CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
UPCOMING DATES & ANNOUCEMENTS:
- Your child will be coming home with Raffle Tickets that the PFA is selling for a Disney Trip or a $3,000 Uniglobe gift card. You are encouraged to sell your tickets and return cash or a check to the office. Proceeds support field trips, faculty and student appreciation week, field day and more! Additional tickets can be picked up in the office, or can be purchased online here: https://app.betterunite.com/WheelingCountryDaySchool-celebrategamenight Ticket stubs and money are due on or before March 28th. Winner will be drawn at CELEBRATE! Winner need not be present.
- Friday, February 27th- March 8th- Spring Break
- Saturday, March 28th- Mark your calendars for CELEBRATE!
On Monday, we read the story When the Storm Comes by Linda Ashman. The listened closely as we followed the animals who sensed the coming storm long before the sky darkened. We watched as they quietly noticed, the preparation, the community that formed in the face of something uncertain. We talked about how the storm was not just loud wind and rain, but also about helping one another, about reading the signs in nature, and about feeling safe together. Our weather inquiry then deepened.
We began discussing how not every place experiences the same kinds of storms. The children were fascinated to consider how the land and the terrain help shape the weather. We talked about how coastal areas, especially in the Southeast, can experience hurricanes when warm ocean waters fuel powerful winds. We explored how the wide, flat plains in the Midwest can see tornadoes spin across open fields. We imagined dust storms rolling through dry desert regions in the Southwest, and snowstorms blanketing northern states where winter air turns icy and cold. Of course, many areas experience thunder and lightning storms, but even those can feel different depending on where you are. The children connected storms to geography, mountains, oceans, plains, deserts.
After our discussion, the children moved to the tables equipped with black sharpie flairs and paper. With careful attention, they began sketching their own maps of the United States. These sketches will become our working templates as we begin weather mapping in the days ahead. We are stepping into the role of meteorologists, observing, marking, predicting, wondering. The storm in our book may have passed, but the thinking it sparked is just beginning.
WEATHER MAPPING:
On Tuesday, the energy in our room felt electric, not from a storm outside, but from the excitement brewing within.
We began by talking about a new and very important word: research. We asked, “What does it mean to research?” The children thoughtfully shared ideas
Daxton said “It means to look for answers.”
Wendell said “It means to learn about something.”
We talked about how researchers ask questions, study carefully, look closely at books and photographs, and gather true facts. Their eyes widened as they realized they were about to become researchers.
Each child chose a storm that sparked their curiosity. Some gravitated toward the swirling power of tornadoes, others toward the mighty force of hurricanes, while a few were drawn to dust storms, snowstorms, or crackling thunder and lightning. The tables were soon strewn with nonfiction books, printed images, and weather guides. The room buzzed with conversation and collaborative discovery.
There is something so beautiful about watching five- and six-year-olds handle real information with such care.
After spending time exploring texts and images, each child worked to uncover one or two true facts about their chosen storm. They practiced listening for important information, studying photographs closely, and sharing discoveries with peers.
Some of the fascinating things we learned:
- Dust storms are sometimes called haboobs.
- Purple lightning is the hottest form of lightning.
- Hurricanes are measured in five categories based on their strength.
- Tornadoes form on land.
- The largest snowflake ever recorded was an astonishing 15 inches wide.
As their research unfolded, the children translated their facts into art. Swirls for tornado funnels, blues and greens for hurricanes, earth tones sweeping across the page for dust storms, White pastel and blue crystals for snow storms and neon colors for lightening. “Did you know…?” echoed across the room again and again.
We have only just begun to scratch the surface of these powerful weather systems, and already the children are eager to go deeper ansd understand how storms form, how they are measured, and how they impact the places we mapped on Monday.
TINY RESEARCHERS:
On Wednesday, our storm study crackled with new energy.
We read Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm . The book walked us through the building of a thunderstorm, beginning with warm, heavy air rising, clouds growing dark and full, lightning flashing across the sky, and thunder rumbling behind it. The rhythm of the text felt almost like a storm itself!
We learned that inside storm clouds, tiny bits of ice and water bump and rub together, building up energy. The energy from the sky becomes positively charged, while energy gathering near the ground becomes negatively charged. When the difference between those charges grows too strong …ZAP! lightning flashes as the charges connect. The children were wide-eyed as we realized that lightning is a giant spark of electricity. And thunder? We discovered that thunder is the sound created by lightning heating the air so quickly that it expands and creates a shockwave.
And then… we explored. What followed was some of the most magical hands-on learning we’ve had in SK!
Balloons appeared, and soon the room was filled with the sight of children rubbing them fiercely against their hair. Giggles erupted as hair stood on end. When they held the charged balloons over trays of salt and pepper, the tiny grains danced upward. The invisible became visible.
Others discovered they could move aluminum cans across the floor without touching them, guiding them with nothing but static electricity. A thin stream of water bent toward a charged balloon, the sense of wonder was palpable.
