December 8, 2023

Upcoming Events

Wheaton Academy Christmas Concert
Wednesday & Thursday, December 13 & 14
Fine Arts Center
7:00 p.m.
Wheaton Academy is proud to present its annual Christmas Concert. The concerts will take place on December 13 & 14 in the FAC Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.  The Christmas Concert will feature all Wheaton Academy Choral and Instrumental music groups performing pieces celebrating Christ’s birth and His good news of salvation.  Admission is free, and all are welcome!

Wheaton Academy Christmas Market
Thursday, December 14
3:30 pm
Atrium

Get ready to spread the spirit of innovation and Christmas. On Thursday, December 14, the Business and Innovation Club will host the first Wheaton Academy Christmas Market. If you or someone you know owns a small business or has a product they would like to sell, sign up to reserve a booth using this link. We are encouraging students and other small business owners to showcase their products, ranging from ornaments and artwork to clothing and more! There will be a $25 fee to reserve a booth, which will provide vendors with a booth (and a POS system if needed). If you are not selling a product, bring your entire family to enjoy Christmas shopping and entertainment before enjoying the live performance at the Christmas concert! The Business Club wishes you a very Merry Christmas!

Mark your Calendars: Cooks Night Out at Chick-fil-A
Tuesday, December 19
4:00-8:00 pm
301 E. Loop Road (Danada)

Do you love Wheaton Academy? Are you tired of cooking? Do you love Chick-fill-A? Then you can enjoy dinner and help support the school at our first Cooks Night Out at Chick-fil-A in Wheaton, 301 E. Loop Road (Danada). On December 19, from 4:00-8:00 pm, 20% of the sales will be given back to Wheaton Academy! Please enjoy dinner with the WA community and support the school. All you need to do is mention Wheaton Academy before you place your order. If you use the mobile app, you will need to use the code “Academy” when ordering. That’s all it takes to help our school! We hope to see you there! Thanks for supporting the school in this new adventure!

General News

Gala Give-a-Ways Needed
The Student Council would love to have Santa return to the Gala again this year and raffle off presents but we can’t do that without your help! Please consider donating gift cards from Starbucks, Target, McDonald’s, etc., of any amount. You can drop them off at the front desk to the attention of Jim Holtrop anytime from now until TODAY. Thanks for making this night an amazing celebration for our students!

Christmas Concert Bell Schedule
On Tuesday, December 12, we will be operating on a modified bell schedule to allow time for our Christmas concert during chapel. 
 Time                                  Class
8:00 – 8:43                          Period 1
8:49 – 9:32                          Period 2
9:38 – 10:21                        Period 3
10:30 – 11:15                      Christmas Concert
11:24 – 12:07                      Period 4
12:07 – 12:33                      Lunch
12:39 – 1:22                        Period 5
1:28 – 2:11                          Period 6
2:17 – 3:00                          Period 7

Final Exam Bell Schedule
Monday, December 18
1st Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
2nd Period: 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Tuesday, December 19
3rd Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
4th Period: 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Wednesday, December 20
5th Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
6th Period: 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Thursday, December 21
7th Period: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m

Christmas Break Office Hours
Friday, December 22 there is no school but offices are open. The offices will be closed from December 25-January 2 and will reopen on January 3. Winterim begins Monday, January 8, 2024. Have a wonderful Christmas Break celebrating our Lord’s birth!

2024-2025 School Session Dates
To view the 2024-2025 school session dates you may click here. Please note – all of these dates may change due to the construction activity on campus. We appreciate your flexibility as we navigate this exciting time at Wheaton Academy.

Financial Aid Applications are Now Open — Returning Families Deadline of December 31  
The financial aid process at Wheaton Academy is officially open for the 2024-2025 school year. Like last year, the deadline for a returning family’s financial aid application for the 2024-2025 school year is December 31, 2023.  This timeline allows Wheaton Academy to grant aid awards to returning families before new family aid awards are considered, as over 80% of our financial aid awards are distributed in February. 

Like last year, we have partnered with the financial aid processing company—Blackbaud Financial Aid. This portal better integrates with the internal systems Wheaton Academy already uses, making it an easier process for both you and our staff. 

Click here to log into your Blackbaud Financial Aid account and begin your application: Blackbaud Financial Aid. Please read additional information and further instructions here.

If you have specific questions regarding your application and how to upload your required documentation, we recommend you contact Blackbaud Financial Aid Customer Service directly: 800-360-8027 or financialaidsupport@blackbaud.school.  Their service is completely confidential.

If you have any other questions, please contact Pat Brooke in the Business Office at aid@wheatonacademy.org.

Apply to Wheaton Academy for 2024-2025!
We are excited to announce that the 2024-2025 School Year application is open! If you know any prospective students who are interested in Wheaton Academy, we invite you to tell them to APPLY NOW by visiting wheatonacademy.org/apply. Applicants who apply this fall will be considered for an early decision (before Christmas time).

Senior Picture Submission
It’s time to submit Senior Pictures for the Yearbook! If you did not use Prestige Photography for your student’s Senior Portraits, you are welcome to use another photography source, but we need you to submit a photo of your own to be included in the yearbook. Photos must be submitted by December 20 to be included in the yearbook publication. We require a forward-facing portrait taken from the shoulders up, with a plain/non-distracting background. Please submit your student’s chosen picture via email to yearbook@wheatonacademy.org. Please also include your student’s first and last name. Please contact Kristen Rusthoven (krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org) with any questions. Thank you!

Senior Ads for Yearbooks!
Parents – Senior yearbook ads will again be available for purchase this year 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.  The deadline for the ads is March 11. To purchase an ad, you will need to follow this link and select the size you would like to create. More information is explained within your purchase options. You will then need to send your ad’s content (both pictures and written messages) in a single email to yearbook@wheatonacademy.org. The yearbook staff will gladly design the ad for you after confirmation of receipt of these two things! Any questions? Please email yearbook@wheatonacademy.org. Thank you!

College Corner

PSAT Results
Dear Wheaton Academy Families,
This past October many of our students participated in the PSAT suite of assessments offered by the College Board. These tests help us monitor student growth and progress over time and can provide both us and you with insight into areas of strength and growth for your student.  We are happy to let you know that test results are available for viewing and can be accessed through your student’s College Board profile. (studentscores.collegeboard.org ).

The College Board implemented a new test format this year; all PSAT Fall testing was completed digitally, and the updated format allowed for test redesign. College Board piloted these changes, and they are confident that the scores on the new tests are comparable to previous assessments. We will keep you informed of any new information that becomes available as they analyze the results from this fall.

As you access and seek to understand test results, please let us know if you have questions.  You can reach out to Vice Principal Brad Thornton (bthornton@wheatonacademy.org) with questions.

Thank you,
Brad Thornton