Thursday Notes – May 28, 2026
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From Mr. Brooke’s Desk
All School Worship Chapel
It was an absolute privilege to be a part of today’s final chapel of the year. I was so encouraged to see our community worshipping the Lord in song, reflecting on scripture read by teachers, hearing testimonies from other students, and honoring what the Lord has done in and through this school year. I am grateful for our year verse and am praying it remains a point of focus for all of us beyond this school year.
Mark 1:17 – “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Thank you to our Scholarship Golf Outing & Ladies’ Brunch Sponsors
We are so excited for the 29th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing and Ladies’ Brunch on Tuesday! We have a record number of golfers signed up (sold out) and we are so thankful for you and those who are sponsoring! For 28 years, the Scholarship Golf Outing has been a fantastic event for fellowship and fundraising. The primary focus of the outing is to raise money for our student Scholarship Fund, which makes it possible for more than 1/3 of our students to attend WCGS each year. Thank you for your part in making this possible! We have until June 30 to meet our annual goal and are getting close! If you are not a golfer but would like to support the Scholarship Fund to get us to our goal, you can do so through this link! Please contact Shannon McDonald if you have any questions about the Scholarship Fund or the Golf Outing.
From Mr. Painter’s Desk
Commencement Livestream
Our 8th grade commencement service will be held on Monday, June 1, at 6:00 p.m. at College Church. If you are interested in viewing the ceremony via livestream, the link can be found here.
Report Cards and MAP Results
Students will receive their report cards next Thursday (June 4) at school, so please be on the lookout for them as they hang up their backpacks for the summer! I want to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of all of our students for the effort that they put forth this year academically. I am extremely grateful that our students were able to make such great gains in the classroom due to the preparation of our outstanding teachers, as well as the dedication of our students and all of our families. I trust that you are encouraged with what this year’s report card represents on so many levels!
Your child’s MAP results will also be sent home on June 4 inside the report card envelope (8th grade report cards and MAP results will be mailed home). Keep in mind that these results are a representation of your child’s performance on a given day and are just one piece of information for understanding him/her as a learner. To have a complete picture of your child’s academic growth, it is important to consider your child’s performance in the classroom in conjunction with these scores. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Thank you!
Important Upcoming Dates
Friday, May 29
BIRTHDAY: Lea Lamb (K-3 Music Teacher)
Zero Waste Day
9:00 a.m. – Awards Assembly (Grades 1-5)
10:30 a.m. – Awards Assembly (Grades 6-8)
12:00 p.m. – 8th Grade Celebratory Lunch (Courtyard)
Saturday, May 30
BIRTHDAY: Lauren Fortosis (Administrative Assistant to the Head of School)
Monday, June 1
BIRTHDAY: Audra Spradley (Art Teacher)
9:00-11:00 a.m. – Commencement Rehearsal (College Church)
9:00-11:00 a.m. – KE Class Party at East Street Park (Winfield)
9:30-11:30 a.m. – KS Class Party at McCaslin Park (Carol Stream)
11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. – 3rd Grade Class Party at Ferson Creek Park (St. Charles)
6:00 p.m. – 8th Grade Commencement (College Church)
Tuesday, June 2
BIRTHDAYS: Susan Heidelman (6th Grade Teacher) and Jennifer Pierson (Library Aide)
29th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – 1G Class Party at Kelly Park (Wheaton)
9:30 a.m-3:00 p.m. – 2nd Grade Party at Blackberry Farm (Aurora)
12:45-3:00 p.m. – KL Class Party at Seven Gables Park (Wheaton)
12:45-3:15 p.m. – KO Class Party at East Street Park (Winfield)
Wednesday, June 3
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – 1B Class Party at East Street Park (Winfield)
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – 1O Class Party at Red Hawk Park (Carol Stream)
9:10 a.m.-2:40 p.m. – 6th Grade Class Party at Main Event (Hoffman Estates)
10:15 a.m.-3:25 p.m. – 7th Grade Class Picnic Lunch (TBD) and Party at Funway (Batavia)
12:30-3:25 p.m. – 5th Grade Class Party at Top Golf (Naperville)
12:40-3:00 p.m. – 1M Class Party at East Street Park (Winfield)
1:00-3:25 p.m. – 4th Grade Class Party at Cantigny (Wheaton)
Thursday, June 4
NO EXTENDED CARE
10:00 a.m. – School Dismissal, Popsicles on the Playground
Summer Break Begins
Nurse Notes
End of Year Reminders from the Nurse’s Office
- All medication kept in the nurse’s office will be returned on or before last day of school. As a reminder, a new action plan or medication form is required each school year. 2026-27 forms are available on the website.
