W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
February 4, 2015
In This Issue

Upcoming Events
February 6
Virtual Admissions Open House
Online at 12:30 p.m.
Tell a friend!

Alumni Pizza Party
6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Great Room. More info,

February 10
WMS Chorus Performance @ UD Basketball Game
8 p.m., Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, DE

February 13
All-Staff Professional Day
No school. Pre-registered child-care is available.

February 16
Mid-Winter Break
No school. Pre-registered child-care is available.

February 17
9-12 Transition Morning (for parents of current third-graders), 9 a.m.
Register Now 

February 18
3-6 Transition Morning (for toddler parents), 9:30 a.m.
Register Now

Annual Meeting
7 p.m., Great Room

February 19
6-9 Transition Morning (for parents of current kindergartners & 5-7 students), 9 a.m. 
Register Now 
 
 Message from Head of School 
Lisa A. Lalama 

 

The first month of each new year brings two time-honored traditions at WMS: our school's birthday and the annual Alumni Pizza Party. Last Thursday we celebrated the 51st birthday of Wilmington Montessori School. Each year we have an assembly where the entire school comes together to join in the school song and spend some time remembering our history.

As many of you know, WMS began as store front in downtown Wilmington and eventually moved into the "Little Red School House" in what is now the Buzz Ware Village Center in Arden. As we grew, we moved to our current 25-acre campus and have been here for 17 years. 

 

WMS has a rich history including many graduating classes, many past staff members who continue to remain connected and participate in school activities, and families who return often to share their memories and successes after they have moved on. The one thing that remains constant is our commitment to providing the best Montessori education available.

 

This Friday, we will celebrate our history with the Alumni Pizza Party. This party is held each winter and our alumni and past students return to share their stories and spend the evening together. Fond memories are shared and friendships are renewed. It is a wonderful evening during which our alumni enjoy returning to WMS, the school where they spent their younger years exploring, creating and learning and gained the enthusiasm, curiosity and wonder that carried them on to their next adventures. 

 

If you are an alumnus, please join us on Friday at 6:30 p.m. It promises to be another enjoyable evening celebrating WMS, remembering its past and hearing about life after WMS. We look forward to reconnecting with you. 

 

 

 

 

 
News & NotesNews
Save the Date!
 
Co-op Cornerco-op
Opportunities to Earn Co-op Hours

 
 

WMS music teacher Heather Wadler is looking for parents or grandparents who would be willing to bring instruments to class to show two of her music classes. The students will be learning about string, brass, percussion and woodwind instruments. Can you help? Please contact Heather at heather_wadler@wmsde.org if interested.


 

Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to provide refreshments for the Alumni Pizza Party! Our returning students will be well-fed as they reunite with old friends.


 

Please check the Co-op Bulletin Boards for Dads' Day sign-up sheets. Refreshments/supplies are needed for this annual event set for February 26. This is a simple way to support the school and welcome WMS dads on their special day. 
Today's LearnersLearner
 
WMS's Library Collection Expands through Donations from Families & Friends
by Librarian Elizabeth Varley

It is always a treat to receive new books for the WMS library. There are several ways this takes place. Each year, the librarian picks a list of books she feels will be a great addition to the school's collection. This year, some of the titles on this list were donated by families through the Celebration of Reading event and others were purchased by the school. For example, we recently added books from Betty G. Birney's Humphrey the Hamster series to our collection. It is particularly exciting when we receive books through donations from our families and friends.

We recently had the good fortune to have a book donated to the library by the author's mother - WMS mom Elva Delport. Mermaids: A Celebration Undersea was written and illustrated by Anja Pearson, big sister to Annika and Jasmine Delport. Anja skillfully uses pencil drawings to take the reader to her vision of the world beneath the sea and the colorful mermaids who live all the remotes areas of the oceans. Her verse showcases the differences in the mermaids, and how they can all come together for fun and laughter.

Anja has been writing and drawing from an early age, and her inspiration for this story came from her early childhood on the island of Oahu. She wrote this book while studying at the University of Manitoba. Next time you visit the library, be sure to check out this special contribution! 
Tomorrow's LeadersLeaders
Alumni Update: Bryce Sheppard, Class of 2004
Bryce Sheppard, 2004 WMS yearbook


Bryce Sheppard (WMS '04) started at Wilmington Montessori School as a 3-year-old in Trish Bradley's class and graduated from Lisa Lalama's 9-12 class at the end of sixth grade.
 

"There was never a day I didn't want to go to school," Bryce said.

 

His fondest memories include doing bead work when he was little (he loved working with the golden hundred squares and thousand cubes) and rushing through his language work so he could do more math. He also loved exploring WMS's beautiful campus and building forts in the woods at recess, as well as doing research on Stephen Hawking and dressing up as him on "Famous Person Day." He (and his family) will never forget the evening they had to make 300 pieces of sushi, which Bryce had volunteered to bring to the International Day celebration the next day even though no one in the family had ever made sushi before! 
 
He reflects on how much fun he had at WMS and realizes how lucky he was to be able to pursue his interests and get broad and rich exposure to so many things at WMS. He made great friends and had "awesome teachers." He attended Wilmington Friends School after graduating form WMS, then earned his undergraduate degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Delaware. 

 

Bryce recently accepted an engineering position with Booz, Allen, Hamilton in Washington, D.C., where he is working with the U.S. Army on cyber-security and biometrics. His mother, Debbie Murray-Sheppard, continues to be involved at WMS as a member of the school's Advisory Board.

 

______________________________________________________________________________
Former WMS student wins state-wide essay contest & 
is selected for Delaware All-State Chorus
  

Former WMS student Keelin Reilly, a sophomore at Archmere High School, won the Lincoln Club of Delaware's 2014-2015 essay contest for high-school students. He was asked to write no more than a 1,000 words about a quote from Abraham Lincoln. As the winner, he will receive a $1,000 scholarship, and he will be invited to attend the Lincoln's Club annual dinner, where he will meet a top Lincoln scholar, hear his presentation and network with club members. In addition, Keelin was recently selected for Delaware's All-State Chorus. 


Want to share alumni news? Contact Lori Oberly or email alumni@wmsde.org.
The Wednesday Weekly shares WMS news and events that are relevant to the families in our community.  

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For more information, contact Noel Dietrich, Director of Communications.
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