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 | | The students of Room 6 share what they are grateful for. |
Marie's Message
Saying "Thank You"
Next week marks the beginning of the holiday season, a time for families to gather and a time for thanksgiving and joy. The children are thinking of what they are grateful for and so are we.
In many classrooms, children are sharing what they are grateful for. One child wrote: "For my Mommy and Daddy, for kisses and hugs, for my friends." Others shared their gratitude for the world, the sun, the sky, pets and many different family members.
Here at school, we are grateful for the wonderful children who are with us. Each is a unique individual - embraced by our community. We thank the families who are here, who support the teachers as partners in education. We thank our faculty and staff for their dedication and commitment. Together, we celebrate our community of giving, along with our support for each other and the school. On Tuesday morning, we will celebrate and share our gratitude with our Grandfriends (more on that later in this issue of the Wednesday Weekly), special people in our children's lives. I hope you all enjoy Thanksgiving Day with your own families. WMS will be closed on Wednesday through Friday (except for pre-registered child care, which is open on Wednesday only).
Advisory Board
Did you know that the school has an advisory board?
The group dates back to the 1980s, when we were in the process of buying our current property. We needed to raise money to make this dream a reality. So, we hired a consulting firm who suggested that we reach out to the Wilmington community for support. The group of supporters and community leaders that agreed to serve became our advisory board. One of the early members was the original Philly Phanatic, Dave Raymond. He was a huge help to us, especially when he arrived at school with his large van and wearing his Philly Phanatic costume. The children were thrilled to have him here. He was an amazing spokesperson for us.
Our current advisory board is listed in the school directory on the Parent Portal. The members of this group meet with the Board of Directors annually and are also available for support and consultation throughout the year. We are grateful to have them one phone call away whenever we need their support. Tonight's meeting with the Board of Directors and Advisory Board will focus on current and future planning.
In attendance tonight will be:
The Honorable Jane Maroney, former Delaware legislative Chair of Education
Hal Haskell, former Mayor of Wilmington, former WMS parent
Robin Karol Eng, Biochemist/Dupont Company, former WMS board member and parent, current WMS grandparent
Nancy Karibjanian, former WHYY news anchor, vice president of Delaware First Media, adjunct professor at the University of Delaware, former WMS board member and parent
Israel Floyd, Esq., former attorney for Hercules, Inc., former WMS board member and parent
Sherry Coleman, educational consultant
Bill Ryan, Volair Contractors, former WMS board member
I thank them for their continuing support of WMS!
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 Board News  The Wilmington Montessori School Board of Directors would like to invite the WMS community to a Town Hall Meeting in the WMS Great Room at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, November 15 (tomorrow).
Please join us for a discussion on our search for a permanent Head of School, annual fund outcomes, progress on our initiatives and any other questions you bring!
We hope to see you there! The Wilmington Montessori School Board of Directors
Board Portal Updates
We are in the process of updating the Board Portal. New responses have been added to the Q&A section so be sure to check it out and feel free to submit your own questions! |
WMS to open new preschool classroom!
WMS is growing! With so much interest in the Preschool program, we are close to opening a fourth preschool classroom to a new group of children between the ages of 3 and 5 this January! Know someone who may need a spot?
Contact theresa_conaty@wmsde.org. Spaces are limited.
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November
15 Town Hall Meeting
WMS Board of Directors
9:15 a.m., Great Room Details Montessori Madness Book Club 10:30 a.m., Room 26 Books are still available for purchase at the Front Desk - newcomers are welcome! 18 Weekend Warriors Day 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Help with odd jobs around the school. Learn more on the news page and register online or on the co-op board. 20 Grandfriends Day 8:30-11 a.m. Details
22-23 Thanksgiving Vacation
Building closed - no school or
child care. 24 Building Closed for Thanksgiving Weekend Please plan accordingly and take care of any weekend tasks on Saturday, 11/17.
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Holiday Cultural Pot Luck
5-7 p.m., Great Room
Details coming soon.
19 5-9 Winter Concert
9:30 a.m., Gym
20-21 Winter Vacation
No school.
Child care open.
Please register in advance.
24-31 Winter Vacation
Building closed - no school or
child care.
January
1 Winter Vacation
Building closed - no school or
child care
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Muffin Mania!
 Chocolate chip, apple banana, pumpkin, apple raisin, blueberry...
