WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OUR ACADEMICS
From 2014/15
At Westminster Christian Academy, high-caliber academics go hand in hand with the cultivation of Christian faith and character. Too often, Christian schooling is marked by the idea that academic quality and Christian nurture lie at opposite ends of the same spectrum – that a school’s strength rests in either one area or the other. At Westminster Christian Academy, however, high-caliber academics go hand in hand with the cultivation of Christian faith and character. Our mission to prepare students to engage the world and change it for Jesus Christ requires us to be excellent in both of these areas. We see our students as future teachers, doctors, pastors, engineers, artists, athletes, writers, missionaries, and other professionals, all of which require quality academic preparation from grade seven through senior year. It is this preparation, excellent instruction in every subject area, which prepares them to understand and engage the world God created. 1
AP COURSES Art History / Biology / Calculus (AB) & (BC) / Chemistry / French IV & V / Literature / Music Theory / Physics 1 & 2 / Spanish IV & V / Statistics / United States Government & Politics / United States History
HONORS COURSES Algebra II / American Literature / Biology / Chemistry / Expository Writing / French III / Geometry / Literature of Western Civilization / Pre-Calculus / Physics / Spanish I, II, & III / Western Civilization
462 / 63% ENROLLED IN AP AND/OR HONORS COURSES ACT 32.4 Average of top 25%
99% COLLEGE-BOUND* 97% 4-YEAR COLLEGEBOUND*
*Class of 2015
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SELECTIVE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS Percentage denotes acceptance rate for 2015. Note that some students were accepted to more than one university.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (13%)
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - AUSTIN (28%)
Drew Straub, Hannah Geisz, Ciarra Peters
Baxter Estes
CORNELL UNIVERSITY (14%)
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (31%)
Dongbin Lee
Ethan Finn, Ciarra Peters, Madison Stoecker
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (15%)
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (32%)
Dongbin Lee
Grace Burzinski, Ethan Finn, Eli Parham, Sam Parham,
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS (16%)
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (33%)
Eli Parham, Sam Parham, Chrissy Talent,
Alex Kessel, Dongbin Lee, Thomas Meyer
Sam Peterman, Ciarra Peters
Madison Stoecker
SWARTHMORE COLLEGE (17%)
CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY SAN LUIS OBISPO (34%)
Juhyae Kim
Bailey Hiatt
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL (18% )
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY (37%) Hannah Gilmore, Jon Lauer
Trent Briden
WHEATON COLLEGE (65%) BABSON COLLEGE (28%) Madison Stoecker
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Jacob Chimento, Kathryn Hinrichs, Ashley Klein, Madison Massot, Madaline Ross
Eli and Sam have used summers and weekends over the past several years to apply their knowledge of engineering, cultivated at Westminster, to rebuild a ’65 Mustang.
PREPARED FOR THE CHALLENGE Eli and Sam Parham ’15 attend University of Michigan Sam and Eli Parham recently left for the
went to Westminster and it has always been
University of Michigan where they are both
a passion, but at Westminster, teachers like
enrolled in the school’s intensive engineering
Dr. Shaw and Ms. Moore really made a great
program, ranked second in the nation. While
impact on me. Dr. Shaw’s thoughtful comments
the twins had not intended to attend the same
on worldviews behind a physics principle
university and were accepted to a number of
have helped me to think more deeply about
others such as Washington University in St.
science in general. Ms. Moore’s fun projects and
Louis, they were both highly impressed after
class environment have facilitated fun learning
their visit to Michigan’s campus. “When we
experiences.
both got accepted, we were surprised and slightly comforted to know that we’d be going
SAM: Westminster played a significant role
together!” says Sam. Equipped with key skills
in preparing me for college. Although my
and knowledge gained through Westminster’s
parents taught me character and motivation,
intensive engineering program, the twins were
Westminster did a good job of reinforcing
eager to begin the next chapter.
these traits with demanding classes and challenging athletics. In terms of engineering, I
HOW DID WESTMINSTER PREPARE
learned a lot from my involvement in courses
YOU FOR THE ENGINEERING
such as Applied Scientific Research and
PROGRAM AT MICHIGAN?
Principles of Engineering. Also, science classes such as Honors Chemistry and AP Physics
ELI: Westminster’s STEM program
really challenged me and helped me develop
strengthened my knowledge of engineering. I
skills for times when the going gets rough.
knew I was going to be an engineer before I OUR ACADEMICS
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ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES ACADEMIC TEAMS AND COMPETITIONS
American Invitational · FIRST Robotics Team · Mathematics Competition · World Quest · National History Day · Scholar Bowl Team · Senior Physics Competition · We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
ACADEMIC CLUBS
French · History · Science and Engineering · Spanish
THE GIFTED PROGRAM In 2015-16, Westminster is piloting The Gifted Program, which provides services that meet the diverse social and academic needs of gifted students at Westminster. The Westminster Gifted Program, which will serve students entering 8th grade its pilot year, has been
We the People is a nationally acclaimed civic education program helping students understand the history, philosophies, and evolution of our government. An average of two
specially designed to assist those students who
dozen students participate annually and, following rigorous
demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude
preparation and state victories, have competed in the national
or competence in one or more domains with
competition in Washington, D.C., for the past 10 years.
accelerated and enriched learning.
