Buy a Brick, Build a Legacy

1. Mail or personally deliver the completed order form (Download a Brick Order Form here) along with payment to the Upland or Claremont offices; or
2. Place your online order at www.bricksrus.com/order/wcsboosters.

Brick Levels:

WCHS Athletic Complex - Celebrating 90 Years

The Sports Complex will be home to our football and soccer teams, and will also serve as a practice field for track and field. In addition, the field will be used by our P.E. Department. The Sports Complex will also be used for special events such as this year’s 90th Celebration Homecoming (For all students preschool – 12th grade)on October 15, 2010.

All families, friends, alumni and community members will have the chance to honor their families or students, recognize a graduation, remember a loved one, show support for an organization or advertise their business by purchasing a beautifully engraved brick. Click here for more information.

This week has been full of exciting learning experiences for our kids at Western and dynamic chapels, led by students, including worship , skits, drama, choral, instrumental performances and sharing of personal testimonies.

It has also been a great week of outreach opportunities with city leaders  and business owners from Upland and surrounding areas  attending a “Chamber Business Mixer”, at our high school last Thursday.  It was a standing room only event, while our jazz band and Hill Top faith singers, gold medal winners in the San Francisco Heritage competition, entertained the special guests.

In athletics, our high school baseball team won 1st place in the league championships, their fourth in five years. Other athletic highlights this week included: The Lady Lancers  currently sitting in 5th place league.  The WCS Track and Field team won their first league title since 1992.

Tuesday night, our families were entertained by the performances of our Kids on the Rock elementary choir, recently awarded with highest honors, performing splendidly along with encore performances from our middle school choir, instrumental music, and middle school Shakespeare drama team.

The week culminated with the annual Pops concert in our new outdoor amphitheater at our Upland campus.  Packed crowds gathered around to hear the amazing talents of our high school students, both instrumental and vocal.  Grilled burgers and hotdogs were a treat to go along with the lovely evening and wonderful atmosphere of fellowship, so strongly reinforced at Western.

Parents and students share with me regularly how much the educational experience at Western means to them.  I thought I’d share with you some recent comments from a parent who has had children at Western for 10 year, at all levels.:

“Mrs. Winter, I want to thank you so much of this school and for the difference it has made in my children’s lives.  Western is amazing to me.  I can’t believe al the improvements the past three years.  I look around and everywhere I see improvements, not only in facilities, but academically, the bar has certainly been raised at Western.  We have amazing godly teachers and administrators who have made such an impact on my children. Thanks for making a difference at Western.  We are so happy here!.”

I am grateful to the Lord for His continued favor upon Western, to our Western Team who work hard to help make Western a great school and to you our parents for your support throughout the years.

Karen Winter, Superintendent

Here is a recent article from the Daily Bulletin about the importance of screening inappropriate games from your child.

Keep vile games from children

Created: 05/02/2010 05:51:38 PM PDT

Should children have the constitutional right to buy the most violent of video games? Games where women are decapitated with shovels and humans are set on fire?

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up that question in its upcoming term. In light of the court’s recent decision that even brutal animal cruelty films are protected by the First Amendment, it might seem like it would be fair game to sell sadistic games to children.

We hope not, and we think there is a strong argument to be made as to how the First Amendment applies differently to children and violence than it does to adults.

At issue is a California law that would punish stores that sell exceptionally violent games to those under 18 years old. The law imposes a $1,000 fine and applies to games that depict the “killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being.”

In order to fall under the auspices of the law, a reasonable person would have to find the game appeals to a “deviant or morbid interest” of minors, that it’s patently offensive to community standards and that the game lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

The law did not prohibit a minor’s parents from buying such a game for their child.

The descriptions of the games that fall under the ban are stomach-turning. One of the games outlined in the litigation involved the shooting of police officers, women beaten with a shovel who then can be decapitated, people shot in the leg, who then can be doused with gasoline and set on fire.

The player also has the option of urinating on them. We’re talking about some pretty seriously sick stuff.

California argues – and we agree with this position – that very violent video game sales to minors ought to be treated in the same way as selling sexual materials to minors.

The state contends that excessively violent material sold to children deserves no protection under the First Amendment.

Such a holding would add to the power of parents in determining whether their children should have such material, since presumably minors could get it only through their parents.

