Preschool

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
• Think Spring! WCDS Spring Break- March 2-6. Classes resume on March 9th.
• Several of our WCDS families will be traveling to Chile with FC Wheeling Soccer over spring break, including Miss Meredith and Mrs. Fuentes, and will have the opportunity to visit a local school while they are there. As our students are learning Spanish as a foreign language, we are excited about the chance to support children in Chile who are learning English. If you have any bilingual English/Spanish children’s books at home that you would be willing to donate, they will be shared with the school as a way to support their English language learning. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library books are often bilingual and are a wonderful option to donate! Thank you for helping us share language, learning, and kindness beyond our classroom. Muchas gracias!
• Weekly Snack List (New Dates Added)
• Teacher Email: mshah@wcdsedu.com, cnorman@wcdsedu.com , aschultz@wcdsedu.com 

A look at our Valentine Week,

Love, laughter, and friends were on point to celebrate together. Excitement filled the air with a surprise preschool paint n sip with berry smoothies. It was so fun to paint a heart shaped canvas using watercolors and another medium of choice. As soon as they are dry they will be coming your way very soon! The berry smoothies were so yummy they hit the spot while being creative artists.

You’ve Got Mail!

The children had been busy decorating their Valentine bags with watercolor paints and festive stickers. Each child enjoyed mailing their valentines to all their friends. We celebrated Valentine’s Day with love centered provocations. They stacked valentine cups, dove into water play with heart-shaped sponges and spoons, had a tinker table with various materials to create and design something with a love and heart flare, and poured and dumped rice adorned with festive holiday trinkets.

Wishing your weekend filled with love, warmth, and sweet moments together.

Miss Airry, Miss Meredith, and Miss Claire

Bag Painting and Decorating

Painting and Sipping- Valentine’s Day Style!

All Things Love

Classroom Fun

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
• No School Monday, February 9th and Tuesday, February 10th. Classes resume Wednesday, February 11th.
• Valentine’s Day in Preschool! We will be celebrating all things love in the classroom on Thursday, February 12th. We will be making our own Valentine’s Day bags during school, so no need to make a box at home. If your child is passing out Valentines to the class, we recommend just signing his/her name and not worrying about addressing the individual cards. This gives them the opportunity to be more independent when “mailing” them to their classmates. There are 20 students in the class. Just a reminder that we do have a dairy allergy if you decide to do any kind of treat.
• Several of our WCDS families will be traveling to Chile with FC Wheeling Soccer over spring break, including Miss Meredith and Mrs. Fuentes, and will have the opportunity to visit a local school while they are there. As our students are learning Spanish as a foreign language, we are excited about the chance to support children in Chile who are learning English. If you have any bilingual English/Spanish children’s books at home that you would be willing to donate, they will be shared with the school as a way to support their English language learning. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library books are often bilingual and are a wonderful option to donate! Thank you for helping us share language, learning, and kindness beyond our classroom. Muchas gracias!
• Weekly Snack List (New Dates Added)
• Teacher Email: mshah@wcdsedu.com, cnorman@wcdsedu.com , aschultz@wcdsedu.com 

A Look at Our Week:

Dear Families,

What a fun and full week we had in our classroom!

We kicked things off by exploring Groundhog Day in a hands-on way. The children investigated shadows using a projector and experimented with how light and shapes work together. They also built groundhog tunnels using blocks and loose parts, which inspired lots of creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.

We also backtracked a bit to complete our January self-portraits since we missed several days last week. The children used Sharpies to draw themselves as “shape people,” then glued shape cutouts to create a colorful collaged background. We added a photo of each child to their artwork, showing them turning themselves into a shape—it was such a fun and thoughtful way to combine art, self-expression, and our shape study.

Our shape discovery continued throughout the week with a variety of shape-focused centers. The children sorted, traced, and matched shapes in playful, hands-on ways, building both confidence and excitement as they explored.

And then… the snow! ❄️ Possibly the highlight of the week. It took about 25 minutes to get everyone bundled up, but seeing their excited faces as they ran, sledded, rolled, and played in the snow made every second worth it. The joy was contagious!

We loved sharing this week with your children and can’t wait for more learning and fun ahead.

Warmly,
The Preschool Team

Exploring Shadows:

Exploring Shapes:

Snow Much Fun:

Self- Portraits:

Classroom Fun

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

• Friday, February 6th- 11:30 am dismissal, No Aftercare
• February 9th and 10th- No school
• February 11th- Classes Resume

• Valentine’s Day in Preschool! We will be celebrating all things love in the classroom on Thursday, February 12th. We will be making our own Valentine’s Day bags during school, so no need to make a box at home. If your child is passing out Valentines to the class, we recommend just signing his/her name and not worrying about addressing the individual cards. This gives them the opportunity to be more independent when “mailing” them to their classmates. There are 20 students in the class. Just a reminder that we do have a dairy allergy if you decide to do any kind of treat.

