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Marie's Message
Weekly news and notes from Head of School Marie Dugan
Earth Day/Arbor Day
Today, we celebrated Earth Day and Arbor Day with a school-wide celebration in the Peace Park. Everyone gathered together as we sang songs with Kelly and planted a Serviceberry tree, donated by the Quisel-Snyder family, in the park. Sixth-graders and preschoolers helped with the tree planting. Look for more photos and video on Facebook soon. We were also excited to welcome channel 6ABC's Action News to our festivities. Look for us on the 5 o'clock news tonight!
Earth Day is a significant day for all Montessori educators. Peace education was at the core of Maria Montessori's philosophy. We do it every day at WMS. This quote from Spanish cellist Pablo Casals inspires me today:
Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?
We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michaelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?
You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.
 | Just a small selection of the toys available at the Rummage Sale! |
Rummage Sale - Treasures to be found
Join us this Thursday afternoon (4-6 p.m.) when we open the Rummage Sale downstairs in rooms 22 and 24. This pre-sale is your opportunity as WMS families and staff to enjoy the wonderful bargains before the public sale on Saturday (7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Be sure to tell your friends!
Join me in thanking Nancy Sakaguchi, Rummage Sale chair, who has been collecting items for this sale since September. Nancy and Paul Sakaguchi's daughter Rebecca graduated from WMS two years ago. We are grateful for Nancy's leadership and hard work on behalf of our school!
Auction follow-up
Saturday's Lucky Pair Auction & Casino Games night was truly spectacular. The positive feelings in the gym that night brought great joy to all of us who were there. Current families, teachers, staff, parents, alumni parents, former board members, advisory board members and other friends of the school joined together for an unforgettable event!
We thank everyone who attended, those who donated gifts (listed here) and those who purchased items (or donated to the Odyssey of the Mind teams) at the auction. A big thank you to the members of the auction committee and everyone who helped them make the evening a huge success! Our initial figures show a revenue of more than $40,000!
Special thanks to the entire auction committee:
Cathy Capper - Auction Chair
Kerry Shweiki - Auction Chair Kevin Kahn - Auction Co-chair Becky Allen - Gifts Chair Molly Sharp - Decorations Chair Laurie Muhlbauer - Decorations Chair Gilles Auffret - Graphic Design
Check out more photos of this wonderful event in this Facebook album.
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 9-12 projects show STEM at work This year, the culture studies in the 9-12 program are focused on the question: What does it mean to be human? They have studied the brain and how it works, who they are as learners and have dissected a brain. Parents have shared their expertise on the brain and the body systems.
For the past several weeks, they have studied all of the systems of the body: endocrine, immune, digestive, nervous, urinary, muscular, circulatory, respiratory and excretory.  Students worked in small groups to learn about these bodily systems. This work is a terrific example of
STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), utilizing all of these areas to create their designated system. They had to do a considerable amount of research to learn what keeps their system healthy, how the system works and how it is related to others parts of the body.
Their final projects are displayed outside of the Great Room. Please make an effort to stop by and see STEM at work. Our own 9-12 scientists have engineered their part of the body using materials from licorice to funnels. It is quite a lot to take in. We hope you will enjoy their creations and learn more about your body and how it works!
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25 Preschool Concert 9:30 a.m., Gym
Rummage Pre-Sale For WMS Staff/Families 4-6 p.m., WMS Lower Level More Info27 Junque & Treasures Rummage Sale 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rooms 22 & 24 and downstairs hall way More Info
29 WMS Student Art Exhibit begins Lobby
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Have you seen Heather Siple's photography display in the Great Room yet? Be sure to check out "Love, Joy and Wonder," a photography show featuring images of WMS students.
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May
3 All-Staff Professional Day No school - child care available
7 Moms' Day Starting at drop-off time
French Performance Gym An original interpretation of Goldilocks and the Three Bears written by French teacher Fabienne Daniels for the 7-9 & 9-12 students. All families are invited. Details coming soon!
