On Friday, April 13, WCS participated in the Area One-Act Play
competition in Mineral Wells and won

2nd place along with the
following awards:

Best Costuming
Best Overall Technical Presentation
Best Sound
Best Ensemble
All-Star Technician-Chelsea Cook
2nd All-Star Cast-Peyton Modesitt
1st All-Star Cast – Justin Hunn, Meggie Ellisor, Elysia Martin
Best Tech – Jake Walton
Best Actress – Larson Binzer

The drama department would also like to thank the following people:

Noel Fell for building our fireplace base, Martha Modesitt for painting and decorating the fireplace as well as loaning us some fabulous furniture for our set.

Ron and Gena Hunn for loaning us

some furniture also.

A special thank you to the parents for trusting us with your children and for the blessings they gave to us through this process.

Penny Fell, Tyler Spivey, and Jule Jennings.

2012-13 school year, along with $463,000 in scholarship money.

Way to go LIONS!

Abilene Christian University

Baylor University

Belhaven University

Cornell College

Cornell University

Gannon University

Harding University

Houston Baptist University

King’s College NYC

Lubbock Christian University

Montana State University

Northern Arizona University

Norwich University

Oklahoma Baptist University

Oklahoma Christian University

Oklahoma University

Philadelphia University

Sacred Heart University

Scripp’s College

Southwestern University

St. Bonaventure University

St. Mary’s

Tarleton State University

Texas A&M University

Texas Tech University

Trinity Christian University

University of Arkansas

University of Montana

Valley Forge Military College

Virginia Tech

Waynesburg University

I was reading about the origins of Thanksgiving and what I found was both surprising and an encouragement. Did you know that George Washington himself in 1789 was the first to proclaim a day of Thanksgiving to God?  Indeed, but it never really caught on at the national level.  It wasn’t until 1863 that President Lincoln set aside the last Thursday of November as the national Day of Thanksgiving. This would prove to be a pivotal time for Mr. Lincoln.  You see just a few months before his proclamation, he had watched as soldiers from the Union and Confederacy fought at the Battle of Gettysburg with over 60,000 casualties.  About a month after his proclamation, President Lincoln was in Gettysburg to give what would become his most famous speech, The Gettysburg Address.  While walking amongst the thousands of graves it was then and there that Mr. Lincoln committed his life to Christ.  In a letter to a friend he writes:

“When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency], I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.”

Abraham Lincoln realized that he had much to be thankful for.  Fortunately, he made the most important decision he ever made five months before his assassination.  For the next years each president, following Lincoln’s lead, proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day.  Finally, in 1941 congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each month as Thanksgiving Day and a national holiday.

In looking back over the past few months that my family has been a part of the WCS family I can see that God’s hand is upon our school.  He is putting things in motion all around us and working in the heart of each person.  Whether it is the generous outpouring we saw at the Faith Promise Dinner, our students giving back to the community through Center of Hope, Meals on Wheels and Habitat for Humanity, or listening to our children sing praises to our God, He is definitely at work here at WCS.

For each one of us this time of year brings about different emotions and memories.  I only hope that we take the time to pause and give thanks for God’s goodness and mercy in our lives.   As the old hymn says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one.”  In doing so I know that we will be ever mindful of the provision in our lives and the price that was paid for the hope we have.  We are truly blessed and have much to be thankful for.

In Him,

Mr. Roan

In keeping with the fall theme, October is also a special month for Mr. Roan.  Not only because of the cooler weather, but October brings one America’s favorite pastime to the forefront.  That’s right, I’m talking about baseball and specifically the Texas Rangers!  Ranger’s fever is in full effect at my house and I want to bring some of that excitement to work/school.  Therefore, I am declaring every Wednesday as “Rangers Wednesday” as well as spirit day Fridays.  From now until the end of the World Series, all students may wear a Texas Rangers t-shirt/sweatshirt/jersey every Wednesday (with uniform bottoms) and every Friday (with approved bottoms).  So, let’s join together and root on the Rangers to a World Series Title…Go Rangers!!

A big “THANK YOU!” goes out to everyone that had a part in the beautification of the elementary and secondary campuses during our clean up days.  Your time, energy and efforts are appreciated more than you will ever know and our campuses look great!  Not knowing what to expect, I have to say that I was most impressed with the kids and the hard work that they put into taking care of the school that God has given us.  Thanks again!!

Finally, I had the opportunity to speak to the elementary students last week at chapel.  We talked about hiding God’s word in our hearts.  We sang songs and we even learned a few new songs.  What a wonderful time we had together and I look forward to speaking again in a couple of weeks.  Thank you boys and girls for a great time of worship!

