Westlake Christian Academy

Grayslake kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school academy providing Christian families with private academic education.

(847) 548-6209   275 South Lake Street Grayslake, IL

Operation Christmas Child 2020

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Over the last few weeks, our students have partnered with Operation Christmas Child in various ways. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. They do this by compiling Christmas gifts in their iconic green and red shoebox and shipping them all over the world.

One group of girls, from our secondary Connect Groups, decided to pack boxes outside of school. Freshman Brittany Funk shared her experience, “Being at Westlake is such a blessing in my life! One thing I have really enjoyed this year is spending time with my Connect Groups on Thursdays. I had lots of fun with some of my Connect Group friends participating in Operation Christmas Child remotely this year, by packing boxes for children in other countries who don’t have very much. I loved picking each individual toy and essential item for the children based off of their age and gender. I loved serving with my friends, knowing it will bring a smile to the children’s faces when they receive a box of God’s love.”

Our Preschool and Pre-K students and their families also participated by donating gifts and filling a total of 36 shoeboxes! Mrs. Lovelace and Mrs. Mensch talked with their students about children around the world who may never receive a gift or hear about Jesus. Students and their families were then invited to send in small toys and toiletries to pack in shoeboxes for other preschool-aged children. On “packing day”, the classes watched a video about the packing process and how shoeboxes are shipped around the world – via trucks, ships, even bikes, donkeys, and elephants! They looked at pictures of children receiving their packages with big smiles and excitement and prayed for the children who would be receiving the boxes. Then each student was able to add a gift to one of the shoeboxes.

A group of our high schoolers then went to a local OCC Drop Off Center to help pack boxes and load trucks for distribution. The Central Drop Off Coordinator for OCC, Michelle Bengini, said, “Thank you so much again for coming … with your crew; it was a real blessing to have you guys there. We packed a total of 815 shippers over 2 days with 12,143 gift-filled, gospel opportunities for the neediest children around the world.”

Our high schoolers took to heart what Paul said in Acts 20, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

This Christmas season, we pray that you cherish the times with your family, you reach out and display kindness to your fellow man, and where able, extend a helping hand or a gift, demonstrating God’s love in a tangible way.

If you’d like to learn more about Operation Christmas Child you can do so by visiting their website: https://sampur.se/37BU1dr

Summer Scripture Memory Challenge

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We’d love to have the whole student body join in to memorize scripture this summer!  Every year, Mr. Flemming challenges our secondary students to memorize the book of James. This year, we’re opening it up to our whole school!

In this video, Mr. Flemming explains to the secondary students the challenge as well as the rewards for memorizing.

For our elementary students, the challenge and rewards are just a bit different. There are specific verses for our elementary students to memorize.  And if they memorize all of the specific verses they’ll get a pizza party with Mr. Flemming during the school day!

SO, are you going to take the challenge? You may memorize the passages in any version you prefer, but remember that our school uses ESV for all of our study and memorization, so it may be best to memorize in that version.

The Book of James (ESV)

Summer Scripture Memory Challenge – Elementary ESV

Summer Scripture Memory Challenge – James (NIV84)  — This is the entire book of James in the NIV84 version. The highlighted portions and dates are for elementary students and the entire book is the challenge for secondary students.

When we get back to school in the fall, you can recite your verses to Mr. Flemming to receive your reward!

 

Drop Off – Pick Up – End of School

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We want to give our students an opportunity to drop off all their school books, pick up personal items, clean out their lockers, and say goodbye to their teachers.

Each student will have their own scheduled time slot. If you have a student in first grade and find it necessary, one parent may accompany their child. Teachers will be in their classrooms to help students pack up all their personal belongings.  **Sign Up for a Time via the Button Below**

Scheduled Dates & Times:

  • Elementary students are welcome to come on Tuesday, May 26th between 9:00 – 3:40.
  • Secondary students (grades 7-11)  are invited to come on Friday, May 29th between 11:00 – 3:00.  
  • Preschool & PreK families may come on either day (no need to sign up for a time slot).  Our PreS & PreK teachers will have already collected all student items for you.  Your child’s personal items will be  in the main hallway on the benches.
  • Our Senior class will get their own day and time on Friday, May 22nd from 4:00 – 5:30 pm and do not need to use the attached sign up form.

