Welcome to WCS 2018-19

Welcome Early Childhood Parents, I am excited to begin this wonderful year of learning with you and your children. The start of each school year brings great anticipation and excitement for what is to come. At Wichita Collegiate School the children are the center of all we do. Those of us fortunate enough to teach, understand the growth the children experience during each school year. We love teaching because we love watching children discover how capable and talented they are. It’s a special privilege to experience this transformation with so many children each year. Next week we will begin again with 225 bright, eager faces from age two to six. We love them already and feel honored to be a part of their early education. Our summer has been a busy one. In addition to teaching 10 weeks of summer classes our faculty has voluntarily participated in two book studies. These books have led to greater understanding of best practices in reading instruction and the value of a knowledge-based sequential curriculum like ours at WCS. These books are “Language at the Speed of Sight” by Mark Seidenberg and “Why Knowledge Matters” by E. D. Hirsch Jr. Summertime is also a time for extensive professional development. On campus 44 WCS teachers completed a three-day training on Learning Profiles: Making Connections. This intensive workshop stems from the All Kinds of Minds Framework which defines learning into eight neurological constructs. As the teachers learned to identify the observable behaviors associated with the learning constructs, they developed tools and strategies to help facilitate growth in all learners from preschool to adult. These tools will help our teachers individualize their work with each child. Here is a link to more information: https://www.allkindsofminds.org/learning-framework. Eight of our EC and LS teachers are finishing a week-long workshop today in Portland, Oregon learning to implement The Scottish Storyline Method of integrated, active learning. Storyline is a structured approach to learning and teaching that was developed in Scotland. It builds on the key principle that learning, to be meaningful, has to be memorable, and that by using learner's enthusiasm for story-making, the classroom, the teacher's role and learning can be transformed. Storyline is a strategy for developing the curriculum as an integrated whole. It provides an opportunity for active learning and reflection as essential parts of effective learning and teaching. At the same time it develops in learners a powerful sense of ownership of their learning. – a quote from the Scottish Consultative Counsel on Curriculum. We are excited to see the creative ideas the teachers bring back from this highly specialized professional development. This summer, through the generosity of our families, we have been able to rejuvenate the beautiful features of our natural outdoor classroom back to its original glory. It is one of our greatest teaching assets in the EC division. Its beauty and function provides our littlest learners a place to explore, create, socialize, exercise and learn while benefitting from the calming effects of nature. It looks fabulous and I cannot wait to see the children playing on it again. One of the things we are most excited about is our school-wide focus on character education this year. Through an integrated approach all teachers, support staff, and student leaders will infuse character development into all we do. In early childhood we will focus on a virtue each month using literature, activities and spontaneous teachable moments to bring each virtue to life. We will help our little ones experience values in action as much as their young minds can absorb. Teachers will share stories and videos of what we witness in the children as they learn to practice patience, kindness, acceptance, resilience, cooperation and self-control. I am certain these moments will fill all our hearts with joy. Another exciting addition will be the use of a new online communication platform, Seesaw. Through the Seesaw app teachers can share text, photos and videos of classroom happenings directly with parents in real time. The Lower School has been using Seesaw for two years with great success and we are excited to begin. Parents will learn more at the upcoming Preschool Orientations and Parent Night for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. An important part of what makes our community strong are parents working together to support the school to raise healthy, well-rounded future citizens of the world. In this partnership the school strives to support and educate parents on a variety of topics relevant to each age group. In early childhood, we will host parent education sessions on the topics of behavior management and the effects of media and screen time on a child’s social and emotional development. We hope you will plan to join us for one or both sessions. Attached you will find the list of important dates which gives the details for the parent meetings mentioned above. http://files.constantcontact.com/c3c3d142101/2146998c-d525-4491-92ea-7d79a22ed987.pdf I look forward to a wonderful year together with you and your child. If I can assist you in any way this school year, please let me know. I am devoted to each child’s success. For the children, Becky O’Hearn