Brophy senior wins film award
Wilson Bryant, a Brophy senior, has taken the top prize for adventure and travel films in this year’s All-American High School Film Festival with his entry, “Que Viva El Salvador.” The festival is the largest youth film festival in the world. High school filmmakers submit in a number of categories, including adventure/travel, comedy, micro-movies and others.
This year, students submitted 2,500 films for consideration with 700 chosen to be screened at the AMC theater in Times Square. Bryant’s film, which is based on his experience on the summer 2023 El Salvador immersion trip sponsored by Brophy’s Office of Faith and Justice, was one of only five adventure and travel films screened.
Forty of the 700 films that were screened went on to be nominated for prizes by the Teen Indie Awards, with Bryant winning the Teen Indie Award for Best Adventure/Travel Film. Films nominated were from around the world, including the U.S., the United Kingdom, China, Korea and others. Bryant’s film can be viewed on YouTube.
Xavier seniors Emily Alaimo and Kasia Smigielski were involved in the 2023 Canned Food Drive, which garnered more than 500,000 cans (photo by Lisa Zuba).
Xavier community donates half a million cans of food
Giving back to the community is a way of life for students at Xavier College Preparatory. The school says that each year, students give over 30,000 hours doing volunteer work and community service as part of Xavier’s Christian Service Program. Many activities are designed by students where they see a need to fulfill.
Xavier’s National Honor Society (NHS) started its Canned Food Drive to benefit St. Vincent de Paul in the 1990s. The initial goal was 10,000 cans. Each year, Xavier breaks the record for food collected. This year the Xavier community donated 550,740 cans for St. Vincent de Paul. The school raised more than $54,000 in cash donations alone.
The students were featured on two local television stations for their efforts. NHS president, senior Emily Alaimo, spearheaded the successful program.
School achieves four-star rating
Phoenix Christian Preparatory School announced a significant achievement in early childhood education. Quality First, its accrediting organization, recently notified the school that its Preschool has been elevated in its rating from “2 stars” to “4 stars.”
The school said that Quality First is known for its rigorous evaluation process, and achieving a four-star rating is a clear indicator of its commitment to providing the highest standards of early childhood education. This achievement reflects the ongoing efforts and love for children that the team, led by Meghan Boardman, preschool director, demonstrates every day.
The impact of this rating goes beyond just numbers and stars, the school said; it signifies the quality of education and care that children receive at Phoenix Christian.
“From the moment you walk through our doors, the warmth and commitment to nurturing young minds is palpable,” the school said in a news release, adding, “We extend our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to our outstanding preschool team, whose hard work and dedication have made this remarkable leap possible. This achievement is a testament to their unwavering commitment to the children and families we serve.”
The school says that it remains dedicated to providing exceptional early childhood education and looks forward to continuing to support our community’s youngest learners.
For more information, visit www.phoenixchristian.org.
Fourteen Brophy College Preparatory seniors made collegiate commitments Nov. 8 to play sports next fall (photo courtesy of Brophy Athletics).
Student-athletes make collegiate commitments
The Brophy College Preparatory athletics department celebrated 14 seniors from the Class of 2024 who made their collegiate commitments to play sports next fall at a ceremony on Nov. 8.
The signees included Carson Borges (baseball, Regis University), Noah Burdick (lacrosse, Lindenwood University), Luke Burns (soccer (MLS Next Academy), University of Virginia), Johnny Casale (baseball, Loyola Marymount), Willie Cornejo-Farmer (baseball, Loyola Marymount), Henry Dall (golf, University of San Diego), Deion James (lacrosse, Hampton University), Charlie McGinnis (lacrosse, Hofstra University), Trey Markham (baseball, Rice University), Jack Meissner (baseball, UC Santa Barbara), Laird Miller (lacrosse, Rollins College), Jack Ohman (baseball, Yale University), George Smith (baseball, Regis University) and Tyler Spielman (golf, Auburn University).
Additional students are expected to sign in the spring of next year.
Brophy sports teams excel in state competition
Brophy College Preparatory had four sports teams compete and place in their respective state championships, in addition to the varsity football team winning the 6A region title.
