The Trojan Spring 2021

Wesleyan Recommended for ACSI Exemplary Accreditation

Dear Wesleyan Family,

We are humbled and grateful to the Lord for his great blessings on Wesleyan throughout 2020 and 2021. As we reported in the 2019-2020 Annual Report, Wesleyan Christian Academy was honored to receive full accreditation from the highly respected Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA) in early 2020.

Throughout the Christian education marketplace, accredited CESA schools are acknowledged as being some of the best Christian independent schools in the nation. In fact, with this accreditation, Wesleyan became one of only 44 Christian schools in the United States to have secured CESA accreditation.

In addition to CESA, Wesleyan has dual accreditation by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Cognia, formerly AdvancED. Wesleyan has enjoyed accreditation in both of these organizations for years, yet it was our leadership’s desire to continue to seek select accreditations that would not only give Wesleyan students a significant edge into admissions and scholarship opportunities with the most competitive U.S. colleges, but that would also provide increased levels of transparency and accountability in all facets of the school.

To do so, Wesleyan’s administration and Board of Directors informed ACSI that it wished to seek the organization’s

highest rank of “Exemplary Accreditation”. To receive this accreditation, our administration developed an in-depth report that laid out detailed evidence explaining how Wesleyan had met or exceeded ACSI’s key standards in addition to self-identifying our strengths and opportunities for growth. Our administration also conducted extensive research that guided our planning for bench-marking and procedures to excel in those identified areas of growth.

The final step was to create an opportunity for ACSI’s Accreditation Team to meet with our Board, administration, faculty, staff, students and parents. During the week of March 25, 2021, the team visited our campus for several days to do just that.

We are excited to share with you that after a very thorough and collegial visit, the ACSI Accreditation team has recommended Wesleyan Christian Academy for “Exemplary Accreditation”—an honor bestowed on just 17 of its 2,800 Christian member schools worldwide.

As part of this process, the accrediting organization lays out specific standards and it is the job of the school to demonstrate that it has met or exceeded each standard through data, interviews, an on-site visit, curriculum and testing results. Per the Accreditation Team, Wesleyan

ACSI ACCREDITATION TEAM HAS RECOMMENDED WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FOR “EXEMPLARY ACCREDITATION” —AN HONOR BESTOWED ON JUST 17 OF ITS 2,800 CHRISTIAN MEMBER SCHOOLS.

" ... A DIMENSION OF WCA’S EXCELLENCE, OR ‘GOLD IN THE BANK’ AS IT IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO, IS THE FACULTY."

- ACSI ACCREDITATION TEAM

met or exceeded all of its “Exemplary Schools” criteria—a phenomenal accomplishment!

Wesleyan’s ability to secure this recommendation truly lies in the excellence, maturity, and commitment of our faculty, staff and School Board. Per the post-visit report provided by the team, they agreed: “... a dimension of WCA’s excellence, or ‘gold in the bank’ as it is sometimes referred to, is the faculty. WCA’s teachers are dedicated to their academic areas, but they are even more committed to the students they teach.”

Acknowledging that over 50% of Wesleyan’s faculty possesses advanced degrees, the report adds, “WCA’s faculty is highly qualified, deeply committed to the mission of WCA and effectively sharing the love of Christ with students.”

Possibly their highest commendation, came with an observation about our campus culture: “It was a privilege to visit a school where excellence is the norm. From the classroom of the youngest student to the conversations with the leadership and board, it was clear to see that ‘To Know and Live the Truth’ is more than just the coffee-cup version of the mission statement. It characterizes the school through its hiring, decision making, teaching and interactions.”

ACSI not only assesses academics, spiritual formation, and school culture, but also what it calls ‘school viability’. In their report, the team stated, “The school is strong, well-led, and has a realistic vision for growth in the community.” The team was especially impressed with our commitment to academic distinction, professional development, and biblical integration throughout our

programming, while simultaneously dedicating ourselves to remaining affordable for families.

