To: Middle School Families

From: Beth Fletcher and Dave Breslin

Topic: Welcome to the Williamsburg Christian Academy Middle School!

Both of us welcome you and your family to WCA’s new middle school program!  We are extremely excited to have you as a part of the middle school family and we are praying for your kids as they prepare for the school year ahead.

We want to touch base and let you know some important middle school specific information.  One of the things we wanted to do this summer was design a middle school model that included the solid things that have been done at WCA in the past while at the same time, introduce new systems and programs designed to make our 6^th through 8^th grades truly unique and special.  We know the middle school years are a challenging, yet exciting time in the lives of your kids.  Our job as a middle school team is to partner with you so that each middle school child will receive the very best experience possible.  We are determined to make the WCA middle school program a model for Christian schools throughout the country.

Beth will be the Head of the Middle School and the Upper School, and she will be responsible for the day to day operation of the division, which includes the discipline system, teachers, and schedules. Dave has 23 years of experience in middle school education, most recently as principal of a middle school populated with over 300 kids, and he will be handling the programming, curriculum, and division vision elements as we move forward.  Together, we are excited to bring WCA’s middle school to the next level from an academic, social, and spiritual standpoint and we are determined to start doing this in August.

We are really blessed with a terrific and talented faculty at WCA.  Our middle school faculty for 2016-2017:

• Mike Daly: Pre-algebra, Algebra 1
• Scott Jones-Physical Education
• Michelle Kelley-6^th and 7^th grade Bible
• Chelsea Meisinger-8^th Bible
• Susan Rodenberg-6^th English, 6^th American History, 7^th English, and 8^th grade Civics
• Christopher Schleif-7^th Physical Science
• Dan Stec-7^th American History & 8^th English
• Kristie Van Housen-6^th Math, 7^th Math, 8^th Math, 8^th Earth Science, & Odyssey of the Mind
• Jessica Westmoreland-6^th Life Science

Some new things to be aware of:

• The WCA website now has a specific middle school section (under the Academics link) that will contain valuable information about schedules, supplies, curriculum, faculty/staff, and special announcements. Check the website throughout the summer as this section, and the entire site, grows!

• Attached, please see a specific activity and program schedule filled with events just for our middle school community. We know that middle school kids have to have outlets to express themselves and opportunities to explore who they are in Christ.  Each activity is specifically designed to help achieve those goals, and we hope that the special activities for our middle schoolers throughout the year will add much to their experience.  More information will follow on each program and activity through Beth’s weekly newsletter that will start in August.

• Throughout the year, Dave will be leading our school through a process called Curriculum Engineering. This is a process that involves a thorough examination of the current academic program. The process creates opportunities for strategic tweaks and wholesale changes to our academic program.  Our process is research based and will be created so it fits nicely into the context of our school, meaning it will be designed around WCA’s mission, core values, and culture.  The process also involves full training for our teachers on how to teach the curriculum through various methods so that each child will be set up for academic growth and success.  The end result will be rigorous and meaningful academic experiences that are designed to increase student learning so that kids achieve mastery in their studies.  This process has already begun, and will continue throughout the year.  Please keep your eyes open for updates on our Curriculum Engineering project.

• As we increase programs and opportunities, we would love for parents and families to volunteer their time and talents to help make each event the best they can be. Please be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities!

• Our first special middle school event will be our Middle School Years seminar on the evening of September 8^th from 7:00-8:30 in the school library. This will be the first in a series of parent seminars that will take place throughout the year called “Parent U”.  The Middle School Years will be led by Dave and will be a powerful session designed to give middle school parents encouragement, helpful tips, and resources that can be used to navigate the challenging years between 6^th and 8^th  This seminar, along with all “Parent U” programs, are free of charge.

• We are excited to welcome back a middle school Student Council (SCA). Elections will be held in early September.  Information about the elections will be included in a newsletter from Beth in August.

• We are in the process of evaluating our middle school athletic and fine arts programs. As enrollment increases, we would like to increase offerings in both areas as we know many kids find parts of their identities in Christ in these areas.  We want to offer as many opportunities as we can, yet we will not sacrifice quality with quantity.  As we evaluate these programs, we certainly welcome your thoughts and opinions!

• We are tweaking the middle school schedule on our Tuesday and Thursday block days. On most of those days, we will be shortening the final period from an hour and a half to an hour and ten minutes so that we can introduce two new middle school programs (please note that dismissal times on Tuesdays and Thursdays will not change).  During certain times of the year, such as the time period around exams and special events, our two new programs may not meet for that week.

Our two new programs:

ADVISORY…Middle school kids will be assigned an advisor and they will meet in their advisory groups most Tuesdays.  Advisory groups will talk about important and middle school appropriate topics as a group.  Advisors will monitor each student’s performance in and out of class, and will serve as a strong link between home and school.  Advisors will also serve as spiritual mentors to their advisees.

COMMUNITY GATHERING…On most Thursdays, Beth and Dave will lead a community meeting for all middle school students in the auditorium.  This will be a time for the middle school community to meet weekly to encourage, pray and hear pertinent announcements about activities, schedules, and special events.  Programs led by the middle school SCA will occur at this time as well.

Many thanks for being a part of this exciting new chapter in WCA.  We truly believe the middle school will soar to new heights this year, and we look forward to working with you and your kids in creating something truly special for their middle school years.  Be blessed and let us know if we can help you in any way.

In Christ,

Beth and Dave