"Develop Christ-centered students who aspire to excellence
and impact their communities for Him."
JUNE 2020
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love
 and of a sound mind."
(2nd Timothy 1:7)

PLEASE SEE COVID-19 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS BELOW
Our NVCA Family Matters
We're NVCA Family
In times like these, families pull together. Our NVCA family is no different.

Since spring break, we have vigilantly monitored the COVID-19 situation and continue to take all necessary steps to protect our students, families, and staff. Our janitorial staff has completed a major, interior deep cleaning of the school buildings. In addition, maintaining a clean and safe environment will be ongoing throughout the coming summer months.

Brave and Steady
NVCA Education Never Stopped
During the statewide quarantine, we continued our mission to develop Christ-centered students. With faith and heartfelt service, all faculty responded swiftly to provide an online learning experience that enabled each student the opportunity and resource to aspire to excellence in their academics from home.

Middle School and High School
NVCA's previously established MS/HS online educational program, in partnership with GCU, provided these students with an easier transition to remote learning. Setting up online access and Zoom tutorials helped our upper-grade students and staff quickly acclimate to the new classroom environment and routine.
We want to thank Mr. Kirk Huizenga for doing a fantastic job setting up the technology aspects and protocols so quickly and for being available to help anyone who needed any technical assistance. We also want to thank Mr. Jason Mitchell and our MS and HS teachers for their dedication to providing thorough and challenging lessons during the quarantine.

B.E.S.T.
B.E.S.T. students were also able to successfully work with their coaches and continue reaching their academic goals online.
"God is faithful,
by whom you were called
into the fellowship of His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord."
(1st Cor. 1:9)
Preschool and K–5
Preschool and K–5 teachers and students faced more of a challenge. However, we are proud of each teacher for their thoughtful, careful lesson planning. Creatively, they provided adaptive Zoom methods that supported student-to-student and teacher-to-student interaction from home.

We appreciate Ms. Deanna Otto and Mrs. Debbie Clark, as well as each wonderful preschool and elementary teacher, for their perseverance and a great job well done.
Prayer and Celebration
To keep our NVCA family knit together in faith, we held a candlelight prayer event, "Prayer at the Curb." Volunteers delivered candles to homes, and students along with their parents gathered at the curbs in front of their houses during the specified evening time for prayer. Staff participated in the event from their homes as well.
Making students feel special during quarantine time also included birthday parades and a special drive-through parade around the campus, so teachers and staff could say hello to our students whom we all missed a lot. Showing our students and families how much we care is always a priority for NVCA.
Students also participated in decorating and writing their prayers on rocks for a prayer rock garden situated at the foot of the flag on campus!
Please take heart that we will come through this trying time soon. Let us all remind our children as well as ourselves that as Christians, we do not live in fear but rather in faith. We know that through Christ, we have peace, and that everything will be alright. Stay well, and enjoy some wonderful family time together.
Promotions & Graduation
Kindergarten Promotion
NVCA held Kindergarten Promotion on Friday, May 29. We are extremely proud of the hard work from our kindergarteners this year, especially during their last quarter of emergency virtual school. The promotion was a wonderful celebration of their perseverance and ability to adapt to the most unconventional learning environments. With all practice for the promotion done through Zoom, our kindergarteners did not disappoint; this celebration was a display of growth, maturity, and a perfect end to the school year. First grade, here they come!
"Signing Day"
NVCA's 1st Annual Kindergarten Signing Day, on June 4, was a huge success. This event celebrated our incoming kindergarten students for the 2020-2021 school year. Each student participated by signing his/her "official" Kindergarten Entrance Certificate while wearing a special "Kindergarten Signing Day" T-shirt. NVCA is extremely excited to have such a fantastic group of kindergarten students and families for the upcoming year!
8th Grade Class of 2020
On May 27, NVCA celebrated its 8th grade graduating class and their successes.
High School Class of 2020
NVCA was proud to present diplomas to our 2020 high school graduates on May 28. This year’s graduating class received more than 1.1 million dollars in college scholarships. Thirteen of our fifteen 2020 graduates received a college scholarship. Four graduates received an athletic scholarship to participate in college athletics.

Megan Luzar, v isiting alumna and 2019 valedictorian, returned to address the current NVCA graduating class and walk them through the transition to alumni status. With plans to continue this tradition, we look forward to welcoming Raelynne Van Heukelem, NVCA's 2020 valedictorian, for our 2021 high school graduation ceremony next year. 

Our first NVCA Outstanding Senior Capstone Presentation Award was given out to our top three senior presenters this year. We presented this award to Raelynne Van Heukelem, Isaiah Savoury, and Tatum Sosnowski.
Summer Camp Going Strong!
Fun and Educational Activities
Summer camp at NVCA is off to a great start. The children in our pre-K–5th grade camps are enjoying the different theme weeks. We have had fun in space, done some gardening, and have created fabulous art projects. We are so blessed for this wonderful response from our families.

In addition to the theme-week camps, NVCA is offering a variety of specialty and sports camps. Boys Basketball Camp was very successful, and we have started our K–5 Art Camp this week. We will also offer some academic camps, additional art camps, soccer, and volleyball camps.