9 PTO Meeting 9:15 a.m.
16 PTO-sponsored Make Your Own Natural Cleaners Workshop 7 p.m. in Room 10
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Encouraging Our Children Toward Independence
Parenting Tips by Certified Parent Educator (and WMS Great-Grandmother) Yvonne Nass
Who doesn't like to be pampered? Who wouldn't want to live in a world where everything went their way all the time?
When children arrive in our world, one of the greatest pleasures for a caregiver is to indulge his or her child. We meet their every need and they feel secure. Pampering becomes discouraging when it goes on much longer than it developmentally needs to. Children who are pampered will lack the courage to take risks. They will become demanding controlling and manipulative. No one likes a tyrant, not even other children.
Saying the word "no," making them wait patiently or walking away from a power struggle encourages our children to deal with the real world, feel part of the group and build resilience.
For more information about this and other parenting topics, contact Yvonne Nass at MyNass@aol.com. |
Junque 'n' Treasures Rummage Sale - This Week!
 | Books and videos for kids |
The Rummage Sale is here! Join us for our pre-sale for WMS families and staff from 4 to 6 p.m. tomorrow.
 | Shabby chic furniture |
Pre-sale details - Thursday, April 25
The sale will start at 4 p.m. If you'd like to be one of the first to see all of the wonderful bargains, you may head downstairs to get a number in line at about 3 p.m. (Please note that you may only get a number for yourself, and you must wait in the line until the start of the sale - no grabbing numbers and leaving!) We appreciate your patience and courtesy as we welcome you to the biggest sale of the year!
Last-minute donations:
Last-minute donations are always welcome and will be accepted up until 6 p.m. on Friday, April 26. We are also looking for clothing racks and hangers to be used for displaying items.
The sale to the general public will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. - be sure to mark your calendars and tell your friends.
Earn double co-op hours by volunteering this week:
The Rummage Sale committee is still in need of volunteers to help Thursday through Saturday of this week. We need help with set-up, pricing, sales (during Thursday's pre-sale and on Saturday) and clean-up after the sale. Contact nansak@yahoo.com for more information. Hours are flexible!
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Camp of the Week: Junkyard Warriors
Can you save the planet with junk? You bet!
Check out the BlackRocket website to learn more about Camp Montessori's Junkyard Warriors camp for ages 8-12 (July 29-August 2), then head to www.wmsde.org/camp to register for this STEM camp!
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Medication Cabinet Clean-Out Day
Unwanted or expired medications cause thousands of accidental poisonings each year and have been detected in municipal water supplies. Bring these old medications to Christiana Hospital's Medical Arts Pavilion 2 parking lot for proper disposal this Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All medications will be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. The following medications will be accepted:
- Prescriptions
- Inhalers
- Over-the-counter pills
- Vitamins
- Pet medicines
- Liquid medications
Leave all medications in their original containers.
If you are unable to take the medications yourself, you can bring them to Nurse Paige by the end of the day Friday and she will drop them off at the collection site on Saturday. Please make sure they are sealed in their original containers. Click here for information on additional drop-off sites.
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Coming this May - Earth Day Workshop
Make Your Own Natural Cleaners Sponsored by the WMS PTO
Open to the public..
Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013 Time: 7 p.m. Room 10 Cost (covers materials): $7
Is this something you've thought about doing but haven't found the time? Now's your chance! Meet like-minded people in a fun workshop while making your own natural house-cleaning products. We will be making:
- All-purpose cleaner
- Floor cleaner
- Laundry detergent
There will also be a list of more recipes and simple tips for getting greener at home.
Please RSVP by Saturday, May 11, using this form so we can provide enough materials for everyone.
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Co-op/Donation Request - Picnic tables for the 9-12 program
The teachers of the 9-12 program are still seeking new or gently used picnic tables to be used for classwork outside their rooms. Co-op hours (or a receipt for your tax records if you do not need the hours and want to simply make a donation) will be given for the value of the table.
If you have a table to donate and need help with transporting it to school, please let us know.
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The Wednesday Weekly shares 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, Communications Officer. |
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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