"Develop Christ-centered students who aspire to excellence
and impact their communities for Him."
DECEMBER 2019
Christmas Blessings!
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is the Messiah, the Lord...."
—Luke 2:10-12—
We are extremely grateful to all of our NVCA family who help support our school. May God bless you this Christmas season.

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!
Thank you for being a valued member of our family!
The Season to be Grateful
NVCA is incredibly thankful to the McElfish family for their generous donation—wings and curtains for our main stage!
They even installed the curtains for us on their own time in preparation for the Christmas program.
Thank you so very much, McElfish family. May God bless you abundantly this Christmas season!
Grateful for Our SERVE Team
Our SERVE team is a group of dedicated volunteers who literally work year-round on campus and at home to make the NVCA experience the best. Not only do they do so much for our students, but also they support and bless all staff in numerous ways.

We cannot thank them enough for all of their hard work and dedication.

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary,
and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
—Matt. 2:11—

Merry Market Was a Hit!
Recently the SERVE team sponsored the Merry Market on campus. Students from pre-K through 12th grade had the opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts.

Raising our children up in the way they should go is our priority here at NVCA. All students are learning from a young age about the spiritual blessings of giving and keeping Christ in the holiday season!

Many thanks to this year's Merry Market elves: Cristina Barreda, Nicole Benso, Crysti Deusterman, Jenifer Rahn, and Gina MacLean pictured above, plus Dan Duesterman, Margie Skinner, Kelsey Magnanti, Kristen Smith, Shannon Kallestad, Mary Ann Shepard, Vicky Young, Carlye Bogue, Marsha Bogue, Jenny Cline, Melody Putnam, Sissy Lamerton, Heidi Skelley, Michelle Stell, Kim Turner, Lacey Coberly, Kelly Sykes, Tanya Baker, Giovanni Magnanti, Keisha Boyns, Nicole Johnson, Jolene Jaycox, and Mervat Sayegh. 

2019 Christmas Programs
K–12 Christmas Program
Our students in kindergarten through high school performed a special Christmas musical ensemble on December 12. A beautiful bell choir set the tone for the evening.

The program included unique traditional renditions of Christmas songs put together and directed by Mrs. Huizenga. Ms. Cooper and her students choreographed the dance numbers while Ms. Cooper directed the dancers who beautifully expressed the glorious story of our Lord's birth.

Thank you Mrs. Huizenga, Ms. Cooper, and all students who blessed us with this special program of the season. And thanks to all of our technical help and SERVE volunteers who made it a huge success!
Preschool Christmas Program
On December 17, under the direction of preschool director, Deanna Otto, our preschool children presented their first Christmas program.

We were blessed as we watched and listened to the children tell the story of Jesus’ birth in song and word.

Giving in Many Ways
Pre-K and Kindergarten
This month our preschool students are learning about the season of Advent as we wait for the celebration of our Savior’s birth.

We held our Story of the Candy Cane event with pre-K 4 and kindergarten students on December 4. This was a great time for our students to interact with their "prayer buddies." The children heard The Legend of the Candy Cane story and had fun making a candy cane ornament together. The pre-K children also had a special gift for their families.

God bless our little ones at NVCA!

...,“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these...."
—Mark 10:14–15—
Texas Roadhouse Gift Card Winners!
We have two Year-End Campaign early-bird winners who will each receive a $50 Texas Roadhouse gift card. They are: Elaine Sprinzl and Nancy Chamberlain. Thank you so much for your early donations to the campaign.

With two weeks left of the year and school being closed, you may still donate to the campaign via US mail or online. When mailing your donation please include the form along with your check or simply visit our website: northvalleyca.org using the "Support" tab. Please designate your gift to 2019 Year-End Campaign.

Thanks, everyone, for your continued support of our great school.
Community Service Outreach
12/5: 1st Grade & 3rd grade Service Trip   
Students served at the Brookdale Desert Ridge Senior Living Center on December 5. They sang Christmas songs and shared conversation and a small gift with the residents.

Our 3rd grade students practiced how to be a servant leader for our 1st grade students.
12/11: November Lions Hearts Awards  
Students are chosen monthly from each elementary grade for the way they show and share Jesus each day in and outside of the classroom.

We are proud of the following students' hearts and examples for the month of November.

