We've got spirit, yes we do! How 'about you? In March 2024, the Arizona Interscholastic Association recognized Northwest Christian as the "3A Conference Champion" for the SLAC School Spirit Video statewide competition. The video was filmed, compiled, and edited by senior Charlie Duffy. You can watch this spirited video by clicking here!

Northwest Christian's new classroom building remains on course for a August 2024 opening.



Over the last six weeks, something odd happened on the campus of Northwest Christian School--a new building appeared! After months of promises, planning, and preparation, the month of March saw 12 classrooms seemingly jump up out of the concrete foundation. Superintendent Geoff Brown explains: "To build the latest phase within our 'Build Here, Build There' campus improvement campaign, we are using a newer building technology called Hercuwall. This new building style allows for us to build with maximum efficiency. The majority of the building is constructed off-site and then assembled in very short order on-site."

The building technology is so new and different, as the walls went up on the new building, FOX10 broadcast the event live. You can see the report here.

Hercuwall is an ICC-certified construction solution which far surpasses typical "stick-built" construction methods. Made of concrete, steel and EPS, everything about Hercuwall’s power is in its unique, patented structure. Hercuwall delivers R31 insulation and is three times stronger than 2 x 4 wood studs, delivering superior strength, unsurpassed energy efficiency, sustainability, fire resistance, sound rating and overall building quality.

Meanwhile, planning is already underway for the next phase - the Crusader Creation Commons. A state-of-the-art technology center, the Creation Commons will be the result of dramatic renovations incorporating the rooms available after the new elementary classroom building opens up space to move the libray, elementary technology lab, and art classroom. The Crusader Creation Commons will house the just-announced Siemens-driven engineering partnership, robotics, audio-and-video recording studios, 3-D printing, HAM radio, and many other chances for Crusaders to enjoy university-level technology. To read more specifics regarding the developing designs for the Crusader Creation Commons, please visit this link. For more information on the Build Here, Build There campaign, please follow this link.

Better prayers than music boxes in these troubled times... The Northwest Christian Fine Arts Department's spring musical "Anastasia" was a hit over five stagings during the weekend of April 5-7. To see highlights from the production, click here or on the image above.

Unity Nights. Throughout the 2023/2024 school year, Northwest Christian high school students have enjoyed monthly, student-led praise and worship nights on the school's new turf field. The scene above is from the April event.

A new forum for NCS Fine Arts! After a wonderful run of our spring musical, Anastasia, the Northwest Christian Fine Arts department is ready to roll out its next effort! And, we’re excited to be breaking new ground in the process! “I Witness: The Lazarus Project” is a podcast-based audio drama featuring Northwest Christian students and staff. The production launches on Wednesday, April 24th and will be available on all podcast streaming platforms. To subscribe and hear a trailer, click here!

High Praise for High Praise! CONGRATULATIONS to our amazing Mrs. Hutson and the 7th and 8th grade band students (plus the four 6th grade percussionists!). They performed beautifully within the annual ABODA concert festival and earned the highest rating of "Superior" from all three judges, an honor which is called "Superior with Distinction". NCS was the only band out of 11 to earn this distinction. The head judge spoke to the band after their performance and told them they are in his top three of over 120 bands he's judged this year.

STREAM THE NEW NC STUDENT FILM, "TEST TAKERS" FOR FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME AND CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF THE NXNW FILM FESTIVAL! On Friday, January 19th, as part of the 10th Annual NXNW High School Film Festival, Northwest Christian rolled out the red carpet, fired up the limousines, and threw up the Hollywood-style sky lights (literally!) for the premiere of "Test Takers". As part of an amazing partnership with Red Five Media, and formerly Cabin Fever Films, for the past decade, Northwest Christian has created an opportunity for students to participate in the making of an actual film! This year's premiere and festival took place in three theaters at the Harkins Norterra theaters in North Phoenix. 

To celebrate ten years of great films and hard-working students, please, take a moment, click here, and enjoy this wonderfully done student-driven heist film! (Available for a limited time!)

Hard work triumphs over hard knocks. In April, a group of hard-working high schoolers, a group comprised mostly of seniors, travelled to Rocky Point to work for 1Mission, a Phoenix-based ministry that builds homes for needy and deserving families in Mexico. The group's four days of effort brought the home to within a week of completion. During the trip, the group had the chance to eat meals with and work alongside the family that would be moving into the home.

Fun in the sun. (Or, not sun.) During the solar eclipse on April 8th, Northwest Christian provided a pair of certifiably safe eclipse glasses to every student in the school. Developmentally appropriate lessons, explaining the eclipse, were also provided. Then, students were let out of class to observe the 20-minute period representing the event's apex.

It all begins with prayer! As seen in the image above, prior to traveling to Imuris, Sonora's Kids Kingdom orphanage this past weekend, forty high schoolers and alumni gathered together to pray for what would be a wonderfully memorable weekend of ministry (as seen in the image below).

Get ready for the NXNW 72 Hour Film Challenge! Starting April 26th at 7:00am (PST), filmmakers have 72 hours to craft a video masterpiece under 5 minutes in length, incorporating a secret prop, character name, and line of dialogue, all of which will be annouced that morning to ensure the film is produced within the subsequent three-day period. Submit your film by April 29th at 10:00 am (PST) for a chance to win. Don't miss the live showcase of the top 5 films and the announcement of the Jury and Audience awards! Click here for more info!

Unless the Lord builds the house... They labor in vain who build it! The very students that will in just a few moneth's time occupy the new 12-classroom building are working to demonstrate love and appreciation towards the teems of workers assembling the structure. This encouragement takes the form of treats, cold drinks, and positive posters hung along the project's fencing.

A sure shot for a sure win! The Crusader Archery team participated in the Sure Shot Invitational Archery tournament at the end of March with Crusaders capturing the top spots in 4 of the 16 divisions. Hitting an amazing 32 bullseyes in 60 shots, Junior Mannie Acuna, widely recognized as one of the most competitive high school archers in the state, held on to win the nail-biting "Men's Compound Bow" division by just five points.

Big Numbers! On April 10th, Northwest Christian's Elementary Principal Eric Dowdle honored over 40 Math Olympiad participants from the third through fifth grades and celebrated 16 NCS winners within the Math Olympiad's Rocky Mountain region. These 16 will go to compete in the divisional competition on Friday, April 19th. Winners from divisional will then move on to represent NCS in the Math Olympiad Nationals. 

Parenting trouble no more! (Well, that might be a bit optimistic.) This past month, Northwest Christian announced its partnership with Christian Family Care to open the many parenting resources available through the Family Care Learning library to the Crusader community of families, free of charge. These online courses are immediately available once NCS parents have completed the "NCS Parent University: Foundations of a Biblical Worldview" course that is required as part of the re-enrollment process. For more information, please follow this link.