WMS Wednesday Weekly - January 11, 2023

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY

January 11, 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 16

Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

Pre-registered child care only.

January 18

Virtual Information Morning for Families of Rising 9-12 Students

9:30 a.m.

See Bloomz for registration info.

Virtual Admissions Open House

Noon, Tell a friend!

January 25

Virtual Information Morning for Families of Rising 6-9 Students

9:30 a.m.

See Bloomz for registration info.

January 26

9-12/Middle School Talent School

9:30 a.m. - Dress rehearsal

7 p.m. - Performance

WMS Gymnasium

Full Calendar

Your Child's WMS Journey - Empowering Learners from Toddler through Middle School

As we hit the halfway mark of the school year, preparations are underway for next school year. You will soon be receiving your re-enrollment packet for the 2023-24 school year. As you think about your child’s next steps in their educational journey, we can’t help but think about all the benefits your children will receive by remaining at WMS.

Where else do children have such an amazing campus, a focus on outdoor education, and teachers who are ready for exploring in every season of the year? Where else are they greeted by teachers and staff who are invested in forming the types of relationships that support student learning and parent partnership? Where can children be challenged in ways that are meaningful for them, no matter their age - whether they are in the early childhood, elementary or middle school classrooms? And where can they learn more about themselves as individuals as they grow and change? Nowhere but WMS, the school where your children are known and affirmed for who they are and where they come to realize how their unique gifts and talents contribute to a broader community - the school where they are prepared for the next steps in their growth and learning.

There continue to be events this week and next that will allow you to take a look at each program. We are also bringing back The Journey (watch Bloomz for registration information, coming soon!), which is your opportunity to learn how the Montessori curriculum progresses from toddler through middle school in one morning on February 2. We encourage you to consider attending these events to learn even more about the Montessori Method and how it evolves to match your children’s needs at any stage of development. In choosing WMS, you have given your children an opportunity of a lifetime, and we are excited to help you continue to learn as your children grow.

Lisa A. Lalama

Head of School

NEWS & NOTES

2023-24 Re-enrollment -

Coming Soon!

Re-enrollment time is almost here! If you haven't heard, WMS is currently in the process of transitioning to the FACTS student information system (SIS). This is new student records system will allow your child's important school records to be stored and updated more easily. In addition, the FACTS SIS will be utilized to maintain student health records and will replace the Magnus Health system WMS has used for many years - giving you one less login to remember!

Because of this transition, we are experiencing a short delay in releasing our re-enrollment contract. When re-enrollment opens (within the next week), you will receive an email notification, along with instructions to access your child's re-enrollment materials through the FACTS SIS. Re-enrollment contracts will be due on February 15 in order to secure your child's space for the 2023-24 school year.

Questions regarding re-enrollment can be sent to admissions@wmsde.org. We thank you for your patience as we prepare to launch this new system!

Register for Camp Montessori!

Registration for Camp Montessori 2023 is now open! As many of you will recall from last year, many of our sessions filled to capacity, so we highly recommend signing up as soon as possible! Register for at least five weeks (as a family) by March 31, 2023 to receive a 10% early registration discount.

This summer, field trips will return for campers in kindergarten and older, and we're excited to share that the Dragons camp program is back, for students entering fifth through eighth grade! Our younger campers will continue to enjoy on-site field trips.

Note for Toddler families:

As we've shared, the Toddler program at Camp Montessori is open to current WMS students only. We are currently at or near capacity for all weeks. Please email cam p @wmsde.org for assistance registering your child or to be added to our waiting list.

Health Reminders & Reminders

Winter has officially arrived, which means we are spending more time indoors - both at home and at school. With this increase in indoor time comes an increase in respiratory illnesses including colds, the flu, RSV and COVID-19. Here are a few reminders to keep the WMS community healthy during this time.

Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and the flu begin), it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring them to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.