- Any grade 5-8 student wanting to participate in a fall sport will need a physical or sports physical prior to tryouts. A new physical is needed each year for sports. Summer appointments fill up very fast so now is a great time to schedule those.
- All incoming kindergarteners, and sixth graders need a physical turned in by August 1. There are required immunizations for each of those grades. Please email nurse@wheatonchristian.org for any questions about physicals.
- All forms be emailed, faxed, or turned in at the front office. The school’s fax number is 630-668-2475.
STEAM+ Notes
Family Garden Days
This summer, we will have four Family Garden Days. We welcome helpers of all ages and for any length of time. Join other families and serve by helping with weeding, watering, caring, and harvesting the garden. Mark your calendar for June 5, June 17, July 15, and August 1. Let us know how many are coming by signing up here. Hope to see you there!
Robotics Team Application for the 2026-2027 Season
Students entering grades 4-8 this fall have the opportunity to be part of the WCGS First LEGO League Robotics Team, Peculiar People. Students research a real-world engineering challenge, develop a solution, and compete with LEGO-based robots of their own design. For more information, check out this website: First Lego League. If your child is interested in trying out, please read through this application and return it completed by Wednesday, June 3. Teacher recommendations will be due Wednesday, June 3. Printed copies of the application are available from your child’s science teacher or in the main office. Please hand deliver it or email to Jacqueline Lauriat no later than June 3, 2026.
Library News
Summer Book Checkout!
Stock up on some great books to read over the summer! Each returning student may check out up to TEN books to keep over the summer. All books will be due on Friday, August 21. Note that we will not have summer library hours, so this will be their opportunity to get books.
Students taking advantage of summer book checkout MUST have a signed Permission Form. Feel free to accompany your child to check out his or her summer books, but it is not required. Summer checkout hours are:
Tuesday, June 2—8:30-9:00 a.m. and 3:25-4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 3—8:30-9:00 a.m. and 3:25-4:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 4—8:30-9:00 a.m. and 10:00-10:15 a.m.
We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity and keep our books from getting dusty on the shelves over the summer!
Fine Print: Students must have returned all books and paid all fines from this school year. Unfortunately, graduating 8th graders and students not returning to WCGS next year cannot participate.
Summer Reading Program (Incoming Grades 1-6)
We invite all students entering grades 1-6 to participate in our summer reading program! Paper copies of the reading logs will be sent home with students, and they will be available on the school website throughout the summer. Please help your children keep their reading skills fresh by monitoring their reading over the summer. Note that this program is REQUIRED for incoming 6th grade students and will count for a grade during 1st quarter, but they will receive all of the same rewards for doing the program. Students who complete the program will receive their rewards during our Summer Reading Celebration in the fall. Summer reading suggestions for grades 1-6 can be found here. See below for all the Summer Reading Logs by grade level:
Summer Reading Assignment (Incoming Grades 7-8)
All students entering grades 7 and 8 will need to complete the Summer Reading Challenge and turn in their reading log to Mrs. Messer when they return to school in August. Students will be receiving paper copies of the Challenge/Reading Log and Reading List from Mrs. Messer. Students should come back to school in August ready for an assignment on one of the books they have read over the summer.
Notable Notes
You’re Invited to Write a Book this Summer!
