Dear Wheaton Academy Parents,

The semester is moving quickly and it’s hard to believe we are only weeks away from the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. Already this year, our Student Activities Team has hosted some incredibly fun events such as the Glow Dance, Homecoming, and the Fall Informal. We wanted to give you some important information about our next student activities event, The Christmas Gala. This formal event will be hosted again at the beautiful Hotel Baker in downtown St. Charles, Friday, December 5^th from 7:00-9:30. The evening will include a full dinner with dessert and a hot chocolate/coffee bar. Activities will include dancing, photo booth, and Christmas fun. As always, our events are designed to encourage participation, build friendships, and strengthen our community in a safe and fun setting. Students can bring a date or attend with a friend group. Both are encouraged.

Here are some important details about the event.

Tickets
Tickets for this event will be $80.00 per student and will only be sold online through the following link. 2025 WA Christmas Gala This is a change from previous years and will help us greatly with check-in the night of the event. The purchase receipt will include a QR code that will be required for entrance. Students can show the code on their phones or can bring a printed copy. The Christmas Gala will be announced in Community Time Wednesday, November 12^th. The ticket link will go live that day and will close at the end of the day Wednesday, November 19^th. Please note, there are no sales at the door and PushCoin is not available for ticket purchase.

Guest Forms
Wheaton Academy students may invite a date from other schools but need to complete and return a required guest form before purchasing tickets. Forms may be picked up at the front office.

Dress for the Evening
The dress for this evening is formal attire. Our students enjoy an opportunity dress up, and with that in mind, we ask you to partner with us to ensure students dress appropriately for the event. We understand that fashion trends sometimes make it challenging as we seek to help students choose their attire. We ask that you, as parents, would help all students make modest choices and allow everyone to enjoy themselves without the distractions that can come from fashion choices drawing undue attention. Boys can wear suits, sport coats, or tuxes. Girls can wear long/maxi dresses with straps (one shoulder is acceptable). Guests in attendance must also adhere to our dress policy. We appreciate your help in assuring that this event highlights our students and the standards we expect from them.

Drop Off/Parking
Students can be dropped off and picked up at the hotel, and there is a parking garage for students who will be driving.

Christmas Giveaways
We need prizes for random games and drawings we will do throughout the evening. If you’d be willing to donate gift cards in any amount, we’d appreciate it. These could be to coffee shops, restaurants, or other stores. Please drop them off at the front office by Wednesday, December 3^rd.

We are looking forward to a great event and hope these details are helpful as you plan with your students. Please don’t hesitate to contact anyone on the Student Activities Team with questions.

Sincerely,

The Wheaton Academy Student Activities Team

Brian Hogan
Jim Holtrop
Stacey Krohn
Leah Rinker
David Rivera
Ben Thorson