Homecoming
Early Dismissal for Field Day: Monday, October 5!
Homecoming is next week, and we can't wait! Here are a few reminders to get ready.
Monday, October 5 is Field Day, and students will be dismissed early at 12:00 PM. Please plan pickup and transportation accordingly.
Students should arrive on time and report to their 1st Period class at 8:00 AM. Comfortable shoes and a water bottle are a good idea!
It's also Color Day, so wear as much of your class color as possible: Freshmen in blue, Sophomores in green, Juniors in yellow, and Seniors in red.
For all homecoming events, date and times and information we have created a homecoming webpage. To see details for the whole week click the button below.
2026 Homecoming Fall Informal Tickets
Click below to purchase Homecoming Fall Informal tickets.
Fall Social for Parents of Freshman and Transfer Students!
Parents of freshman and transfer students are invited to drop your student off at Sonny Acres for the Homecoming Service Project, then head over to Wheaton Academy Student Union for a time of fellowship and community while your students are at Sunny Acres! Younger siblings are welcome to attend. RSVP by Monday, October 5.
Homecoming Tailgate Volunteers Needed
Project LEAD is excited to announce the annual Tailgate. This event is for EVERYONE! There will be good food, games, face painting, and more! Bring your students and your families and enjoy time together before heading to the soccer game! All proceeds will go to support the students that Wheaton Academy supports in the Dominican Republic and Haiti through Seed to Sower. Finally, in order to make this event successful, we need your help! Please sign up to donate food, plates, napkins, etc. Please reach out to Melanie Marr (mmarr@wheatonacademy.org) with any questions. We are excited to see you there!
Contact:
Melanie Marr
Homecoming Program
Parents, join us for the Homecoming Program on Friday, October 9, at 6 PM in the Student Union! Following our student musical performances, we will hear inspiring testimonies from our 2026 alumni award recipients. Out of respect for our honorees and fellow guests, we ask that you please plan to stay for the entire program. We believe these alumni’s stories of God’s faithfulness will encourage and bless you. The program will conclude in plenty of time for the start of the football game and other Homecoming festivities.
Contact:
Dawn Earl
Volunteers Needed for Homecoming Alumni Events
We are seeking volunteers to help with alumni events during Homecoming. Opportunities include:
- Friday, October 9, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Assist with setup, decorating, and light food preparation.
- Friday, October 9, 4:30–7:00 p.m.: Assist with serving and cleanup at the Alumni Dinner.
- Saturday, October 10, 10:30 am – 12 pm: Cleanup/set up crew for Heritage Breakfast/transition to Girls Volleyball 50-Year Celebration Luncheon
Your service is a wonderful way to bless our WA alumni and give them a warm welcome back to campus.
Contact:
Dawn Earl
Homecoming Fall Informal Help Needed
Student Activities is planning the Homecoming Fall Informal on October 10. We would love our parents to help us that evening. If you are willing to run carnival games or help clean up, please contact Jim Holtrop. We will have two shifts: 6:30-8:30 pm for carnival games, and 8:30-10:00 pm for carnival games and clean up. Please consider helping us out! It is a fun time!
Contact:
Jim Holtrop
Upcoming Action Items
Parent Partnership
WA Women’s Prayer
Once a month on Tuesdays, the women of Wheaton Academy meet to pray for our school. Please join us on for our next prayer time on Tuesday, September 8. Please sign in at the front desk when you arrive.
Academics
Fall Conferences Sign-ups
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 13 and 14 are Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences. Sign-ups will begin on Thursday, October 8 at 6 pm and run through Sunday, October 11 (Closing at midnight). For more information on how to sign-up click here. This is the link you will use to sign up, however, you will not be able to sign up until Thursday at 6 pm.
Tuesday, October 13 will be an Off-Campus Learning Day, and Wednesday, October 14 will be a no-school day to allow students to attend conferences with their parents.
AP Test Information
Please click here for all information regarding AP tests and registration deadlines.
School-wide Testing Day
9th Graders will take the PSAT 8/9. 10th and 11th graders will take the PSAT NMSQT. 12th-graders will take the ACT (a new graduation requirement in the state of Illinois). All students are automatically enrolled in the tests, and they are paid for by Wheaton Academy. There will be early dismissal on testing day. More details to come in the weeks ahead.
