After a Covid-19 campus closure mandated in March 2020 for schools across the state, the road back to "normal" has been a bit tenuous.  Spring 2020 saw cancellations run rampant across the school calendar and, inevitably, Crusaders may be a bit gun shy as they look forward to the traditions that have historically marked the ramp up of a school year:  Friday night football games under the lights, Homecoming, band concerts, the fall film, and much more.  "Our faculty and families have been both prudent and patient," says Superintendent Geoff Brown.  "They have modeled the prudence and caution necessary to keep our calendar and kids safe and on course.  I really cannot overstate how much I appreciate that!  And, they have been patient as we have worked to set this school year's events calendar on a course that both meets the safety objectives we are obliged to meet while also preserving the Crusader traditions we know and love."

High School athletic events.  Of necessity, in accordance with guidance mandated for participating schools by the Arizona Interscholastic Association, families and fans should expect for reduced event capacity as well as the implementation of a number of safety protocols.  AIA scheduling has also been adjusted but, while subject to change based on decisions made by opposing schools, game schedules have been released for football, volleyball, and cross country.  Because guidance stipulates that the school needs to limit the capacity available to spectators both in the Don Sanderson Gymnasium and within the football stadium, Northwest Christian will be using a ticketing system to control the number of individuals on campus for games.  More information can be found regarding the process and timeline of securing those tickets here. 

Middle School athletic events.  Although the Campus Readiness Plan's guidance will be in play for home games, there will be no restrictions on attendance for middle school football, soccer, and volleyball games.  The schedules for the seasons can be found here:  football, soccer, and volleyball.

Homecoming game.  Historically, the annual Homecoming game has been a real highlight of the fall season:  epic football, carnival rides, fair-like concessions, midway games, fireworks, and a few traditional surprises.  This year's event, scheduled for Friday, October 30 and which has been dubbed the "Crusader Classic" to avoid confusion, will be scaled back quite a bit.  And, the traditional Homecoming trappings (the rides, the midway, etc.) will be moved to "Hoopcoming" which is slated for January 15, 2021--a date that will likely enable greater event attendance capacity on the campus.  However, those that do get tickets to the game will enjoy the half-time crowning of the Homecoming royalty.

Homecoming dance.  The Homecoming dance will also look a bit different in that High School Student Council will be taking over the field right after the Crusader Classic football game and hosting a Fall Festival for high school students.  The festival will feature line dancing, games, and some great concessions.  But, students need not worry about the opportunity to enjoy traditional high school dances.  The Winter Formal remains on course for Friday, December 4, 2020 in a local outdoor venue, Sadie Hawkins is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, 2021, and Spring 2021's Prom will be back with a vengeance on April 10, 2021.

Crusader's Got Talent, Season 2.  June 1, 2020 saw the launch of what may very well become a new Crusader tradition as over 5,000 views hit Facebook Live to watch "Crusader's Got Talent".  Riffing off the reality TV show of a similar name, the event allowed secondary students to send it talent submissions in many different categories.  The top talents were showcased during the show and then voted on through text messaging with finalists earning real cash prizes.  November 23, 2020 will see the return of CGT with season 2.  This time the event will also serve as a virtual replacement for the traditional Grandparents Days as talent submissions will come in from Crusaders of all ages:  elementary, middle school, and high school.

Choir Coffeehouses.  The traditional "Choir Coffeehouse", introduced by high school choral director Mrs. Melissa McGuire, is already Covid-proof.  With middle school choir performing on October 27th and high school choir performing on October 29th, these coffeehouse take place outside and on campus.  The outdoor venue, obviously themed to induce a coffeehouse vibe, is perfectly prepped to allow families and friends to enjoy some phenomenal group, duo, and solo choral performances.

NXNW Film Festival and the 2020 Student Film, "Do-Gooders".  Now in its seventh year, the NXNW High School Film Festival solicits digital short film submissions from aspiring high school film-makers across the state.  Past participants have featured film-makers from as far away as Tucson and Southern California as the student's films are shown on the big screen at the AMC Deer Valley Theaters and the audience votes live via text messages.  The cornerstone of the evening has been the annual student film, a production partnership between Cabin Fever Films and Northwest Christian School.  This year's film, called "Do-Gooders", follows the misadventures of teen compatriots who discover that one of their own possesses super-powers.  The film festival and student film premiere are going to take place on January 8, 2021.

Hoopcoming 2021.  Hoopcoming has always been Homecoming's little brother...but not this year!  Hoopcoming is all grown up in 2021 as all of the festivities traditionally reserved for Homecoming are moved to January 15, 2021.  The event is a bit of a misnomer in that the school's athletic department is presently working to land a full-day of both basketball and soccer games on the campus.

"Although spring and summer were seasons rife with economic disruption," explains superintendent Geoff Brown, "the Lord's provision enabled the campus improvement plan to stay on course.  In fact, some of the most generous gifts in school history have come in during this trying time."

Dubbed "Growing and Going", the Northwest Christian multi-year campus improvement plan has continued to roll forward on steel wheels with a number of campus improvements coming into play during the trying summer of 2020.  "The school expanded the multi-purpose building, saw the installation of expansive solar shade structures, completed the multi-stage campus security fencing, and moved forward with renovations to the Early Education building," continues Geoff.  "But some of our most aggressive campus improvements are just around the corner and I'm looking forward to using the school's 40th anniversary celebration gala as the opportunity to present these improvements."

