W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
February 10, 2016
In this Issue

Upcoming Events

February 10
Information Night for Parents of Rising 3-6 Students
5-6 p.m. in the Great Room
February 11 & 12
Primary & Elementary Parent Conferences
No school for these ages.
Pre-registered child-care available.

Note: Toddler classes run as scheduled on these days.

 
February 15
Mid-Winter Break
No school.
Pre-registered child-care available.
Note: K-6th grade attendees will go to the Boys & Girls Club to swim. Don't forget your permission slip!


February 16
Transition Morning for Parents of Rising 9-12 Students
9 a.m.


February 17
Transition Morning for Parents of Rising 3-6 Students
9:30 a.m.
Register Now

Annual Meeting
7 p.m. in the Great Room
Learn More


February 18
Transition Morning for Parents of Rising 6-9 Students
9 a.m. 
Register Now 
 

Message from Head of School
Lisa A. Lalama
 
Read more from Lisa on our Montessori Message blog.
February is the time to think spring. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow which means spring is just around the corner... and so is re-enrollment. Each January, WMS families receive information packets that lay out the procedures for enrolling their children for the next school year. Although we are not quite halfway through the school year, it is time to think about next September.

Next fall, your child will be one year older and one year further along in his or her educational journey. Whether moving up within his or her current program or into a new program level, WMS has a great deal to offer your child. During the past few weeks alone, in addition to the abundant educational experiences that you might consider "traditional studies," children at WMS have had the opportunity to play and sled in the snow, celebrate the school's 52nd birthday, invite their parents into the Maker Studio to learn about STEAM education, plan for the upcoming "Spirit Week" (a fundraiser for Room to Read) and create, rehearse and perform in the annual Talent Show.  

WMS is a school and so much more. It is a community for children and their families, a place where we all grow and learn. As John Dewey said, "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." At WMS, this couldn't be more true. It's an environment where children build knowledge through experience, both inside and outside of the classrooms. We look forward to another year of learning and growing with your family.


   
Co-op Cornercoop
Transition Morning Hospitality Items Needed for Next Week

We have three Transition Mornings scheduled during the week of February 15 and are in need of items such as baked goods, fruit platters, juice and flowers. 

If you are interested in providing any of these items in exchange for Co-op hours, please see the sign-up sheets on the Co-op boards located in the Aspen Wing and across from the library or email co-op@wmsde.org.
News & NotesNews
Wednesday, February 17 
7 p.m.
On Wednesday, February 17, Wilmington Montessori School's Board of Directors will host its Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting is an opportunity for WMS families, staff and other interested community members to hear directly from the board. Members of Wilmington Montessori School Inc. (current parents, Advisory Board and Board Members) will have the opportunity to elect/re-elect Board Members at the meeting. (Extra ballots are available in the lobby - don't forget to vote!)

Free child-care will be available for children of attendees, starting at 6:30 p.m. Please contact Cass Winner with the names and ages of your children at least 48 hours before the meeting to reserve space for your child.

If you have any questions about the meeting or elections, please contact WMS_BoD@wmsde.org. 

We hope you will join us at the meeting!

Coming Next Week - Transition Mornings
February 16-18
 
What's Next?Have you ever wondered what the next program level will be like for your child at WMS? Come experience it!
 
Visit a next-level classroom so you can see for yourself what lies ahead for your child. Observe a class in session where children are working and teachers are giving lessons; ask questions about your child's transition to the next program level. 
 
We highly recommend that all of our families attend a Transition Morning, particularly if your child will be moving up next year.

Schedule:
February 16, 9 a.m. - 9-12 Transition Morning (for current 6-9 parents)
February 17, 9:30 a.m. - 3-6 Transition Morning (for toddler parents)
February 18, 9 a.m. - 6-9 Transition Morning (for current 3-6 parents)
 
Register Now Button
 
Today's LearnersLearner
"School's Out" Program Develops Global Citizens
by Cass Winner, Director of Extended Programs
 

 
This year, when school is out, the world is in! A Wilmington Montessori School education invites children to see themselves as citizens of a beautiful and diverse planet.  

