Wednesday Weekly - November 2, 2016

W E D N E S D A Y W E E K L Y

November 2, 2016

In this Issue

News & Notes

Tomorrow's Leaders

Upcoming Events

November 3

Picture Make-up/Retakes

Auction Meeting
5:30 p.m.

Get involved with the biggest fundraising event of the year! Email [email protected] for more info.

Workshop: Strategies to Increase Respect & Community Within Schools
7 p.m.

Learn More

November 5

Admissions Open House
10 a.m.
Tell a friend!

November 7-11

Annual Fund Drive
Make your gift today!

November 9

Information Night for Rising Fourth-Grade Parents

5-6 p.m. in the Great Room

November 11

Dance Party

(Proceeds benefit the class of 2018's GCAP trip.)

6-7:30 p.m.

Tickets on sale next week - all ages are welcome!

November 15

Transition Morning for Rising 3-6 Parents

9:30 a.m.
Register Now

Webinar: STEAM Gifts for the Holidays
7:30 p.m.

November 16

Transition Morning for Rising 6-9 Parents

9 a.m.
Register Now

November 17

Toddler Maker Faire

8-9 a.m. in the Toddler Maker Studio

Transition Morning for Rising 9-12 Parents
9 a.m.
Register Now

Full Calendar

Why I Give

Message from

Head of School Lisa A. Lalama


	Read more from Lisa on the Montessori Message blog.

WMS's 2016-17 Annual Fund Drive begins on Monday, November 7. This year's theme is "Why I Give." Each year, we launch our Annual Fund Drive in early November, reaching out to our community for additional support for programs such as financial aid and professional development, which benefit students, families and staff.

As an independent school, we are faced with the reality that tuition alone does not cover all of the costs associated with providing such a remarkable education. Our Elementary program has two Montessori certified teachers in each classroom; other schools do not. Our Maker Studios provide experiences that enhance STEAM education, and our students benefit from experiences in arts integration, which have included such topics as paper-making, hip hop dance and creating musical instruments from "trash."

We know that you have put your faith in us and entrusted us with those most precious to you, your children. Just as we ensure your children have the best educational experience possible, we do the same for your tuition dollars and those funds donated to the school. Good stewardship is a priority for WMS. As you consider your gift to the fund this year, please take some time to consider why supporting WMS is important to you and your family. Share your story with us on social media using #WMSWhyIGive.

P.S. Watch the video below to see why families supported the WMS community during last year's Annual Fund Drive!

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	Share why you give to WMS on Instagram using #WMSWhyIGive.

Join us for a celebration of giving!

Next week, during our Annual Fund Drive, we will be celebrating the importance of giving and parent partnership within our community.

Annual Fund Co-Chairs Mayura Simon and Kevin Kahn, along with Board members and other members of our community, will be greeting families in the lobby before and after school, collecting donations and asking each of you to share WHY you give to WMS. Responses will be shared on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter as the week goes on.

Please stop by our table in the lobby, enjoy some morning entertainment, activities for kids, coffee, and prizes like WMS swag, reserved parking for a week and free Co-op hours. Don't forget to start gathering your loose change now for the famous Meerkat Spiral Bank. Every gift matters!

Thank you to Mayura and Kevin for heading up this year's Annual Fund Drive, and thank you to our many families and friends who support the Annual Fund each year . Stay tuned for our results!

News & Notes

Learning Together

Registration for Winter 2017 is now open!

Learning Together is so much more than a playgroup or parenting class!

Based on the Montessori philosophy of "following the child," Learning Together is a program in which young children ages 9 months to 36 months are free to learn, explore and interact with others in a classroom especially designed for them, alongside adult partners like parents, grandparents, guardians and other consistent caregivers.

Registration f or the Winter Session of Learning Together is now open. The Saturday session will run from January 18 - March 18 (no class on February 18) and the Wednesday session will run from February 1 through March 15. Spots for these sessions are filling up quickly.