In Him,

Mr. Roan

Whew!  It’s hard to believe that we already have a week of school behind us!  I am very excited to be here.  Already I have seen our elementary students in Chapel, playing and certainly doing a lot of learning.  It has been such a joy to watch our teachers love and welcome their new students into their classrooms as they begin a new year together.

On the secondary campus, I have seen students eagerly approaching this new year with great anticipation for what may come.  Students and teachers alike have embraced the start of this school year and I look forward to seeing what God will do in and through them in 2011-2012.

I would also like to take this time to say “thank you” to everyone that has gone out of their way to introduce themselves and/or offer help in relocating to Weatherford.  My family and I are truly blessed, as I know that you are, to be a part of the WCS family.

Speaking of being blessed…

I have great news to share.  Beginning Monday (barring any unforeseen delays) road work will begin on the gravel road at the secondary campus!  I know that many of you have asked about this and even more have prayed for this to happen.  Well, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Board Members and some generous donations, we will be able to black top the road.  As I understand it, we will have about 6” of surface poured that will then be compacted to somewhere between 3”- 4”.  During this process (which should only take about a week) I am asking that everyone please be very aware of the workers present and slow down as you enter and leave the campus.  We are also asking that teachers, students and guests park in the designated grassy areas.

Finally, this is a reminder that there are and will be plenty of volunteer opportunities at WCS.  Even now, Mrs. Chalmers is looking for help as she prepares for the Faith Promise Dinner that is slated for November 5^th.  If you would like to help, please contact Leslie.  Thanks…and “It’s a great day to be a Lion!”

10th Anniversary Commemorative T-Shirt

Price: $10.00

or Download the Order Form below and turn in!!

10th Anniversary Commemorative T-Shirt Order Form

At this time shipping will not be offered and you will be able to pickup your order from the Elementary Campus office.  We will notify you when your tshirts are ready for pickup.  Thanks.

Dear WCS family,

I trust that this letter finds you well rested and fully enjoying a little family time.  I hope that you have had the opportunity to travel to the mountains, the beach, or a foreign country or maybe even partake in a stay-cation and just relax at home.  I had the opportunity to travel with my family to Branson, MO and Ruidoso, NM for some much needed rest and relaxation and cooler weather!  Now that we have had a bit of rest it is time to once again focus on the upcoming school year.  I am very excited about this year and the possibilities that lie ahead for both you and me individually as well as WCS.

With this in mind, there are a few things that I would like to share with you as we wind down the summer.  First, the school calendar that you may have received last spring has been revised slightly.  Those calendars should be available online or in one of the school offices very soon.  However, there are a few dates that you might want to go ahead and mark on your calendars:

• The start of school has moved to the 17th of August (this is part of a change that will allow us to finish the first semester before Christmas and the school year before Memorial Day).
•  Elementary Open House/Meet the teacher will be on August 15th at 6:30.  Mr. McClure will have more details about that evening as the time draws near.
• Secondary Open House will be on August 29th beginning at 6:30.  This is a change from the past, but I hope that it will prove to be beneficial as it will give both the teachers and the students a couple of weeks to acclimate themselves to their new schedules and each other.  This should further provide an opportunity for an initial update for you as parents on the initial progress and behavior of your student.
• Secondary students will have the opportunity to pick up their schedules on the afternoon of Thursday, August 11^th from 1:00-3:30 at the secondary campus.  This will also be the time for those students to choose their electives for this school year.
• New student orientation for the secondary campus (for all 7thgraders and any new student to WCS) will be on the morning of Thursday, August 11th from 10:00-11:00 am at the secondary campus.
• Prayer Walk…I would like to invite all of our WCS family to what I hope will become an annual event.  I have tentatively scheduled a prayer walk for both campuses on Friday, August 12th.  More details to come…

I am looking forward to meeting everyone, so I hope that you will make plans to attend your child’s open house.  Also, please be on the lookout for opportunities to volunteer and make a difference in the lives of every WCS student.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.  You can email me at jared.roan@wcslions.org.

Enjoy the rest of your break!!

Go Lions!

Jared Roan

Sally Sexton CNHI

JUDY SHERIDAN/DEMOCRAT PHOTO

WEATHERFORD — Beginning July 1, Weatherford Christian School will have a new face on campus.

Jared Roan will take over headmaster duties, accepting the position after serving the last four years at First Baptist Academy in Dallas.

“Weatherford Christian is a very quaint, homey unit with a family like atmosphere, which is similar to what I have here at First Baptist,” Roan said.