The opposition in this case, video game trade associations, contends that video games are a “modern form of artistic expression,” comparing them to great literature and Greek mythology.

We admit that we are not intimately familiar with the violent video game genre, but the descriptions we’ve read seem like a far cry from great literature.

We hope when Supreme Court justices contemplate the issues, they find that when it comes to minors, seriously sick and violent games deserve the same treatment as sexually explicit materials.

Our school year is fast coming to its close , as we are all busy with year-end projects, making sure we end the year strong.. It has, in fact, been a strong year for us here at Western where in addition to the learning and growth taking place daily, we have had some great milestones marking this our 90th year in Christian education. Our transition this first year in the new high school facility and new Upland preschool has been phenomenal, where we have observed the marked difference the new environment has made in student learning and achievement. Especially in the area of spiritual growth, we have seen tremendous strides made among our student body , K-12, particularly now that high school chapels and worship concerts are held in our formal sanctuary in Upland.

Our K-8th grades, this year we are grateful to have begun our Gifted and Talented program, where participants are challenged to excel further in creativity and learning . Our athletics reached new heights this year, with many awards received in middle school and high school (for more details look for upcoming annual Showcase of Achievement brochure coming out this Summer) Our students also grew in discipleship as they served in the local community, helped in community service and missions projects worldwide, as well as in service clubs , extra curriculars and involvement in our campus events.

Our Preschool in Claremont added a new Toddler program for children 18-months and older and our Upland Preschool enhanced its program as well as its playground facilities offering more to our families. Faculty Committees have been formed this year to make improvements across all areas of our academic curriculum as well as fine arts and extra curricular programs.

Legacy Funds are still coming in, thanks to all participants, totaling $182,548 in donations and pledges to date. As planned for this year, a portion of these funds were dedicated to establish a Teacher Endowment Fund, a first for Western. (A detailed report of the Legacy Fund is presented in the pages to follow.)

We give God the glory for His faithfulness to Western Christian and His working through us to accomplish all these over the last year.

We still have over a month remaining in the school year with plenty more to learn in the classrooms and to accomplish for our school. I invite you to join us for the Joint Mixer on May 6 (no alcohol but great food) we are hosting for the Upland and Claremont Chambers at our high school and the Auction on May 15, at the Claremont campus, for an enjoyable evening as a family. Let me close by reminding you to sign up for Summer School now. Studies have shown the benefits of a summer program to the overall performance of students, and ,to that end, we have designed a full academic and enrichment program to be offered for our students.

Thanks again for your support and partnership , making a tremendous impact on the success of this school and its ministry.

Karen Winter, Superintendent

Download (PDF, 839.98KB)

Dear Parents,
I trust that you have all received your registration packets and begun to complete them. As you can see by the process, virtually all the forms are the same as before. In fact, we have reduced the paperwork for 8th graders going into our high school in order to make the process simpler.

The only major change we made is in our financial agreement, regarding withdrawal from the school , where we have implemented a 30-day communication notice before the semester’s end, in order to enhance the dialogue between the home and school.

At Western Christian Schools, partnering with our parents is important to us and we endeavor to improve our communication between home and school in every way possible. That’s why I encourage every parent that has not taken the opportunity to participate in our RenWeb Connect to sign up today! This way you can go online to view your child’s grades, any missing assignments , homework, even tardy and absent reports on a daily basis. Western has invested almost $60,000 on this program to help make communication between teachers, students and parents our number one priority. It’s our goal to have every family use RenWeb because it has proven to be an effective communication tool between our teachers and administration with students and families.

To obtain your parent password contact the school office. We have a large number of students who are checking their RenWeb account on a regular basis, which has helped keep their grades much higher this year, and we congratulate their efforts in being responsible.

May God bless our continued partnership for our children,
Karen Winter,
Superintendent
kwinter@westernchristian.org

I don’t know about you, but for me, as a Christian school leader, it becomes more evident each day how important it is to have our children receive a Christian education in the formative years of their lives. The media and the world continue with all their might to bombard us with secular ideology and imagery in a relentless effort to enlist us and especially our children into their camp.

