At each age level, we provide developmental programs to foster social & cognitive skills. We work hard to offer a curriculum that is open-ended & interesting so that students see themselves as confident learners, capable of exploring their environment productively. Our variety of enrichment programs focus on adventurous, specialized opportunities to hone in social skills & encourage hands-on exploration. CDSW facilities include six well-furnished classrooms, a music/movement room & five playgrounds.

Music & DRAMATIC PLAY

All students will experience the art of creating music through interactive instruments, singing & dancing. Our talented music director works with each class, at every age level, to stimulate their innate talents. This unique offering allows students to express their creativity & grow confidence in a group setting. Each classroom is also equipped with dramatic play sets, such as kitchen set-ups, dress up items & large building blocks for creative constructive play. Books read aloud usually encourage students to help act out scenes throughout the story.

art & creative expression

The heart of purposeful play, art projects allow students to freely construct & focus on the process, not the product. The self-directed explorations make learning even more powerful, helping to master fine motor skills, like grasping paintbrushes & cognitive development, such as cause & effect, throughout the school year. Daily art projects are incorporated into our theme-based curriculum to encourage intrinsic motivation & enhance overall comprehension.

MOVEMENT & YOGA

Classes often take trips downstairs to our indoor movement room where we play movement games with our giant parachute, dance with ribbon strings & work on our jumping skills. We incorporate all kinds of activities, such as learning new yoga poses & going through fun obstacle courses - all aimed at increasing agility & improving children’s core strength.

SPANISH

From September through April, the Fours & Fives get the opportunity to have an introductory Spanish lesson each week. Threes start learning Spanish in the second half of the school year. Each fun-filled lesson is designed to engage students in the sounds of the Spanish language through listening, speaking, cultural music & easy games.

OUTDOOR PLAY

We have four newly updated playgrounds complete with swings, jungle gyms, slides, sand boxes, a climbing wall, suspension bridge, steering wheels, telescopes & a track for our newly purchased preschool bikes. In 2017, a fifth playground was created particularly for the Twos classes. Outdoor play is a wonderful opportunity to enhance children’s motor skills, as well as, encourage imaginative group play, which encourages social skills & building true friendships that last outside the classroom. 

EVERYDAY SKILLS

Each morning, every class holds circle time to discuss the day’s weather & planned activities. We also read a book aloud to the class, encouraging individual perspectives with provoked questions throughout the story, which further explore the week’s theme. Beginning in the Three’s classes, students rotate assigned individual responsibilities, such as line leader and napkin distributor for snack time, to encourage collaboration, courtesy & kindness.

BAKING & COOKING

Throughout the year, we try to cater to the culinary curiosities of our students. The Threes class has been known to make some delicious pizzas & freshly bake chocolate chip cookies. The Fours look to spend additional time on this subject with a themed week on bread making to particularly learn about the importance of adding each ingredient.

GUEST SPEAKERS & FIELD TRIPS

We welcome special visitors from our community to drop by & spend quality time with our students. The Wilton Fire Department firefighters, Wilton Library librarians, Woodcock Nature Center experts & local dentists have all visited our school. The Fours & Pre-K classes go on several field trips including Ambler Farm, Woodcock Nature Center, and New Pond Farm.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

We believe it is never too early to get children involved in community service. CDSW encourages students to support one another, as well as the community around us. We are proud to support Wilton Social Services through donating meal baskets in the fall & hosting a hat & mitten tree in the winter.