January 23, 2014

Marie's Message

Weekly news and notes from Head of School Marie Dugan

Today's Learners; Tomorrow's Leaders

Next Thursday, January 30, at 11:15 a.m., we will gather together to celebrate our official school birthday. It marks the day in 1964, when parents and the state of Delaware signed our incorporation papers. Every child comes with us to the gym to celebrate and sing "Happy Birthday" to our school. This year is very special because it marks our Golden Year. And, there is reason to celebrate the years ahead. We are where we are because of you, the parents who are here for your children, because you know and embrace what WMS offers for them. I have strong positive feelings about our parent partnership program, and I thank you for your wonderful support! Each day we spend with the wonderful children and you, their parents, is a gift to us.

I hope you will join us for the celebration next week, along with the evening event on February 8. All of our teachers and staff will be there to greet and welcome you to the school for music, lovely food and friendship! The planning committee includes alumni who have been meeting for months to plan a fantastic evening. This event marks the celebration of our amazing 50 years as a leading Montessori school, and it moves us forward into the future, where Lisa Lalama will guide us to new and impressive years ahead. I am so happy to be a part of this transition!

Marie's Signature

Purchase your tickets for the WMS 50th Anniversary Celebration before February 1 and win a WMS prize pack!

On February 8, you will be a guest of honor.

Whether you are a parent, staff member, alumni, alumni parent, past staff member or have another connection to the school, you are a part of our school's rich 50-year history and, therefore, YOU are being celebrated. We truly want each of you to be here.

In order to plan and ensure that we have the proper amount of food and beverages, we would like to get an accurate count of attendees as soon as possible.

Parents and staff who purchase tickets before February 1 will be entered into a random drawing for a two-of-a-kind (one for parents and one for staff) WMS prize pack - approximately $50 in value! Don't wait... Get your ticket today!

Mark Your Calendar

January

27	Montessori Monday - Admissions - 9:30 a.m. - Tell a Friend!
29	Auction Planning Meeting - 6 p.m. - Room 17 - Find out how you can get involved with this memorable event. For more information, contact stephsimms@comcast.net.
30	WMS 50th Birthday Assembly - 11:15 a.m. - Gym
31	Parent Conferences (Preschool & Elementary only) - No school - Pre-registered childcare available - Register Note: Toddler classes will continue as scheduled.

February

1	Parent Conferences (Preschool & Elementary only) - No school - Pre-registered childcare available - Register Note: Toddler classes will continue as scheduled.
7	Learning Together - An Adult/Child Workshop Series - Week 1 of 10 - 9:15 a.m. - Learn More & Register
8	WMS 50th Anniversary Celebration - 7 p.m. - Learn More & Purchase Tickets

Full WMS Calendar

News & Notes

Students Experience Brazilian Music and Culture through Unique Artist-in-Residence Program

This winter, the sounds of Brazil will fill the halls of WMS as part of a special artist-in-residence program.

Working with teaching and performing artists from the Delaware Institute for Arts in Education (DIAE), WMS students will learn about the Brazilian people - their sense of community, their connection to the environment, their values and world view - all while investigating the music and instruments of Brazil.

Students will create and perform an original composition using Brazilian percussive instruments and learn about the science of sound. WMS music teacher, Mary Kate Newell, and Jonathan Whitney, a DIAE Teaching Artist, have just begun a series of hands-on activities during weekly music classes, which will continue into February.

This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts.

Mid-Year Parent Survey Reminder

We have extended the deadline for our mid-year parent survey until the end of the day Friday (tomorrow). Your opinions are important to us and will help shape the future of WMS! Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey!

Take the survey now.

Auction News

Do you have an interesting job, own a vacation home, own a business, or have access to tickets for sports and cultural events? If you answer yes to any of these questions, the WMS Auction Committee would like to talk to you about donations you could make to support the May 3 WMS Auction. Please contact Stephanie Simms at stephsimms@comcast.net.

Want to get involved in a different way? Come to our next Auction Planning Meeting on January 29 at 6 p.m. in Room 17 and find out how you can help with this memorable and fun event.

Learning Together Adult/Child Workshop Series Returns to WMS - Starting February 7 at 9:15 a.m.

There is still time to register for WMS's popular Learning Together workshop series for adults and children (ages 6 months to 2 1/2 years).

Based on the Montessori philosophy of "following the child," Learning Together is a 10-week program in which young children are free to learn, explore and interact with others in a classroom designed especially for them. Each child is joined by an adult partner - parents, grandparents, guardians or other consistent caregivers are welcome! The class will be led by Laurie Orsic.

Current parents are encouraged to enroll in this program with their child's younger siblings who may not be enrolled in school yet. We also encourage you to share this information with friends and family outside the WMS community.

Visit the Learning Together website for full information on program topics, scheduling, registration and more.

NAEYC Accreditation Update

by Liz Madden, Director of Educational Programs

As many of you know, WMS's Early Childhood programs are currently accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC provides the gold standard for a quality early childhood care. We are currently in the re-accreditation phase. This year, teachers and staff have been busily documenting all they do to meet NAEYC's criteria, as we have been anxiously awaiting our site visit. We have just been notified that our site visit will occur between February 10 and 28. During that time, we will welcome NAEYC staff to our school; they will be in classrooms and hallways to observe our toddler through kindergarten programs. They want to see how WMS runs and may even stop to ask you a few questions!

NAEYC runs a website for families with a lot of great resources. When you have a moment, check it out. This will provide you with general information about NAEYC, as well as great information addressing common questions and concerns for parents of young children.

If you have any questions about NAEYC or the upcoming site visit, please don't hesitate to contact me.

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.