November 22, 2024

Upcoming Events

Thanksgiving Break
There will be no school and offices will be closed November 27-29 for Thanksgiving Break. The WA Weekly will not be published this week either. We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday!

Christmas Gala
Friday, December 6
7:00-9:30 pm
Hotel Baker

The Gala will be held Friday, December 6 at the Hotel Baker along the Fox River in St. Charles, IL from 7:00 – 9:30 pm. for those who have purchased tickets. Please click here to see full details about the Gala.
Gala Give-a-Ways Needed! The Student Council would love to have Santa return to the Gala again this year and raffle off presents. Donations would be greatly appreciated. Gift cards from Starbucks, Target, McDonald’s, etc., of any denomination would be welcomed. You can drop them off at the front desk to the attention of Kat Haase anytime from now until December 6. Thanks for making this night an amazing celebration for our students!

Wheaton Academy Christmas Concert
Wednesday & Thursday, December 11 & 12
Fine Arts Center
7:00 p.m.
Wheaton Academy is proud to present its annual Christmas Concert. The concerts will take place on December 11 & 12 in the FAC Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.  The Christmas Concert will feature 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!

General News

Senior Cap and Gown Orders Due November 25
Senior cap and gown orders should be made online. Orders are due November 25 – any orders placed after this time will be subject to increased pricing. You can place your order at Jostens.com. If you have a cap and gown from a sibling, you are welcome to use that. Please ensure it is in good condition. You would only need to order a tassel if you use a sibling’s cap and gown. All NHS members will receive a good tassel and cord in April when cap and gowns are delivered, and the senior photo is taken.

Chapel Week of December 2
We will run back-to-back chapels on Tuesday, December 3 during regular chapel time and Wednesday, December 4 during Community Time. Jon Nielson will be teaching the two Advent-themed chapels. Community Time will be held on Friday, the 6th during the regularly scheduled chapel time. The bell schedule for the week won’t change.

2025-2026 School Session Dates
To view the 2025-2026 school session dates you may click here. Please note – all of these dates may change. The most accurate calendar is always our online calendar which you can find here. We appreciate your flexibility.

Winterim Internships
If your student plans to do an internship for Winterim, here is the link to the overview and application. If you have questions, please get in touch with Phil Strzalka at pstrzalka@wheatonacademy.org.
Internship Overview
Internship Application

How To Access Your PSAT Results
Students should have access to the scores for the PSAT test they took in October. Please watch this video for a step-by-step guide to viewing scores and interpreting the data: Understanding Your Digital PSAT Score Report. To access their score, students should do the following:
If they provided their phone number during exam setup, they should be able to access their test score via the Big Future App on their phone.

  1. If not, have students go to the following website: studentscores.collegeboard.org/home Student Score Reports.
  1. Have students create a College Board account if they do not have one already or log in to their account if they have an existing one.
  2. Have students write down their password/ username and share it with you so you can access it each year throughout high school.
  3. If they have issues with their login or password, they need to contact the College Board customer service phone number for more help. Wheaton Academy cannot assist with College Board account information or passwords.

** Please note that accessing the test results using their College Board Account provides more robust information and connection to Khan Academy practice. So, this is the best way to access their scores. They will also need this account to register for future SAT tests or to access AP test results.

If a student cannot access their score using options 1 and 2 above, please have them come to Student Services and talk to Bart Gregersen. He can assist them with locating their scores.

Timeshares for Teachers
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, we invite you, as a friend and supporter, to provide our faculty and staff a much-deserved vacation at little or no cost to them.

How does this program work? Click Timeshares for Teachers to learn more.
If you have a property you would like to share, please fill out this form.

2025-2026 Admissions Season Open! 
We are excited to announce that the Application for the 2025-2026 School Year is open.  We invite you to APPLY NOW by visiting wheatonacademy.org/apply. Applicants who apply this fall will be considered for early decision (before Christmas time). Questions? Please contact Amy Burdett, Admissions Coordinator, or Amy Hogan, Director of Admissions.

