October 26, 2009

Dear Middle School Parents,

Hopefully you were able to take advantage of the long weekend and enjoy some special time with your children. We are excited to return from the ACSI convention with many new ideas and methods for best educating your child. Many of the teachers spent a large part of their weekend at the school incorporating the concepts into their lesson plans for this first week of November. It is probably getting redundant, but I feel like the months are flying by so far this year. Before we know it the holidays will be upon us.

This week we will be having a World Awareness focus. Throughout the school, pre-k through 12th grade, we will be incorporating lessons and assemblies that help our students share Gods heart for the world. This Thursday, during chapel, we will kick off our Operation Christmas Child project by watching a DVD describing some of the conditions for children around the world and their need for hope and Gods Word. Information will be coming home to you with your child regarding Operation Christmas Child. It is a great ministry that we partner with each year to send gifts to struggling and suffering children around the world. It is our hope that the things that move Gods heart to compassion also move our students hearts to compassion.

Last week we wrapped up our Sally Foster orders. Thank you for participating in the gift orders as we raised over $5,000 for our school! Orders can still be placed on line at www.sallyfoster.com and WCS will receive a percentage of the order until June 2010. These fundraisers not only allow us to meet our budget, but anything above what we have planned to bring in goes toward classroom improvements. The prizes from the Entertainment book sales are arriving this week. All Sally Foster orders and prizes will arrive together November 18th. Thank you, again, for your support in this area.

Please make sure your student has filled out their information for Student of the Week and turned it back in to their homeroom teacher. We will be honoring our first students this week. Also, we would like a picture of your child to have in the office during the week we honor them. We would like it to be a 5 x 7 or 8 x 11. We are very excited about being able to honor our students in this way and appreciate your help in doing so. Student Council applications are also due this Friday. All students interested in running for student council MUST have their applications in by the end of this week so that they can take part in the interview process next week. Ms. Sheaman will be the Student Council advisor and will be conducting weekly meetings with the students. It should be a phenomenal experience for those elected.

We are in the process of setting up the schedule for our Band program. An email will be going out this week with more information on the instructor, Dave Boughton, and the nature of the program. It is not our intent to conflict with current band participation, but to provide those students not currently participating somewhere with an opportunity to learn, grow and perform. Thank you for your continued prayer for this aspect of WCS!

A few reminders before closing:

1) Parent Information Night is next Tuesday, November 10th at 7:00 p.m. in room A-5 on the Matmor Campus. Each administrator will be giving an update of their portion of WCS and we will be available to answer questions. Please feel free to email questions at any time to any of the administrators.
2) Veterans Day is November 11th. There will be no school next Wednesday.
3) Kindergarten Thanksgiving Chapel will be November 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in the LPC Worship Center on the West St. Campus. I cant wait to see our kindergarten students perform.
4) Thanksgiving Recess will be November 25th through November 27th.

As we took communion at church yesterday, one of our pastors read from John chapter 18. As Jesus and the Disciples crossed the Kidron Valley to the olive grove where Jesus would be arrested, they would have crossed over the Kidron River below the altar where sacrifices were made. The blood from the lambs that were sacrificed during the Passover would have been flowing in the river. As Jesus crossed that river it would be the last time that those sacrifices would ever be necessary. Often we get caught up in our circumstances and lose sight of the ultimate sacrifice that was made for us. With Thanksgiving approaching, there is nothing to be more thankful for. Have a great week!

Thank You,

Justin Smith
K-8 Administrator