At Western Christian Schools, we believe strongly in the value of Christian education in developing our students’ thinking as it relates to the world around them. We believe that this has the potential to impact their lives for eternity. We teach with intent to equip these young minds with the knowledge of the Truth and to give them the tools needed to discern all falsities through careful examination and critical thinking.

We also place great emphasis on raising the bar of excellence in our academics by providing the best curriculum and electives, and through quality instruction by a qualified and committed faculty. Our students are prepared academically not just to be proficient in their subjects, but to excel.

Our student body, including the 97% of Seniors who are accepted into the colleges of their choice, attain a score of 1 to 4 years above national norms on standardized tests like the SAT, PSAT, and Stanford Achievement Test. This attests to our commitment to excellence in academics. Compared to a free education at public schools or to other private schools with starkly different philosophies for education, this education does come at a price. As you consider your child’s education, we trust that you will always keep in mind the axiom of “cost vs. worth” and evaluate the true value of what is being obtained. While “Cost” would be the amount of tuition paid, the simple dollar value, “Worth” would be the benefit and importance of the quality Christian education received. In other words, “Worth” would be the long- lasting return from investing in the Christ-centered learning environment you see at Western Christian.

Renowned teacher and pastor Charles Swindoll, says it best when he writes, “Deciding whether something is worth the cost requires intense prayer, as well as the hard work of objective thinking. And then it requires courage to act on God’s clear direction.”

As you prepare in your decision to enroll your child for the next school year, I encourage you to pray for the Lord’s guidance, and then evaluate the worth of this impactful investment you would be making in your child’s life. Thereafter, I trust that you decide and act with conviction and confidence for the next school year. I encourage you to come by and discuss with me any concerns or thoughts you may have as you are making this very important decision, especially in light of a tough economic market. I remain committed to working with you, the parents of Western Christian, in helping this next generation arrive at a knowledge of the Truth and act upon that Truth.

Believe me, it is worth the cost!
Karen Winter, Superintendent
kwinter@westernchristian.org

Excitement is everywhere in the air! This is a time of community celebration surrounding the recent closing of escrow on the Upland Campus, which includes the Eagle’s Nest Pre-school. We have prayerfully waited for this day. Students, faculty, and parents are thrilled to see the daily improvements already taking place, including: the installation of the new wood gym floor, short-term field renovations, an expanded library in the Lancer Multi-media Library, K-12 technology program expansion, resurfacing of the parking lots, newly painted facilities, landscaping improvements, student wellness center (including expanded aerobics and weight training, and other school wide renovations.

Parents continue to be impressed with our exceptional academic achievements, which are highlighted in this year’s 2nd Showcase of Achievements.   97% of our seniors were accepted into the colleges of their choice and student Stanford Achievement Test scores are up to 4 years above National Norms, with 8th graders scoring at post high school levels.  This is amazing when you realize that, according to the latest reports, California’s public schools, overall, are regularly recording some of the lowest test scores in the nation.

Many public school programs have been eliminated due to state budget constraints, and class numbers have been expanded to help balance huge deficits.

I am sure, as parents, it is reassuring to know that at Western Christian your child not only receives an exceptional education, but also a nurturing Christian environment designed to equip your child for academic and spiritual success.

Every day, we receive inquiring phone calls about enrollment. We are also receiving calls from many of our returning families who have reconsidered their decision to attend public schools. They thought they could not afford a Christian education again this year. Time and time again, parents share with our administrators and teachers how they realized that the investment of a Christian education at Western Christian Schools was the only logical choice for them.  The question for them became “Can I afford not to continue my child’s Christian education?” They arrived at the clear conclusion that Christian education at Western is an investment that cannot be compromised.

It is even harder to pass up the best education your child will ever receive, especially with the addition of our new, free busing in Chino, Covina, Fontana, and surrounding areas.

School begins on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.  If you have not yet registered, we would urge you to do so.  You may also know of a new family who may be interested.  We would encourage you to share information with them regarding Western.  Remember, you can receive a $200 credit toward your 2009-2010 tuition account for each new family that enrolls and was referred by you.  We are still accepting scholarship applications for those families in need of financial assistance.

I trust that you will enjoy our Showcase of Achievements.  May it be a testimony of the investment that you have made into Christian education for your child’s future.

