WMS will hold a school-wide lockdown drill tomorrow (Thursday, December 11) at 10:30 a.m. The lockdown procedure is used in the unlikely event that there is a dangerous intruder inside our building.
 

You do not need to prepare your child for this drill. Classroom teachers have practiced the procedures with the children using age-appropriate language. For security purposes, we cannot publicize the full procedure of the drill, but we wanted to share the language we have used with the children in case it should come up at home:
 

Toddlers: At this age, children are unable to process the purpose of the drill, so information is kept to a minimum.  Teachers play a silent game that the children already know so they can be engaged while silently waiting.

All other students: Teachers explain to the children that we have lockdown drills just as we have fire drills. We practice different drills so we are prepared in case of any emergency. A lockdown is used in case someone comes into the school who is not allowed to be here and we need to be safe. It is unlikely that this will happen, but it is the teacher's job to keep everyone together, safe, out of view and quiet.

Children ages 7 and up are able to process this more than the younger students. For the older kids, we do our best to minimize any fear that may be attached to this drill. Teachers answer questions in a simple, clear-cut manner, sticking to the process of the drill itself, not the "what if" possibilities. This drill is about being prepared for anything - not about a specific threat.
 

Important note for visitors:

For the short time the school is in lockdown mode, outside doors will be locked and not accessible with keycards. Thank you in advance for your understanding of this minor inconvenience. If you happen to be in the school during the drill, please take shelter in the nearest office, classroom or other room immediately. It is important that you participate in the drill fully and serve as a positive role model to the children.
 

If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Paige or your classroom teacher. 

Are you available to help with Front Desk coverage on Saturday, December 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in exchange for four Co-op hours? This is a great way to earn hours while providing an important service to the school community. The Front Desk supervisor makes sure the school is open on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; he/she also makes sure visitors sign in and out and may perform light office tasks, such as collating admissions packets.

Are you available to help? Please contact Lori Oberly at lori_oberly@wmsde.org for more information or to volunteer. Additional dates throughout the year are still open and waiting for volunteers. Please check the Co-op bulletin board across from the library to sign up.

It's hard to believe that WMS's 5-9 Winter Musical is just over a week away! The show, called "Paint the Town December," is about a group of children who go around to all of the stores in Graysville to paint the storefront windows all different colors to represent the many ways we celebrate the holidays in December!  For the last month or so, students from Rooms 17, 19, and 20, along with the kindergartners from Rooms 11, 15 and 16, have been coming into the music room to rehearse their songs and dances. Their excitement is contagious and we all cannot wait for the whole WMS community to see it! 

The performance will take place on December 19 at 9:30 a.m. in the Gym and is open to all WMS families and friends.

In preparation for this enormous celebration, students have been learning about some critical aspects of live theater! They have practiced projecting their voices so that the audience can hear their lines. They have discussed what it means to "memorize" lines and how to "improvise" if they forget a word or two. With our songs and dances, the children have learned what it is like to work as a team to make both a unified sound and create some cool formations, like their "tableaus."  A tableau is a word of French origin meaning "picture."  In many of the songs, a class might move to a tableau to hit their final pose or to sing as a stronger unit!

Check out some of Room 20's formations!

 

Elementary parents - here are just a few reminders for show day:

1. Students should come dressed in their costume on the day of the musical!

·      Bottoms - Black bottoms, pants or skirt.  If skirt, wear tights!

·      Shoes - Any dark shoe would work fine!

·      Shirts - Shirts should be as solid-colored as possible! If the color is the dominant color in a pattern, that is fine, but please, no logos.

    o Room 17 and K's from Rooms 11, 15, 16 - red, green or white

    o Room 19 -  blue and yellow

    o Room 20A - pink, orange or purple

    o Room 20B - black, red or green
 

2. OK Video will be recording the performance! DVDs are available to purchase ONLINE at www.okvideode.com or you can pick up an order form in the lobby or at the performance! All forms can be returned in the Glass Box in the front lobby. 

Wishing everyone a happy, happy holiday!