Meet Some of Our
DK & Kindergarten Educators At WNS, DK and Kindergarten are years when children begin to discover who they are as learners. Teachers create opportunities to try, create, solve problems, learn from one another, and experience the confidence that comes from realizing, ‘I can do this.’
IRENE CHUNG DK Lead Teacher 2 years at WNS
Children discover: “I can do hard things.” While creating puppets, the children faced the challenge of cutting thick, fuzzy felt and began offering one another strategies and encouragement. One child proudly exclaimed, “We don’t ever give up!” followed by another saying, “I did it!” Moments like these help children discover, I can do hard things.
OLIVIA HOWARD Dance Teacher 7 years at WNS
There isn't always one “right” way. During our Kindergarten feelings dance project, students used movement to express emotions and make creative choices together. They practiced advocating for their ideas while listening and compromising—learning there isn’t always one “right” way to solve a problem or express an idea.
LAUREN LEE Kindergarten Lead Teacher 8 years at WNS
Every child already has something to contribute. A student once felt discouraged because many of her classmates were already reading and she did not believe she could. I knew she was skillful in origami, so I invited her to teach the class. I remember the way her eyes lit up when she realized she was the only one who knew how, and the confidence she showed as her classmates learned from her.
LEXY VELASQUEZ DK Lead Teacher 5 years at WNS
Exploration creates opportunities for intentional teaching. A group of children began rolling balls down ramps each day. Their curiosity grew into a “Things That Go” study, where we explored measurement, comparison, data, and sorting. The children made hypotheses, tested predictions, and let their questions guide us. It’s a balance of introducing new skills and concepts while leaving space for children to experiment and make discoveries of their own.
In DK and Kindergarten, children build skills—and begin to see themselves as capable, curious learners whose ideas matter.