May 21, 2014

Message from Head of School Lisa Lalama

Communication Skills

While catching up on some reading this weekend, I came upon a series of articles about "share" in the classroom. Most likely, when you were in school children brought in something to share and talked about it to the class. It was special... or not. The child gave details and pertinent information... or not. Then the next child "shared" his/her item and it went on from there.

Today, sharing is similar, but different in some key ways. In addition to Montessori certification, teachers at WMS are certified in Responsive Classroom, a research- and evidence-based approach to elementary education that leads to greater teacher effectiveness, higher student achievement and improved school climate. You may notice things in our classrooms that are a part of the Responsive Classroom practice. Sharing is one.

Students are taught how to share. They are coached about how to stand up in front of the group, give enough information to capture others' interest and respond thoughtfully to questions. They learn the difference between sharing a treasured item and sharing information about a topic they have researched. They learn to be thoughtful speakers, listeners, thinkers, questioners and commentators; they build their communication skills. These are more of the skills necessary for success in today's world. Children must learn to communicate ideas by giving information, but also by engaging in discussion, asking follow-up questions, and answering questions thoroughly and competently. Sharing with their classmates is one of the many ways we build communication skills at WMS.

Mark Your Calendar

Note - WMS will be closed this Saturday, May 24, due to the holiday weekend.

May

Now - Friday	Student Art Show - Lobby and Hallway
Now - May 30	9-12 French Monuments Exhibit - Great Room
23	Elementary Field Day - 9 a.m. - Volunteers needed! Contact Adrianna if interested. Spirit Wear Sales - Get your WMS 50th Anniversary gear while it lasts! On sale in the lobby before school (starting at 8:15 a.m.) and after (starting at 3). For more information, contact schoolstore@wmsde.org.
26	Memorial Day - No school or child-care.
30	9-12 Concert - 9:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. in the Gym

June

4	Preschool Field Day - 9:30 a.m.
5	Graduation - 9:30 a.m. - WMS Gym - All are invited. Last Day of School - Have a great summer!
6	Pre-registered child-care available.
9	All-Staff Professional Day - NO child-care available
10-13	Pre-camp child-care available. Please register in advance so we can plan our staffing accordingly.
16	Camp Montessori begins - Register today!

Classroom News

A glance into the art room...

by Art Teacher Laurie Muhlbauer

Room 15 has been working on masks. The first step in this process was to form the masks using Plast'r Craft over face forms. This was followed by lessons on how we were going to finish the masks and then - the fun part - painting them!

To see these masks and other fabulous WMS student art, be sure to check out the exhibit in the lobby/front hallway, running now through Friday.

As the children have been studying North and South America in their classroom, we chose the masks of the Northwest Native Americans as the inspiration for how we would paint our masks. This led to discussion about the common characteristics of masks from that region.

We have taken advantage of a multitude of online resources to look at pictures of masks. We discussed their similarities and played a little game of "what doesn't belong."

At the same time, the children began painting their individual masks using key characteristics of the masks from the Northwest. Some of these masks are hanging in the Student Art Exhibit, which will be on display until Friday, May 23.

WMS Creates Monarch Waystation

Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to areas in Mexico and California where they wait out the winter until conditions favor a return flight in the spring.

Milkweed provides nectar to nourish the butterflies for this journey and also serves as a breeding area for successive generations. To help sustain and increase the population of monarchs in the U.S., Monarch Watch helps create Monarch Waystations, which provide everything needed for the entire life-cycle of the butterflies. Thanks to Master Gardeners Peg Baseden and Eva Rotmann, WMS will now be home to one of these waystations!

Hosted by rooms 11 and 13, Peg and Eva visited WMS last week to lead the children in the planting of the garden, which includes several types of milkweed and nectar plants (all of which are native to Delaware and require very little maintenance).

Many thanks to Monarch Watch, Peg and Eva for donating their time, plants and funds to create this certified Monarch Waystation. We look forward to greeting our butterfly visitors this summer!

News & Notes

Staying Safe and Healthy During Tick Season

With the change in weather comes the start of tick season. Our children spend time outdoors every day so please check them for ticks regularly at the end of the day. If you find a tick, it is important to know how to remove it.

To get ready to remove the tick, you should have:

Fine tweezers
Gloves or a tissue so that you can avoid touching the tick
A small jar where you can put the tick (this will make identification easier if your child gets sick)
An antiseptic to clean the area of the tick bite and your hands after you remove it

As demonstrated in the picture, you should use your tweezers to grab the tick as close as possible to your child's skin. After using your tweezers to grab the tick as close as possible to your child's skin, you should gently pull it straight up. Be sure to avoid making any jerking or twisting movements as you pull it out, or you may cause the tick's head to break off. If you do notice that any part of the tick has remained embedded in your child's skin, be sure to call your pediatrician for help getting it out.

Remember to use tweezers to remove a tick on your child. You should not try to remove it with your fingers. Also, when removing a tick:

Do not try to burn the tick off with a match.
Do not smother the tick with nail polish, Vaseline or other products.
Mention the tick bite to your pediatrician if your child gets sick soon after getting bit by a tick, especially if he or she develops a rash, fever, chills, headache, fatigue or swollen glands.
Do not leave the tick's head stuck in your child's skin or squeeze the tick as you try to remove it.

Please contact Nurse Paige with any questions or concerns!

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, Director of Communications.

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.