5th

Goodbye DARE, Hello Long Weekend.

Important Dates:

  • Tuesday, February 11th – 10am Start 
    • Math Field Day – Participants leave at 1:30 pm. Please return the permission slip
  • Friday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day Card Exchange
  • Friday, February 21st – End of Second Trimester 
  • Saturday, February 22nd – Saturday Series – The Floor is Lava!
  • March 3-7 – Spring Break – No School

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Our class will be having our Valentine’s Day card exchange on Friday, February 14th. Students are permitted to make and decorate a box if they would like. Students are also invited to pass out cards to the rest of the class. There are 26 students in the class and everyone took home a print-out list of student names for reference. 

Schedule your visit to WCDS Middle School today! Email cochap@wcdsedu.com to schedule a full shadow day at the middle school in Wheeling Park to see all the exceptional programs we have to offer. 

SWIM TEAM! The WCDS 5th graders are invited to join the WCDS middle school swim team for the upcoming spring season. Practice times and meet dates are still to be determined, but our coaches are ready to go! Please let us know if you are interested in joining the WCDS swim team so we can keep you updated with information on the upcoming season. 

Thank you to Officer John and the police K-9, Remy, who joined us to celebrate the students’ graduation from DARE! We were especially proud of Helena and Chad for winning the essay contest with their thoughtful reflections! In addition, the class worked hard on their Aimsweb testing for three days this week.

In math, we continued exploring fractions, building a stronger understanding of their real-world applications. We also took a quiz on Monday on the concepts we have learned so far. For the foreseeable future, all students will be required to complete Xtra Math nightly until they have earned their certificate ensuring they have mastered their multiplication and division facts. This only takes 2-3 minutes a day. The concepts of fractions cannot be built upon if students do not have fluency in their computations.

In reading, we kicked off One Crazy Summer, diving into the powerful themes of the 1960s as we made connections to history. Music class was a creative adventure this week, as students designed and built their own instruments. We also had a blast listening to records and experiencing music in a way that connected us to the past. All of our students got individual time this week to work on the Lego Robotics table as they learned to program their robots to go through the challenges. It was a week filled with learning, creativity, and celebration, setting the stage for even more exciting lessons ahead!

– Katie and Kristina

Service in the Soup Kitchen

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*All students need to have the book One Crazy Summer by Monday (It was on the school supply list).

DARE graduation is next week on February 5th at 2:00 pm on WCDS Main Campus. Students have completed their DARE essays and the winner will be announced at graduation. It is a whole school assembly, and Officer John, other members of Wheeling PD, and the dogs will all be in attendance for the event. Students are to be in school uniform. We hope to see you here! 

Don’t forget to email Mrs. Ochap at cochap@wcdsedu.com to schedule your visit day to WCDS Middle School! 

We will begin our Winter Aimsweb testing on Tuesday, February 4th through Thursday, February 6th. These tests will take place in the morning, so we encourage students to be on time and ready to go promptly at 8:45. We have been reiterating the importance of having a charged computer daily, but if you can help us ensure their devices are especially ready to go on these days, we will greatly appreciate it. A good night’s rest, along with a healthy breakfast, will also give them the confidence to do their best! 

In honor of WCDS MLK Day of Service, the fifth-grade class spent the day volunteering at the Wheeling Soup Kitchen on Monday, learning the importance of kindness and community service. The students worked together to organize donations of household items and clothing, ensuring those in need had access to essentials. They also helped prepare meals, cleaned up the dining area, and took the time to talk with the patrons, listening to their stories and sharing smiles. Through this experience, the students gained a deeper understanding of empathy, recognizing that everyone faces challenges and that no one should be judged based on their circumstances. It was a powerful lesson in compassion, teamwork, and the impact of small acts of kindness. We also want to say thank you to our parents for bearing with us during the rescheduling process and getting your children to the northern campus for the day. Your willingness to accommodate is one of the main reasons our children are able to have such unique experiences at WCDS, so we thank you. 

