Thursday Notes – October 24, 2024
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From Mr. Brooke’s Desk
Looking for a really fun date night? Come to the Transform Scholarship Auction on November 15!
Enjoy warm cider, a delicious buffet dinner from MyChef catering, and dessert from the WCGS Soda Shop while you browse the auction items, bid, enjoy music from students, and join in the Trivia game! (No experience is necessary!) We are also encouraging all our attendees to come dressed as their favorite decade this year! Love the 50s? Then come in your poodle skirts, letterman jackets and cardigans! Prefer the 80s? Then we look forward to seeing you decked out in your tacky sweaters and big hair! We want this fun, lighthearted evening to be a time of celebration for the many decades that God has been faithful in transforming WCGS into the place it is today.
Whether you are part of a Trivia team or not, whether you bid on auction items or not, simply come, join in the fun and meet other parents. There is no charge to attend!
Best of all, this event supports the Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition assistance for students to receive a Christ-centered education.
P.S. Have an auction item you want to donate? We would love to add it to the auction! We also have sponsorships available! Promote your company on the auction site and at the event!
For more information contact Joanne DeGroot and don’t forget to RSVP! (Adults only, please!)
From Mr. Painter’s Desk
Report Cards
It is hard to believe that tomorrow marks the end of our first quarter of the school year! The teachers are working diligently to prepare your child’s report card for first quarter. Much prayer, thought, and time goes into these reports. We hope that they give you a snapshot of the growth of your child over the past nine weeks. Please take note of their academic progress but also their development socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We desire to see them make gains in each of these areas throughout the school year. Thank you for your continued partnership in working towards this goal; it is certainly a team effort. First quarter report cards will be sent electronically to parents at around 3:30 p.m. next Friday, November 1.
MAP Growth Results
MAP Growth Assessment results will be sent home with your child in an envelope next Friday, November 1. Please be looking for this information. There will be a letter inside the envelope explaining more about the data, so please take time to read it prior to reviewing the results. We felt it was important to get you these results on the same day as the report card since the MAP results are just one piece of information about your child as a learner.
Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up
Parent-Teacher Conference sign-up will be open next week. You will be receiving important instructions about this from Beth Wright by email tomorrow. Conferences are being held at school on November 7 and 8. We will again be utilizing the PTC Wizard system to do online conference sign-ups and manage our Parent-Teacher Conference schedules. 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.
Shorts for K-5 Students
This is a friendly reminder that tomorrow (Friday) is the last day for grades K-5 to wear shorts. These students may resume wearing shorts during 4th quarter as the weather turns warmer.
Election Season
Our deepest desire and mission is for Wheaton Christian Grammar School to be counter-cultural during the election season. We strive to stand as a community respecting civil discourse and allowing for a variety of voices with varying points of view to be heard in positive and helpful ways. We are grateful to have professional educators who are equipped with the knowledge, sensitivity, and Biblical worldview training to nurture and guide students through challenging conversations around the position and role of elected officials, the Electoral College, political parties, and the election cycle from primaries to election day, while cultivating respect, civility, and compassion for others.
As we enter the 2024 election season, we recognize the importance of facilitating thoughtful and meaningful conversations about the election process while we integrate a Biblical worldview into our curriculum, instruction, and student learning. To help us achieve this outcome, WCGS is asking students to leave any campaign/political/election attire and accessories at home as these items can elicit distractions and divisions within the student body. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, students may wear clothing with the colors of red, white, and blue, as long as the clothing adheres to the WCGS Appearance Code guidelines.
Elections can deeply influence our lives. However, we live as Christ followers recognizing God is in control of our world as He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. No man or nation can overrule God in His sovereignty. Regardless of who is elected president in November, God will still sit on His throne as King of Kings, and He is the ultimate leader we must follow. Thank you for partnering with us as we educate, train and nurture your children for godliness and excellence, while equipping them to love and serve Christ through everyday life events.
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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 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 Social and Spirit Wear Sale (Playground/Blacktop)
Saturday, October 26
8:30-11:30 a.m. – Robotics Team Practice
Monday, October 28
BIRTHDAY: Antonio Rodriguez (Maintenance)
NO SCHOOL – Teacher Inservice
Tuesday, October 29
Q2 Hot Lunch Begins
Hot Lunch – Jersey Mike’s
3:30-5:00 p.m. – Robotics Team (Room 607)
4:00 p.m. – JV Boys’ BBall @ Benjamin MS
5:00 p.m. – V Boys’ BBall @ Benjamin MS
6:00 p.m. – 6th Grade Boys’ BBall @ Benjamin MS
Wednesday, October 30
Hot Lunch – Barone’s Pizza and Pasta
8:00 a.m. – MathCounts (Room 616)
9:15 a.m. – Women’s Bible Study (Amy Paglia’s home)
3:30-4:00 p.m. – Yearbook Club (Graphics Lab)
3:30-5:00 p.m. – Robotics Team (Room 607) – TODAY INSTEAD OF THURSDAY
Thursday, October 31
BIRTHDAY: Amber Snoeyink (5th Grade Teacher)
3:30-4:30 p.m. – Chess Club (Rooms 604 & 608) CANCELLED FOR TODAY
Friday, November 1
Report Cards Issued
Zero Waste Day
6:00-7:30 p.m. – Mother Son Event (Commons/Gym)
Saturday, November 2
BIRTHDAY: Jennifer Fraser (Reading Specialist)
Sunday, November 3
Daylight Saving Ends
Nurse Notes
Changing Seasons
As the seasons change, we often see a change in illnesses as well. Right now, the county is seeing a high prevalence of respiratory illnesses. If your child has a persistent cough that is not getting better or is associated with fevers, it is a good idea to take them into your doctor for evaluation. Once their cough is controlled, and they are fever free for 24 hours they may return to school. Please feel free to email nurse@wheatonchristian.org if you ever have a question about your child returning to school after illness.
Now is a great time to make sure your child has a coat, hat, and gloves that fit. Even in cooler temperatures students go outside for recess and flextime every day.
Notable Notes
Auxiliary Fall Social TOMORROW – Donuts and Spirit Wear
Join us TOMORROW, October 25, for fellowship on the blacktop at our Auxiliary Fall Social! This will be similar to our Popsicles on the Playground event, but we will be serving fall-themed donuts to the students. WCGS Spirit Wear will be available to shop for, so stop by and see what new Spartan gear is available. See you tomorrow!
Veterans Day Assembly – LAST CHANCE to RSVP/Submit Pictures!
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
Get to Know Wheaton Academy
Wheaton Academy invites middle school students and their parents to Get To Know Wheaton Academy on Thursday, November 7, at 6:45 p.m. This evening will provide an opportunity for families to learn about the school’s commitment to academics, spiritual life, co-curricular activities, and college readiness, as well as experience the community, connection, and culture that Wheaton Academy offers their students and families.
The time together will include:
- Opening Welcome from Mrs. Hockett, Principal
- Individual Family Tours
- Meet and Greet with Teachers, Coaches, and Program Leaders
Register online at wheatonacademy.org/visit and discover what it’s like to be a Wheaton Academy Warrior.
Questions? Please contact Amy Burdett, Admissions Coordinator or Amy Hogan, Director of Admissions
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.
