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Pacifica Begins New School Year Full of Thanks

August 26th, 2016

We have much to be thankful for as year two is well under way at Pacifica! On Thursday, August 18, Pacifica welcomed all new families to Student-Parent Orientation. During the day’s activities, parents attended breakout sessions to learn the “nuts and bolts” of the school and the various school programs offered for the year. New students spent time getting to know each other, their teachers, and the key details to start Pacifica with ease. The two-day new student orientation concluded Friday evening at Pacifica’s annual Dedication Service. The Dedication Service is a formal service, both academic and spiritual, that officially launches the new school year. With approximately 300 people in attendance, our school community came together to thank God for His providential care and ask for His blessing and guidance for the year ahead. Our 2016-17 school theme, “Living in Thankfulness,” was presented during the service, deriving from Psalm 136:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Head of School, David O’Neil, encouraged the student body to focus on a year rooted in thankfulness with his opening remarks. Bailey Evans, Pacifica Founding Student Class of 2018, challenged his fellow classmates to be thankful in all things, big and small, and together to approach this school year with intentional gratitude. Pacifica Board Member, Michael Hill, closed the service with his Benediction, inspiring each person to discover “God’s right side up” in their lives, and to be transformed by a God who is good. (Read Mr. Hill's full Benediction here.)The spirit of gratitude from the Dedication Service spilled onto the Pacifica campus as students arrived Monday morning for the first day of school. As teachers opened car doors and greeted students there was a great deal of renewed energy on campus. Our student body has doubled in size, we have added classrooms, and improved the landscape to provide an increasingly beautiful space for students. More importantly, new friendships are beginning, and conversations in the classrooms are already moving from chats about summer to discussions for the purpose of seeking truth, beauty, and goodness in light of the Kingdom of God. All this to say, we are excited and thankful to be back at school.