PCA Podcasts

As first-quarter report cards arrive and parent-teacher conferences approach, Mike sits down with Tammy Treadwell, PCA’s Math Department Chair, to discuss student growth and learning. Tammy celebrates strong achievement while sharing how our math team is strengthening foundational skills, connecting learning across grades, and helping students understand not just how to solve problems, but why the...

On this episode of Mondays with Mike, lower-school students and teacher Mrs. Brouse join the conversation to share what learning looks and feels like at PCA. Host Mike listens as fifth-graders and younger students describe academic milestones — from Ivan working on two-step equations with parentheses and Clara tackling two-digit by two-digit multiplication, to students typing multi-page personal n...

What does learning feel like when you’re four? Mike visits PCA’s Butterfly classroom and then sits down with teacher Betsy Hickey to listen more closely. From learning to separate from Mom and Dad, form letters, move, play, share, and make friends, to beginning to understand who God is, this episode offers a joyful glimpse into how much growth is taking place in these earliest formative years.

On this episode of Mondays with Mike, host Mike sits down with two PCA middle school students — Colin, a seventh-grader from Newark, and Olivia, an eighth-grader from Dover — to listen rather than lecture. The conversation explores what they are learning right now, the struggles that make them think more deeply, and how teachers and classmates help them grow. Topics covered include academic challe...

Hello PCA families and students. In this episode Mike reflects on returning from a 35th West Point reunion and the powerful perspective reunions provide: a longer view of how God shapes lives through relationships and formative years. Topics covered include the role of classmates, teachers, coaches, and leaders in spiritual and personal formation; how ordinary and extraordinary moments alike contr...

Hello PCA community — this episode walks listeners through PCA’s revitalized Homecoming Week and how the school is shifting the event from a traditional alumni weekend into a multi-generational community celebration. Mike hosts Nate Paul and Megan Tuttle (both PCA parents and Homecoming organizers) describe what families can expect Friday through Saturday and the ways Homecoming is designed to hel...

In this episode we explore what leadership truly means at PCA — beyond titles like prefect or Student Life Council member — and how students are entrusted with real responsibility for their peers and the school culture. Host interviews Mrs. Ellen Sporko (Director of Leadership), Student Life Council member Anatoly (Anna), and prefect Noah Hastie to hear firsthand what stewardship, long-term projec...

In this episode we explore what leadership really means at PCA — not as a title but as real responsibility for people and culture. Mike interviews Mrs. Ellen Sporko, PCA’s director of leadership, alongside student leaders Anna (Student Life Council, senior-class lead and small group leader) and Noah (upper school spiritual life prefect). Together they unpack how students are given authority over s...

In this episode Mike Runey, Head of School, reflects on what true growth in school looks like — not merely aging, grades, or completed assignments, but growth in knowledge, confidence, judgment, and faith. The host shares a recent moment in Lower School Chapel, where students displayed joy, engagement, and meaningful interaction with teachers, illustrating the heart of Christian education. Topics...

In this episode Mike Runey, Head of School at Portsmouth Christian Academy, reflects on brief but meaningful conversations with parents and how those moments point to the heart of PCA’s educational philosophy. Using the three guiding words—Known, Challenged, Contributing—Mike explains what learning and formation should feel like for students from Pre-K through graduation. Mike opens by describing...

In this episode Mike Runey, the head of Portsmouth Christian Academy, reflects on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, exploring why events we remember deeply are often history to our students and how faithful memory should be passed on. He shares personal perspective as a former Army officer and military family member, and connects national grief to the local PCA community. Topics covered...

Good morning, PCA. In this episode the Head of School, Mike Runey, welcomes families to the new 2026–27 school year and to today’s open house, sharing a hopeful, practical preview of what students, parents, and staff can expect. The host speaks from campus and invites listeners to walk the halls, meet teachers, and imagine the growth ahead. Topics covered include the threefold summer preparation t...

Join Nate Paul and Head of School Mike Runey for the fourth summer episode of Mondays with Mike as they recap key conversations from this summer and preview the new school year at PCA. Nate and Mike reflect on themes covered in recent episodes — academic coherence, survey insights, and the traits of excellent teachers — and connect them to three core promises the school makes to families: every ch...