As mentioned earlier, part of every accreditation process involves outlining areas to build upon and implement plans for continued improvement. We were pleased to find that those areas we had self-identified through this process and through our strategic planning — expansion of high school counseling services and identifying a senior leadership position for curriculum development and instruction—were consistent with ACSI’s findings. Further, we look forward to continuing to strengthen our academic distinction and assessment tools and developing a sound evaluation tool to better gauge and monitor our students’ spiritual formation.

Finally, the ACSI team noted, “One of the overwhelming qualities of the WCA community environment is the community that families, students, and faculty and staff find at WCA. The relationships that make this special come from a group of people who share similar values and who truly value others more highly than themselves.”

As many alumni and current families may agree, we’ve always believed that we had something very special here that set Wesleyan apart; but to have this affirmed by individuals who regularly visit and interact with schools throughout the world is very encouraging!

Dr. Rob Brown, Head of School

Cover photography: Blythe Glover

2-3 Letter from the Head of School Wesleyan Recommended for ACSI Exemplary Accreditation

5-6 Academics | LEARNING AT EVERY LEVEL Students at Every Age and Stage are Succeeding

7 Alumni | CONGRATULATIONS! Engagements, Weddings, Birth Announcements and More...

8-9 Development | AGG GOLF TOURNAMENT

What a Great Day at This Year's AGG Nelson O. Silver Golfer's Challenge

10 We Are Wesleyan | ACCOMPLISHMENTS Current Students & Alumni Pursue Excellence

11-13 Athletics | INAUGURAL WCA GOLF TOURNAMENT Golf Team Host 1st Tournament

14-17 Campus Life | HOMECOMING

A Great Week of School Spirit, Community & Excitement

18-20 Fine Arts | SPRING MUSICAL GOES VIRTUAL Limited In-Person & New On-Demand Option Allow Hundreds to Watch Annie!

21-23 Spiritual Life | STUDENTS & STAFF MINISTER Significant Outreach Efforts Accomplished

* Feature Stories

* Early Education Center Stories

Our sincere thanks goes to Blythe Glover Photography for serving as the official photographer for Wesleyan Christian Academy. We also thank Nip Pesayanavin for his wonderful contributions.

Disclaimer: Any photographs of students taken without a face covering signifies one of three things: 1) students removed their face coverings momentarily for the purpose of taking the photograph, 2) students were involved in athletic activities, or 3) images were taken outdoors with students less than six feet apart for a very brief period, meeting CDC guidelines.

Wesleyan Christian Academy

SPANISH HONOR SOCIETY

Congratulations to the 24 sophomores, juniors, and seniors who were recently inducted into Wesleyan's Chapter of the Spanish Honor Society! During the induction ceremony, each student received a certificate and a Spanish Honor Society cord and pin to be worn during their graduation.

According to Wesleyan's High School Spanish teacher and Society sponsor, Charwyne Baker, the goal of the Society is to honor students enrolled in UpperLevel Spanish Classes who demonstrate exemplary achievement. These students must be enrolled in either Spanish III or IV and must have an A- average or better in all Spanish coursework and a B average or better in all other coursework, not including Spanish classes, to meet the requirements for membership.

academics

Learning at Every Level

"I HAVE NO GREATER JOY THAN TO HEAR THAT MY CHILDREN ARE WALKING IN THE TRUTH." 3 JOHN 1:4

MRS. ALEXANDER’S AP BIOLOGY CLASS

Mrs. Alexander’s AP Biology class took advantage of an oftenoverlooked dimension of the classroom...the windows! Student groups created visual representations of the biogeochemical cycles right on the glass using window markers. Sometimes, changing things up just a little can make all the difference in students' ability to grasp a concept.

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS WINNERS CONGRATULATIONS

to our Elementary Battle of the Books (BOB) Team, your 2021 Battle of the Books State Champions!

