General

Important Dates

• Monday, January 20th – MLK Day of Service 
• Tuesday, January 21st – Reimagine Middle School @ 6:00pm
• Thursday, January 23rd – 4th & 5th Grade Swap Day
• Thursday, January 23rd – 4th Grade Parent Meeting – Looking Forward to 5th
• Friday, January 24th – Early Dismissal @ 11:30am 
• Tuesday, January 28th – Ohio County Math Field Day 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

The excitement of having two snow days in a row AND many inches of snow on the ground was electric as we came back to school on Wednesday. The 4th graders were flexible and full of eagerness to come back to learn, think, and explore. Although it was a short week, we still packed our days full of learning. We started our 4th/5th-grade literature circles, and the students are thrilled to share their thoughts and ideas with their classmates and their 5th-grade peers. We welcomed Ember to our 4th grade class – she’s a great addition to 4th and WCDS. We had a great afternoon of sledding on Thursday – we are all very grateful for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy the fresh snow. We ended our week with the much anticipated “Colonial Dinner” with various food items prepared by our WCDS middle schoolers. Delicious! Thanks to Renee McFadden and her students for researching and cooking such wonderful dishes from the colonial period. And congratulations to our 4th graders for turning back time and visiting with historical greats such as Aaron Burr, Martha Washington, and good ol’ King George III.

Join us on the 23rd as we discuss what makes 5th grade at WCDS a transformative and memorable year for your child. We will send out a time once the date gets closer! Please reach out with any questions or specific answers you are looking for. We are looking forward to spending time together to strengthen our parent and family partnerships!

The weekend looks like it will bring us more snow – the kids can’t get enough! We hope all of you have a fantastic (and safe) weekend!

Stella and Grace

In ELA: 

• Students were split into different literature circle groups with fifth graders. Your student should have a manilla folder that contains only their work from their literature circle along with a reading calendar. Please check in with them to make sure they are staying up to date on their tasks so they do not fall behind. 
• The Spelling Bee will be hosted next Wednesday for students! We are encouraging each of them to try their best. We are looking at their effort, study skills, and bravery to participate. 
• Students were entered in Ohio County Library’s, “Awesome Authors” writing contest. They were given creative freedom to write a fictional piece that was *** words. 

In Math: 

• Because of the “new year”, we spent some “time” reviewing time.
• We reviewed how to count the numbers on a clock, how to tell what time it is on an analog clock, and how to draw the arms of a clock to set a time.
• We also reviewed the months of the year, what happens with Earth and the Sun within a year, and what makes a day.
• They also learned/reviewed how to make a calendar for the month of January. We’ll continue reviewing all of these skills.
• Next week, we’ll review 2-digit times 2-digit multiplication and move on to 3-digit times 2 digits.

In U.S. History: 

• Students took part in a Colonial Dinner party where they immersed themselves as historical figures who helped found America. 
• The dinner party had a series of five critical thinking questions to help students create conversations with their allies and adversaries. 
• A special thanks to Mrs. McFadden’s middle school cooking elective who cooked time period appropriate food for our students to enjoy! The students tried deer stew, corn chowder, rolls, and a luxury item, apple cinnamon cake. 

In Embryology: 

• Our eggs are on their way from the hatchery, and soon we’ll begin our 21-day countdown! 
• To prepare, students designed and started building egg candlers. 
• These will be used over the next few weeks to monitor the development inside the eggs.

Important Reminders: 

• For our MLK Day of service, 4th grade will collect travel-sized toiletry items. We will then spend our day packing them and writing notes to go in them to drop off to the freeze shelter. Suggested items to send – travel-sized shampoo/conditioner, lip balm, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tissue packs, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, body wash. We could also use quart-sized baggies to make individual kits.
• The snow and cold weather are here for a while. Thank you for helping your child with our policies on going outside. Please remember to label all articles of clothing, and hats, mittens, gloves, or scarves with your child’s name.

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

That’s right folks, there was a bunch of snow and WCDS’s first ever (probably) back-to-back closings. Something our grandparents would groan about and say, “When I was younger, we wore wooden shoes with straw in ’em, and we had to walk across a frozen river just to get to school in the winter!” Students were particularly rested and giddy. How can we blame them? Snow activities are a staple of growing up, and it was nice to see the students share that on Wheeling Park’s enormous campus. We shall see if next week is a full one! Please see details below about 8th’s music trip next Friday.

Students are encouraged to participate in the middle school spelling bee on Friday. Study guides can be found here.

