October 8, 2021

Upcoming Events

WA Men’s Prayer
Tomorrow, October 9
8:00-9:00 a.m.
Alumni White Chapel
On the second Saturday of each month, the men of Wheaton Academy meet to pray for our school and hear from one of our employees. Please join us tomorrow, October 9, at 8:00 a.m. in the Alumni white chapel. WA Athletic Director, Brad Byrne, will be our speaker for this month. Light refreshments are served.

Parent Ambassador Program: New Family Connection Zoom Call
Tuesday, October 12
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Registration Required
These calls are designed for new families and transfers, or for anyone who would like more information about the following topics: Upcoming Student-Teacher Conferences, step-by-step directions for conference sign-ups, and detailed explanations of Winterim and Internships. Use this link to register:
Register for Zoom Call.

WA Women’s Prayer
Tuesdays, October 12, 19 & 26
1:30-2:45 p.m.
Armour Building Apartment
All women are invited to join us in prayer every Tuesday during the month of October. This month we will be praying for our own students and each student in the Freshman class by name.

Upcoming Bell Schedule Changes
Week of October 11
Please note the following changes to the bell schedule for the week of October 11:
Monday, October 11 – Columbus Day – No school, offices closed
Tuesday, October 12 – Regular bell schedule
Wednesday, October 13 – PSAT test day. Testing begins at 9:00 a.m.

Thursday, October 14 – 7-period day
1st 8:00 – 8:48
2nd 8:58 – 9:46
3rd 9:56 – 10:44
4th 10:54 – 11:42
Lunch 11:42 – 12:11
5th 12:16 – 1:04
6th 1:14 – 2:02
7th 2:12 – 3:00

Friday, October 15 – Regular bell schedule

Get to Know Wheaton Academy
Thursday, October 14 & Tuesday, November 9
7:00 p.m.
Middle school students and their parents are invited to Get to Know Wheaton Academy on October 14 or November 9 at 7:00 p.m. This evening will provide an opportunity for families to learn about our school’s commitment to academics, spiritual life, co-curricular activities, and college readiness, as well as experience the community, connection, and culture that Wheaton Academy offers our students and families.  

Our time together will include:  

  • Opening Welcome from Mrs. Hockett, Principal  
  • Individual Family Tours  
  • Meet and Greet with Coaches, Teachers, Program Leaders   

Join us and discover what it’s like to be a Wheaton Academy Warrior.  Questions? Please contact Amy Burdett, Admissions Coordinator, or Amy Hogan, Director of Admissions.

Student-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday & Thursday, October 20 & 21
11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
It’s that time of year again for student-teacher conferences, and this is a very important part of our partnership with you as parents. Conferences will take place Wednesday, October 20, and Thursday, October 21.  In order to make the scheduling process easier for you, it will take place online beginning Wednesday, October 13 at 8:00 a.m. Parents will schedule conferences online through MyConferenceTime.com. This allows parents to schedule and manage their own conference times. To schedule conferences, you will need a list of your student’s teachers. 

We are committed to ensuring that you have the opportunity to meet with your student’s teachers. If for some reason the times available don’t work for you or slots are filled, you can contact your student’s teacher to set up either a phone call or a face-to-face conference with you and your student.

Items to note: 

  • Online scheduling opens at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 13 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 18.
  • Scheduling only allows for one 10-minute conference per student, per teacher.
  • Students need to be present at conferences.

To Schedule Conferences:

  1. Click  here to go to Wheaton Academy’s families page.
  2. Scroll down to Seasonal Resources and click on the Conferences tab. This will take you to the Conference sign-up.
  3. Carefully read the instructions at the top of the page.
  4. Click on Register for Multiple Conferences.
  5. Follow the step-by-step online instructions to create a schedule for each student based on the available time slots for the teachers you selected. 
    • Enter the number of students you will be registering and press continue.
    • Enter the name(s) of your student(s).
    • If your student is unable to participate in conferences, please make note of this in the COMMENTS section so the teacher can plan accordingly.
    • Select Continue.
    • Select all the teachers you would like to meet with and select Find Schedules with Common Dates.
    • Select which day you would like to schedule conferences.
    • Select the times for each teacher.
    • Do the same for the 2nd day if needed.
  1. You will receive an email with your conference schedule and the location of your conferences.  If you do not receive an email, check your spam folder.
  2. IMPORTANT:  Please print and bring the confirmation email with you on conference day(s).  We are unable to print out your schedule for you.
  3. Your confirmation email will have a link to view, edit or cancel your conference registration.
  4. If you are unable to find a conference time that works for you and your student, please contact the teacher directly to schedule time outside of the Wednesday and Thursday conference times. 
  5. Please remember to bring a mask and be mindful of social distancing.
  6. If you have questions regarding conference scheduling, contact Gina Churchill at gchurchill@wheatonacademy.org.