WCGS is partnering with BriBooks to provide an opportunity for students of any grade K-8 to engage in the Summer Book Writing Festival. WCGS is registered and all it takes is for parents to sign-up their child through the link below. Each student writes at their own pace and publishes their own ISBN-backed book on Amazon. There is no cost and nothing more is needed from you or WCGS. This is an opportunity to build creativity, writing confidence, and communication skills that will stick with a child long after summer ends! Click this link to see what it actually looks like when a student’s book, through BriBooks, gets displayed at a Book Festival. Students all over the nation are becoming published authors. New Jersey fifth grader Nathan published his first book last summer. Nathan’s book is titled, My Yellowstone Adventure, and now carries an official ISBN and is listed on Amazon — something he and his family will remember for the rest of their lives! Your child has stories, ideas, and imagination inside them. Sometimes, they just need an opportunity to get their story out! This summer, students at Wheaton Christian Grammar School can write and publish their own real books! Click this link to launch your child as a published author!
Calling All Junior High Readers
Sign-ups for the Young Adult Battle of the Books team (YABOB) have begun for next school year! YABOB is for Junior High students (rising 6-8 graders) who love to read and would like to compete in trivia-style competitions with other schools. Students will begin and complete the majority of reading this summer along with one gathering. In the fall, practices and competitions will be held during lunch or after school. If your child would like to be part of the team, email Mandy Jasper by Monday, June 1, to sign up. Reading assignments and further details will then be provided to the team in early June.
Looking for Summer Tutoring Options?
Parents, if you are considering a tutor for your child for skill and concept remediation, review, or enrichment, we have a list of WCGS teachers who are available for tutoring during the summer months. Please reach out to Mandy Jasper, 6-8 Director of Student Services & School Social Worker and she can provide you with resources. Tutoring arrangements are independently made between the parent and the tutor.
Community Corner
Summer Sports Camps at Wheaton Academy
Top high school coaches lead all camps this summer at WA:
D.A. Nichols – Volleyball camps and Multi-Sport Camp
Kurt Vahle – Girls Summer Hoops
Jeff Brooke and Maria Selvaggio – Warrior Youth Soccer
Paul Ferguson (new WA head coach boys) – Co-Ed Hoops
Camp Information and Registration – CLICK HERE
We can’t wait to see you for a great summer of sports fun for elementary school and middle school boys and girls.
Chicago Eagles Supplemental Tryout
We are holding a Free Supplemental Tryout for our girls’ teams! It will be open to girls that are categorized in the U9 to U12 age groups for the 2026/27 year! It will be held on Thursday, May 28, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at New Life Bilingual Church (468 Ann St, West Chicago, IL 60185). You can sign up with the link HERE. Please spread the word to any families with girls who may be interested in joining an Eagles team! If there are any girls that would like to play but are unable to attend the supplemental tryout, email info@chicagoeagles.com and we will find a different time for them to tryout!
The Age Groups for the 2026-27 Season are as follows.
U9: August 1, 2017 – July 31, 2018
U10: August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2017
U11: August 1, 2015 – July 31, 2016
U12: August 1, 2014 – July 31, 2015
We hope to see you there!
Summer Stage Theater Camp
Summer Stage Theater Camp is back for its 4th year! This camp, led by Mae Iseman, Hannah Peacock, and Hailey Weston, is being held August 3-8 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. with a performance on Friday at 3:00 p.m. The cost of the camp is $85 and includes a daily snack and craft, plus a camp t-shirt. Camp is for girls ages 6-11 and will be held at the Weston home (1 Marywood Trail, Wheaton). For more information see the camp flyer.
Fiber Arts Camp
Join this camp and learn to crochet, sew, weave, and more! Camp will be held August 3-7 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at 893 Chatham Drive, Carol Stream. This camp is open to incoming 3rd graders and older. Materials and a snack will be provided each day. This group is facilitated by Wheaton Academy students Abby Willemssen, Faith Romanovich, and Ada Wang. The cost is $45 for the week. If interested, contact Abby Willemssen at abigail.willemssen@icloud.com.
Wheaton College Soccer Camps
Wheaton College is hosting soccer camps and clinics for players ages 5-13 in the summer. Programs are designed for every skill level, offering instruction and activities that are geared to the levels of all participants. Camps are led by the Wheaton College Men’s Soccer coaching staff and current soccer players. Camps are held June 8-12 and June 15-19 in Joe Bean Stadium at Wheaton College. For more information and to register, please visit their website. Camp is nearly full! A waitlist will be started. For more information, please contact Steve McCrath.
