September 19, 2025

Upcoming Events

Off-Campus Learning Day, Friday, September 26
Next Friday will be our second off-campus learning day of the school year. All assignments should be posted by 9 am with instructions from their teachers.

Fall Social for Parents of Freshman and Transfer Students!
October 1, 7:00-8:30pm
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, September 30

Get To Know Wheaton Academy
October 16
6:45pm
Middle school students and their parents are invited to Get To Know Wheaton Academy October 16 at 6:45pm. 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 Leadership 
  • Individual FamilyTours 
  • Meet and Greet with Teachers, Coaches, and Program Leaders  

Register online at www.wheatonacademy.org/visit 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.

School-wide Testing Day, Wednesday, October 22
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.

General News

2026-2027 Admissions Season Now Open! 
We are excited to announce that the Application for the 2026-2027 School Year opened on Tuesday, Sept 16!  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.

Conference Dinners
As we look ahead to conferences on October 14 and 15, our faculty is grateful to have dinner generously provided by our parents. They so appreciate having this special gift from you. If you would like to contribute this year, please contact Jim Holtrop. We are looking for crock pots of chili or soup, large salads, or monetary donations to purchase food items. Thank you for making these dinners a treat!

Yearbook Orders
Order your 2025-2026 yearbook today! Yearbooks will be available for purchase until May 31, 2026. Please follow this link to order. Please reach out to Ms. Rusthoven (krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org) with any questions. Thanks! 

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 your ad on the website, which will be directly imported into the yearbook – nothing needs to be sent to Wheaton Academy. Yearbook ads can be purchased until May 1, 2026. 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. You can purchase a yearbook using the same link as the link to the ads. Please contact Ms. Rusthoven with any questions (krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org). Thanks!

Parent Input Requested for Head of School Search 
Complete by September 26
The Wheaton Academy Board of Trustees has begun the process of gathering stakeholder input for the new Head of School search. The Board wants to hear from you as parents, and they ask that you complete this online survey to share your input on the next Head of School. Your answers will remain confidential and anonymous. 

The Board cares deeply about your direct, honest feedback as parents. We do ask that you complete the survey by Friday, September 26 so the task force can consolidate the input into action steps.

Thank you for your time, prayers, and investment in this process. You can read more about the Head of School search here. 

Senior Picture Make-Up
There is a make-up day for seniors to take their senior portraits with Prestige on September 24 from 8:00-1:00. No appointment is needed. Prestige will be set up in the atrium and seniors can stop by any time from 8:00-1:00. This is a yearbook-only picture, so there will not be a cap and gown or outfit change option. Students are encouraged to dress nicely for their senior photo. If your student has already taken their photo with Prestige or another company, please disregard this message. They are good to go! Please reach out to Ms. Rusthoven (krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org) with any questions. 

Senior Picture Submission
Parents of Seniors, 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: 

  1. 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! 
  2. Please submit a forward facing, clear picture of your students 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. 
  3. When emailing your student’s photo, please include their first and last name. 

All photos must be submitted by December 19, 2025. 

Senior Trip: Signup Deadline Today
The deadline for sign up and down payment is today. Please sign up by making your down payment.

The payment schedule is as follows:

  • September 19, 2025: Non-refundable down payment of $750.00
  • October 24, 2025: Non-refundable second payment of $550.00
  • November 21, 2025: Non-refundable third payment of $500.00

All payments will be made through our Managed Missions Program for ease of payment. This system will allow you to pay on the due dates or make payments that fit your budget schedule. You will receive a future email inviting you to join Manage Missions and set up your payments. 

The trip costs $1,800.00 per student. The cost includes airfare, lodging, park admission, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. To keep the cost at a minimum, the school will not be including trip insurance. If you would like to add trip insurance for your child, you may purchase it separately through our insurance provider, Wanderwell. Insurance information can be found here: Travel Insurance Sample Content resource page. You can purchase the insurance here:  https://www.gowanderwell.com/affiliate/wheaton-academy-march-2026.

