Thursday Notes – August 31, 2023

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From Mr. Brooke’s Desk

Be Mindful of Our Neighbors

WCGS is blessed to have wonderful neighbors surrounding us on the south and west sides of the school.  They are very accommodating to our community, and in turn, we want to be gracious and courteous to them as we enter and leave the school.

A few things to keep in mind to show respect to our neighbors:

1. Please be mindful of your speed.  Resist the temptation to rush to school if you are late, and always remember you are driving in a residential area.

2. Please watch for children who are walking to school.  District 200 has changed their start time this year, so there is a higher likelihood of children being present as you drive along Coventry or Taylor Drive.

3. Please always come to a complete stop at all stop signs.   A good benchmark is to wait for three seconds before proceeding through a stop sign.

4. Please be aware of our neighbors who are trying to get out of their driveways and subdivisions.  If you see that someone is waiting, we ask that you slow down to allow them to turn and get to the places they need to be in the morning/afternoon.

Thank you for partnering with us as we seek to show Christ to our neighbors and community around us!

From Mr. Painter’s Desk

Morning Drop-Off

We have enjoyed the beautiful weather that the start of this school year has provided! It has been great for our faculty and staff to connect with your children (and all of you) outside at their various drop-off locations each morning. Now that students are generally in a decent routine, we are going to allow students to enter the building directly at 8:40 am each day starting this coming Tuesday, September 5 (after Labor Day). Teachers will no longer be meeting students outside and then walking them to the various entrances each morning. Instead, you may drop your students off by their designated doors and they may enter when the bell rings at 8:40 a.m. Please do not park along the curb in the mornings and wait for the 8:40 a.m. bell to ring. The curbside lane is designed for drop-off only. If you arrive at school early and want your child to wait in your vehicle, please park in our parking lot. Students may also wait outside the door entrances prior to 8:40 a.m., as there will be administrators and staff present starting at 8:30 a.m. Thank you!

Continuing the Discussion

Coffee with the Administrators

Please join us for our first Parent Series event, Coffee with the Administrators, on Thursday, September 7, 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 1

MAP Growth Testing (Grades K-3)

2:00 p.m. – Auxiliary Used School Clothing Sale

3:30 p.m. – Frozen Treats on the Playground

Sunday, September 3

BIRTHDAY: Abi Gum (1st Grade Teacher)

Monday, September 4

NO SCHOOL – Labor Day

Tuesday, September 5

Q1 Hot Lunch Begins – Jersey Mike’s

3:30-5:30 p.m. – Robotics Team

4:00 p.m. – Girls’ JV VBall @ Benjamin MS

4:00 p.m. – Boys’ V Soccer @ Benjamin MS

4:00 p.m. – Co-Ed Cross Country @ Benjamin MS (Redhawk Park)

5:00 p.m. – Girls’ V VBall @ Benjamin MS

5:00 p.m. – Boys’ JV Soccer @ Benjamin MS

Wednesday, September 6

Hot Lunch – Barone’s Pizza and Sunset Slush

9:00 a.m. – Grades K-2 Chapel

9:45 a.m. – Grades 3-5 Chapel

10:45 a.m. – Grades 6-8 Chapel

IESA Golf Sectionals @ The Oaks Rivers Edge (Pontiac, IL)

Thursday, September 7

9:00-10:00 a.m. – Coffee with the Administrators

3:30-4:30 p.m. – Grades 2-8 Chess Club Begins

3:30-5:00 p.m. – Robotics Team

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 8

Zero Waste Day

9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. – 8th Grade Challenge (Fox Valley Christian Action)

3:30-6:00 p.m. – Family Fun Fair

Nurse Notes

New Policy for Absences

The nurses hope the start of the school year has been a success! We’ve appreciated the great communication we’ve experienced with families so far regarding the health of our students. We continue to ask that standard precautions are taken when students show signs of illness. Students need to be fever-free and vomit-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school should those symptoms present. Please note, if your child stays home in the morning for a health related concern, they will need to receive clearance from the nurse upon arrival to school. Please inform your child of this new policy, so they can expect to be directed to the clinic after signing in for the day. Please also note the new policy in the Parent Handbook regarding permission to be excused from P.E. Class. Thank you.

STEAM+ Notes

Tomorrow is Zero Waste Day

Every Friday will be a Zero Waste Day. 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. Junior high students will be mentoring elementary students in how to have a zero-waste lunch on this day. Our goal is to help students reduce or eliminate garbage 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.

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)

All collections, grades K-8, will take place at lunch time. For more information, please contact Mrs. Jacqueline Lauriat, STEAM+ Coordinator.

 Notable Notes

Fathers’ Prayer Breakfast

On Saturday, September 23, 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 are able to attend on September 23, please RSVP to Lauren Fortosis by Monday, September 18, to help with breakfast planning.

New Athletic Games Calendar

We have an exciting new feature on our website that we hope will be a helpful resource and tool for you! Here is our new Athletic Games Calendar. You can also find it on our website by going to the athletics page and clicking the yellow button right at the top that says “View the Athletics Calendar”. With this calendar, you are able to select a specific sport and download just that sport’s game schedule. You can do this by selecting the sport in the top left corner of the calendar page in the button titled “Filter by team/group” and then clicking the top right button that reads “Subscribe to Calendar”.

We hope this is a helpful resource for your family and friends to cheer on the Spartans!

Community Corner

Phil’s Friends House Walk Fundraiser

Phil’s Friends, a local Christ-centered nonprofit that supports cancer patients and their families, is hosting a HOUSEWALK FUNDRAISER in ST CHARLES, IL on Friday, September 15, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and 4:00-8:00 p.m.  Tickets are available at https://philsfriends.org/event/inaugural-house-walk/.

If you and friends would like to volunteer as tour guides, welcome participants at the registration table, or serve at the event missions booth, please reach out to Tia Anders at tia@philsfriends.org or 815-501-6313 to learn more.  Free tour tickets available to all volunteers!  Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information see this flyer.

Family Worship Night

Start the school year right with a Family Worship Night. Kids, teens, parents, and grandparents are invited! Visionary Family Ministries is sponsoring this event on Saturday, September 16, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Marengo Farm, 5107 Thorne Road, Marengo, IL. $40/family which includes dinner and s’mores, games, bounce house, outdoor worship, and a bonfire. BYO blankets and chairs. Space is limited. Register at visionaryfam.com/fall. Email info@visionaryfam.com with questions.

FCA Basketball – Girls Only!

This camp is designed to help the girls prepare for the upcoming season.

Ball handling, shooting, and team play will all be a part of the program.

Coaches – Kurt Vahle (Girls Varsity Basketball Assistant Coach and FCA Basketball Co-Director) and staff

Dates: Mondays (9/18, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23. 10/30) 6 sessions

Times:

3rd-5th grades will be 6:30-7:30 p.m.

6th-8th grades will be 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Location: Wheaton Academy Field House courts

Registration Page – CLICK HERE