December 4, 2020

Upcoming Events

Live Drive-Thru Nativity
Friday, December 4, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 5, 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
You and your family are invited to the Live Drive-thru Nativity at Wheaton Academy on Friday, December 4, and Saturday, December 5.  The Wheaton Academy Project Lead Global and Discipleship teams are hosting a live Nativity fundraising event to support the 23 children we sponsor in Haiti and the DR through Kids Alive.  For a suggested minimum donation of $10 and 2 canned food items per vehicle, families will be given hot cocoa and will be able to drive through Wheaton Academy’s campus viewing scenes from the Christmas story.
Details of this Christmas fundraiser, along with a sign up for times to arrive, can be found using this link, Live Drive-Thru Nativity Fundraiser.  If you have questions, please contact Valerie Gregersen. This activity may be subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions. 
If you are unable to make it to the Live Nativity, you may choose to donate online using this link: https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=cHTEiE

New Parent Zoom Call
Monday, December 7
7:00 p.m.

It is so amazing to think that we are nearing the end of first semester! We hope that the details and introductions provided in these sessions were informative and helpful as you transitioned to Wheaton Academy.  We will be hosting our last Zoom for 2020 on Monday, December 7, at 7:00 p.m.  Our topics will include

  • Final exam details, dates, and times
  • How WA prepares students for final exams
  • How parents can prepare students for final exams
  • How final exam grades will be adjusted in 2020
  • Last-minute Winterim and Internship details
  • Second Semester at a glance: When schedule will be posted, books & teachers assigned
  • December Calendar Highlights: Brookfield Zoo lights, Christmas concerts

IMPORTANT! Please make sure your student buys his/her Brookfield Zoo light ticket by TODAY as it is the last day of ticket sales. This has been announced to students, but we wanted to give you that detail now since it will be too late by the time we have our Zoom on Monday. 

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, December 7.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97270782652?pwd=aUc1OURjcDFaL2FjQkZ4TktZNWwwQT09
Meeting ID: 972 7078 2652
Passcode: YPMr1e

WA Women’s Prayer
Tuesday, December 8 
1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
Room 107
All women are invited to WA Women’s Prayer for a special holiday prayer time on Tuesday, December 8, in room 107 at 1:45 p.m. We will break over the holidays and resume meeting on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

WA Men’s Prayer
Saturday, December 12
8:00 a.m.
White Alumni Chapel

On the second Saturday of each month, the men from the WA community meet to pray and hear from one of our WA employees. Please join us for prayer next Saturday, December 12, at 8:00 a.m. in the white Alumni Chapel. Light refreshments are served.

Final Exam Schedule
Monday, December 14
1st Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
2nd Period: 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Tuesday, December 15
3rd Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
4th Period: 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Wednesday, December 16
5th Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
6th Period: 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Thursday, December 17
7th Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Merry and Bright Night
Thursday, December 17
Entrance Time: 3:00-4:00 p.m.
End Time: 8:00 p.m.
Brookfield Zoo

On Thursday, December 17, Wheaton Academy will host the Merry and Bright Night at Brookfield Zoo. The event allows students to see millions of zoo lights, enjoy the animals at night, and sip on hot chocolate! This event will be entirely outdoors and will not include any indoor activities. This is not a formal event, and due to the outdoor nature and cold weather, we advise dressing warmly! We will not meet as a large collective school group but instead, encourage students to enjoy the night within the groups of friends they have community with regularly. A mask is required to be worn throughout the entire event.
The event will cost $30.00 per student, including parking, admission, and $10.00 worth of food vouchers. Ticket sales end today! Students will need to provide their own transportation to and from the zoo. To safely limit the number of attendees entering the zoo at a time, students will arrive during the entry window of 3-4 p.m. Sign-ups for individual entry times will begin next week.

General News

COVID-19 Update
Over the last week, we had seven individuals test positive for COVID-19​ , with 22 students in quarantine. As we have done in previous weeks, we have contacted those who were in close contact with these individuals and asked them to quarantine at home for the appropriate time. 

We ask for your continued vigilance.  We know how important in-person instruction is for student learning and discipleship. As we mentioned last week, key metrics for us to continue providing learning in this environment are: 

  • Sufficient number of faculty and staff on campus
  • Low amount of virus transmission at Wheaton Academy
  • Small number of students who are sick and unable to do school work

At this point, these metrics continue to be favorable.  Please join us in praying for healing for our nation and for a vaccine to be distributed very soon.

Please do not hesitate to call us with any questions.

