WHA Blogs

Wilson Hill Academy 2019 Commencement Address

11 Jun 2019

Thank you, Mr. Etter, for that generous introduction and for this enormous privilege of addressing the Class of 2019. Reflecting on these last few days together, my heart almost bursts with the joy of seeing you, my students, talking to your families, and meeting face-to-face with my colleagues and friends. Over 500 like-minded people, gathering together with a common love for our Lord and for learning, joining in a pursuit of the good, the true,

By Joanna Hensley | | In WHA Blogs | Read more

Reepicheep Takes the Cake!

CS Lewis themed cake. Lewis is a key figure in our classical Christian education curriculum.22 Apr 2019

  Did you know our Houses recently completed a cake baking contest? Yes, you read that correctly—a CAKE BAKING competition. How cool is that? Each house has a mascot (O’Connor: peacock; Lewis: mouse—Reepicheep; Austin: wolf; Augustine: horse), colors (O’Connor: purple & teal; Lewis: red & yellow; Austen: purple & yellow; Augustine: teal & red), a motto and shield. Why not bake cakes and decorate them with the house motifs? First, each house held a contest

By Laura Ruby | | In WHA Blogs, Word on the Hill | Read more

Blueberry Bushes and Senior Thesis?

4 Apr 2019

Over spring break, our family planted a number of young blueberry bushes. Little did I know, we had our work cut out for us. For each plant, we had to dig a hole three-feet in diameter and one-foot deep, and mix peat moss and other amendments into the existing soil. The result is a large base of healthy soil for the young plant. Now, the thing to see is that this base is much larger

By Dr. Tom Vierra | | In WHA Blogs | Read more

What’s in the Water?

2 Apr 2019

What's in the water? WHA students had a blast discovering answers to this question throughout Lowcountry Live 2019. They began their inquiry studies at Grice Marine Lab where biologists taught the students how to collect plankton samples from Charleston Harbor. Everyone examined multiple varieties of live plankton under the microscope while biologists answered the students’ questions about the incredibly busy organisms they were viewing. The following day, students explored a salt marsh with Jim Koenig,

By Nicki Chandler | | In WHA Blogs | Read more

99 Medals!

26 Mar 2019

Wilson Hill Academy Latin students earned 99 medals in the 2018-19 National Classical Etymology Exam, an online test sponsored by the National Junior Classical League. WHA secondary Latin students have participated in this annual exam since 2014, but this year yields a record-setting result, with 51% of participating students earning medals. “One of the reasons we study Latin is so that we can have a deep understanding of words,” Latin teacher Joanna Hensley explains. “Etymology

By Laura Ruby | | In WHA Blogs | Read more

Dear God, Please Don’t Let Christmas Come.

7 Dec 2018

“Dear God, please don’t let Christmas come.” Have you ever been there? And, I don’t mean perhaps being a little overwhelmed with too much holiday preparation. I mean when the idea of celebrating anything is more than you can handle. For me it was 1987. For most of my life, I had looked forward to Christmas with the usual excitement and anticipation. Raised by parents who taught me from the Bible, I always thought I

By Leah Coll | | In WHA Blogs | Read more

Etymological Spelunking

21 Nov 2018

Etymology is weird. Like diving into a cave, it goes deeper than your flashlight can reach, and as you uncover the twists and turns of the darkness, you never know what monstrous creatures are lurking in the shadows. Take the word “weird.” If you look it up in a dictionary, it will tell you it means something like “uncanny,” or “odd.” This word (yes it seems like a stretch) is actually related to the words

By Ryan Handermann | | In WHA Blogs | Read more

Pretending and Teaching

12 Sep 2018

One of C.S. Lewis’ many insights in Mere Christianity is that when we pray, “Our Father,” we are in a very real sense only pretending. We are pretending to be a true and faithful son of God, pretending to be like Jesus. As Lewis puts it, ou are dressing up as Christ…Because, of course, the moment you realize what the words mean, you realize that you are not a son of God. You are not

By Dr. Tom Vierra | | In WHA Blogs | Read more