W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
May 3, 2017
 
In this Issue


Upcoming Events

Now through May 26 
Student Art Show
Lobby


May 4
9-12 Maker Morning
7:45-8:30 a.m., Room 30
Learn More 

Community Coffee
8:15-9 a.m. in the Learning Commons
 

May 5
Lead Teacher Professional Day
Pre-registered child-care only. 


May 11
Community Coffee
8:15-9 a.m. in the Learning Commons
 

May 18
Community Coffee
8:15-9 a.m. in the Learning Commons

WMS Running Club @ the Wilmington Police Department 5K
Race starts at 6:30 p.m.
Come cheer on our Running Club members, or register to run yourself!


Poetry in the Park
Message from 
Head of School Lisa A. Lalama
Read more from Lisa on the Montessori Message blog.
Yesterday was Moms' Day at WMS - a special day when each student's mother or other special person is invited to visit for the morning. It is a day we all look forward to and one that is on our calendar each year without fail. Last week, we had a wonderfully spontaneous activity that occurred in the WMS Peace Park; a day that hadn't been planned and hadn't occurred in other years.

April 27 is Poem in Your Pocket Day , a joyous way to celebrate National Poetry Month. Throughout the day, students surprised staff members by appearing at their office doors and sharing their poems. Short poems, rhyming poetry, poems for two voices, silly and serious poems were shared. After school, anyone who wanted to share a poem was invited to do so in the Peace Park. The line of inspired poets was long. Students from the Elementary Program (and a few Primary students) took the microphone and read their poems to an audience of children and adults. It was delightful.

This was an idea that gathered steam by word-of-mouth and a few gentle nudges. It was a way to share National Poetry Month with our community. It was a chance to be reminded of the beauty of poetry, to enjoy the expansive outdoor environment at WMS, and the creativity and wonder of our students, your children and grandchildren.

Poetry speaks to us in ways we often can't imagine. Do you have a favorite poem? Though it is now May, please share it. Poetry knows no season and the children in your life will be delighted.




 
News & Notes News
Specialty Camp Spotlight: Field Trip Camp
 
Field trips! They're a summer highlight for many of our elementary-age campers. This year, Camp Montessori is offering a new Field Trip Camp for children ages 8 through  12 during the week of June 26.
 
Each day, campers will hit the road and head to a different destination! They'll master a ropes course, bounce in a trampoline park, do hands-on science experiments, create our their own art at the art museum, and slide down the water slide during a week of travel and fun.
 
Destinations include:
  • The Westtown School ropes course
  • Killens Pond State Park (water park)
  • Delaware Contemporary Art Museum - guided tour and hands-on art workshop
  • The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
  • Launch Trampoline Park
  • White Clay Creek State Park  
Register Now Button
 
Learn more about all of our Specialty Camp programs at  www.wmsde.org/specialtycamp. or visit  www.wmsde.org/camp to explore our summer programs for all ages.

Be sure to register soon! At the end of May, camps without sufficient enrollment may be canceled, and others are likely to sell out.
makermorning9-12 Maker Morning - Thursday, May 4
7:45-8:30 a.m.
by Paula Sharpe, STEAM Coach
 
Join me for a Seussical-inspired 9-12 Maker Morning.

You will be able to try eating my green eggs, make your own butter for toast or create your own
"oobleck." You will also be able to scan a QR code and listen to some Dr. Seuss classics.

Finally, we will have our Maker Studio materials out to try too. I hope to see you on Thursday!

Save the Rain Bracelet Fundraiser - This Week!
by Addie, Eva & Lydia

The sixth-graders are making one last effort to support Save the Rain. We are selling handmade bead bracelets from Tanzania after school this week. The bracelets are only $2! Help us bring clean water to families in Tanzania and own one of these beautiful bracelets!
 
Today's Learners learner
Building Bridges
by 9-12 Teachers Joanna Breger, Shelley Robyn & Margo Long

What is Culture? Exploring our essential question for the year has provided numerous opportunities for our 9-12 students to learn about themselves, the people in their communities and people in other parts of the world.

Initially inspired by the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, we began the year learning about bridges. Students investigated types of bridges and their histories; we took a walk to explore the bridges in the Arden woods; we built bridges in class and in the Maker Studio; and finally, we worked to design a bridge to cross the stream in our own woods.

We used the Peace Corps curriculum, Building Bridges , to better understand how our own culture shapes us. This work helped students begin to understand the perspectives of other cultures, leading to increased respect for those who are different from them - in the classroom and worldwide. In addition, it provided an increased awareness of the value and practicality of social service within and beyond the bounds of schools.

Students ended the year with a study of people in other parts of the world during the Conflict Kitchen Project. Studying the fundamental needs of people in other countries led to a greater understanding of different governments and religions, as well as their cultures. Many Upper Elementary students realized that the freedoms afforded to citizens of the U.S. are not necessarily the experiences of citizens of other countries. Thanks to parent support in the kitchen, we enjoyed preparing and tasting food from the countries we studied.

Our grand finale will be building the bridge that connects WMS to communities on the other side of Perkins Run. Chuck listened to our proposals for the type of wood, design and cost. Chuck and Mike will help us in the construction stage: measuring, cutting, fastening and installing.

From building community within our classrooms to building bridges connecting people of all communities and cultures, our students are preparing to be respectful global citizens. 

Tomorrow's Leaders leaders
Featured Alumna: Iman Sultan (WMS '08)

When asked to describe herself, the first thing alumna Iman Sultan ('08) says is, "I love writing!"

Iman's passion for writing began when she was a student at WMS: "I remember being taught writing and reading at WMS with reading response journals, and keeping a writing notebook for class in the 9-12 Program."

This passion has continued throughout Iman's schooling. After WMS, she attended The Tatnall School, followed by Garnet Valley High School. She then entered Temple University, where she is currently a journalism and political science double major.

Over the summer, Iman traveled to Pakistan for a journalism internship with Dawn , the country's first and most widely-read English-language publication. Here she gained firsthand experience working in a newsroom and covering international news. The stories she wrote and edited were read by people throughout the country and South Asia. She covered a number of major news stories including Brexit, the murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch and the death of humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Along with writing, Iman has explored many other interests during college.

"I know I am a WMS kid because I can never sit in a chair too long without feeling like I have to get up and do something," she said. "WMS affirmed the creative spontaneity and love for learning in me that I've brought and utilized in the various experiences I've had, and the different fields in which I've worked." 

While at Temple, Iman has become involved with social and political movements such as Black Lives Matter and the student solidarity movement with Palestine, and also served as a peer teacher for a humanities course. This year, she traveled to London to study culture, journalism and communication abroad.

Iman says her ultimate goal is to make a career out of being a writer. She thinks it is an exciting time for the field of journalism with the rise of multimedia forms of storytelling, and she has recently become interested in visual media. She plans to expand her knowledge of visual media by taking classes in the film department, enrolling in photojournalism courses and working on building her portfolio. She's currently expanding that portfolio by doing freelance work and publishing her own articles on imansultan.com. She envisions herself writing a book some time during her life and would also like to write a screenplay - and maybe even direct it.

"More than anything else, WMS taught me to grow and to not be afraid of growth," Iman said. "I know I can always challenge myself and take risks and be a better, more cultivated person at the end, all because of the education and mentorship I was lucky enough to receive as a child."

From WMS's 2008 Yearbook:
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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