West Suburban Christian Academy
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| West Suburban Christian Academy | |
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Teaching Children To Reach Higher
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| Location | |
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| Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Non-Denominational, Evangelical Christian |
| Superintendent | Charles Moore |
| Enrollment |
300+ |
| Faculty | 40+ |
| Type | Pre-Kindergarten - 8th Grade |
| Campus | 10 acres (2 campuses) |
| Athletics | 4 Sports, compete in the Lake Area Athletic Conference |
| Mascot | Wildcat |
| Color(s) | Forest Green and Purple |
| Established | 1979 (as Sonshine Christian School) |
| Homepage | http://www.westsuburban.org/ |
West Suburban Christian Academy (WSCA) is a private, independent, non-denominational, evangelical Christian school located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. WSCA consists of preschool through eighth grade and is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). WSCA is the second-largest evangelical Christian school in the Milwaukee area (not including high schools), behind Heritage Christian School.
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[edit] History
Phil and Mary Ann Lee were instrumental in founding West Suburban Christian Academy in 1979 as Sonshine Christian School. It began with 33 students and three teachers. Over the years, the school moved several times, including locations in Brookfield and Greenfield, and changed its name to West Suburban Christian Academy (since the majority of students are from Milwaukee's western suburbs).
However, in 1995, West Suburban finally found a permanent home in Waukesha and began flourishing. The school defeated Walgreens in the bid to purchase Waukesha's abandoned Northview School campus, which became the first campus owned by the school in its history. With 99 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, WSCA opened its new campus for the 1995-1996 school year. In the summer of 1996, WSCA began remodelling the old Northview school buildings, one of which is very historic. The school began to grow rapidly, tripling its enrollment over the next decade. In the fall of 1997, the 3 and 4-year old preschool program was added.
In April 2004, a 22,000 square foot building and 6.5 acres were purchased a few blocks from the Northview campus. During the summer of 2004, the building was completely renovated to include eight classrooms, a science lab, media center, administrative offices, and commons areas. Known as the Silvernail Campus, this building serves as WSCA's middle school. Also in 2004, WSCA celebrated its 25th anniversary. The school currently has over 300 students with a staff of more than 40.
There have been recent discussions among the board of directors regarding combining the two campuses by selling the old Northview Campus and building new elementary school facilities and a full-size gym at the Silvernail Campus. The middle school basketball teams have been using the elementary-sized, Northview gym since 1995. In addition, a long-awaited high school is planned to be launched in September 2008.[1]
[edit] Membership
West Suburban Christian Academy is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). ACSI is the largest accrediting agency for Christian schools in the world. It provides current information about Christian education and offers training courses for teachers and administrators at its annual national convention.
[edit] Teachers
WSCA teachers have a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree. Teacher's aides assist where needed. All teachers have acknowledged a sincere faith in Jesus Christ.
[edit] Educational Philosophy
West Suburban Christian Academy desires to create an optimal learning environment, based upon academic excellence that compliments the Christian home. WSCA strives to promote an atmosphere where students learn to live their lives for Christ, develop their character and achieve their highest potential in Him. The school also strives to provide the best educational experience for every student.
Christian heritage is reinforced through curriculum and committed Christian teachers, and through corporate worship with a chapel service on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. Prayer and music accompany the staff and area pastors who teach the Scriptures to students and faculty.
West Suburban is truly for those parents who are deeply interested in their child's education. WSCA’s curriculum is designed to include parents in their child's academic studies. Therefore, WSCA parents know what is being taught to their child. There are also opportunities for parental involvement in special school functions, such as room parents, office helpers, playground monitors, and hot lunch helpers, etc.
The Academy’s Board of Directors consists of 9 to 12 individuals with limited terms. There are four standing committees: Advancement, Education, Business Operations, and Students/Families & Extra Curricular Activities, where parents are encouraged to volunteer.[2]
[edit] Athletics
The WSCA middle school offers a variety of sports for boys and girls, including: co-ed cross-country, girls volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and co-ed track and field. The Wildcats compete in the Lake Area Athletic Conference (LAAC). In the late-1990s, WSCA (then known as the Warriors) built a reputation in the Milwaukee area for its dominant boys basketball teams, which won numerous conference and tournament championships under former coach Bryan Seib.