The WCS community got its first opportunity to engage with Roan during a meet and greet session Thursday evening.

“The public has been very friendly,” Roan said. “Everyone has offered help, whether is was getting acclimated in Weatherford, moving, packing or even painting.

“There was a lot of positive reinforcement and encouragement.”

Originally from Garland, Roan earned a masters degree in education administration from Texas A&M Commerce, and worked at McMurry University in Abilene before moving to Waxahachie ISD, where he coached, taught and served as an administrative intern.

“I don’t have a big glorious story about getting into education,” Roan said. “I was without direction in college, but it came time to choose a major and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do.

“I knew I liked going to school and being a student. I gravitated toward the education field because I liked to learn and as I moved toward that, it became increasingly obvious that it was a good fit.”

Roan also gravitated toward Weatherford because of WCS and the town itself, where he will reside with his wife, Mylia, and two children, Hadlee, 7, and Hudson, 3.

“This is an opportunity for my family to be fully engaged in a local Christian community and school,” he said. “I currently work in the middle of Dallas and my family lives in Waxahachie so it’s hard to be completely engaged with my family.

“It’s also an opportunity to simplify our life a little bit and get out of the hustle and bustle of downtown Dallas and move to a beautiful part of the state.”

Weatherford Christian began a search for a new headmaster in February, after current headmaster Van Gravitt announced he would not be returning. Making the decision to get out of administration, Gravitt is going back to coaching and teaching math at Abilene Cooper High School.

“It was a lengthy process, with Mr. Gravitt resigning in February,” Leslie Chalmers, WCS director of development, said. “We had 25 applicants, which we narrowed to five, then three and then finally Mr. Roan.

“He brings a lot to the table, with great direction and leadership attributes. He had everything we were looking for.”

It’s hard to believe that the year is coming to a close!  It’s been a good one here at WCS, and events like the Sports Banquet, Awards Assembly, Kindergarten Graduation, and High School Graduation give us the opportunity to reflect and celebrate.  There are a few highlights I want to make you aware of as we wrap things up.

At the beginning of the year we set an aggressive goal of collecting 7,000 cans of food for the Center of Hope.  Our students were faithful in supporting this wonderful ministry, and brought cans every Friday throughout the school year.  They response far exceeded the request, and we were blessed this past Tuesday as we participated in a ceremony with the leadership at COH recognizing the 17,458 cans that were collected this year at WCS.  They were overwhelmed by the blessing, and we were blessed by their gratitude.

We received our ITBS scores a couple of weeks ago and were extremely pleased with the results.  Our students performed an average of 2.1 years above grade level, which is up from 1.3 years last year.  It is a testimony to the hard work of our students, and the abilities and dedication of our teachers.  WCS continues to provide an excellent academic program, and continues to look for ways to make it even stronger.  One of our strengths has always been that we think outside the box and maximize our resources, capitalizing on the strengths of teachers allowing them to thrive in a setting that focuses on their area of expertise.

There are many other items that we could note that are indicative of the positive year we’ve had at WCS.  Back in August we made a commitment to focus on prayer as we progressed through this school year.  I promised the students as individuals that if they would pray daily for God’s help, they would have a good year.  I believe that is true for the school collectively as well, and our commitment to prayer has resulted in a remarkably successful year.

WCS is a great school with great students, wonderful teachers, and visionary leaders.  As great as it is, I truly believe the best is yet to come as God reveals the plans He has for the years to come.

This event took place on the same day that a representative from the Center of Hope came to chapel to thank the students for the 18,000+ cans of food WCS has donated this year, and to share with them the impact that it is making in our community.  It’s been exciting to see our original goal of 7,000 cans multiply into this large number.

Things like this are going on all the time.  At the high school campus, our junior and senior girls took a day recently to volunteer working on a Habitat for Humanity house.  We have nearly 15 other students who have volunteered to serve at a camp this summer for inner city kids from Fort Worth.  Recently our secondary students went without shoes for a day and collected hundreds of dollars to buy shoes for people in third world countries.  Our sixth graders still take food to people in need every Friday with their Meals on Wheels route.  The list goes on and on.

I’ve always said that being a Christian school means more than the fact that Bible is part of our curriculum, we start our day with a devotional and a prayer, and we have chapel.  It means that we strive to be Christ-like in how we live and who we are, and to glorify God in everything we do.  That manifests itself in our culture of service and giving, and as a result, our students are tremendously blessed as they bless others.