After several months of preparation, Dawson Conrad, Jordyn Ousley, Katy Stevens, Garrett Raynor, Joseph Ray, Brinley Orman, Alyssa Cloutier, Lily Garrison, Cait Borden, Kyla Denton, Brady Smith, and Isabella Mae Arvin worked together to defeat three schools in the regional competition by 9 points! Next up, with a score of 139, the team secured the State Championship title by outperforming

Asheville Christian Academy and Davidson Day.

Thanks to our coaches, Media Center Specialist Emily Mack and Enrichment Teacher Lauren Miller, for their time and dedication!

ENRICHMENT ECONOMICS SPEAKER

Dr. Barry Cheek, husband of Enrichment Center teacher Lisa Cheek spoke to our 11th grade Government and Economics Enrichment classes on a variety of topics, including supply and demand, creating wealth, trade agreements, and economic theories.

BABY QUAILS

HATCHED! Students loved the opportunity they had to watch baby quails make their way out of their shells and into the world! We aren’t sure who was more excited— the teachers or the students!! Six (6) Wesleyan classes participated in a study about embryology via the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office by incubating and caring for several quail eggs in each classroom. These beautiful small birds arrived in Mrs. Schram's, Mrs. Derr's, Mrs. Brand's, Mrs. Gottwalt's, Mrs. Ray's, and Mrs. Harrell's classrooms, and their students were thrilled! The experience of watching the development of life was a joy for everyone to see!

READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK

Wesleyan grandparent Tom Eller reads "Go Dog Go!" to his granddaughters' Early Education Center Pre-K Class during Read Across America Week!

academics

Exploring Their

World

Our fourth graders had a chance to explore the world of topography with their teacher, STEM Director Joel Steindel, via topography maps and the augmented reality sandbox. Students compared the topographical maps to standard maps, giving them an entirely new perspective. From Mt. St. Helens to Mt. Everest and the Appalachian Mountains, these students took a "trip" around the world to see some of the most interesting topography on the planet.

Friends Around the Globe Read to Students!

Thanks to Mrs. Mack, our Media Center specialist, our elementary students had the opportunity to have Wesleyan friends representing 20 countries and 7 continents read aloud to them in their classrooms with the help of technology!

Some of the recorded readings from friends in Australia, Sweden, Hungary, and Zambia were read to Mrs. Derr’s class! What an amazing day for our students to hear from friends on the other side of the globe in real-time. Other locations represented included Albania, Antarctica, Brazil, California, England, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, New Jersey, Nova Scotia, Panama, Singapore, and Turkey!

According to Scholastic Books, "For 12 years, World Read Aloud Day has called attention to the importance of sharing stories and reading aloud. The global effort is celebrated annually in more than 173 countries. World Read

Aloud Day is about bringing people together through stories – even more important this year when the shared experience and connection of reading aloud is so needed in all of our communities."

alumni

Alumni News!

Ashton Nicole Prillaman (WCA class of 2013) got engaged to Jessie Overby on April 10, 2021.

Brandt Bronico (WCA class of 2013) married Rebecca Beatty on December 18, 2020.

Heath Andrews (WCA class of 2011) married Heather Wagner on March 18, 2021.

Kevin Jones (WCA class of 2013) was recognized by the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association for

his quick life saving CPR and O2 administration which resulted in a positive outcome for an urgent care patient. Thank you Kevin for demonstrating that AT’s are essential in healthcare.

Steve Denny (WCA class of 1997) is now serving as Head of School at Lighthouse Christian School in Twin Falls, Idaho. His wife Rebecca is an Educational Consultant for The Center for Collaborative Classroom. They have loved serving in Christian education together since their time at

Birth Announcements

The following alumni have welcomed new babies into the world recently:

Wesleyan and have enjoyed working at schools in Tennessee and Florida as well as their recent move to Idaho. Their children are Isaac: 17, Micah: 15, Thaddeus: 10.