Specific Details for All Students:

  • Please have your child enter through the front door and exit through the gymnasium. Faculty & Staff will direct students through the building.
  • Please ensure your child is wearing a mask.
  • We will supply a white garbage bag for your child to carry all their personal belongings home.
  • We will have hand sanitizer throughout the building.
  • As students are exiting the building, they will be encouraged to look through Lost and Found in the gymnasium.
  • Please make sure your child understands this is not a time to move slowly or talk with everyone they see.

Specific Details for Elementary Students:

  • Go straight upstairs to your classroom via the front stairwell.
  • Drop off all textbooks and school materials to your classroom.
  • Empty your desk and then locker as quickly as possible.
  • Go down the back stairs (by 5th grade) and go to the gym.
  • Stop by Lost & Found before exiting the building through the gym doors.

Specific Details for Parents:

  • We ask that you drop off your student at the front door using our normal drop off route.
  • Please then pull out of the parking lot and head around the block to line up along Slusser to pick up your child (following normal elementary pick up protocol).
  • When you pull into the back lot of the school, please follow the rainy-day protocol where cars make a “U” shape along the left side of the lot.
  • *****First grade students may have one parent accompany them into the building, if needed. ***** In that case, park in the main parking lot, walk your child in, and when you are done, walk around the building after exiting through the gym door.

Specific Details for Secondary Students:

  • Enter through the front door and go directly to the gym to drop off all textbooks and materials.
  • Next go to your locker to retrieve belongings. We will provide bags for you. If you have items in other places around the building, please collect them as quickly as possible.
  • Exit through the gym door and check out Lost & Found on your way out.
  • Parents who are driving:  after dropping off your child, drive around the block and enter the playground from Slusser Street. Park and wait for your child there. Exit through the main parking lot (as usual).
  • Students who are driving themselves:  Park in the front lot, enter through the front door. Once you’ve gathered all your personal belongings, exit through the gym door and walk around the back of the building to your car.

ALL STUDENTS MUST SIGN UP BELOW TO OBTAIN A TIME SLOT TO ENTER THE BUILDING.

Sign Up for a Time-Slot Here

Remote Learning Resources

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Hey Westlake family!

We’re all adjusting to being stuck at home and figuring out this Remote Learning thing. I’m so grateful for technology these days and how we’re able to adapt and figure out school from home.  I’m also incredibly grateful for our greater community. So many different companies have stepped up to offer FREE resources for families who are stuck at home.  We wanted to make a (non-exhaustive) list of resources we’ve seen online. As a school, Westlake does not endorse any of these sites – we haven’t vetted them all, so please use wisdom and caution before you just let your child freely roam these sites.

If you encounter a site that you love that you’d like for us to share here as well, please email me (Erica Adkins) and I’ll consider adding your recommendation to this list.

Educational Resources

Resources Already Used in the Classroom

  • GoNoodle – Little Videoes to keep your student active for “brain breaks”
  • IXL – Timed quizzes for both math, science, and language arts – each WCA student should already have a login to access.
  • DuoLingo – Learn a language for free!
  • Google Classroom – each parent and student should have access through their school email.

Additional Supplemental Resources

Internet Access Resources

If you’re struggling to get access to internet (as many coffee shops and libraries will be closed through the social-distancing) Comcast has offered free internet for low-income families (normally $9.95/mo). They’ve also increased the access speeds to make it easier for families to do what they need from home.

Parent University

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Have you ever felt ill-equipped as a parent to shepherd your child in this new age of ever-present technology and all its challenges?

If so, we’ve created these free events just for you! Join us as we hear from different experts in their field who are all passionate about equipping you to parent your child and discovering their potential, value, and gifts.

These events are FREE and open to the public, no tickets or registration necessary (though registering is helpful). We are sure these events will inform you and resource you to grow as a parent. Each event is on a Tuesday night from 6:30 – 8:30 in our Westlake Gymnasium.  Westlake is located at 275 S. Lake Street, Grayslake, IL 60030.

Do you have questions about these events?  Please contact our Special Services Coordinator, Mrs. Chelsea Schopper.