Partnering together for our kids,

Karen Winter, Superintendent

kwinter@westernchristian.org

Thank you for your continued prayers for our Upland transition.  We signed all the documents Saturday, and escrow officially closed yesterday!  It has been a long anticipated move to Upland, but much shorter than the 40 years Moses and the Israelites spent in the wilderness; shorter than Noah building the ark, and shorter than the years the Israelites spent in Egypt!  So, in perspective, it has been just one short year….overflowing with God’s goodness, grace, and blessing!

When considering these and many other Biblical examples of pursuing God’s promises, we have united the communities of Upland and Western to rest in a permanent home for our students.  This facility also allows us the option of expanding our high school and our Upland preschool (currently Eagle’s Nest).

We commemorate this time to praise God for His faithfulness.  God has been faithful to Western Christian for 89 years and we trust Him fully for our future as we prepare now to move into the Upland Campus.  Praise God that we have finished the process!

We want to thank each of you that have prayerfully supported the Western Christian School Board and Administration, as we have walked through the process this year.   The Upland and Western communities have experienced times of trial in pursuing God’s vision.   In Scripture, we find that God’s people walked through tremendous trials and tribulations as they pursued God’s plan, yet God faithfully brought about His will for His people.

We praise God and are rejoicing assuredly in His promises for our future.

We would like to thank you for your prayer and support in promoting Western as your school of choice; preschool through high school.  We continue to enroll new students each week, and we are prayerful that many more students will be enrolling in the upcoming weeks. As financial issues continue to affect so many of our current and potential applicant families, we will continue to offer partial scholarships, Gap Grants, and family referral incentives.

Thank you again for your support of Western Christian Schools.  The most important thing that we can do is to bless the name of Jesus Christ and boldly announce His faithfulness to our school.  Blessings to you and your families this summer!

Partners Together for His Purpose,

Karen Winter

P.S.  As we have already shared the first day of school is Tuesday, September 8, 2009.  Please check out our website at www.westernchristian.org for school calendars and busing information to our new Upland campus!

Western Christian Schools Superintendent Karen Winter (Will Lester/Staff Photographer)

Following a calling

Superintendent’s path
article from dailybulletin.com
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 04/20/2009 10:38:23 PM PDT

CLAREMONT – To say Karen Winter has dedicated her life to Christian education would be an understatement.
With more than 35 years in education, a history of building Christian schools from the ground up and a lifetime of being involved with the church, Winter has become a leader in the world of Christian schools.

Winter is the superintendent of Western Christian Schools in Covina and Claremont, where she has been working for the school to acquire certain assets of Upland Christian Schools – an effort that she thinks may have been misunderstood by many parents.

“We don’t always understand God’s timing or why we go through challenges or different situations, and I haven’t understood some of the challenges we’ve gone through or why some people misunderstood our intent,” Winter said.

“I know my motives are pure, and our intent was very loving to the school or any of the parents or students.”

Word of the acquisition leaked in September when it became known that the Anaheim District Church of the Nazarene approached Western Christian administrators about the sale.

Since then, many harsh words have been said about Winter and Western Christian Schools, which Winter says has caused equal pain for parents at Western Christian Schools.

“I think that I always have to be reminded that if I feel called to do whatever I’m called to do then I have to be unshakable,” Winter said.

“Every single day, I have to stay focused as to what God has called me to do, and that’s what I remind our staff about, too.”

Shelley Marston transferred her children to Western Christian Schools this year from Upland Christian Schools.

“The unknown is always the scariest, and I think that’s what a lot of people are dealing with, but what I have not understood is why Western has been made out to be the villain,” Marston said.

“I think people who decide to stay will be very pleased. I think they will be very pleased with what they will get from Western. I think Western families tend to welcome you with completely open arms.”

While Marston has concerns over Western Christian and Upland Christian Schools coming together, she said lack of clarity has never been an issue.

“She has answered any questions and had welcomed me anytime I had any further questions,” Marston said about Winter. “She’s been very helpful with my concerns about the two schools merging.”

Winter became superintendent of Western Christian Schools in 2007.

“They had been on a national search. They had an interim superintendent, and they had been looking for about a year for a superintendent, purposefully looking for someone that was visionary, that would grow the school and had experience with building programs, vision and developing curriculum,” Winter said.

“That’s my strength, and that’s what I’ve done at my last few schools, and so they called me and asked me if I would please come down and visit the school.”