"The students that left school in March," says superintendent Geoff Brown, "are not the same students that came back to us in August.  They have already endured more cultural upheaval than most of us have seen within our lifetimes.  During a time when church has been relegated to some form of virtual alternative reality and the vital relationships enjoyed between students and mentors have been socially distanced, they have had to face innumerable questions that are vital to Biblical worldview.  It is truly time to stand strong and work to really help our students to understand what scripture says about all of the issues raging within the culture during this season."

To help equip families with an understanding of how to stand firm within the Biblical worldview, Northwest Christian is hosting two Parent University sessions in October 2020.  Each will feature a dynamic presenter who understands the issues in front of Christian families.  Each of these events will take place in the Brickhouse Coffeeshop at Palmcroft Church, require a free ticket, and offer free dinner and coffee for attendees.

On October 6th, the Center for Arizona Policy's Cathi Herrod will be on hand for a town-hall styled meeting in which she will illuminate the issues in front of students and families as well as the current state of affairs within state of Arizona.  Cathi Herrod is president of Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), a nonprofit advocacy organization committed to promoting and defending the foundational values of life, marriage and family, and religious freedom.  A total of one hundred seventy-o

ne CAP-supported bills have been passed into law since CAP made its first appearance at the state Capitol in 1995.  As a mother whose children all attended Christian schools, lawyer and family advocate, Cathi knows that what happens at the state Capitol directly impacts our daily lives.  She is also an award-winning public policy leader. Arizona newspapers have recognized her as one of the ten most influential leaders and as one of the key people "with the juice" at the Arizona Capitol.  She is the recipient of the Family Champion Award from Focus on the Family, the William Wilberforce Award from Students for Life of America, and the Deborah Award from Family Life Radio. Alliance Defending Freedom recognized Cathi and CAP with the Alliance Award in 2014.

On October 20th, Northwest Christian's next Parent University will focus on these issues as well but also work to provide numerous, practical resources to parents that will equip them to point their kids to the truths of God's word and then to help them defend Christian worldview with clarity and compassion.  The Parent University will enjoy a novel twist, Pastor Robby Leshua will be bringing his internationally acclaimed "Christ, Culture, and Coffee" podcast for a 'live' recording of an episode that will deal with some pertinent issues.  "First," continues Geoff, "Robby is going to introduce the question, 'Are there degrees of right and wrong?'  Then, as part of a dialog with the audience and with other guests that evening, he is going to demonstrate how we can 'rightfully divide the Word of Truth' and teach our kids to do the same.  This will enable our kids to stand up for truth and know how to defend their faith within a very contrary culture.  Second, Robby is going to help us unveil a whole bunch of apologetic resources, appropriate for students of all ages, that will enable parents and teachers to answer the vital questions that students are asking right now."

The event will also align with this year's theme for secondary chapels:  "Kingdom Culture Conversations".  These chapels are unique in that they have been featuring Northwest Christian faculty engaging with experts in the different arenas of cultural impact.  The chapels are in a Q&A style and designed so that the dialog spills over from chapel into facilitated conversations that occur within the classrooms.

This fall, Northwest Christian Middle School students will enjoy the opportunity to use the latest in 3-D printing technology, the Mark Two 3-D printer from Markforged, to build, launch, and keep their very own drones.  The project is the culmination of tremendous generosity from a number of school partners.  The $50,000 investment on behalf of the school to purchase the Markforged Mark Two 3-D printer, the requisite design software, and printing materials was put forward by Micropulse West, an industrial manufacturer that specializes in precision machining services.  The drone project itself has been funded by a generous $5,000 grant from SRP.  Additionally, the project has seen a good amount of time volunteered by Zoltan Farkas, the Mechanical Engineer Lead within the Mars Space Flight Facility which is part of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration.  

The drone project represents a dimension of the forthcoming "Crusader Creation Commons", a Maker's Space which was announced during the school's 2019 fundraising dinner and auction.  "'Maker's Spaces' have been popular in schools for a while now," explains superintendent Geoff Brown, "but the Crusader Creation Commons will really be very different from anything before it.  First, the space isn't centered around technology or STEM.  It will be centered around the creative capacity of our Creator.  We will use the space to teach students that they have been divinely created by a loving Creator who imbued within them a unique purpose and the capacity to create like He creates.  With that understanding as foundation, we are presently building an inventory of creative tools that will enable our students to hone their talents in a number of areas."

The additional areas of potential creativity are also being developed through grants currently being written by Mick Manne, the school's Development and Instructional Support Coordinator.  "We have been so blessed," continues Geoff.  "We have seen grants that have fueled the formation of our eSports program from WalMart.  As well, the Crusader Creation Commons will feature a HAM radio station that was gifted to the school by the Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club. Over the next few months, we are looking forward to continuing to build out the program so that when the Crusader Creation Commons launches, it will have opportunities for students to engage in podcasting, audio and video recording, robotics, graphic design, and much more."

Northwest Christian School is looking forward to updating the school community on progress within the school's facility improvement strategic plan, called Growing and Going, as part of the fall 2020 online auction and the 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala Dinner on April 24, 2021.