WMS Wednesday Weekly - August 3, 2022

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY

August 3, 2022

A New Kind of Journey

As the calendar turns to August, we set our sights more fully on the school year ahead. One of the jobs we focus on is the calendar and events for the coming school year. We are a bit out of practice with on-site events, though are working on a schedule for events, both virtual and on-site. One of the programs that we have all missed is the Journey, which will return this year.

The Journey is an opportunity to participate more directly in your children’s learning environment and to broaden your perspective of Montessori education. Adults in our community, both family members and those new to the WMS staff, are encouraged to attend the Journey to have a first-hand look at the classrooms from toddler through middle school, to observe the children in their learning environment, to reflect on what they have seen, and to experience a handful of lessons. The thread of learning, lessons, respect and care for one another is evident as you move through each level.

Dr. Montessori developed her educational philosophy and curriculum while working with young children, noting the ways in which they interacted with their environment, their peers and the materials she designed. Through these observations, she developed an outstanding educational model in service to children, focused on their development and honoring their personal learning journeys. We invite you to set aside time to join us on a Journey this school year. The dates will be published on the school calendar and shared on Bloomz and in the Wednesday Weekly. You will definitely enjoy your trek through the Montessori curriculum, gaining more insight into your child’s learning experience.

Lisa A. Lalama

Head of School

NEWS & NOTES

Back-to-School Reminders

We are looking forward to welcoming our families back to WMS in just a few short weeks! Here are a few reminders to help get your school-year off to a great start:

Health Forms - Please make sure your child's Magnus forms are up-to-date! If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Marissa. All requirements must be complete for your child to attend school.

Classroom Placements - We are working on confirming our classroom placements for the 2022-23 school year. Please look for a placement email at the end of this week. If you do not receive notification of your child's classroom placement by Friday, August 12, please notify Sarah Williams, Assistant Head of School.

Bloomz - All new families should have received invitations to sign up for Bloomz. (Returning school-year and camp families will be able to continue using their current Bloomz accounts.) Bloomz is our primary method of communication with families during the school year. Teachers will use it to share classroom posts (including photos and video), Co-op opportunities and reminders, and school-wide announcements and events will also be shared. Please make sure you have notifications turned on! If you have not received an invitation or you need assistance, please contact Noel Dietrich, Director of Advancement & Communications.

Carline - Based on the feedback of our families, we will be continuing our morning carline for your convenience, but families will park and pick their children up at their classrooms at the end of the school day. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions leading up to the new school year!

Camp Spotlight: A Summer of Exploration for the Meerkats

Our oldest campers, the Meerkats, have spent their summer exploring weekly themes that incorporate learning about new topics with favorite camp activities like swimming, games and crafts. Campers created rain sticks during Nature Week, made alien pool noodles during Space Week, ran relay races during Survivor Week, played Fourth of July bingo for Stars & Stripes Week, painted animals masks in art class for Animal Planet Week, wrote to local heros for Giving Back Week and inspected fingerprints during Spy Week! The Meerkats have also enjoyed many camp visitors including the Wilmington Police Department, Ashland Nature Center, Juggling Hoffmans and Jungle John.

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.