**Due to COVID-19 All School Events (Including Athletic Practices & Games) are POSTPONED until April 7th at the earliest. Please visit our COVID-19 Updates page for more details.**

Please join us at one of the following evenings:

February 25:  “How to Support Your Child Through Anxiety”
Speaker: Mrs. Carla Reyes-Laury, MA, LPC, White Stone Counseling Resources

 

March 17:  “Planning for College”
Speaker: Luke Franklin, Director of New Student Financial Aid & Strategic Partnerships at Olivet Nazarene University (Date Subject to Change)

**Due to COVID-19 All School Events (Including Athletic Practices & Games) are POSTPONED until April 7th at the earliest. Please visit our COVID-19 Updates page for more details.**

 

March 31:  “Parenting with Purpose”
Speaker: Mr. & Mrs. Bruce & Mia Yamamoto, Certified “Smart Discipline” Presenter (This event’s focus is more for parent with elementary aged children)
April 28:  “Navigating Sexuality & Dating” 
Speaker: Mr. Tony West and Mrs. Cory Huff, Healthy Choices

Register for Parent University

Writing Across Curriculum

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Writing Across Curriculum PLC

In a continued effort to challenge our students and help them grow academically, several of our elementary and secondary teachers have been working collaboratively to improve our writing curriculum on a school-wide scale. The goal is to create a set of standards that are designed to establish a cohesive, unified, and consistent approach to research and writing that can be implemented in all subject areas, across all grade levels. 

To this end, the teachers have been working to:

  • Identify grade-specific writing skills currently being taught.
  • Establish a list of research and writing skills each student should have mastered by the time they graduate.
  • Create a dynamic and useful tool that can be utilized from 1st – 12th grade.
  • Develop a writing workshop that will be part of our February faculty in-service day.

 

WUWD2020

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You made it! You watched through the entire What’s Up @ Westlake Digital 2020 edition!

By filling out this form, you’re confirming that you watched the entirety of the video. You will also be entered into a raffle for the chance to win a set of Apple AirPods! If you would like for your student(s) to receive a free Dress Down Pass, please be sure to provide their name and grade below. (Dress Down Passes are only available for students in K – 12th grade.)

Thank you for taking the time to stay informed with everything happening at Westlake!

WU@W Digital 2020

Pop Bottle Greenhouse

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Environmental Initiatives:

Our Professional Learning Communities are working toward helping our students be more environmentally conscious. They’re working toward three different initiatives: a pop bottle greenhouse, a school garden built from trough containers, and composting.

We Need Your Help to Build a Pop Bottle Greenhouse!

Westlake has put in a grant request from the Lake County Farm Bureau for funds to build a pop bottle greenhouse for our school but we need the pop bottles donated from our families. Please bring any 2 litter pop bottles (any color, washed, with the label removed) to the office to be a part of the project! 

Other ways you can help next spring include: coaching students on the final construction, helping with the foundation, and donating shelving. When completed, classes of all ages can use the greenhouse in plant studies and in preparation for our school container garden this spring and summer.

School Garden:

Westlake is excited to introduce the idea of community gardening. The goal is to include all Westlake students, families and our surrounding community to be involved in the process, eventually having our garden become a blessing to others in need.

Composting:

Our second grade students are learning all about composting, what food waste can be composted and what can’t. As they continue to learn more and more, they will use that knowledge to help create fertile soil for our school garden.

Questions?

Email Mrs. O’Malley

Take the Towel – Service Learning Opportunities

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This year’s spiritual emphasis theme is Take the Towel – choosing to serve others out of the overflow of our love for God. Next week is our Spiritual Emphasis Week and our junior high and high school students will have two opportunities to walk out that theme.

On Monday, January 27, students will be going to Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff. This will be our first time as a large group partnering with this organization. Bernie’s Book Bank sources, processes and distributes quality new and gently used children’s books to significantly increase book ownership among at-risk infants, toddlers, and school-age children throughout Chicagoland. 2019 was their 10th anniversary and 17 million books have been distributed through them since their inception.

If you would like to donate new or gently used children’s books (sorry, no spiritual themes allowed) for us to bring on January 27, please bring them to the office. If you’d like to be a driver for this trip, please contact the office.

Then on Thursday, January 30, they will all head out to Feed My Starving Children’s (FMSC) Libertyville packing warehouse and serve there. Help fund our Feed-My-Starving-Children service project on Thursday, January 30.

