October 2, 2020

Upcoming Events

WAvinia
October 2 & 3
FAC Lawn
Wheaton Academy is proud to present WAvinia, an outdoor performance featuring our Fine Arts students. There are two more days of events, October 2 & 3. We invite our audiences to enjoy our live performance of the semester in a beautiful outdoor setting where we can maintain protocol for health and well-being for both performers and audience members. To purchase tickets for $5 apiece, click on the links below:

October Bell Schedules
Please click here to see the bell schedules for the month of October. There are various changes due to holidays, conferences, and a Professional Learning Day for faculty.

WA Women’s Prayer
October 6, 13, 20 & 27
1:45 – 2:45 pm
All women are invited to attend WA Women’s Prayer. While the weather is pleasant, meetings will take place outside.  Please bring your lawn chair or a blanket and plan to meet on the FAC lawn. An alternative location inside the building will be available when it turns cold.  Social distancing guidelines will be observed, and masks are required when entering the buildings.  Questions or special prayer requests should be directed to Mary Miller at 847-404-7529 or marym996.mac@mac.com.

WA Men’s Prayer
Saturday, October 10
On the second Saturday of each month, the men from the WA community meet to pray and hear from one of our WA employees. This month the guest speaker is David Rivera, WA Social Studies teacher, and International Student College Counselor/Recruiter. Please join us for prayer next Saturday, October 10, at 8:00 a.m. in the white Alumni Chapel. Light refreshments are served.

General News

COVID-19 Update  
We are thankful we can report there were no positive cases of COVID-19 among our school community this week!  We continue to be pleased with how well our students are doing with the guidelines set out for them. Please continue to self-certify and follow the protocols we have set in place.

Homecoming/Spirit Week Recap

Dear Parents, 

Last week we had the opportunity to have a “Homecoming” week with our students.  Each day was filled with students dressed up according to the day’s theme, delicious snacks, pep assemblies and competitions, and the hunt for the artifacts from the “WAchives.”  Our Student Council’s creativity, led by Jim Holtrop and Lauren Spitler, set a fabulous tone for the week.  

For me, one of the highlights of the week was how our students responded to two opportunities to serve others.  We had a school supply drive for the students at the Early Learning Center in West Chicago District 33.  These students are very young, have various learning challenges and needs, and learn remotely this semester.  WA students were asked to provide 500 bags of needed school supplies for these students.  Our Project Lead Local team set a vision visiting each class, calling our students to participate and contribute.  We determined that if we could provide 660 bags (one per WA student), we would reward them with a day off school on October 9, instead of an Off-campus Learning Day.   It was thrilling for our senior leaders and for us to see our students respond in generosity and kindness, far exceeding the 660 bags.  The students achieved their goal of a day off school, and it will provide needed supplies for students in our community of West Chicago. 

Additionally, Wheaton Academy’s Project Lead Global Team leads our school project to sponsor 20 orphans in Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Kids’ Alive.  Each year, we use our Mr. WA event, a tailgate, and other student-led events to provide the money needed to sponsor them.  With COVID-19, these events have been changed dramatically – but that didn’t stop our students.  They came up with the idea of a penny war, where the classes would contribute coins to their class and dollars to the other classes, trying to get the most “coins” in their jar.  Needless to say, the generosity of our students was incredible.  Watching them contribute and share with others brought joy to my heart.  Their vision to support these children demonstrated Christ’s love tangibly.  As a school, the students raised over $6600 for these children.   

It has been inspiring to watch our students this fall.  They have risen to the occasion as we have guidelines in place for COVID, and they have been incredible.  They embraced Homecoming and had a great time while serving and giving generously to others.  I am so grateful for these students and this community.  It is truly a blessing. 

Kori Hockett  

Principal 

Virtual Learning Session #2 Begins on October 5
Please fill out this brief survey for those interested in-opting their student into the Virtual Learning experience Session #2. If you are opting-in to virtual learning, we need your response to the survey by Friday, October 2. Please note that students planning on returning to school in person do not need to take the survey.  If you have further questions or need clarification before deciding on Oct 2, please email Erin Carwell:  ecarwell@wheatonacademy.org. Click here for the survey: https://forms.gle/zEMYJVA5ExmjEasR9

For students choosing Virtual Learning, please note the following information:

  • Students should plan on being “synchronously” in class each day via zoom. This means that virtual students will be on the same schedule as those on campus. Class attendance is required each day.

Conference Day Dinners
Once again, Wheaton Academy will be hosting conferences on October 21 & 22. In the past, the teachers have been blessed by your homemade soups, salads, and chili dishes for dinner those evenings. This year we will be unable to serve any non-prepackaged foods, so we will be catering our meals. If you would like to donate a monetary gift to help defer the catering cost, it would be greatly appreciated. It won’t be the same as your amazing homemade meals, but we will look forward to bringing those back next year! You can drop off any donations to the front office to the attention of Jim Holtrop. All checks should be made out to Wheaton Academy. Thank you for always taking care of the teachers here!

WA Tutoring Center
If your student needs extra support in a certain subject or is interested in SAT or ACT tutoring, visit wa-tutoring.org or email Cheryl Koslosky at ckoslosky@wa-institute.org. The Wheaton Academy Tutoring Center tutors are meeting with students in person and online. The Tutoring Center is conveniently located on Wheaton Academy’s campus, so students are able to meet during their study hall or after school.

A Note from the WA IT Office
The pens issued with the Surface Pro require AAAA batteries.  WA I.T. has those hard to find batteries for sale for $1 each (payable via PushCoin), as well as pen tips ($4) or the black pens themselves ($40).  Students can stop by the I.T. department during the school day to make a purchase. 

College Corner
PSAT/SAT Test Day
Wednesday, October 14
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m: SAT for Seniors
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m: PSAT NMSQT for Sophomores – Juniors
8:00 – 11:30 a.m: PSAT 8/9 for Freshmen
Please click here for important details regarding our all-school test day on Wednesday, October 14. Seniors will take the official SAT since we weren’t allowed to administer it in April. Contact Gina Churchill is you have any questions.