PCA community, welcome back to Mondays with Mike. In this episode Nathan Paul (PCA’s marketing director and chief storyteller) sits down with Head of School Mike Runey to unpack the results from the spring family, student, faculty, and alumni surveys. They explain why the school conducts regular surveys, how leadership interprets the voices of the community, and why broad participation matters for...

Join Nate Paul, PCA’s Marketing Director and chief storyteller, and Head of School Mike Runey on Mondays with Mike as they explore how PCA is intentionally aligning curriculum and instruction across grade levels. This episode dives into the distinction between clarity and coherence in education, and why building a dependable “staircase” from preschool through graduation matters for every student....

Hello, PCA families. In this opening episode of a four-part Monday series, Head of School Mike welcomes returning and new families as PCA prepares for the 26-27 school year, shares a personal reflection following his daughter’s wedding, and frames the year as a shared beginning that requires faithfulness, encouragement, and community. Mike explains the purpose of the series — not a run of announce...

Hello, PCA families and friends. In this episode we reflect on one remarkable week at Portsmouth Christian Academy: Baccalaureate for our seniors, an eighth-grade milestone, commencement for the Class of 2026, and our inaugural Academic Showcase. These events are presented as windows into the same story — students rooted at PCA, formed over time, and sent to their next faithful steps. We profile t...

In this solo message to PCA families, Mike reflects on Memorial Day, asking listeners to pause and remember the men and women who died in service to the nation. The host distinguishes Memorial Day from Veterans Day, frames remembrance in a Christian context, and urges gratitude, humility, and prayer as proper responses to the sacrifices that made our freedoms possible. The episode connects persona...

In this episode we recap PCA’s spring musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with director and creative lead Miss Melissa Weisberg and three members of the cast and crew: Isaac (who plays Joseph), Chloe (one of three narrators), and Lucy Arico (dance captain). The conversation covers why the show matters to the PCA community, how the production was adapted to begin on campus, and t...

Good afternoon, PCA families. In this episode the Head of School offers a heartfelt message of gratitude following Teacher Appreciation Week, reflecting on the deep relational work of Christian education and how a faithful school community shows up for students and staff. Topics covered include Teacher Appreciation Week activities—meals, notes, volunteers, and the welcoming culture our teachers cr...

In this episode, host Mike Runey talks with Portsmouth Christian Academy U.S. History teacher Mr. Pierre-Luc Rivard and two eighth graders, Lily and Abhi, as the class of 2030 prepares to arrive in Washington, D.C. for their annual educational trip. The conversation explores how months of classroom study come alive when students visit the places where American history was made. Guests and itinerar...

Join Mike and Steve Howe, PCAs Director of Operations, for a timely spring safety update as campus activity ramps up. This episode covers key policy changes, on-the-ground concerns, and ways families can partner with the school to keep students safe during the busiest season of the year. We explain the updated animals-on-campus policy: unauthorized pets (including dogs) are no longer allowed at PC...

Good afternoon, PCA families. In this episode a member of PCA leadership (Head of School/Campus Leader) delivers a post‑Easter message that ties the theological truths of Good Friday and the resurrection to the everyday work of parenting and school life. The speaker reflects on how the cross and the empty tomb make honest responsibility and extending grace possible for children and families. The e...

In this episode of Mondays with Mike, three PCA juniors—Alex Child, Brooke Leger, and Riley Tuttle—join the host to reflect on a winter-break missions trip to Puerto Rico. They describe serving local communities, participating in Spanish-language worship, and building cross-cultural relationships that challenged and expanded their understanding of faith and service. Topics include the power of wor...

Hello PCA families — Join PCA’s winter student-athletes as they reflect on a season of competition, growth, and faith. In this episode, host interviews four athletes: Emma (sophomore swimmer who qualified for State on her first event), Josie (sophomore swimmer and State competitor), Ava (senior basketball player who broke the school’s all-time scoring record), and Catarina (senior winter track ath...