Here are a few interesting statistics from FMSC:

  • $88 feeds a child for a year; a dollar a day (or $365) feeds an entire family
  • $52 is the average value of food produced/packed per person in a two-hour service period
  • $3600 is the approximate value of food Westlake will pack on January 30

Would you consider contributing to support FMSC’s efforts?

  • Fast for lunch on January 30 and contribute the cost of your lunch
  • Give out of your own resources
  • Adults: we’d love to have you join us in transporting and/or packing. If you are available, please contact the office.

Donations are tax-deductible and checks can be made to Feed My Starving Children. We would like to bring our donation with us on that day, so if you are planning on giving and give ahead of time that would make it convenient for us to include it on our service project day. Donations can be dropped off in the office.

Parking Lot Procedures

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Arrival and Dismissal

Westlake has an established traffic flow for arrival and dismissal for the purpose of safety and efficiency. Please view the maps below for traffic patterns. The arrival traffic flow is somewhat different from the dismissal traffic flow.

Drivers should drive slowly (no more than 5mph) and not double park. Please remain in the line and do not try and pass vehicles that are still stopped in front of you. Watch for children, especially in the parking lot. 

Please note: Grayslake Police may ticket anyone who parks on any portion of a municipal sidewalk.

Illinois law prohibits driver use of cell phones in school zones, including dropping off or picking up students.

Arrival

Please note that all times below are for Monday–Thursday. Fridays follow the Late Start timeline.

All students should plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before the start of school so that they can prepare for the day. Parents, please allow ample time to drive carefully and slowly through our drop-off line each morning.

Extended Care  —  Drop-off is from 7:00–7:50 at the front door. Preschool–6th grade students should enter the door and proceed directly to the cafeteria. Please register online for extended care.

Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten  —  Drop-off is from 8:10-8:30, and class begins at 8:30. Parents should park and walk their student to the end of the ramp by the yellow building. Students arriving between 7:50–8:10 may be dropped off at the front door of the main building for no extra charge. They should enter the main door and proceed directly to the cafeteria. 

If you have students in both elementary and our Early Learning Center, please first drop off your elementary student at the front door, then pull around the building and park in the spots along the ELC building to walk your child in. Please don’t park and allow elementary students to walk across the parking lot.

Elementary (K-6)  —  Drop-off is from 8:00-8:20, and class begins at 8:20.  Parents should follow the drop-off line through the parking lot. Students should go to their locker and then directly to the classroom. Students arriving between 7:50–8:00 am should go directly to the cafeteria (no extra charge after 7:50 am).

Secondary (7-12)  —  Arrival is from 8:00-8:15. Students should go to their locker and then directly to their classroom. School begins at 8:15. Students who arrive before 8:00 am should go directly to the lower level, Room 3.

Late Start Friday: School starts at 9:00 am for everyone. Please visit the Late Start Friday page for additional details.

Dismissal

Family Number Cards will be distributed at Back-to-School Night. Parents/guardians must have this card displayed in the front window of their vehicle in order to pick up a student in Preschool through 6th grade. 

Elementary School ends at 3:10pm. The pick-up window is 3:10–3:30pm. This means that you may arrive at any time during this window to pick up your student. You do not need to be present and waiting in line prior to 3:10pm. Any elementary school students remaining after 3:30 p.m. will be escorted to the After School Care program. Required fees will be assessed.

Junior and Senior High School ends at 3:20 p.m. Students are expected to leave the building no later than 3:40 p.m., unless they are participating in a Westlake activity or responsibility. Junior and Senior High students remaining after 3:30 p.m. must report to a supervised area.

Half-day dismissal is 11:30 am. Except on Late Start Fridays, when it is 12:00 pm.

Due to legal and liability issues, students are not allowed in the building before or after designated school hours, unless they are participating in a school-sponsored activity, assignment or event.

Arrival: Preschool/Pre-K

Arrival: Kindergarten–12th

Dismissal: Half-Day (PS, PK, Kindergarten)

Dismissal: Elementary (1st–6th) & Full-Day PS/PK/K

Dismissal: Secondary (7th–12th)

Dismissal: All-School Half-Day

Extended Care Pick-Up (PS–6th)

 

275 South Lake Street
Grayslake, IL 60030
(847) 548-6209