by admin | Oct 9, 2024 | Around Campus, News Flash
Celebrating Our Homecoming King and Queen
Westbury Christian School is excited to introduce our 2024 Homecoming King and Queen, Cristian H. and Jannieka H. These outstanding seniors embody the spirit of WCS through their dedication, leadership, and service to the Wildcat community. Let’s get to know a bit more about each of them and what this special honor means to them.
Cristian H. – Homecoming King
Class of: 2025
Years at WCS: 8
Sports/Clubs/Activities: Football, Track, National Honor Society, Student Ambassador, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Club Track.
What WCS Means to Cristian:
“Westbury Christian means so much to me. Ever since the 5th grade, the teachers, students, and staff have been so welcoming and encouraging. You can tell they genuinely want to help me succeed in everything I do. The Wildcat community is like family to me, and I’m very grateful to be a part of it.”
On Being Named Homecoming King:
“I am so honored to receive this title. Being Homecoming King isn’t just about wearing a crown; it’s a responsibility. It means that people see you as a role model, someone they look up to. I want to set a positive example for others by leading with integrity and showing kindness to everyone.”
“Working with our younger Wildcats in K3 reminds me that being a role model isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing others how to rise with resilience, lead with compassion, and grow through every challenge.”
Jannieka H. – Homecoming Queen
Class of: 2025
Years at WCS: 13
Sports/Clubs/Activities: Varsity Cheer (Head Captain), Track, Soccer, Theater, Senior Class Treasurer, International Thespian Society (President), National Honor Society (Publicity Officer), Interact Club (Secretary), National Spanish Honor Society, Student Ambassador, 2024-2025 Marketing Ambassador.
What WCS Means to Jannieka:
“WCS holds a special place in my heart! After 13 years, it has been my sanctuary and a pillar of support, shaping me into the person I am today. I’ve formed lifelong friendships here and will always be grateful for the environment that has allowed me to grow.”
On Being Named Homecoming Queen:
“The privilege of being Homecoming Queen means the world to me! Knowing that my peers chose me to represent our school is truly an honor. It’s a full-circle moment, remembering how I once looked up to past Homecoming Queens and now, being one myself, I hope to inspire others to shine their light and embrace who they are.”
We are so proud of Cristian and Jannieka for their accomplishments and the example they set for their fellow students. Their dedication, involvement, and character truly embody what it means to be a part of the Westbury Christian family. Congratulations to our 2024 Homecoming King and Queen!
by admin | Oct 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
by admin | Oct 1, 2024 | Student Devotionals
The theme for the 2024-25 school year is See As God Sees. Based on the verse 1 Samuel 16:7, the theme encourages students to look at one another as God looks at each of us, focusing on the heart.
One of our primary goals in Bible class is for students to study God’s Word, not just to memorize verses, but to learn how to interpret and apply scripture to their daily lives. It’s encouraging to see our students across grade levels embrace the Bible with such enthusiasm. We thought we’d share some of their responses to this year’s verse each week.
What 1 Samuel 16:7 means to me…
He always looks at the heart. He sees me by how I act. I want to see how God sees so I can know instead of assume. It’s hard to know someone when you don’t know them at the same time. I will grow by reading the Bible and to pray. – Henry M., sixth grade
To me the verse 1 Samuel 16:7 means don’t choose people based on their appearance, think about being friends with them based on the inside. This applied to me in real life whenever I came to Westbury and chose people to hang around with. I got to know them before I hung out with them. It’s important that we really get to know other people instead of judging them based on their appearance. – Braylon B., sixth grade
by admin | Aug 14, 2024 | Around Campus
Westbury Christian School in Houston, Texas has been awarded a prestigious 2023-24 Parent Choice Award by ParentPulse, a third-party provider that administers surveys for more than 130 private and independent schools in the United States.
Parent Choice Awards are presented to a select group of schools that logged an overall parent Net Promoter Score of 70 or greater for the period from Sept. 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024.
Net Promoter Score is a universal metric (expressed as a single number on a scale from -100 to 100) that seeks to measure overall customer satisfaction by asking survey respondents a single question – “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” The Net Promoter Score was developed by Bain & Company, an international management consulting firm, in 2003, and is used by millions of organizations across just about every industry.
