Programs for children with different learning styles and abilities."
• Church: " The church has been and always will be the instrument of God to fulfill God’s purposes here on earth. The church is the expression of God’s kingdom to the world. - Acts 2:42-47 PCA will recognize its existence as a ministry of Prestonwood Baptist Church. This means PCA will...
  • Operate under the authority of the Church.
  • Strengthen the church as one of its main goals.
  • Demonstrate honoring the church through its policies, procedures and practices."
• Excellence in Education: " "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." -Psalm 86:11 PCA will develop an entire educational program that is based on the truths of God's Word and the preeminence of Jesus Christ. PCA will be a safe and comfortable learning environment where students are actively engaged and challenged in their learning. This means PCA will...
  • Employ and develop teachers who model godly wisdom and Christian virtues in their lives.
  • Challenge students to develop a biblical worldview.
  • Provide an education that combines formal methods of teaching with a biblical emphasis."
• Service: " "Whoever wants to become great among us must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20: 26-28 PCA will encourage students to follow Christ's example of leadership through servanthood. This means PCA will...
  • Involve students in activities that require them to serve others.
  • Teach students the value and joy of service before self.
  • Train students to glorify God through service in their local school, Church and community."
• Stewardship: " "But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise." -Psalm 79:13 PCA will provide students with the best possible education that will develop the whole child (spiritually, mentally, physically and socially). Every aspect of the educational program must be considered a stewardship responsibility from God. This means PCA will...
  • Develop and operate a budget that reflects biblical principles of stewardship.
  • Maintain all facilities in a way that honors the Lord and meets the needs of students.
  • Partner with families to assist them in providing their children with a quality Christian education."

Code of Honor

"The PCA Code of Honor exists for one purpose, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, which means: To the Greater Glory of God. It is our desire to glorify God that unifies us in both perspective and purpose. The Code of Honor serves as a standard of excellence by which we must all conduct ourselves in order to be a light to the world. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam produces an authentic school pride and cultivates an environment of self-governance that transcends rules and regulations. We respectfully rally around Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam and view our individual duty and commitment as “iron sharpening iron.” (Proverbs 27:17) We glorify God through five tenets:"

• Perspective: "Every member of the PCA community is challenged to focus on an eternal perspective rather than a temporary mindset at all times. Maintaining an eternal mindset encourages our students to put the needs of others ahead of their own and to possess a constant attitude of gratefulness."
• Purpose: "Every member of the PCA community is challenged to understand and commit to the school’s Mission Statement: "To assist Christian parents by helping equip students to embrace biblical truth, strive for academic excellence, and model Christ-like leadership to influence their homes, churches and communities for Christ." By adhering to the mission statement members of the PCA community understand striving for academic excellence requires honesty, integrity and rigor."
• People: "Every member of the PCA community understands that all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone has value and our focus should be on serving others. This begins by respecting them and accepting them unconditionally."
• Programs: "Every member of the PCA community is encouraged to actively participate in the life and culture of the school's programs. We are ambassadors for the King and understand that our out-of-classroom experiences during school hours (Chapel, service projects, minimester, mission trips, etc.) will be supported with respect. This includes arts, athletics and academics as well."
• Property: "The environment, and in particular, the school’s facilities and equipment, are to be maintained with the utmost care and respect. This means PCA property is treated with respect and we refrain from participating in activities that could potentially leave damage to its grounds, facilities or contents therein."

Crest

PCA's crest consists of a shield, containing the school logo (the same as the church's logo, except in navy blue and gold colors with the cross being red), a lion (the school mascot), the school motto, two laurels, with the word "PRESTONWOOD" (in all caps) at the top and "Christian Academy/Established 1997" at the bottom.

• The lion is a symbol of courage, strength, gracefulness and perseverance (and Jesus Christ is also referred to as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah).
• The red cross represent's Christ's ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
• The two laurels represent honor and glory; laurels were given in ancient times to winners of sports and other contests.
• The shield symbolizes God's loving care and protection.
• The school color of navy blue represents knowledge, strength, integrity and being intentional ("…that in the holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you." - 2 Corinthians 1:12) while gold represents dignity and quality and evokes high regard; it is a precious metal that can be changed through fire, just as we are called to be molded into Christ-likeness on earth ("The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" - Psalm 27:1).

Educational Philosophy

PCA operates on a philosophy called "Kingdom Education", which it defines as follows:

Kingdom education is defined as the lifelong, Bible-based, Christ-centered process of leading a child into a new identity with Christ. Kingdom education works to develop children according to their specific abilities so that a child will be empowered to live a life characterized by love, trust and obedience to Christ. The ultimate goal of Kingdom education is to develop a mature disciple of Jesus Christ whose life glorifies God.

The philosophy is undergirded by ten principles, which it considers to be Biblically-based and required in all aspects of life in order for it to be effective. The ten principles are:

• Parent's Responsibility (parents are ultimately responsible to God for their children's education, even if provided by others)
• Lifelong Education (training children must be a consistent effort, not just at school)
• Salvation & Discipleship (the only goal with true meaning is for the children to ultimately know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior)
• God's Word (all studies must be scrutinized through the lens of Scripture)
• Importance of Christ (Christ is to be preeminent in everything—even the education of children and youth)
• Generational ("Are our children being taught anything that will draw them away from Jesus?"—this must be applied to everything taught and everyone who is teaching the children)
• Biblical Wisdom (education must not provide just knowledge, but lead to true wisdom and understanding by causing children to see the God-intended meaning in everything they learn)
• Educational Permission (only those who fear God, love truth and hate covetousness, should be teaching their children)
• Biblical Worldview (as one's worldview, either God-centered or man-centered, is primarily determined by the worldview of teachers, only those with a God-centered worldview should be teaching their children)
• Eternal Perspective (the education of children and youth must not only prepare them for a life of service here on earth during their lifetimes, but also to stand before God for eternity)

Minimester

One of PCA's unique events is "Minimester", where PCA takes an entire week of its curriculum (generally, the week before spring break) for Middle and Upper School students to participate in mission trips at home and abroad. (Lower and Middle School students "adopt" one of the mission trips by fundraising.)

The trips begin with World Impact Day on a day before Minimester. All students meet for a worship service where those going on Minimester trips are prayed for. The entire school is served rice and beans, to remind students that while they in North Texas are indeed blessed, millions have only rice and beans to eat for their daily food.

Athletics

PCA's athletic teams are known as the lions and are members of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. PCA has won the following titles in TAPPS and other athletic contests:

• Football: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017
• Boy's Basketball: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 (Julius Randle, an NBA star with the New York Knicks, is the program's most famous alumnus; his #30 has been retired by the school)
• Girl's Basketball: 2014
• Volleyball: 2018
• Baseball: 2016 (the baseball field is named Graham Field in honor of Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham, who played college baseball and is a devoted fan of the game)
• Boy's Golf: 2015
• Girl's Golf: 2016
• Competitive Cheer (non-TAPPS event): 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019

External links

• PCA