Love Above All:  T-shirts Celebrating the Theme for the School Year are Available Now    

 

For the fifth year, the tradition of an annual theme helps to bring focus to our efforts as a school

For the past five years, each summer, the Northwest Christian High School student council has prayerfully considered a theme and a scripture for the upcoming school year.  "A theme allows for a couple of things," explains superintendent Geoff Brown.  "First, it allows us to prayerfully focus on a unified direction.  This informs so many aspects of what we do.  Consider, for example, chapels.  Chapel speakers all rallied around a single focus and help move the school forward in a unified direction.  Second, a single theme pulls the school together.  Preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school are all unified." 

This year, working with members of the secondary Bible team, student council has prayerfully settled upon "Love Above All" as the theme and Col. 3:14 as the foundational scripture for the year.  From Colossians 3... 

¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

The tradition includes the opportunity for students to purchase t-shirts which celebrate the theme and to wear them on Fridays throughout the school year.  Orders can be placed through September 10th at the following link:

NCS Love Above All T-shirts

Northwest Christian Spring 2014 ACT Scores Set School Records   

Both ACT and SAT10 scores reveal students are making solid and historic gains

In the last issue of the Spotlight e-newsletter, we reported that SAT10 scores from the spring of 2014 came back very strong.  In nearly two-thirds of subject area classes, students demonstrated growth that would be statistically considered greater than a single year's academic growth.  Generally, anything greater than 7% annual growth within National Percentile Rank is considered unprecedented.  This year, seven different areas within the school experienced annual growth between 10 and 18%.

Now, the campus is buzzing again as that the spring 2014 ACT scores have also come back very strong, achieving historic gains for the second year in a row.  The composite score (the average of the four test categories:  English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science) is the highest it has ever been for the school and is over 20% higher than the average composite score for schools in Arizona.  This is especially significant in that there is a broader base of Northwest Christian students opting to take the ACT than ever before.  The percentage of participating students who took the test this past spring was 40% higher than at any point in the past.  Specifically, in both reading and science, scores reached historic highs for the school with the science score being a over a full point higher.

"This is so exciting," explains superintendent Geoff Brown, "because it affirms the momentous amount of effort being put forward by both teachers and students.  These trends aren't the result of happenstance.  They are the result of heroic amounts of effort and energy being put forward within the classroom.  It's real easy to get excited when you consider the combination of academic rigor and Biblical integration in NCS classrooms and how that will play into the futures of our students."

Generous Sponsors of the Northwest Christian Athletes

NCS Christian Warriors Earn Two State Titles   

Two students awarded the honor of State Title Holder in first ever GMHMA Arizona State Title Championship

The NCS Christian Warriors chapter is part of the Grand Master Han Martial Arts (GMHMA) association, which is founded on honoring Jesus through six core principles: Be Polite, Be Patient, Be Alert, Be Brave, Do Your Best and Respect Yourself and Others. Their team motto is "Never Give Up".

Three members of the NCS team did just that--they never gave up! With over 300 students participating in the GMHMA program throughout the year, only 45 students were eligible to enter the first ever Arizona State Title Competition held in August. NCS students Jordan Huggett, Joshua Humphrey and Carter Barksdale all qualified to compete in this statewide competition.

"I am very proud of the all NCS students who qualified and participated in the AZ State Title Competition! Qualifying for this competition is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication," remarked John Fagan, their Master Trainer. "More importantly, I am proud of the way these young men carried themselves as martial artists and as Christian Warriors."

Jordan Huggett and Joshua Humphrey made it to the final round in both Forms and Sparring, which is no easy task. These students train several times a week crafting their forms and techniques. The Christian Warrior training program is designed to build the individual's mental, physical, and spiritual development as well as promote a team environment where students encourage, respect and train one another.

Jordan was Runner-Up in Forms and the State Title Holder in Sparring for the Junior Boy's White to Brown Belt division. Joshua, competing in the Youth Boy's White to Brown Belt division, was the State Title Holder in Sparring and Runner-Up in Forms. Each boy received a six foot trophy for the State Title Holder designation and a 4 foot trophy for their second place honor.

Joshua has been an NCS Christian Warrior for over a year and half and has trained hard to earn his blue belt designation. Now entering third grade, he is half way to receiving the highest honor of black belt and is very excited to be a State Title Holder who will soon be receiving his red belt. When asked what he likes best about being a Christian Warrior he said, "I like training with Master John because he's so nice. We work real hard and it's a lot of fun!"

