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Coming Soon: WMS's Annual Fund (Fun!) Drive
October 15 will mark the beginning of two and a half weeks of fun and fundraising at WMS! With the goal of raising $100,000 to support our school's operating budget, we are striving for 100% participation from our families and staff by the drive's completion on October 31.
The 2012 Annual Fund Drive will be an exciting time at WMS, featuring special guests, activities for your children and other surprises. And don't forget to look for our giving tree in the lobby! Stay tuned for additional details in next week's issue. This year more than ever, we ask parents and staff to give generously to the Annual Fund Drive. Your gifts will help us remain a remarkable school that serves as a model for Montessorians throughout the nation. Our operating budget includes everything that is done in the school. Some of our goals this year include increased salaries and benefits for our teachers and staff for the next school year, additions to our classroom materials and science and technology, professional development for teachers and staff, and the maintenance of our facility.
Tuition does not cover all operational expenses . The annual fund is critical. Your contribution is important. We are aiming for 100% participation from everyone. Thank you for whatever you can do to help!
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9-12s go to Washington!
Last week, students from the 9-12 program toured Washington, D.C., visiting the Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, National Zoo and more! Visit their classroom page on the Parent Portal to see more photos from this fantastic trip!
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October
4 Parent Partnership Organization (PPO) Meetings *
9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
in the Great Room
Details
12 Follow the Child:
Parenting Class begins
Details
Tell a friend!
Register by this Friday, 10/5! 16 Concert/Nature Walk with Clem Bowen 3:30 p.m. WMS woods & outdoor stage All are welcome! Details
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19 WMS Family Night at
Ramsey's Farm
5:30-9 p.m.
View event on Facebook
22-26 WMS Book Fair
Great Room
Details
24 Book Fair - Family Night
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Gym & Great Room
26 & 29 School-Wide Parent
Conferences
No classes.
Child care is available.
Sign up online.
30 Parents vs. students soccer
3:30 p.m. on the soccer field
31 Halloween Parade
In the Gym
* Child care is available for these evening events at $10 per child. Advance registration (of at least 24 hours) is required so staffing can be planned accordingly.
Contact Cass_Winner@wmsde.org to sign up.
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 WMS to open new toddler classroom!
WMS is growing! With so much interest in the Toddler program, we are close to opening a fourth toddler classroom to a new group of children between the ages of 12 months and 3 years! Know someone who may need a spot? Contact theresa_conaty@wmsde.org. Spaces are limited. More info to come next week.
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Parent Education Programs
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Wilmington Montessori School presents:
"Follow the Child: Parenting Class - for you and your child!"
Birth to 2 years
9-10:30 a.m.
Fridays, October 12, 19 and November 2, 9 & 16
Cost: $100
 Registration deadline is Friday, October 5 - class fees due upon registration.
This weekly class offers moms, dads, grandparents and other caretakers mutual support and guidance in the beginning months of their child's life. Sara Grant, an Infant/Toddler Montessori teacher and mother of two, brings her many years of experience and observations to assist with the challenges of parenting and help parents enjoy the wonders of connecting their little one to the world around them.
Set in an authentic Infant/Toddler Montessori classroom, this class will focus on nutrition, developing healthy eating habits, discipline, nursing and every-day life with your infant and toddler. Meet other parents of infants and toddlers and enjoy lively discussions while your little one keeps busy in the classroom, prepared specifically for them at their stage of development.
Sara, who is also completing her doula certification training, will bring to life the Montessori Method through a wide range of enriching, hands-on activities in a fun environment for you and your child to explore.
"So much happens in the first 18 months of your child's life!" Sara says. "I look forward to helping you apply Montessori principles at home to make the most of the most amazing stage of your child's development."
This workshop is open to families outside the WMS community so please tell a friend!
Questions? Please contact Theresa_Conaty@wmsde.org or call 302-475-0555.
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Join us for an evening of Montessori Madness on October 11!
 In a presentation called "Montessori: It's About Making Connections (or E.T. phone home)", Trevor Eissler, a Montessori father and advocate, will talk about the importance of personal, conceptual and community connections in Montessori education and how these principles are relevant to our children, ourselves and our world.
Trevor Eissler is author of "Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education," a book that challenges the direction of traditional schools and supports the choice of a Montessori education with passion and understanding. "Montessori Madness!" will be on sale for $10 on the night of the presentation.
Trevor travels to schools throughout the nation, bringing Montessori awareness to mainstream society. His workshops combine stories about his real-life experiences as a Montessori parent along with his informed and persuasive discussion about why Montessori education is so relevant and important for every child.
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Encouraging Our Children Toward Independence
Weekly Parenting Tips
by Certified Parent Educator (and WMS Great-Grandmother) Yvonne Nass
The language of encouragement is the language of "can do."
Psychologist and educator Rudolf Dreikurs said, "Never do for a child what he can do for himself."
 If you spend time in a Wilmington Montessori School observation room, you will see children putting on, taking off, pouring, emptying, cleaning, taking out, putting away, carrying materials, asking for help, waiting their turn and many other amazing "I can do it" behaviors. To show faith in your child and to boost their self-confidence, a caregiver needs to allow the child to make these contributions athome and in the hallways of the school.
When you see a child with clothing inside out or shoes on the wrong feet, it's a wonderful opportunity to congratulate the parent on his or her courage and to tell the child how great they must feel to be able to dress him or herself!
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Research on the School-Parent Partnership
by Anna Quisel
With WMS's growing co-op program and tomorrow's inaugural meeting of the Parent Partnership Organization (PPO), I've been doing a lot of thinking about the benefits of parent involvement in a school like WMS. Recently, an article caught my eye. It was an August 31, 2012 New York Times opinion piece by Bruce Feiler, entitled "It's OK to Skip That Bake Sale." He makes two points: 1. Schools should not make busy families feel guilty if they can't volunteer, and 2. While volunteer requests at schools have proliferated, parent volunteering may not contribute to their own child's success.
