W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
May 4, 2016
In this Issue


Upcoming Events

May 6
All-Staff Professional
Pre-registered child-care only. 

May 7
GYMM Fun Run 
10:30 a.m.
Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park
May 8
Delaware Marathon - Meerkat Milers Relay
Starting at 7 a.m.
Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park

May 17
Parent Education Webinar: Digital Presence
7:30 p.m.

May 30
Memorial Day
School Closed
No Child-Care
Message from Head of School 
Lisa A. Lalama

Read more from Lisa on our Montessori Message blog.
There is never a dull moment at WMS.

Over the past week we had a Green Ribbon School award ceremony, a dance party, visitors from the Delaware Roundtable Education Committee, and our typical tours, field trips and classroom project presentations like the Subalpine/Alpine Biome in our lobby. 

The school year may be drawing to a close, but things aren't slowing down here at WMS. During May, there are many events and activities that we look forward to all year. Moms' Day is one of these highly anticipated events.  

At WMS we celebrate our families for we know what research has proven over and over again = parents and families matter tremendously in a child's school success. Parents are an integral part of the WMS experience. We could not do what we do without them. They participate in the daily life of the school helping in classrooms, supporting our fundraisers, chaperoning field trips, baking and hosting our many events, sponsoring book clubs, and more.

WMS was founded by a group of parents and continues to thrive because of them. Yesterday, we honored WMS moms just as in November we honored grandfriends and in February, dads. Our students look forward to these days when they can show off their workplace - the WMS classrooms. Thank you to each and every family member who makes WMS such a wonderful place for children to learn. 


   

 
Co-op Cornercoop
Upcoming Co-op Opportunities
 
There are many Co-op tasks that are on the horizon. Please consider volunteering for one, two or all three!
 
1) Field Day - Volunteers are needed to help with the Elementary Field Day on Monday, June 6 and Primary (3-6) Field Day on Wednesday, June 8. Parents are needed to assist the PE teacher Jill Hallissey with this annual day of light-hearted competition and play. The kids have fun, as do the adults. Come and join us!
 
2) Graduation - One of WMS's most cherished traditions is the annual sixth-grade graduation breakfast. Help is needed with providing refreshments, setting up, hosting and cleaning up. The decorating and preparations will begin on Thursday, June 9 and the breakfast will be held on June 10. 
 
3) Pet Care - Here are two ways to get a big jump on next year's Co-op commitment. 
A summertime pet-sitting family is needed to care for the 9-12 class rabbit - the beloved (and adorable) Hazelnut.  
 
A caretaker is needed for the Toddler Wing fish tank. Prior experience is not needed. WMS parent and current caretaker Knut Meyer will provide an in-depth tutorial, fish tank basics and guidelines for the monthly maintenance checks. (The toddlers LOVE the fish; your work would be greatly appreciated!)
 
Please contact Lori Oberly or  co-op@wmsde.org if interested.
News & NotesNews
Arts Integration Classroom Drive Update
 
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Arts Integration Classroom Drive! We have two more days to go - don't forget to make your gift this week! Drop off your envelopes to your classroom captains or at the front desk... and for all of those last-minute donors, you can give online at www.wmsde.org/fundforthefuture until midnight on Friday to make your gift count toward your classroom's participation. Thank you!
marathon
Magnus Update Window  -
Now through July 1
 by Nurse Paige Lucarelli
 
For most of us, it's hard to believe that the end of the school year is right around the corner. And of course, we look forward to savoring those moments of summer when, perhaps, life slows down just a bit... or at least involves warmer weather!
 
Before sliding into YOUR summer mode, please take a few moments to update the Magnus Health System in preparation for the 2016-17 school year - and for Camp Montessori 2016, if that's a part of your summer plan.  
 
Once logged in to the system, you will find the information that you previously entered is still there. For most requirements, you will simply need to verify that each section is still current (or make any necessary updates). If you need to have your log-in information re-sent, please email paige_lucarelli@wmsde.org.
 
All requirements must be updated by July 1 OR before your child starts his or her first camp session, but don't delay! If you can find a few moments now, you won't have to take time out of your warm-weather activities later. Bonus! Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this important task.
 
