This annual report from Wheeling Country Day School provides information about the school for the 2014-2015 school year. It establishes that the school was founded in 1929 and had an enrollment of 176 students in junior kindergarten through 5th grade during that year. It discusses the school's mission, philosophy, memberships, accreditations, and financial information including revenue sources and expenses. It also highlights several student programs and initiatives focusing on creative thinking and outlines ways that alumni and donors can continue to support the school.

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stablished 192
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Wheeli
ng Country Day
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Wheeling Country Day School
Annual Report
2014 - 2015

2. Wheeling Country Day School
Mission
WCDS empowers students to think, to create, and to
communicate in a nurturing environment where learning
and character are paramount.
Philosophy
Wheeling Country Day School’s purpose is to nurture the
intellectual, creative, and ethical growth of children from
diverse backgrounds. A balanced program of academic
basics, fine arts, physical development, and critical thinking
develops and enhances students’ individual and cooperative
abilities. In a positive environment children learn to be self-
reliant, self-motivated and resourceful learners. A supportive
faculty challenges students to learn independently and
within a group, with and without direct instruction, and the
faculty rewards the students’ best efforts, ambition and
accomplishments. A wide variety of activities beyond the
classroom enriches learning opportunities. Personalized
instruction using various methods and materials contributes
to the total experience.
Memberships
Wheeling Country Day School is a member of the National
Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
Accreditation
Wheeling Country Day School is fully accredited by the
Independent School’s Association of the Central States
(ISACS).
Quick Facts
Contents
School Founded:
July 15, 1929
Enrollment
During the 2014-2015 academic
year, 176students were enrolled
in Junior Kindergarten 3 through
5th grade and 40families
participated in the “We Two
Program.” This represents a 74%
increase over the last six years. The
average student/teacher ratio was
7:1.
1 Letter from Liz and Jon
2 Annual Fund, Revenue & Expenses
3 Klingenstein Fellowship
4 A Visit With Theresa Knowcheck
5 Annual Fund Contributors
10 Remembering Josiah Titus-Glover
14 Creative Child Challenge
15 WCDS Creative Outlets
16 Alumni Spotlight
17 Ways to Give

3. Wheeling Country Day School
Dear Friends,
In a time when so much attention is paid to educational outcomes – test scores,
grades, college acceptances, class rank, starting sports positions – we are proud
that Wheeling Country Day School remains focused on learning. Indeed, the
tenor of learning permeates every experience for children and adults at WCDS.
The ISACS accreditation team recognized this when visiting our campus in the
fall of 2014. They commended WCDS for its:
• Incredible success in creating a vibrant school where learning is paramount
and children feel free to be themselves.
• Innovative and challenging curriculum with an emphasis on resiliency in the
face of failure.
• Amazing school community where students, teachers, staff and parents
demonstrate their “can-do” attitude in support of one another and the
shared mission at WCDS.
• Board of Trustee’s faith in the school and their willingness to work
strategically and purposefully to advance the institution and to position the
school for a promising future.
• Intimate campus with thoughtfully-designed classrooms, which provide for
authentic learning.
Such praise is feasible because teachers and leadership alike passionately
believe in what we do - inspiring children to learn in the hopes they will
someday inspire others.
Our success rests on the support we receive from WCDS families and friends.
Until you can find yourself on campus again, please allow this report to provide
you a glimpse of what you have made possible. Thank you for your support and
your trust.
Thanks,
Elizabeth Hofreuter-Landini
Head of School
Jonathan Bedway
President of the Board
Board of
Trustees
2014-2015
Jonathan Bedway
President
Charles Spadafore
Vice President
Joyce Jefferson
Secretary
Paula McClure
Treasurer
Judy Harris
William Nutting
Denise Penz
James G. Squibb, Jr.
