College Attended: Piedmont International University
What have you been up to since graduating from WCS?
Since graduating from WCS, I’ve earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in theology, I’ve been serving as a youth pastor for 10 years, while also teaching part time at WCS for 6 years. I married Tanya in 2013 and have 3 kids plus 1 on the way.
Fun facts: I’ve also learned how to ski, taken 4 mission trips, and bought my first house.
Advice for future alumni
Put Jesus first because he is all that really matters
WCS is pleased to announce the hiring of Allison Speight in the Controller role at WCS. Mr. Brenner says, “We are thrilled to have Allison join the leadership team at WCS. Her expertise and experience in accounting and finance are obvious assets. I am most excited about her love for the mission of WCS. To put it succinctly, her skills AND love for Jesus will have a tremendous impact at WCS for years to come.”
Mrs. Speight is no stranger to WCS. She is a WCS graduate of the class of 1998. She is also a parent at WCS; her sons, Colton and Wyatt, have attended WCS since daycare. She says her experience as a parent at WCS is highlighted by “the community WCS cultivates with everyone – staff, students, parents & churches–and its passion for raising up children to be a contribution & light in a tough world.” Brenner goes on to say, “We’ve had the privilege of partnering with Allison and Derek, as parents, since their boys entered our daycare. I’m grateful the LORD saw fit to bring her onto our leadership team.”
In addition to her commitment to our mission, she comes to us with a wealth of experience. She holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in accounting from NC State University and has 18 years of experience as a licensed CPA. She has worked both in the private accounting industry and in a supervisory capacity in the accounting offices for the Wayne County government, most recently serving as the finance director for the County of Wayne for several years.
Mrs. Speight will begin her new role on October 2. She says that she is excited to “spend more time with my husband and boys and to be able to work for the school that meant so much to me growing up and now as a parent of WCS students.”
Fun fact about Mrs. Speight: “I love being a boy mom almost as much as I love being a dog mom to my Boykin Spaniel, Nala Grace!”
The mission of WCS is to partner with parents and churches to teach from and to shape a Biblical worldview so students can impact their world for Christ.
During the week of April 10, the construction crew will be repaving the parking lot in front of the gym to put in a curb by the new building and level the parking area (no more lake Wayne Christian in the parking lot on rainy days!) Childcare families and others who have a need to be on campus during spring break should be aware of a change to the traffic pattern for the week. We will use the exit driveway to enter campus, as we will be unable to drive all the way across campus. Cones will be set up to mark lanes for two-way traffic.
Childcare Center
Use the driveway at the New Hope Road stoplight to enter campus.
Drive around the back of the childcare center to enter the childcare drive/parking area and drop off as normal.
Exit the daycare parking lot from the exit drive. Make sure to look both ways for traffic and go to the right lane to approach the stop light. Left turns out of the parking lot onto Patetown Road may be difficult with the loss of the left-turn lane.
Mrs. Harrelson’s Students
Use the driveway at the New Hope Road stoplight to enter campus.
Drive around the back of the childcare center and make a left into the loop by the extended care and administrative buildings. Drop off in the extended care building.
Exit from the loop as normal, but stay in the right lane to approach the stop light. Left turns out of the parking lot onto Patetown Road may be difficult with the loss of the left-turn lane.
Athletic Practices
Use the driveway at the New Hope Road stoplight to enter campus.
Drive around the back of the childcare center and park in front of the elementary building. You will have to walk to the athletic fields from there.
To exit the parking lot, stay in the right lane to approach the stop light. Left turns out of the parking lot onto Patetown Road may be difficult with the loss of the left-turn lane.
It is our hope that the parking lot will be done and ready to use in our normal traffic pattern by the time we return to regular school hours on April 17.
We’re excited to announce the launch of a special learning environment designed specifically for our rising 5th and 6th graders: the intermediate school. It will allow our students to transition into upper grades in an environment that is neither elementary nor middle school. Rising fifth and sixth-grade students will comprise the inaugural intermediate school at WCS!
As you know, we’ve seen growth in our student body and campus over the last few years, and plans made several years ago are coming to fruition. The new high school building is slated to be finished this summer. That means we will have space to spread out a little bit and move the fifth grade out of the elementary building and into their own building. Next school year, fifth and sixth grades will share a hallway and a fabulous team of teachers as they learn in an environment tailored to them.
What to Expect
Changing classes similar to the way fifth grade currently changes classes between teachers
15-minute recess/transition time in between classes
Teachers whose sweet spot is teaching intermediate-age students. Our current fifth-grade teachers will be teaming up with some of our current middle school teachers to make up the intermediate school teaching team.
Art, music, and PE classes as part of their weekly class schedule
Additional elective classes that students/parents get to choose each year (options such as choir, drama, programming, and more!)
Daily reviews at the end of the day to help students plan for upcoming classes
What does this mean for middle school students?
Middle school will look much the same as it currently does, but it will be made up of only grades 7 and 8. With 5th and 6th grades sharing one hallway and team of teachers, 7th and 8th grades will share a different hallway and team of dedicated middle school teachers.
What have you been up to since graduating from WCS?
I graduated from Regent University with a JD in 2017 and from Pepperdine University with an LL.M in Dispute Resolution in 2018. I worked for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) before moving back to North Carolina and practicing law for several years. I recently moved to DC and joined the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer.
What is your favorite memory of WCS?
Our senior trip to Disney World. It was a great time with friends before we graduated and moved to different places for college.