What do these have in common? They are flavors of muffins baked as a gesture of teacher and staff appreciation by members of the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)! One of the goals of the newly formed PTO is strengthening the sense of community at WMS. Helping at WMS night at Ramsey's Farm, baking muffins, volunteering to be "Parent Ambassadors" to new families - all of these are examples of our community coming together to support one another with the ultimate goal of enriching our children's education.
The PTO offers numerous opportunities to fulfill co-op requirements while meeting other parents and engaging in meaningful work for the WMS community. If you are interested in what else the PTO is up to, look for minutes from the last meeting hanging on bulletin boards throughout the halls or online at www.wmsde.org/PTO. There are copies that you can take home strategically located throughout the building. Come to the next meeting on December 6 at 9 a.m. in the Great Room and check it out!
Check out the New PTO Facebook page: www.facebook.com/wmsdePTO
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To find out about more current co-op opportunities, check your classroom bulletin board and web page. School-wide opportunities are posted on the co-op bulletin boards near the lobby and at the top of the Aspen wing and on the school website.
If you have ideas, questions, comments or need help finding co-op jobs that match your interests and availability, please contact us at co-op@wmsde.org. |
Encouraging Our Children Toward Independence
Parenting Tips
by Certified Parent Educator (and WMS Great-Grandmother) Yvonne Nass A hug and the words "I love you" are probably the most powerful method of building self esteem.
Caregivers are the mirror to our child's sense of self. Touch is soothing. We touch and carry babies all the time, but as our child grows and becomes more independent we tend to touch less. We see fewer hugs and kisses in the elementary hallways. We don't want to carry a child who can walk, but on the other hand, we still need to put "touch time" into our daily lives.
Wake up to a hug, hug goodbye, hug hello, hug when things don't go our way, hug goodnight, and whenever you or child needs one, ask: "Can I have a hug?" |
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WMS alumni to perform in "Bye Bye Birdie"
WMS students develop their confidence and musical talent through the amazing concerts and talent shows led by WMS music teacher Kelly Rhodunda. When they graduate from WMS, many continue to pursue music and theater like the four members of the WMS class of 2010 (Demetria Ruhl, Andrew Conces, Lizbee Orth and Alex DelTufo) and two other past students (Dom Lutz and Macon Shepphard) who will perform in Wilmington Friends School's upper school production of "Bye Bye Birdie" this weekend!
We hope many of you will attend and support our alumni! Performances will be held at Brandywine High School on Foulk Road. The schedule is as follows:
November 16 - 7:30 p.m.
November 17 - 7:30 p.m.
November 18 - 2 p.m.
Adult tickets are $5 and children 12 and under are $2.50.
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Have alumni news or a suggestion for an a profile on a former WMS student? Email noel_dietrich@wmsde.org.
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Passive Fundraising at WMS: GoodSearch.com and Amazon Affiliates
by Stephanie Wolynetz
Hi everyone. Stephanie Wolynetz here again to tell you some more ways you can help raise money for our school.
I just joined GoodSearch.com to raise funds for Wilmington Montessori School! GoodSearch donates money to your favorite cause when you search the Internet, shop online or dine out at local restaurants! Use GoodSearch.com to search the Internet (powered by Yahoo!) and they donate a penny per search to our school. Use GoodShop.com when you shop online and they donate a percentage of every purchase and offer over 100,000 coupons to help you save money too! Sign up for their GoodDining program and they'll donate a percentage of your restaurant bill when you eat at any one of thousands of participating restaurants.
It's really easy; it's free and it turns simple everyday activities into a way to make the world a better place. Please sign up today to help support Wilmington Montessori School. Go to www.goodsearch.com to get started. You can login via Facebook or other social networking accounts, or register as a new user. Be sure to go to "settings" to select Wilmington Montessori School as the cause you are supporting. You can also download a toolbar for your browser that allows easy access to the GoodSearch.com search window as well as drop-down menus with coupons.
The site also offers suggestions about how you can spread the word about GoodSearch and get friends and family to help us raise money for WMS from your Facebook page or through email. Check it out!
In addition to GoodSearch, WMS is now registered as with the Amazon Affiliates program. This means that you can raise money for WMS while shopping on Amazon.com . No need to do anything other than click the image below and shop as usual! We receive at least 4% from most purchases. You can also click the image on www.wmsde.org/shop4wms.
Holiday season is almost here, so please keep our school in mind as you make decisions about where to make your purchases! Many thanks!
Stephanie Wolynetz
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Library News from Elizabeth
WMS Adopt-A-Book
Enormous thanks to all the families who adopted books for the library this year. A first was the Cooch family (part of our Home School Enrichment Program, who adopted two books. Other families and friends are: Cash family, DePonte family, Gatti family, Glick family, Trish Harkins, McClary family, Ropars family, and Brian and Gregory Zankowsky.