Consider keeping your child at home if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
Headache
Mild stomach ache
Mildly stuffy or runny nose and/or cough

Definitely keep your child at home if he or she has any of these symptoms:

Fever, which is a temperature greater than 100.4° F (Your child may return to school only after they have 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 blowing of nose
Any newly developed respiratory changes, such as wheezing
Lethargic or uncharacteristically fussy

To help prevent respiratory illnesses, teach your children good hygiene habits:

Wash hands frequently using proper technique
Discourage touching of eyes, nose or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing with a paper 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.

Other ways to help keep your child healthy:

Getting enough sleep
Staying hydrated
Switch old toothbrushes out for new ones after any illness
Eating nutritious, immune boosting foods
If you like, you may send your child to school with a mask if the child is over 2 years of age and can reliably wear one without teacher reminders. This is not a requirement.

COVID-19 Protocol Reminder

If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, please notify the school nurse so she can assist you with determining the proper protocol for your family. Per the CDC, if someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, your child may attend school if all of the three requirements below are met:

They are at least 2 years old.
They are able to mask reliably through the school day.
They are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Students with household contacts who test positive must mask at school for 10 days following exposure. If your child is unable to reliably mask or not permitted to mask (children under age 2), they will need to remain home for the full isolation period.

More information can be found using the CDC's Isolation and Exposure Calculator, available at the top of this page.

As always, please contact Nurse Marissa with any questions you may have. Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy!

Co-op Reminders

We are nearly halfway through the school year, and at this time, families should have completed and submitted a minimum of 12.5 hours Co-op hours in order to stay on target for this years 25-hour requirement. If you have completed hours and haven't a chance to submit them, please do so by this Friday, January 13. In the next few weeks, you will receive an update from the school with information regarding the number of Co-op hours you have submitted for the current school year.

If you are not sure whether or not your hours will count, please take a list of eligible Co-op submissions below:

Classroom support (sharing a presentation with the class, guest readers or other jobs requested by your child's teacher or Classroom Ambassador)
Family education (virtual information mornings, family Q&As, Lunch & Learns, STEAM nights, The Journey, etc.)
School-wide event support (planning committees, set-up, providing food, publicity, etc.)
Maintenance support (gardening, small repairs, carpentry, etc.)
Program support (Learning Commons work, assisting with sets or costumes for musical performances, etc.)
Administrative/office support (Board participation, fundraising assistance, grant-writing, graphic design, technology assistance, etc.)

Please note that the following types of school support are NOT eligible for Co-op credit:

Attending classroom parties or birth and life celebrations
Donating furniture and technology: As much as we appreciate your consideration, donated items such as furniture and computers cannot be included as Co-op time. We would suggest that you complete a tax-deductible donation form (available at the Front Desk) for these items. Like you, we have limited storage, so please check before bringing items into school.
Attending parent conferences or other individual parent meetings
Purchases that are reimbursed by the school (For example, a classroom's Snack Parent will receive credit for the time spent shopping for snacks, but if the school reimburses the cost of the snacks, you will not receive Co-op credit for the dollars spent.)
Donations for teacher gifts

Please keep in mind that when purchasing items (that are not reimbursed by the school) for classroom, event or program support, the general guideline is that one Co-op hour equals $30 spent. In order to receive Co-op credit for requested purchases, a receipt must be attached to the Co-op report form. Classroom teachers may approve purchases up to $100. Purchases of $100 or more must be pre-approved by the Business Office.

Where can I find available Co-op Jobs?

Bloomz: The majority of WMS Co-op opportunities (both classroom and school-wide) are posted on our Bloomz site.
Wednesday Weekly: Opportunities for school-wide Co-op participation are sometimes communicated to families through the Wednesday Weekly newsletter.
Have an idea of how you can contribute to the WMS community through Co-op? Contact your child's teacher or email co-op@wmsde.org with your suggestions.

Join Our Community of Giving: Donate Today

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.

WILMINGTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL