upper school
7 – 12 Grade (Logic & Rhetoric)
If you visit the WCA Upper School, it would not be unusual to see a student set down their copy of the Aeneid in order to help set up tables being used for an interactive-learning experience with a younger class. This is not a chance occurrence. It is a manifestation of a purposeful community of virtue and learning. This community, along with our academic offerings, skilled faculty, and thoughtful philosophy enable us to cultivate students who live up to our Portrait of a Graduate.
WCA Upper School teachers see knowledge as a unity and desire to point students to Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in whichever subject area they teach. Art, music, and literature classes point them specifically to Beauty. Logic, rhetoric, math and science classes point them specifically to Truth. History, philosophy and Bible point them specifically to Goodness. In addition, our educational offerings both meet and exceed the state graduation requirements, but more than that, they promote intellectual, academic, and spiritual maturity.
Scripture is taken seriously in the classroom and is integrated into every lesson. WCA Upper School students spend time reading, discussing, momorizing, and applying Scripture. By the end of their time in Upper School students will have memorized all of Ephesians as well as many, many other passages.
WCA Upper School students read the Great Books of the Great Conversation and take time to dialogue about the important ideas in them. To this end our classes prioritize original sources whenever possible so that students are interacting with ideas and learning to think instead of just reading someone else’s opinion about the idea. By the time our students graduate, they have been taught to think logically, reason well, and articulate their beliefs so they can be leaders committed to impacting the worked for Jesus Christ.
Portrait of a WCA Graduate
While partnering with parents WCA aims to equip students with a Biblically integrated, academically excellent, classical education so that they engage the world with the truth of the gospel and the love of Christ, near and far, across generations. With this as our primary objective, WCA seeks to cultivate students…
Who are growing Christians, equipped to receive and proclaim the Truth of the Gospel, and who genuinely love God and others.
Who are virtuous servant-leaders, equipped to eloquently proclaim Truth and graciously communicate a biblical perspective to the cultural issues of their day.
Who are educated, disciplined, logical, discerning, loving, and mature lifelong-learners who contribute to the Great Conversation. They listen intently, reason wisely, write skillfully, and speak persuasively.
Who are prepared to build redemptive community, especially in family life, church membership, and citizenship.
Whose affections are rightly oriented towards that which is true, beautiful, and good, with hearts which desire Christ-centered living.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit by your house, and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise. Deut 6:4-7
Thesis Presentations
The senior thesis is the culminating work of WCA’s Humanities program. It is a summative and integrative project that requires students to use the rhetorical skills developed at all phases of their learning at WCA to develop a thoughtful and persuasive argument on a chosen topic. Their thesis and topic must be things of depth and significance about which Christians can reasonably disagree…read more
“We made the decision to start each of our girls at WCA in Kindergarten and now the school has been an integral part of our lives for nearly 20 years. Our partnership with WCA allowed Cher and I to see our three daughters, Maddie, Emma and current 12th Grader Lily, grow in their faith and learning. What we didn’t realize at the beginning of this journey was the impact WCA would make on both of us. From the selfless and loving staff, to our fellow parents that have become life-long friends; we have been truly blessed by WCA. As our daughters have grown into young adults, we see a maturation of their wonderful hearts and truth-seeking minds that were certainly molded by their years at WCA. Proverbs 22:6 tells us the importance of training up our children early on and “even when they are old, they will not turn from it”. WCA helped plant those seeds early on in our children, preparing them well to impact the world for Christ.”
Rich & Cher Thomas
Hear from our parents
testimonials
We made the decision to start each of our girls at WCA in Kindergarten and now the school has been an integral part of our lives for nearly 20 years. Our partnership with WCA allowed Cher and I to see our three daughters, Maddie, Emma and current 12th Grader Lily, grow in their faith and …
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“We decided to transfer our son from the public school system in the first half of his 8th grade year. The transition to Westside Christian Academy was amazing! The administration was overwhelmingly supportive, and …
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WCA has quite the growing reputation in the Cleveland area. We knew we wanted to check it out when our kids were older, but didn’t know they started at preschool. We found out only weeks before the school year was starting
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“We decided to transfer our son from the public school system in the first half of his 8th grade year. The transition to Westside Christian Academy was amazing! The administration was overwhelmingly supportive, and walked my son through his new day to day life at WCA one step at a time.
My husband and I noticed a difference in him almost immediately, and we knew we made the right choice. About a month into school, he came home and said, “Mom, do you want to know the best thing about going to school at WCA…I can be who am I all the time, I don’t have to pretend anymore and I can talk about God whenever I want to.” He was silenced in public school, and being free to talk about Christ, and to be challenged academically at WCA has been an incredible life changing experience for him.
He is an incoming Junior this year, and my only regret is that we didn’t transfer him sooner. The teachers love these kids, they pray for and with them, and they care for each one like their own.
If you are considering transferring an older child into WCA, let me encourage you by saying this is one decision you will not regret. Westside Christian Academy is a very special place.”
Rob & Karen Hussey
“WCA has quite the growing reputation in the Cleveland area. We knew we wanted to check it out when our kids were older, but didn’t know they started at preschool. We found out only weeks before the school year was starting & signed up our daughter. It could not have been a better experience for us or our daughter. To know she is in a safe Christian environment where she is nurtured & encouraged is priceless. We can not believe how much she has learned & grown in preschool! She is quoting scripture & fully explaining Bible stories to us. We feel very confident she is ready & prepared for kindergarten. “
The Hale Family