Language Arts:

*All students need to have the book One Crazy Summer by Monday (It was on the school supply list)

Learning about the 1960’s and Civil Rights Movement through:

  • Videos
  • Common Lit stories
  • Picture books 
  • Group PowerPoint presentations

Math: 

  • Discovered how to simplify fractions 
  • Learning the meaning of equivalent fractions and how to compare fractions with different denominators 
  • Looking for real-world math connections with your child? Talk about these things:
    • Comparing distance and fractions on road signs (Exit is 2 ¼  miles away, is that closer or farther than 2 ½ miles)
    • When cooking dinner, is ⅓ of a cup more or less than ¾ ? 

Lego Robotics:

Our board and challenges are nearly complete and the table is officially clear and ready for practice. Many teams are beginning to program their robots while others are still building the bots themselves. They will spend the next few weeks programming their robot to travel the board, approach each store at the Highlands, and complete its challenge using the arm of their robot.

Cold Times at WCDS

Important Dates

  • Monday, January 27th – @ WVNCC Branch Campus and Soup Kitchen Volunteering
  • Friday, January 31st – Coffee Conversations: Enrollment @ 9:00 am 
  • Wednesday, February 5th – D.A.R.E Graduation on Main Campus at 2:00 pm
  • Friday February 7th- 10th – Winter Long Weekend
  • Tuesday, February 11th – 10 am Start 
  • Tuesday, February 11th – Ohio County Math Field Day 
  • Friday, February 21st – End of Second Trimester 

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MLK Day of Service is rescheduled for this coming Monday, January 27. On Monday, we will be at our WVNCC Branch Campus for the day. Drop-off begins at our Branch Campus location at 7:45 am. There is no beforecare on the main campus. Pickup is between 2:45-3:15 pm. There is no transportation back to the main campus. Lunch on Monday will be at the Soup Kitchen. There are options to eat there but if you have allergies or must pack, please do so. *We will be walking to and from the Soup Kitchen, so please have your child dress appropriately.

DARE graduation will be on Wednesday, February 5th at 2:00 pm on WCDS Main Campus. Students are working on their DARE essays and the winner will be announced at graduation. It is a whole school assembly, and Officer John, other members of Wheeling PD, and the dogs will all be in attendance for the event. We hope to see you here! 

Don’t forget to email Mrs. Ochap at cochap@wcdsedu.com to schedule your visit day to WCDS Middle School! 

Language Arts:

  • finished our Literature Circles with the fourth graders!
  • worked on D.A.R.E. essays to solidify the teachings of this wonderful class
  • One essay will be chosen by Wheeling PD to be read at the DARE graduation

Math

  • Reviewed our understanding of fractions and how they are parts of a whole, just like decimals, using Legos!
  • Learned how to convert mixed numbers to improper fractions and back again.
  • Reviewed the concepts of factors and learned how to find the greatest common one between two numbers 

Lego Robotics:

This week, teams worked to finalize their challenge locations. Our board is really coming together as you can see Best Buy, Olive Garden, and Menards begin to take shape at The Highlands. As teams prepare the board, other teams continue to program their robots to maneuver through the challenges. We had the opportunity to showcase our robots to the fourth graders on Thursday, and our class appreciated their helping hands as they worked to build the 3D structures required for our competition table. 

Music:

We will be enjoying music in a couple of different ways in the next month or so. On Tuesday, Jan 28, we will have Vinyl Record Day! Students are invited to bring in a vinyl album and we’ll play it on the turntable we have at school. This will give us a “spin” on the different music genres we studied! Also, beginning in February, students will begin an Instrument Creation project. They will be asked to bring in different recyclable or craft materials as their group designs and builds a one-of-a-kind instrument that will make music! Thank you… and stay warm! – Miss Dena

Art:

Since coming back from Winter Break, we’ve been working on a fun mosaic project using paint swatches to explore different hues and gradients. Each student selected a design and carefully cut swatches to bring their vision to life. Along the way, we’ve been learning how colors interact to create patterns and depth. – Mr. K

