 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
W E D N E S D A Y W E E K L Y
|
|
In this Issue
Upcoming Events
February 13-17
Parent Appreciation Week!
February 16
Upper Elementary (9-12) Transition Morning
9 a.m., starting in the Learning Commons
9-12 Chorus Performance of National Anthem at UD Basketball Game
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Game begins at 7 p.m.
Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, DE
February 20
President's Day/
Mid-Winter Break
February 22
Parent Education Webinar: Bullying Prevention
7:30 p.m.
Register
|
|
|
|
Parents contribute to our community in so many unique ways. WMS dad Jon O'Brien created this wall cross-section to help Room 20 students answer the question -"What's Inside a Wall?
|
Head of School Lisa A. Lalama
WMS was founded by a group of parents and is a parent cooperative school, meaning that parents are active participants in all that happens at WMS. Parents have done and continue to do so much for our school. They clean classroom materials, plan field trips and holiday parties, make copies, manage and support fundraising events such as the Annual Fund and yearly auction, serve on the Board of Directors and more.
Parents are a key aspect of the WMS experience. We literally would not be the school we are without WMS parents. It is one of the things that sets us apart from other schools.
Each year we take this week in February to honor all that parents do for us.
We begin with the simple step of putting up a banner, "WMS Parents Rock," and continue with several activities throughout the week.
We hope that you have had a moment to enjoy a cup of coffee and notice the displays students have created. We appreciate the opportunities we have to partner in your child's school experience. Thank you for all you do to support your child's learning and make WMS such a great place for all of us.
|
|
News & Notes
|
Parent Education Webinar - Bullying Prevention: Promoting Positive Relationships & Conflict Resolution
Wednesday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Presented by Assistant Head of School Laurie Orsic
Parents and teachers share a desire to promote positive relationships and appropriate conflict resolution amongst the children in their care. They are especially concerned about bullies and want to help their students to effectively handle situations in which bullying could occur.
What is bullying and how does it compare to typical peer conflicts? How do parents and teachers prevent bullying or help their children if they become involved in a bullying situation? What bullying prevention resources are available to parents and children? What classroom management strategies are in place to fortify students against bullies or minimize the chances that bullying might occur?
Please join us to learn more about this important topic, to understand prevention strategies and to hear about a range of resources available to parents and their children.
Please register in advance. After signing up, you will receive login instructions to ensure that you can access the webinar on the evening of the event
|
 |
Dads' Day - Thursday, February 23
Drop-off to 11 a.m.
Dads'
Day is next week! This annual event gives dads (and other special friends) a chance to visit their students' classrooms and participate in class activities and lessons. It is always a day the students look forward to and dads enjoy.
Classroom visitations begin at the start of the school day and continue until 10 a.m. Refreshments will be served in the Great Room and a brief student presentation will follow.
If you are interested in helping with Dads' Day, please sign up on the co-op board, stop by Lori Oberly's office or email
[email protected]
.
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Meeting
TONIGHT, February 15 at 7 p.m.
Join us for our Annual Meeting at 7 p.m. tonight. This year's agenda includes:
* The public premiere of a beautiful five-minute film about our school, created by former WMS student Lukas MacKinney
* A presentation on the state of WMS from Head of School Lisa Lalama
* Financial updates from Board Treasurer Paul Sakaguchi
* An overview of the 2017-20 Strategic Plan by Board Chair Anna Quisel
* Election of new/returning Board Members (ballots for parents are available at the front desk)
* Q&A session
We hope to see you at the meeting!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Child-Care Day - Monday, February 20
The elementary program will be beating the winter blues by taking a trip on that day to swim at the Boys' & Girls' Club of Greater Newark (10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.), so if your K-6th grader will attend that day, please remember to sign a permission slip and send him or her with a swimsuit and a towel!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Auction News
The excitement for this year's auction has started! Here is a sneak peek at one of the amazing gifts you can win on April 8:
Interested in helping with the party and fundraiser of the year? Email [email protected] for more information
|
|
|
|
|
Today's Learners
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Importance of the Third Year in Each Program Cycle
by Room 16 Lead Primary Teacher Betsy Haas
At WMS, we offer many opportunities for parents to see what's next for their child. Many of you have attended these events - Information Nights, Transition Mornings and the Journey. There are many obvious differences between our program levels, but one common thread is the importance of the Maria Montessori's three-year age groupings and the benefits of the third year in each cycle.
Whether it's the kindergarten year (in the Primary Program), the third-grade year (in the 6-9 Program) or the sixth-grade year (in the 9-12 Program), there are many benefits to children who complete each three-year cycle. When a child leaves WMS before completing a cycle, he or she misses out on these important opportunities.
The three-year cycle allows second- and third-year students to hit the ground running at the start of each school year. When we welcome returning students back after the summer, we are able to pick up where we left off the previous spring. Children already have all of the skills and confidence needed to have a successful school year (and are able to serve as role models for the new students, allowing for smooth transitions from level to level as well).
As the year progresses, third-year students continue to grow and prepare for their next program level. January is an explosive time for any student in our school, especially the third-year students. They come back from winter break ready to work. All of their prior knowledge and skills come together, and they are ready to tackle bigger projects or more challenging work. In addition, they are able to focus and sustain their work cycle for longer periods of time than their younger peers. They have gained the higher-level thinking skills and can grasp concepts in a more abstract way. For example, in the Primary classroom, a kindergartner might discover that he or she no longer needs the Golden Bead materials and can use the Stamp Game in a variety of ways, such as completing addition and subtraction equations.
The relationships that are formed between the students, parents and teachers during a three-year cycle are unmatched. As a new year start
s, the teachers have already developed a close relationship with the returning students because we are familiar with their personalities, strengths and areas that may present challenges for them. We have had two years to get to know the parents of the students as well. Developing a close rapport with the parents allows the students to also feel as though they should trust their teachers.
The older students in the classroom develop leadership skills, becoming experts in the classroom
.
They usually can't wait for this opportunity to gently guide, assist and model appropriate behavior for the younger students, much like what was done for them when they first started in the classroom. The sense of confidence children develop as leaders within their classroom community builds through each program level. By the 9-12 Program, students are empowered as leaders within the school community and beyond. During the sixth-grade year, our oldest students work together to lead the school in an awareness and fundraising campaign for a non-governmental organization of their choosing. When our students graduate, it is apparent that three-year age groupings play an integral part in turning today's learners into tomorrow's leaders.
|
 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.
|
|
| |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
