March 5, 2014

A Message about the WMS Auction: A Community-Wide Effort on Behalf of the WMS Students

by Laurie Orsic, Director of Family Programs

60 days! That is the time remaining before the 2014 WMS Auction. Mark your calendars now for the evening of Saturday, May 3 and plan on joining in the fun. This annual school event is a wonderful mix of socializing and fundraising for WMS parents and supporters - a pleasant blend of feast, party, dance and silent and live auctions - all rolled in to one festive package. And, the best part - all of the proceeds benefit WMS.

The WMS auction is an investment in the future and is the most important parent-sponsored fundraiser of the year. Last year's auction raised approximately $45,000; those funds were earmarked for purchases for the 2013-14 school year - such as new classroom technology, educational materials and staff professional development. The auction tradition is a longstanding one, having been a part of the life of the school for more than 25 years.

This year's auction will be held right here at WMS. The Decorating Committee is busy planning ways to transform our school spaces and create a merry and memorable atmosphere. Watch this space - the Wednesday Weekly - for the big reveal of this year's auction theme and VIP events!

Everyone looks forward to the auction - bidding on the wide-range of auction gifts/items, savoring the yummy food and relishing the good company. Auction tickets will go on sale this month. This is an event you don't want to miss. Let's make this the most successful WMS auction ever!

Read on for additional details and ways you can participate in this exciting community-wide effort and join our Facebook event for up-to-the-minute updates on auction news, photos, co-op opportunities and more!

Mark Your Calendar

Re-enrollment Reminder - Our 2014-15 re-enrollment deadline has passed, and seats in our classrooms are now opening up to new students. Please submit your contract ASAP if you plan to return next year, or let Theresa Conaty know if you will not be returning. As we make plans for next year and prepare to issue contract to teachers, it is important that we know how many of our current families will be returning. Thank you to all of the families who have already submitted re-enrollment paperwork - we are looking forward to a great 2014-15 school year!

March

7	Registration deadline for Meerkat Milers relay teams - Learn more Movie Night: Children of Heaven - 6:30 p.m. - Great Room - Bring the family to enjoy a heart-warming story of life challenges and loving solutions told from a child's perspective. A young boy from a poor area of Iran accidentally loses his sister's only pair of shoes. He decides to share his own sneakers with her, taking turns wearing them to school. The boy eventually enters a foot race in hopes of winning a new pair of shoes. Read More
10	Lead Teacher Professional Day - No school. Pre-registered child-care will be available.
12	Rocky Bluewinkle Visit (for Rocky's Reading Challenge) - 10 a.m. - Great Room
13	9-12 Talent Show - WMS Gym Dress rehearsal - 9:30 a.m. Evening performance - 7 p.m.
14	First State Ballet (Artists in Residence) Performance - 10 a.m. - Great Room - Join us!

Full March Calendar

2014 Auction Preview

Get Involved!

Sue Kenney and Cathy Capper, members of last year's auction committee, work together to transform the gym for the 2013 Lucky Pair Auction.

One of the very best ways to complete parent co-op hours is by way of the auction.

Do you enjoy preparing food for friends? Do you enjoy decorating and hosting parties? Are you a crackerjack solicitor/salesperson? Are you committed to your student's educational future and dedicated to helping in whatever way you can to make that future as bright as possible?

Your talents and interests definitely have a place on the auction committee. When you work on the auction, you become a part of the village referred to in the old saying: It takes a village to raise a child. Collectively, we strengthen the school and, in turn, its students.

First and foremost, we are looking for people to solicit and donate gifts that will be attractive to our attendees. The more appealing the gifts, the more interest is generated in the auction and in turn, the more fundraising success we will have. All of this will translate into an even more dynamic and robust educational program for WMS students.

