Thursday Notes – September 4, 2025
View This Week’s Photos
From Mr. Brooke’s Desk
Fathers’ Prayer Breakfast
On Saturday, September 27, we will host our Fathers’ Prayer Breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in the Commons here at school. Whether you have attended before or this is your first time, we look forward to sharing a meal, hearing a devotional, and praying together as fathers in the WCGS community. It is a rich time and one that I hope you will consider joining. We will respect your time and dismiss by 8:30 a.m. so that you can continue on with your weekend. If you can attend on September 27, please RSVP to Lauren Fortosis by Monday, September 22, to help with breakfast planning. We hope to see you there!
Coffee with the Administrators
We’re saving you a seat! We would love for you to join us for our first Parent Series event, Coffee with the Administrators, on Tuesday, September 9, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. outside in the courtyard west of the playground. Come, enjoy an informal time with administration, meet other parents, and launch a great school year. Please sign up here if you plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you as we launch into another great school year!
Important Upcoming Dates
Friday, September 5
MAP Testing – Grades 4/5
Zero Waste Day
School Pictures (Commons)
Summer Reading Celebrations
3:30-6:00 p.m. – Spartan Social
Monday, September 8
Q1 Hot Lunch Begins
Hot Lunch – Chick-fil-A
MAP Testing – Grades 4/5
9:00-10:00 a.m. – Moms in Prayer Begins (Room 308)
7:00 p.m. – Board Meeting (Library)
Tuesday, September 9
Hot Lunch – Jersey Mike’s
MAP Testing – Grades 3/2
9:00-10:00 a.m. – Coffee with the Administrators (Innovation Hub)
4:00 p.m. – Girls’ JV VBall vs. Westminster (WCGS)
4:00 p.m. – Boys’ V Soccer vs. Westminster (WCGS)
5:00 p.m. – Girls’ V VBall vs. Westminster (WCGS)
5:00 p.m. – Boys’ JV Soccer vs. Westminster (WCGS)
Wednesday, September 10
Hot Lunch – Barone’s Pizza and Pasta
MAP Testing – Grades 3/2
9:15-11:30 a.m. Women’s Bible Study Begins (Amy Paglia’s home)
4:00 p.m. – Boys’ JV Soccer @ Stratford MS
5:00 p.m. – Boys’ V Soccer @ Stratford MS
Thursday, September 11
Patriot Day
MAP Testing – Grades K/1
4:00 p.m. – Girls’ JV VBall @Timothy Christian
4:00 p.m. – Boys’ V Soccer @ Timothy Christian
5:00 p.m. – Girls’ V VBall @ Timothy Christian
5:00 p.m. – Boys’ JV Soccer @ Timothy Christian
Friday, September 12
MAP Testing – Grades K/1
Zero Waste Day
STEAM+ Notes
Tomorrow is Zero Waste Day
Every Friday is Zero Waste Day at WCGS. This means that students should use reusable containers and avoid plastic bags and other single use items. Students are encouraged to compost fruits and vegetables and recycle that day. Our goal is to help students reduce or eliminate garbage. Plastic silverware will not be available at lunchtime on Fridays. Please talk to your child about bringing home any uneaten or sealed food. Can you help your child pack a lunch that uses reusable or recyclable containers?
WCGS Recycling Program
As we continue to care for the resources that God has given us, we will continue our partnerships with SCARCE and TerraCycle. These are two organizations that locally and globally support school recycling and environmental sustainability. This is a student driven, community focused initiative through the Creation Care Club that invites all K-8 students and families to participate in.
The following items will be collected this school year:
- Plastic Bread Tabs
- Crayons
- Pop Tabs
- All brands of squeezable snack plastic pouches and caps (must be emptied with lid)
All collections, grades K-8, will take place in every homeroom and at lunchtime. For more information, please contact Mrs. Jacqueline Lauriat, Director of STEAM+ and Robotics.
Library News
Help at the Summer Reading Celebration!
Help is still needed for the Summer Reading Celebration tomorrow, September 5. Please sign up HERE if you are available.