English w/ Mr. Rouse – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – None
• With a shorter week, we didn’t cover as much, but we did complete our warm-ups. This week, we covered a lot of the different functions a preposition can have and punctuation.
• On Monday, students will need the book, The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan.
• We workshopped thesis paragraphs on dress codes. Our thesis paragraph exercises are designed to get students familiar with generating introductory paragraphs following a certain formula. 

Math w/ Mrs. Boldrick –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – Square Roots (radicals) Quiz, Tuesday, December 17

Math w/ Mrs. Howells

• No Upcoming Tests or Quizzes 
• We continued our introduction into inequalities that began before the holiday break.
• Our focus skill was graphing inequalities on a number line.
• Started solving inequalities with addition.
• The students picked up quickly on these since the process is the same as solving for the unknown in equations.

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – no test or quiz scheduled 
• Students were introduced to genetics by taking a trait quiz and comparing their traits with classmates. They then created a chart to highlight similarities and differences. 
• Next, we made genetic gingerbread models to demonstrate how traits are inherited. These activities set the stage for our next study on DNA!

Music w/ Mrs. Chelsey – 

• It was great to see the students again! We played some rhythm games this week and discussed our class songwriting project. 
• FIELD TRIP!!! We will be taking a field trip next Friday, January 17th from 8:30-10am to Jamie Peck Production Studios. Jamie is an Emmy award winning composer and producer, and this is where we will begin our songwriting project. We will be taking the van to and from middle school. Students must arrive at middle school by 8:00am, as the van will be leaving at 8:15am. Permission slips will be going home asap! I’m very much looking forward to this!!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

New Year same boring header from me! How was everyone’s winter break? Mine was rather uneventful, but still, somehow it flew by! As a reminder, we suggest labeling all winter gear with your child’s name in case it finds its way to the lost and found. For snow, we are asking that if your child would like to play in it they wear snow pants or a snowsuit, coat, gloves, and boots. It can be brought packed so that they may still have warm and nonwet clothes to wear for the rest of the day. If we are having a sled riding day, a message will be sent out through Talking Points the day before to let you know. Though it was a short week, we have some exciting events in the works, starting with MLK Jr. Day.

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. Our seventh grade students will stay on campus for our day of service. While the final project is still in development, I plan to oversee our students’ involvement in helping a local alumna and her family who were victims of a house fire.  

That’s it for this week!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Please note the following message regarding MLK Day – 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.

As stated above, we usually do a day of community service in celebration of MLK Day. 8th Grade’s day is still being decided, so we will let you know ASAP what we end up deciding. In the past, we’ve gone to the House of Carpenter or we’ve baked goods for service personnel. We will keep you posted.

As a reminder, we suggest labeling all winter gear with your child’s name in case it finds its way to the lost and found. For snow, we are asking that if your child would like to play in it, they wear snow pants or a snowsuit, coat, gloves, and boots. It can be brought packed so that they may still have warm and nonwet clothes to wear for the rest of the day. If we are having a sled riding day, a message will be sent out through Talking Points the day before to let you know.

We’re glad to have the kids back!

Important Dates

• Monday, January 20th – MLK Day of Service 
• Tuesday, January 21st – Reimagine Middle School @ 6:00pm
• Friday, January 24th – Early Dismissal @ 11:30am 
• Tuesday, January 28th – Ohio County Math Field Day 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

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. 

For our MLK Day of service, 4th grade will collect travel-sized toiletry items. We will then spend our day packing them and writing notes to go in them to drop off to the freeze shelter. Suggested items to send – travel-sized shampoo/conditioner, lip balm, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tissue packs, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, body wash.  We could also use quart-sized baggies to make individual kits.

As a reminder, we suggest labeling all winter gear with your child’s name in case it finds its way to the lost and found. For snow, we are asking that if your child would like to play in it they wear snow pants or a snowsuit, coat, gloves, and boots. It can be brought packed so that they may still have warm and nonwet clothes to wear for the rest of the day. If we are having a sled riding day, a message will be sent out through Talking Points the day before to let you know. We will have a designated time for 4th grade to sled so that the hill is not crowded.

Important Dates

• Thursday, January 2, 2025 – 10:00 am, Classes Resume, 7:30 – 9:00 am Before Care, Regular drop off from 9:00 – 10:00 am.

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Wow! What a great holiday show. We are so proud of all the kids and their hard work. We hope your family has a warm, safe, and memorable holiday break. Find time to rest and enjoy the magic of this time of year. We wish you the best and will see you in 2025!

