Thursday Notes – October 17, 2024

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From Mr. Brooke’s Desk

Beam Signing

Before we entered this building in 2010, we gave each of the students a chance to sign a beam that would be foundational to the structure of the school.  As we are in the midst of our Faithful expansion project, we wanted to give our current students the same opportunity. Our students all put their signatures on a large “I-beam” that was added to the front of the new building late last week. You can still catch a glimpse of the beam as you drive past the construction! We are so thankful that our students were able to leave their mark on this Faithful expansion project. Thank you for your continued support of this important milestone for WCGS!

Exciting plans are in the works for the Scholarship Auction and Trivia Night on Friday, November 15!

We are looking forward to enjoying a great dinner buffet from MyChef, followed by desserts from the soda shop!  Browse the auction items on display, enjoy music from our students, and have some Trivia fun!   All funds benefit the Scholarship Fund…a great cause because you are providing tuition assistance for children who might otherwise not be able to receive a Christ-centered education.  RSVP here!

We have some great auction items, but we can always use more!  If you are wondering what you could contribute to this year’s silent auction to make it a success, here are just a few ideas!

• Sports tickets and memorabilia are always popular items!
• Getaways!  Have a vacation home, Timeshare, or Airbnb you can donate?
• Business services.  Accounting, Carpentry, Dental, Financial Counseling, Home Design Services, Housecleaning, Music or Dance Lessons, the list is endless!  Not sure?  Just ask!
• Have a craft?   Sewing, knitting, pottery, cooking/baking, woodworking, homemade games or toys, etc.  People love handcrafted items or…consider giving a lesson in your craft.

Consider sponsorship!  We will promote your business to the school community throughout the evening and even to our remote bidders!

Questions? We would love to hear them!  Contact: jdegroot@wheatonchristian.org

From Mr. Painter’s Desk

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences are only three weeks away on November 7-8. Please remember that there is no school on these days for students. We will again be utilizing the PTC Wizard system to do on-line conference sign-ups and manage our Parent-Teacher Conference schedules. You will be receiving information about this from Beth Wright on Friday, October 25, with specific instructions on how and when you are able to sign up. We look forward to connecting with many of you during those two days. We know it takes time and planning on your part to join these conferences, but we are confident that it is a worthwhile endeavor as we seek to gain a more complete picture of who your children are and what they need as individuals.

Please Join Us!

The next WCGS Parent Series event is Tuesday, November 12, at 6:30 p.m. Back by popular demand, we welcome WCGS school dad and licensed Clinical Psychologist and Executive Coach, Chris Mazzarella presenting, The Anxious Resilient Generation: Fostering Attachment with God through Identity & Purpose.  Join us as Chris walks through the conversation of stress and anxiety and the impact it has on children and families.  You will learn what research is discovering, along with practical tools to lead your child with confidence and resiliency. Sign up here if you plan to attend.

Important Upcoming Dates

Friday, October 18

Zero Waste Day

Sunset Slush Day

Junior High Character Day

3:30-5:30 p.m. – 7th & 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Tryouts

Monday, October 21

Hot Lunch – Chick-fil-A

8:00 a.m. – Praise Team Rehearsal (Commons)

9:00-10:00 a.m. – Moms in Prayer (Room 605)

Tuesday, October 22

Hot Lunch – Jersey Mike’s

Food Drive

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Prospective Family Visit Day

3:30-5:00 p.m. – Robotics Team (Room 607)

Wednesday, October 23

BIRTHDAY: Jennifer Rodriguez (Jr. High Math Teacher)

Hot Lunch – Barone’s Pizza and Pasta

Food Drive

8:00 a.m. – MathCounts (Room 616)

8:00 a.m. – Praise Team Rehearsal

9:15 a.m. – Women’s Bible Study (Amy Paglia’s home)

10:45 a.m. – Chapel (Grades 6-8)

3:30-4:00 p.m. – Yearbook Club (Graphics Lab)

3:45-4:30 p.m. – YA Battle of the Books Meet (Wheaton Library)

Thursday, October 24

BIRTHDAY: Jake Lindstedt (Jr. High History Teacher)

Food Drive

8:45-11:45 a.m. – 6th Grade Trip to Wheaton College

3:30-4:30 p.m. – Chess Club (Rooms 604 & 608)

3:30-5:00 p.m. – Robotics Team (Room 607)

Friday, October 25

End of 1st Quarter

Popcorn Day

Zero Waste Day

9:00-10:30 a.m. – 6th Grade Rocket Launch

10:15 a.m.-2:30 p.m. – 5th Grade Trip to Lincoln Marsh

3:30-4:45 p.m. – Jr. High Kickball Tournament (Gym)