Girls Campout
Ladies, join us October 30–31 at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve for a weekend of fall colors, campfire stories, and new friends. $100 covers meals, snacks, and a hoodie. Registration closes Wednesday, October 7th at midnight.
Contact:
Mrs. Berbaum
Senior Picture Submission
Please begin thinking about the photo your student would like to submit to the yearbook. For their senior year, students are able to choose a photo that they would like to submit to the yearbook as their senior portrait. Your student may have chosen to take their senior picture with Prestige over the summer, or they may have had their photos taken through a different company. Either option is perfectly fine, but each requires different steps for submitting their photo.
If your student chose to take their photos with Prestige, Prestige will ask you which photo you would like to select for the yearbook, and it will automatically be sent to us. If this is the option your student chose, please simply select the photo you want submitted to the yearbook, and no further action is needed. You are all set!
If your student had their photo taken with a different company, that is perfectly fine as well. However, since Wheaton Academy does not work directly with other companies, you will need to submit your chosen photo to yearbook@wheatonacademy.org. Once you have sent in your student’s photo, you are good to go!
Please keep a few things in mind when selecting the photo you plan to submit to the yearbook:
- Please do not send in a cropped or altered photo. Our system will not allow us to import a screenshot or cropped photo. Please make sure to send the original photo via email to yearbook@wheatonacademy.org. Please send the photo as a file, not a link. Thank you!
- Please submit a forward facing, clear picture of your student's face from the shoulders up, with a non-distracting background. Due to the dimensions of the yearbook photo frame, all photos will be cropped from the shoulders up. You are welcome to send in a full body photo, but please understand that given the dimensions of the frame, it will need to be cropped. Please do not crop the photo before sending it as the program will not allow us to upload it. We will crop it when we import it.
- When emailing your student’s photo, please include their first and last name.
All photos must be submitted by December 18, 2026. Please reach out to Ms. Rusthoven (krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org) with any questions. Thank you!
Contact:
Kristen Rusthovern
Community
WA Men’s Prayer
Every month, the men from Wheaton Academy meet to pray for our community and hear from one of our faculty/staff members. Please join us on Saturday, October 3. This month, we will hear from Wheaton Academy teacher, Neal Roys. Light refreshments are served.
Meet Wheaton Academy's New Employees
We are excited to welcome two new employees who have recently joined the WA community! We praise God for continuing to add faithful people to our team and are grateful for the gifts they bring. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome, and read their bios below to get to know them.
2027-2028 Admissions Season Now Open!
We opened our admissions application almost three weeks ago, and we are experiencing a record response. The number of applications submitted so far this year is double compared to this time last year. We encourage families to set aside time to apply in the next two weeks. Wheaton Academy started this school year with both record enrollment and admissions wait pools in all grades, and we want prospective students to have every opportunity to experience a Wheaton Academy education. We invite you to APPLY NOW by visiting wheatonacademy.org/apply.
Questions? Please contact Amy Burdett, Admissions Coordinator or Amy Hogan, Director of Admissions.
Athletic Passes
We are happy to announce again that this year we will be providing to all Wheaton Academy families, faculty, and staff one athletics pass per household that will provide you and your family free entry into any regular season home sports game(s) for the 2026-27 season. Please stop by the Athletic or Front Office any time M-F from 9 am-4 pm to pick up your pass.
Athletics
The Center for Lifelong Learning
The Center for Lifelong Learning provides on-campus, personalized academic support to help students thrive. From executive functioning coaching and college testing preparation to subject tutoring, we’re here to partner with families and equip students for success this year.
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 that guides 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. Register here. Cost: $450.
Nurturing Your Student's Executive Function Skills – Free Parent Workshop
What does it look like when a student’s executive function skills are actually growing, not just getting by? Holly Taritas has spent her career helping students build the skills that don’t show up on a report card but still decide whether they succeed. As a Certified Executive Functioning Coach, she leads this free 60-minute workshop to help parents recognize where their student is developing and how to create the right opportunities and challenges to keep that growth going. Open to all families in the local area. RSVP here.