Issue No.151 | 2.20.2025

Hello, Warrior Community!

Welcome back to another edition of the Weekly Warrior newsletter. This week, we had the pleasure of hosting Michael Gurian, a leading expert in brain science and how boys learn best. Michael spent a day observing ANA classrooms and meeting with faculty and staff as part of the process for certifying the Academy as a Center for Excellence with the Gurian Institute.  We've been affiliated with the Gurian Institute since 2017 and are recommitting at a higher level with this new certification. Michael's observations and analysis will be compiled in a report that we'll share through our newsletter and on our website. 

If you'd like to learn more about Michael Gurian, visit the Gurian Institute website here, access his latest book titled Boys, a Rescue Plan, or check out his podcast, The Wonder of Parenting - A Brain Science Approach to Parenting, found on Spotify here.  

Thank you for being part of our Warrior family!

Academic Updates & Reminders

Grading Period 4 Assembly – February 26
Join us for the GP4 Assembly on Wednesday, February 26, at 2:15 PM in Duffield. If you can't attend in person, our ANA Cadet team will be live-streaming the event on our YouTube channel.

Grading Period 5 Begins
GP5 starts on February 18 and runs through April 4.

Spring Break Travel Reminder
To ensure Cadets maximize their academic time, please schedule departures after Friday Formation on March 7. All boarding Cadets must return by March 16 at 8:00 PM.

Harvard Model Congress 
Best wishes to our Harvard Model Congress team as they head to Boston this week! A special thank you to Mr. Zamora and Mrs. Johnson for leading our Cadets in this prestigious event.

Sign Up for Parent/Teacher/TAC Conferences
Parent/Teacher/TAC conferences will take place during Warrior Family Weekend. Be sure to reserve your time slot using this link. For any questions, contact Amber Smith at Amsmith@armyandnavyacademy.org.

It's Time to Order Graduation Supplies

Attention Army and Navy Academy Seniors: Please use this Jostens link to order senior graduation items including graduation announcements, senior keepsakes, and senior apparel. You must place your order no later than Wednesday, February 26, so Jostens has time to print the paper products that will be delivered to the school in the spring. If you have any questions, please contact Mark from Jostens, at mark.boyer@jostens.com or reach out to senior advisor, Cory Hughes at chughes@armyandnavyacademy.org.

Warrior Athletics Update

Wrestling: Our Warrior wrestlers had a strong showing at the Division 4 Championships this past weekend, with all eight Cadets competing at a high level. Now, they advance to Masters at Christian High School in El Cajon this Friday, February 21—and hopefully Saturday as well! Best of luck, Warriors! 

Basketball: Warrior Basketball dominated in their Division 4 playoff opener, securing an 80-55 victory over West Hills on Tuesday night! Next up: the Quarterfinals against Escondido Charter tonight, February 20 at 7 PM. Can’t make it in person? Catch the game live at fan.hudl.com/anawarriors. 

Spring Sports: This week, our spring sports teams hit the ground running! Baseball, Lacrosse, Swim, Track & Field, and Volleyball all kicked off with strong participation. Golf and Tennis will begin next week.

• Baseball opens the season on Monday, February 24, at Escondido Charter.
• Lacrosse starts the season against Valhalla on Saturday, February 22.
• Nathan Bae (class of 2024) and freshman on the University of Chicago Baseball team, in his first hit of the season, got a home run in a game against Cal Tech.  Watch the video here from this awesome hit! He followed up in the next game with a 3 for 5 performance.  His collegiate career is off to a great start!

It's an exciting time for all our Warrior athletes!

Don't miss the weekend fun!  Mr. De Los Santos plans activities for Cadets every weekend - some on campus and some off campus.  Take a look at the February schedule.  Details for this week's activities are below:

Thursday, Feb. 20th

1530-2000  Indoor Rock Climbing

Friday, Feb. 21st                     

1000-1700  Beach       

1000-2200  Rec. Hall

1830-2130  Ice Skating

Saturday, Feb. 22nd

0800-1700  Beach

0800-2200  Rec. Hall

0730-1700  Universal Studios             1800-2200 Movie Run

Sunday, Feb. 23rd

0800-1700 Beach   

0800-2000  Rec. Hall

1230-1700  Annie's Trail Hike

To sign up for activities, Cadets should contact Alex De Los Santos and to pay, parents can click here.

The weekend activity calendar is always posted on the website here, under Residential Life.

Warrior Family Weekend

Calling all alumni, parents, and community supporters! Join us in celebrating the Academy’s rich traditions and vibrant community during Warrior Family Weekend, taking place March 21-23, 2025.

This exciting weekend offers a variety of events for Cadets, parents, alumni, and families. Kick things off with the Jon Higgins Annual Golf Tournament and Gala on Friday, then experience the Military Review and Awards

Ceremony on Saturday. Enjoy engaging presentations, special reunion photo opportunities, and an energetic softball game! The weekend wraps up with a relaxing pancake breakfast and insightful discussions on service academies and military scholarships. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to celebrate camaraderie, achievement, and the enduring Warrior spirit!

Need to connect on events? Please don't hesitate to reach out to Simone Brown, Assistant Director of Advancement, at (760) 547-5274 or sbrown@armyandnavyacademy.org

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Join us for an exciting performance by the United States Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment, a 115-Marine unit from Marine Barracks Washington, D.C. on March 6 at 3:00 pm hosted on Maffucci field. This spectacular event showcases the pride, professionalism, and esprit de corps of the United States Marine Corps in an unforgettable display of music, drill, and tradition.  This FREE event is open to the community.

Run the Carlsbad 5000 with ANA on April 6!

• Runners:  Register here to join our team.
• Volunteers: We’d love your support!  Please coordinate with your JROTC instructor to sign up.

Led by Commandant Miraco, our team is open to Cadets, parents, alumni, and friends.  ANA's color guard will be opening two races, the Masters and the Elite Invitational. Learn more about the event here.  Let’s make this a race to remember!

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• Feb 20-23 - Harvard Model Congress (HMC).
• Feb 21 - Faculty and Staff Professional Development Day - no school.
• Feb 23 - 47th Military School Band and Choir Concert hosted on campus at ANA.  The concert begins at 2:00 pm.
• Feb 26 - Grading Period 4 Awards.  Livestreamed on YouTube by our ANA Cadets or join us in person inside Duffield.
• Mar 4 - JROTC Program of Accreditation (JPA) Inspection.
• Mar 5 - Annual ANA Talent Show from 2:15-3:30 pm.
• Mar 6 - USMC Battle Color Detachment at 3:00 pm on Maffucci Field.
• March 8-16 - Spring Break - no school.
• Mar 21-23 - Warrior Family & Alumni Weekend. See the schedule on our website.

Help Us Share the Warrior Experience!

Your feedback makes a difference! If our Academy has impacted your life or your son’s journey, please take a moment to leave a review. Your words help others learn about the transformational experience we provide. Review us on Google, Yelp, Niche, or Boarding School Review today! 

In addition to our social media channels, including Flickr where we store our Cadet captured photos,  you can find professional photography of Army and Navy Academy's major events and sports coverage in the embedded links.  Watch our military reviews and parades on our YouTube channel and all HOME football and basketball games on Hudl.com.  Stay in-the-know on ANA Athletics on Instagram at ArmyNavyAthletics.