Dear WCCS Families,
With over 27 years in education, I have seen first-hand the profound impact that a leader can have, and I am humbled by the privilege of leading our WCCS Upper School. I’d love to share a brief look into the vision we pursue here at the Upper School on a daily basis.
First and foremost, WCCS is dedicated to honoring God in all we do and raising up students to bless and influence the world as followers of Jesus Christ. We operate our school and our classrooms within the context of a Christian worldview. We hire faculty and staff fully aligned to Jesus in faith, values, and practice – able to model this to our students.
As middle and high school aged students become more aware of a multitude of complicated worldly issues, it becomes crucial that they are clearly presented with God’s truth. Faculty seek to reveal God’s truth in all subject areas and allow space for students to examine, develop, and mature in their faith as they navigate their studies as well as the world we live in.
At WCCS, we take our school culture seriously. We intentionally plan activities, class time, sports, and other extracurricular activities to help students connect. Creating a space where students feel physically and emotionally safe is essential to a flourishing learning environment. We’re not trying to just help our students survive the awkward middle school years or the pressures of high school; we want them to enjoy these years and thrive! To that end, we seek students who will participate and positively add to the life of our school and a highly relational faculty who will nurture, mentor, and be involved in our students’ lives.
We believe all students are created in the image of God which greatly impacts the way we view students. Acknowledging that mistakes will be made along the way, we seek students and families willing to partner with the school and lean into opportunities for academic, social, and spiritual growth.
First and foremost, WCCS is dedicated to honoring God in all we do and raising up students to bless and influence the world as followers of Jesus Christ.
Finally, our Upper School works to provide an engaging learning environment grounded in Biblical truth. We understand that each student is unique, and purposefully teach to a variety of different learning styles. We strive to make our College Prep classes not only interesting and relatable but make sure to offer opportunities for students to analyze and wrestle with the content. Our Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment (DE) classes provide a college-level curriculum that allows highly motivated students to advance. We have worked to increase AP and DE offerings each year since I started at WCCS.
In addition to our core subjects, our 8-period day allows for two electives per year. Students can choose from a variety of elective courses to inspire and hone their God-given talents and interests. Annual class trips and service projects also help integrate faith and community with our learning. Our college counseling department offers individual counseling to all our high school students as they seek God’s will for their next steps after high school.
I am grateful to be part of a humble, and yet exceptional, faculty and staff team here at WCCS. I pray daily that I can use the gifts, talents and experiences God has given me to continue the pursuit of excellence at WCCS. My military, public/private school, middle/high school, and AP to special education background has given me a wide variety of experiences to draw from.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or ideas you would like to share.
Partnering with You,
Joe Zambrano
Upper School Principal
jzambrano@wccs.org
