As January rolls on so do thoughts of the next school year. Last week re-enrollment contracts were sent to all WMS families; it's time to sign your child up for next year. Since you are all families who currently attend WMS, you know the value of the education you have chosen. It is an education unlike any other - a place where each child is given the opportunity to learn in ways best suited for him or her and to have experiences that keep wonder and curiosity alive.

When people ask about WMS and you try to answer quickly about their experience here and why it is so wonderful, it isn't always easy. Most of us and most of our family and friends did not attend a school like WMS. What makes it different? What makes it the best choice for your children? All schools do their best to educate, to pass on information that we learned in school, with the goal of producing graduates who are informed members of society. What we know, however, is that many of these schools don't reach that goal, and for some of us, achieving that goal isn't enough - we want our graduates to be more than "informed members of society." But what is enough? Why WMS?

At its core, WMS is a place for all children. It is for the children who come to us eager and ready to learn and those who need more experiences before they are as engaged in the learning process. It begins with caring for children as individuals and respecting them for who they are; these are essential ingredients to learning, ingredients that are commonly left out of the mix in other schools. As children are ready, we introduce new concepts and challenges; we have confidence in their ability. Children set and achieve personal goals with a caring certified Montessori teacher by their sides.

In the past few weeks, we have had a few events to answer questions for parents about the next steps for their children. Throughout these events it has been wonderful to hear parents answer questions for each other, to share their children's experiences. WMS is a special place. It can be hard to state it in a brief article such as this, but those of you who are here or who have been here, know it. It begins when you enter the door and stays with you for a lifetime. (Check out my latest blog post for an example.)

Over the next few weeks you have the opportunity to remind yourselves why a WMS education matters and to choose it again. Please take the time to look through the observation windows, ask teachers or other staff questions, and take a brief peek at the wonder your child experiences each day. You are important to our community and we look forward to another year with each of you who make us who we are...Wilmington Montessori School.