The Wheeless Family (L to R) Sophie, Lucy, Lerin, Alice, Ben (front), Adam and Bella
Mrs. Wheeless brings years of experience in Early Childhood Education to the PreK at KVPAC. She has worked with young children in NAEYC-accredited learning centers, held elementary school teaching positions for first and second grades, homeschooled her own children for many years, and finally, volunteered for the PreK at KVPAC while her four youngest children went through the PreK program since it was licensed in 2010.
“As the mother of four PreK at KVPAC graduates, I look forward to working with the KVPAC staff, parents, and community volunteers to offer an excellent early childhood education program,” said Mrs. Wheeless. “The PreK at KVPAC offers a unique curriculum where fine-arts are fully integrated with academic learning. Our preschoolers will have a solid preparation for Kindergarten, as well as the foundation for a lifelong love of the arts. All five of my children continue taking art and theatre classes at KVPAC, and we believe the arts are an essential component of every child’s education.”
Preschoolers at KVPAC have daily instruction, 9am to 2:30pm in Visual Arts, Theatre, and Music as well as an academic curriculum that focuses on Kindergarten-readiness. Each semester culminates in an Art Gallery Exhibition, as well as an on-stage performance with a rehearsed play and music program. The Art and Theatre instructors at the PreK at KVPAC hold Bachelor’s Degrees in their field and have years of experience teaching young children.
Fall 2017 Enrollment is ongoing for PreK and all Art and Theatre classes for 6 to 18-years old. There are still spots available for 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day PreK programs for ages 2.5 (toilet trained) through 4. A “Meet the Teacher” event is scheduled for Friday, August 25th and the Fall semester begins on Tuesday, September 5th.
The PreK at KVPAC has a call to action for senior citizen volunteers to read to preschoolers at rest time. “We are hoping to adopt some ‘Grandmas and Grandpas’ in the community who are willing to be part of our students lives one day a week for an hour,” Wheeless explains. “Many residents in our area have relocated, and are far from their extended family. We believe that we can create special relationships between our preschoolers and local senior citizens that are mutually beneficial.”
For more information on our preschool, volunteer opportunities, to schedule a tour, or enroll older students in theatre or art programs, call KVPAC at 281-829-ARTS (2787), email lwheeless@kvpac.org or enroll in fall art and theatre programs at www.kvpac.org.
Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center is located in the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, 2501 S. Mason Road. KVPAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Arts organization dedicated to the education and accessibility of Theater, Visual Art and Music programs to children, teens and adults since 2001. We proudly educate, nurture, inspire, challenge, surprise and empower artists and audiences in Katy and surrounding communities.