Homecoming Events
Homecoming week begins Monday, and we have so many exciting events planned. You can see the details for the week at the link below.
Two specific items of note:
- We still need food donations for Thursday’s Taco Tailgate. This event is hosted by our Project LEAD Global team with proceeds going to children we sponsor in the Dominican Republic through Kids Alive. You can sign up below.
- There is a waiver required for students who want to ride the mechanical bull at the Fall Informal on Saturday night. Click here to print and sign the waiver and have your student bring it to Mr. Holtrop this week or to the event on Saturday night.
Homecoming Tailgate Volunteers Needed
Thursday, October 2
5-8pm
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!
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!
Community Family Picnic
Friday, October 3
5:30-9pm
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
7:00-9:30pm
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!
Upcoming Events
Fall Social for Parents of Freshman and Transfer Students!
Wednesday, 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.
WA Women’s Prayer
Tuesday, October 7
1:30pm
Once a month on Tuesdays, the women of Wheaton Academy meet to pray for our school. Please join us on Tuesday, October 1 for our next prayer time. Please sign in at the front desk when you arrive.
Picture Day Retakes
Wednesday, October 8
Picture Day retakes will be on Wednesday, October 8. If your student needs to retake their picture or has not yet taken their picture, please remind them to stop by the atrium before school, during lunch, passing periods or a study hall. The photographers will be in the atrium from 8:00-1:00.
School pictures will be distributed during Homecoming Week. If you would like to order your student’s picture, you should have received an email from Lifetouch with a link, or you will receive a proof of your student’s picture with instructions on how to order. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Rusthoven. krusthoven@wheatonacademy.org
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.
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.
AP Test Information
Please click here for all information regarding AP tests and registration deadlines.
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.
Winterim 2026 Rosters are Live
Please contact Amy Heavey our Winterim Coordinator with any further questions aheavey@wheatonacademy.org.
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!
Have You Considered Hosting an International Student?
Wheaton Academy welcomes students from around the world via our International Student Program. One of the most meaningful parts of their experience is living with a Christ-centered host family who offers not just a place to stay, but a home filled with care, encouragement, and belonging. Join us to learn more about our hosting program on Thursday, October 9 at 7pm. Contact Marlina Visker (mvisker@wheatonacademy.org) or (630) 562-7573 for more information.
Guys Campout
Deadline to Register: Today
Registration for guy’s Campout closes this Friday, September 26. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy a weekend away in the woods with good food and great company.
Guy’s Campout is October 17-19. All guys and all grades are invited to participate. Registration includes a hoodie sweatshirt and all the delicious meals, snacks, deserts and secluded campsites. Contact Mr. McCallum with any questions.
REGISTER NOW!
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!
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:
- 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 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.
- When emailing your student’s photo, please include their first and last name.
All photos must be submitted by December 19, 2025.
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. 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:
- One-on-One Subject Specific Tutoring
- Executive Functioning & Student Success Coaching
- ACT/SAT Test Prep
- College Essay Coaching
- Accommodations Support
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)