 Why? Research shows that when parents get involved in their child's school, they develop more complex strategies to work with school and their child to promote success. Involved parents get to know their child's teachers, so they can help their child meet academic and behavioral expectations, and also get to know and learn from other parents. Teachers benefit too. When parents are involved, teachers report a higher feeling of efficacy. It's a cycle: when parents help, the education that a school can offer improves. Not only that, but parent involvement in schools is also a gauge of teacher and school quality. Only confident teachers and schools will invite parents in to help; Wilmington Montessori School demonstrates this confidence clearly as its very foundation is built upon the parent co-op program.
But what kind of parent involvement matters? The Flamboyan Foundation has summarized this research in the articles " What Kinds of Family Engagement Matter?" and " Setting the Stage: The Family Engagement Field." In major studies, a family's emphasis on the importance of education was the best predictor of student achievement. When a family holds high expectations, discusses aspirations for the future with their child, monitors progress and holds the child accountable, and encourages learning at home (however, parents are encouraged to allow their children to do their homework independently), a child is more likely to succeed in school.
But beyond a family's emphasis on education, research shows that families who are involved in a school help improve the school for all students, and their own children benefit too. Studies have looked at helping with school jobs and events, attending parent-teacher conferences, attending events, and communicating with school staff. Involvement helps families feel comfortable at school, and with school staff, and helps them understand, support, and advocate for their child's education.
Yet, Bruce Feiler isn't totally off-base. As long as some families engage with a school and the school opens its doors to parent involvement as we do at WMS, these families will encourage excellence in that school. Of course, the more families who are involved, the better for that school community, but not all families will be able to be active during every part of their child's time in school, and that's OK too.
The best kind of parent involvement will connect parents to each other and to teachers and staff. As families, our involvement will bring so many benefits to WMS.
Anna Quisel is vice chair of the WMS Board of Directors, co-chair of the Co-op Committee and one of the founders of the Parent Partnership Organization (PPO). She has three children who attend WMS and a fourth who graduated with the class of 2012.
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Message from the WMS Parent Partnership Organization (PPO)
WMS is holding an informational meeting about a new community partnership group, the PARENT PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATION (PPO), on Thursday, October 4.
PPO's purpose is to involve parents and families in WMS in a rewarding way, and to strengthen the education of students by building a community that supports teachers and each other. It is a place to share ideas, give feedback and interact with other WMS families. It will also serve as a springboard for any co-op questions, input and match-making.
This meeting is open to all parents, caregivers, faculty, staff, alumni and community members who have an interest in WMS.
There will be two meetings on Thursday, October 4 - feel free to come to the one that best suits your schedule: 9 a.m. or 7 p.m.
Child care will be available in the evening for $10 per child. (Please contact Cass at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a spot for your child.)
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Clem Bowen Nature Walk & Free Concert - October 16
You've heard your toddlers and preschoolers talk about Clem Bowen's creative songs, stories and outdoor adventures...
Now, you and your child can join Clem and other WMS families for a free nature walk and concert after school! The concert on the outdoor stage begin at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, followed the nature walk in the beautiful WMS woods.
Seating by the stage is limited, so we suggest bringing lawn chairs or a picnic blanket to comfortably enjoy the concert with your child!
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Coming Soon... the WMS Book Fair!
Wilmington Montessori School's annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26. The hours of the fair are:
- Monday, October 22 - 2:30-4 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 23 - 8:30 a.m. - noon and 2:30-4 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 24 - 8:30 a.m. - noon, 2:30-4 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 25 - 8:30 a.m. - noon and 2:30-4 p.m.
- Friday, October 26 - 8:30-10:30 a.m.
To help your child find the best books, all elementary students will visit the Book Fair during class time
and will be allowed to purchase books during that visit. We also encourage you to look over the attached list of featured books with your child. If you cannot attend, you may use the Book List order form and send it back to school with your child or visit our online Book Fair starting on October 17.
 Our Family Night event will be Wednesday, October 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Your family can shop together, participate in activities and enjoy refreshments. There will be several crafts and games for all ages. This year, kids can dress up as super heroes and can win prizes for best costumes. There will also be pizza for sale in the gym. We also invite you to stop by the Classroom Wish List display while visiting our Book Fair. We are busy building up each classroom library and adding new titles. Help add books to our classroom shelves by purchasing books and donating them to your child's class.
This year, we again have the opportunity to bring more books to our students and classrooms. We call it One for Books. Look for the collection jars at the cash register tables in the Great Room and the gym near the food during Family Night. All of the money collected goes directly to purchasing more books for WMS. In addition, Scholastic Book Fairs will match the One for Books dollars you raise with a donation of up to one million books to three non-profit organizations devoted to improving reading skills among children: Kids in Distressed Situations Inc., National Center or Family Literacy and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
We appreciate your dedication to creating lifelong readers. See you at our Book Fair! Co-op volunteers are still needed for this event. Check out the sign-up page and volunteer for specific days and times that work for you!
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The Wednesday Weekly promotes WMS news and events that are relevant to the families in our community. Please send submissions to wednesday-weekly@wmsde.org by 4:30 p.m. on the Friday prior to the issue in which you wish to include your information. Content may be edited for length and style and may be held for a future issue due to space constraints. For more information, contact Noel Dietrich.
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Our Mission
Wilmington Montessori School is a collaborative learning community rooted in Montessori principles, inspiring the joyful discovery of self and a passion for learning and independent thinking. We empower children to be knowledgeable and responsible contributors to the global community.
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