WEDNESDAY WEEKLY
January 22, 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 6-24
DAIS Art Show
Delaware Art Museum

January 22
Primary Night (for parents of rising 3-6 students)
5-6 p.m.
Great Room

January 23
classroom start times to 9:30 a.m.

January 30
WMS Birthday Celebration
10:15-10:30 a.m.
Gym

5:30-7:30 p.m.
Great Room
Tickets on sale in the lobby and online January 22-29

January 31 & February 3
Parent-Teacher Conferences (Primary-Middle School)
No classes for all levels except Toddler; child care available - please register your child even if he/she only requires care for the duration of the conference. (Sign up for conference times via Bloomz .)

February 5
8:30 a.m.-noon
Earn co-op hours if you attend!

February 14
Re-enrollment Deadline


Another Year Older
Next week, we will celebrate another birthday for WMS - we are now 56 years old! It’s hard to believe that 56 years ago a group of parents began the small Montessori school that is now WMS. How lucky we are that those parents, led by our founder, Marie Dugan, began this wonderful school.

As we grow another year older, it is time to pause and reflect on how we have grown and changed over the past 56 years. Yes, we began in the image of the pedagogy that was created by Maria Montessori’s observations of children in Bergamo, Italy, and spread throughout the world. And there are so many changes Maria Montessori couldn't have even imagined. 

As we stand on the shoulders of the many Montessorians who have led the way for this remarkable method of educating children, we must ask ourselves how we need to adapt to the world we live in today. And that is one of the ways in which WMS stands apart. We not only hold strong to the tenets of Montessori education, but we also carefully introduce wonderful advances in educational practice. For example, children benefit from experiences in coding and using technology to design, build and implement new thinking. Yes, they can lead the way as Dr. Montessori envisioned - she just didn’t know of the technological advances that we are experiencing in the 21st century. WMS was founded by pioneers blazing a trail based on a solid educational foundation and dreaming of amazing possibilities for children. We continue that tradition today. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of WMS from the beginning through our 56th year! 
NEWS & NOTES
2020-21 Re-enrollment Forms

Please fill out your child's re-enrollment forms through our online re-enrollment system by Friday, February 14, in order to secure his or her spot for the 2020-21 school year. After February 14, classroom spaces will be made available to new families.

Please contact Paula Sharpe if you have questions or did not receive a re-enrollment letter via email. If you prefer to use paper forms for your child's re-enrollment, you may stop by Paula's office or the front desk for a re-enrollment packet.
Registration for Camp Montessori 2020 is Open

As we shiver through this week's cold snap, naturally it's time to start thinking about summer! Camp Montessori registration for the 2020 season, which runs from June 15 through August 28, is now open.

Last year, some programs filled to capacity so be sure to sign up early. You'll also get an early registration discount if you sign up for five or more weeks (per family) by March 31. Register today!
Middle School Art Show at Tatnall, Feb. 3-11

Following this month's DAIS art show at the Delaware Art Museum (featuring works from four WMS artists), all 14 WMS middle-schoolers will have artwork showcased at the Tatnall School next month. Stop by Tatnall to view WMS and other middle-schoolers' artwork during school hours February 3 to 11. A reception for artists and their families will be held on February 6.
Wanted: Your Book Recommendations

If you've strolled past the Learning Commons recently, you may have noticed a new digital picture frame featuring some of our students and staff members holding books they recommend. We'd like to expand this selection of book suggestions to include our broader WMS community. If you have a book to recommend, please contact Alyssa Novello to set up a time to have your picture taken with your book.
After-School Enrichment Program Pick-up

For families whose children are participating in after-school enrichment programs: please pick up your child at that program's scheduled end time. After-school child care is provided for enrichment participants and their siblings through the end time of the program only.