At another table, children carefully connected conductor wires to a battery and a small light bulb. There was intense concentration as they experimented with how to connect the positive and negative ends correctly. And then… a glow. Watching those positive and negative charges create light in their own hands was astounding.
Across the room, magnets hung suspended from the ceiling. Children tested magnetic objects, observing the invisible pull. They stretched their arms upward, experimenting with distance and force, drawing connections between magnetic energy and the charged pull between sky and ground.
There is something extraordinary about watching children interact with forces they cannot see by building understanding through their bodies.
ELECTRICITY, MAGNETIC CHARGES & LIGHTENING:
On Thursday, we continued listening closely to the sky. We gathered to read The Wonder of Thunder: A Story About a Thunderstorm written by Sharon Purtill. The story follows a child experiencing a thunderstorm, noticing the darkening clouds, the flashes of lightning, the booming thunder, and learning that storms, while loud and sometimes startling, are also natural and full of beauty. It honors both the science of storms and the feelings they can stir inside of us.
We talked about how thunder can feel big in our bodies. Some children shared that they feel cozy during storms, wrapped in blankets. Others admitted thunder sometimes makes them jump. The book opened space for both awe and reassurance a reminder that understanding something often helps it feel less scary.
Inspired by the images of a light show the children created one of their own. Instead of paintbrushes, the children were handed something nontraditional: forks.
Black cardstock covered the tables like a night sky. The were given palettes of neon paints , electric blues, vivid purples, glowing pinks and bright yellows .Water droppers sat beside them, inviting experimentation. In the background, the low rumble of recorded thunderstorm sounds filled the room. Immersive art if you will. The forks became lightning tools. The kiddos dipped the prongs into paint and dragged them across the dark paper. Zigzags shot across the page. Sharp, jagged streaks mimicked sudden strikes. Some experimented with long, straight bolts splitting the sky, while others layered branching curves that spread like electric veins. The water droppers allowed paint to pool and drip, creating the illusion of rain falling beneath the lightning.
The forks forced them to think differently about line and texture. The prongs naturally created multiple streaks at once, much like the branching paths of real lightning.
Their new knowledge could be heard throughout the room:
Lucas – “That’s the positive and negative connecting!”
Rory – “Thunder comes after this part!”
Bodhi – “This one is super hot , maybe it’s purple lightning!”
It seems as if the wonder of thunder is settling into all of us!
In math this week, we continued strengthening our understanding of tens and ones, stretching our thinking all the way to 29.
Using number blocks, the children carefully built their numbers in concrete, visible ways. First came the tens. Long rods were placed in two neat rows, each one representing a group of ten.
We talked about how in the number 29, the 2 doesn’t just mean “two.” It stands for two tens … twenty. The numeral began to make sense as a representation of quantity, not just a symbol to memorize.
They then used this understanding to build on their addition skills. When adding within 29, many began grouping tens first, recognizing that adding another ten changes the tens place. Instead of counting every single cube, some proudly said, “I already have two tens, that’s twenty!”
The confidence is growing. The understanding is deepening. They are not just reciting numbers, they are constructing them, decomposing them, and seeing how place value shapes everything that comes next. They are rising beautifully to the challenge!
MATH EXPLORATIONS:
In Phonics this week, our small groups were busy stretching and strengthening their reading muscles!
In Miss Arden’s group, we learned two new digraphs … /ch/ and /sh/. The children practiced listening closely to the sounds at the beginning and end of words, noticing how two letters can work together to make one sound. We sorted words, tapped out phonemes, and read them in context. Alongside our new learning, we continued reviewing our red words, building fluency and confidence as readers.
Miss Hanna’s group moved into r-blends practicing combinations like br, cr, dr, and fr. They worked not only on decoding these blends but also on reading for meaning. Comprehension conversations are becoming richer, with children thinking beyond just the words on the page and beginning to retell and reflect.
Miss Lori’s group revisited the letter Z, strengthening sound-symbol recognition and blending CVC words with growing independence. It is beautiful to watch their confidence bloom as sounds begin to flow together more smoothly.
Then on Friday, we came together as a whole group to begin something very exciting our author study of Mo Willems. We read our very first Piggie and Gerald story from the beloved Elephant and Piggie series. Laughter filled the room almost immediately.
Together, we identified the characters Gerald the elephant and Piggie and discussed the setting. We talked about the plot: What was the problem? What happened first, next, and at the end? Afterward, the children illustrated the storyline, capturing key moments from beginning to end. Some focused on facial expressions, others on the action. It was clear they were not just hearing the story they were understanding it. We are so excited to continue diving into this author study. There is something special about revisiting characters, noticing patterns in an author’s style, and growing not only as readers but as storytellers ourselves.
As Spring Break approaches, we hope that whether you are traveling or just enjoying your time at home, you find an extra SPARK of joy with your children!
See you in a week!
Miss Arden & Miss Hanna
DAILY DISCOVERY & MORE EXPLORATIONS:
