Welcome to the Weilenmann School of Discovery. In this first issue of our newsletter, we want to provide you with an update on the progress of our school, highlight the dramatic steps that have been taken, and solidify our common vision.

WSD is a charter school run by educators and supported by a dedicated volunteer Board of Trustees and Parent, Student, Teacher Association. Faculty are highly qualified and come seeking a school environment of professionalism, innovation, hard work, and dedicated leadership. Three are profiled below and you will have a chance to meet these and other faculty in person at an event at the end of April. The financial resources of the school are being dedicated in the first year to hiring superb teachers, developing curriculum, and furnishing the school building. We are building a talented and passionate team of educators!

Over the past month the volunteer Board of Trustees added a new member, Noah Levine, who will work on Finance and Long-Range Planning, replacing Subie Stone who has stepped down because of time commitments to other assignments. In addition, the Parent Student Teacher Organization (PSTO) was formed with Kevrine Wells as the President. A realignment of Parent Volunteer Committees was started with a Founding Parent Meeting March 31st. Noah joins Merry Fusselmann, Chris Anderson, Michelle Mancuso, Karin Beauclair, Robert Neubecker, and Dallis Anderson Nordstrom as board members. We appreciate the long hours and responsibilities of the board and the founding parents, who have already logged over 600 hours of volunteer work on behalf of the school!

Weilenmann School of Discovery will be a campus of integrated, engaged learners. Kindergarten students will embark on their educational journey on a 11.4 acre campus, learning from their teachers, their mentors, and their natural environment. Young students will be challenged to become proficient in technological skills, and then they will use these skills as they engage in projects that span the curriculum and draw inspiration from their environment. Older students will develop independence and interdependence as they deepen their relationship to learning, discovering and exploring their own self definition as scholars, artists, scientists, and community members.

These next few months will go by quickly. As we work together to make our dreams of a new kind of education a reality, we welcome your comments, questions, and volunteer efforts.

Robert Ralphs, Academic Director and Interim Principal
Mary Kimball, Incoming Principal
Cynthia Phillips, Incoming Middle School Dean

The following events are listed to save the date. Not all events are complete, so please check the WSD Calendar for updated information as it becomes available.

April

Meet the faculty
When: TBD
Where: TBD
Info: An event to welcome the Weilenmann teachers

Middle School Informational Gathering
When: April 26, 5-7pm
Where: Mountain Life Evangelical Church 7375 Silver Creek, Park City
Info: For all enrolled and wait-listed Middle School students.

August

Testing & Assessment
When: August 9 & 10
Where: Dependent upon building completion.
Info: 30-minute individual appointment with a classroom teacher. Students will be assessed for placement in math and reading classes.

Teacher Preparation Days
When: August 9-20
Where: WSD Campus
Info: Teachers required to be available during these days for testing, room set-up and meetings.

Family Picnic
When: August 21, 9:00am - 11:00am
Where: WSD
Info: Come to the WSD campus to meet your teachers and visit classrooms.

First day of School
When: August 23

September

Back to School Night
When: September 9, 6:30pm Session One, 7:00pm Refreshment Break, 7:15pm Session Two

The school year calendar will be coordinated with the Park City and Salt Lake School Districts so that most families' schedules can be accommodated. Please check the WSD Calendar for updated information.

A final system for drop-off and pick-up procedures will be published after WSD has consulted with a parent/faculty committee and relevant City and County officials. Our limited space will necessitate a staggered system, and we want our plan to maximize efficiency and safety. Our school day will start between 8 and 8:30 - a final decision will be reached after sufficient study by a committee of parents and administrators.

Successful learning begins with exemplary teaching. A well-constructed curriculum is implemented productively only when a teacher plays a role in the thoughtful process of understanding the grounding academic threads that should be in every classroom. As we hire teachers, we are providing each with a "treat bag” of materials that includes books and articles reflecting the best research in classroom curriculum. Teachers will analyze these resources prior to our summer meetings and be prepared to meaningfully contribute to curriculum discussion. Additionally, teachers will receive orientations in the use of particular purchased program materials. These elements, combined with the training, experience and expertise our new faculty bring with them, will then allow us to begin to design a vertical curriculum grounded in the core curriculum expectations. 