All the best,

Grace and Stella

In STEAM: 

• This week, students combined their knowledge of their novel study.
• The Eiffel Tower was constructed out of 100 popsicle sticks! Students had to work through frustration, learn how to plan, and work as a team. 
• Next up was the Seine River with a bridge. Students were tasked with bringing the book cover to life using paper, markers, glue sticks, and saran wrap. 
• Gargoyles and were next. Students worked independently to create their own miniature gargoyle out of clay. As an added challenge from Mr. K, they had to make sure it was fully functional by serving as a miniature rain spout just as they do for many buildings in Paris. 
• We welcomed our special guest, Madame McAteer. She shared her in-depth knowledge of Paris and the sites mentioned in our novel. She also shared her time-honored tradition of Buche de Noel, Yule Logs. The students decorated the logs with marshmallow mushrooms and wild forest animals. A very special thanks to Madame McAteer for spending time with the 4th grade.

In U.S. History:

• Students worked together to create a seating chart by giving reasons as to why or why not they should be seated next to other historical figures. 
• This dinner party will take place in the afternoon of January 3rd. Students may bring clothes to change into for their character if they wish. We are looking forward to a thought-provoking and delicious dinner party! 

Important Reminders: 

• Please check the link above for upcoming events and announcements! 

Drawing the Eiffel Tower

Building the Eiffel Tower

Recreating the Cover Page of, “Family Under the Bridge.”

Gargoyles, Buche de Noel, and Special Guest, Madame McAteer!

Important Dates

• Wednesday, December 18 – Elementary (2nd – 5th) Holiday Show, 6:00 pm
• Thursday, December 19, 11:30 am Dismissal for Holiday Winter Break, NO AFTERCARE
• December 20 – January 1 – Holiday Winter Break, No School
• Thursday, January 2, 2025 – 10:00 am, Classes Resume, 7:30 – 9:00 am Before Care, Regular drop off from 9:00 – 10:00 am.

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Holiday excitement is in the air! Like Santa’s elves, the kids are preparing for the holiday show, looking forward to Winter Spirit Week next week (see Upcoming WCDS Events link above), and even preparing some extra surprises to bring home. While we are looking forward to the upcoming holiday break, we are eager to spend the next week focused on learning with some fun, hands-on, and interactive activities related to our Paris landmarks that the students have been researching. Stay tuned for a lively week!

Have a great weekend!

Grace and Stella

In ELA:

• Students have continued their novel study, “Family Under the Bridge.” Touching on themes of giving, empathy, and compassion. They are following this up in SEL and on Thursdays with Officer John! 
• Story elements such as characters, settings, and the plot are reviewed with each chapter and critical and comprehension questions. 
• The students are researching iconic landmarks in Paris which are related to our “Family Under the Bridge” book. More activities related to the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral are scheduled for next week.
• Research for their informative essays has also begun! Students are continuing to immerse themselves in researching, writing notes, and organizing their findings. They will then turn this into a five-paragraph essay. 
• Homophones are continuing! We will continue with this concept until students can navigate these rules independently in their writing! We appreciate your support at home with their homework for this skill.

In Math: 

• The students worked on learning the process of multiplication using 2-digit numbers.
• They used a color-coded “board” to learn the process, which they are working towards independence with the skill.
• Aside from the multiplication process, the students were introduced to “ordered pairs” on the x and y-axis. Plotting these points created a picture. They enjoy practicing this skill.

In U.S. History:

• Students have written their formal introductions for their dinner party. This is a five-sentence paragraph that will give each attendee a glimpse of who they are meeting before the dinner party begins. 
• Next week they will be challenged to create a seating chart based on their historical figure’s friends and foes. 

In Embryology:

• Students completed fill-in-the-blank notes and labeled a diagram of an egg. 
• On Thursday, they tested their knowledge by identifying the egg’s parts. 
• Some group eggs were scrambled before identification, so we wrapped up with a whole-class review on the document camera, ensuring everyone could see each part.

Important Reminders: 

• A note about the Holiday Show: 
• We are excited about our holiday show, and the students have been working hard at work to learn their songs!  Please have your child wear these outfits the night of the performance on 12/18 at 6:00 pm.  Children should show up at 5:30 and proceed to classrooms.
• 4th grade- All the Ghosts Are Coming- white sweater or sweatshirt,  dark pants, and a Santa hat. 
• Winter Spirit Week – Click on the Upcoming WCDS Events link for a list of daily themes or check your child’s agenda in their yellow folder.

• Please continue to remind your child to clean out their yellow folders 2-3 times a week. 
• Late homework and assignments will now impact your student’s grades. A note on their agenda and/or a pink slip attached to the specific assignment will be used to communicate this with you.

Math – Ordered Pairs on the x and y-axis

The results of graphing ordered pairs