Anatomy of a Story: Creative Writing and Storytelling
This creative writing class is for serious lovers of fiction and storytelling who want to explore and perfect their craft. Each day will include a deep dive into the most important topics in storytelling (i.e. premise, plot, characters, dialogue, etc.) as well as ample time to practice and work on our writing in class. We will learn from some of the world’s best writers and listen to some of the best oral storytellers in the nation. If you have always wanted to write a novel but have never had the time, or if you just want to learn how to tell stories that people love to listen to, this class is for you! NOTE: Don’t take this class if you are not prepared to spend a significant amount of time writing!
Instructor: Daniel Smith
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
American Sign Language
In a this class, you will learn the foundation of a beautiful, useful language. Although ASL takes a lifetime to master, the basics of conversation will be introduced in this Winterim class. Fingerspelling and numbers, greetings, food, home, clothing, idioms, history, culture, media representation and ministry will all be presented, with time for hands-on practice and discussion. God is calling individuals of this generation to extend their hands to an unreached people group who live among us and across the world. Will you respond?
Instructor: Alta Johnson
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
Asian Cooking 101 (Registration Closed)
This course will help students learn the basics of Asian cooking technics. We will cover many essential Asian foods, like ramen noodles, curries, hand sushi rolls, fried rice, stir-fried vegetables, etc. Students will learn how to read and follow a recipe for basic Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Malaysian food. The main emphasis will be quick and authentic recipes. Come prepared to satisfy your Asian taste buds! Students will leave the class with a notebook of recipes they have mastered.
Instructor: Rochelle Yang
Course Fee: $70
Open to: Juniors and seniors
Basic Car Mechanics (Registration Closed)
In the two weeks of Winterim, the course will provide hands-on opportunities to learn about the way cars work. We’ll work on the same car throughout the course to repair problems and prepare the car for safe and efficient operation. By the end of the course, you should feel comfortable and safe around tools and cars and will have skills either to help you understand what the mechanics tell you or to attempt some things yourself.
Instructor: Ken Wong
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades; This course may be repeated if taken previously
Body and Soul: The Practice of Physical and Spiritual Exercise
In this female only course, we will focus on both physical exercise and spiritual exercise. Half of the class time will be spent understanding the importance and value of physical exercise, through various, fun, and practical exercise routines. The second portion of the class will be spent studying the book of Philippians, focusing on the theme of finding joy in all circumstances. Ladies, if you are looking to stretch yourself both physically and spiritually, then this course is for you!
Instructor: Rachel Chaney
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades, females only
Brain Games
Are you ready for a truly mind-blowing experience? Through the study of National Geographic’s show, Brain Games, Mr. Rivera will help you understand your mind. With an intricate series of interactive experiments designed to mess with your mind and reveal the inner-workings of your brain, this class will help you understand psychology in a fun way. Hailed by critics as “tremendous fun” that “makes science entertaining,” Brain Games turns your mind’s eye inward for a fascinating journey into the three and a half pounds of tissue that makes you…you.
The TV show and class’s corresponding study will reveal the way brains process information related to topics like love, stress, addiction, competition, food, fear, trust, and language. Interactive games capture hilarious and shocking results, and students get real-world takeaways — how to improve memory, get a better night’s sleep, make more money — to use in everyday situations.
Watch the following clip to learn more about National Geographic’s Brain Games:
Instructor: Christian Rivera
Course Fee: None
Open to: All
Design Thinking (Registration Closed)
Are you interested in designing solutions for real-world problems? Does the idea of being equipped with design strategies that professionals use in today’s workplace appeal to you? Then this is the perfect class for you! Design Thinking is a class that teaches students the critical process of “Design Thinking,” which is the method of designing a solution for a problem by including the person or people group who experience the problem in the design process. This is a cross-curricular skill that promises to prepare students not only for other classes here at Wheaton Academy, but also for college and the workplace. Students will better understand how they work in teams, learn how to identify the correct problem to solve, and be equipped to design more thoughtfully and efficiently. The first week focuses on how to design while the second week gives students the opportunity to put these concepts into action by designing a real-world solution. While this is a required course for students who are in Academy by Design, all students are welcome to enroll in the class!
Instructor: Josh Burick
Course Fee: None
Open to: Students in Academy by Design program, and all others that are interested
Film Analysis and Composition (Registration Closed)
This course will use a variety of films (6), and as a class we will watch the films and analyze the worldview of the writer/director, along with the worldview of the characters in the film. We will learn the skills that can be used to distinguish worldview in film and understand what motivates and drives the characters, depending on their worldview. The class will consist of individual analysis, group discussion, and written responses to the films.