Education: B.S. Biology, Mount Olive College (University of Mount Olive)
Home Church: Immanuel Baptist Church (Kinston, NC)
What do you love most about teaching/working at WCS?
What I love most about teaching at WCS is that God gives me opportunities to show off His character to people every day. Speaking about Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is not only allowed but also encouraged in the workplace! It’s a place where I can be an encouragement and where I can find encouragement.
What is something you want your students to know when they join your class?
My goal is to love God and love others in this pursuit of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Please be patient with me as I am a work in progress.
What do you want your students to remember/gain from having known you?
I want my students to know that they are loved. I want the love of Christ to flow through me to my students.
Why are you passionate about your job?
God has given me an opportunity to have an impact on people every day as I work. I want to honor and glorify Him with the job that He has provided. It is exciting to have opportunities to positively impact others for Christ.
How do you incorporate a Biblical worldview into your classes?
We compare/contrast the Christian worldview and the naturalistic worldview as we look at different topics.
What are your hobbies?
Spending time with family and friends, Attending sporting events, and Kayaking
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I once fell off of the roof of the WCS elementary building.
What is a unique experience, talent, or interest that you bring to your classroom?
I attended WCS and graduated in 1991. I can understand both sides of the classroom.
What is your goal as an educator?
My goal as an educator is to model Christ as I love, encourage and teach students.
We are excited to offer new opportunities for our elementary and middle school students. We are offering day camps for some of the days during Christmas and New Year’s break. If you’d like to take advantage of these opportunities, they could provide a familiar place for your children to go when you have to be at work.
Here are the dates of the day camps:
Week of December 19-23, Monday – Friday
Times: Monday-Friday from 7:30 am-4:30 pm
Drop off in the gym no later than 9:00 am
Day camp leader: Mrs. Harrelson
Ages: Elementary & Middle School
Cost: $50/day, to be paid when you drop your child off
January 3rd-4th
Times: 7:30 am-4:30 pm
Drop off in the gym no later than 9:00 am
Day camp leader: Mr. and Mrs. Fox
Ages: Elementary & Middle School
Cost: $50/day, to be paid when you drop your child off
January 5th-6th
Part of the in-service extended care option
You must be registered for this through the finance office to participate
You do not have to register for the day camps on December 19-23 or January 3-4; these camps are open on a drop-in basis. Bring payment when you drop off your child. Your school account cannot be billed. Payment is due each day when you drop off your child.
Students attending day camp (and the in-service extended care days) should bring two snacks and lunch each day.
WCS is blessed to have an amazing Bible faculty on our campus. Let’s meet them:
David Sheldon (front left) teaches the honors Bible elective in high school. Pastor David is a graduate of WCS; he holds an MA in Biblical Studies from Piedmont International University and also serves as the youth pastor at Freedom Baptist Church.
Mark Stugelmeyer (front right) teaches middle school Bible. He holds a degree from Piedmont Bible College and has served in pastoral roles for 22 years prior to joining our faculty.
Billy Smith (back left) teaches 11th and 12th grade Bible. Mr. Smith is a graduate of WCS and holds a degree from Liberty University. He returned to WCS last school year after serving as a youth pastor in Graham, NC, for several years.
Dr. Joseph Thomas (back middle) teaches 9th and 10th grade Bible. He holds an MA in Theology and an MDiv from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; he joined the faculty at WCS this school year after teaching at the collegiate level for several years.
Nate Deck (back right) teaches 6th-grade Bible. Mr. Deck has an MA in Biblical Exposition from Liberty University and served as a missionary in Germany and as a youth pastor here in North Carolina before joining the WCS faculty.
The owner of the company that has supplied our PE uniforms and class t-shirts for many years retired a few weeks ago and closed his business. We are in need of a new vendor to provide spirit wear and other items for our school community.
We are requesting bids from screenprinting businesses to find a new vendor for these items. If you are interested in doing part or all of our spirit wear business, please submit a quote by Sunday, November 27, for consideration. Here are the three things we need:
Spirit Wear
Items: t-shirts, sweatshirts/hoodies, shorts, sweatpants/joggers, jackets, etc.
Specifications:
We want to be able to open the store at least quarterly for people to order. New designs will be needed basically every time we open the store.
The vendor needs to be able to run their own ordering site to collect orders, and all orders need to be packaged by order/student name for easy delivery to the student.
Orders should be delivered to the school no later than two weeks after the order closes (i.e. if we open the store from September 1-14, then orders need to be delivered by September 30).
How many items: somewhere in the 300-350 range every time we open the store during the school year, and around 700 items over the summer to prepare for back to school
Athletic Gear
Items: t-shirts, sweatshirts/hoodies
Specifications:
We need a shirt design for every sports team (most of them will have an idea of what they want but will need help tweaking it).
The vendor needs to be able to run their own ordering site to collect orders instead of us keeping a list. We also need the ability for a straggler to add an order after the bulk order has been placed.
Orders will take place at the beginning of every sports season (August, late October/early November, and late February/early March)
Quick turn-around with a one-week order window and a two-week delivery time. The additional orders for these shirts don’t have to be in a tight time frame.
How many items: Varies by sport. We have 22 teams with various numbers of participants, and each sport’s order could be anywhere from 20-80 items.
Class T-shirts
Items: t-shirts
Specifications:
Quotes for one-color shirts printed on the front and back.
Every class will have a different design on the front (25 different designs), but all shirts will have the same design on the back.
September-October
How many items: approximately 900 shirts (in sets of 25-60 of each design)
Talon Times 