V O L . 12 • FA L L 2019
There is nothing quite like the feeling of home which often includes memories and a common history.
Did you know, Phoenix Christian Preparatory School traces its roots to the Old Paths Bible School established in 1902 by the Weed family in Kansas. On Arizona’s birthday (February 14, 1912) the Weed family moved to Arizona’s Salt River Valley to begin a new chapter of life and school. Over the next 37 years the school continued to evolve and grow until becoming Phoenix Christian High School. March 19th, 1949 was perhaps Phoenix Christian’s most critical moment as a special meeting was called by many who wanted a Christian high school in Phoenix. Interest ran high as leaders spoke to the large crowd gathered to review the magnitude of the vision. Silence fell over the group as discouragement and defeat settled over the crowd. One of the male Board members stood up and asserted, “I move that the whole matter be dropped.” Another voice was heard saying, “I second the motion.” The silence was deafening. Then a third was heard. It was the voice of Mrs. Mini Raymond. She said, “Have the members of the Board been working in the flesh these past years? You have said you believed that God wanted a Christian school in this valley, and now you are willing to, in one fleeting moment, throw the whole idea overboard. Have you not been led by the Holy Spirit?” At that moment, prayer began to rise. The meeting concluding with a vote to permanently place Phoenix Christian in the heart of the city. It’s our 70th Homecoming and time to celebrate our rich history and bright future! Phoenix Christian is now a preschool through 12th grade institution and our students reflect the beautiful cultural diversity of our city. New generations and populations can now also say, “Phoenix Christian feels like home.” With prayerful celebration,
Jeff Blake, MaEd, MaSFL Superintendent
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
in this issue
This young lady has worked tirelessly to achieve great things.
CAMPUS NEWS
See what’s happening on the Early Education Campus.
BREAD & HONEY HOUSE
Photo Journalism student shares a glimpse into her family’s new adventure.
THE SURGE
Volleyball is exploding at PC.
FEELS LIKE HOME
A remarkable look at the heritage of several families at Phoenix Christian.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
- PSAT COMMENDED SCHOLAR -
ALICE ZHAO Tianwei ‘Alice’ Zhao has
been named Commended Student in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Alice came to America all the way from China her freshmen year to study at Phoenix Christian. She already had an incredible command of the English language. She committed herself to taking our rigorous honors and AP level courses in addition to studying Spanish, competing and winning MESA and robotics competitions, masterfully playing the piano and flute and rising to the very top of an incredibly gifted senior class. Alice will showcase her giftings in the Fine Arts and STEM concentrations by designing an instrument using PVC pipe for her Senior Capstone Project. Alice plans to attend a prestigious/ competitive university and study actuarial science or civil engineering for her undergrad. Alice recently shared, “My freshman year here at Phoenix Christian is the very first time I learned about God. I learned about the systemic doctrines of Christianity as a religion and also God’s love and grace in seeking a relationship.” One of her favorite senior year experiences so far is talking about culture and custom differences with her friends in Sociology class.
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“My freshman year here at Phoenix Christian is the very first time I learned about God.” 5
CAMPUS NEWS
Preschool Growth Many families at Shepherd of the Valley Preschool will transition their children to Phoenix Christian Preparatory School during 2020. Phase 1 includes redesigning the elementary modulars to fully accommodate the growth. Phase 2 plans will include a larger, more permanent structure to house a sustainable and state of the art “Quality First� preschool. We welcome families from Shepherd of the Valley into the Phoenix Christian community and anticipate many more little Cougars!
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Elementary Remodel In 2018, Phoenix Christian purchased and renovated the former Light & Life property and moved our growing elementary school back across the street. This has been such an incredible move for our Kindergarten through 5th grade students. They enjoyed the year with a new playground, a field, a chapel, and beautiful newly renovated classrooms. Over the year, our elementary school has continued to grow and developed a need for even more space. This summer, an amazing crew of volunteers donated their time and resources to help make this possible. Six classrooms upstairs have been renovated and are now serving as our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms. Additionally, the cafeteria was painted, redecorated, and new cafeteria tables were purchased with a special donation from Phoenix Bible Church. We were also able to create a very special space with help from the Connie Williams’ Joy of Learning Foundation. Our new Connie Williams Memorial Library is nearly finished and will soon be dedicated to our former and much-loved teacher, Connie Williams. For more information on this dedication, or on any of our elementary projects, please contact Lauren Scharnweber, lscharnweber@phoenixchristian.org. We are so amazed by how God has blessed this new facility so quickly. We cannot wait to continue to improve it and make the most of these incredible resources! - Lauren (Rogers) Scharnweber ’06, Director of Curriculum & Instruction
PHOTO JOURNALISM STUDENT RUBY PEREZ SHARES A GLIMPSE INTO HER FAMILY’S NEW ADVENTURE...
