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W E D N E S D A Y W E E K L Y
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In this Issue
Upcoming Events
Classes resume!
January 12
Admissions Open Houses
9:30 a.m. & 5 p.m.
Tell a friend!
January 13
Financial Aid Deadline for Returning Families
Learn More
January 16
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
No school.
January 17
Webinar: Summer at WMS
7:30 p.m.
Learn More
January 18
Information Night for Parents of Rising 6-9 Students
5-6 p.m.
Great Room
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Head of School Lisa A. Lalama
Happy New Year! As we return from our winter break, it is time to settle into the new year, bringing with us the habits and lessons from the old one. January allows us all to hit reset and begin anew. It offers us new opportunities and fresh beginnings.
One of the things we notice each January at WMS is that students come back ready to work. They have enjoyed their vacation, spending time with family and friends, and a break from their routine. However, like most of us, they are ready to return to their routine. And the beauty of returning to school in January is that students are familiar with the routine. They know where things are, what is expected and how the days and weeks flow. They can settle in, spend time with their classmates and teachers and get down to the business of learning. The time from January through spring break is often the most productive time in a school. Perhaps it's because there isn't the distraction of warm sunny days, the summer we've left behind or the one looming ahead of us. The reasons are unclear, but the fact remains that students want to work. They want to master a material or lesson they may find a bit challenging. They want to find answers to the questions that have previously eluded their understanding. They delight in the lessons ahead and their ability to move forward, adding to their knowledge.
As we begin this great cycle of work, our staff has come back ready to provide the experiences that ignite that passion for learning. They have taken a break, though most have also spent a great deal of time over the break thinking about what's next. They also are ready to return to the routine of school and delight in the promise of curiosity, exploration and discovery. Welcome to 2017 and all that it offers us as a community of learners.
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News & Notes
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Important Reminder
Financial Aid Application Deadline Quickly Approaching
Our 2017-18 Financial Aid application is now open.
All application materials,
including 2015 tax returns, must be received and processed through the FAST system by Friday, January 13, to be eligible for our first round of decisions.
Because funds are limited and demand is high, late filing of materials may result in non-renewal of a financial aid grant.
For more information, please contact
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Parent Education Webinar:
Summer Programs Primer/Camp Montessori
Presented by Cass Winner (Director of Extended Day & Camp Programs) &
Erin Winner (Lead Primary Teacher)
Tuesday, January 17 at 7 p.m.
Dreaming of summer? So are we!
If the cold wind is getting you down, tune in to discuss what to look for in a summer camp program and what Camp Montessori has to offer families in 2017.
This year, Camp Montessori will feature our campers' all-time favorite specialty programs including archery, three levels of coding/programming and our "Showstoppers" performing arts camp - along with the new Field Trip camp, featuring a week of day trips to local destinations.
In addition to our specialty programs, all first-grade and older campers will participate in Afternoon Electives, choosing each week from a new list of focused options such as Olympic Sports, Stream Team, LEGO, Yoga and Chemistry Wizards.
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Register for after-school enrichment programs!
A new year means new after-school activities, and the time to
sign up is now!
Basketball starts next week, and the other great options - Crime Scene Capers, Art Masters, Yoga, LEGO Builders, Tennis, Creative Movement and more - begin soon after that. Don't miss this opportunity to get high-quality programming in the most convenient of locations: WMS!
If you are going to register online and have used our Active online system in the past, please note that this is a new system, but your information is still in there! You will just need to use your email address as your username and click "forgot password" (even if you remember your old one!). This system requires you to set a new one, but then all you'll need to do is choose your program.
Feel free to call or email
Cass Winner with any questions!
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Today's Learners
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Staying Active in the Cold Winter Months: A Look into PE Class During the Winter
by Physical Education Teacher Jill Hallissey
 As the temperature begins to drop, you may notice that some children begin to show signs of winter boredom. After so much time indoors, everyone (children and adults alike) is bound to get a little stir crazy at some point. During these cold, dreary months, it is especially important to stay active to avoid the "winter blues." According to the Mayo Clinic, sunlight triggers a response from our retinas to increase levels of serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that plays a major role in balancing our mood, anxiety and happiness. With less sunlight and outdoor time in the winter, these dark months can have pretty harsh effects on our daily life. Science shows that the reduced level of sunlight can disrupt your body's internal clock, leaving you sluggish and maybe even a little sad. Daily exercise during the winter can help stimulate and balance out serotonin levels.
Over the last few weeks in PE class, we have done some great activities that can be easily translated into your own home for the whole family on those frigid days. Students in both the 6-9 and 9-12 Programs have participated in our "Fitness is Fun" unit. During this unit, the focus was on enjoying many different forms of fitness. Children were exposed to new and exciting exercises as well as some of their known favorites. One day consisted of a fitness circuit, during which students rotated through eight different exercises. These stations included resistance bands, running, jump rope, medicine ball, agility ladder, planks, box jumps and burpees. Students had a few minutes to explore each station, and we shared our favorites. We also discussed the four basic components of exercise: strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. Students can now classify the exercises that they love.
With the Summer Olympics happening this year, I decided to do a day of "PE Olympic games." Students participated in pairs and had a score card. They traveled at their own pace to various "events," such as push-ups, long jump, jumping rope, sit-ups, plank holds, bean bag toss and even curling. Students recorded their results on the scorecards.
We also spent a day doing a "Cardio Treasure Hunt." About 45 cones were scattered throughout the gym, all with a small piece of paper hidden underneath. Each of the papers featured an exercise. Students would race back to their group, and everyone had to complete their exercise in order to continue. The goal was to "collect" as many exercises as possible within the allotted time. This activity also included a little bit of a memory challenge, as students had to pay attention to what cones have already been visited so they didn't waste time picking up empty cones.
One of my favorite days is yoga day! Students meet in the Great Room, with calm music playing in the background and the lights off, and we remove our shoes. We spend time discussing the many great benefits of yoga and learn how to do big belly breaths in and out of our nose. We cycle through various standing and sitting poses. At the end of class, some students get an opportunity to come to the front of the class and teach us their favorite pose. During the last 8 to 10 minutes of class, we simply lie on our backs with our eyes closed. We lay as still as possible, without making any noise, and just focus on the calming music. I tell the children to envision something that makes them feel peaceful and happy. It is a great moment to just shut off our minds and forget about any worries. Some students even end up falling asleep!
On those blistering cold days when everyone is feeling a little cooped up inside, consider allowing your children to organize their own fitness circuits, create a simple Olympic scorecard or have a fitness scavenger hunt. You can even find some calming yoga music and poses on YouTube. Encourage your children to show you what they have learned and enjoy. They will love sharing with you and having you join in their fun.
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 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.
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