Students in Mrs. Heald’s U.S. History class  took on the challenge of memorizing and reciting The Gettysburg Address , bringing one of the most iconic speeches in American history to life. Their focus, discipline, and commitment to excellence were on full display as they spoke words that have shaped generations. Abraham Lincoln’s address honors fallen soldiers and reframes the Civil War as a defining test of America’s founding ideals— liberty, equality, and self-government .

Last week, PAA students brought music to the cafeteria with lunchtime performances from our Music Theory & Guitar  and Performance & Production  classes! Throughout several lunch periods, students showcased their talents, sharing their hard work, skills, and creativity with the whole school. Every student was invited to stop by, listen, and enjoy—the performances were a real treat for everyone. From pieces by duos to dynamic ensemble performances, our students led the way, fi

PAA’s annual Christmas Program was a true showcase of our students’ talent, dedication, hard work, and creativity! Held at the beautifully decorated Sunnyside Adventist Church, our students filled the space with music, joy, and the spirit of the season. Under the direction of Dr. Carter, with Mrs. Cooper guest directing a powerful gospel piece, our student musicians led every performance - from Choir and Alegria to Bell Canto, Band, and PASO. Several students also stepped int

Last Saturday night, our Campus Ministries students brought the Christmas spirit to life as they hosted a festive, joy-filled Christmas party for the entire PAA student body. From the moment students walked in, the campus was buzzing with energy, laughter, and the kind of togetherness that makes our community feel like family. Students led the way in planning every detail—from creative games and friendly contests to group singing that carried the warmth of the season through

On Friday night, our PAA musicians filled The Grotto in northeast Portland with truly breathtaking music. The PAA Choir, Alegria, and several gifted soloists shared songs that lifted up the name of Jesus and celebrated the miracle of His birth. Their music wrapped the audience in peace, joy, and the unmistakable presence of God. Our students brought their whole hearts to this performance—combining skill, passion, and worship. As their voices rose through the chapel, the space

Basketball season is officially underway, and our Cougar athletes came out strong in their first games last night. JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys all took the court with energy, teamwork, and the kind of hard work they’ve been building since their first practice. There’s nothing like the roar of Cougar fans in the stands, and our players feel every bit of that support. Your cheers, your presence, and your energy truly make a difference as these teams continue to gro

Check out this heartfelt video showing what PAA means to students: Our students share powerfully about how PAA isn’t just a school — it’s a community where they feel known and loved . They talked about belonging, growing in faith, being valued, and being supported through challenges and victories alike. Watching their faces and hearing their voices, you can feel the care, encouragement, and community spirit that makes PAA special. This is what happens when education meets com

As we head into Thanksgiving break, we’re celebrating the incredible ways our students filled this week with energy, laughter, leadership, and community. Even in a short week, they made PAA come alive. 🎭 Students Took Center Stage Our Drama students kicked off the week with a fun and thoughtful performance all about gift-giving. Their acting, humor, and creativity had the whole school entertained from start to finish. They made us laugh, made us cheer, and reminded us just h

Saturday night’s PAA Game/Gym Night was a perfect example of what makes our students so incredible. More than 100 students—middle schoolers and high schoolers—came together and truly made the night unforgettable. From the moment the doors opened, our Student Association leaders  took the lead. They provided food, they opened the gym, arranged a movie, provided games, and created a space where every person felt included. Their energy set the tone for the whole event. In the gy

Wow—what a wonderful night of celebration for our senior class! Our annual Senior Recognition, held at Sunnyside Adventist Church, honored the incredible PAA Class of 2026 with an evening full of meaning, memories, and joy. Students shared their talents and stories with an audience of families, friends, staff, and loved ones. Highlights included Ethan’s original song and performance, a beautiful musical piece by Makayla, Cori, and Kaw, Ricarda’s heartfelt class history, Profe

What a blessing it was to welcome 8th-grade students from across the Portland metro area to our annual PAA Academy Day ! Students joined us for morning worship led by a PAA student praise band and then spent the day exploring what makes PAA so special. They toured classrooms, met teachers, enjoyed lunch, and had plenty of time to play and connect with each other. Our Student Association led the visiting students in fun games, academic departments hosted scholarship contests,

Last Friday evening was one of our favorite traditions— PAA Class Vespers!  Each grade level gathered for a night of worship and community, planned by students and their class sponsors. Some groups invited local youth pastors to share messages, while others heard inspiring words from their own sponsors. Incredibly generous families opened their homes, creating welcoming spaces for students to connect, play, sing, share, and worship together. It was a beautiful evening of clas

PAA’s first Spirit Week of the year was packed with creativity, energy, and fun! Each day, students and staff showed up in full force for themed dress-up days — 1990s, Dynamic Duos, Western, 1920s, and finally, Students Dress Like Teachers (and Teachers Like Students!). Every day brought exciting contests and games — from “Best Dressed” and “Guess the Song” to races and gym activities — there was truly something for everyone and grade levels competed to win class points. We l

Last Friday, more than 80 PAA students brought music and joy to Rivergate Adventist Elementary School in their first performances of the year! Band, Bell Canto, Choir, Alegria, and PASO all performed, filling the gym with incredible sounds and energy. Rivergate students loved seeing and hearing the high school musicians—it was a wonderful time for everyone. The music continued on Sabbath, as Bell Canto and Alegria shared special music for both services at Pleasant Valley Adve

This year’s first PAA Week of Worship wrapped up beautifully with Fusion Vespers at Pleasant Valley Church (PVC) on Friday night. More than 70 students came together to worship, eat, and have fun! PVC members went above and beyond—decorating, preparing, and warmly welcoming students to their church for an evening of connection and joy. Campus Ministries planned the entire night, leading everyone in games and pumpkin decorating, while PAA staff and PVC members served a delicio

We are grateful for everyone who took the time to complete our Fall Parent Survey! We received responses from 19% of our families , and the feedback is deeply appreciated. This year’s survey included questions about our new PAA App . We appreciated all the helpful suggestions on how to make it even better in addition to the excitement and positive feedback from families who are already finding it so useful! We’re thrilled to share that survey results were overwhelmingly posit

Portland Adventist Academy is proud to have an auto mechanics class as part of the curriculum. Auto mechanics has been one of the diverse offerings PAA has continuously taught since the tech building opened in the 1980s. Learning basic auto mechanic knowledge and skills is something countless students have appreciated. For the past several years, Adam Hinckley, a hospital physical therapist by profession, has generously taken time from his schedule to teach students the funda

This week, our students and staff have been deeply blessed by an incredible Week of Worship. Each day we gathered as a school family to worship together in special and meaningful ways. Different student praise bands led us in powerful music worship, and we were inspired by messages from Tino Tsikirai , chaplain with Adventist Health, who shared the theme “Love Asks Questions.”  Through her own testimony and stories from Scripture, she reminded us how God invites honest questi

Today, after starting the day with worship, all of our juniors and seniors  participated in the school-day PSAT and SAT . In the spring, our freshmen and sophomores  will also take the PSAT designed for their grade levels. The PSAT does more than prepare students for the SAT — it opens the door to scholarship opportunities , helps students identify academic strengths , and highlights areas for continued growth . These assessments also provide valuable insight for our teachers

PAA’s girls volleyball  and boys soccer  teams made the Cougar Nation proud at Walla Walla University’s Fall Classic Tournament  this weekend! Both teams were undefeated through Thursday and Friday,  showing grit, skill, and incredible teamwork. Volleyball battled through several close matches, while soccer’s final qualifying game went into overtime  before being decided by a nail-biting penalty shootout . Then, late Saturday night , both teams brought home first-place champi