Kindergarten—Scarlett Lee  
1st Grade—Lucas Simonson  
2nd Grade—Stevie Jensen  
3rd Grade—Kaelyn Peruch
4th Grade—Skyla Gerber  
5th Grade—Max Putnam  
12/6: Kindergarten & 4th Grade Service Trip    
Our 4th grade students helped lead by example for our kindergarten students as they served together at LifeStream Complete Senior Living. We are thankful for this opportunity to show and share Jesus with our elderly community.
Mrs. Clark Kissed a Pig!
The K-5 students gave Mrs. Clark the opportunity to "kiss a pig" by working hard to raise funds during the NVCA Fun Run in October. The administrator with the highest dollar amount raised for their age group earned the opportunity to kiss Annabelle, the pig, at the beginning of chapel.
High School Students at
Phoenix Rescue Mission
Every three to four weeks a group of students is involved with some type of outreach that is often off campus. We are intentional in being involved with some aspect of the community. For example, earlier this month a group of high school students volunteered at the Phoenix Rescue mission to distribute food.
MS & HS Students Made 119 Care Bags for the Homeless
We are proud of our middle school and high school students who devoted their time to make "care bags" for the homeless.

Completed just before Thanksgiving break, the 119 care bags were delivered to the needy earlier this month. Our students are learning how to offer their time and labor to help serve those who need help and share the love of Jesus with them.
Upcoming Events
Save the Date
Please mark your calendars for the evening of February 21, and plan to join us for the 2020 NVCA Auction & Dinner, "Making a Difference Together."

We look forward to a great time together in support of our mission.

You may purchase tickets online here . If you have any questions, please call Michele in the school office (623) 551-3454.
Academics
Elementary Spelling Bee
NVCA held the 1st–8th grade spelling bee on Monday, December 9. The winners from each grade level will advance to the ACSI District spelling bee on January 17, 2020. We are so proud of all of our spellers and their hard work.

WINNERS BY GRADE LEVEL
1st Grade
Luke MacLean
Jacob Turner

2nd Grade
Maya Sweis
Raya Sweis

3rd Grade
Brayden Dabney
Kaelyn Peruch

4th Grade
Addison Daley
Reilly Lewis

5th Grade
Austin Dobbs
Caitlyn Geer

6th Grade
Mikey Sanchez
David Thomas

7th Grade
Ryann Milner
Kayra Young

8th Grade
Sophia Angulo-Sandels
Caleb Johnson
Getting to Know Our 2nd Grade Teacher
Keely Wetzel
This is my first year teaching at NVCA, and it is a true blessing! Before coming to Arizona, I taught 6th and 7th grade ELA at Shiloh Christian School in Bismarck, North Dakota.

At a very young age I knew God’s calling for me was to become a teacher. I have a huge amount of love for kids and learning, so I felt that teaching was truly where God wanted me to take my career.

I see my classroom as a garden of plants and flowers. My job is to nurture my garden and help them grow not only in their academics but also in their relationship with the Lord. The 2nd grade is an exhilarating grade to teach. The students are at an age where they are very curious about the world and are inquisitive individuals. As 2nd graders, they are also becoming fluent readers. I enjoy reading to them authentic stories that help them find their own joy in reading.
 
Since we are in the special season of Advent, we are really focusing on the preparation of Jesus’ birth. Every day we are doing a special activity to learn more about why we celebrate Christmas and why we should keep Jesus in the center. It has been a joyous journey to Bethlehem with my 2nd graders. 

My biggest goal every year as a teacher is to help every student develop an awareness of God’s love and grace as revealed through Jesus Christ and help them become closer to Him. My favorite scripture is, “Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
Athletics
Basketball Making History!
The NVCA girls and boys varsity basketball teams are making history this 2019-20 season.

The girls team won all three of their first games and continues to improve their skill sets, grow as a team, and individually with Christ.

The boys varsity team is currently 5–0, having defeated the defending region's champions, Mohave Accelerated, on Monday, December 16. We have a great group of young men this year. They are a cohesive group with each team member providing contributions that benefit the whole team. The team has worked diligently since the season began, doing everything that the coaches have asked of them.  

On December 20 and December 21, we host the North Valley Shootout playing 2A–6A schools. The team heads to Cactus High School, Glendale, for the Winter Hoops Shootout on December 26–28. NVCA faces Verrado High School in the first round, and with 4A–6A schools in this tournament, the boys have their work cut out for them.  
It's More than Just A Game
Although our goal is always to become the Regional Tournament winner and qualify for the 1A State Tournament, we also talk about becoming better as a basketball team. Everyone has a responsibility to make the team better—starting with the coaches on down to players and student managers.  

We teach humility as well and understanding our responsibility to each other, our school, and younger kids. We try to deflect attention with humility.  

We also refer to Proverbs and the New Testament and what the Bible teaches about how we conduct ourselves. We want to carry that over not just as a person but also onto the basketball floor. The great thing about sports, especially basketball, is that we get to teach life lessons through the game.
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