Additionally, help is needed with every aspect of the auction - decorations, refreshments, set up, auction tables, clean up, bartending, check in and check out, ticket sales, etc. Every hour you spend working on the Auction can be an hour you earn toward the parent co-op commitment of 30 hours per family. It's a surefire way to complete a portion of or all of your family's co-op commitment.

Room 16 parent Stephanie Simms is leading this year's auction committee. Contact her at stephsimms@comcast.net to sign-up.

Classroom Gifts

Every WMS classroom group creates an auction gift and every child has a hand in its preparation.

Classes sometimes create auction baskets filled to the brim with toys, books and activities suitable to a specific age child or they create handmade gifts such as one-of-a-kind quilts, wall hangings or books.

The classroom gifts are the children's contribution to this annual fundraiser. Light-hearted, good-natured competition for classroom gifts is a mainstay of the auction. Attendees vie to be classroom gift winners - all in the name of inspiring higher bids, which raises even more funds for WMS and most importantly - acknowledges the students' efforts to support their school.

Check out this album to view a sampling of classroom gifts from the 2012 Masquerade Ball Auction!

9-12 students hard at work on their 2014 auction gift

Auction 101: Never been to an auction? Not to worry!

An auction can seem intimidating if you have never attended one before, but in truth, the WMS Auction is easy to navigate and master. It just takes attending one time to understand how the process works.

Some attendees love the thrill of the bidding process, vying for the various offerings and winning something for a particularly good price or ensuring that the school benefits as much as possible, while others come to support the school's charitable efforts and for the pleasure of the party. Everyone relishes watching the "live theater" of the auction - the competition between the high-bidders yearning for gifts, like the much sought-after "Reserved WMS Parking Space," tickets to a Phillies game or their student's classroom gift?

It can be entertaining and instructive - a form of Auction 101, if you will. The trick is to set your personal giving budget and then set out to find the unique gift items meant for you.

News & Notes

Spring into action this March with the Meerkat Milers & GYMM programs

After a painfully long and snowy winter, spring is on the way and it's time to get up and moving! We hope that many of you will participate in the Meerkat Milers Delaware Marathon Relay this year on Sunday, May 11 by running a 5K or 10K portion of a full marathon or helping out at a water station and supporting the runners. Contact Becky Davey if you are interested in this fantastic event or register online. Please submit your registration by the end of the week!

Another inspiration is PE teacher Adrianna's introduction of the GYMM: Get Our Youth Moving Marathon to our elementary students. This 50-day, habit-changing program starts later this month. Full details were included in the February 19 issue of the Wednesday Weekly. Participants will engage in 30 minutes of a wide variety of healthy activities per day, earning 25 miles toward the completion of their own marathon.They then will finish their 26th mile during the Delaware Running Festival on the actual Delaware Marathon course on Saturday, May 10 (the GYMM event on Saturday is free for schools that participate, and it's a laid-back child-friendly course - walkers are welcome). Contact Adrianna for more information.

Parents, join us for 50 days of exercise in March and April and to celebrate at one or both of these events! If going to the gym or training for a 5K aren't your thing, exercise like a kid - take a hike, play tag, take a bike ride, have a dance party while cleaning with your kids, kick a soccer ball or swing.

Finally, stay tuned for details about the WMS Running Club! It all counts and helps get us all out of winter habits, absorbing sunlight and breathing fresh air again.

WMS students showcase their creativity at the Delaware River Regional Odyssey of the Mind Tournament

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in last weekend's River Regional Odyssey of the Mind Tournament.

Two WMS teams received second place in their respective categories and have been invited to participate in the Delaware State Tournament on March 22. Learn more about OoTM in an upcoming issue of the Wednesday Weekly!

A special thank you to the parent volunteers who coached OoTM teams this year!

Dads' Day 2014

Many thanks to all of the WMS dads and other special friends who joined us for Dads' Day last week. The children loved having you in their classrooms. Check out our gallery on Facebook for lots and lots of Dads' Day photos. If you have others to share, please email Noel Dietrich.

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.