I have been talking to the younger kids in chapel recently about the full armor of God.  When I got to the part about having our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, I told them that the gospel of peace is the gospel of Jesus.  The passage calls us to be ready to share that gospel with others, and I encouraged them to not only look for opportunities to tell people about Jesus, but also to be ready to share Jesus with people by acts of kindness and service.

Every year I am blessed to have the opportunity to experience that in a very real way when Mrs. Rachel invites me to her pre-K class for a special time of washing feet. We did that this Friday, and it was such a sweet time with the kids as I washed all of their feet one by one, and then they as a group, washed mine.  There is blessing in receiving the gospel of peace from others, and even greater blessing in sharing it!

As state budget cuts loom on the horizon, and school districts around Texas are scrambling to adjust, I want to reiterate our commitment at WCS to maintain small class sizes with outstanding, certified, Christian teachers.  Our student-teacher ratio is 12:1 in Pre-K, 15:1 in kindergarten, and 20:1 in all other grades.  These limits are consistently adhered to, and there are no plans to increase or adjust them in any way.

Having a low student-teacher ratio is just one aspect of the educational process that sets WCS apart, but it is one that will become more pronounced as changes are implemented in the public school system.  The following excerpt is from an editorial in the Houston Chronicle by State Senator Rodney Ellis, and former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby:

Part of Texas’ educational success is attributable to reforms passed in 1984, including a statewide requirement to reduce kindergarten through fourth-grade class sizes to no more than 22 students per teacher. Unfortunately, there is a concerted effort in Austin to weaken the 22-1 cap with a 22-student class size average. While that sounds like a minor change, it would actually gut the landmark kindergarten-fourth grade reform that has served as a foundation for Texas’ educational improvement. It would also inevitably lead to teacher layoffs, crammed classrooms and, eventually, poorer student performance.

The impact of replacing the 22-1 limit with a 22-class-size average would be immediate and touch every family with a child in elementary school. Undoubtedly, many kindergarten through fourth-grade classes would grow significantly, as some classes, particularly those with special needs students, are notably smaller than 22. In order words, one class could have 10 school kids, while another could be jammed to the gills with 34 students, yet the school would meet the requirements of the “reform.” Is that what we really want for our children?

At WCS we believe that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We believe that the school should work in partnership with the home and the church in the education of a child.  We believe in high standards, both academically and behaviorally.  And we believe that children learn best in a safe, nurturing classroom, with a loving teacher, and a manageable number of students.

I had the opportunity to accompany Mrs. Vise as she took some of our high school math students to the Coyote Math Competition at Weatherford College last Friday.  It is a prestigious event that attracts numerous schools from this region.  As always, our students represented the school well, not only in how they performed, but also in how they behaved and interacted with others. It was a joy to be with them and see how they stood out positively in a large crowd of young people.  They took third place in the top division, which was a tremendous accomplishment, but were curiously subdued in their response.  As we drove back to the campus, I realized that because they had won the contest the past two years, they were disappointed in this year’s outcome. I tried to put it in perspective for them.

Teams from Brock, Peaster, Poolville, Trinity Christian, and many other schools were at the competition this year. Two in particular showed up intent on knocking the defending champion WCS Lions out of the top spot. This is where the perspective comes in. Weatherford ISD has approximately 7,500 students and over 400 graduates every year.  Stephenville ISD has approximately 3,500 students and nearly 250 graduates every year.  WCS has 219 students and 15 seniors.  What ensued at Weatherford College last week was a three team battle for king of the (math) hill between the teams from those three schools.

Even though they finished third, WCS was in the arena and performed admirably.  Three students, Larson Binzer, Dillon Welcher, and Matt Aaron took home individual honors.  It was a tremendous accomplishment and something that Mrs. Vise and all the students should be very proud of.  But instead of walking out of the building celebrating with the third place plaque held high, our students walked out with a silent resolve that communicated an attitude of “we’ll be back”… and they will!

On the way to our “Open Meeting With the Board” last Thursday, I passed the traffic accident on Fort Worth Highway involving an SUV and a school bus.  I immediately called my wife and told her that I hoped everyone on the bus was ok because I was sure the people in the vehicle weren’t, not knowing at the time that one of our WCS families was involved.  As it turns out Becky Clark, the driver, was seriously injured, but will be fine, and her three children walked away.  Having seen the aftermath, I believe we should give thanks and praise to God for His divine protection.

I also want to encourage you to keep the Clark family in your prayers.  Mrs. Clark is recovering, but has many challenges to deal with through that process. We need to rally around the family and do anything we can to help. We already have people who have stepped up to help with transportation of the children, and will begin providing meals for the family next week.  If you would like to participate, please call Shelly Mayfield in the elementary office at (817)596-7807.