Winter said she was hesitant to move from her Northern California home in Vacaville where she had been superintendent of Vacaville Christian Schools for 17 years.

However, she fell in love with Southern California.

“I stepped foot on the campus, and I thought it was so beautiful and it was so peaceful and then the board shared the vision of what they had, and we prayed about it,” Winter said. “We really prayed about it in our hearts, and it just meshed and was amazing. We fell in love. I love it down here.”

Winter moved to Rancho Cucamonga with her husband of 36 years, Jack. They share two sons, Jonathan, 25, and Josh, 29.

Dalel Snider, parent of two sons at Western Christian High School, is a member of the schools’ athletic booster club and has worked closely with Winter.

“Everything she has promised, she has delivered,” Snider said. “We did not have a football field, and she promised we would have one and we did.”

Snider said she views Winter as someone she can walk hand in hand with.

“It’s really amazing what this woman has done. She really has transformed not just the buildings, but families and life,” Snider said. “I have seen it in my kids. The way they get involved in all these things and how they’ve been helping the community as well. What she does is a mirror reflection of what all the kids are going to do.”

When Winter graduated from Biola University, she had plans to be a public school teacher. But after the minister of her church, New Life Assembly in Corning, approached her about starting a school, her plans changed.

“I remember at first when the Lord said that’s what he thought I should do, I started arguing saying I don’t know if that’s what I wanted to do,” she said.

“It’s hard for me to imagine now 36 years later that I could be passionate about doing anything else because I love it so much, and I’m so passionate about Christian education. I believe in it so much, and that’s what I dedicated my whole life to doing … and I love it.”

Winter is the founder of Sonshine Christian Schools, Chico Christian Preschool and Vacaville Christian Schools’ west campus for preschool through high school.

She has taught classes from preschool to college level, served as a mentoring teacher and trainer.

“I just love to speak and teach and train and be around teachers,” Winter said. “I think when you’re a teacher, you just love to teach and you love to be around other people who are excited about learning. You don’t want to just be an administrator, you want to teach. That’s what I started off doing, and I still love to teach and train.”

Winter has also been a seminar leader for more than 30 years.

“People say I was effective in time management and asked me to speak on time management, and after that people started asking me to speak on other subject areas, and after a while churches and other schools started asking me to speak,” Winter said.

“I’d get asked to speak at conferences, seminars and retreats, and your name gets out there and pretty soon people just say, `Speak on what you want to speak on, we just want you to speak.”‘

As a superintendent, Winter is involved in every aspect of Christian education.

“The superintendent has to wear all hats. You’re the curriculum leader, you’re the spiritual leader, you have to know the budgets, if you’re growing a school you have to understand buildings and facilities, so there are a lot of hats that you’re trying to juggle,” Winter said.

Dr. Sider (our honored Alumnus employee of 50+ years) had two recent visits and was thrilled over the positive changes he has seen. Some of the comments that he made to me on his recent visit were, “These improvements around the campus are absolutely amazing. I am so pleased to see the improvements in Sider Hall. It is finally being used to its full capacity. It is so great to see how wonderful everything is looking and how beneficial this is for Western. I am just so pleased. Really you have all done an amazing job!”

We realize how important it is to invest in facility improvements. Not only does it build a strong sense of Western pride, it also enhances our park like setting, which helps enhance our nurturing safe environment. Our two administrative wings are very old and have been in need of upgrades. This has been in the budget for the past couple of years, in order to maintain quality and safety of our facility for our faculty and also our students.

Recent improvements on the Claremont Campus have included:

• Awning for preschool patio to provide shade
• Awning on north side of pre-kindergarten building for middle school lockers
• Added a conference room in Elementary Administrative Building
• Rebuilt the side patio area and steps to Sider Hall (previously damaged and unusable)
• Fenced the storage area to Sider Hall
• Revamped the old upstairs apartments to include office areas, conference room, staff lounge, remodeled kitchen, and an employee wellness/fitness area
• Gutted old 1950’s kitchen in Sider Hall and transformed area to a small office
• Irrigation and landscaping of courtyard
• Parking lot median
• House demolition which is scheduled for the week of April 27, 2009
• Smart Boards installed in the 5th grade classrooms
• Will relocate Sider Hall offices to accommodate Facilities Director and Technology Coordinator to be within the same location.