And it's not too late... Why not pick one of the great remaining titles and adopt it in honor of someone you would like to recognize at the holidays but who has just about everything? Stop in and see Elizabeth for the book list or suggestion or email her at elizabeth_varley@wmsde.org.
Summer Reading Club
Each year, New Castle County offers a summer reading club which "encourages children to read for pleasure, which, in turn, helps to maintain reading skills during the summer break." The program also encourages families to make visiting the library part of their weekly routine. WMS students who participated read at least 10 hours between June and August. Please congratulate Eva Costas, Jenny Fischer, Sandy Fischer, Andrew Lober, Maggie Lober, Caroline Lober, Daniel Qi, Dylan Surbrook Bowers and Shannon Surbrook Bowers. See you in the library!
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Company Matching Gifts
Did you know some companies will match your Annual Fund donation to our school? Please check with your company to find out how to help give more to WMS.
Some companies that match charitable gifts include:
- Agilent
- AstraZeneca
- Bank of America
- Boeing
- Citibank
- Endo Pharmaceutical
- ING
- JP Morgan Chase
- Microsoft
- The Children's Place
- UPS
- Verizon
For more information about matching gifts, contact lori_oberly@wmsde.org.
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Help AMS Learn More about Montessori Parents
Join the Montessori Parent Panel! Panelists will periodically be invited by the American Montessori Society (AMS) to participate in online surveys regarding issues related to Montessori education. - Surveys take only 10 to 15 minutes.
- No more than three invitations per year.
- Receive summaries of research findings if interested.
- Withdraw from the panel at any time.
- Researchers must have AMS-approval for all surveys.
Questions? Contact research@amshq.org. Click to enroll and spread the word! |
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Grandfriends Day - November 20
 Grandfriends are special people in our children's lives - aunts and uncles, family friends, grandmothers and grandfathers, and even great-grandparents.
On November 20, 2012, we will celebrate these important individuals on Grandfriends Day!
This is a wonderful opportunity for Grandfriends to spend the morning with your Montessori child and experience a glimpse into his or her daily school life. They will also enjoy refreshments, activities with students, a special musical treat, and an exciting presentation on Creative Grandparenting by Head of School Marie Dugan.
Two paper invitations (with beautiful drawings created by WMS elementary students!) and envelopes were placed on your child's locker (or given to his/her teacher for distribution) on Monday. Your child may decorate them, and then please help them mail them to their grandfriends this week.
We have also attached a PDF file of the invitation with a blank space on the cover of the invitation which your child can customize with a personalized drawing or message (click to download the invitation now). Please feel free to print and send out more than the two paper invitations your child brings home!
Here are the Grandfriends Day details:
When: November 20, 2012
Time: 8:15 - 11 a.m.
 Agenda: 8:15-9:15 a.m. - Registration in the lobby 8:30-10 a.m. - Elementary classrooms open to grandfriends for visits 9-10 a.m. - Preschool and toddler classrooms open to grandfriends for visits 10-11 a.m. - Reception in the Great Room including refreshments, musical treat and presentation by Marie Dugan Where: Wilmington Montessori School 1400 Harvey Road Wilmington, Delaware 19810 Grandfriends may RSVP to events@wmsde.org or call 302-475-0555. We look forward to meeting your children's Grandfriends soon! Warm wishes, The Grandfriends Day Committee
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Junque 'n' Treasures Sale Update:
WMS's Junque 'n' Treasures Sale is now accepting donations, and we have already received some amazing items! Please drop your items off in the bins outside Room 24 or in the front lobby area.
Before donating items, please review the donation requirements at www.wmsde.org/rummagesale. Please make sure your items are clean, in good condition, and do not include winter clothing or adult clothing. Thank you!
Remember, you can get a 2012 tax write-off if you bring in your donations before the new year! The sale will be held on Saturday, April 27, with a pre-sale on Thursday, April 25. ________________________________
Featured Junque 'n' Treasures:
Check out some of our latest donations above -
Left - Kathy Van Zeeland Black and Silver Satchel Purse - New w/tags!
Right - Vintage one-of-a kind White Bucket Purse w/embroidered seahorses. Purse is lined w/blue gingham. Adorable for mothers and daughters alike!! Label: "Bags by T.J."
Stay tuned to the Wednesday Weekly and WMS Facebook page for updates on this event and featured treasures as the sale approaches!
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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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