Most researchers and survey scientists classify Net Promoter Scores of 30-50 as “good,” 50-70 as “excellent” and 70+ as “world class.” With a score of 70 or greater during the 9-month period, Westbury Christian School has achieved a truly elite parent satisfaction rate.
Unlike most survey platforms – which measure Net Promoter Score through a one-time survey blast – ParentPulse employs automated, rolling surveys throughout the year, so a school’s score is truly reflective of the entire academic year, and not just a single moment in time.
“Net Promoter Score truly captures the essence of an organization’s commitment to actively listen to and engage its customers,” said ParentPulse founder Ryan Ermeling. “We created ParentPulse to help private and independent schools better understand and leverage the paradigm of ‘parent as customer.’ Schools that receive this award have truly embraced this concept and are seeking to serve their families and continually adapt to the changing needs of their community.”
About ParentPulse
Most private and independent schools don’t have a year-round method for capturing parent feedback. That can lead to disgruntled families, unclear priorities and even enrollment decline. ParentPulse features an automated recurring survey tool that gives parents (and now students and staff as well!) a voice throughout the year, empowering school leaders to make more informed decisions and better engage their stakeholders.
by admin | Jul 18, 2024 | WCS Service
At WCS, we believe in empowering our Wildcats to serve those less fortunate.
A beloved annual fundraising drive to benefit impoverished children in Honduras and Haiti continued for its 26th year at WCS. During the spring semester, students from kindergarten through the senior class collected spare change in specially designed water bottles to benefit orphans in these two countries. Our third graders designed this year’s bottles for WCS students and families in this voluntary outreach.
HISTORY
Westbury Christian Middle School and High School Bible Teacher and Middle School Girls’ Basketball Coach Steve Hawley spearheaded the collection that originated in Lebanon, Tennessee, at Friendship Christian School in 1995.
Honduras has a special place in Coach Hawley’s heart. His first mission trip to Honduras occurred in July 1998, weeks before he arrived at WCS. A few months later in October, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, and the project was introduced to the Westbury Christian family. The change receptacles evolved from used drink containers to Powerade bottles to unique bank bottles donated by a generous WCS family. For twenty years, this family supplied WCS students with bottles, which include the WCS crest, logos of the partnering charities, and James 1:27, the theme verse for the program. All 22 coin bottles are on display, tied into a mural commemorating these efforts, in Coach Hawley’s classroom.
MISSION LAZARUS HOPE FOR HAITI’S CHILDREN
The funds raised at WCS provide support to two nonprofit Christian organizations: Mission Lazarus, a holistic ministry focused on community development in Honduras through spiritual, educational, medical, and agricultural outreaches; and Hope for Haiti’s Children, which utilizes in-country educators and professionals to nurture, educate and train poverty-bound Haitian children to become spiritual leaders. As in recent years, WCS has chosen to support the Hope for Haiti’s Children school lunch program.
“The children at these schools are fed lunch every day. For some kids, this is the only meal they will get so this is incredibly vital,” says Coach Hawley. Mission Lazarus, who has provided wooden cross necklaces for our students for 15 years, earmarks the WCS contribution towards a different need annually.
This school year, the total donation was over $12,500, a school record, divided between Hope For Haiti’s Children and Mission Lazarus. The money sent to Hope for Haiti’s Children are earmarked for the lunch program. Following years past, the change was sorted and counted by WCS students.
In April, Coach Hawley attended the Hope for Haiti’s Children Houston breakfast. Third graders Miles and Zoe were selected to represent the third grade and juniors Oluwaseyi and Bella were invited to participate at the breakfast.
“What made this year extra special was alumni participation,” says Coach Hawley. “Caleb Godard ’18 spearheaded an alumni Go Fund Me page which netted $1,500 for the cause!”
Our Kindergarten class has had an impressive involvement this year. Mrs. Reynold’s shared her insight and favorite memories with the collection.
“It’s a treat and a privilege for those of us who teach our young Wildcats to model the importance of sharing God’s gifts with those who are not as blessed as we are,” says Mrs. Reynolds. “Our annual participation in helping the children in Haiti and Honduras goes hand in hand with our Lower School daily Bible and chapel curriculum. It’s an important part of who we are as Wildcats.
“For us, it’s always a thrill to see our Kindergarteners excited about their new water bottles, filled to the brim with their coins. The Kindergarteners love to carry their heavy bottles into class. They love hearing the coins jingle as they empty them into the larger water jug, and they love looking into the jug to see the wide variety of coins in it. It’s tangible, and it involves all of their senses.
