Hello WCS Community,
I’m John Casey, president of the Whitinsville Christian School’s Board of Trustees. I’d like to take this time to share a few thoughts with you regarding our preparations for the coming school year.
First of all, we are grateful to our administration, faculty, staff, and to you, the parents, for completing a school year that has been different from any other we have experienced due to COVID-19. This community has risen to the challenge where the partnership in your child’s education has never been more evident than it has been over the past few months. The dedication and hard work on everyone’s part is to be commended.
I also want to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to Headmaster Lance Engbers for his undivided commitment to Whitinsville Christian School over the past 36 years. He has led and grown the school by developing a committed and dedicated teaching faculty and support staff of over 100 employees, has overseen numerous building projects including the most recent Nehemiah Center, and has continued to lead the commitment to provide an excellent Christian education for families in our community. We wish him God’s richest blessings in his retirement.
We welcome Rick Lukianuk, who is already actively involved by chairing the Readiness Task Force, and will begin his official duties as Head of School in July. We are confident that with his leadership, we will continue to educate students according to our mission, even during this unprecedented time.
We want the WCS community to know we are busy planning for the 2020-2021 school year. These summer months are a time when preparation is happening daily through admissions, administration, and administrative staff. In addition, the Readiness Task Force is meeting weekly to review state guidelines and make plans for being back on campus when school starts in August. They are also working with medical professionals to ensure that our methods minimize the risk of health concerns for students, faculty and staff.
At this time Massachusetts has not issued any legal requirements for the coming school year. Preliminary guidelines have been issued, updated, and will continue to be updated throughout the summer. As an example, the state has loosened its guidelines on masks required for summer programs, and it would be our intent to continue this optional use in the upcoming school year. While WCS will follow all legal requirements, we will be mindful of the guidelines as they best fit our families and facility, and allow us to continue our mission of educating the whole child.
We will continue to provide specific updates throughout the summer as plans emerge, and value your feedback. For questions or comments, please email the Readiness Task Force at rtf@whitinsvillechristian.org.
I am reminded during these ever changing times that we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His faithfulness never ceases and His loving kindness extends to all. Please join me in praying for our community during these months of planning.
We look forward to continuing to inspire minds and ignite hearts at WCS.