General News

Academic Behavioral Grades
Academic Behavioral Grades have been posted in OnCampus. Faculty give students academic behavior grades twice each term in the following categories: Student Engagement, Student Academic Habits, and Student Timeliness. In October and March, these academic behavior grades are reported to give you an indication of the habits and behaviors in each of the student’s classes, whereas in December and June, the grades are listed on the report card so you can have a sense of the student’s content learning as well as habits and behaviors.  The purpose of these academic behavior grades is to clearly communicate with you about your child’s progress in the classroom relative to key habits and skills that are strong predictors of a student’s success in college. Consequently, we want to draw your attention to your student’s behavior grades.

When students have 1s and 2s, we are concerned and want to make certain these grades become a catalyst for the student to grow and improve. Conferences are on October 20 & 21, and we would encourage you to take the opportunity to schedule a conference with your student’s teachers to discuss his/her behavioral grades. Conference sign-ups will open on Wednesday, October 13, and close on October 18 at 11:59 p.m. Instructions for signing up are in the WA Weekly.

To view your student’s behavioral grades:

  1. Login to OnCampus
  2. Click on your student’s name in the top left-hand corner
  3. On the Progress Tab, you will click on Report Cards and then Academic Progress to view the behavioral grades

For further assistance in connecting with teachers or viewing your student’s behavioral grades, please contact Student Services.

Furnace Company Dance and Improv Auditions
There will be auditions for our Furnace Company Dance and Comedy Improv Team on Wednesday, October 13, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Dance auditions will take place in the dance room in the Fine Arts Building, and Improv auditions will take place in the Alumni White Chapel. All students auditioning will need to fill out an application and bring it with them to the audition. Please reach out to Abby Woelfel at awoelfel@wheatonacademy.org with any questions. Please click here for the application.

Conference Dinners
Our conference days are October 20 and 21. If you would like to contribute to our faculty dinners on those days, please contact Jim Holtrop.  Those willing may provide a pot of soup, a large salad, bread, or dessert for Wednesday night or a monetary gift towards a catered dinner for Thursday. Thanks so much for helping out. Our teachers really missed your amazing soups last year!!

Picture Retakes
On October 12, Lifetouch will be at school for students who have not had their picture taken or need to retake their picture. This is the last time they will be at school, so make sure your student stops in the Atrium for a picture.

Senior Pictures
On October 22 Prestige will be in the Atrium after school for the final session of senior pictures. Please call them for an appointment if you are interested in having them take your student’s senior pictures.

Sponsor a Faculty/Staff Member for our Appreciation Events!
The Wheaton Academy Appreciation team is seeking your help. There is still time to sponsor a faculty/staff member from our school! Click here for full details and to sign-up. You may contact Sally Strzalka with any questions.

College Corner

PSAT Test Day Wednesday, October 13
Please click here to find instructions for the PSAT testing on Wednesday, October 13. You may contact Gina Churchill with any questions.

FAFSA registration reminder
Parents of seniors – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, aka the FAFSA, is the single most important thing you and your students can do to get money to help pay for college. It’s the only way they can apply for federal or state financial aid. The FAFSA will determine their eligibility for grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and federal student loans.  Registration for the class of 2022 opened on October 1.  If you have any questions, please contact Bart Gregersen or Kermit Ellison in student services.

ACT Group Class
Registration for the next ACT Small Group Class is now open! We will cover tips and strategies for all areas of the ACT as well as go over effective ways to practice at home. There will be homework between each class.

Cost: $410 (materials provided)
Place: Wheaton Academy Room 125
Dates: Tuesdays (6:00-8:00 p.m.) October 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30, and December 7.
Spots are limited, so don’t delay! (Your payment is your registration.) Register at wa-tutoring.org/payments.

Questions? Email Cheryl Koslosky at ckoslosky@wa-institute.org

Athletics

The Fall sports season is fast approaching!!  This is a friendly reminder to the parents of students who are interested in participating in Boys/Girls Basketball or Wrestling this coming November.  You must have an updated Physical and Athletic Packet completed and uploaded onto Magnus in order for your child to try out on November 8. 

Basketball– Boys and Girls-  Tryouts begin after school on Monday, November 8,  in the Warrior Dome. 
Wrestling- Tryouts begin after school on November 8 in the Wrestling room.