Instructor: Daniel Ball
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades except students who have just completed the similar course during first semester
Find Joy in Painting (Registration Closed)
This class is designed for the novice but curious painter. We will work with acrylic paint, follow step by step tutorials for 8-10 individual paintings we will paint simultaneously. The goal is to learn or develop a new hobby, while enjoying the company of others when painting together.
Instructor: Jessica Hands
Course Fee: $70
Open to: All grades
Food, Film, and Forgiveness (Registration Closed)
The world of film—Spiderman, The Prestige, The Spitfire Grill, and others—focuses on a theme of forgiveness and the possible consequences of refusing to forgive. This class will study the biblical texts that address forgiveness, watch several movies about forgiveness—while eating food—and compare the messages of the movies with the truths of scripture.
Instructor: Trish Main
Course Fee: None
Open to: Girls only
Gainz and Glory (Registration Closed)
We played college athletics and love staying in shape. This experience is for those students who have an above-average love for staying in shape and being healthy. We’ll take fun field trips to Ninja Warrior gyms, Crossfit box, cycling classes, and more. We’ll learn the way to program workouts, plan and correctly follow an individualized diet, and see what Jesus has to say about the disciplined athlete. It’s a class for the hard-working but also fun-loving student. It’s open to all female students, not just athletes. We hope you can join us!
Instructor: ET Thompson & Autumn Ratliff
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades, females only
Golf 101 (Registration Closed)
In Golf 101, you will have the opportunity to be introduced to one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world. You will learn about the history of golf, some of the game’s greatest and most important figures, the basics of how to play the game, and will also have an opportunity to put the basics into action by playing the game. This course is designed for anyone interested in the game of golf and wants to learn more about what it is, who has been involved in the development of the game over the centuries, and also how to play it in a basic form.
Instructor: Tate Fritz
Course Fee: $100
Open to: All grades
Harry Potter and the Seeker's Journey
We will explore the expansive and immersive world that JK Rowling built about a boy who lived. We will discuss and analyze the way the Harry Potter series mirrors the key aspects of the gospel. One of the overarching themes of the series is the idea of self-sacrificial love and conquering death so that others may live, just as Christ did for us on the cross. In addition, we will critically study the themes, individual characters, and the intentional parallels that connect the magic world to our world that JK Rowling expertly interweaves into the narrative of each book. We will also evaluate how well the movies bring Harry Potter to life and the ways different mediums can portray a story.
Instructor: Leah Rinker
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
Hunter Safety (Registration Closed)
This course will promote responsible ethical hunter conduct, emphasize the importance of wildlife management, laws, and regulations, and encourage the safe handling of firearms and ammunition. Through this hunter education program, students will obtain a better understanding of their obligations to the resource, the landowner, other hunters, and themselves. Students will be shooting at a range under the supervision of a trained instructor.
Instructor: Ken Ellis
Course Fee: None
Class Requirements/prerequisites: Recommendation by a WA teacher; must be at least 14 years old
Open to: All students over the age of 14
Intro to Lifestyle Photography
Intro to Lifestyle Photography is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their skills in portrait and everyday photography. We will start by learning the basics of your camera so you’re confident shooting entirely in manual mode! You will also learn ways to pose people naturally, to utilize indoor and outdoor natural light to create more unique images, and to perform basic editing. As with most skills, practice is the best teacher, so we will be out photographing a lot–including a full indoor lifestyle session with a family! If you love capturing pictures of people and catching those authentic moments, you will love this course!
Instructor: Laura Armstrong
Course Fee: None
Class Requirements/prerequisites: DSLR camera (any brand) with at least one of the following lenses: 50mm, 35mm, 18-55mm (standard kit lens)
Open to: All grades
Intro to Sports Psychology (Registration Closed)
Intro to Sports Psychology will provide a perspective of the “mental conditioning” side of optimal performance on the court/field and the classroom. In this course, students will focus on using core mental skills such as goal setting, emotional control/management, visualization, positive self-talk, motivational strategies, building and maintaining confidence and team building/team to help them prepare and perform consistently at their best. The mental conditioning skills covered in this course are not just for athletes! The mental conditioning skills can be applied to any other areas of life that require a student to demonstrate leadership, perseverance, teamwork and communication.
