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Marie's Message
Weekly news and notes from Head of School Marie Dugan
Core Values 
Many members of our community have mentioned to me that they are happy to be included in the process of planning the school's future. The survey that was distributed to parents and staff via email has received many responses. Tonight, the seven board members and I will meet with Israel Floyd, who is an Advisory Board member, former Board Chair and father of three graduates of WMS. He is leading us through a process of formalizing our new Strategic Plan. The process begins with an affirmation of the Core Values that are the foundation of WMS. These values include:
- Individualized Learning
- Montessori Excellence
- Parental Involvement
- Next-School Success
Our Core Values will guide our current and future direction.
Save the Date
The entire school community will meet at the Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. Please put this date on your calendar to be sure to join us for a gathering that will include board reports and updates on the strategic plan, financial stability and Montessori excellence. The meeting will also include a PTO report and my update as Head of School. We want you to be closely involved, so please plan to join us.
Tuition Deposit/Re-enrollment Timeline
Every current family has received an enrollment packet. Tuition deposits are due by March 1.
Financial aid letters will be mailed before that date. We are working on those figures this week. Thank you to everyone who submitted the necessary information. The new process seems to be working really well. We invite every family to re-enroll by March 1. New families will be accepted after that date. It is important that we receive your paperwork as soon as possible, as much of our school's planning for the coming year, including teacher contracts, depends upon our enrollment. If you have questions, please contact me. For more information about re-enrollment, please contact Theresa Conaty.
New Middle School Program
Have you heard about the new middle school program that is being developed by the Shweiki family? Families will be receiving a letter describing this program, which is being planned with the intention of starting in September 2014. The Program for Rigor and Innovation in Education (PRIED) is being developed as an independent Montessori-based progressive program for seventh- and eighth-graders. A date will be included in the letter for a meeting in the next few weeks that will be open to the entire community.
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15 All-Staff Professional Day
No school.
**No child care.**
18 Mid-Winter Break
No school.
Child care open.
22 Follow the Child
Program Begins
28 Dads' Day
Starting with classroom visits at
drop-off time, followed by a
reception and special presentation
at 10 a.m. in the Great Room.
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1 Re-enrollment Deadline for the 2013-14 school year!
4 Montessori Monday - Admissions
Tell a friend!
7 9-12 Talent Show 7 p.m., Gym
11 The Journey
8:30 a.m. - noon, meet in the lobby 20 WMS Annual Meeting 7 p.m., Great Room 25-28 Spring Break No school. Child care available. Register in advance. 29 Spring Break - Good Friday School and child care closed. April 1 Spring Break - Easter Monday No school. Child care available. Register in advance.
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Cultural Celebrations at WMS
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Marie joins the preschool after-care class in their Chinese New Year celebration.
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This week, WMS students have celebrated the diversity of our community through two special cultural celebrations. Preschool and elementary students are celebrating Mardi Gras with Fabienne in French class (see below). This annual celebration is always one of the year's highlights! In addition, some classrooms celebrated the Year of Snake through Chinese New Year festivities (above). Visit Facebook for more!
 
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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, February 22 through March 22
Cost: $100
Registration deadline is February 15 - 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 this 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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Encouraging Our Children Toward Independence
Parenting Tips
by Certified Parent Educator (and WMS Great-Grandmother) Yvonne Nass
Limits and house rules are guidelines for all family members. They need to be stated positively. The family can decide on these together or, if the child is too young, the parents can decide the rules necessary for living together.
Rules are generated for safety (seatbelts need to be fastened before the car moves); organization (books belong on the shelf when we are finished reading); expectations (we don't jump on couches); and responsibilities ("when homework is finished, you can ..."). Rules should cover care for self (how we take care of our own needs); care for others (how we show respect for others); and care for the world around us (how we treat our home and our belongings). Rules are the routine and order by which we live. They provide security in this ever-changing world. They are reinforced by stating "it's time to..." We don't need a lot of them, but we do need the structure in which we can make choices and learn to be responsible.
______________________________
To contact Yvonne for more information about this and other parenting topics, contact MyNass@aol.com.
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Support Save the Rain during Spirit Week - February 19-22
Tuesday- P.J./Crazy Hair Day
Wednesday- Clash Day
Thursday- Twin Day
Friday- Spirit Day (Wear your WMS gear!)
Suggested donation: $5
Save the Rain is an organization that collects rain water and filters it to make clean water for children and adults in Africa who walk more than eight hours a day for water that's not even clean.
Every 15 seconds, a child dies from lack of clean water. With only $15, you can give a child clean water for the rest of their life and the lives of their future offspring.
Save the Rain has helped more than 260,000 people get clean water. You can help too by participating in Spirit Week. Please join us - every dollar counts and it's fun!
Article by sixth-grader Crescentia Jung
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PJ BINGO - Coming Friday, March 1
PJ Bingo is almost here. Please join us for food, fun, games and prizes on Friday, March 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gym. Don't forget to wear your PJs!
This fundraiser helps support the fifth grade class raise money for their sixth grade trip to NYC and the Global Citizenship Action Project conference.
All ages are welcome and everyone leaves with a prize! Don't miss the fun. Tickets cost $10 per person and will be on sale before and after school starting on February 25.
We are still accepting prize donations in the bin between Rooms 9 and 10. If you have small toys that you want to get rid of, we would love to take them off your hands and save them from the landfill!
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Calling all runners - raise funds for WMS at the Delaware Marathon
Meeting on Wednesday, February 20, at 7 p. m.
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The PTO is working to put together a team or teams to run the Delaware Marathon Relay on Saturday, May 12. Teams will raise funds for WMS as they prepare for the race.
The race is for four- and eight-person teams (running roughly a 10k or a 5k, respectively).
Experienced runners, new runners and older students welcome! If you are thinking about running, but aren't quite sure, this meeting will be an opportunity to find out what to expect. If you already know you want to run, we can sign you up! Please contact Becky Davey for more information.
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Junque-n-Treasures Rummage pre-sale to include children's used bike sale
The Wilmington Montessori PTO will be conducting a children's used bike sale which will be held in conjunction with the Junque-n-Treasures Rummage pre-sale on Thursday, April 25.
The sale will include tricycles and run bikes as well. Donations of "gently used" bikes are now being accepted.
Starting prices will begin at $15. Please drop off your bikes in the front lobby area or preferably in the lower level of the school by Room 24.
If you have donations for the Rummage Sale, please include them as well. For any questions, please contact Jill Moncarz.
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Attention Delaware Residents: Don't miss out on free money from the state!
by Stephanie Wolynetz
Did you know that the State of Delaware has money for you?
Yes, its true. Because you've made the best decision to send your kids to Wilmington Montessori School - an independent school - the State of Delaware will reimburse you for your transportation. This year's reimbursement is $159.02 per family (for Delaware residents with school-age children).
In order to receive your reimbursement, all you need to do is sign this year's Travel Reimbursement form. Copies of the form are available at the front desk or I can email a copy to you. Send your request for an electronic copy to me at mypudim@verizon.net.
Once you have your form, please sign and return it to Carolyn Fuhrman. Signed letters can also be scanned and emailed to carolyn_fuhrman@wmsde.org.
This is also a great opportunity to make an easy donation to Wilmington Montessori School. You can donate all or part of the amount to this year's Annual Fund. Please check off the appropriate line and return your copy as soon as possible. Without your signed copy, WMS has to return your family's reimbursement to the State of Delaware.
Please make sure you help us make better use of these funds here within our local community at WMS and not send them back to Dover. Turn your form in today!
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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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