Activate Your Parent Orah Account
Thanks to all the families who've activated their Parent Orah account this week! As shared in Wednesday's email, we've moved attendance tracking to Orah, integrated with OnCampus. If you haven't activated yet, please do so before school begins on August 24.
Check your email for the message from Orah "Welcome to Orah" and check your spam folder if you don't see it.
Please download the Orah app to your phone if you haven't already:
Connect Retreat
On August 26, the third full day of school, all students will participate in a Connect Retreat, a day-long experience built around growing teacher and student relationships to promote moments of connection and belonging.
Contact:
Brian Hogan
Academics
First Day of School
We are looking forward to the new school year!
Back to School Checklists
Visit these checklist pages to ensure you have completed all you need to before school begins.
Order Textbooks via eCampus
Families are responsible for purchasing or renting books for their student(s). Wheaton Academy has worked with our bookstore company, eCampus, to provide each family a convenient option to purchase or rent books.
Families can shop for each student’s books using eCampus’ “Shop by Schedule” option on their website. Then, eCampus will ship the purchased or rented books directly to each family’s home. Here are some important things to note:
- All books must be shipped to your home, not Wheaton Academy.
Please order books by August 14 to ensure arrival before school begins on August 24.
You must use your student’s Wheaton Academy email (lastname@walearner.org) to order books. - If you have more than one student at Wheaton Academy, you will need each student’s email and must log in separately for each student, as their schedule information automatically populates the customized booklist through their email.
For details steps on how to order books, click here.
Contact:
Jill Chapman
New Calendar Platform
Wheaton Academy's new school calendar platform can be accessed in two ways:
If you would like to sync events from our school calendar into your personal Google Calendar or iCalendar, tap the subscribe button to choose specific activities (either "School Events" or events from any sports team) then click "Generate Calendar Links."
Note from the Nurse's Office
Back-to-School Forms are available to be completed now in August schools (our online health information portal). You can find this by logging in to OnCampus from the families tab and scrolling down to the August schools tile. You will need to fill out these for all returning and new students by September 1. Please note, there is a small issue with this year’s form; if your child does not need an EpiPen, inhaler or medication, you can disregard those forms, and they will be deleted when your packet is reviewed.
Here are a few reminders:
- All incoming freshmen or transfer students will need to provide a physical and immunization record.
- All students in the class of 2027 will need to provide proof of a second meningococcal vaccine.
- Any student planning on playing football will need to provide a physical by August 5. Any student trying out for any other fall sport will need to provide the physical by August 10. If your child’s current physical is still valid, you may upload that but will need to provide a new one by the day it will expire which is 395 days after the date of exam.
- The Activities Packet is required for all athletes and must be signed before trying out for a sport. We encourage all other students to complete these forms just in case they change their mind or are participating in a non-IHSA sport (disc club, rock climbing, furnace, etc).
Contact:
Jenn Sezonov
Picture Day!
Lifetouch will be set up in the atrium from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm on September 2 and September 3. It is very important that your student stop by to take his/her picture within the given time frame on one of those two days. There is not an allotted time for students to take their pictures, so it is up to the student to make sure they get their picture taken. Before school, study hall, lunch, and passing periods are all great times to stop by! Please note, Lifetouch will be gone by the end of the day, so they will not be available after school.
Contact:
Kristen Rusthoven
Community
New Parent Night Recap
It was a privilege to host parents of new freshmen and transfer students on Tuesday night at our New Parent Night. Our parent ambassadors and faculty enjoyed getting to know you and fostering our community together. If you were unable to make it or would like the resources we distributed, you can access them on our new families resources page. This page includes information that will help you and your students have a great first week of school. We look forward to seeing your students on Monday for the first day of school!
Driver's Education Class
In an effort to accommodate student schedules and extracurricular activities, Wheaton Academy offers after-school driver’s education courses by hosting Excel Driving School. This year’s Driver’s Education Class Schedule can be found on the Families page and has a class starting in just a few weeks!
Resource Guide: Sexual Abuse and Prevention
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) maintains a resource guide on sexual abuse response and prevention, and requires non-public schools to share this information with their communities. The guide contains information on and the location of children’s advocacy centers, organizations that provide medical evaluations and treatment to victims of child sexual abuse, organizations that provide mental health evaluations and services to victims and families of victims of child sexual abuse, and organizations that offer legal assistance to and provide advocacy on behalf of victims of child sexual abuse. This guide can be accessed through the ISBE website at www.isbe.net.
Athletics
The Center for Lifelong Learning
Build Habits for High School Success
Choose one date during the block period lunch dates (bring your lunch!).
Help your student start high school strong! Certified Executive Functioning Coach Holly Taritas will guide students in building key habits for time management, organization, study strategies, and stress reduction. Perfect for incoming freshmen and underclassmen. All materials included. Space is limited! Register here.
Contact:
Holly Taritas
Free Parent Meeting: Starting the School Year Strong
Join us for a practical, parent-focused workshop led by Holly Taritas, designed to equip families with tools to support organization, time management, task initiation, and study skills at home. A special invitation is for parents of new students. Click here to register.
Contact:
Holly Taritas
College Essay Writing Workshop
Application deadlines are approaching—Give your student the support they need to create an authentic, standout essay and feel confident submitting it! The Center for Lifelong Learning invites Class of 2027 seniors to an engaging, interactive 4-hour workshop designed to guide them through the college essay writing process. Using proven strategies, students will brainstorm ideas, write their compelling story, and refine it using guided exercises, peer feedback, and expert support. Optional one-on-one coaching is also available afterward to give the essay a final polish. RSVP here.