Dear Whitefish Christian Academy Families,
In an attempt to recap some of this year’s most memorable milestones, I happily compiled a not-so-short list of our Academy’s accomplishments to share with you. As a result, this end-of-year letter may be lengthier than the previous letters you’ve received from me. I invite you, nonetheless, to take a look at some of our school’s accomplishments here below.
At the year’s start in September, we introduced two new curricular initiatives in our lower grades. First, we launched a language arts curriculum, Into Reading, which has further bolstered the culture of reading within the walls of our school. In addition to that program, our very own Mrs. Corey Gildersleeve, our Science Chair, developed and implemented her much-loved nature study program with grades K-3. That program has gotten our younger students outside more often, and has allowed them to explore the world around them in meaningful, hands-on ways.
Our older students also took to the outdoors, but they did so on horseback. Our WCA Horsemanship Program at Lost Creek Ranch, taught by Ms. Chanel Olson, has given our upper school students the unique opportunity to learn about horses and horseback riding in our beautiful Montana setting. It’s our hope to continue this program for many years to come.
As relating to athletics, our 5th/6th girls basketball team brought home the 3rd place trophy in their Flathead Valley Rural League Tournament, while our 5th/6th boys earned the League’s Sportsmanship Award. In competition against much larger schools, our sports teams in volleyball, basketball and cross country not only held their own, but achieved great success.
Then recently, we had the immense pleasure of graduating our largest 8th grade class to date. Our eight graduates, some of whom have attended the Academy since Pre-K, have accomplished many things worthy of recognition this past year. One of the most memorable of those accomplishments was their successful shoe drive. Our students collected eighty pairs of shoes that were donated to the Warming Center in Kalispell, MT. We are so thankful for these graduates of ours, and wish them the best as they enter high school.
In terms of the future of our school, one of the most rewarding accomplishments of the year was our confirmed accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Our Board Chair, Joe Krezowski, has recently written you about that same news, but I thought I’d inform you of some of the practical ways in which our ACSI accreditation will enrich our academic community. The following are only several of those ways:
Learning Resources: ACSI provides time-tested materials and guidance to teachers so that our teachers may better identify the learning needs of each of their students.
Strategic Plans: In its experience and expertise, ACSI serves as a valuable sounding board for all our Academy’s long-term visions and plans.
Standard Setting: Our ACSI accreditation ensures that we meet the same, clearly-set standards of the best, most rigorous schools in our nation. Towards that end, our school will submit detailed curriculum maps and annual reports to ACSI to affirm our curriculum mirrors our high goals.
In view of our elementary and middle school wins, in the big accomplishments and the small, I’m gratefully reminded that it’s been a blessed year here at Whitefish Christian Academy.
Most of all, I am thankful for you, our WCA students and families. I pray you all have a wonderful summer!
Blessings,
Rachel Erickson
Head of School