Financial Aid Now Open for Next School Year 
Returning Family Financial Aid Application Deadline: December 6 
The financial aid process at Wheaton Academy is officially open for the 2025-2026 school year. The application timeline is changing this year—the financial aid application deadline for returning families is now Friday, December 6, 2024. We hope that this adjusted timeline will help both families and Wheaton Academy financially plan for the 2025-2026 year. 

Like previous years, we have partnered with the financial aid processing company—Blackbaud Financial Aid. We then hope to distribute financial aid decisions to returning families starting as early as mid-December and continuing through January. 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 historically distributed by February. 

For more information, please click here Link: https://families.wheatonacademy.org/aid/

Please note: If you have an incoming student for the 2025-2026 school year, be sure to include them on your family’s financial aid application. Additionally, be sure your new incoming student is applied and accepted through our admissions process as soon as possible as we only award financial aid to accepted students. 

Senior Ads for the Yearbook! 
Senior yearbook ads will be available for purchase again this year! Please follow this link if you would like to purchase an ad for your student. Size options include a quarter-page, half-page, or full-page ad. You will design the ad on the website, which will be directly imported into the yearbook – nothing needs to be sent to Wheaton Academy. In past years, a free yearbook was included with the purchase of an ad. Please note that Jostens has changed its policy and no longer includes a free yearbook with ad purchase, so yearbooks will need to be purchased separately. Please contact Ms. Rusthoven with any questions (krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org). Thanks!

Senior Picture Submission
It’s time to submit senior pictures for the yearbook! If your student booked an appointment with Prestige Photography to have their picture taken on campus over the summer, and that is the picture your student wants to include in the yearbook, you are good to go! Prestige will automatically send us that photo and no further action is needed.  

If you did not use Prestige Photography for your student’s senior portraits, that is no problem, but we will need you to submit a photo of your own to be included in the yearbook. Photos need to 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 note that if you send in a full-body image, it will be cropped from the shoulders up as the yearbook file is not large enough to accommodate a full-body photo. Please submit your student’s chosen picture via email to yearbook@wheatonacademy.org along with your student’s first and last name. Thank you!

The Center for Lifelong Learning
Upcoming Events & Classes Sign up now for these seasonal offerings! 

Preparing for Finals Class December 4 @ 3:15 – 4:15 pm 
Sign up to jumpstart your student’s preparation for the final exam season! In this group session, Holly Taritas, a certified executive functioning skills coach, will lead students through a self-assessment of executive functioning skills and the creation of a personalized study schedule. Finals season is a stressful time, and your student will leave this session not only with a written study plan but with increased confidence to finish strong. Course Registration is $100 per student.  

*Early Bird Discount! Sign up before Thanksgiving break to receive $20 off the price of registration, using code THANKS20 (valid through 11.26.24) 

Spring Test Preparation Classes January – February 
Equip your student for success on critical standardized tests! Course registration is $550 for 12 hours of instruction. Select from our in-depth courses on either the ACT or SAT.  

*Early Bird Discount! Sign up for any Spring session before Christmas break to receive $50 off the price of registration, using code XMAS50 (valid through 12.19.24) 

SAT Classes Mondays @ 6:30-8:30 pm 
Spring Session 1 (Jan-Mar): 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 3/10, 3/17 
Spring Session 2 (Apr-May): 4/7, 4/14, 4/21, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19 

ACT Classes Saturdays @ 10 am-12 pm 
Spring Session 1 (Feb-Mar): 2/1, 2/8, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15 
Spring Session 2 (Mar-May): 3/22, 4/12, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10, 5/17 

Individualized Test Preparation Sessions are offered year-round! 
End-of-the-Semester Support Individualized academic coaching based on your schedule. 

Subject-Specific & AP-Level Coaching Support your student’s classroom learning and sign up for a session with a qualified coach in any subject area, freshman English through AP Calculus. 

Student-Success Coaching Individualized coaching will help your student utilize executive functioning skills to get organized, prepare a study plan, and manage stress.  

Accommodations Does your student have an ISP? If they need a test reader or scribe, the Center will partner with Student Services to provide the support your student needs.  

Interested in our other offerings?  We offer single sessions, packages, and group courses in a variety of areas. View our website and scheduling page for more information. 

Don’t see a time or offering that works for you? Let us know at thecenter@wheatonacademy.org, and we will work with you to meet your needs!