Drama:

In drama class, we are creating an original song all about WCDS that we will later perform. The students are writing the lyrics together and will later add music to bring it to life. It’s been a fun way to showcase creativity and teamwork while celebrating our school. – Mr. Alex

Physical Education:

After Winter Break, we most certainly took advantage of the snowy conditions and used class time as an opportunity for sled riding. On the days we remained indoors, students began to learn the proper form of various strength training exercises. The focus is on understanding safe movements, building strength, and developing healthy habits. Students are excited to try new skills while improving their coordination and fitness! – Mrs. Ochap

Beware of Snakes on the Oregon Trail!

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Monday is Martin Luther King Jr Day at WV Northern/Soup Kitchen! The fifth grade will be spending all day on Monday volunteering at the Wheeling Soup Kitchen. Drop-off begins at our Branch Campus location at 7:45 am. There is no beforecare on the main campus. Pickup is between 2:45-3:15 pm. There is no transportation back to the main campus. Lunch on Monday will be at the Soup Kitchen. Students do not need any money. There are options to eat there but if you have allergies or must pack, please do so. Monday will be a casual/dress-warm day for our whole school for our Day of Service. If they have warm WCDS apparel, please wear that on Monday for our service day projects, but be sure to pack warm outerwear for our walk to the Soup Kitchen. As the weather forecast is predicted into the single digits and negative numbers for the first part of next week, your children are permitted to wear casual warm clothing to school for the entire week.

Hello, 5th grade families.  I wanted to reach out and let you know that it is time to start scheduling your child’s visit day to middle school.  Students can visit on any Tuesday or Thursday from now till Spring Break.  I told the kids that they could schedule on the same day as their friend as long as their parents communicated that with me.  Feel free to send me an email with your child’s name and what day they would like to visit the middle school.  Once I hear from you, I will send you more details for that day.  I am so excited for your child to come and see what a day in the life of a WCDS Middle School student looks and feels like.  

Carrie Ochap
Director of Middle School Studies
caochap@wcdsedu.com

DARE GRADUATION: Your children have successfully completed D.A.R.E class and are working on their reflective essays for graduation! We are planning on hosting Graduation on our main campus on February 5 at 2:00 pm. Officer John and the Wheeling PD will be in attendance with their dogs and will award all of our students with a certificate and medal of completion. The winner of the essay contest will also be announced then. Look for more details to come.

Congratulations to Connor and Helena! Connor placed 1st, and Helena placed 2nd in the 3rd-5th grade Spelling Bee, where over 60 students participated! Next week, they will move on to compete against our middle schoolers on January 24th, and the winner of that contest will compete in the Ohio County Bee.


Language Arts:

  • Continuing to work on literature circle novels with 4th and 5th grade
  • Working on DARE essay (a winner will be announced at the DARE graduation)

Math:

  • Finished our lessons on understanding averages and utilizing mean, median, mode, and range
  • Reviewed graphing ordered pairs on a coordinate plane and practiced how those skills translate to the real world. 
  • Beginning our unit on FRACTIONS that will last through Spring Break

Oregon Trail with Mrs. Rutherford:

  • Our pioneer families have been traveling for just over two weeks and have already had quite a bit of excitement. Between broken arms, rattlesnake bites, sick animals, wagon repairs and not packing enough firewood, the simulation has proved to be a lot of fun. The children have written some impressive journal entries thus far and it has been so enjoyable to witness their enthusiasm. Thank you to Miss Mimi and Miss Aslynn in the Office for hosting the infirmary we need while on the trail!

Lego Robotics with Mr. McDonald:

  • Our teams have really hit the ground running, and programming has progressed tremendously. Our competition table is in the works as well as students are transferring their artwork to the table using paint pens and building the surrounding 3D areas out of legos. In the coming weeks, look for your children to come home with a sense of pride as they start to knock out all seven challenges. 