Transportation Reimbursement from State of Delaware
Important Update

If you are a Delaware resident with a student in kindergarten through sixth grade, you may be looking for a letter regarding your transportation reimbursement from the state of Delaware. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the transportation funding for non-public schools was not approved as a part of the state budget for this year.

If you have any questions, please contact your local representative, or you may speak to Lori Oberly or Lisa Lalama here at WMS.

Workshop for Parents & Teachers: Strategies to Increase Respect & Community Within Schools

Thursday, November 3 at 7 p.m.


	Nate Terrell, LCSW

Nate Terrell, LCSW, will discuss ways in which parents and teachers can support positive student behaviors and build increased respect and stronger communities within schools.

Nate is a licensed clinical social worker who has spent his career helping children and schools eliminate bullying. He helps children and adults work together to create respectful schools and classrooms.

Tomorrow's Leaders

Alumni Parent Profile: Julie Cooke (Mother of Chris Cooke, Class of 2011)

Although her son Christopher graduated from Wilmington Montessori School in 2011, Julie Cooke still fondly looks back upon her nine years at the school.


	Julie Cooke with fellow alumni parent Athena Ruhl at WMS's 2016 Homecoming celebration

As she looked at schools for her then preschooler, Julie was drawn to the Montessori approach because it "taught outside of the box" and integrated academic requirements with social and practical skills to "make sense of the learning." She was impressed by WMS from the start. "I liked the inviting environment and the child's ability to learn from the surroundings of the school," Julie explains. "The teachers were always focused on the child as an individual - not just teaching a massive group."

She also appreciated the fact that WMS provided a well-rounded education, allowing children to explore their interests without focusing on perfection and competition. "WMS stresses the importance of encouraging students in music, art, language, science and sports - no matter what skill level," Julie says.

After Chris began at WMS, the Co-op Program helped draw Julie into the community. She loved helping out in the classroom, serving tea at WMS's celebration of International Children's Day as the Red Queen of England, assisting specials teachers, dressing up as Clifford the Big Red Dog for book fairs (a tradition she continued for 10 years!) and chaperoning field trips. The best part, she says, was sharing these experiences with her son.

Since Chris graduated, Julie has remained connected to the WMS community. She reads the Wednesday Weekly to stay up-to-date on school news, has returned to help out as a volunteer on several occasions, and attends events like the annual auction and Homecoming whenever she can.


Chris Cooke with Clifford the Big Red dog (aka "Mom") during a WMS book fair

Chris was accepted into Cab Calloway School of Arts (CAB) as a seventh-grader and has remained there through high school. He is currently a senior, majoring in Theater. Along with participating in numerous musical theater productions, Chris is a member of the Jazz Chords vocal group and CAB's Mock Trial program. Chris, who got his start in WMS's Cub Scout Pack 1313, is an active member of Boy Scout Troop 33 and is working on achieving his Eagle Scout rank. He is currently researching colleges and plans to major in theater, journalism or history, followed by attending law school.

From challenging himself (and excelling) in advanced academic classes to helping the community as a Boy Scout to his success as a performer, Julie sees in Chris "the confidence of a young man well beyond his years with a good sense of self." She attributes this "to his youth spent at Wilmington Montessori School and the teachers and administration who guided him."

His sense of independence, which was nurtured in him since his early years at WMS, is also evident to Julie. "He is able to make his own decisions about college, be sure of himself and has no problem stepping up to be a leader in school, Scouts and in all activities he participates in," Julie shares with pride.

While she's not at WMS on a regular basis, Julie says that she is "still a WMS Mom." At WMS, she learned the true value of partnership between parents and the school. Julie remains involved in her son's education, attending school events, getting to know Chris's teachers and assisting with theater productions as a volunteer. She does this, she says, not just because she cares about her son, but also because she cares about the sense of community within the school - a passion she developed through her involvement at WMS.

"These are memories I will treasure always," Julie says.

The Wednesday Weekly shares WMS news and events that are relevant to the families in our community.

Please send submissions to [email protected] 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.