 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
W E D N E S D A Y W E E K L Y
|
|
In this Issue
Upcoming Events
September 13
Back-to-School/Curriculum Night for Toddler & Upper Elementary (9-12) parents*
6-7 p.m.
Classrooms
Back-to-School/Curriculum Night for Middle School parents*
7-8:15 p.m.
Classrooms
*Child care available for children ages 3 and older - contact Tracey Gable to sign up
September 17
Stewards of Children: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training*
5-7:30 p.m.
Great Room
(Parents who attend earn three Co-op hours)
*Child care available for children ages 3 and older - contact Tracey Gable to sign up
September 18
Welcome Back/Peace Assembly
11:15 a.m.
Peace Park
September 27
Flu shots
7:30-9:30 a.m. & 3-5 p.m. - for adults and children ages 4 and older
Learning Commons
October 2-3
Student Portraits
October 4
Blood Bank of Delmarva Blood Drive
3-6 p.m.
Gym
|
Extended Day: An Extension of the Montessori Classroom
Message from
Director of Montessori Enrichment Tracey Gable
 |
|
|
Tracey Gable |
Now that school is back in full swing, we are settling in to the new routines that a school year brings. Many things will remain the same in our
Extended Day Program, but some things are changing.
There was a physical shift in some of the classroom spaces, as well as a re-creation of the classroom environments. Our goal for Extended Day this year is to reinforce the Montessori principles practiced throughout the day, so there is little to no transition for WMS students as they move from one classroom to another.
For some children, the day is only three hours long, while others may be here for 11 hours. We want this time to be full of education, adventure and enrichment. To add to your child's experience, we are offering several, age-specific
after-school enrichment courses this fall, which begin the week of September 24.
New to this year's enrichment lineup is Spanish Adventure for our Primary students and Homework Club for our Elementary and Middle School students. You will also find WMS favorites including steel drums, soccer and various movement classes.
Registration is underway, so please sign up today.
We are also accepting registrations for our
School's Out Program, which provides child care for days WMS is closed.
As always, please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions. Welcome back!
|
|
News & Notes
|
We Have a #WMSbacktoschool Photo Contest Winner!
Thanks to all who submitted their first day of school photos to our Instagram
#WMSbacktoschool photo contest. This year's lucky winner (by random draw) is Tu Thai, mom to Nile and Rylie Hem. Congratulations, Tu - enjoy your new WMS water bottle!
|
Excused Absences for Holidays
WMS families observe and celebrate a wide-range of holidays from an array of faith traditions, such as Rosh Hashanah, Diwali and Ramadan. WMS recognizes that holidays are frequently times for families and friends to come together. With this in mind, students may be excused from school in order to observe and celebrate significant days in their faith traditions. In addition, as much as possible, WMS staff will not schedule field trips, in-school events and special group lessons on these days.
|
This Sunday: 9-12 & Middle School Art Featured in Peace Art Exhibition
|
Use Caution When Leaving WMS Parking Lot
Please be on the lookout for pedestrians using the crosswalk on Harvey Road when you make a right turn out of the WMS parking lot.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us to make WMS as safe as possible for our students and families.
|
Thursday, September 13: Emergency Communication System Test
WMS will test its emergency communication system (Blackboard Connect 5) this Thursday, September 13, at 6 p.m.
Connect 5 is used to alert parents and staff of unexpected (usually weather-related) school closings/delays and to relay other emergency information. The notifications you receive will be based on your selections when you filled out your Emergency Alert Preferences in the
Magnus Health System - options include phone calls, emails and text messages.
Please take note of whether you received test messages at all your designated email addresses and phone numbers. If you do not receive these notifications on Thursday, please email
alert@wmsde.org or contact Heather Russell at 302-475-0555.
|
Reminder: School Store is Open Through September 19
If you haven't done so already, place your spirit wear order while the
WMS school store is open. Short- and long-sleeve t-shirts, hoodies and baseball caps are available for purchase through 10 p.m. on September 19. S
pirit wear is only available for purchase online and the store will be open for limited periods throughout the year.