John Petree

Class of 2006

(Baby: John Hawks Petree)

Thomas Speight

Class of 2005

(Baby: Tucker Mills Speight)

Bo Yokely

Class of 2006

(Baby: Evie Grace Yokely)

John Hawks Petree

Tucker Mills Speight

Evie Grace Yokely

Ashton Nicole Prillaman Brandt Bronico Heath Andrews

Kevin Jones

Steve Denny and family

development

AGG Nelson O. Silver Golfers’ Challenge

"GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER." PSALM 118: 29

Wow, what a gorgeous day for a golf outing with our corporate partners! This year, we made the decision to move the golf tournament from October to April 26, 2021. Our hope was that we could have as normal a tournament as possible. In God’s perfect timing, the pandemic restrictions were eased, allowing for two shotgun starts. The weather was gorgeous, and it was a great time of fellowship. Many thanks to our corporate partners for their support!

THANK YOU! On a personal note, we want to thank every student, family, and donor for their support. We also greatly appreciate the hard work of the AGG committee parent volunteers and the administration for being so supportive. The funds from AGG are vital to the school, and the committee strives to ensure that everything we do honors the Lord. It has been a great school year, and we hope you have a wonderful summer!

are wesleyan we

Former Chicago Fire Midfielder and WCA

Attorney Jake Warner, WCA alum, was featured on CBN News outlining the Alliance Defending Freedom’s work on the behalf of Colorado baker, Jack Phillips.

Brand Bronico returned home to NC after being recruited to continue his Major League Soccer career with the Charlotte Football Club!

SENIOR DAVIDSON DEW WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (DAR) AWARD!

SENIOR SARAH HUNEYCUTT WAS NAMED THE ROTARY CLUB STUDENT OF THE MONTH IN APRIL 2021.

JAKE WARNER (2003) SPOKESMAN FOR ADF ON CBN NEWS

Alum,

BRANDT BRONICO (2013) CHARLOTTE FOOTBALL CLUB

athletics WCA Golf Team Hosts Inaugural Tournament

"WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK AT IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AS WORKING FOR THE LORD, NOT FOR HUMAN MASTERS." COLOSSIANS 3:23

The Wesleyan Golf Team hosted its first inaugural golf tournament on April 29 at Grandover Resort. Eleven teams entered, and the tournament began with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Teams came from Charlotte, Raleigh,

and Virginia to play in this tournament. The winning team received a trophy, and medals were given to the top three individual finishers. The WCA golf team placed 4th overall, and Ethan Wooten finished in a three-

way tie for 3rd place. Thanks to our coach, Dusty Lucas, for all his efforts to organize the tournament. Many thanks to the parents that volunteered to make this a first-class Wesleyan event!

athletics Winter Athletic Teams

"AS IRON SHARPENS IRON, SO ONE PERSON SHARPENS ANOTHER." PROVERBS 27:17

Thanks to LifeTouch photography, we were able to take these team photos this year! Coaches' orders were to "Sit down, take off your mask, smile, and put it back on!" In less than 30 seconds, we were done with each team and moving on to the next! Way to go Trojans!

Varsity Cheerleaders

MS Boys Basketball (Gold)

Varsity Boys Basketball

Varsity Girls Basketball

MS Girls Basketball

MS Boys Basketball (Red)

JV Boys Basketball

Varsity Girls & Boys Swimming

VARSITY GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Winter Athletic Awards

