Dear Lower School Families,

I hope this letter finds you in the midst of making wonderful family memories together!  We have been fully embracing our summer schedule here at WCA preparing, planning, and casting vision for an exciting new school year.  God is always faithful and He has shown up big time for our lower school.  You might ask, what is lower school?  Our lower school includes our youngest in the school, K3 and K4, through our oldest downstairs, which is 5^th grade. I am eager and excited to lead the lower school with an amazing team and incredible families.  Don’t forget to re-enroll if you haven’t done so.  We would love for you and your children to join us in the journey God has planned for us this year!

I’d like to highlight a few areas that you can expect to see this coming year!

• Science Lab Sandbox!  This is a dream come true for me as I am a lover of applied learning through hands-on experiences!  We are in the process of transforming room 121 into a learning space that will be utilized weekly by grades K-5 for curriculum learning connections, science exploration, and science labs.   Look for more information about this soon to be favorite spot in our lower school!

• Writing, Writing, Writing! An intentional focus on the writing process with a required end of year writing portfolio will be a large emphasis across our subject levels!  Our writing curriculum moves seamlessly from the early childhood classroom and then prepares our 5^th graders to transition easily into middle school.  We are thrilled to go deeper in this area of learning with your student.

• Our commitment to personalization continues to lead the way!   We love the fact that our reading framework allows for each learner to be instructed on their reading level, which allows for enriched learning experiences.  In math, you will find that learning groups will lead the way to ensure extra support for those who need it and extra challenge for those who want more!

We welcome back the following teachers for 2016-17:

• Emily Benham, K3 teacher

• Staci Lanier, Kindergarten teacher

• Kathy Watson, in a new position as 1^st grade teacher

• Tracy Geoffroy, in a new position as an enrichment teacher

• Chelsea Meisinger, K3-5^th  Grade Music and Strings, Praise and Worship

• Coach Scott Jones,  K3-5^th grade Physical  Education

• Becky Burch, in a new position as Registrar and MAP Testing Coordinator

We enthusiastically welcome to our WCA Lower School Staff the following teachers:

Emmie Dawson will be joining the WCA family to teach K4.  Emmie graduated from Williamsburg Christian Academy and attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Family and Child Development and a minor in Psychology. Upon graduating college, Emmie worked as an assistant kindergarten teacher and an extended care teacher for children ages three years to fifth grade. Emmie has experience as an elementary substitute teacher and an intern at a local child development center where she devoted over 150 hours working with infants, toddlers, and preschool children.  Emmie’s most recent teaching experience has been as a lead preschool teacher to four year olds at a local preschool and child development center. With every student Emmie teaches, her goal is to be courteous, act as a guide, mentor, leader, nurturer, and that   her love for education shows!

Sara Dowell will be joining the WCA family to teach 2^nd grade. After graduating from Lafayette High School, Sara earned her Bachelor of Science in PE/Health from Liberty University. She taught physical education at RAF Lakenheath in grades K-12 and coached volleyball for the high school during her family’s tenure in England with the military. She served as a preschool teacher in two schools in Idaho.  Sara has experience in teaching all elementary grade levels as a substitute teacher and has completed a teacher mentorship at Norge Elementary School.  Sara and her husband, Greg, are proud parents of three children, Taylor, Caleb and Joshua. Sara’s hobbies include playing games and sports, and spending time with her family.

Susan Reese will be joining WCA this fall as our 3rd grade teacher.  Susan graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the College of William and Mary.  She has ten years of teaching experience, including nine years at Greenwood Christian Academy in Williamsburg.  Simultaneously, she volunteered as an advocate for children who received special education services in numerous local public schools.  She also served as a board member, and later president, of the Peninsula Autism Society, a local chapter of the American Society of Autism. Her favorite activities include reading, gardening, and spending time with her children, Paul and Laura, who will be a rising freshman at WCA. The Reese family are members of Williamsburg Christian Church, where Susan is involved in the children’s ministry program.

Cathy Naylor will be teaching 4^th/5^th grade and WCA drama.  Cathy has taught elementary school for over 30 years where her school experience expands through various states, age levels, and school environments.  She received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Daemen College in Buffalo, NY, and her M.Ed. from the University of Georgia.  She has taught general classroom education, Chapter I Reading, Gifted and Talented Education, and her Language/Performing Arts Program for Children.  She has written children’s stories and songs of various genres for many years.  The songs for her production program are professionally produced and one of her stories,  “The Gropples, According to Luke,” was published in 2005.   She has a passion         for teaching children, the fine and performing arts, and the beautiful family she loves.

Linda Guntharp will be joining us in the fall teaching K-8 art and WCA drama.  She holds a BFA from the University of the Arts, AAS Commercial and Computer Arts from TNCC, MBA from New York Institute of Technology and most recently an Interior Design degree from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Linda has worked professionally in the visual and performing arts for more than 25 years. Her teaching experiences include private lessons, studio workshops and programs in both public and private schools.  Linda’s most recent formal teaching experience was with Hampton Christian Academy where she taught art 2^nd through 12^th grade art and drama.  Linda’s largest professional commercial accomplishment was completing over 20 murals as the lead artist on Busch Gardens ride Escape from Pompeii. Historic building preservation and restoration as well as residential renovation has been a   long-time passion for her. Linda has been a longtime volunteer and has served on the boards of York County School of the Arts and Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts. She is a member of Tikvat Israel Messianic Congregation where she has previously served as drama director.

Please save the date for the following welcome back events:

On August 22^nd we will enjoy a New Family Welcome Dinner for the parents of new students at WCA.  Please come and enjoy a date night out to our school and have dinner on us! This will be a great opportunity to meet other new parents and learn more about our school.

RETURNING FAMILIES: We are seeking table hosts who could join us at the dinner table to help acclimate new parents to our school.  If you are interested in hosting a table, please contact me.  There will be childcare available for children ages 7 and under.

On August 23^rd Meet and Greet appointments for students in our K3, K4, Kindergarten classrooms will occur throughout the day so that you can have face to face time with teachers.  This will help parents and their little ones easily transition into the school year.  Your child’s teacher will reach out to you by the end of the first week of August to schedule a 15-minute appointment.

On August 24^th , our WCA Open House is scheduled from 9:00-10:45am.  At 11am, Dr. Breslin will address the community to share our vision for the upcoming school.  Please bring your school supplies, check out your classroom, and get reacquainted with friends while making new ones!

For families that cannot attend the scheduled Open House, please contact me and we can make arrangements to visit the classroom and meet teachers at another time that week.

During your visit, you will notice that classrooms have been rearranged for better developmental use.  Also, don’t forget to check out our Science lab Sandbox in room 121.

On September 1^st WCA will host a Family Picnic and start a new tradition as a way to build our WCA community.  Bring a picnic dinner for your family and a dessert to share. The fields and playground will be open, as will the outdoor basketball court in hopes that kids and parents can run and play together! This will be a relaxing time for the entire family, and it will be a no homework night!

Please look for the updated school supply list on our website by early next week.  Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts. My door is always open to you.  I truly love meeting with parents and welcome your partnership.

Michelle Flanagan

Head of Lower School