 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
W E D N E S D A Y W E E K L Y
|
|
In this Issue
Upcoming Events
Through May 25
Student art show
WMS lobby
May 24
9-12 musical - "Compose Yourself"
9:30 a.m. (dress rehearsal) &
7 p.m.
Gym
May 28
Memorial Day -
school closed
May 29
Sixth-grade art show
WMS lobby
May 30
Primary Field Day
9:30 a.m.
WMS sports field
May 31*
Elementary Field Day
9 a.m.
WMS sports field
*Note date change from original calendar.
June 5
End-of-Year Assembly
11:15 a.m.
Gym
June 6
Last Day of School
Graduation ceremony -
9:30 am,
Gym
All are welcome!
|
Progress
Message from
Head of School Lisa Lalama
 |
|
|
for more from Lisa.
|
The end of the school year is upon us. It's a time filled with a flurry of activities: field trips, parties, final assignments, performances, assessments and progress reports. In the last week you had the opportunity to let us know how we are doing by filling out the parent survey. By sharing your feedback with us, you help us better serve the children and families of WMS.
At the end of the year we also share information with you about your children's progress since January. All parents want to know how their children are doing and how they measure up. Whether it's how a toddler is learning to share and put on her own coat, or how an elementary student is learning math facts and writing a cohesive paragraph, progress matters.
When you receive your children's progress report this June, it may look a little different. The teachers came together a few months ago to consider changes in the report format that would allow you to more easily review your child's progress. They decided to create more concise and readable reports using bullet points rather than the lengthy narratives we have used for years. You will see these lists in all areas except the social/emotional development area of the report. Our goal is to help you better understand your child's progress, including successes and suggestions for next steps in his or her development. The new report offers the same in-depth information about your child's learning in a simpler format.
When you receive your children's reports we hope you enjoy reading about their growth this school year. We have certainly enjoyed joining them on their learning journey and watching them grow!
|
|
News & Notes
|
News from the WMS Board of Directors
Dear WMS Community,
On behalf of the Wilmington Montessori School Board of Directors, we are thrilled to be part of this dynamic school. As WMS works to prepare children for an ever-changing world, our board applauds Lisa Lalama and her team of educators for their passionate focus on the best possible experience for students:
- Arts integration and technology are energizing learning in our classrooms.
- WMS has earned the distinction of full reaccreditation from the American Montessori Society.
- Teacher compensation will be improved for 2018-19 and onward.
- Students will be able to complete their WMS education through eighth grade when we introduce WMS's truly unique middle school program in the fall.
With much thanks to so many of you who have been part of the journey, we can say that the 2017-20 Strategic Plan is well on its way to completion.
In April, our board held the WMS 2017-18 annual meeting, and in addition to presenting all the progress toward the 2017-20 Strategic Plan as summarized above, we also held our annual election for board directors. I am pleased to announce that three of our alumni parents, Calissa Brown, Susie Ventresca and Paul Sakaguchi, were elected to continue their excellent work with our board. See the WMS website for their bios.
Calissa will become board secretary, and Paul will continue as board treasurer.
In addition, after more than five years as board chair, I am thrilled to announce that WMS will have a new chair, Ann Hriciga. An alumni parent, Ann brings a wealth of leadership experience to her role as chair, and was willing to step into the role after serving as vice chair for a year. I will continue to work by Ann's side as vice chair and look forward to as many years as possible serving WMS.
We enjoyed hosting some former WMS teachers here at school recently, and one of them said, "I can feel all the love in this school." This love translates into excellence in education, child development and ultimately, a better world for all. Again, speaking for our Board of Directors, that's why we are committed to the long-term success of WMS!
In partnership,
|
|
|
Co-op Hours Are Due June 6
With just two weeks left in the 2017-18 school year, it's time to get in your co-op hours if you have not already.
Co-op hours are due June 6.
30 Hours Submitted = $0 Billing
0 Hours Submitted = $900 Billing
(Participating co-op families will be billed
$30 per unfinished
co-op hour.)
If you haven't submitted your co-op hours, please do so today via the
co-op report form
.
Field Day Co-op Opportunity: We are still in need of a few Field Day volunteers to help with face painting, supervising the moon bounce, assisting with field and water games, and passing out water ice during the Elementary and Primary Field Days on May 30 and 31. Email Jill Hallissey at [email protected] to sign up.
Graduation Co-op Opportunity: Log some extra co-op hours by providing food and beverages for the 2018 graduation. Email [email protected] for more information or sign up on the co-op bulletin board.
If you are in need of additional hours to fulfill your 30-hour requirement or have questions, please email
[email protected]
.
|
|
|
|
|
Nurse Lisa on Vacation
Nurse Lisa Chou will be on vacation from May 29 to June 12, and will return to work on June 13. Former WMS nurse Yvonne Tetreault will be filling in for Lisa during this period.