Dear PS Families,

We knew that the snow was coming but we had no idea that it would keep us home for so long! We were so happy to get back together in the classroom, even for just a few short days. The kiddos got right back into the daily routine and playing with their friends. They shared some of the fun things they did at home, including playing outside, sledding, playing with siblings, and of course, hot chocolate. We loved seeing the pictures and hearing about the suggested activities you tried.

We hope you all stay warm over the weekend! See you on Monday!

With love,

Miss Claire, Miss Airry, and Miss Meredith

Snowy Fun From Home

Back in the Room

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
• Monday, January 19th– Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
• Buttons for Flood Relief: In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Early Childhood grades have teamed up for our service project. Our classes will be doing our annual button sale with this year’s proceeds benefiting flood relief through the United Methodist Church. The handcrafted buttons made by the children will go on sale beginning Monday, January 19th before school in the gym. The buttons will be 1 for $2.00 or 2 for $3.00. 
• In addition we are also asking for donations of non-perishable items to help fill their pantry. Think canned goods, rice, pasta, laundry soap, etc. You can send these items to school with your child all next week. 
• Weekly Snack List (New Dates Added)
• Teacher Email: mshah@wcdsedu.com, cnorman@wcdsedu.com , aschultz@wcdsedu.com 

A Look at Our Week:

This week, our classroom was all about squares, and we had so much fun discovering just how much creativity and learning can come from one simple shape!

We began our week by reading Square, which sparked thoughtful conversations and inspired the children to think creatively about shapes and how they can change and transform. The story set the stage perfectly for a day of square-themed centers, where the children explored in a variety of hands-on ways. They drew and created on square-shaped paper, built with square and cube blocks, experimented with drawing using squares, and explored square and cube Magna-Tiles on the light table. Throughout these activities, it was wonderful to watch the children problem-solve, collaborate with friends, and confidently share their ideas.

Midweek, we took our square learning into the sensory area, and it was a big hit! The children explored square ice cubes using small mallets to smash them, painted directly on the ice with watercolors, and experimented with fizzy baking soda ice squares using vinegar. There was so much excitement as they observed colors mixing, ice melting, and bubbles forming. These experiences encouraged curiosity, careful observation, and joyful discovery.

Later in the week, we read Perfect Square, which led to the big question: “What can you make with a square?” Armed with square paper, scissors, pastels, and tape, the children’s imaginations took over. The students ripped, crumbled, and cut their square papers with intention and focus. Each creation was completely unique and showcased just how creative, thoughtful, and capable the children are when given open-ended materials.

It truly was a joyful, creative week filled with exploration and learning. Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. We loved exploring squares together!

Warmly,
The Preschool Team

Square Exploration:

Sensory Squares:

What Can You Make With a Square:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

• Monday, January 19th– Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service- Be on the lookout next week for more information regarding how the Early Childhood students will be honoring the life of Dr. King.

• Weekly Snack List

Dear PS Families,

What a beautifully calm start we had to our 2026! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with lots of core memories and rest. We were excited to have our kiddos back and took the week to gently ease into our daily routine. The students got right back into playing, reminiscing about their breaks and all the fun things they got to do. We had a lovely conversation about our favorite activities, which included a range of experiences. Here is what they shared:

Roman- “Sled riding”

Khyryn- “I went ice skating.”

Stone- “Hot chocolate- different kinds at Target. I have a Mario chocolate bomb that makes hot chocolate.”

Theo- “Played playdough”

Odessa- “I went ice skating with my cousins and they were holding my hands so I didn’t fall over.” 

Romeo- “Down the hill for sledding”

Luella- “Opening presents at Daddy’s”

Emma- “Played tag in the snow and had hot chocolate. I got too cold.”

Addie- “I went sled riding down the hill and made hot chocolate too.” 

Robert- “Actually when I was asleep, I just woke up in the night and see my mom. We had a sleepover at Aunt Bridy’s.”

Adler- “Played in the snow with Daddy”

Cam- “Sled riding with cousins and Grandma and Pap and I had a sleepover with my cousins.” 

