Pictured, L–R, are Xavier student-athletes Savannah Angell, Reese Brown, Sienna Cherwinski and Ellie Hodges (photo by Lisa Zuba; courtesy of Xavier College Preparatory).

Xavier athletes sign letters of intent

Xavier College Preparatory announced that four student-athletes signed their National Letters of Intent at a Feb. 8 signing event.

The student-athletes and their colleges include Savannah Angell (soccer), Ohio Dominican University; Reese Brown (cross country and track and field), Washington and Lee University; Sienna Cherwinski (basketball), Sonoma State University; and Ellie Hedges (soccer), Viterbo University.

Kindred named head football coach

Jason Kindred

Jason Kindred, a seasoned football coach and mentor with over 20 years of coaching experience, has been named head varsity football coach at Phoenix Christian Preparatory School.

Kindred holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and brings to the position 25 years of experience working with youth from a variety of backgrounds and wealth of knowledge and experience to offer young men.

“Coach Kindred’s passion for football and commitment to helping young men grow and develop is evident in his achievements,” school administration said in a press release. “He places a strong emphasis on building relationships, instilling discipline through physical training, character development and focusing on being a strong student-athlete. He believes that emphasizing these characteristics is not just about preparation for games, but also about becoming Christ-like individuals.”

Superintendent Jeff Blake said of the hiring, “Coach Kindred is committed to God-honoring excellence. He is a uniter, leader and visionary and will be a living curriculum for our students. His desire to unite excellence in athletics, school, parents and faith is inspiring. I cannot wait for Cougar football.”

Pierian Spring Club officers and club members were recognized for their literary efforts (photo courtesy of Xavier College Preparatory).

Magazine wins national awards

Pierian Spring, Xavier College Preparatory’s Literary and Arts Magazine, recently won two national awards for its content.

The American Scholastic Association awarded a First Place with Special Merit Award and an Outstanding Overall Art Award for its 2021–22 issue, Komorebi. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) awarded Pierian Spring with a First Class Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines Contest (REALM) Award for its 2021–22 issue.

Seniors Ximena Parra Rourke and Sara Klemmer and Junior Hope Smith (not pictured) were awarded for their technological achievements (photo by Lisa Zuba; courtesy of Xavier College Preparaory).

Students recognized for tech achievements

Xavier College Preparatory seniors Ximena Parra Rourke and Sara Klemmer and junior Hope Smith are recipients of the 2023 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing National Honorable Mention Awards. They are three of only 400 students selected nationwide for technological achievements.

Each year, U.S. female high school students are eligible to receive recognition for their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

Fashion Show to support scholarships

For more than 30 years, Xavier College Preparatory Mothers’ Guild Scholarship Fashion Show has supported the Xavier Scholarship Fund, with all proceeds from the event going directly to scholarships for students who qualify based upon financial need.

This year the Lunch and Fashion show, chaired by Karolyn Stayer, will be held at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix Saturday, March 11. Social and shopping begin at 10:30 a.m.; the lunch and show begin at noon.

Purchase tickets or sponsorships at https://aesaz.co/ELP/XCPFSHOW23.

J.J. Watt (center), pictured here with Brophy president Adria Renke and students, spoke at the February Brophy Power Breakfast (photo courtesy of Brophy College Preparatory).

Watt speaks at Power Breakfast

Brophy College Preparatory hosted its 18th annual Power Breakfast on Feb. 7 featuring speaker J.J. Watt. Watt is a renowned defensive end in the NFL who most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals. He retired this year after 12 years in the NFL — 10 seasons with Houston and two with the Cardinals.

Watt spoke about his upbringing and being able to play after-school sports, something he said he took for granted before meeting young people who didn’t have that option. He established the Justin J. Watt Foundation to provide assistance for youth sports programs and has raised more than $7 million toward that effort.

This year’s student speaker, J.T. Craig (’23), talked about losing his father just before he started Brophy, and finding mentors at the school who stepped up to provide him the guidance he needed at a difficult time and throughout his years at Brophy. J.T. will play baseball for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the fall.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Generations Endowment Campaign to provide for future financial aid needs at Brophy. Currently, 40 percent of Brophy students receive some level of need-verified financial assistance. Learn more at www.brophyprep.org/giving/power-breakfast.

Local students learn Japanese martial arts at Arizona Aikido (photo by Maddi Mae Racine).

Partnership models peaceful resolution

The Phoenix Friends School (PFS), an independent school set to open this fall in midtown Phoenix, will feature a new model of values education and learning for grades five and six. As part of this model, the school will offer the first of its kind community partnership with Phoenix-based Arizona Aikido.

“Our partnership with Arizona Aikido marks the first of many educational sources we’re tapping into that are not normally partnered with any middle school in the Valley,” said PFS founder Willard White, PhD. “While most instruction and discussion will take place within the school, PFS is uniquely designed to operate in the greater community,” he said. “The City is Our Classroom is our tagline, and we will live by it.”

Through this new partnership, Arizona Aikido, located on 939 W. Camelback Rd., will offer the Japanese martial art of Aikido to all PFS students. It’s just one way that PFS is creating unique student experiences that feed a sense of inquiry, reflection action, and discovery for its students, the school says.

“Aikido focuses on harmonizing with your opponent to bring peaceful resolutions to conflict, which is a core value of a Friends school,” said Arizona Aikido instructor Ray Perales. “Together, the two align beautifully, and we couldn’t be happier to be the first to bring this practice to middle school aged children, both in our studio and in their classroom.”

Perales explained that Arizona Aikido is not teaching young people to fight, but rather teaching them a means to non-aggressive problem resolution, self-discipline and cooperative goal achievement. It’s a curriculum-based program that promotes health and personal development and the necessary skills to confront and overcome the various negative influences and stressful situations that they deal with in their daily lives.

Learn more at www.phoenixfriendsschool.org or call 602-562-2662.

Summit tackles ‘disinformation age’

Brophy College Preparatory will host its annual nine-day Summit on campus from Feb. 27–March 9. This year’s topic is seeking the truth in the disinformation age.

The Summit will cover the ways that the blurring of what’s real and what’s fake affects people’s personal lives, society and the world. Through a variety of presentations from keynote speakers and workshops, students will learn more about how to contribute to a more loving, more peaceful and more truth-filled world.

Learn more at www.brophyprep.org/faith-and-justice/summit-on-human-dignity.

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