It’s been an exciting week on campus! School spirit goes far beyond fun dress-up days. Yesterday, we added a service-learning element to the week. A big thank you to our 25 Faithpack leaders for organizing meaningful service projects on Stewardship Day. It was a wonderful way to live out our mission and truly be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Next week, things should settle back into a normal routine. We did sacrifice a little academic time this week with pep rallies and activities, but we gained something even more valuable: the chance to build a sense of belonging. Smiling and laughing together is so important.

Mr. Brian Verwolf

Head Administrator

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The Wolfpack Edge serves as a weekly communication to our parent community. We'll send it to your inbox each Thursday during the school year. If you would like the newsletter to be sent to an additional account, let us know! Grandparents & supporters may request to receive the communication, too. Please email Mrs. Kathy Mouw with contact information: Kathy.Mouw@westernchristianhs.com

Homecoming Week always provides some variety & change of pace to our regular school days; these changes even make their way into chapel. We love to bookend our Homecoming Week with chapels. Monday, we were blessed by a special number from Sydney Feenstra. (Find "The Truth" on your favorite listening app--it's so good; better yet, find Sydney on our Monday livestream and take a listen!) Ross Douma, class of 1990, share a message as well. His works were packed with a ton of wisdom into less than 15 minutes! We are so thankful for speakers who desire to share truth with our students. On Friday, we will try something new: Living Room Conversations with Western Grads. Jason and Abby De Groot, class of 2001, agreed to come in and participate in this casual, yet hopefully insight, conversation moderated by Mr. Brad Vis and myself. We hope that students hear some of the very normal parts of high school that Jason & Abby recall, as well as how they can definitely see all of the events of their lives being cared for and directed by our loving God. It promises to be fun and inspirational. A group of six students will share "Beautiful Savior" as a special number, and chapel on Friday starts right at 8:30 AM. You are always welcomed to join us in person or on the livestream.

All of these events will be livestreamed. Please consider joining us for chapel by subscribing to Western Christian High School Livestreams on YouTube.

Mrs. Karen Christians

Director of Discipleship

Western Christian first opened its doors in the fall of 1919. Did you know that in over 100+ years, Western Christian has never charged the full cost of education to attend? The gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating each student has always been filled by generous giving, church support, creative fundraisers (think apple pies, pigs-in-a-blanket, and silage piles to name a few), faithful volunteers, and a mindset to sacrifice to raise our Covenant Youth in the light of God's Word. Western Christian is grateful for the century-long partnership between church, home, and school. That 'three-legged stool' is as important in 2024 as it was back in 1919, and it will continue to be for the future generations of Christ-centered education. Thank you for all the ways that you support Western Christian's mission as parents, churches, and communities!

Mr. Justin Negen

Chief of Finance & Operations

For planning purposes, please note the following:

- Wednesday, October 2: Last Day before Heartland Break (8:25 AM-12:00 PM)

The Pack Shack will be open at the home football game on Friday night at Hesla Field & on Tuesday, September 24, at the home volleyball game!

We are searching for several families to host 8 Dutch students ranging between ages 15 - 17 as part of our Netherlands Exchange Program. Families will host these students for 3 weeks this fall from October 25 - November 15 so we would like to have host families finalized in the next two weeks. Most of the students coming here will host Western Christian students next Spring. If you are interested in being part of this program or would just like more information, please contact Carey Van Donselaar at Carey.VanDonselaar@westernchristianhs.com, or 712-449-5923.

Here is the link to download Season Activity Passes along with tickets for away games throughout the season. Click here for TICKETS. To stay up to date on athletic schedules, school events, cancellations or changes, we encourage students and fans to download the BOUND app. The icon for this app is located on the right.

Click the link below to visit our activity & athletic calendar to see more!

• A tailgate sponsored by Hegg Health Services will begin at 5:30 PM. A free will donation will be taken that will go towards the Western Booster Club.
• Homecoming Reps will be announced at 6:40 PM before the football game begins.
• FFA will be handing out ice cream at halftime of the game, donated by WIDA.
• Wolfpack Dance Team & WC Drumline will perform at halftime.
• Tune in to our livestream linked below to watch from home!

First FFA Main Meeting is Wednesday September 25th at 8:50 in the cafeteria! We will serve breakfast and discuss important upcoming events and information.

Seniors still thinking about taking or retaking the ACT the deadline to register for the October 26 ACT is Friday, September 20 to avoid any late fees. Registration is to be done at act.org. If students are looking for study resources, they can contact Mrs. Dirksen.

The Financial Aid Night is scheduled for Thursday, October 17 at 7 pm in the cafeteria. Harlan Harmelink, Director of Financial Aid from Dordt University, will share pointers and information on filling out the FAFSA for seniors and their parents. The information is for all those planning to attend a postsecondary college not just Dordt bound students. The FAFSA is scheduled to be released for the 2025-2026 school year in December.

Underclass picture day will be on Monday starting at 8 am. Your student should have brought home a form to order pictures, or I will also include a link to do it online. You do not have to purchase anything but taking a picture is required so we have it for yearbook etc. Tell the photographer you want a yearbook picture only.

As we continue to work on making sure Western Christian is a safe educational environment for all of our students, faculty, & staff, on Tuesday evening, September 17, the Hull EMTs came to Western for an in-depth look at our facilities. Our building can be a very complex space, especially for those who have not been here. Readiness starts with preparation. We are grateful that the Hull EMTs took the time to prepare in the event that they hopefully will never need to respond to at Western Christian. We look forward to hosting all of our local 1st responders in the future to continue our safety endeavor.

"When the time to perform comes, the time to prepare has passed."

Mr. Waylon Pollema

Director of Campus Safety & Student Support

At Western Christian High School, we recognize our students’ unique creation and the variety of God-given talents and skills. We know that each student presents a unique combination of such strengths. We believe it is our responsibility to meet students where they are at in their journey and equip them with the tools and resources required to exceed their potential. To meet the need, we have a Student Support Team with a variety of resources. Go here to learn more about who to connect with!

Western Christian High School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs (if any exist), and athletic or other school administered programs.