Skye- “I just got to hug people”

Tory- “I went in a pool”

Alex- “Hot chocolate with Bradley and Hudson”

Jazzy- “I just had fun with my Dada, playing in the house”

Sasha- “Played in the snow”

We always love hearing what they have to say and to see their faces light up when talking about their family time. They were then invited to bring their ideas to life in a journal entry. Using crayons, each student carefully drew their activities with lines, swirls, and various shapes. It inspired us to start exploring the wonderful world of shapes with our Math studies. We first took on circles, reading the book Circle from the Shape Trilogy by Marc Barnett and Jon Klassen. The story follows Circle, Triangle, and Square playing hide-and-seek when Triangle breaks Circle’s one rule: no hiding behind the waterfall. When Circle takes a courageous journey into the dark unknown behind the waterfall to rescue Triangle, he ends up encountering a mysterious shape. What could it be? The students were sure it was a dinosaur, a monster, a dragon, another circle or triangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a rectangle, and even a ghost. While our imaginations ran wild with ideas, the book left us certain that there was something really cool there in the dark. The students were then invited to explore all things circular in a round of centers. The Bingo dobbers were used to make dotted hearts, snowmen, and a flurry of dots on big paper. Our giant bowl of pom-poms was sorted by color using our circle stepping stones and tweezers. Collages of bottle caps, grapat pieces, lids, and bracelets were made with embroidery hoops, lazy Susans, and placemats as bases. We lastly tried our hand at making circles using crayons on paper.

To continue our circle study, we became brave shape detectives on a shape hunt as we took advantage of the mild weather. The moment we walked out of the classroom the students started noticing all kinds of shapes. “It’s a triangle!”, Robert exclaimed as he pointed to the top of the gym building. That statement kicked off an epic shape hunt as we found shapes on the ground, in items by the amphitheater, and all over the Wonder Garden mural. We found shapes in the sun, animals, flowers, trees, and even the ladder. Once we scanned the entire mural for shapes, we took to the ground and made shapes using sidewalk chalk. It became a full body experience as we ran, hopped, and balanced on shapes, naming them as we went. These kiddos are quickly becoming shape experts and we cannot wait to see where it takes us next!

We hope you all have a nice weekend and see you on Monday!

Miss Claire, Miss Airry, and Miss Meredith

Circles, Circles, and More Circles

Shape Hunt

Journal Writing and Classroom Fun

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
• Classes resume January 5th.
• Weekly Snack List (New Dates Added)
• Teacher Email: mshah@wcdsedu.com, cnorman@wcdsedu.com , aschultz@wcdsedu.com 

Our week in a blink,

Our classroom was filled with red and green attire for teams Santa and Grinch, holiday headwear, oh so cute pajamas, and comfy cozy wear. At our holiday party we enjoyed delicious snacks, songs, and each others company. Thank you, families! Then it was time to roll up our sleeves and engage in some holiday provocations. We had the best time at a full present wrapping station with decorative paper, stickers, tape, and pastel crayons. They also enjoyed time in our camping tent with a story and a stuffy. Our sensory table was filled with oats and scoops, clear ornaments, and gingerbread baking to make and create a whole lot of imaginary play.

The children have been busy creating a special gift for you to cherish for years to come. Here is a few hints- We swirled colorful paint, pinched just the right amount of gold glitter into a clear shaped vessel then added a picture of your child to complete this holiday treasure.

We hope your holiday season is filled with joy and special moments with your family. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Have a joyous weekend,

Miss Airry, Miss Meredith and Miss Claire

Ornament Making

Festive Fun!

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
• Wednesday, December 17th, Preschool Holiday Party and Pajama or Festive Attire Day. We still need a couple contributions to our party. Sign up here.
• 11:30 dismissal on Friday, December 19th. No Aftercare.
• Classes resume January 5th.
• Weekly Snack List (New Dates Added)
• Teacher Email: mshah@wcdsedu.com, cnorman@wcdsedu.com , aschultz@wcdsedu.com 

A Look at Our Week:

What a wonderful, joy-filled week we’ve shared with your children! Our classroom has been filled with sparkle, creativity, and lots of holiday cheer. One of our favorite traditions in Preschool is our Please Touch Christmas Tree—a tree that’s meant to be decorated, undecorated, and decorated all over again by little hands. The children have absolutely loved exploring this tradition. Each day, we watched ornaments move, change, and reappear in new places as the children experimented with arranging the tree in their own unique ways. Their curiosity and creativity made the tree come alive in the most delightful ways.

Their excitement around the tree inspired our December self-portrait project. We snapped a photo of each child as they carefully added an ornament to the tree. Then, using their imaginations (and a little bit of holiday magic), the children created whimsical self-portraits inside oversized ornaments. Once their drawings were complete, we combined the photos with their artwork—adding their larger-than-life ornaments to the picture of our classroom tree. The result is a cheerful, heartwarming display that captures both the wonder of the season and the personalities of our little artists.