“At the end of the project, the Kindergarteners get to use their knowledge of coins to sort them with the upperclassmen. Coach’s program not only brings our community together to help another community, but it also incorporates both cross-curriculum learning and our living WCS core values.”
To learn more about the benefiting organizations, visit missionlazarus.org and hopeforhaitischildren.org.
by admin | May 30, 2024 | Around Campus
Each graduating class leaves a distinct legacy to Westbury Christian and has played a special role in their time at the school. The Class of 2024 is no exception; their impact and influence will last for years. Let’s take a closer look at some of their defining traits and moments:
- The Class of 2024 left a lasting legacy at Westbury Christian. Of the graduating seniors, two students – Keiwan and Luke – have been at WCS since preschool, and Cooper spent most of his school career at WCS.
- The Class of 2024 will be making an impact across the country next fall as they head to college. From Savannah College of Art and Design (Levi) to Santa Clara (Richard), studying degrees from Computer Science to Early Childhood Education, Engineering, and Business. This year’s top collegiate destinations have been the University of Houston and Texas State University.
- The Class of 2024 has had service in their heart for years. In high school, they’ve collectively recorded over 1,400 hours of community service across a variety of different organizations and projects. Levi recorded an impressive 309 hours of service during his time at Westbury Christian. But this group has been serving the community together since middle school, frequently working in local ministries and other community organizations. There is no doubt hundreds of unrecorded hours that have been spent serving across our community.
- Over the past several years, the Class of 2024 has benefited from learning from other perspectives to enrich their understanding of the world. This includes classmates from other countries, including China (Yasmine and Felis) and Vietnam (Quan), who have learned alongside their American peers for the past four years.
- The Class of 2024 left a lasting legacy for Wildcat athletics. Three male athletes have signed their national letter of intent to play collegiate sports. Troy will play basketball at William Penn, Sebastian will play basketball at North Dakota State College of Science, and Cooper will play basketball at Hope College. Troy, Cooper, and Sebastian led the boy’s basketball program to multiple state tournament appearances and Final Four finishes. Carter, Rodrigo, and Vince led the way in a groundbreaking soccer season. Vince was also a pivotal player for the football team and baseball team. Gabi also explored her athletic interests in soccer, track, and cheer. Lauren left a lasting legacy on the track and field team by recording a new school record in the 100m (12.81).
- The Class of 2024 has been involved in a wide range of leadership roles and activities on campus. Keiwan, Richard, and Levi starred in Freaky Friday this spring with Jada and Keiwan serving in theater tech. Quan developed her leadership skills with the yearbook staff, serving as Editor this past year. Yasmine also delighted spectators with her artistic abilities. Luke and Felis were an integral part of the VEX Robotics team throughout their time at WCS and Chikere impacted Interact Club and found his passion in leading service opportunities for others.
- Perhaps most importantly, the Class of 2024 has grown closer over the years. They’ve overcome tragedies and challenges and shared exciting accomplishments and joys.
We will certainly miss the Class of 2024, but we know they will continue to grow as they depart WCS. We look forward to hearing how they make a Kingdom Impact in the future. Congratulations to all the members of the Class of 2024!
by admin | May 29, 2024 | Around Campus
[Houston, TX] – Westbury Christian School has dedicated the Jack & Mary Gray Student Life Center, a vital hub for student activity and spiritual development. The Jack & Mary Gray Student Life Center, which includes the cafeteria, stage, gymnasium, and fine arts hall, represents a major “heartbeat” area of the school. Most of the experiences and activities of school that happen outside of the classroom take place in this area of the building.
“These spaces are much more than classrooms, a cafeteria, a gym,” said WCS Head of School Nathan Wagner. “These places are where our students get to uncover and explore the gifts and talents that God has given them. Places where they often discover a new passion, places they may consider their home on campus. These are spaces where they are known, loved, and encouraged to do great things.”
The Jack & Mary Gray Student Life Center reflects the extraordinary generosity of Jack and Mary Gray. The Grays have been committed to sharing the Gospel throughout their lives, and they believed Christian education was an important part of that mission.