Jordan has also trained at NCS since the Christian Warriors program began. He is a brown belt on his way to earning his black belt in September. We asked Jordan how he feels about this amazing achievement and he said, "It's pretty cool because I set that as my goal in 1st grade, and I will achieve it in 5th grade!" Jordan frequently trains many of the other lower ranking belts demonstrating both technique and team spirit.

GMHMA has been part of the Northwest Christian ASAP program for over four years, training many NCS Christian Warriors. During the school year, Master John Fagan coaches up to 30 students each quarter with 15 team members who consistently train on campus as well as in additional classes throughout the week. For more information on the NCS Christian Warriors and other after school programs, please check the quarterly ASAP offerings.

Anticipation Builds as the Crusader Nation Prepares for First Home Football Game of the Year  

Saturday, September 13th, 7:15pm

Shadow Mountain High School   

Come support Northwest Christian alumni--Sammy Serwa, Kyle Shipp, Dean Shipp, and Michael Costello--as ACU Firestorm football takes on Western New Mexico University.

Saturday, September 13th is "Christian High School Night".  For more information, please visit:

ACU Firestorm Football  

Recognized nationally as one of the finest services available to students to assist in preparation for college and university, the Princeton Revew has just recently partnered with Northwest Christian as part of a unique, one-of-a-kind arrangement.  The partnership extends to every Northwest Christian High School student the access to online courses which speak to college preparedness in terms of the PSAT, ACT, and SAT.  Additionally, based upon G.P.A., students will have access to free (or very low cost) in-person courses that will take place on campus.   (For students with a G.P.A. of 3.75 and above, the in-person courses will be free.  For students with a lower G.P.A., classes have a reduced fee structure.) These courses will be coupled Princeton Review Assessments throughout the year which will allow teachers to monitor growth within their students.  Additionally, a free 9-hour PSAT prep course will be offered to the top 25 students in the Junior class annually.

The Princeton Review partnership is an extension of the new Pursuing His Purpose guidance program that the school is launching this fall.  Overseen by NCS guidance counselor Brittney Meyer, Pursuing His Purpose brings together solid Bible curriculum and resources that will help to point students towards God's purposes for their lives while also equipping them to reach those objectives within their lives that they identify through prayer and time in God's word.

More information regarding the Princeton Review partnership and the opportunites available can be obtained by downloading the following:

PRINCETON REVIEW NCS LIGHTHOUSE PARTNERSHIP 

Within Northwest Christian, the opportunity for 7th graders to be involved in an accelerated math curriculum is about three years old.  Through placement testing, students who ably demonstrate aptitude are afforded the opportunity to move forward within math.  Once they demonstrate aptitude in math, these students can begin taking high school math courses as part of their 8th grade schedule.  "I am so proud of their accomplishments," says middle school principal Samantha Maszton, "and proud of a system that allows them to experience success.  I am very much looking forward to what these young ladies accomplish in the future." 

Generous Sponsors of Northwest Christian Athletes

Generous Sponsors of Northwest Christian Athletes

Psalm 95:6-7  

Big Boys on Campus

The Monthly NCS Men's Prayer Breakfast

Online apparel store is open again!
 

The store will be open until Midnight, September 14th. 

At this point, all orders will be processed. All orders will be delivered by Cloud 9 to the school office and then distributed. School spirit gear will be delivered within 10 business days from store closing.

NCHS Adventure Cru 

"The Rugged Maniac"

5K Obstacle Race 

Arizona Christian

 University

Grand Canyon University

Follow NCS @NCSCrusaders  

The new infant care program is underway and space is limited. A Tuesday and Thursday morning class for young three year olds has also just opened. The Mom's Day Out program for toddlers and the preschool program has several openings and spots will go quickly. We appreciate your referrals to family and friends. For more info, please contact Michelle Reddy at mreddy@ncsaz.org 

National League of Junior Cotillions

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF JUNIOR COTILLIONS for young men and women in sixth through eighth grade

Support NCS families by shopping for goods and services through Purple Pages!
Click Here 

ANYTIME

FITNESS

Owned by NCS family: Wade, Janelle, Abby, Logan Moser

*Apply online for a FREE 14 day Pass!

http://www.anytimefitness.com

 Facebook.com/AnytimeGlendaleAZ

6640 W Cactus Rd - Glendale

You are invited!

Valley West Women's Bible Study

LifeStream

a NCS service learning partner

The Place 

is a generous NCS Fine Arts Sponsor