Teresa Toriseva
Michael Wayt
ex officio
Elizabeth Hofreuter-Landini
Pat Felton, CPA
Julie Selmon, PFA
Connect with Liz:
Follow her blog on
the WCDS website
and on Twitter
@lhlandini
Wheeling Country Day School
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4. Wheeling Country Day School
1.0%
9.5%
15.0%
1.0%
10.0% 63.5%
Tuition
Program Revenue
Board Fundraisers
Annual Giving (Unrestricted)
Annual Giving (Restricted)
Endowment Income
2.7%
6.0%
2.0%
12.0%
2.3%
75.0%
Personnel
Instructional Supplies
Administrative Costs
Mortgage & Financing
Facility Costs
Capital Improvements, Technology & Classroom Furniture
1.0%
9.5%
1.0%
10.0% 63.5%
Operating Revenue & Expenses
Fiscal Year 2014-2015
Annual Fund Snapshot
Out of the $347,993 raised for the
Annual Fund, $137,152 was Restricted
and $91,630was Unrestricted and
$119,211was Designated.
100%
Faculty
Participation
100%
Board
Participation
ExpensesRevenue
Thank you for your contribution
Wheeling Country Day School relies on the generosity
of parents, alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations
to make a difference in children’s lives. Gifts to the annual
fund can be made by check, cash, transfer of stock, or
online through our secure Giving page.
2.3%
12.0%
75.0%
2.7%
2
6.0%
2.0%
15.0%

5. Wheeling Country Day School
In February of 2015, Liz was awarded the Klingenstein Heads
of Schools Fellowship. Alongside 18 other heads of
independent schools from all over the world, she spent two
full weeks at Columbia Teachers College focusing on three
subjects: moral leadership, research on problems of practice
and 21st century education. During the fellowship, she
co-wrote “Learning Sciences in Schools,” featured in the
fellowships’ joint paper, “21st Century Education.”
Choosing Parent Education as her focus, Liz concluded,
“Parent education begins in the school’s culture, where
teachers engage students at every opportunity including homework, which turns out is one of the
important ways schools ‘communicate’ values with parents. A parent’s understanding of a child’s
education also lies in the parent’s attitude toward their memories of school. ”Learning is tied to a parent’s
attitude about school. If we say, ‘I’m not a math person,’ we affect our child’s attitude toward math and his
ultimate mastery of it.”
The Teachers College at Columbia University grants the fellowship to no more than 20 heads per
year. The academic program offers heads the time and resources for true renewal and reflection
about their passion and their work in the company of equally committed peers.
* Photo courtesy of Teachers College Columbia University
[ Klingenstein Fellowship ]
“Learning is tied to
a parent’s attitude
about school. If we
say, ‘I’m not a math
person,’ we affect our
child’s attitude toward
math and his ultimate
mastery of it.”
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6. Wheeling Country Day School
A Visit With Theresa Kowcheck
The Learning Center at WCDS
works with students who have
language-based learning
differences through intensive
instruction based on
Orton-Gillingham methodology.
Here we sat down with
Director of The Learning Center,
Theresa Kowcheck, to give you
a deeper look.
How did the idea for The Learning Center come about?
It all started with students who had characteristics of dyslexia and couldn’t find help. Legislation to
recognize dyslexia as a reading disorder is still pending, so solutions in the Ohio Valley for these
students were slim to none. We piloted The Learning Center to bring in the Orton-Gillingham
Methodology to work with our students with language-based learning differences. The next step was to
build a team of OG certified teachers. Currently, we have five trained instructors on campus and several
West Liberty University graduate students completing Reading Specialist practicum work through our
Learning Center.
Why is this program important for the Ohio Valley?
For starters, dyslexia accreditation is becoming a requirement for teachers in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
However, in West Virginia, even awareness for dyslexia is very slim. The WCDS Learning Center is
important for students in the valley because it is the first of its kind and one of the only resources
specifically for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences. The success of our
program is due to the diagnostic and prescriptive intervention with each child and the self-confidence
in lifelong reading that it builds.
What is the future of The Learning Center?
We want to expand our program to continue to serve students throughout the Ohio Valley. We have
seen the demand and believe, with the support of our community, this is a true possibility for the future.
The provided remediation by the WCDS Learning Center is helping students overcome their
weaknesses and harness their strengths by giving them the strategies to appreciate their unique
talents. For inquiries or to schedule a visit to The Learning Center, email Theresa Kowcheck at
tkowcheck@wcdsedu.com or call our office today at (304) 232-2430.