Click here to go to Magnus Health.
Meerkat Milers
Delaware Marathon Running Festival - Fun Run and Relay 
 
The Delaware Marathon Running Festival is this weekend, and we would love to have a big showing to represent the WMS community! 

The 1.2 Mile Fun Run will take place on Saturday, May 7 and is open to ALL WMS families (students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian). The run is FREE and does not require advance registration. Pre-event activities will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the run beginning at 10:30 a.m. Email Jill Hallissey or see her recent Edmodo posts for more information.

On Sunday, May 8, eight teams of students, parents, staff and alumni will take part in the Delaware Marathon Relay. A few volunteers are still needed to help out at the WMS water station - please contact Mayura Simon to sign up (and earn co-op hours)!

For more information about Sunday's relay, contact Becky Davey at daveybb@icloud.com. 
Early Childhood Camp Programs Combine Routine with New Experiences
April's cold rains are finally at an end, and summer is on the horizon. What will your child do this summer?
 
Will he sail his handmade boat in the stream? Will she program her own video game? Will he draw his own map of the globe?  Will she learn how seashells are made? Will they run through the sprinkler and discover how worms help our plants to grow?
 
Children who attend Camp Montessori will do all of those things and more. Camp is designed to fit the needs of busy parents and active children. Sessions are one week long, and parents can choose Traditional Camp, Specialty Camps or both. At the elementary and middle-school level (entering kindergarten and up), campers can cook, sew, code, sing, write poetry, swim and more. 
 
At the early childhood levels (Toddler and Primary), the rhythm of Traditional Camp is very much like that of the school year.  Within that structure, however, children have new  opportunities to play with water, hike in the woods, explore art and music, play active games, and spend time with children from their school-year classrooms and those who might have attended the class down the hall.

The Primary group will study geography and weather this year, using Montessori cultural materials and other teacher-made materials to learn in hands-on, creative ways. Our summer Toddler program maintains the consistency of caregivers and routines while adding exciting new work and challenges for the new season. The campers will include friends from this school year as well as new friends who will be WMS students in the fall. Toddler camp aims to provide the perfect balance of familiarity and new and interesting things to learn and do.
 
Whether they attend for two weeks or 10 weeks, our campers will hit the ground running in September!

Don't forget - the registration deadline for Camp Montessori is May 31! Sign up today!
Today's LearnersLearner
Art in the Primary Classroom
by Art Teacher Laurie Muhlbauer

I love to walk into the Primary classrooms here at WMS. It's a joy to watch children work with and explore Math, Practical Life, Sensorial, Language and Cultural materials... and, of course, I love seeing them at the art table or easel.  Our Primary teachers do an amazing job of providing a wonderful array of materials and experiences for the children in their classes. 

So what can I bring to the mix when I go into the Primary rooms to work with the children? That's where my challenge and fun starts. I have the opportunity to work one-on-one with each of the children, introduce them to new art materials and concepts, and help them make connections between art and other areas of the curriculum.
 
By the time I walk into their classrooms, children have some experience using paint and brushes. Right now, I am working with them to use these fundamental skills to create art that connects to their classroom cultural studies of Asia. As they paint Korean-style masks, we also focus on practical skills like taking care of the paint brush, how to load it with paint and how to rinse it between different paint colors. Many of the children have already had the experience of creating a collage in their Toddler or Primary classrooms; I get to take the art of collage one step further as the children create paper mosaics and mosaic domes. In addition, the Primary students have used a ribbon frame to practice tying knots, then used this skill to create Maedeup (Korean) knots. This month, I will be introducing children to origami frogs, Chinese brush painting and dioramas. They will be stuffing batiked pillows and creating art from horseshoe crab shells as they make connections between art and nature.

I look forward to seeing these children grow as artists and as learners in their coming years at WMS. Don't forget to explore WMS's annual art show in the lobby and front hallway this month to see a sampling of what students of all ages have been creating at WMS this year!
Tomorrow's Leadersleaders
Would you be willing to participate in an interview or write about your family's WMS experience? Please email alumni@wmsde.org and we will be in touch! Thank you!
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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