Instructor: Eric Bowling
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
Jars of Clay (Registration Closed)
Have you ever wanted to learn how to use the wheel or hand build with clay? Come join me as we dive into the world of ceramics and process what it means to emulate our Creator through art. We will have fun skill building competitions, daily devotionals, and projects that stem from the scripture we dive into. Everything will center around the idea of how we are created, earthen vessels that are loved by an imaginative and powerful God: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Instructor: Alyssa Strzalka
Course Fee: $20
Open to: All grades
The Mechanics Behind Strategy Board Gaming (Registration Closed)
For many, the idea of board games conjures up family game nights with the likes of Monopoly, Clue, or Sorry. For some these are fun, but frankly, most of us do not get too excited about them. From these beginnings though, tabletop gaming has exploded in popularity in recent years due to strategic, innovative games like Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride. This popularity has led to thousands of new games, many of which have widespread appeal. This class will look at some of the most influential and widespread mechanics that undergird these new games and give students a chance to put what they have learned to the test by designing their own strategy board game!
Each day, students will learn about a new mechanic that is popular in modern strategy board games and play multiple games that use this mechanic. Beginning in the second week, students will have time to work in groups to design and playtest their own strategy board game creations.
Instructor: Luke Regan
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
Sports: More than a Game! (Registration Closed)
In the class “Sports: More than a Game” we will learn that the sports we love are so much more than a game. We will watch famous sports movies, such as Miracle, Remember the Titans, 42, The Rookie (to name a few) as well as ESPN 30 for 30’s to better understand what we can learn from sports and what biblical principles can be applied to our daily lives. Classes will involve not only watching the films but also great discussions, as well as food because who can watch a movie without some kind of treat?
Instructor: Leah Dunlap
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
Stagecraft
It takes more than actors to put on a play and more than musicians to have a concert; sometimes it takes a lot more. Stagecraft will study and practice live production design, lighting for concerts and theater, audio engineering for live concerts and theater, basic rigging of scenery, and more along the way.
Instructor: Joe Jones
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades
Walking in a Winter Wonderland (Registration Closed)
Winter in the Midwest is often a time to hunker down inside with a warm blanket and hot cocoa in front of a fire. In this class, we will learn that it is also the perfect time to get outside and explore the wonder of God’s creation right here in our own backyard! Come experience the wonders of winter at the nearby Morton Arboretum. We will plan to spend some time outside every day, from 30 to 90 minutes, followed by a time inside to get toasty with those hot drinks, soups, etc, while enjoying winter-themed art, stories, music, and maybe films. The Morton Arboretum has over 1,700 acres and 16 miles of trails and we will plan to explore as much of that as possible through different types of hikes (group, partner, solo…intentional, guided, free-wandering), and, weather-dependent, possibly a day of cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, and winter biking. Winter is the perfect time to get outdoors and the Morton Arboretum is the perfect place to do so. Join us and discover your inner Arctic explorer!
Instructor: Jennifer Kang
Course Fee: $50
Open to: All grades
Winterim Instrumental (Registration Closed)
If you are looking to spend some quality time with all things instrumental over Winterim, this class is for you. We will learn ensembles and solos, spend time listening to great music and learning some theory behind it, and prepare our work for some service-oriented performances (both virtual and potentially in-person) in the community. We will also dive into some Biblical truth regarding life and music. All in all, if you have enjoyed instrumental classes and tours in the past, this class aims to be a Winterim version of the music, service, and community that we enjoy!
Instructor: Steve Willemssen
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades; this course may be repeated if taken last year.
Women's Self-Defense
In this class, we will teach proven self-defense techniques and strategies derived from martial arts, Krav Maga and Kickboxing. Each day, there will be a cardio kickboxing lesson and exercise to help develop your striking power, balance, and movement, as well as increase stamina. You will learn how to use kicks, punches, elbows, and knees to defend yourself and others you care about. You will also learn how to get out of an attacker’s grasp – such as releases from chokes, bear hugs etc. In addition, you will learn about situational awareness, skills related to stretching for flexibility, and self-care. There will be three main goals for the class:
- To increase your knowledge and mindfulness of and to avoid potentially dangerous situations.
- Gain confidence of basic self-protection, ending the class with an opportunity to use those newfound techniques and confidence to break wooden boards.
- To develop better relationships with others in the class and strengthen your walk with Jesus. We will then end each day with a 15-minute Bible study will where we will explore what the bible has to say about self-defense and protecting those weaker than us.
My hope is that this will be a class where you leave feeling more educated, prepared, and confident to handle yourself in many different circumstances.
Instructor: Kermit Ellison
Course Fee: None
Open to: All grades