Welcome Back!

MLK Jr. Day of Service at Wheeling Country Day School embodies the spirit of community and action, inspiring students to make a difference in the lives of others. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'” This day reminds us that even the youngest among us can contribute meaningfully to building a better world.

Fifth grade will be spending Monday, January 20th, in Downtown Wheeling at our West Virginia Northern Branch Campus, where a majority of the day will be spent volunteering at the Soup Kitchen. Look out for more information in the coming weeks. Plan on drop off and pick up to happen at WVNCC.

As the weather remains cool and snow is likely, please remember to send your children to school with a jacket, hat, gloves, and possibly snow pants and boots if they enjoy playing in the snow. Students aren’t permitted in the snow unless they have boots and snow pants. All of these items should be labeled with your child’s name. If you would like to send in a sled, it must be labeled as well and able to be shared with the community, as sleds will remain outside by the playground.

Seasons Greetings – To Everyone!


On behalf of all the students and teachers of our 5th-grade class, we want to express our heartfelt thanks for your incredible support during our recent play, 3 Ghosts and a Jock. Your encouragement and time spent practicing lines, helping with costumes, and cheering us on made all the difference. Seeing you all in the audience, laughing along with the story, brought so much joy to all of us. It’s moments like these that remind us how important your involvement is in making these experiences memorable and meaningful. Thank you for being part of this creative journey and for celebrating the hard work and talent of our students. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Legos, Learning, and the Little Explorers!

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December 16-19 – WCDS Winter Spirit Week (Details in the link above)

December 18: Come join us for a spin on A Christmas Carol as we watch the fifth graders perform “3 Ghosts and a Jock”! We will have practice on Monday from 3:00-4:00 pm in costume. We will also have dress rehearsal on Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 pm in costume. Kids are encouraged to leave all major props and costume parts at school until the show. Kids should arrive on Wednesday at 5:30 pm and report directly to the classroom. The students know we are now rehearsing without line prompting so if your child does not have their lines memorized and know who they speak after and what their cue is, please practice this weekend. 

December 19: Holiday Party! We are planning to have a class holiday/post-show party during the morning on our half day of school. If you are willing to donate any items to the party, please sign up here. We would love to have the students rotate through some stations of games and crafts to help wrap up a successful Holiday Show and also enjoy some camaraderie before the break. Even if you cannot donate an item, parents are still invited to attend and celebrate with us! Reminder it is an 11:30 dismissal with no aftercare available on this day.

Language Arts:

  • We are getting to the climax of the book, and the kids are hooked!
  • It is so impressive to see the annotations that each student is making in the book. (check it out)
  • We are reading and listening to several picture books about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza.
  • Persuasive essay writing is taking place with our “Elf Essay” – students are writing about why they would be the best elf in the North Pole!

Math:

  • Began a unit on prealgebra and learning the difference between variables and constants and what makes any math problem different than a mathematical expression.
  • Beginning a ‘tacky sweater’ activity that focuses on financial literacy and decimal operations while building some holiday cheer

Lego Robotics:

The majority of robots have been built and teams are in the early stages of programming. Tuesday will be spent creating and drawing challenges on this year’s competition board. Thank you to Mr. Burke for coming in and helping the students program and build their robots! Your expertise is invaluable at this stage in the process. It was great for the students to meet one of the judges of the final competition!

History:

The fifth graders have formed families and taken on the persona of a pioneer traveling on the Oregon Trail in 1850. The families met this week to decide what was absolutely necessary to pack in their covered wagon. We have been reading a little bit from the book,  “If You Were a Kid on the Oregon Trail ” by Josh Gregory. We hope to start traveling next week! 

Extra Special Experiences

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December 13: On December 13, fifth grade students will participate in our Breakfast with the Elves program for We-2 and Little Explorers by being the elves! This event takes place in the morning, and afterwards, fifth graders will be walking to TJ’s with Mrs. B! There is no need for a costume or clothing items, but if you are interested in dressing up, be aware this event is the morning of Dec. 13. This lunch is a gift from WCDS to the 5th grade so no money is needed. 

