W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
March 7, 2018
In this Issue


Upcoming Events


March 9
All-Staff Professional Day 
No school or child care


March 19-23
Shop at the school store today!

March 26-29
Spring Break


March 30
Building Closed
No child care available


April 2
Child-Care Day
Register Now


April 5
Toddler Sing-Along


April 9-13
ERB Testing
(3rd-6th grade)

Board Visitation Day
Message from
Head of School Lisa Lalama
 
for more from Lisa.
Next Tuesday, we will welcome members of the WMS Board of Directors and Advisory Board to see our school in action. Some of our board members are currently parents at our school, while others are alumni parents. What they all have in common is a deep commitment to Wilmington Montessori. They work hard on behalf of WMS and take time out of their days each year at this time to visit classrooms throughout the school.

One of the things I miss a great deal is spending time with students in the classroom. Going from spending every day with students, learning from them and with them, to spending most of my time working on their behalf has been an adjustment. Each time I get to observe or participate in a classroom lesson, it's a gift. It reminds me of the importance of the work we do each day at WMS. It brings joy that stays with me for a long time. Next Tuesday, we know our board members will leave here with a small dose of the wonder and joy that comes with joining children in their world.



News & Notes News
spiritCelebrate Spirit Week 2018
by Will Snyder and Ella Walsh (sixth grade)

During the week of March 19, WMS will celebrate  Spirit Week - a week  where the whole school can participate in daily activities to raise awareness and funds for a nonprofit organization. 

Last fall, the schools that attended GCAP in New York decided to support Gotta Have Sole - an organization that collects brand new shoes for children living in homeless shelters. The organization started in Cranston, R.I., but is now all around the U.S., and helps thousands of people per year receive shoes in their correct size. L ook for more information about Gotta Have Sole in the lobby throughout Spirit Week.

This year's Spirit Week theme days include:
  • Monday, March 19: Sports and Superhero Day
  • Tuesday, March 20: PJ and Stuffed Animal Day
  • Wednesday, March 21: Crazy Hair & Mismatch/Clash Day
  • Thursday, March 22: Twin Day
  • Friday, March 23: Spirit Day
We suggest a $5 donation for Gotta Have Sole. There will be small containers near each classroom and in the lobby to deposit the funds. It only takes $15 dollars to buy a new pair of shoes! Thank you - your donations are appreciated!


School Store Open Through Monday, March 12!

Gear up for Spirit Week in style: the WMS school store is open now through 9 a.m. on Monday, March 12. Don't miss out on your chance to add comfy WMS sweatpants, long-sleeve t-shirts and baseball caps to your spirit wear collection.  


Get Your 10% Camp Discount This Month

As signs of spring emerge (despite today's wintry weather!), it's a reminder that camp season isn't too far off. Register for five or more weeks at Camp Montessori by March 31 and receive a 10% early registration discount.  

 
Triple Your Support for WMS When You Shop on Amazon.com March 12-31

Amazon is tripling the donation amount to 1.5% when customers make their first eligible smile.amazon.com purchase from March 12 - 31. If you haven't done so already, please make your first purchase through smile.amazon.com from March 12-31 and designate Wilmington Montessori School as your charity in your AmazonSmile profile. 

Even better, make purchases year-round through Amazon using our affiliate link, wmsde.org/amazon, and at least 6% of your purchase will go to WMS

Thank you for taking the time to use either link to make your Amazon purchases!

Today's Learners Learners
Art in the Primary Classroom: Growing Fine Motor and Manipulation Skills
by Art Teacher Laurie Muhlbauer

  
For Primary students, development of fine motor and manipulation skills is a key area of learning.  As adults, we often take these skills for granted - they become automatic and we don't realize how essential they are to our lives - but when you are a child, you have to work to develop and strengthen these skills.

Along with the practical life work in the classroom, art is an important and engaging way for children to grow their fine motor and manipulation skills. Fine motor skills involve using the hand's smaller muscles - the muscles we use when fastening buttons, opening lunch boxes, or using pencils or scissors. We use manipulation skills to move and position objects within one hand without the help of the other hand, such as moving puzzle pieces, keys, writing or cutting with scissors. 

So far this year, children in the Primary program have worked with mosaics, sand labyrinths, Indian block painting and sewing. All of these projects have helped them develop cultural or aesthetic appreciation, and introduced them to ways of using known and unknown materials to create imagery and express themselves. These projects have also encouraged the children to hone their pincer grips, work across the mid-line and develop hand-eye coordination.

In addition to supporting the development of fine motor and manipulation skills, visual art connects us with people across other cultures and times, allowing us to record history, tell stories, communicate, and express our feelings and ideas to evoke a response from the viewer.

When your child's artwork comes home - whether it is a mounted, labeled piece done in art class, or a scrap of paper they cut out or drew on - stop and think: how was this made? What fine motor and manipulation skills were used to create this? What was my child thinking about or experiencing? What is the story behind this piece of art? Then ask your child to tell you about his or her work.

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 Advancement & Communications.

Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.