Also, a real ID is required by any traveler over 18 years old. Please make an appointment to get one if your senior will be 18 at the time of the trip.

Winterim 2026 Trip Applications DUE: Tonight, by Midnight
We have five trips still open for Winterim 2026. Please visit this website for more information and reach out to Amy Heavey with any further questions.

Homecoming Events

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.

2025 Homecoming Webpage

Homecoming Volunteers Needed for Alumni and Wheaton Academy Events
We have many opportunities for our WA families to serve our WA community. Whether it’s helping with Alumni Events or with Student Activities, there is a place for you to serve! Please click here to see all the available days and times. Thank you in advance for your help!

Homecoming Tailgate Volunteers Needed
Thursday, October 2
5-8 pm.
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 Kid’s Alive International. 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!

Sign Up for Tailgate

Community Family Picnic
Friday, October 3
5:30-9 pm
Wheaton Academy is inviting all families to their Second Annual Family Picnic on Friday, October 3, as part of their Homecoming Activities. The event will be from 5:30 -9:00 pm. This year we are adding new things for the children. FREE pony rides, camel rides, petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting, and balloon sculptures. Burger 302, Billy Bricks Pizza, Dirty Dough Cookies, and The WA Shack will be serving from their food trucks! A live band will be performing 50’s and 60’s classics, and the football game will start at 7:30 as well.  We have it all for a night of family fun!! Come out for dinner, fellowship, and football!!

Homecoming Fall Informal
Saturday, October 4
7:00-9:30 pm
The student activities team would like to invite the entire student body to the fall informal on Oct. 4. Our annual event will be held in the parking lot from 7:00 – 9:30 pm. The night will include multiple food trucks, carnival games, the Pirate Ship Swing, mechanical bull, and our homecoming dance. This year we will also have line dance instruction. Tickets will be on sale September 29- October 3, at lunch. The cost is $40.00 during the week and $45.00 at the door. Push coin is available for pay. Students may bring a guest from another school, after filling out the permission form available at the front office. This event is informal, and casual attire is the norm. Although students may attend with a date, friend groups are encouraged.  We are looking forward to an amazing, fun, and safe night!

The Center

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. 

Coming Up This Month: 

  • College Essay Writing Workshop – Join us for a dynamic workshop helping seniors craft authentic, standout college essays. Grounded in narrative identity theory, sessions guide students to reflect on meaningful experiences and translate them into compelling stories. With two fall sessions available, participants will complete a polished, admissions-ready essay in time for Early Action and Early Decision deadlines. This workshop includes four 75-minute group sessions and one 90-minute small group coaching session. RSVP here.
  • ACT & SAT Subject Driven Intensives – The Center is offering Science (ACT only), Math, and English/Reading Workshops this fall.
    • Science: Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30 pm, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 12/3. Cost $550. Master the ACT Science section with practical strategies to tackle data, charts, and experimental design. Build speed and accuracy through guided drills and expert coaching. Register here.
    • Math: Mondays, 3:30-5:00 pm, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1. Cost $600. Tackle both ACT and SAT math with confidence. Strengthen core concepts, problem-solving speed, and test-taking strategies in an interactive, in-depth 90-minute session each week. Register here.
    • English/Reading: 3:30-4:30 pm, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2. Cost $550. Sharpen your grammar, reading comprehension, and pacing for both ACT and SAT. Learn strategies to boost your confidence and score with targeted instruction and guided practice. Register here.

We offer various events and workshops throughout the year for both parents and students. To see a list of upcoming opportunities, visit our “Upcoming Events” page on our website. 

Year-Round Services Include: 

Let’s start the year strong—together. 
Visit our website to schedule a session, register for an event, or learn more.

Athletics

Athletics is offering a limit time offer to all Wheaton Acadamy families to order from Golf Direct Now and receive 10% off your order, please use the link and discount code below, this offer will expire on 10/14. 

https://golfdirectnow.com/Discount code: WA10 (use this code to get 10% off your purchase, the 10% you save will go back to Wheaton Academy)