Your child, and our youngest Warriors, are beginning their formalized learning outside the comforts of home – and that requires finding new rhythms. At this age, learning involves trust, patience, and empathy. Getting the environment right is key to activating a loving and safe learning experience for your child. This is why much of our early learning focuses on how to work, play, and engage with others, understanding classroom protocols, and recognizing and rewarding actions that facilitate learning – and a great kindergarten experience.

As we create a space where trust and discovery can happen, Kindergartners will learn a lot in their time with us. They will learn to count to 20, begin subtraction, and tell time; learn the alphabet, sight words, and forming letters; and a whole lot more. Together we will lay the necessary foundation upon which their future academics will be built.

And there will be plenty of singing, creating, worshiping, Bible-based storytelling, and hands-on engagement to keep things active and fun. It is a rich and rewarding time for students, parents, and teachers alike, as we work together to build up individual character, feed young minds, and cultivate a love for this distinctively Christian educational experience.

Teachers and staff at our Lower School are doing the important foundational work to develop young students. Not only are they helping them become engaged learners, but they also help students appreciate their uniqueness while navigating the importance of community and belonging, and pour into them the biblical truths that will continue to deepen and mature over time.

Our Lower School academics introduce and gradually expand upon foundational skills across core subject areas where we build proficiency, including Bible classes at each grade level. We also seek new and engaging ways to introduce material that will capture interest and cultivate learning, from technology in the classroom and hands-on learning, to exploratory field trips that promote experiential learning in God’s vast playground.

We also recognize that students have specific needs and learning challenges that, if left undetected, can deflate a child’s interest in learning. Our educational intervention specialists and school counselors, who work closely with our teachers, are trained to recognize and address these unique situations to ensure every student can achieve their full potential.

We treat our seventh and eighth grade years as important on-ramps to a robust high school experience, which makes their integration into our Upper School important as they acclimate to a new environment. These years are not a pit stop between the elementary grades and high school. We believe our students are highly capable and ready to exceed expectations, which is why we give them more age-appropriate responsibilities to shine.

Our curriculum is designed to stretch students academically and prepare them for what’s ahead. Accelerated math options exists for those students who demonstrate strong proficiency. World language options are introduced. And for the first time, student will get to choose “electives” based on their interests.

To accelerate their academic learning also requires giving students more responsibility in their educational experience. It’s why conferences occur with parents, teachers, and students, giving them a voice in their learning. As they grasp and live out biblical teaching, we get to see these students mature and grow in confidence, knowledge, and responsibility, preparing them to make a seamless transition into the upper echelon of the Upper School.

Our Upper School students are challenged with a college preparatory curriculum that spans honors classes, Advanced Placement options, and the College Credit Plus program. They have a unique blend of electives to choose from that include biblical Hebrew, theology, comparative religion, and philosophy. And, at the culmination of their final year at WC, they have an opportunity to experience a Senior Capstone trip to the Dominican Republic that offers a meaningful learning experience outside of our borders.

In short, our Upper School educational experience is filled with opportunities where learning is hands-on, God-infused, practical, and experiential.

Beyond what we offer, we also look closely and with intention at what we receive – extraordinarily bright and capable young lives filled with potential; ones that we get to help mold. We ascend this hill of knowledge together, for four years, to create critical thinkers and biblically-conscious doers, and equip them to navigate the challenges ahead. To instill truth and knowledge and love into a future generation of leaders is more than our obligation – it’s our greatest privilege. The academic achievements they earn serve as a testament to their character, perseverance, and our partnership together.