West End Early Learning Center

Hello families,

We are celebrating the wrapping up of the 1st quarter! For many students, it’s the beginning of their school journey and we are happy to be alongside them. These first few months have been filled with growth, laughter, smiles, adventures, and friendships.

To anyone who walks the halls of West End, you are met with excitement, bright smiles, and waves. We are so fortunate to have such a great group of students with us.

Our little Broncos have spent this quarter learning their alphabet and numbers, how to handle emotions, build friendships, and most importantly, learn to be a LEARNER! We pride ourselves in creating the foundation for lifelong learners. Everyday, our staff see our students shine and find their personalities.

As West End Early Learning Center keeps evolving, we hear the excitement from staff and students. We are hopeful to keep creating space for your child to grow and learn in a safe and supportive environment.

Families, we value your support. You are a necessary piece in your child's learning! Without you, we wouldn't be able to do the work we do, so thank you!

Warmest regards,

Molly Larson

Early Education Coordinator

Off to the firehall! Students from Mrs. Lavigne's and Ms. Walls' preschool classes enjoyed a field trip to the fire hall! Later that week, Mrs. Balaski's ECFE class did the same!

Students were able to explore inside a firetruck, meet firefighters, and receive a fire chief hat! They were stoked!

Thank you International Falls Fire and EMS for hosting our little Broncos and making this experience so fun for our students!

Our preschool students in Mrs. Balaski’s class had an exciting field trip to visit dentist Dr. Corrin!

The kids learned all about dental hygiene, what to expect during a dental visit, and the importance of taking care of their teeth.

Through fun activities, a dentist building tour, and engaging discussions, they discovered how to keep their smiles bright and healthy.

A huge thank you to Dr. Corrin for sharing her knowledge and making the experience so enjoyable for our little learners!

Our students gathered their bags, put on their costumes, and marched through the halls of Falls High. They were greeted by students, teachers, and even different creatures 👹

Each month, our preschool teachers are celebrating students who show Bronco Pride. Students who received students of the month were celebrated at our preschool assembly.

Thank you to our students of the month for showing kindness in and out of the classroom, being helpers, cleaning up messes, showing respect, and completing their school work! Keep up the Bronco Pride!

Ms. Walls' class practiced voting!

Students were able to cast their ballots for favorite animal, cookie, and weather. With Election Day in November, students were able to see what it was all about and do their civic duty. The students learned about what voting means, making choices, and tallying votes.

Votes were tallied, here are the winners:

Favorite Animal: Dog 🐶

Favorite Cookie: Chocolate Chip 🍪

Favorite Weather: Snow ⛄(they truly are from Northern Minnesota!)

Tilson Bay Company graciously donated these awesome Bronco mittens to our Pre-K classrooms!

A “HUGE THANK YOU” TO Bob, Molly, Averie, and Whitney for thinking of our little future Broncos .

Hands down…these preschoolers will have the cutest mittens around!

We had an excellent turn out for Haunted Hallways! Over 300 kiddos walked the halls and gathered goodies from community partners!

A huge thank you to everyone who made it out on a chilly night and to all our community partners who helped make this event successful!

Make the most of the shorter days! This calendar includes craft ideas, math and science activities, and engaging reading suggestions.

It's getting colder and the snowflakes will be flying soon. The mornings and afternoons are chilly for our students. Please make sure to send your students will snowpants, boots, jacket, hat, and mittens. Our teachers ask that you label your student's items with first and last name initials.

If you need any winter clothing item, please let Community Education know and we will work with the school social workers to ensure your child stays warm!

Email: mlarson@isd361.org or ascholler@isd361.org

Phone: 218-283-2571 ext. 1186 or ext. 1250

We are currently in the process of opening a child care center in 2026! We want to hear from you!

Your input helps design, implement, and plan our child care center. Your thoughts and ideas are welcomed!

Community Education is seeking community members to join our Advisory Council!

The Council serves as a connection between the community and the school district to ensure that we are creating and facilitating programs with the community's ideas, feedback, and guidance.

We are seeking representation from service organizations, churches, local government, parents, teachers, recreation programs, non-profit agencies, and anyone who participates in Community Ed programs!

This role entails:

- attending quarterly meetings

- helping plan, develop, and evaluate Community Ed programs

- promoting the Community Ed philosophy of lifelong learning

- recognizing and assessing current needs in the community

If you are interested in serving on the Council, please fill out an application. Applications are available in-person at the Community Ed office WEE Room 100 or online below

Our staff are here to support you! Please reach out to your child's teachers. Ms. Molly and Mrs. Scholler are here to support as well!

Contact us at Community Education!

Email: mlarson@isd361.org or ascholler@isd361.org

Phone: 218-283-2571 ext. 1186 or 1250