A Note from Our Nurse
Everyone has done such a great job keeping our community safe by wearing their masks, staying 6 feet apart, and keeping students home when they aren’t feeling well.  I want to take the time to thank you all for your diligence with our Magnus App and certifying your students each day this semester.  As we finish this semester, I would ask that you continue to certify your students each morning and enter it into Magnus by 7:45 a.m.  When this is done, it prevents me from finding your students and pulling them from class to make sure they are okay.  This is especially important for finals week, as we would hate for them to be distracted from any tests or presentations. Thanks again for your hard work!
Jenn Sezonov, RN

Need-Based Scholarships
The Wheaton Academy, 2021-2022 need-based scholarship application is now open.  To be considered for these scholarships, applicants must complete the online application by January 31, 2021.  For more details and/or to complete the online application, visit https://wheatonacademy.org/affordable/need-based-scholarships.

Timeshares for Teachers 2020-2021
Wheaton Academy is once again seeking vacation opportunities to be used by our Living Curriculum Teachers. If you have a timeshare, a privately-owned vacation home, vacation packages, or airline miles and would like to participate in this program, please click here for more information. To fill out an online form, please click here. Questions? Email Chelsea Schillinger or call 630-562-7520.

Winter Coat/Hat/Glove Drive
The Service Project Club will begin collecting winter wear items such as jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. We will donate them to WeGo Together for Kids, a local organization that seeks to support and enhance the health, safety, and well-being of students and families through a collaborative, coordinated, and comprehensive community school approach for West Chicago schools and community. We will be collecting these items all next week, and donation boxes will be available in the Atrium. If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact Mr. Bowling.

Christmas Toy Drive
The Project Lead Local team will be organizing a Christmas toy drive for children in foster care through Youth Service Bureau.  Foster care provides safe homes for children in state custody who are unable to remain in their homes.  The holidays, especially during Covid-19, can be especially difficult for youth in foster care.  While we practice social distancing, many youths in care cannot see their biological parents, support team, doctors, and friends.  Please join Project Lead Local this season in sending some Christmas joy to the children in foster care! 

Christmas collection bins are located in the Atrium, or you can send gifts directly to Youth Service Bureau by accessing their Target & Amazon Wish Lists.  **If you purchase a gift through the online wish lists, please be sure to state that you are giving from Wheaton Academy!**

To Access YSB Target wish list:
Go to Target.com
Click on Menu
Click on Registry
Key in:  first name:  YSB
Key in:   last name:  Christmas

To Access our Amazon Shopping list:
In the address bar key in: https://a.co/3wHjq6u
This will take you directly to our list. 

**All purchased items will ship directly to the YSB office, and our caseworkers will deliver them to our foster care children.

Important Information Regarding Second Semester
Throughout this year, we have been so grateful for the Wheaton Academy community’s flexibility to allow us to make the needed adjustments to execute the UNITE plan for in-person learning.  We wanted to let you know that we are making some adjustments to the schedule based on our students, parents, and faculty’s feedback.  Here is the new schedule:

Monday: 7-period day with Advisory
7:55 – 8:43 – 1st period
8:53 – 9:36 – 2nd period
9:46 – 10:29 – 3rd period
10:34 – 10:59 – Advisory Groups
11:04 – 11:47 – 4th period
11:47 – 12:25 – Lunch
12:30 – 1:13 5th period
1:23 – 2:06 – 6th period
2:16 – 3:00 – 7th period

Tuesday
7:55 – 9:35 – 1st period
9:45 – 10:20 – Chapel
10:30 – 12:10 – 2nd period
12:10 – 12:45 – Lunch
12:50 – 2:25 – 3rd period
2:30 – 3:00 – Community Time

Wednesday/Friday
7:55 – 9:30 – 4th period
9:40 – 11:10 – 5th period
11:10 – 11:45 – Lunch
11:50 – 1:20 6th period
1:30 – 3:00 – 7th period

Thursday: Late start with Collaboration time
8:55 – 10:30 – 1st period
10:35 – 11:05 – Chapel
11:15 – 12:45 – 2nd period
12:45 – 1:20 – Lunch
1:25 – 3:00 – 3rd period

 The major changes are:

  1. Late start and chapel will be moved from Friday to Thursday.
  2. We will alternate our period 1-3 and 4-7 days on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, so students don’t have the same classes back to back.
  3. We will switch Community Time and Advisory Groups – Advisory will now meet Monday, and Community Time will be Tuesday. 

Thank you so much for all of your cooperation and partnership with us this school year.  God has certainly been gracious to our school community, and we want to give Him praise and glory as we seek to nurture growth in all of our students. 

2020 Yearbooks Available
Students received their 2020 yearbooks last week. If you were not at school last Friday and you ordered a copy of the book, please come to the front office to get it. There are extra copies if you did not purchase one last year.  They are available at the front office for $25.00. Stop by and get one!

Senior Ads for Yearbooks
Parents, senior yearbook ads will again be available for purchase for $150 per quarter-page ad. If you order a senior ad, you do not need to order a yearbook through the Jostens website as that fee is included in the $150. Turn in your ad with a check out to Wheaton Academy and send it to the front office to the attention of Jim Holtrop. You may click here for an example of what an ad should look like.

College Corner

There are no new announcements at this time.