April 9, 2020
General News
A Message from the Principal
We have come to the end of another week. I am so thankful and proud of the students and teachers in the Wheaton Academy community. This is a really hard situation, and they continue to rise up and find opportunities and good. We have a special group of students, and I am so grateful to you as their parents – even though no one of us is handling this perfectly, our students are showing perseverance, hope, and gratitude.
As we have walked through Holy Week, it has brought even more poignant reflection on the amazing grace and love Christ showed at the cross. I don’t know about you, but I keep finding my thoughts going to the question when is this all going to be finished? I want to know when these circumstances and restrictions will end.
My thoughts drifted to Good Friday, and I was humbled and thankful that while Jesus hung on the cross for my sin, for your sin, for the sins of the world, he cried out with the powerful words, ”IT IS FINISHED.” Because of Jesus, we can proclaim the truth of I Corinthians 15:55-57:
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This Easter, I am so grateful that Jesus has given us the victory in our salvation and relationship with Him, now and forever. I pray your family will be encouraged that most importantly, we do have the answer to our question – when is this finished? It already is because of Jesus and His love for us. Blessings to you this Easter.
—Kori Hockett
Here are a few quick reminders:
- Thank you so much for those of you who have given us feedback to help us meet the many different needs of students during this time. If you could take a few minutes and fill out the following survey, it would be very helpful as we continue to refine and evaluate how best to meet students’ needs at this time. E-LEARNING PARENT SURVEY
- As much as we love having people on our campus, we have closed down our outdoor athletic facilities. Will you please help us enforce this by making sure that your kids stay off our fields until we get beyond this pandemic? We really appreciate your help with this. Thank you.
- Students have done a great job adjusting to some of the changes we implemented this week. We want to encourage them to continue to give honest and open feedback to their teachers. Teachers are asking students about assignments and instruction and want to know what they are experiencing. Please encourage them to be honest and also connect with teachers during their virtual office hours. Many teachers are holding class meetings, help sessions, and times to connect throughout the week – encourage your student to take advantage of these times to be “together while separate.”
- As we walk through these circumstances, students will have a variety of reactions, including stress, anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions. Wheaton Academy’s Student Services team is available and continuing to reach out to and help support students. If you need to reach one of our staff members you can email:
- Hollee Ball (hball@wheatonacademy.org)
- Erin Carwell (ecarwell@wheatonacademy.org)
- Gina Churchill (gchurchill@wheatonacademy.org)
- Kermit Ellison (kellison@wheatonacademy.org)
- Bart Gregersen (bgregersen@wheatonacademy.org)
They are continuing to provide academic and social-emotional support. Additionally, our college counseling will continue during this time to help juniors and seniors navigate.
Masks
Wheaton Academy parents in China recently sent us a large shipment of masks to be shared with our school community. If you would like to pick up these masks, please come by the school drop off circle Monday April 13 between 4 and 5 p.m. and we will provide a box of 50 to each family. Masks will in small boxes, placed along the curb of the drop off circle so each family can take a box or two according to their needs. We are thankful for this gift from our Chinese families and look forward to sharing their generosity with you.
Stay Connected through Wheaton Academy Social Media
A great way to stay connected to the school is to subscribe to our social media platforms. You can watch chapel, waTV segments, or see messages from our principal. To subscribe to these channels, you may go to the following links:
www.facebook.com/WheatonAcademy
www.twitter.com/WheatonAcademy
www.twitter.com/theRealWAtv
www.youtube.com/WheatonAcademyOrg
www.instagram.com/Wheaton_Academy
www.instagram.com/theRealWAtv
Health Office Update
We are praying that you and your family are staying well during this time! We want to continue to support our WA community and are available by email to answer any health-related questions or concerns you may have.
If any member of your household receives a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, please report this to our nurses by sending an email to nurse@wheatonacademy.org. This information will be used to monitor the spread of COVID-19 within our community and will be kept as confidential medical information.
We encourage families to continue referring to the following websites for the most current, factual information regarding COVID-19:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
- DuPage County Health Department
We are so thankful for the hope that we have in Christ during this uncertain time! We are praying for you! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Blessings,
Rachel Austin, RN
Julie Grant, RN
Wheaton Academy Tutoring Center – Help Available
The Wheaton Academy Tutoring Center tutors are busy helping students with their e-learning via FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc. If you would like more information on how to get help for your student, please go to wa-tutoring.org.
WA Service Team Sign-Ups
The Sign-Up link for the WA 2020-2021 Service Team is now live. You may click here to access it. We encourage students and families to sign up early. Contact Jim Holtrop at jholtrop@wheatonacademy.org if you have any questions. To read additional information regarding the WA Service Teams, click here.
Summer Academy
Summer Academy registration is now open. Please click here to register.
If you have any questions, please contact Angie Roberts.
Order Your Yearbook Now!
WA yearbooks are for sale again this year for last year’s price of $25.00 each. Your 2019-2020 yearbook is now available for purchase at www.jostensyearbooks.com. Go to the Yearbooks dropdown to find “Buy your Yearbook,” then search Wheaton Academy to finish your purchase. They will only be for sale through the website. We do not want you to miss out on receiving a yearbook, so please order yours today! If you do not order via the Jostens link, you will be unable to receive a yearbook next fall.
College Corner
College Board PSAT/SAT/AP Update
We wanted to inform you that the PSAT and SAT dates in April and May have been canceled. Currently, the next scheduled SAT date is for the first week in June. We will keep you updated as information about these tests is released. You can find updates on the PSAT/SAT tests here: https://pages.collegeboard.org/sat-covid-19-updates
In regards to the AP exam, College Board has announced that AP exams will still be administered this spring, just in a drastically different format and with a new schedule. Students will be able to take tests from home on their computers. No action is needed from you to get students registered – this already happened as part of the initial registration process. Teachers of AP classes will be in touch with their classes regarding the changes and new test times. For your reference, please click below for updates on AP exam content and the new schedule. https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students