If you have any questions please email
schoolstore@wmsde.org.
|
September 17: Darkness
Monday, September 17, 5-7:30 p.m.
*WMS parents will earn 3 Co-op hours
What is Stewards of Children?
Stewards of Children is an evidence-informed program that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. It is designed for both youth-serving organizations and for individuals concerned about the safety of children.
Who should attend?
Educators, parents, field trip chaperones, team coaches, anyone who works or volunteers extensively with children.
Who will facilitate this class?
A trained facilitator will be provided by
The Beau Biden Foundation, an organization established by the family of former Attorney General Beau Biden after his death on May 30, 2015. The foundation honors Beau's lifelong passion for protecting the most vulnerable, particularly children.
Testimonial
For more than a decade, I've been a vocal advocate for protecting children and shining a light on the too often silent and insidious crime of child sexual abuse. Frankly, sexual abuse in all its forms is not an easy topic to talk about for many people, but without trusted adults addressing it directly and in an informed manner, the children in our lives will not be as safe as we all want them to be.
I highly recommend Darkness to Light's Stewards of Children® to all adults to help us advance this absolutely critical conversation. I commend and thank Wilmington Montessori School for bringing this invaluable training to our school community. Stewards empowers adults to recognize the signs of child sexual abuse and to react responsibly. The program is research based and it gives adults effective tools to protect children and prevent abuse. Please join us.
- Matthias Conaty, WMS Alumni Parent
Authorized Facilitator, Stewards of Children
Child care will be available for children ages 3 and older. Please contact Tracey Gable to register.
|
Today's Learners
|
Up and Down (the Stairs!) at WMS
Every school year brings change in the WMS halls. Aside from this year's biggest change - welcoming middle-schoolers for the first time - a number of classrooms have shifted around. The
6-9 Program is now located in Rooms 11 and 13 on the main level of the school, while three
Primary classrooms moved downstairs to Rooms 17, 19 and 20.
Some of you may be wondering, what is the reason for all of these classroom moves? The answer: we expanded! Adding WMS's
Middle School Program created a need for additional classroom spaces. With three Primary classrooms now also located on the lower level, plus the
Primary Maker Studio and
Spanish room, WMS's downstairs hallway is now just as vibrant as any wing of the school.
For the new middle-schoolers, most of whom attended WMS as elementary students, their new area of the building provides just the right balance of independence and connection to the broader WMS community. Middle school lead teacher Mandy Balanetsky especially appreciates the natural light that flows into Room 24. Overall, they find their middle school space relatively quiet, with "not a lot of busy stuff going on outside the windows to distract us," said seventh-grader Samantha Bargren.
|
|
|
| Middle-schoolers in their new classroom |
|
Down the hall, the Primary students are slowly getting used to coming down the stairs every morning. Teachers enjoy the easy access to the outside spaces. "You can just open the door and go out," said Primary lead teacher Erin Wehler, whose classroom moved from Room 15 to Room 19 this year (there is no direct outdoor access from Room 15).
Across the hall in Room 17, Primary lead teacher Erin Winner is looking forward to using the outdoor patio for easel and snack time. She also
thinks her students are excited to have older kids nearby. "Primary kids always look up to big kids," she said. The middle school's proximity to the lower level Primary classrooms has already forged a partnership: two middle-schoolers have assumed responsibility for escorting Primary students upstairs to after-care each afternoon.
Upstairs, the 6-9 students are also breaking in their new space. In addition to having slightly higher toilets and sinks (better-suited to their size) than in their former space in Rooms 19 and 20, the Lower Elementary group is now much closer to the 9-12 classroom, where many can catch glimpses of what's to come when it's their turn to move up. Additionally, since there are still two Primary classrooms nearby in Rooms 15 and 16, the 6-9 students have an opportunity to mentor their younger peers. "We're closer to everything," said Lower Elementary lead teacher Melissa Connelly. "[The 6-9 students] are closer to role models in 9-12, but they can also be role models."
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 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.
|
|
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