We also spent much of our week joyfully preparing for our Winter Family Night. Using the children’s blueprints from last week, we created our forest trees from large pieces of cardboard, paint, and pastels. The finished pieces hung beautifully throughout our classroom, helping to transform our space into the magical winter forest for Family Night. The children also practiced their songs with such enthusiasm, proud and eager to share them with you.

We are so grateful for the beautiful evening we shared together on Thursday. The children always love welcoming their families into their classroom, and their excitement was shining brightly all night long. From the story to the songs, the warm hot chocolate, and the hands-on explorations, it truly was a magical evening filled with holiday cheer.

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping make this season so special. We look forward to many more joyful moments ahead!

Warmly, 

• Meredith, Claire, and Airry

Prepping For Winter Family Night:

Winter Family Night:

Preschool Fun:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

• Save the Date: Thursday, December 11th- Early Childhood Winter Night at 5:30

Children should come dressed in festive attire they feel best wearing. Please drop them off in their classroom by 5:15. Families can then head to the gym and find a seat for a special story time that will then be brought to life in each of the early childhood classrooms. Families will be invited to enjoy refreshments and travel freely around campus while participating in a variety of heartwarming activities sure to bring joy this holiday season!

• Weekly Snack List

Dear PS Families,

Snow is a quite a magical thing and when it covers our campus, it brings a whole new level of wonder to our play and learning. The students were excited to hit the playground for the first time, trudging in their boots and playfully throwing balls at each other (and their teachers). Their giddiness definitely got us in the mood to start preparing our room for our EC Winter Family Night next week. While we will keep the story under wraps until the actual night, we can tell you that it will be filled with lots of light, warmth, and togetherness. The students worked hard this week to help us create several components that will transform our classroom into a fabulous wintry scene. There was lots of painting on different surfaces and textures that made for some interesting discoveries and discussions. We first tackled various shades of green, mixing and blending them together on large pieces of cardboard. As our hands became just as covered, one student exclaimed, “I’m feeling like Christmas!” Yes, yes, we are! The students then drew what our class forest trees should look like. A cherry tree with Santa in it, bird trees, baby trees, line trees, haunted trees, sun trees, balloon trees, princess trees, mom and dad trees, oh my! So many options, how will we ever choose?

What is a winter scene with a warm fire without a beautiful night sky? We invited the students to paint with all the colors that remind them of the nighttime. Black, blue, purple, turquoise, green, white, and silver swirled and meshed together as the students took to painting clear shower curtains. Not only did they get to paint on top of them, they were also able to paint underneath them as they were hanging from two of our tables. There were lots of giggles (and paint in the hair) as the kiddos looked up to the “sky” to add color upon color. What a cool provocation that definitely calls for a relaunch in the future!

We cannot wait to welcome you into our classroom next week for the one event that gets more and more beautiful year after year. Have a wonderful weekend! Stay warm!

Miss Claire, Miss Airry, and Miss Meredith

Paint, Paint, and More Paint

SNOW Much Fun

More Classroom Fun

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

• CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
• 12:30 dismissal on Tuesday, November 25th, for Thanksgiving Break. 
• School resumes Monday, December 1st.
• Save the Date: Thursday, December 11th- Early Childhood Winter Night at 5:30
  • Children should come dressed in festive attire they feel best wearing. Please drop them off in their classroom by 5:15. Families can then head to the gym and find a seat for a special story time that will then be brought to life in each of the early childhood classrooms. Families will be invited to enjoy refreshments and travel freely around campus while participating in a variety of heartwarming activities sure to bring joy this holiday season!
• Weekly Snack List (New Dates Added)
• Teacher Email: mshah@wcdsedu.com, cnorman@wcdsedu.com , aschultz@wcdsedu.com 

Our week in a blink,

We had the best time watching the Alumni Kickball Game on Tuesday morning. It is such a nice event to cheer on the blue and gold. The children also participated in Thanksgiving inspired provocations. They could make some delicious pies with our pumpkin pie spiced play dough, corn grinding as a sensory bin, constructing turkeys with a variety of loose parts, and design a mosaic with colorful dyed pumpkin seeds.

Our Thanksgiving luncheon is always so delicious! We enjoy sharing a meal, coming together with friends, and being apart of the WCDS family.

Wishing all our preschool families a Happy Thanksgiving! Your little ones fill our days with laughter, learning, and so much to be thankful for. Please check back for photos as we are having technical difficulties uploading.

Miss Airry, Miss Meredith, Miss Claire