Recent improvements on the Covina Campus have included:

• Art Room upgrades
• Smart Boards installed
• Tile installation in the art room and teacher’s lounge
• Main parking lot re-striped
• Ceiling tiles installed in several classrooms
• The above projects have been accomplished through budgeted funds, donations, and parent workers who are dedicated to the vision of Western Christian.

Listed below are scores from our Parent Survey (averages scores from all departments):

• Faculty accessibility 4.3
• Providing Spiritual Atmosphere 4.2
• Caring Environment 4.4
• Biblical Integration 4.3
• Student Appearance 4.3
• Teaching self-discipline 4.1
• Parental involvement 4.7
• General Friendliness 4.4
• School Website 4.0
• Teaching Responsibilities 4.2
• School Spirit 4.0

Thank you for your input on the survey. Your input, suggestions, and positive comments are helping us to evaluate and improve our school. We value your opinions in helping to make us stronger!

For His Kingdom,

Karen Winter, Superintendent
kwinter@westernchristian.org

Congratulations on the completion of the dual accreditation process for Kindergarten through 8th grade!  The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation has already been approved. 

Some of WASC’s commendations were:

The school has experienced significant transition in administrative leadership within the last two years with a new superintendent who has been highly regarded and highly successful in other leadership positions.  The leadership team appears to be exceptionally unified and works collaboratively sharing the vision of school improvement.  The school leadership expresses a commitment to student learning and has initiated efforts to improve instruction and increase faculty collaboration.

The school enjoys a stable and qualified teaching staff that is highly praised by parents and students.  Successful levels of learning indicate that teachers are providing good instruction. A small teacher to student ratio results in high student achievement and the opportunity for personal attention and support.

It is clear that the school provides a strong family atmosphere where students feel supported, nurtured and loved.  Students commented that they loved their teachers and knew that their teachers cared for them.  Parents also highly praised the teachers and their connection to the students.

School wide Areas of Strength

1. A qualified, experienced faculty that works collaboratively and creates a nurturing and positive learning environment.
2. The strong relationship between the parents and the school as evidenced by volunteer support and participation.
3. The new superintendent has brought a new focus on curricular design, professional development, assessment and commitment to the school improvement process.
4. The Board is actively engaged, visionary and supportive of school improvement goals.
5. The recent efforts to expand the extracurricular programs which provided more opportunity for student participation.
6. The teachers are commended for their diligent work in creating a curricular design that aligns learning goals and creates a map for classroom instruction.
7. The beautiful, classical campus creates a strong sense of community that promotes the school’s academic and spiritual goals.
8. The spiritual emphasis on campus, especially in the chapel program, is well received and has excited students to reach spiritual goals and service opportunities.  
9. The level of measurement of school wide goals (ESLRs) is more fully developed at this stage of the accreditation process than usual at this stage of development.
10. Parents love the education their children are receiving and the loving environment that is provided for their students.

Some of the commendations of the joint accreditation team from WASC and ACSI this past week are as follows:

1. The Board of Directors and administration for constructing and supporting a clear statement of expected school wide learning results, school objectives, and core values which are consistent with the mission and vision of the school and reflect a thoroughly Christian world view.
2. The Board of Directors, administration, faculty, and staff for effectively meeting the budget through tuition and fundraising to meet the needs of the educational, extracurricular, and ministry programs.
3. The parents of Western Christian School students for their extensive volunteer network which enhances the overall school program by supporting a variety of school activities.
4. The administration, faculty, and staff for providing a nurturing, caring, and highly relational environment for the students which is confirmed by the multitude of comments from the students and parents during interviews with the committee. 
5. The administration, faculty, and staff for providing a quality education which is confirmed by the integration of faith, highly qualified teachers, incorporation of ESLRs, and the support offered to all students including those with educational deficits.
6. The Board of Directors, administration, and parents for providing the funds to enlarge the library, upgrade the computer lab, and install Smart Boards which supports effective integration of technology into the instructional program.
7. The administration, faculty, and staff for providing the opportunity for students to recognize and develop their God-given talents which is confirmed by the wide variety of extracurricular activities that are offered to the students.

