Wheeling Country Day School’s PLAYgroups program offers a unique and premier experience for children ages 1-3. Our new Little Explorers program for ages 1-2 and We Two program for ages 2-3 are designed to create a positive first impression for our youngest students. We recognize the importance of introducing them to fundamentals that will set them up for success as they progress in their education.
The PLAYgroup program at Wheeling Country Day School focuses on the child within the learner. It is an engaging centers-based curriculum that matches the way children develop and learn, meeting their personal learning needs in a hands-on and nurturing environment.
Children need time for fantasy and spontaneous play. Therefore, the playgroups invite pretending and storytelling, which provide the most fertile ground for language growth, both contextual and semantic.
In addition, the campus layout allows children to be active and to follow their natural sense of wonder. They play and learn in nature with found objects that inspire creativity.
Far from curriculum in a box, the program allows the teachers to take their cues from their students, and then actively guide and encourage their curiosity, intellectual strengths, and above-average skills.
All of the playgroup classes meet every week throughout the school year. Little Explorers meets once a week for one hour and fifteen minutes with a parent or caregiver. We Two also meets once a week for one hour and fifteen minutes with a parent or caregiver.
Wheeling Country Day School is a safe place to try a new skill that could become a life’s passion, to connect with an adult who will forever believe in you unconditionally, to balance the vulnerability, to lead with the empowerment of being part of a team and something greater than yourself.
Little Explorers is a nurturing program designed for one- and two-year-olds, offering a safe and engaging environment for early learning. Children can socialize with peers and develop cognitive skills through play, music, movement, stories, crafts, and more. With active participation from parents or caregivers, Little Explorers fosters a collaborative and enriching experience, promoting a natural love of learning and curiosity in young children.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the toddler years! Wheeling Country Day School offers We Two, a great introduction to the parent-teacher partnership in a child’s education. We Two offers children opportunities to understand their world, interact with others, and explore their natural curiosity. The parents/caregivers provide security and support while the children experience music and movement, stories, crafts, and playtime throughout the program
The PLAYgroup summer programs offer engaging and enriching activities for young children, fostering creativity, social interaction, and developmental growth in a fun and supportive environment.
Edge at Wheeling Country Day School is an on-campus instruction center for students with language-based learning differences.
For students ready to graduate from playgroups, Wheeling Country Day School offers Early Childhood preschool and kindergarten.
Applying online is easy with WCDS. Complete and submit your online application. This application confirms your interest and prompts the school’s consideration of your child. You can download and submit the records release form if your child currently attends kindergarten or above.
The school takes great pride in the fact that the Head of School meets with each family to engage in a mission/philosophy conversation. Admissions Events offer this group opportunity or you can contact the Admissions Office for special arrangements.
Experience WCDS by coming to the campus for an age-appropriate visit with faculty and peers.
WCDS seeks to purposefully build an environment that reflects and honors diversity. We honor the dignity of every human being, and we respect and value differences including but not limited to socioeconomics, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, and family composition. Our community is committed to ongoing dialogue, education, and reflection to develop understanding and inclusion of every member.
Observe our curious and engaged students and teachers in their classrooms and throughout our spacious campus with its grass playing field, classroom courtyard, and outdoor amphitheater. Sit in on classes that give great attention to a curriculum that matches the optimum times for learning within a child’s first ten years.