BREAD & HON RUBY: Where do you work? MOM: The Bread and Honey House. RUBY: What role do you play in the restaurant? MOM: I’m the manager and owner. I’m also barista, I cook when I need to cook, I clean, and I take care of the customers to make sure they are happy. RUBY: Tell me a bit of the history behind the restaurant. MOM: It’s been open for five months... in a few days it’s going to be five, and we just made it into the top 50 restaurants in Yelp. We’re participating in “The Best of Phoenix” pretty soon. RUBY: How did you feel when you found out about the possibility of opening up your own restaurant and purchasing a property?
MOM: Oh gosh, it all has to do with the food. Everything has to start from the kitchen. I always tell Papa “If the food is not correct, it needs to go back, and has to be remade” and that also follows with customer service. If there is great food but no great customer service then there’s not a good restaurant. However, we make sure we provide our customers with amazing food and great customer service. They’re always happy and that is how we keep our rating high.
“We make sure we provide our customers with amazing food and great customer service.”
RUBY: Why do you close the restaurant on Sundays?
MOM: I was afraid because I didn’t know what to expect. I was so afraid because Papa (Javier) is so open about everything and I am not. I’m always afraid of taking the next step but I just trusted God.
MOM: Oh, that’s an easy answer. We go to church. Sundays, we worship God all day. RUBY: Who has been a huge supporter to you and overall towards the restaurant?
RUBY: Do you enjoy what you do? MOM: Yes, I do. I just like to talk to people. I like to keep people happy when I can, and when I cannot, I at least try my best. RUBY: How do you keep the restaurant at a 5-star rating?
MOM: Papa, he has been the support for everything. I believe that he is the strongest person in our team. He makes the best food and is actually very strict. And because he is like that, it helps the quality of the restaurant. Papa just has a lot of passion and love for this concept (The Bread and Honey House). Ruby Perez is a sophomore student taking Photo Journalism. She also loves to sing and helps in the family business. https://the-bread-and-honeyhouse.business.site/
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NEY HOUSE
VOLLEYBA
2019 Varsity Volleyball Team
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ALL SURGE It’s an average fall afternoon
in Phoenix Christian Prep’s Cougar Gymnasium. Volleyballs are literally everywhere! Cougar volleyball is experiencing a surge in recent years and participation levels are robust. With both middle school and high school teams either practicing or competing every weekday, the gymnasium hosts more than 50 student-athletes who work at either honing their skills (in practices) or performing to the best of the ability (in competition). The current trajectory of the program is no small matter. Two years ago, Terry Sutter joined PC with a vision of promoting the sport of volleyball within the Christcentered context of Phoenix Christian Prep. As a long-time volleyball club coach, he began the process of engaging students in a more yearround capacity through open gyms and summer league play. Even though Coach Sutter decided to step away from day-today coaching in the program this year, his
impact is still felt through his presence at games where he offers support and encouragement to students, parents and even the new coaching staff that he was instrumental in bringing to Phoenix Christian. At both middle school and high school levels, the Cougars welcome first year head coaches. Amanda Lopez heads the high school program and serves as head coach for the PC Varsity team while Kristy Clay (PC Teacher), heads the middle school program and is head coach for the Cougar MS-A team. In all, PC Volleyball has five separate teams playing competitive schedules this year. For the first time in recent memory, the high school program has three levels of participation: Varsity, Junior Varsity and JV-B (which includes freshmen and sophomores). The middle school program has an “A” team as well as a “5th-6th” grade team. All of PC Volleyball is moving forward with success measured as much in progress and improvement as it is in wins vs. losses. Congratulations to our student-athletes and coaches who are representing PC. Go Cougars! - Keith Baker, Athletic Director
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Monty and Anne (Vanderpool) Ortman
were good friends at Phoenix Christian in the late 1960s and married soon after. Their two children, Stephanie (’95) and Mark (’99) also graduated from Phoenix Christian while Monty served on the Board of Directors. Stephanie’s favorite memories include going on musicale/chorale trips and Peter Piper after football games. Stephanie married John Brigowatz. They have three beautiful children and one on the way (Class of 2037)! Stephanie and John enrolled JJ, Zachary and Megan in 2018—now third generation Cougars! Monty returned to serve as the Chairman of the Board in 2015. When reflecting on what the heritage of Phoenix Christian means, Anne shared that it feels like she’s walking on “holy ground” when she steps on campus. Monty recalled that his senior year, they never won a single football game!