Congratulations, Western Christian Schools faculty!  You have done a great job!  Thank you parents for entrusting us with your children!

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, be sure to let us know.

If you would like to refer back to any of the previous Superintendent’s reports go to the “News” tab at www.westernchristian.org.

Partners together in Christ,

Karen Winter, Superintendent

kwinter@westernchristian.org

1. Escrow is moving forward positively with final process and with our financing.  As we have indicated in previous communication bulletins and parent meetings, it is a lengthy process to purchase church property, because of the due diligence process, as well as complications with the involvement of several organizations (a church, denominational school district, and Western).   As shared previously, additional issues that have played into the time frame were the legal issues that were resolved and the National banking issues, in addition to the long process of receiving non-profit bond funds.  We appreciate your continued prayers and support throughout this process.  We look forward to the positive results of owning our own high school campus.
2. Our current high school facilities in Covina have 32,000 square feet in comparison to Upland Christian which has approximately 96,000 square feet.
3. We plan to schedule an open house event at Upland Christian in April, for parents and students to preview the sight.
4. Our architects are currently working on plans to overhaul the current Upland Christian sports field.  When completed, the sports field will be larger and able to accommodate an 11 man football team.  The turf will be completely upgraded.

Update on Parent Survey:

I just received the last of the parent/student survey results yesterday.   As we analyze the information and make plans to improve our school, I will share portions of our survey results, including our top rated areas as well as areas needing improvement.  Thank you for your input and support.

Our parent survey ratings for “Top Reasons Parents Enroll at Western”:

4.6          Academic Quality/Spiritual Emphasis
4.6          Safety of our School
4.4          Student/Teacher Ratio
4.3          School Mission
4.2          School Personnel

Here are a few positive parent quotes from the survey:

“Christian education is the single most important thing a parent can provide to their children.  There is nothing more important; not cars, houses, or any material thing can replace a vital education where the gospel of Jesus Christ is embraced.”

“Great job raising academic standards.  Keep up the good work.”

“Great teachers.  They are dedicated and professional, caring, and encouraging.  Warm and caring front office staff.  They go the extra mile.  Great maintenance people.  Beautiful campus!”

“I think Western Christian is a great place for children to learn and thrive.  I have had nothing but positive experiences with the teachers, parents, and children at this school.”

“I love and believe in Western Christian!  Thank you for continuing to improve our school and make it better.”

“I am proud that my son attends Western Christian.  I have noticed a great change in my son since he started one year ago and I want to thank the staff at WCHS for this change.  They are a great staff and care about their students.  Thank you.”

“Your staff and teachers are top notch, the best we have seen in either public or private schools!”

“I love WCS!  I am so grateful for our new Principal, Mr. Yovino.  I think our Superintendent, Karen Winter, is a true blessing to WCS!”

“Many teachers are very involved with the students.  They are encouraging, praying and loving the kids in a way that builds into their lives.  They go above and beyond the call of duty.  Teachers like Dawn Bartholomew, Stephanie Driscoll, and Jeremiah Blessinger show real concern for the kids both academically and spiritually.”

“Preschool staff is the BEST!  Very caring and energetic.”

“So far, we have had Mrs. Heather Armstrong and Mrs. Sedory.  We absolutely love them. We also love how helpful, friendly, and efficient the office staff are.”

“The administrative office has improved this year.”

“The relationship between your teachers and my child is outstanding.”

“The staff at Western has given my child an understanding of godly behavior and love for others through God.  We have been blessed by the Christian education she has received through them.”

“The teachers at our school are what have kept us here.  Most go above and beyond.  Most important to me is when my child feels safe and happy in her environment.”

“I love Western Christian Schools for so many reasons!  My kids love being there and the staff’s love for my kids is such a blessing!”

“Mrs. Mac and Mr. Letherer are particularly good, godly leaders to the kids.  Great junior high drama teacher.”

“Appreciate it when administration calls back to follow up on a concern to be sure it was handled correctly.  (Thank you, Mr. Yovino and Mr. Attwood).”

“Love the Western teachers and the Christian environment.  The tuition is worth every penny.  We are blessed and privileged to send our children to WCS.”

“Our daughter has been enrolled since she turned two.  We were so impressed with the preschool program and staff that we decided to continue at WCS.”