Coach's Award Madison Tat

Most Improved Player Sarah Chrapliwy

Most Valuable Player Lily Pereira

VARSITY BOYS' BASKETBALL

Most Valuable Player Isaiah Ray

Most Valuable Player Kade Darr

Most Improved Player Alex McGee

Coach's Award Cameron Parker

VARSITY GIRLS' SWIMMING

Most Valuable Swimmer Caroline McNairy

Most Improved Swimmer Katie Kirkman

Coach's Award Lauren Hale

VARSITY BOYS' SWIMMING

Most Valuable Swimmer Harrison Gardner

Most Improved Swimmer Monty Armstrong

Coach's Award Aaron Satko

signing day

VARSITY CHEERLEADING

Most Valuable Cheerleader Alexandra Cunningham

Most Improved Cheerleader Emma Gilchrist

Most Spirited Award Lillie Sarkisian

Coach's Award Alexis Smith

JV BOYS' BASKETBALL

Most Valuable Player Jordan Dancy

Most Improved Player Hunt Jardina

Coach's Award Christian Little

MS BOYS' BASKETBALL (RED)

Most Improved Player Grant Davis

Coach's Award Mac Mills

MS BOYS' BASKETBALL (GOLD)

Most Improved Player Nearius Reyna

Coach's Award Will Gonzalez

MS GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Most Improved Player Lucy Gonzalez

Coach's Award Ashley Hawley

Second Round of College Commits

campus life

Wesleyan’s First Spring Homecoming!

STUDENTS AND FACULTY AGREE, IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!

As far as Wesleyan traditions go, there’s just nothing quite like Homecoming Week. Our first Spring Spirit Week rolled out in April this year. From the moment students arrived on campus for the Homecoming Parade, Pep Rally and all the festivities, their excitement was palpable! The students carried their enthusiasm to our Sandy Ridge Campus for a packed night at the JV and Varsity boys baseball games against Carmel Christian. Homecoming Week culminated in the crowning of our 2020-2021 Homecoming Queen, Eden Reitnour and Princess Morgan Downs.

Thanks to Dr. Brown, Mr. Rickman, and the faculty, staff and PTO who pulled out every stop possible to make this a reality for our students in an unusual year – it’s one Homecoming that will not soon be forgotten.

campus life

Remembering Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Parade

“BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.” MATTHEW 23:39

Leading into Holy Week, our 1st graders blessed the entire elementary school and Wesleyan staff with the annual Triumphal Entry Parade celebrating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in the days before the Last Supper as we prepared our hearts for Easter From their costumes to their singing, it was a beautiful morning.

Senior Parade Honors

Journey from 1st to 12th Grade

2021 saw the return of the Senior Parade! Starting in the Middle School gym dressed in their caps and gowns for the first time, the Senior Class entered the halls of

the Elementary School and were welcomed with a rousing applause from students, faculty, and staff. Wide-eyed elementary students shared fist-pumps with the

upperclassmen while seniors’ former teachers fought back tears of pride as the Class of 2021 made their final walk together through the halls where their journey first began.

Spring Book Fair Sets Record!

In a year that required many adjustments, Media Specialist Emily Mack and assistant Erin Bowman pulled off one of the most successful Book Fairs in school history. Not only were students allowed to shop on-site during the school day, but parents could shop online and during one of two side-walk sales offered during the three-week period. In addition, middle and high school students were encouraged to drop in during specific hours. Parent Billy Stone shared, “The hard work the Media Center staff and faculty put into this year’s Book Fair was so appreciated!

Even though we couldn’t enter the school building due to state Covid guidelines, Wesleyan did a great job making this book sale accessible to

NURSE LESLEY PAPCIAK JOINS WCA MEDICAL TEAM

Nurse Lesley Papciak joined our staff in January to support Nurse Moore in serving our Wesleyan families, faculty and staff. When she started work on January 6, Nurse Papciak hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped. She is a ray of sunshine and an exceptional addition to our team. Nurse Papciak is mother to Will (10th), Nick (8th), and Mikey (5th) and wife to Brent. The Papciaks live in Greensboro and attend Westover Church.

parents and grandparents, which means happy kids!”

fine arts

“Annie” Takes Fine Arts to New Heights

IN A SERIES OF FIRSTS, WESLEYAN CAST PERFORMS FOR LIVE & ON-DEMAND AUDIENCES.