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7. Wheeling Country Day School
Making Time
for Children
page 8
“What stands out the
most about WCDS
students is that they
believe in themselves, a
quality that can come not
only from a program that
pushes them but in an
environment that instills
a belief that they can
achieve anything.”
-WCDS Parent

8. Wheeling Country Day School
Funded in part by The Hess Family
Foundation and the Nutting Foundation,
WCDS and the West Liberty University
Department of Education piloted a project
to address the synergy between creative
thinking and mindfulness and its effects on
student development.
Fifth grade teachers, Bridget Rutherford,
Luke Hladek, Joe Jividen and IJ Kalcum,
crafted the following projects to equip
students with the tools for creative and
divergent thinking while building personal
resilience.
Jojo1 Weather Balloon - Learning along side his students, Mr. Haldek encouraged ten-year-olds to
research, build, test and launch a weather balloon. While travelling 239 miles and ascending 88,000
feet, the Jojo1 (named for their classmate who died) captured video of the curvature of the earth
surface as well as the moment of the balloon’s rupture – a learning opportunity that far exceeds
answering the questions in a textbook.
Water Wheel – The WCDS Water Wheel Project was conceived with the emphasis of using
creativity and ingenuity to enhance both environmental awareness and progression of the Green
Schools initiative on campus. Fifth grade students identified a problem, researched potential
solutions and ultimately chose an environmentally responsible design to light the entrance pillars
using advanced technology with a 3D printed water wheel.
World Peace Games – Fourth and fifth grade students were immersed in a hands-on political
game, which required them to extricate their “countries” from dangerous situations, solve world
issues all while achieving global prosperity. Intermingled with philosophical issues from Sun Tzu’s
The Art of War, the games encourage players to live and work comfortably with the unknown, while
stimulating empathy and compassion.
One of the next steps is to document our work on these projects to replicate our successes at other
schools by presenting at conferences and directly sharing curriculum.
[ Creative Child Challenge ]
Students participating in the 2015 World Peace Games
“Equip students with the tools for creative and
divergent thinking while building personal resilience.”
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9. Wheeling Country Day School
Building on the success of the Creative Child
Challenge, WCDS will be developing additional
outlets to develop a child’s creative thinking.
• Using the design process with students and
teachers alike to create a nature/exercise trail
in the field across the creek
• Implementing an introductory band
program to encourage all students to play
an instrument
• Introducing students to music
composition and video production
• Encouraging coding and robotics activities
as early as preschool
• Creating a Maker’s Space to offer students
the opportunity to sew, weave, build,
woodwork, design and more. Students, alumni and families will be encouraged to make time
to create.
Restricted contributions and in-kind donations to these initiatives are greatly appreciated.
For more information, please contact Liz Hofreuter-Landini via email lhlandini@wcdsedu.com
or phone 304-232-2430.
Bring Creativity to Life
What You Missed On Social Media
Stay Connected to us by…
Liking us on Facebook
Following us on Twitter
Following our page
on LinkedIn!
We joined !
Nicole Allen on Google+
This picture posted
to our Facebook
page of the JK3
silhouettes received
126 likes
and 15 comments!
“I was fortunate to attend this
school for four years in
elementary and had teachers
that made a major lifelong
impact. It is a nurturing school
with small classes and lots of
personalized attention. Fantastic
all around--made me excited
about learning for the rest of
my years.”
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10. Wheeling Country Day School
Alumni Spotlight
Michelle Sommer ‘82
“A Wheeling Country Day School education changed the course of
my life and firmly set me on my path to a bright future. WCDS teachers
strived to gain a deeper understanding of me as an individual learner
and nurtured and supported me in discovering my unique strengths. I
graduated from WCDS with the knowledge that I had valuable skills that
would sustain and buoy me and that I could go on to share with others.