If your child will not be attending camp this summer and would like to say goodbye to Lisa before school ends, please have him or her do so by this Friday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honoring Class Placement Requests
As we get closer to the end of this school year, it is natural to feel excited and nervous about your child's next step, especially if he or she is transitioning from one level to another. While parents are welcome to submit a class placement request to [email protected], we are unable to guarantee that every requested placement will be honored.
A lot of planning and thought go into the class placement process each year. Close to 100 newly enrolled and returning children must be placed each school year. The placement team, which is made up of your child's current teachers, the next level's teachers, program administrators and the director of admissions, considers several factors to ensure a balanced classroom, such as program schedule, age, gender and fit when placing each child. We also try to spread out our newly enrolled students in each classroom to aid in a smooth transition for those children as well as to give our current students the opportunity to serve as the role models as experienced Montessorians. Due to all these things, class lists cannot be built on parent requests alone.
Class placements will be sent out in August. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Tiffany Harrison
Director of Admissions
|
Today's Learners
|
|
Lessons for Life: Taylor Purcell (WMS '06) Reflects on Her Montessori Childhood
|
|
|
Taylor as a sixth-grader in 2006 |
For Taylor Purcell (WMS '06), revisiting the WMS classrooms and common spaces more than a decade after her graduation evokes memory after memory: writing her name on the art room wall, loitering near an old locker (that seemed so much bigger back then), painting her name in big letters on a tile for the exterior WMS mosaic tree (instead of the suggested image).
"The best part about being at WMS was the community that felt like family," Taylor said. "We were close to our teachers and friends to an extent that helped me develop my passions into dreams and I still take those feelings into my life today."
Taylor's WMS days set the stage for so many of the choices she made both as a Montessori student and in the years that have followed. For one, WMS led her to her decision to become a vegetarian. When she was in kindergarten, WMS was home to pet pigs Pork Chop and Chester Bacon. "I came home one day and asked my mom if that's what she was making me for breakfast," Taylor said, referring to the bacon she was served that morning.
WMS also taught her valuable lessons about equality. One day, when Taylor was in fourth grade, her teachers told the class not to bring their lunches the next day as they were going to have a special luncheon. As they prepared for lunch that day, each student was assigned a number and separated into three groups. The students in the first group were served a delicious hot meal at a carefully prepared table, complete with linens, china, silverware and candles.
The second group was seated at an everyday lunch table and served sandwiches and foods students might associate with a typical packed lunch. Members of the third group, of which Taylor was a part, received a piece of bread and had to sit on the floor. The luncheon was designed to teach the 9-12 students about world hunger, with each group representing the percentage of people in the world who 1) have more than enough to eat, 2) have just enough (but may want or benefit from a little more) and 3) don't have enough to eat and are chronically undernourished (about 815 million people worldwide, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
|
|
|
| Present-day Taylor |
|
"Afterward I remember asking my mom if that was real," she said. "It's crazy how a lesson like that from so long ago could teach me things like that. We didn't fully understand that not everyone is equal in the real world."
As for Taylor's favorite subjects at WMS, "100% writing and poetry," she said. "We would go in back in woods and could sit there and could write about anything we wanted. [Our teachers] taught us if you can't think about something to write about, just write words in a list. I still do that today - I'll sit back and write the words that come to my mind."
That love of writing and poetry continued for Taylor through middle and high school
at Wilmington Friends School, where she earned International Baccalaureate certificates in English, history and art.
"I honestly always found writing so much easier compared to my friends and I think that's because of Montessori," she said. "The teachers encouraged us to come up with stories and use our imagination."
Taylor thrived at Friends and participated in debate, theater and various sports. "I tried every sport and wasn't good at any of them, but I tried
so
hard," she said.
Following Friends, Taylor attended University of Delaware (UD), where she was an English major. She applied and was accepted to several universities, but she decided to enroll at UD based on affordability. After so many years in small classroom learning settings, Taylor faced a difficult adjustment when she attended classes with 400 people.
"I would try to [make personal connections] with teachers and there was nothing like that," she said. "I felt like I was just a number."
In need of a break and a change of pace, Taylor applied to the Disney College Program
at the end of her sophomore year. She was accepted and spent several months in Orlando working at various Walt Disney World theme parks and attending Disney-sponsored classes.
After completing her Disney internship, Taylor was ready to return home to Wilmington to resume her studies. She's currently attending Wilmington University, where she's studying criminal justice and enjoying the smaller class sizes. She plans to go to law school after she graduates.
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 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 Advancement & Communications.
|
|
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