I talk a lot about how WCS is more than just a school; it is a community of people unified in a common cause.  Being a community means that we rejoice together with successes, mourn together with sorrows, and reach out to help when there is a need.  This is a great opportunity for the WCS family to live that out in a meaningful way.

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•    We are dually accredited through National Christian Schools Association (NCSA) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
•    All of our teachers in kindergarten and up are believers in Christ, are active in a local church, and are state certified.
•    We have graduates attending Christian universities (Lubbock Christian and Dallas Baptist) pursuing careers in ministry.
•    We have other graduates at Texas A&M, Rice, California Polytechnic, TCU, Texas Tech, and other fine public universities.
•    Our 14 graduates last year were offered more than $1.3 million in scholarships.
•    Our students score an average of 1.3 years above grade level on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
•    We are working to increase enrichment programs on the elementary campus next year, including more opportunities in Science, Spanish, and leadership development.
•    100% of our students who took the AP Calculus test last year passed. All but one made a ‘5’, which is the highest score possible (the other one made a ‘4’).
•    We offer a variety of sports at the junior high and high school level, including football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, golf, tennis, and track.  We also have basketball and soccer for elementary students.
•    Our SAT scores are well above state and national averages, and higher than many established private schools in the area.
•    Our tuition is significantly lower than comparably accredited schools in the area. In addition to this, we offer multiple child discounts that others do not.

I believe the story of WCS is a great one, and I love to tell it to people whenever I get the chance.  I hope you will help me spread the word as we strive to accomplish our mission of providing a Christ-centered educational environment where young people are equipped for lives of Christian leadership and service.

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Mr. Gravitt

– By: Scottlyn Ogle

During the first semester everyone got to know Mr. Gravitt, but how well do you really know him?  Well, that is what me, Jillian, Kylie, and Brittyn went to find out.  After a thirty minute interview, we found out enough to say we really do know Mr. Gravitt.  Read on to find out.

Mr. Gravitt grew up going to Midland Christian School, Lee High School, and Texas Tech.  He majored in education and taught and coached for twelve years.  When he was teaching, he went back to school to get his Masters Degree.  When he got his Masters, he heard about the job at WCS.  He came here three years after it started.

He likes teaching at private schools, though he believes it’s a ministry either way, because he can be direct about his beliefs.  He teaches Physics for the seniors because he likes teaching high school, though his favorite teacher growing up was Mr. Erxleben, who taught high school calculus.  He liked him because he was laid back and he pushed him.

In the summer, he runs a camp for inner city kids and drives around in a van that belongs to the camp. Now, he’s 46, though he looks younger, and is married with 3 kids.  He enjoys football, steak, and the book “Velvet Elvis” by Rob Bell.  He likes multiplication over division and sometimes wishes that the school taught Sign Language.  He likes the color blue, and the movies Rudy and Elf.  He’s been to Italy, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas.  He wakes up at 5:45 and goes to bed anywhere between 10:00 – 12:00. He likes to eat at McDonalds.

Now the big answer:  Yes, a student brought him an apple, but he prefers Dr. Pepper.

When I was in high school I was fortunate to have Spike Dykes as my head football coach.  Two years after I graduated he moved on to Texas Tech where he had a long and iconic career.  He is a very sincere man who taught us a lot about life as well as football.  One illustration that sticks out in my mind was related to the necessity of approaching every practice with focus and intensity, and a commitment to getting better.  He told us walking on that practice field was like being in an old pickup with a standard transmission, sitting on a hill.  Once you took your foot off the brake, you weren’t going to stay in the same place.  You could either press on the accelerator and move forward, or let it go and drift back. If you didn’t get better, you were going to lose ground to the competition.

We have a wonderful school, but the leadership at WCS understands what Coach Dykes meant, and realizes that we need to always be looking for ways to do things better.  We are in the process of making plans for next year and we know that if we don’t move forward in a deliberate fashion, we will lose ground.  There is great input from the school family through the survey, there is great vision and leadership on the board, and there are great things in store.

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There was a movie back in the eighties that focused on the faculty of an inner city school, and the tribulations of a typical school year. I don’t remember many of the details except a line from one of the main characters as he had an epiphany near the end of the movie. “The students are not here for the school, the school is here for the students”, he stated. It is a simple point, and may seem obvious, but it is a profound statement and helps keep me focused on our mission. It’s not a job, it’s a calling. It’s not a business, it’s a ministry. They are not just students, they are God’s children.