My life-long passions, I first discovered at WCDS. Today I am an award-
winning art teacher of an award-winning art program. Like my teachers
did for me, I endeavor to make all my students feel safe, included,
capable, and valued. Today I carry on the WCDS tradition of discovering
how children learn and recognizing, defending, and nurturing their
unique abilities.”
Michele Sommer is an art educator and Art Department Chair at
Rockland Country Day School in Congers, NY. She holds a Master of
Science in Education degree in Leadership in the Arts from Bank Street
College of Education in New York, NY. She has served on reaccreditation
committees for New York State Association of Independent Schools and was the recipient of the 2007 and 2013
Hancock-Rubinsky Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2007 County Executives Award for Arts Education.
Her writing on art education was published in the Harvard Educational Review and featured in The Marshall Memo.
She served on the 2013 panel discussion “Expanding Our Vision for the Arts” at Harvard University campus.
* Photos courtesy of highlighted alums
Del Walters ’70
“If you don’t know where you’re from, you don’t know where you’re going.
I would be hard-pressed to say I would be where I am today without Wheeling
Country Day School. To those who engineered the social experiment of
integrating that school, I say, Thank You.”*
Del Walters is an award-winning global news journalist. He spent over 20
years as an investigative reporter for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., winning
more than 20 Emmy Awards, including one for “Best Anchor.” In 2006, he
founded his own production company, 3PE Productions, producing the
critically acclaimed film “Apocalypse Africa, Made in America.” He received the
Edward Murrow Award for an hour-long feature he did on Haiti while serving
as news anchor for D.C.’s top radio news station, WTOP Radio-CBS. An award-
winning documentary film producer, political columnist, and broadcaster,
Walters has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, been a commentator on
the Chris Matthews show, and Unsolved Mysteries to name a few.
* Quote taken from an interview in the Wheeling Sunday News Register
Reconnect with the Blue & Gold
There are many ways to rediscover your WCDS roots: become an ambassador, stop by for a visit
and tour, share your experiences, join us at one of our Alumni Events and sign up to receive
updates and news. For more information about how you can get connected, email Becca Wilson at
bwilson@wcdsedu.com. To update your information, fill out the Stay In Touch form on our website.
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11. Wheeling Country Day School
Ways to Give
Annual Fund
Gifts to the Annual Fund help support
the many expenses associated with
providing the high-quality, personalized
academic experience offered at
Wheeling Country Day School. Your
tax-deductible, charitable contribution
to WCDS addresses institutional
priorities such as technology, capital
improvements and maintenance,
professional development and
compensation for teachers, curriculum
materials, program development, and
tuition assistance.
Tribute Gifts
Gifts made “In Memory” or “In Honor Of” alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students are an
excellent way to commemorate an individual’s connection to the school while investing in the
institution that has meant so much to them.
Corporate Matching Gifts Program
Many companies match employee (or an employee’s spouse) contributions to non-profit
organizations like WCDS. Please check with your employer’s human resources office to learn
whether your company offers a program like this that may potentially double the size of your
donation to WCDS.
Planned Gifts
Planned Gifts are a wonderful way to help ensure the future of WCDS. The most common and
simplest planned giving method is in the form of a bequest naming Wheeling Country Day School
as a beneficiary of a specific dollar amount or percentage of your estate. Contributions through life
income vehicles such as a charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable lead
trusts can provide income to you or a loved one while offering tax-advantages.
Donors may also designate Wheeling Country Day School as a beneficiary of life insurance or
retirement assets. Please consult your attorney or financial advisor to discuss which charitable giving
option is best for you.
Secure Online Donations
Make online donations with your credit card using our secure payment form by visiting
http://www.wcdsedu.com/giving/online-donations/.
For more information or to discuss giving opportunities available through WCDS, please
contact Liz Hofreuter-Landini, Head of School, at (304) 232-2430.
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12. Wheeling Country Day School
Eight Park Road
Wheeling, West Virginia
304-232-2430
wcdsedu.com
We are extremely thankful for the families,
faculty, alumni and friends who support our
mission and make it possible for us to do
what we love.
Elizabeth Hofreuter-Landini
Connect With Us On Social Media
* Photos courtesy of Rebecca Kiger Fotografia