A Legacy of Christian Education
The Gray family became friends and donors to Westbury Christian School in the late 1990s. Mrs. Inez Gray, the family matriarch, was a matron of the school until her death. Following in his mother’s footsteps, her son Jack and his wife Mary became regular donors to WCS. In the year 2000, Jack Gray was appointed to the Westbury Christian School Board of Trustees. Mr. Gray served in that capacity for approximately fifteen years, faithfully accepting the role as an important responsibility.
During his tenure as a trustee, Mr. and Mrs. Gray became dependable friends of the school. Always present at many school functions, they encouraged others to support the school in their church and community. The Grays were liberal donors, helping in the building of Mundy Hall, making regular gifts for operations, and providing loans when needed. Their major financial offering to WCS will come in their final estate gift that will represent the largest gift in school history, to date.
A Heart for God and Students
Underlying all that Mr. and Mrs. Gray have done for Westbury Christian School is their undying love for God their Father, expressed by their belief that Christian education is a catalyst for preaching Christ and His crucifixion. In addition to supporting Christian education, the Grays have been faithful members of the Channelview Church of Christ since 1945. The Christian faith has been central to their lives.
“The money, the time and the love you and Mary have shared with this school have touched the hearts of students you haven’t met and have touched the lives of people who have yet to come through this door. We appreciate you more than you know it,” added former Head of School Robert McCloy.
The Jack & Mary Gray Student Life Center stands as a testament to the Grays enduring legacy. It will continue to foster a vibrant environment where students explore their talents, develop their faith, and build lifelong friendships.
by admin | May 24, 2024 | Around Campus
Sheila Kaldis first connected with Westbury Christian School as a parent, but it didn’t take long for her to join the school as a Wildcat employee. Over the past 35 years, Mrs. Kaldis has worked closely with our primary and elementary programs. She is often the first person many of our young Wildcats meet during the admissions process. Her presence has undeniably shaped the Lower School experience for countless students. Her contagious smile, patient spirit, and comforting hugs have made WCS a warm and welcoming place for students to learn and grow. We will miss her greatly as she steps into a new season of retirement. Mrs. Kaldis took the time to share her experience of working at WCS over the past 35 years.
What are some of your most cherished memories from your time at Westbury Christian School?
SK: Some of my most cherished memories include the privilege to see and be a part of the tremendous growth that WCS has experienced over the years. I was invited to be a part of the ceremonial groundbreaking crew to mark the construction of Mundy Hall. I was also honored to plan and be a part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open our brand-new preschool playground and the new Joan Partain Library. I also enjoyed being on the team that was responsible for WCS switching to school uniforms and choosing which items our students would wear.
What are you most proud of accomplishing during your years here?
SK: Initiating plans to add the Lower School Community Service initiative – Project Hug, The Houses Program, and The Social Emotional Program here.
What are you most grateful to God for during your time here?
SK: For helping me develop an empathetic heart toward parents and a compassionate heart toward the students. I pray that I have always shined my light brightly for Jesus to all who needed to see it.
What are you most looking forward to in retirement?
SK: I am most looking forward to not setting an alarm and traveling to England, Greece, and France in August/September. I also plan to read all of the books I’ve gathered over the years and creating an English garden.
Will you stay connected to the Westbury Christian School community in any way?
SK: Most definitely! I bleed Blue and Gold.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with current teachers or students?
SK: Every morning, ask God to help you prepare each of your students’ hearts, minds, and souls every day according to His will. Remember, every child has a story, be a positive part of their story.
Is there a Bible verse that has been especially meaningful to you throughout your career? Why?
SK: Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me) This is my favorite life verse and has helped me so often at work when I have had a difficult task to accomplish or had to have a difficult conversation with a parent. It has helped me many times to keep my calm when I am trying to calm a student who is angry or upset.
You’ve touched the lives of so many students. Is there a particular story of a student that stands out to you?
SK: Not a particular student, but I am always touched when students who started with us in our primary department and are now in high school tell me that they remember me giving them their admissions test and lots of hugs.
What will you miss most about working at this school?
SK: Working alongside such talented and dedicated individuals. It has been an absolute privilege to be part of a team that supports, encourages, loves, prays, and learns together. I am blessed that the decision to retire has been so difficult because I love the WCS community so much.
As you move on to this new chapter, what are your prayers for the school community?
SK: I pray for a spirit of unity and harmony as the board of trustees, administration, faculty, and staff work together toward the common goal of continually improving the spiritual, academic, and student activities experiences for every WCS student.
