W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
September 24, 2014
In This Issue

Upcoming Events

September 25
Rosh Hashanah -
No Classes. Pre-registered child-care available.


September 29 - October 3
DelawareCAN Project Food Drive - Learn More
 
September 29
9:30 a.m., Montessori Monday Open House - Admissions.
Tell a friend! 

October 1 & 2 
School Photo Days
(Rain Date - 10/9)

October 1
7 p.m., Montessori 101 - Parent Education

October 2 
9:30 a.m., Montessori 101 - Parent Education

October 3
Lead Teacher Professional Day - No classes. Pre-registered child-care available. 

October 14
9 a.m., "Connections Matter" Parent Discussion Group, Room 7
More Information 
  

Room 20 girls with iPad
Room 20 students used iPads to create short films.
Message from Head of School
Lisa Lalama

 

As September ends, you will begin to notice some shifts at WMS. We are beginning year two of our Strategic Plan; change is afoot. Technology has been an emphasis during the first year of the plan. Many of the changes have been invisible, such as enhancing our infrastructure (servers and wireless network) to support our new devices and an increased number of users. Some are easier to notice.

 
This year, all elementary children have iPads in their classrooms; the 9-12 students each have their own iPad to use at school and home. High quality projectors and screens are being installed this week for us to use with children, professional development and meetings. Rosemary Feehan, our Instructional Technology Coach, is leading the way with her expertise in this field. She is working closely with teachers and students to keep the focus on using technology as a tool for helping students to meet their learning goals and objectives. 

 
The teachers each have an iPad and use them in various ways. Toddlers have the opportunity to hear the song of the bird they just saw at their feeder. Our 3-6 students are able to use apps that highlight words as a story is being read to them. Lower elementary students are busy making movies and publishing newspapers, while the upper elementary students are contributing writers to their Edmodo pages. 

 
Technology at WMS is not the focus of the learning. It is a tool used to enhance instruction and will be implemented to serve our students and help them grow as learners. Our goal is to provide our students with access and opportunities to current learning resources. Implementing the iPad program is one of the ways to do that.

 
Look for regular updates on the Strategic Plan in future issues of the Wednesday Weekly. 


 



News & Notesnews
Medication
Medication Take-back Event

Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement are coordinating a nationwide drug "take-back" day this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

 
This one-day event will provide residents with the opportunity to anonymously dispose of unwanted and expired medicines for free.

 

It's a great time to clean out your medicine cabinet! Protect our kids, families and environment by properly disposing of your unwanted and expired medicines. 

 
Medicines in the home are a leading cause of accidental poisoning, and flushed or trashed medicines can end up polluting our waters. Rates of prescription drug abuse are alarmingly high - more than half of teens abusing medicines get them from a family member or friend, including the home medicine cabinet, and often without their knowledge.

 
The nearest collection location to WMS is Shipley Manor on Shipley Road. You can find other locations by following this link, or you can bring your unwanted medications to Nurse Paige, who will deliver them to the collection site.  

 


WMS CAN help the hungry in Delaware!

The 9-12 students are participating in the DelawareCAN project again this year. We are very excited for this opportunity to support the Food Bank and help hungry Delawareans. We also welcome the challenge of working together to construct a food sculpture!

We will be collecting food donations next week, from Monday, September 29 through Friday, October 3. We will post our specific needs in the lobby by the end of the day on Friday, September 26. Thank you in advance for your support!  

 

 


Smart Lunches
Delicious and healthy lunches are now being delivered to WMS on Mondays through Thursdays. Log onto SmartLunches.com to check out the menus and make your orders for the month. Questions? Contact WMS dad Kevin Kahn
Newark Symphony Family Concert 

WMS is proud to sponsor the Newark Symphony Orchestra's sixth annual family concert. We hope some of you will take advantage of this free opportunity to learn about orchestral music and instruments!

montessori101
Register Now Button

Today's LearnersLearner
News from Room 16: Monarch Butterflies
by 3-6 Teacher Betsy Haas & Assistant Teacher Alyssa Novello

Last spring, 3-6 students from rooms 16 and 11 worked together to create a Monarch Way Station. We planted various types of milkweed, as well as native plants such as goldenrod, with the help of a group of Master Gardeners from Monarch Watch.
 

We wanted to create this Monarch Way Station, or butterfly garden, so the Monarch butterflies would have a natural habitat in which they could complete their life cycle. The Monarchs lay their eggs on the underside of the milkweed plant and, once hatched, the caterpillars' main food source is the milkweed.


We were pleasantly surprised to come back to school in September to see so many Monarch caterpillars feasting on the milkweed. Inside the classroom, the children are learning about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly through observation, as they track the growth of the caterpillars each day. They grow so fast! Last week, we brought the class outside to the butterfly garden and were able to watch one caterpillar form a chrysalis right before our eyes! A very special moment for the children and teachers of Room 16!
 

We are planning to have a dedication ceremony in October where the Master Gardeners from Monarch Watch will return to give us a plaque stating that we have a certified Monarch Way Station. We also hope to release some of the butterflies that we are observing in our classrooms during their visit. 

Tomorrow's LeadersLeaders
Rabbi Brian Eng: From WMS Student to WMS Parent

 

WMS alum Brian Eng is an active part of our community. Above, he spends time with his children Parker and Hayley during Dads' Day. His mother, former WMS Board member Robin Karol-Eng, remains involved with the school as a proud grandparent and member of the Advisory Board.

When Rabbi Brian Eng attended WMS at the Little Red School House location in Arden from 1982 until 1986, he had no idea that someday he would be taking his own children (5-7 student Hayley and toddler Parker) to school at WMS. 

 

The love of learning and academic skills Brian gained at WMS are apparent when he describes his subsequent educational journey. After leaving WMS, Brian attended public school in the Brandywine School District. He attended the University of Delaware, where he graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. He then turned his educational interests in a new direction, starting rabbinical school. Here, he developed an interest in legal scholarship through the historical role of rabbis as teachers of Rabbinic Law.

Brian took some time off to do a residency as a chaplain in Christiana Hospital, became a rabbi, and worked in a synagogue and a school. Between the births of Hayley and Parker (while still  working full-time!), Brian also attended Widener School of Law, where he was honored with the 2012 President's Award.  He currently works as an attorney at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. and practices in the areas of disabilities law and elder law.


It's hard to believe that Brian has any free time, but when he does, he says enjoys juggling and riding motorcycles - "but not at the same time."


Brian says his favorite memory from WMS is, "Watching my children run into the building because they are so excited to be there, just like my siblings and I used to."

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2013 Constant Contact All-Star Award Logo The Wednesday Weekly shares WMS news and events that are relevant to the families in our community.  

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