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THE O RTM A N S
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THE WOODS FA M I LY
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Frank and Barbara (Staggs) Woods
both attended Phoenix Christian in the early 60s but they actually didn’t meet at PC. Frank spent many hours in the print shop which became the foundation for a career in printing. Barbara recalls her favorite spot was sitting on the grass in the quad during lunch. They married shortly thereafter and had their only child, Steve. In the early 80s, Steve met Teresa (Van Den Berg) at Phoenix Christian and immediately fell for her (although he couldn’t get up the nerve to ask her out until their sophomore year). They married at age 18 after graduating from Phoenix Christian. Steve currently serves on the Board of Directors. They had three beautiful daughters, Brittany, Ashley and Samantha, who all attended Phoenix Christian. Brittany graduated in 2006 and moved to Washington to attend college where she met her husband, Doug. They have two children, Faith and Hudson. Brittany had an incredible opportunity to continue her career with Ethan Allen in Scottsdale. In 2019, Faith and Hudson became 4th generation Cougars! Ashley (’16) played volleyball and softball all four years and also played a huge role in Student Government. Last April, Ashley graduated with honors from GCU’s Colangelo School of Business with a degree in Business Management. She is engaged to marry JT Henderson in January. Sam most recently graduated from Phoenix Christian in 2018 and currently plays volleyball for Wheaton College. Sam shared, “The heritage of PC is uniquely special to me because my grandparents and parents walked the campus and did life at the same age I was doing life! What a gift from God to get to experience a special bond like that!”
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THE FISHERS
Adam Fisher attended Phoenix Christian from 91-94. He married Kristen and they have been blessed with five beautiful children, Grace—9th Grade, Addison – 8th Grade, Hannah (not pictured)—6th Grade, Elizabeth—4th Grade and Blair—Preschool. Adam shared that he has so many great memories from PC, including football. He made many amazing friends who are still his best friends today.
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THE ELLIS/ BOARDM ANS
Meghan (Ellis) Boardman ’03 and her sisters, Rachel (’18) and Bekah—senior, all attended Phoenix Christian. Meghan shared really fond memories of all of the fun monthly junior high parties. She reflects that she is proud to be a part of the legacy of Phoenix Christian by not only working as the Assistant Director of the Preschool but also sending her children to attend PC: Aubreigh— 4th Grade, Makynzie—2nd Grade and Aaron— Kindergarten. Rachel met her two very best friends at PC on her first day of Kindergarten and Bekah loves playing volleyball and softball for Phoenix Christian.
Kristy (Hornback) Ceton graduated from Phoenix Christian in 1994 and now has a son Lucas who is a freshman at Phoenix Christian (Lucas started as a kindergartener). Kristy shared about what the heritage of Phoenix Christian means to her. “I feel like I’m home when I walk on campus. I know that my son is getting the same experience I had surrounded by good friends and people who love him.”
THE CE TO N S
Upcoming Events NOVEMBER 1............................................. Homecoming Festivities NOVEMBER 7 @ 9:00AM................... Prospective Family Open House NOVEMBER 8 @ 9:30AM................... Veteran’s Day Chapel – Gym NOVEMBER 16.......................................... Phoenix Bible Church and PC Rummage Sale NOVEMBER 25 - 29................................ Thanksgiving and Fall Break DECEMBER 5 @ 6:30PM..................... Christmas Choir Concert – Trinity Bible Church DECEMBER 6 - 7....................................... Fall Play: You Can’t Take It With You DECEMBER 12 @ 7:00PM................... Christmas Band Concert – Trinity Bible Church DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 3............. Christmas Break Please call the front office for more information on any of the dates listed.
What’s NEW with You?
I wanted to let those who knew my mom, Mary Lou Beamis, that she passed away recently. She was my dad’s, Walt Beamis, biggest fan, and loved Phoenix Christian Cougars. Many may still remember her cries from the stands, “Go Cougars!” - Dianna Beamis Good If you would like to send a card or share a favorite memory, please mail to 1595 E. Sandy Ln., Cottonwood, AZ 86326.
Volume 12 • Fall 2019
COUGARNOW ONLINE Read this and other issues of CougarNow at phoenixchristian.org. We’d like to hear from you. Send your emails to cougarnow@phoenixchristian.org. To support this online and print publication, please visit phoenixchristian. org/support.
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SUPERINTENDENT EDITOR DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTRIBUTOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeff Blake Lisa Blake Brian Cole of Revolution Graphics Josh Snider of JSnider Studios, Yvonne Calderon, Ruby Perez Steve Woods Dr. Monty Ortman, Claude (Bud) Allison, Jamie Clifford, Juan Gonzales, Pete Hamstra, Daryl Layne, Steve Woods
from the editor
This “feels like home” to me. This phrase is so often uttered not only by alumni, faculty and staff but even those walking onto campus for the very first time. Why does it feel so good to be home? The memories that well-up, the smells, the sounds, all trigger our senses and remind us that we belong. We BELONG here. In this world of thousands of ways to connect, ie. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, a gazillion emails in our inboxes, we are now more than ever alone. We can feel disconnected, empty and depressed. Coming home, reconnects us to each other. And it points us to Heaven, our eternal HOME. This is how we are meant to live—in community, in relationship, in His Kingdom. Phoenix Christian provides a genuine taste of home; this incredibly diverse, imperfect, always in formation, 70-year-old, Christ-centered, student-loving school in the heart of Phoenix...feels like home. – Lisa (Tomb) Blake ’94
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“PC is living proof that we don’t have to be perfect, or pretend to be perfect, in order to be useful for Christ and His Kingdom here today and most importantly for the sake of eternity.” – Steve Woods ’83