As an example of grounding academic threads, here are some we look to within a reading program:

1. Reading instruction should be authentic and engaging.
2. Reading instruction should focus on both skill and will.
3. Students should have ample time each day to grow as readers.
4. Students should have access to books and other materials they can read and want to read.
5. Instruction should be planned to meet students' needs.

As we examine these big ideas, we then begin to discuss the key effective instructional practices. We recognize these practices based on sound research and how they complement our school's mission.

For me, as incoming principal, these are the critical components in curriculum development. It is not beneficial to begin a philosophical conversation about curriculum by being concerned with what math program we will use or what phonics system we favor. We first begin with an understanding of the whats, whys and hows, and then we move on to the specifics. For me, this is the most exciting part of curriculum development, and I can hardly wait to meet with teachers and begin the conversation.

Mary Kimball
Incoming Principal

We are proud to have our PSTO (Parent Student Teacher Organization) in place. We are working at creating worthwhile committees and opportunities for volunteers to enhance the educational and developmental experience for all WSD students. Above all, we hold ourselves responsible for assisting the staff, enriching each student's experience, and supporting the academic programs in an efficient and professional manner. Committees are in place to kick off reading, math, writing and science initiatives, with students helping to design projects and clubs such as book clubs, a student store, a science garden, a yearbook, even school pets! Events will fill the academic year - you will see concerts, plays, mixers, field days, and other student inspired gatherings. Our faculty will lead the academic experience, and parent committees are in place to support them in the classrooms and assist with communication between students, faculty and families. Parent volunteers are already busy researching library options, preparing emergency plans, and examining possibilities for school lunches. In the final weeks before school starts, we will have a great need for volunteer hours setting up classrooms and readying our new building for the arriving students. A complete list of the committees will be posted on the WSD website. Many thanks to our officers:

• Vice President Operations and Initiatives - Shawn Mick
• Vice President Events - Julie Nester
• Vice President Volunteers - Sheila Hall
• Vice President Records/Communications - Michelle Mazzie

We look forward to meeting and working with you!

Kevrine Wells
PSTO President

School Construction: Hogan Construction is on schedule to open our state of the art facility in August. As we anticipate the completion of construction, please stay off the construction site for your own safety and the integrity of the building.

Traffic: WSD will have a road off of Kilby that loops to a lower parking lot where our staff will assist with a staggered drop off and pick up schedule, allowing for maximum ease and the least amount of traffic on Kilby Road.

Transportation: In the first school year, most children will arrive at WSD by car - WSD committees are researching busing and other transportation options for the future. Plans are underway to coordinate car pooling for interested families.

Outdoor activity: Our 11.4 acres will be utilized as outdoor classroom space and recreation. Kindergarten has its own separate outdoor playground connected to the kindergarten classroom area. For older students, there are two courtyard spaces with concrete geometric forms on both paved and planted surfaces for creative play and gathering. WSD also has a designated meadow space for play and study.

Kindergarten: Parents of registered Kindergarten students will receive a registration packet by email with information about choosing morning or afternoon Kindergarten sessions and joining the lottery for the enrichment program. Arcadia Educational Partners will offer a tuition-based half-day enrichment program.

The Kindergarten Enrichment Program is designed to reinforce and enhance what a child is learning in Kindergarten and to offer added experiences that strengthen age-appropriate academic and social skills. The program consists of carefully designed curriculum to meet the individual physical, emotional and educational needs of each child. It is conducted in a relaxed atmosphere where children engage in fun and stimulating activities in areas such as music, art, science, PE, etc. Large group activities are alternated with free play through learning centers. Thematic units of study provide children the opportunity to explore the many ways to know about their world. Tuition will be comparable to that offered in the Park City School District: $3900/yr.

Technology: WSD will use innovative technology at all levels - faculty will be trained in new tools, open source online resources, and curriculum integration and students will benefit from the use of computers in most subjects.

Special Education: WSD will accommodate all students with special needs. A special needs educator will work with students with IEPs, and all faculty are committed to teaching in a way that can reach students with varying learning styles.

Curriculum: In addition to meeting Utah Core Curriculum requirements, WSD will develop a full Arts curriculum in music and visual art. Two 3/4 time art teachers will be hired to teach drawing, painting, and ceramics, and students in 5th grade and above will have strings, band and choral instruction. Younger students will all study chorus and singing.