December 16-19 – WCDS Winter Spirit Week (Details in the link above)

December 18: We are less than two weeks away from the Holiday Show! Be sure you have 6:00 pm on December 18th marked in your calendars! Any chance you have to rehearse lines with your child, please do so. Children should know what items they need for their costumes and are asked to bring them in on Monday so we can begin to rehearse and ensure everyones items. If you have costume questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mr. Alex at ahill@wcdsedu.com. We will continue to have after school practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00 until the show.

Our fifth-grade class had an exciting and educational field trip to West Liberty University, where we collaborated with various education majors. The Zoo Science students showcased a variety of mammals and reptiles, giving our students the unique opportunity to interact with creatures like snakes, turtles, tortoises, cockroaches, hedgehogs, and more. In addition to learning about animals, our students participated in a hands-on project-based learning lesson led by the education students. They explored holidays from around the world, built sleds, created ornaments, and engaged in several other creative activities. The trip concluded with a much-anticipated lunch in the university cafeteria, which quickly became a class favorite. Thank you to Helena’s mom, Mrs. Douglas, for organizing this trip and making this experience possible. This field trip was a wonderful blend of science, cultural education, and fun!

A big thank you to the faculty and staff at WCDS Middle School for hosting us on Friday! Our students had the unique opportunity to spend the day on our beautiful campus in Wheeling Park. While there, we held our regular core classes and got a glimpse into some of the amazing experiences WCDS middle offers. Students enjoyed participating in a relaxing sound bath during middle school music class, exploring their creativity even further in 8th grade art, and even took to the ice at the Wheeling Park ice rink. It was an inspiring day filled with learning, fun, and new experiences. Thank you again to WCDS Middle for a wonderful visit and please reach out to Mrs. Ochap at cochap@wcdsedu.com if you would like to schedule an official shadow or visit day when we return from Winter Break!

Language Arts 

  • Continuing to read Out of My Mind.
  • Ask your child about Melody. How has her life changed? How are people starting to see her and treat her?

Math 

  • Word Problem Week! 
  • Explored strategies for tackling math word problems and how to break them down and solve the problem
  • Practiced two step word problems, now with decimals!
  • Any chance you have to ask your child to solve math problems in your daily life, please do so! They can perform all operations with decimal numbers and are challenged to regularly practice their estimation and mental math skills. “If I only have $20, how many gallons of gas can I put in the car if it is $3.49 a gallon?” 

History 

The students learned about the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. We read magazines about the expedition and worked in groups to answer questions regarding the time period and the movements of the explorers. We are so excited to begin the Oregon Trail next week and are really looking forward to that adventure! 

Lego Robotics 

Robots have been assigned and the groups are faced with the challenge of assembling a well built robot. Once robots are fully built, each group will begin working to gain table access. The course and practice will consist of multiple challenges ranging from driving in a straight line to raising and lowering the arm. Groups are also working on creating and designing their competition table, with each group being responsible for one challenge. Our theme for the year as voted on by the students – THE HIGHLANDS!

Sound bath provided by 8th grade students.

Let’s Talk About Math!

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December 3: We’re excited to share that our class will be taking a field trip to West Liberty University on December 3rd! Drop off and pickup will be at the same as a normal school day and the bus will depart after 8:45 and return prior to 3:00. We’ll start with a Zoo Science visit and animal encounter, followed by an engaging Project-Based Learning activity with university students in the Center for Arts and Education. After all that fun, we’ll wrap up with lunch at the Bears Den before heading back for afternoon classes on main campus. Please bring in $7 prior to the field trip to cover a portion of the student lunch fee. (WLU is run by a catering company that has allergy friendly options for all allergies. Packed lunch is certainly allowed by anyone that does not want to eat in the cafeteria).