“The teachers are heartfelt and graced by the Lord.  We love them so much for it.  Michelle Browning is very special to us and is always there when needed.”

“Keep demanding excellence and accountability.”

Here are a few areas of concern that we have addressed from the survey:

1. Parents asked for more consistent communication from departments and updates about information and decisions. We now have weekly communication from all departments preschool through high school.  Beginning this week, the high school newsletter will also be forwarded to Kindergarten through 8th grade families for your information, along with the bulletins.  We also have a weekly Superintendent’s Update.
2. The solution for the middle school rest room smell that occurred earlier this year (in the new modular).The problem was from faulty floor drain water flow restrictors. These water flow restrictors flow water into the floor drain trap when the sinks or toilets are used. The floor drain uses the water from the flow restrictors to fill the floor trap which filters the sewer smell.   Silver Creek Industries (modular company) has replaced these water flow restrictors under warranty twice and they appear to be working correctly.
3.  Academic Honor Assemblies for students.We added semester Kindergarten through 8th grade honor roll assemblies in February. (High school will be held on Friday, April 3rd, at 2:30 pm).   End of the year honor roll dates will be announced by each department.
4. Improvement on food program                (preschool through high school)In an effort to get more specific input concerning our food program we have prepared a questionnaire that will be sent out in the near future.  Your input is valuable and will help us make the best decisions and improvements for our food program, including food selections.

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, be sure to let us know.

If you would like to refer back to any of the previous Superintendent’s reports go to the “News” tab at www.westernchristian.org.

Working together for our kids,

Karen Winter, Superintendent

Congratulations to the drama production team for a college level performance of the classic, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Super job to the elementary and junior high choirs for their recent performance at the ACSI Musicale.

Congratulations to the High School Art Department for winning 5 ribbons at the Pomona Valley Art Association’s Annual Student Art Competition.

We are so pleased to have such an outstanding fine arts program, while so many schools, due to budget cuts have had to remove fine arts from the curriculum.

Praises – Overall, enrollment is up.   Please do not forget to turn your registration in.  New student referrals receive $200 credit towards your 2009-2010 tuition account.

Thanks to the dedicated faculty and parents that have committed to our Annual Legacy Fund.  Proceeds of the funds are being used in the following ways to enhance the learning at Western:

• Purchase and installation of computerized Smart Boards (one in 5th grade, and four in high school classrooms)
• Library computerized system
• Computerized Accelerated Reader (individualized reading comprehension program)
• Scholarships for students
• Facilities enhancements (including new modulars at the Claremont campus)
• Advanced  Preschool and early Kindergarten curriculum
• Lunch tables and chairs for high school are part of our improvement plan
• International Program
• Microscopes
• Part-time librarian (currently accepting applications)
• Part-time nurse
• Band instruments
• 2 buses (part of overall transportation growth plan)

Questions and Answers

• What are the future plans for the Upland Christian sports field? 

  As we stated in our parent meetings since last October, we plan to completely upgrade the football field to accommodate and expand a successful football program.  Our architects that specialize in school sports fields are reviewing the sports facilities next week to present the best recommended plan.

•  Are additional high school sports fields available for the Upland campus in order to accommodate our expansive sports program?

  Yes, Upland Christian has arrangements with the City of Upland for professional baseball and soccer fields.  We confirmed today that we will be continuing that arrangement.  We are working on additional sports fields that are very accessible to the school.

• Is there a plan to renovate in the Upland Christian School gym? 

  Yes, as we shared previously, the existing sports court in the gym will be replaced with a wood floor to offer a professional sports surface.  We are currently looking into the best options.

• What is the status of the K – 8 Claremont sports field expansion project?

  We had several meetings with the school’s architects, including the landscaping specialist, whose expertise is in outdoor sports facilities for schools.  Our plans will include a regulation football/soccer/softball fields that will also be designed to accommodate our expanding middle school athletic program. 

  The playground equipment will be moved to one central location where the play area will be expanded.  A parent communication meeting will be scheduled in April, where we will present updated drawings.  Plans are also going through the city planning process. 

  The old houses are also scheduled to be torn down, which will allow for additional play areas. (See website under “School Vision and Progress”, for more information).

  Partners together in Christ,

Karen Winter, Superintendent

kwinter@westernchristian.org

909-624-8291 x225