If you would like your child to stay at school after his or her enrichment program ends, please contact Tracey Gable to arrange after-school care. Families will be charged the $30 after-care drop-in fee if they arrive 15 minutes or later to pick up their child from his or her enrichment program.
Reminder: Log Your Co-op Hours

Now that we're midway through the school year, please remember to submit your co-op hours online if you haven't already. Please note: if you sign up for co-op opportunities via Bloomz, you must also log those hours online.

Lori Oberly will be in contact with you if you have no hours on record to date. Feel free to contact Lori if you have co-op questions. If you are signed up for Saturday co-op duties, please remember to sign in and out at the front desk.
Saturday Access Reminder
If you enter the school building on a Saturday, please remember to sign in and out at the front desk. This enables us to account for everyone in the building, and ensures the alarm is not set if someone is still in the building when the parent staffing the front desk leaves. The school is only open on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. when a co-op parent is on duty.
Support the Middle School Coffee Shop - Enter Super Bowl Raffle

Our middle-schoolers are working hard to open their coffee shop - a project they’ve had in the works since last school year. In order to help purchase coffee shop supplies, the WMS Middle School has organized the second annual Super Bowl raffle!

To take part in the raffle, you can purchase a square from the 100-square board for $5 in the lobby before school. After all squares have been sold and filled with names (one board was already filled, so there is a second board filling up), students will randomly draw the numbers 0-9 for each team competing in the Super Bowl and place them on the board. If the last digits of the score at the end of the first quarter, halftime, third quarter or game match the numbers of your block, you win! Your prize will be a gift card of your choice in the following amounts:

  • First Quarter: $50
  • Halftime: $75
  • Third Quarter: $50
  • Final Score: $125

You do not need to know anything about football to participate in the raffle. Students will send out the completed boards by email prior to the game and notify the winners the Monday after the Super Bowl. 

See the image below for an example of the raffle board with a made-up scenario and winners.

Score after First Quarter: 49ers: 12 Chiefs: 3 (Winner: Kyle)
Score at Halftime: 49ers: 15 Chiefs: 15 (Winner: Kelly)
Score after Third Quarter: 49ers: 26 Chiefs: 29 (Winner: Joe)
Final Score: 49ers: 29 Chiefs: 40 (Winner: Ryan)
NURSE'S CORNER
Flu Season Information from Nurse Kathy                                                                                        
We are in the peak of the cold and flu season. There has been a significant increase in seasonal influenza cases over the last few weeks in Delaware, with children being affected the most.

  • Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness that is transmitted from person to person through droplets formed when a person coughs, sneezes or talks. A person may be able to infect others as early as one day before symptoms appear and for up to seven days after becoming sick. To prevent widespread flu at WMS, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms.

Please keep your child at home if he or she has any of these symptoms:
  • Fever - a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees (Your child may return to school only after he or she has been fever-free for a minimum of 24 hours without medication.)
  • Vomiting, diarrhea
  • Chills, weakness or muscle aches
  • Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough, or nasal congestion with frequent nose-blowing

To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:

  • Wash hands frequently using proper technique - placing hands under running water, dispensing liquid soap and rubbing hands and wrists together for at least 20 seconds (sing “Happy Birthday” twice) before thoroughly drying with a paper towel, then use the paper towel to turn off the water. REMEMBER: “FROG”- Friction Rubs Out Germs  
  • Discourage touching of eyes, nose or mouth
  • Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing with a tissue or use your inner elbow rather than hands. Immediately after, wash hands with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not readily available.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

If your child displays flu-like symptoms, please consult with your health-care provider. The provider may recommend antivirals to help hasten recovery and prevent worsening of the illness.

It is not too late to get a flu vaccine. Flu vaccines are still available at many pharmacies and stores and through physicians. To find participating stores, use the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s flu vaccine finder. Flu shots continue to be available at Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) clinics. For more information about the flu and when flu vaccines are available at DPH clinics, visit flu.delaware.gov.

Thank you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as possible. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Nurse Kathy with any questions. 
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.
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