February 12, 2014

parent appreciation A Message from Head of School Lisa Lalama

Saturday was a big day for Wilmington Montessori School as we celebrated our first 50 years. Many people arrived to share in the celebration that brought us to where we are today; former and present parents, staff, board members and other friends joined in the festivities. It reminded me of all that it takes to be such a wonderful school. And one of those things is you - parents. Without your participation in your child's education, we would not be the strong community that makes up WMS.

This week, the American Montessori Society released a short film the is titled, "Living Montessori: The Parent Perspective." It shares several parents' perspectives about what a Montessori education means to them and their children. What I know from listening to parents at WMS is that many of the sentiments shared in the film are shared by our families as well. WMS is not just your child's school but it is your school too. Those of us who have had the privilege of parenting children who attend a Montessori school know that we grow as well. We learn how to be a better parent, watch our children develop a love of learning, and recognize that success in middle school, high school and beyond is due in large part to the foundation laid at WMS.

Parents are part of the whole that makes us WMS. Whatever your part in the life of WMS we are so happy to have you here and know that you will see the benefits of providing a Montessori education today and for years to come. Thank you for being a part of WMS and please take a few minutes this week to watch the film. It will remind you of the wisdom of your choice.

Mark Your Calendar

February

14	All-Staff Professional Day - No school or child-care Building closed - there will be no staff present to answer the door or phone calls.
17	President's Day - No school. Pre-registered child-care available.
19	WMS Annual Meeting - 7 p.m. - Great Room Note to WMS parents: If you did not receive voting information via email this week, please visit the front desk for a ballot.
20	Pyxis Piano Quartet Kid's Concert - 10:15 a.m.
24	Montessori Monday Open House (Admissions) - 9:30 a.m. - Tell a friend!
27	Dads Day - Drop-off time until 11 a.m. - Look for flyers around school and more details next week!
28	PJ Bingo - 6 p.m. - Great Room

March

1	Re-enrollment deadline for current WMS families - Secure your space for the 2014-15 school year! For more information, contact Theresa Conaty.
3	Montessori Monday Open House (Admissions) - 9:30 a.m. - Tell a friend!

Important Calendar Update

Tomorrow (Thursday) night's Artist in Residence concert has been canceled due to predicted inclement weather.

We will be rescheduling - stay tuned for the new date!

News & Notes

A Night to Remember - Celebrating Wilmington Montessori School's First 50 Years
Saturday, February 8, 2014, was a night of sharing memories and making new ones for more than 250 members of the WMS community. Current and past parents, staff, board members, alumni and other friends of the school enjoyed activities and displays including a photo booth, Montessori materials, giant collages of photos from each of WMS's five decades, a matching game of faces from WMS's past, a beautiful piece of art created using the finger prints of attendees, live music, food and more.

Other highlights included presentations by former WMS teacher Judy McCartin Scheide and Bretta Weiss, former National Director of the American Montessori Society, and the public launch of our comprehensive campaign - The Marie Dugan Fund for the Future. This campaign will be led by Honorary Co-Chairs Marie Dugan and Judy Scheide. Board member Meredith Amado also announced that our $1 million matching gift challenge has been reached six months ahead of schedule. Another surprise included the announcement that alumni parent and artist Olga Nielsen has been commissioned to create a bronze relief of Marie!

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this celebration so special. For those of you who couldn't attend, be sure to check out our photo album on Facebook, the #WMS50 Instagram feed and view our brand new WMS film, created by the Kitchen! If you took photo or video at the event that you would be willing to share, please email Noel Dietrich.

Relay Marathon - Meerkat Milers

The 2014 Delaware Marathon Running Festival is May 11, which means it's time to start thinking about the Meerkat Milers. Joggers and runners of all ages and abilities (current families, staff, students, alumni and other friends of the school) are invited to join WMS relay teams and enjoy a morning of exercise and family fun.

Don't worry - if cheering or organizing is more your speed, there are other ways to join the fun! Volunteers are needed to help out at the water station, assist with relay transitions, and keep things organized at our WMS tent. And, of course, all of our runners will appreciate your loud cheers!

Learn More and Sign Up

WMS Child-Care Program Partners with LACC

by Cass Winner, Director of Extended Day Programs

The elementary child-care program is pleased to announce the kickoff of a new partnership with the school-age program at Wilmington's Latin American Community Center. We hope to share activities, meals, ideas and lots of laughter with the children and staff of the LACC throughout 2014.

The idea grew out of the peace and global citizenship curriculum that is integral to everything that we do at WMS. We looked for an urban center that would be interested in sharing visits, field trips and other adventures with us, and the LACC said "yes!"

We are exploring options for field trips to their beautiful building downtown, but for now, they are coming to us. On Presidents Day, February 17, 40 of their kindergarten through sixth-grade students will spend the day with our elementary students.

Our kids have been exploring the culture and geography of Australia, while the LACC kids have been doing the same with Spain. On the 17th, we'll share games, music, food and other projects around the things that we learned.

Both groups are excited about meeting and beginning a wonderful new set of friendships.

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.