Today, more than 100 students participate in our FIRST Robotics program (compared to 25 at the program’s inception in 2012) and work with Boeing engineers each year to design a robot to compete in the annual FIRST Robotics Competition on national and international levels.
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SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS 16,171,484 TOTAL SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS AWARDED
MORE THAN 70% GRADUATES WHO RECEIVED COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
NOTABLE FULL TUITION ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS »» Juhyae Kim was awarded a full academic scholarship to Swarthmore College through the QuestBridge program. She was among the top three percent of QuestBridge student applicants to receive a full scholarship. This four-year academic scholarship is valued in excess of $250,000.
Cierra Peters was the salutatorian for the Class of 2015. Juhyae Kim was the valedictorian for the Class of 2015.
»» Thomas Meyer received the Presidential Scholarship, awarding him full tuition, to the University of Alabama. »» Ciarra Peters was named a Northeastern The scholarship, awarded to the top 75
60 OF 176 GRADUATES RECEIVED SCHOLARS DIPLOMAS
students in the incoming freshman class of
Westminster awards the Scholars Diploma
5,000, grants full tuition.
to seniors who have achieved a grade point
University Scholar at Northeastern University.
average of 3.5 or above, earned 26 or more »» Jacob Waller received the Presidential Scholarship,
credits during four years of high school, and
a full-ride scholarship, to the University of Tulsa.
taken at least four AP classes.
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NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Westminster has had 16 National Merit Scholars and 31 Commended Scholars since 2010. Jacob Waller, this year’s scholar, falls in the top 1.5% of all seniors in the U.S. who took the test. 2015 – 1 National Merit Scholar / 5 Commended Scholars · 2012 – 3 National Merit Scholars / 5 Commended Scholars 2014 – 2 National Merit Scholars / 3 Commended Scholars · 2011 – 1 National Merit Scholar / 4 Commended Scholars 2013 – 3 National Merit Scholars / 5 Commended Scholars · 2010 – 6 National Merit Scholars / 9 Commended Scholars
Commended scholars for 2015 include
Alexander Hopkins, Zachary Hughes, Erin
Caroline Agan, Alexander Kessel, Ciarra Peters,
Levar, Rebecca Liu, Audrey O’Neill, Sarah
Kevin Stump, and Christine Talent.
Ragsdale, Matthew Rush, Timothy Sell, Sydney Thomas, and Haley Weinberg.
We began this program recognizing the juniors who achieved high scores on the PSAT which
As a result of their outstanding performance,
required an index score of 202 or higher.
these students have met the requirements to
These seniors have been recognized by the
enter the 2016 National Merit Scholarship
National Merit Scholarship Program for
Program. Of the 1.5 million students who took
exceptional academic promise.
the 2014 PSAT, only an approximate 50,000 received recognition for high test scores.
PSAT/NMSQT high performers for 2015 include Joseph Albertson, Elisabeth Harding,
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PRINCETON UNIVERSITY BOOK AWARD
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY CHEMISTRY EXAM HONORS
The Princeton Club of St. Louis sponsors the
Westminster students were recently
Princeton University Book Award, recognizing
recognized for outstanding placement on
Kaitlyn Mehlhouse, an individual who has
a regional chemistry exam administered
shown a strong personal commitment
by the American Chemical Society at the
to community service while maintaining
University of Missouri-St. Louis. Joey Albertson
excellence in his or her academics. Together,
placed fourth out of 99 of the top advanced
Princeton University believes that these
chemistry students in the St. Louis region. He
characteristics personify the Princeton
and four other top qualifiers will be honored
University motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s
at an upcoming ACS awards banquet on April
Service.”
13. Ethan Davitt was also recognized as the top scorer on the ASC exam for first-year
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LANGUAGES
chemistry students.
Distinguished Achievement Award for
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE
Excellence in Languages from the University of
Rebecca Liu is the 2015 recipient of the
Audrey O’Neill was recently awarded the
Missouri-St. Louis. Audrey was one of 19 from the St. Louis region to receive this prestigious award. Students were honored at a recent awards dinner held on the UMSL campus. Her participation in language-related research and extracurricular activities, in addition to completion of the National French Contest and an outstanding overall academic GPA of
Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Science. The award is presented by the University of Missouri-St. Louis to outstanding junior-level science students from area schools. Liu and other young scholars were recognized at an honorary banquet presented by the College of Arts and Sciences at the UMSL campus.
4.0, qualified Audrey for this award.
Rebecca was selected for her distinguished
Town & Country-Manchester Patch, May 2015
academic achievement and outstanding capabilities in science, including her
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS AWARD The following were recent recipients of the
participation in the STARS program the past two summers, FIRST Robotics, and the St. Louis Region Science Fair.
American Association of Physics Teachers Award: Matthew Moore, Hayden Shively, Alex Kessel, and Ben Linxwiler.
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STEM PROGRAM The STEM program begins in middle school when students create projects based upon science, technology, engineering, and math coursework.