Like most events of the past year, the 2021 Fine Arts play, Annie, was a bit different than normal. Rather than the typical sold-out live audiences, the majority of this year’s audience was virtual. While parents of the cast were able to attend the performances in a socially-distanced setting, the directors wanted to devise a way for others to enjoy the students’ hard work as well. This year’s videographer, Josh Harris, filmed the cast during the tech and dress rehearsal nights, a feat that was possible due to the grace and flexibility of the cast and crew. The video was then posted online, where anyone who wanted to watch the musical could purchase it for a limited time. Thanks to both Josh and the cast and crew, hundreds of

people were able to view Annie and enjoy this year’s play.

The Lord’s hand has been in every step of this process, a beautiful foundation in the midst of this tumultuous year. Like every play season, the directors prayed extensively for guidance even before they landed on Annie for this season. And as the months passed, the prayers and the Lord’s presence increased. Having to reschedule the dates of the play caused students to sacrifice and reschedule personal plans, but coincidentally (or perhaps, providentially) aligned with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions and allowed for more in-person attendance. Additionally, the choice to save the money

earned from past plays allowed for the Fine Arts Department to pay for the licensing of Annie without the use of additional school funding. Even the choice of Annie as this year’s musical was providential, as Annie is one of the few plays whose licensing agreements allow for video/streaming services.

The Lord was also visible in the cast themselves. Students faced many challenges including acting and singing in masks, participating in online rehearsals, learning how to perform for a mostly virtual audience, and even sheltering in hallways due to tornadoes. These difficulties did not hinder the students. Instead, these challenges allowed for the glory of the Lord to shine in their

resilience. When reflecting on his stand-out memories from this year’s play, Band Director Kyle Auman says that “It was the dedication of the kids… [that] kept everything going. Their enthusiasm never got down. They never stopped working. They persevered.”

However, despite all of the unusual circumstances, the play was the same in all of the most important ways–long nights, numerous rehearsals, hard work, and collaboration. It was extremely important for the Fine

Arts Department that the play be as normal as possible. For directors, they viewed this opportunity for normalcy as a gift they could give to students. “Our greatest desire was to allow our students to have the opportunity [to participate in the play], particularly the seniors… So we kept pushing and moving forward, and the Lord really honored and blessed that,” said Choral Director Joe Hilliard.

This year’s play is a testament to the faithfulness of the Lord. He has

shown himself through the support of virtual audiences, through the perseverance of students, and through the care and compassion of faculty and volunteers who love students enough to give them a taste of normalcy. In a tumultuous year, we are thankful for the Trojans that came together to give us the same joy and talent that has been a staple of our Wesleyan Performing Arts.

fine arts Art Impact Day Engages Families

ELEMENTARY FAMILIES CREATE FAMILY CRESTS TOGETHER!

Elementary families were challenged to be creative and make a family crest representing their heritage, interests, favorite places to travel, or any special memory. They used materials such as photographs, stickers, paint, colored pencils, crayons, and markers. Some divided their crest into the number of family members they have, and each section had images that represented that person. If you walk down the elementary hallways, you will see crests with flags from the country where a family is from, along with other things such as their favorite sports, teams, hobbies, food, and places traveled. Many included symbols of their faith, and even a few pets made it onto these crests. This was a creative way for us to see into the lives of our families here at WCA. We are all so different, but we have way more in common than we realize.

spiritual life

Helping People, Changing Lives

“I HAVE MADE YOU A LIGHT... THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.” ACTS 13:47

spiritual life

Building Community through Service

SHARING THE LOVE OF CHRIST WITH OTHERS In February, Wesleyan’s Pre-K through 12th-grade students created over 1,000 original valentine cards. And just before Valentine’s Day, these cards were delivered to eight different High Point and Greensboro retirement centers and nursing homes. Thanks to the hundreds of students who made the valentine’s cards. And thanks to the students (mostly seniors), teachers, Pastor Deon and Mr. Clodfelter, who helped deliver them. Smiles of joy and happiness were on the faces of those who received the cards and those who delivered them!