Notable Notes
School Pictures
Picture Day is TOMORROW, September 5, during normal school hours. Please see the attached flyer from JostensPIX for more details about what to wear (no green!) and how to order. Parents will receive emails directly from JostensPix to the addresses you provided to WCGS with reminders and notifications. Photos will be shipped directly to your home! Previewing, personalization, ordering, and payment will all take place online at jostenspix.com. Please note that all students will be photographed for the yearbook, but there is no obligation to make a purchase. If a student is absent on picture day, re-takes will take place on Friday, October 10. If you have any questions about picture day, please contact Christine Sheetz.
2025-2026 Admissions Applications
We love welcoming siblings of our current students! Applications for admissions for 2026-2027 are available on FACTS Family Portal under Apply/Enroll. Current WCGS families will have priority in admissions if the application is submitted by September 30, 2025. Please contact Admissions Director, Kim Norbeck, if you have any questions about the admissions process.
IESA Boys’ State Sectional Golf Results
Our golf team participated in the State Sectional Golf Tournament in Pontiac yesterday. The team (Charlie Barr – 6th grade, Lucas Burkhart – 7th grade, Jayelyn Clousing – 7th grade, Grant Levon – 6th grade, Cole Pfleeger – 8th grade, and Parker Schaubroeck – 7th grade) placed second out of the thirteen teams in our Sectional. In fact, all six of our guys placed in the top half of the Sectional. The boys gained valuable experience that allowed them many growth opportunities competing at the State level. We are happy to report that Lucas Burkhart shot a personal best, eight under par, 64, to win (first out of eighty participants) the Sectional and advance to the State Tournament in Metamora, IL next Friday, September 12. He will be joined by Parker Schaubroeck, who shot a personal best, 80, to place 7th and qualify as well. Congratulations to Lucas, Parker, and all the boys. We are proud of them. They represented you, the Lord, and our school well. Go Spartans!
Backpack Donations
Are you looking to donate your gently used or new backpacks? Please bring them to WCGS and place them in the utility tote labeled Serve for Hope Uganda located just inside Door #1. The utility tote will be available for donations until mid-September. Leonard and Lauren Matovu (parents of Joelle, 3rd grade) founded and lead a ministry called Serve for Hope Uganda located in Namungoona, Uganda. Through a variety of programs, the Matovus and their team in Uganda aim to share the love of Christ and provide quality education to students in need. One way this is accomplished is by providing backpacks filled with school supplies which will be distributed at the start of the Ugandan school year (late January/early February). Thanks for your partnership in sharing the love of Christ and providing quality education for students in need!
Paid Positions Still Available
Crossing Guards Needed
WCGS is hoping to hire several crossing guards for morning arrival and afternoon dismissal, and we need your help to find the right people for the job! We are looking for kind and conscientious individuals with great interpersonal skills to interact with our families and broader community either one day or several days each week. Our hope is to have a team of individuals who have flexible schedules. If you are interested in helping once a week or taking this on more consistently, we would love to connect with you. If you or someone you know would be interested in serving in this paid position, please contact Beth Wright. Our Administrators and Staff will still be a part of the crossing guard team, but a few extra individuals will help us round out the group.
Additional Recess Supervisor Needed
We are looking for one additional Recess Supervisor who is willing to serve on Mondays for this coming school year. This is a paid position and a wonderful opportunity to serve the school and your children on a weekly basis with a minimal time commitment. Just think – you get to be outside, interacting and playing with our precious students (your children!). The Recess Supervisor time commitment is from 11:40 a.m. –1:10 p.m. If you are interested in serving, please contact Beth Wright so that we can provide you with more information about this opportunity. Thank you!
Community Corner
Wheaton Academy Family Picnic
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 p.m. New things for the children have been added for this year. 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!!
Supporting Executive Function in Students
Wheaton Academy is hosting a practical, parent-focused workshop led by Holly Taritas, designed to equip families with tools to support organization, time management, task initiation, and study skills at home. This event is free and open to all families in the local community! You can find out more about the event here.