The elementary child-care team has been putting that philosophy into action, creating a curriculum around new cultural experiences.  One day, Ben Loder shared facts and traditions from England with elementary students, and on another, he featured Greek culture. Renee Anderson and Mitchell Juers shared games and cooking projects from Mexico. Christine Tate, head of Room 24, has spent time living in Japan, and she has two half-Japanese brothers. On three of the child-care days this year, she shared some of her knowledge with children in kindergarten through sixth grade. They were amazed to hear that school in Japan meets six days per week - essentially year-round - and that the kids are responsible for serving and cleaning up after all meals and snacks. They even get down on their hands and knees each day to sweep and scrub the classroom floors, hallways and common areas. 


Snack time was an opportunity to sample not just new foods, but also the manners and rituals of another country.  Everyone said the blessings before the meal (itadakimasu) and after the meal (gochiso-samadeshita, literally meaning, "It was a feast.")  We ate o-gohan (rice) with nori (seaweed) and tsukemono (pickled vegetables including cucumber, plum, burdock and ginger). Everyone tried o-hashi (Japanese chopsticks) - some more successfully than others!

 

It wouldn't be a child-care day without fun and games so we made Japanese paper lanterns, decorated with each child's unique artwork, and learned to say otanjobi-omeditogozaimasu (Happy birthday!) to a child who was celebrating a birthday. We'd planned to put candles in our lanterns and enjoy them outdoors in the early winter darkness, but Mother Nature's contribution (wind and rain) forced us to put that plan on hold. The lanterns lined the windowsill for the next few months, a burst of color against the grey skies.
 

The highlight of the day was learning the words to the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in Japanese, and singing it together - with the movements - faster and faster.  Some of the attempts dissolved into laughter, of course, but many children who learned the song in October still sing it today.  It will rise, unprovoked, from the corner of the room as a child remembers another day filled with fun and adventure at WMS. 
Tomorrow's Leadersleaders
Featured Alumni: Evan and Mitchell Juers

Mitchell (left) and Evan (right) Juers - former WMS students and now WMS teachers
We always hear that Wilmington Montessori School feels like home; for the Juers brothers, this is definitely the case. Both Evan and Mitchell say that WMS taught them to have confidence in themselves and to help others, traits they are now instilling in current WMS students while working here as assistant teachers and camp counselors.
 
Many of Evan's best memories from WMS involve singing and performing on stage. He still loves performing and credits former music teacher Kelly Rhodunda for awakening this passion. Evan graduated from WMS in 2005. After graduation he attended the Cab Callaway School of Arts and then The Marvelwood School in Connecticut, where he was named a National Merit Scholarship candidate.  Reflecting on his time as a WMS student, Evan says, "It's been the one place that has always felt like a family to me, the one place I never want to leave. It taught me how to have confidence in myself, and gave me the skills I needed to succeed in life. I learned that it is always right to help those who need it and was given the tools to do so."  
 
Evan's younger brother Mitchell also attended WMS from 2000 to 2005. His fondest memory is of the trip his class took to Hawk Mountain, where he hiked with his mom "above the clouds." After WMS, Mitchell attended school at Tatnall and St. Ann's, then graduated from Wilmington Friends School.

Today, Mitchell loves working alongside some of the teachers who taught him as a child, and he is proud to now call them friends. He says that getting to work with the children here is "amazing." He has always dreamed of helping kids out, and WMS is helping him live that dream.  
 
"Montessori taught me to be always be myself," Mitchell says. "I've learned to confidently be me as I've gone through my life. I've learned a sense of independence to stand for myself and to help others."


We want to know what you're up to! Please send your news to alumni@wmsde.org or take a few moments to share your experiences as a past WMS student or parent.
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.
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