KIRKMAN PARK ELEMENTARY Have you ever asked God for something, and He provided even more? That’s what God did in March, through the generous giving of our Wesleyan family. Our neighbor school, Kirkman Park Elementary, needed snacks for their after-school program. Our goal was to collect 1,000 individual snacks and 1,000 individual drinks, and wow, over 2,100 snacks and nearly 1,500

drinks were given to our friends at Kirkman Park. Thanks to the Varsity Boys Basketball team for helping Pastor Deon deliver these wonderful donations!

DIAPER DRIVE We praise the Lord, and we thank our Wesleyan family for donating 7,100 diapers and 268 packs of baby wipes to New Life Family Outreach in High Point in January. This wonderful organization ministers and partners with churches and the community to promote “the sanctity of life, protecting the unborn and demonstrating the love of Christ to women, couples, and families.” They work hard to build relationships with those who need their help. Wesleyan was blessed to help meet some of New Life Family Outreach’s immediate needs, which will help many young families in our community.

CHURCH UNDER THE BRIDGE In April, Wesleyan had the opportunity to minister to homeless people at

Church Under the Bridge on Spring Garden Street in Greensboro. A group of 16 high school students, along with Pastor Deon, Mr. Clodfelter, and Mr. Auman, spent their day serving these precious people. The day began in Wesleyan’s cafeteria as the team prepared a meal for their guests. Later that afternoon, students and staff loaded up on a Wesleyan bus and headed to Spring Garden Street to minister. After dozens of guests received their meals, Wesleyan’s praise team shared several songs, and Pastor Deon gave a heart-stirring message of hope. This was Wesleyan’s second trip to Church Under the Bridge this school year. We are grateful to God for this opportunity to be the “hands and feet of Jesus” to those hurting and in need.

CHAPELS AT WESLEYAN Due to COVID, our chapels have been live-streamed for our students to watch in their classrooms and virtual students to watch from home the entire school year. Spiritual Life Director Deon Parker, Wesleyan’s Head of School Dr. Rob Brown, principals, a few Wesleyan staff members, and several local church pastors/staff members have challenged students with Biblebased messages. Wesleyan is also blessed to have spiritually mature high school student leaders. Our Senior Chaplains, Jaxon Barber and Erika Lance, have done a fantastic job modeling and communicating the love of Christ with their peers. Jaxon and Erika have spoken in Early Ed., elementary, middle school, and high school chapels this school year. Pastor Deon has been mentoring Jaxon and Erika throughout the year, and each time they speak, their leadership gifts become more and more visible. In March, the Elementary School’s emphasis was missions. Erika shared this beautiful acrostic with the students to describe what the Gospel means:

G - God created us to be with Him.

O - Our sins separate us from God.

S - Sin cannot be removed by our good deeds.

P - Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

E - Everyone who trusts in Jesus alone has eternal life.

L - Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

Wow, what powerful insight Erika gave! We greatly appreciate Erika and Jaxon for the way they have poured into the entire student body this year!

Our chapel theme for the year has been “United in Christ.” Pastor Deon has shared wonderful messages. Students have learned that as Christians, we must be United to Serve the Needy, and we are

commanded in Scripture to do so as Galatians 6:10 tells us, “...as we (Christians) have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” What does it mean to be United in Friendship and United to Build Each Other Up? In these chapels, Pastor Deon reminded the students that God designed friendship to be persevering and loving as we read in John 15:12, “My (Jesus Christ’s) command is this; Love each other as I have loved you.” He also shared on the timely subject of being United with Christ, Not Your Screen. This beautiful reminder was noted from Ephesians 5:15-17 of how we should think and live - “...be careful how we live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

We praise God for all he has done this year. He has been faithful, and the truth that has been spoken to our students will not return void. May God’s blessings continue to be on Wesleyan Christian Academy.