Andrew Shaw, director of the Science
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
Department at Westminster, wrote his Ph.D.
programs a top priority due to a critical need
dissertation on the importance of science-
to better prepare students for the rigors of
related experiences at a young age in driving
higher education and the workplace. The need
the pursuit of a career in science. The paper
had become apparent in the huge numbers of
mentioned his own introduction to science
college freshmen who were dropping out of
and technology as a youngster, visiting
science and technology degree programs — in
museums with family and building a robotic
the range of 50 percent.
device with an erector set. Dr. Shaw says besides stronger coursework in Other career scientists interviewed for the
these disciplines in high school, these students
dissertation mentioned similar life experiences
need “hands-on” experiences.
as important in shaping their aspirations and work ethic. Westminster has made STEM
Roundtable: STEM coursework serves as bigger draw for students, St. Louis Business Journal, January 2015
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20 STUDENTS WITH STEM MAJOR/MINOR DISTINCTION
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AS RESEARCH SCIENTISTS (STARS)
MAJOR: Grace Burzinski, Cameron Dodge,
In summer 2015, Sabrina Bingham, Sydney
Baxter Estes, Ethan Finn, Steven Howell, Nathan Jackson, Alex Kessel, Dongbin Lee, Ben Linxwiller, Austin Mathai, Tom Meyer, Eli Parham, Sam Parham, Ciarra Peters, Drew Port, Rachel Ritter, Maddie Schuler, Graham Stanfill, Amber Terlouw MINOR: Josh De Groot
STEM AFTER GRADUATION More than 90% of students with a STEM distinction (or those who have taken STEM classes) go on to major in a science, engineering, or medical-related field. Westminster’s wide range of STEM course offerings have been the deciding factor for many prospective students and have piqued the interests of many current students. Rigorous exposure to challenging concepts ensures students are well prepared for their courses upon entering college and has given many an advantage over their college peers.
Thomas, and Megan Wibbenmeyer participated in the STARS program. STARS is a highly competitive six-week summer program in which students work with a mentor/scientist at a local university. Sabrina, Sydney, and Megan will generate research in their assigned fields, create a scholarly paper, and enjoy science seminars and collaborative activities along with a laboratory experience. Sabrina will study with Dr. Blythe Janowiak, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Saint Louis University, where she will compare gene expression patterns between species of Group B Streptococcus (GBS), the causative agent of neonatal meningitis. Sydney and Megan will be working with Dr. Michael Anch, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, at Saint Louis University. Their work will focus on the basic brain mechanisms of the etiology of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Rebecca Liu will be returning to STARS for the second year. She will be working with Dr. Eissenber at the Doisy Research Center at St. Louis University School of Medicine, where she will be involved in quantitative evaluations of three lysosomal enzymes in three genotypes at two developmental stages and across at least three pH conditions.
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ACHIEVERS IN THE ARTS A number of our creative and performing arts students are using their gifts in the studio and on stage after graduation.
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY - GRAPHIC DESIGN Caroline Agan ’15 MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC - VOCAL MUSIC Nicole Chung ’15 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Evans ’15 WEBSTER CONSERVATORY - THEATRE Harrison Farmer ’15 MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY - FINE ARTS Hannah Geisz ‘15 MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY - FINE ARTS Mary Heyl ’15 MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY - MUSIC EDUCATION Kathryn Hinrichs ’15 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY - THEATRE Drew Straub ’15
Seven Westminster students were chosen to participate in the 2015 season of the Muny including Drew Straub, Klarissa Sheffield, Harrison Farmer, Chris Lee, Mark Geisz, Alison Broadhurst, and Hannah Geisz.
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SMART SPORTS At the conclusion of the fall, winter, and spring seasons of 2014/15, the average individual athlete GPA fell between 3.4 and 3.5.
3.48
3.21 3.30
3.41
3.66 3.58
VARSITY GIRLS GOLF
VARSITY BOYS GOLF
3.60
VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL
JV GIRLS BASKETBALL
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
JV BOYS GOLF
3.44 3.25 3.33
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
HOCKEY
VARSITY FOOTBALL
JV FOOTBALL
3.65
VARSITY SOFTBALL
3.35 3.27 3.40
VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL
JV BOYS BASKETBALL
FRESHMEN BOYS BASKETBALL
3.43
3.53
3.68 3.59
WRESTLING
VARSITY DANCE
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER
3.35
3.60
3.47
3.58
3.16
JV BOYS LACROSSE
GIRLS TRACK
3.33 3.62
VARSITY BOYS TENNIS
JV BOYS TENNIS
3.22 3.05 3.59
VARSITY BASEBALL
JV BASEBALL
FRESHMEN BASEBALL
JV GIRLS SOCCER
3.69 3.37 3.41
BOYS TRACK
VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS
3.68
JV GIRLS TENNIS
VARSITY BOYS SOCCER
JV BOYS SOCCER
3.60 3.09
VARSITY BOYS VOLLEYBALL
3.49
JV FIELD HOCKEY
JV BOYS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS SWIM
GIRLS SWIM
3.53 3.63 3.57
VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
JV GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
FRESHMAN GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
3.59 3.70
VARSITY CHEER
JV CHEER