PACA Students Return With A Surprise On The First Day Of The 2025-26 School Year

Secondary students were met with the high school locker area and the senior lockers decorated by the senior moms this year. [by Dr. Meier]

By: Grace E Meier

The 2025-26 PACA school year started on Thursday, July 31, with a new schedule where PACA students experienced two assemblies, a 45 minute homeroom period, and still enough time to get through the eight class periods of a normal school day.

The day started off with a full period of homeroom for all the secondary students (grades 6-12) to prepare them for both the expectations of the first week of school as well as the entire school year. Each grade met with their homeroom teachers in the classroom that would be their homeroom for the year.

The unique schedule included three assemblies spread out over the course of the day. In between the assembly times,  students and teachers came together for  20 minute class periods.

The Superintendent, Mr. Stephen Meier, and his leadership team were a big part of planning for PACA’s 2025-26 first day.

“We had what was the best overall benefit or support for middle school and high school,” said Meier,  “because we diversified the day, which allowed everyone to know what they needed to do and where they needed to go.”  

For the new and incoming ninth grade students, this was one part of the changes in moving up from middle school to high school. 

The ninth grade students had many changes in their new high school schedules besides just these 20 minute periods that all of PACA’s community experienced.

Ninth grade student, Ariane Nascimento, said, “Honestly, I liked this schedule a lot. I only wish I could’ve been in Geometry so that I could do Spanish, because I had already wanted to do Spanish.” 

Though the change in schedule was appreciated by some, not everyone agreed with the amount of time given to certain portions of the schedule.

“I felt like the long homeroom wasn’t necessary,”  said Freshman Annabelle Harper; “and the 20 min class periods felt too short to actually be able to understand the new things about our classes.”  

Other students had different outlooks on the schedule. Some felt as though the time spent with their teachers on the first day of school was not as helpful as it could have been.

“I feel like they shouldn’t have done the 20 minute periods on the first day because it wasn’t really helping to prepare us for the rest of the year,” said Paula Asare-Duah.

Mrs. Swisher at the welcoming assembly to explain some important details high school students need to know. [By Dr. Meier]

There is always room for improvement, as many students from the PACA community realized when they received their schedules and noticed how they didn’t match up with the schedule on the first day. 

“The new students didn’t know where to go,” said Mr. Meier. “So if we had a color coded map and schedule for everyone they could know where to go and it would take away confusion.” 

Small changes like this could go a long way, especially with the new expansions to the school and the many new students that are coming in. 

There were many new changes that people at PACA had for the first day and things didn’t necessarily go as many members of the PACA community expected.

As far as expectations go, 9th grade student Ariane Nacsimento stated, “I thought it would be normal but there was more change in schedule and more homework than I expected.”

As  PACA’s Superintendent, Meier offered some encouraging words in his vision for the future of the school. 

“Continue to have a good time here at PACA as you continue to get to know God’s word and what his plan is for your life through the highs and lows that you may experience here at PACA,” said Meier.

Ariane Nascimento shared a word of advice for the present Elementary and Middle school students.

“Appreciate the time you still have left in Elementary and Middle School, because it will eventually end and then, when you look back,  you won’t be there any more,” said Nascimento. “I wish I could have lived more. Just really appreciate the time you have and hang on to middle school and elementary because you don’t realise how much it will mean when it’s gone.” 

With mid-quarter grades being published on Monday, September 8, it is easy to look back at the first day of our 2025-26 school year as a great start to the rest of this school year and of 2025.  In looking ahead to the rest of the  2025-26 PACA school year, the community can look at this school calendar link to prepare for the events of  the rest of this school year.