The Brophy golf team finished second at the Nov. 3 AIA Division I State Championships at Aguila Golf Course in Laveen Village. The team shot a 285 team score in the second round and finished seven strokes back of Hamilton. The Broncos were led by seniors Henry Dall and Tyler Spielman, who recorded top-five finishes.
The swim and dive team finished third overall at the Nov. 4 AIA Division I State Championships at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa. Head coach Daren Brubaker was named the Division I Coach of the Year after leading the Broncos to the top-three finish behind the strength of three top relay finishes and two podium finishes by senior Theodore Neilson in the 200-yard IM and 100-yard breaststroke.
The cross country team finished ninth overall at the Nov. 4 AIA Division I State Championship meet at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix. The Broncos scored 280 points and placed three in the top 40 among their top five.
The Brophy-Xavier mountain biking team finished third at the Nov. 5 Arizona Cycling Association State Championships at Wren Arena in Fort Huachuca. Sophomore Kolbe Morgan was named the Boys JV1 D1 state champ.
Brophy’s football team won its first region title in 15 years with a 14-12 win over Salpointe on Nov. 3 to finish with a 4-0 Central record and an 8-2 overall mark for the season. The Broncos were selected as the No. 1 seed in the AIA 6A Conference playoff bracket and posted a 35-7 win over No. 16 Mesa on Nov. 9 to advance to the AIA 6A Conference quarterfinals. The Broncos will be looking for their first semifinal appearance since 2014.
Special guests visit with All Saints’ students
Students at All Saints’ Episcopal Day School had the chance to meet two special visitors in November. The school’s young students welcomed critically acclaimed author and illustrator Susan Stockdale, who talked about her books “Line Up! Animals in Remarkable Rows” and “Stripes of All Types.” This Visiting Author presentation was aimed at inspiring students to make connections with their art, writing and research projects.
All Saints’ pre-kindergarten students met with a special guest artist, Miles McDermott, a talented local artist who works in multiple disciplines, including art, furniture, photography, and website design. As the students learned about famous artists and prepared for their annual art show, McDermott discussed with them how artists also design letters. He engaged the students in an activity which they created their own letters that represent unique sounds. The young alphabet experts were thrilled to learn from Miles and enjoyed the creative exercise.
Sixteen Xavier student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent in November, including (Row 1, L–R) Madison Schenk, Lourdes Lauterborn, Mia Accomazzo, Caroline Boeckman, Grace Rubelsky, Kalyn Doss, Kate Hauptman, Isabella Gomez and (Row 2, L–R) Jaden Jevnick, Kate Willmering, Violet Torres, Lauren Putz, Kaelyn Putz, Maureen Ulrich, Dominique Nesland, and Sarah Miller (photo by Abigail de Leon).
Xavier athletes sign letters of intent
On Nov. 7, 16 Xavier student-athletes signed their National Letters of Intent. The event was the culmination of many years of hard work and commitment to their respective sports. The
event was held at Xavier’s Virginia G. Piper Performing Arts Center.
Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA, vice principal for Activities & Athletic Director, spoke to the young women, their families, and coaches at the occasion.
“We are especially proud of these young women who lived their athletic journey at Xavier. This is a testament to their dedication, the support of their families and the support of the Xavier community. We are appreciative and happy that so many of their family members, coaches, and friends came out to support them today.”
Basis Phoenix Central offers holiday open houses
Parents of children in grades kindergarten through grade 5 are invited to attend one of two Basis Phoenix Central’s Holiday Movie Night Open Houses in December.
During the event, parents will participate in a school tour, presentation, and Q&A session while children watch a holiday movie with the school’s current students. After the tour and presentation, parents are welcome to join their child and watch the movie with current BASIS Phoenix Central families.
A Holiday Movie Night Open House for families of children in kindergarten through grade 2 will be held on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For families of children in grades 3 through 5, the Holiday Movie Night Open House will be held Thursday, Dec. 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Basis Phoenix Central is located at 201 E. Indianola Ave. For more information, visit https://enrollbasis.com/phoenix-central.