3:30 p.m. – Auxiliary Fall Treats (Playground)

Saturday, October 26

8:30-11:30 a.m. – Robotics Team Practice

Notable Notes

Grandparents’ Day

Grandparents’ Day is just around the corner!  We are looking for students to submit hand-drawn (calligraphy, fancy lettering, watercolor, sweet young elementary handwriting, etc.) Bible verses to be used and displayed throughout this special day.  Five students will be chosen and their work will be included in a gift for the grandparents that day.  In addition, these five students will also receive a small prize for their work.  A few additional details:

• The drawing must be landscape orientation (not portrait) and be 4×6 in dimension.
• The drawing can be done in color or black and white.
• All entries should be submitted by October 25 to the front office. Place the student’s name and homeroom on a sticky note to include in the submission.
• Students should choose from the following verses below:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Psalms 107:1

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

Please reach out with any questions: wcgs.grandparentsday@gmail.com.

Veterans Day Assembly 

We have always looked forward to our annual Veterans Day Assembly each November. We believe it is important that we pause and remember all that this day represents. Our assembly will be taking place in the gym on Monday, November 11, at 10:45 a.m. We’d love to honor the veterans in our school community by showing their picture in a slide show that students will see during the program. Any student with a parent, grandparent, or other family member who IS or HAS BEEN a member of the Armed Forces is invited to email a picture of that individual to Lauren Fortosis by Friday, October 25, so that it can be included in a tribute video. (If you have submitted information for the video in the past, we will automatically include it in this year’s video unless you contact us indicating that it needs to be removed). Please include the following information with your picture:

• Student Name:
• Veteran’s/Active Duty Soldier’s Name:
• Relationship to Student:
• Branch of Service:

We would also love to invite veterans who are family members of current students to attend the assembly (in uniform if possible) to be introduced. Our guests of honor and their families will have a reserved seating section that is easily accessible and a brief reception following the assembly. If you have a veteran who can attend, please RSVP to Lauren Fortosis by Friday, November 1.

Community Corner

Camerata Chicago Orchestra

The Camerata Chicago Orchestra is thrilled to present Brazilian violinist, Guido Sant’Anna, in his North American debut to perform the Brahms Violin Concerto. Guido gained international recognition in 2022 when at seventeen he became the first South American violinist to win the prestigious International Fritz Kreisler Competition in Vienna. In a stunning program conducted by Maestro Drostan Hall, repertoire will include great music inspired by great literature: La Forza del Destino by Verdi, Peer Gynt by Grieg, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn. Concerts will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, in Armerding Concert Hall at Wheaton College and on Sunday, October 20, at 3:00 p.m. at Union Church in Hinsdale. Use coupon code CCLG for a 25% DISCOUNT  (If you are a missionary or work in a church/ministry, contact Jodi Bauer for discounted tickets.)   Website | Tickets

The Word Conference 2024

The Authentic Authority of the Word of God

Join Neil Shenvi, author of Critical Dilemma, and Josh Moody, senior pastor of College Church and president of God Centered Life Ministries, for The Word Conference on October 21, from 5:30-9:00 p.m. at College Church in Wheaton. Click here for more information or to register.

Meet the Author and Book Signing

Join Phil Zielke, founder of Phil’s Friends and WCGS parent, on October 20, 2024 as he celebrates the release of his debut book, “Seeing the Good in It.” The Open House will be at The Moment on Main in Wheaton, 122 N. Main Street, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The evening will include refreshments, entertainment, giveaways, testimonies, a reading by Phil, and book signings. Come hear Phil’s incredibly inspiring story of surviving cancer twice. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Cash, check, or credit cards accepted. Everyone is welcome!

VFM Thanksgiving Ball

All the generations of your family are invited to a unique event sponsored by Visionary Family Ministries, a local ministry that encourages families and marriages.  The VFM Thanksgiving Ball will take place on Sunday, November 10, at the Abbington in Glen Ellyn from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Join us for dinner, games, dancing, and family worship! For more details see flyer here or to purchase a family ticket, visit https://visionaryfam.com/event/2024-thanksgiving-ball/. 

Fox Valley Ballet Nutcracker

Looking to do something festive during the upcoming holiday season? Come see the Fox Valley Ballet Nutcracker November 29-December 1 at the Batavia Fine Arts Center! WCGS students Isabel and Hannah Wilding, Pennie Barr, and Libby Cate Green will be performing in it. Get your tickets here.