"Develop Christ-centered students who aspire to excellence
and impact their communities for Him."
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Making a Difference Together
On February 21, NVCA Board members, staff, families, and friends attended the "Making a Difference Together" auction and dinner. It was a blessing to celebrate what God is doing in our school and in the lives of our students. NVCA has come a long way since the start, and we look forward to continuing our work to develop Christ-centered students who aspire to excellence and impact their communities for Him.
We appreciate our title sponsor,
Rooter Ranger Plumbing,
for helping to make this event possible.
Tables were sold out, and the auction was a huge success. We netted approximately $91,000, plus we earned an additional $25,000 match from an anonymous donor.
We thank everyone who donated toward the auction. And we thank all donors for their constant prayer and financial support that truly helps us make a difference together. We especially thank Cathy Oliva and all volunteers for putting together this wonderful evening.
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Photographs by Karyn Oliver, Frame x Frame Photography. Used by permission.
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Our amazing stunt team performed on Friday evening, January 31, for Hoopcoming. The bleachers were packed and the crowds cheered as our girls and boys basketball teams competed in some tough games.
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Judah, our school mascot, joined the preschool students on their walk to the auditorium for the Hoopcoming Pep Rally.
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Throughout the week, staff and students participated in dress-up days and had a blast. Here are a few pictures from 80s Day, Pajama Day, and My Future Self Day.
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MRS. WETZEL'S 2ND GRADE CLASS
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"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus:..."
(Romans 3:24)
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Ash Wednesday—A Reminder
I'm a child of God; yes, I am. Throughout the Bible, the scriptures reassure us that we are God's children. We could not have received any greater gift than that of God's own son, Jesus, our redeemer.
At NVCA, our students learn to put God first in their lives. Teachers incorporate worship into their daily routines, and their students feel confident that with God's help they can move forward in their studies.
To begin the Lenten season, all students and staff participated in our Ash Wednesday chapel service on February 26. Pastor Jon Bjorgaard, from St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Phoenix, presented an excellent example and message about salvation. The students learned that we cannot get to heaven without Jesus.
All glory be to God for His wonderful gift of grace.
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Teachers Appreciate Ultimate Apple Campaign Donations
Last school year, during National Teachers' Week, we launched our Ultimate Apple Campaign. Many NVCA families and friends donated toward that campaign to support professional development and supplemental supplies and equipment needs for our teachers. The teachers are very grateful for all donations. Below are some examples of how teachers have put those funds to use.
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Mrs. Brightman purchased new books and posters for her American Sign Language (ASL) classes. She also attended a Level 2 ASL teaching class and received her certification.
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Mrs. Sanchez was able to purchase headphones for her kindergarten students to use with the iPads. Other items included a variety of books and alphabet/reading learning tools.
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Mr. House gifted students curriculum for their Senior Capstone class. The two books each senior received were:
- Love Does by Bob Goff
- Everybody Always by Bob Goff
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Mrs. Huizenga purchased a tongue drum, tubano drum, cajon, and boomwhackers.
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Mrs. Tinker and the preschool classes acquired some art easels.
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Ms. Brown was able to buy a refrigerator for her Culinary Arts class.
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Getting to Know Our Third Grade Teacher
STACY MERGENER
This is my second year teaching at NVCA. I taught first and second grade for fourteen years in the Cartwright Elementary School District in Phoenix. I then taught third grade and served as the curriculum and assessment specialist at Joy Christian School for five years before coming to NVCA. I also teach for the College of Education at Grand Canyon University, helping adults prepare for careers in teaching.
I enjoy coming to work and spending my days with the sweet kiddos in my classroom. Teaching isn’t really like any other job. Every day I get to see smiling faces and am blessed in some way that I would never have expected. It’s a privilege to see how the Lord is working in the children around me. I love watching them grow academically, spiritually, and developmentally.
My favorite part of the day is digging into the Bible, discussing God’s word, and praying with my students.
Third grade is a pivotal year for students. I love being a part of that! In third grade the students are becoming more independent and accountable. It’s the first year students earn actual letter grades and get to be honored for their efforts through the Principal’s List and honor roll awards.
My goal this year is to clearly see my students the way God sees them and to join Him in whatever work He’s doing in their lives in the moment. My favorite scripture is: "Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
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Winners for Christ!
RANDY WALKER
HEAD BOYS BASKETBALL COACH
NVCA was the site for this year's AIA Boys Basketball Regional Tournament. This tournament convenes the top four teams from the regular season. The Lions entered the 1A West Tournament as the number 1 seed in the region and played fourth seed San Pasqual in the first round. The Lions defeated San Pasqual 95–54 to advance to the finals. The other semifinal game matched second seed Mohave Accelerated against third seed Anthem Prep.
In the regional championship game NVCA played Mohave Accelerated for the third time this season, with the Lions prevailing 89–66 to win the 1A West Tournament for the first time in school history. This win guaranteed a spot in the 1A State Play-In game.
In the play-in game the Lions, a #3 seed, hosted the El Capitan Eagles. NVCA defeated the Eagles 75–42 to advance to the 2020 AIA Boys Basketball State Championships—Conference 1A tournament in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
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In the state quarterfinal game, the #3 seed Lions played the #6 seed Phoenix based NFL YET. In a back and forth game, the Lions took control in the second half and won 76–65. Number 2 seed Rock Point awaited the Lions in the semifinals; both games took place at Yavapai Community College. The Lions defeated the Cougars 77–39 to advance to the 1A State Championship to oppose Fort Thomas at the Findlay Toyota Center. This was the first appearance in the State Tournament for the NVCA Lions in school history.
Fort Thomas, the number 1 seed in the tournament, possesses a rich basketball history, having won 11 prior State Championships. Taking control early in the game, on a poor shooting night for the Lions, Fort Thomas defeated NVCA 62–46. The Lions never gave up and fought back several times to get within striking distance, only to come up short each time.
Overall, in only their second season as a varsity program, the Lions finished the season 27–5, winning not only the 1A West Regular Season, but the Regional Tournament and advancing to the 1A State Tournament Championship game, taking 2nd place.
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To view all photos and/or purchase photos from the final playoff game, please visit:
To view and/or purchase the awards photos from the final playoff game, please visit:
Please know that the photos from MaxPreps.com are under copyright by the photographer and cannot be copied from this newsletter and used in any other medium. Thank you!
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B.E.S.T. Special Olympics
This school year NVCA joined the Special Olympics (SO) of Arizona. The Special Olympics provides opportunities for our B.E.S.T. students to be involved in athletics along with other NVCA students who are not in the B.E.S.T. program. This is a "unified" team. Numerous sporting tournaments in which our students can compete exist. For this year we limited ourselves to two sports.
Last December, NVCA sent a team of middle school students to compete in the SO unified soccer tournament. This month we competed in the SO basketball tournament. The focus for NVCA SO teams is having fun, learning some basic skills in a sport, working together, and building relationships.
NVCA is hoping to add more sports to our SO teams next year and to host SO events on our campus.
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We are extremely grateful to all of our NVCA family who help support our school. May God continue to bless you this new year.
At NVCA,
our families come first in all that we do. We would love to hear from you about how we are doing. If you can, please take a second to tell us about your experience with North Valley Christian Academy. Simply click the thumb graphic link below. Thank you!
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Thank you for being a valued member of our family!
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North Valley Christian Academy
33655 North 27th Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85085
Phone: (623) 551-3454
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