It's not too late to sign up for a specialty or sports camp. Contact Deanna Otto at 623-551-3454, Ext. 1111, to register your child. You may e-mail Deanna at deannao@northvalleyca.org with any questions.
School Opening August 2020
Questions & Answers
North Valley Christian Academy continues to closely monitor the evolving situation related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and evaluate its impact on both the school and the community at large in accordance with recommendations from local, state, and national government organizations and health agencies. The health and safety of all members of our community are, as always, of the utmost importance. 
 
We plan to reopen in August, with classes on campus all five days of the week. These plans are subject to change if there is a change in Arizona laws or if data indicate that the risks of reopening outweigh the benefits. We have received several questions with respect to the reopening. Our answers are listed below. Such questions are encouraged and can be submitted to Head of School, Chris Schoenleb, at chriss@northvalleyca.org.    
Question:  Will the campus be open for all grade levels?
Answer: Yes. Preschool–12 th grade classes will be in session Monday through Friday.

Question : Will masks be required?
Answer: Due to continual changes in health recommendations and government regulations, a final decision will be made by July 29. It is our hope that the wearing of face masks will be optional for students and staff.

Question: What precautions will you be taking to reduce the risks of contracting or
spreading COVID-19?
Answer: We are considering a number of extra measures to reduce the risks including,
but not limited to, the following:
  • Disinfection and more frequent cleaning of classrooms, common areas,
and facilities
  • Monitoring temperatures of students and staff
  • Frequent handwashing for students and staff
  • Extending the post-illness waiting period before a student/staff member can return to school
Between now and August, we will be monitoring data and analyses to assess which
precautions are most effective. By late July, we expect to commit to a suite of
precautions to be implemented on the first day of school and will notify the NVCA
community.

Question: Are there activities that will be avoided when school starts?
Answer: At this point we have not identified specific activities such as singing, athletic events, and other parts of the NVCA experience that will be curtailed. However, if there are data pointing to greater risks associated with certain activities, we will curtail them accordingly.

Question: Do you anticipate a different set of rules for the different age groups?
Answer: Although we appreciate the ability of the older age groups to honor such rules as social distancing, we presently do not envision rules to differ by age group.
 
Question: What happens if there is a case of COVID-19 with a student or a family member?
Answer: Each instance will be evaluated individually in terms of the risks to those exposed to the disease and the school as a whole. We will have plans in place for contact tracing and risk assessment. We will determine the risk and the cost of each course of action before making a decision.
 
Question: What happens if the state recommends further restrictions?
Answer: We will, of course, abide by all applicable laws. To date, proclamations from the governor have been advisory in nature, i.e., guidelines. Most pronouncements from the state cover schools of all sizes and types. If they continue to be guidelines and not laws, we will determine the extent to which they apply to us and our community. Once we have made that determination, we will adjust our policies and programs accordingly.

Question: What happens if the state requires all public and private schools to be closed?
Answer: If we are forced to close before or during the next school year, we will employ our online program for all grades except pre-K. Fortunately, we have been developing online classes at the high school level for the past two years and we expect to have as many as 12 classes ready for the fall semester. In addition, we will have contingency plans for pre-K through Grade 12 to implement immediately if a closure order is given. Our faculty and staff gained a great deal of experience with virtual classrooms during the last closure, so they will be fully prepared to go virtual whenever they are called upon.
 
Question: Will you be surveying the parents before school starts to get a sense of their support for reopening?
Answer: Over the next few weeks, we will be speaking personally with parents and relying on their responses to this notice to reopen. If we feel the need to hear from a larger audience, we will ask the entire community for feedback via a written survey. If you would like to share your insights, please contact the Head of School, Chris Schoenleb, at chriss@northvalleyca.org .

Question: What is the expected policy for school visitors?
Answer:  We are presently evaluating policies related to parents and other adults entering the school. We will finalize the policy as more data are available relating to the transmission of COVID-19 and the precautions to avoid contracting or spreading the disease.

Question: Will you utilize the outdoor learning areas?
Answer: Indications are that the virus is rarely spread outdoors. Because our classrooms have access to an outdoor collaboration area, our teachers will utilize these areas to take advantage of their safer environment and to facilitate distancing between students.

Question: If my high school student is not comfortable taking on-campus classes, are there other options?
Answer: We offer online classes for high school students. Check out our online program at northvalleyca.org .

Question: If I am not comfortable sending my elementary or middle school child to school, can they take online classes?
Answer: We are developing options for students who need extended time away from campus. However, the program will look different from the emergency remote learning platform NVCA used last school year because teachers will be responsible for on-campus student learning as well as remote student learning. 

Question: If a student takes remote classes, will they be placed on a waiting list if the on-campus class reaches maximum capacity?
Answer: Students taking remote classes due to Covid-19 concerns are classified as on-campus students. Their classroom spot won’t be taken by another student, so they can return when the parent feels comfortable with the situation.
Leave Us a Review!
We are extremely grateful to all of our NVCA families 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!
Thank you for being a valued member of our family!