News

Chemistry Experiments Inside The New SLC

The new SLC building brought more than just a new gym; it also brought along two fully equipped science labs with sinks and bunsen burners! The tenth grade students in Mrs. Marcia Siebert's Chemistry class were more than excited to try out the new equipment in their unit on chemical bonds.

“In preparation to begin a unit on learning about the different types of chemical bonds,” Siebert explained, “students did an exploratory lab on the properties that will be observed when each representative bond type is put through a series of physical tests. In the lab, they saw how differently the substances respond to the physical tests. These responses will lead to the correct identification of each bond type once they learn about the nature of the bonds in class. The end result of the lab is once they learn about the bond types in class, to apply that knowledge and correctly identify what bond each substance had. They will then write an official lab report using their knowledge and results to support their predictions.”

Donning protective eye wear and aprons, the students set out to mix, dissolve, and their favorite part, light the bunsen burners to see what would happen when their solutions were heated.

Titus Pettersen said, “I enjoyed the hands-on science experience!”

While Bella De Los Reyes agreed, “Seeing and doing and the experiment is better than just reading about it in a textbook!”

Holocaust Studies: Lessons In History & Humanity

One of the new electives at PCA this year is the Holocaust Studies course taught by faculty member, Kristi Ugland. She's been studying the content for over fifteen years and when given the opportunity to share her knowledge with the students of PCA, Ugland jumped at the chance.

“I discovered about fifteen years ago,” Ugland said, “that I have a passion for the History of the Holocaust and its Victims and Survivors. I began teaching the subject and educating myself, and the more I read, the more I became amazed about the people who miraculously survived such atrocities.”

Not only has Ugland studied the time period but she has also had the opportunity to meet survivors and their families. “I continue to be awed by their incredible courage, faith, and stories,” she said. “I think it's very important for students to be educated about this history. Through studying the Holocaust and its tragedies, students see the absolute worst of humanity. They see educated people make the choice to pursue evil, and they see a culture destroy itself. Students also get a vivid picture of humanity at its absolute best: strangers sacrificing to feed children, people hiding others in their homes--knowing they will suffer the worst consequences if found out, and the Liberators and their fight to free the world from tyranny. The Holocaust is a lesson for everyone--to know that we must consciously choose to serve God and His people each day, and to purposely pursue goodness in our daily lives.”

Last week Ugland took her students to The Charleston Holocaust Memorial located in Marion Square, downtown. The goal was for the class to learn about the memorial, as well as help clean it up. “I thought the first trip as a class should be about our local community of Survivors,” Ugland said. “There are three living Survivors in the Lowcountry. This is amazing, considering most Survivors are now nearing 100 years of age. We also wanted to show respect to the Jewish Community of Charleston by performing a "Mitzvah" or good deed for them by cleaning the Memorial and its surrounding area.”

On December 9, the class will travel to Sumter to visit the Sumter County Museum's Nuremberg Trials Special Exhibit. They will meet with the Rabbi of the Temple Sinai who is hosting the exhibit and learn about the Jewish High Holy Days, Hanukkah, and other Jewish traditions. 

In January of next year, the class plans to visit the new Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina in Columbia where they will tour the new center featuring Anne Frank's life and her legacy.