December 6: On Friday, December 6th, the fifth grade will spend the day at WCDS Middle School at Wheeling Park. We will be having a full academic morning of 5th grade classes and then get to experience their music classes before going ice skating that afternoon for PE! Students can be dropped off there in the morning and dismissed from Wheeling Park as well. Before care doors open at 7:45. If you need aftercare, you will have to sign a special permission slip for faculty to transport them back to main campus and need to reserve this ahead of time. Hot lunch will be brought over for those that have purchased it in advance. Fifth graders have the option to bring money to get a drink/snack from Cafe 1925 (Starbucks) during lunch time.

December 13: On December 13, fifth grade students will participate in our Breakfast with the Elves program for We-2 and Little Explorers by being the elves! This event takes place in the morning, and afterwards, fifth graders will be walking to TJ’s with Mrs. B! There is no need to buy a costume or clothing items, but if you are interested in dressing up, make note that this event is the morning of December 13. 

December 18: We are less than a month away from the Holiday Show! Be sure you have 6:00 pm on December 18th marked in your calendars! We are asking everyone to have their lines memorized and be off book when they return from Thanksgiving Break. Your children have their notes for costumes that best represent their character in the show. Please discuss this with your child and begin planning what items you have at home and what we may need. After Thanksgiving break until the show, we will be having after school practice during ‘club time’. We are asking students to stay from 3:00-4:00 pm on December 2, 4, 9, 11, and 16 (Mondays and Wednesdays).

Language Arts:

  • Continuing our novel study of Out of My Mind (the movie came out on Disney+ on Friday. We all made a deal to not watch it until we can watch it together as a class!)
  • See the yarn web in our photos? Students are learning how to hold class discussions by visually seeing who speaks, when, and how often. 
  • Learned proper letter writing format as we master the skill of writing a thank you card to express our gratitude 
  • Writing winter weather poetry to continue honing our descriptive writing skills

Math:

  • Took on the challenge of dividing decimals and money by two-digit divisors
  • We’re discovering how math shows up in everyday life, from getting gas, buying groceries, splitting meals, and beyond.
  • Parents, this is the perfect time to dive into math with your child! Try estimating costs at the grocery store, calculating change, or even planning a budget for a family activity. Your sons and daughters now know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide any number with a decimal! 

Lego Robotics:

Things are heating up in Lego Robotics! Teams are formed, persuasive essays are sent and coaches have been obtained. Team logos are being designed and the competition challenges are beginning to be configured. Check in with your kiddo about what the board is going to look like and see what challenges they will be faced with! Look for robots to be assigned and programming to begin after our break. 

29 Hours of Impact

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We are thrilled to announce that we reached 100% participation in our 29 Hours event! Every family came together, contributing whatever they could, to support our school and its programs. This incredible milestone is a testament to the strength of our community and the shared commitment to providing the best opportunities for our students. Your generosity and involvement mean the world to us, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to every family for making this achievement possible. 

Language Arts:

  • Started the book, Out of My Mind
  • The students are doing an amazing job annotating each chapter. This will prepare them so well for middle and high school. Check out their book notes! 

Math: 

  • Long division: 2 digit by 4 digit. Yep it’s hard, but they are getting it. 
  • We will continue to practice this new skill next week. 

Lego Robotics with Mr. McDonald and Mr. Rouse:

Lego robotics started on Tuesday and is already showing to be a fan favorite. We spent our first two classes planning our competition table and introducing some of the early stage skills. With two classes ahead until Thanksgiving break, we will start to create our teams and assign robots. Programming is about two weeks away, with a lot of preparation and work ahead. We’re excited to see what these kids can accomplish in this trimester.

D.A.R.E. with Officer John:

On Friday, our class had an important discussion about bullying—what it is, how it affects others, and how we can stand up against it. With any remaining time, we shifted our focus to Veterans Day, exploring what it means to be a veteran and why that day is so significant. We’ll talk about the sacrifices veterans make and the importance of showing gratitude for their service. These conversations help us build empathy, respect, and a stronger sense of community.