WEDNESDAY WEEKLY
May 12, 2021
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 12
Deadline to Submit COVID Test Results to Nurse Kathy
Results must be sent to nurse@wmsde.org by 4 p.m.

May 17
Virtual Admissions Open House
Noon

May 21
Deadline to Contribute Pet Supplies to Middle School's Delaware Humane Association Service Project
Read the Middle School section below for details!

May 25-27
Hispanic Cultural Fair
(Primary through Middle School)
Details TBA

May 26
Deadline to Submit COVID Test Results to Nurse Kathy
Results must be sent to nurse@wmsde.org by 4 p.m.

May 31
Memorial Day
No school or child care.


NEWS & NOTES
Virtual Family Dance Night with the Wolf Trap Institute

Join the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts for Family Dance Night on Tuesday, May 18 from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

This free, interactive virtual event will engage the whole family in dance and movement experiences that are not only fun, but also promote young children’s learning and development. This workshop is designed for families with children ages 3 to 6, but will include something for everyone, so bring the whole family and get excited to move your bodies!

Required COVID-19 Testing: Results Due Today at 4 p.m.

We are in the home stretch! COVID testing will continue to be required on each student through the end of the school year.  If your child is attending summer camp, they will be required to submit a test result by June 11, followed by bimonthly testing due on the 1st and 15th of each month (beginning with the July 1 due date).  

Your child's next test results are due TODAY, Wednesday, May 12 at 4 p.m. in order for your child to attend school tomorrow, May 13. Results must be emailed to Nurse Kathy at nurse@wmsde.org as soon as they become available. If you are sending a screenshot, please include the date tested.

Important: Please understand that if no results are forwarded to Nurse Kathy, your child will not be permitted on campus. If your results are forwarded after 4 p.m. on the due date, you may experience a delay in drop-off in the morning. A last-minute result may delay or prevent your child from attending school; time must be allowed for communication to the staff members conducting screenings in the car line.

Upcoming required due dates are as follows:

  • TODAY!
  • Wednesday, May 26 (test on or after Thursday, May 20)
  • Friday, June 11 (for families attending Camp Montessori) (test on or after Saturday, June 5)

We continue to be grateful for your efforts to keep our community safe through COVID-19 testing every two weeks.

Thank you, and please contact Nurse Kathy if you have any questions!

Upcoming New Castle County Testing Events


Thursday, May 13
  • Warner Elementary School, Wilmington (Walk-up) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • Elsmere Library, Wilmington (Walk-up) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • Wilmington University Athletic Complex, Newark (Drive Through) - 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Friday, May 14
  • Dickey Park, Newark (Walk-up) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 15
  • Westside Healthcare (Drive through) - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
  • Biblical Mission of Covenant Church of God, Bear (Walk-up) - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  • Dickey Park, Newark (Walk-up) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 16
  • UD Star Campus, Newark - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Full list of test sites: coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing-events (Please visit this page to confirm that there have been no changes to the schedule above before going to your testing location.)
CLASSROOM NEWS - As seen on Bloomz
Toddler Program
Creating Lilacs in Room 3

This April, students in Room 3 worked on a multi-step art project. The first step was to use a brown crayon to draw branches on paper. Next, the children used four cotton swabs to press down on the paper to make lilac flowers. We discussed how the lilac has four petals and how the leaves are shaped like hearts. We then used glue sticks to add heart-shaped leaves to the branches.

The children were very focused and had a lot of fun with this process, building fine motor skills while also expressing themselves through art. As the students created their paintings, we placed real lilac plants in front of them, so each child also got to enjoy the smell!

- Hillary McDonald, Room 3 Lead Teacher
Toddlers in Room 4 Explore their Natural Environment

With the beginning of May, we have been enjoying more outdoor time, learning about flowers and their life cycle and all about different kinds of insects.

We've spent lots of time in our new garden, watching our strawberry plants for new growth and checking on our wildflowers, which are growing like crazy! A few friends spread some seeds out for our feathered flying visitors. Others collected flowers and pressed them onto contact paper.

We're exploring the life cycles of a honey bee and a caterpillar, singing songs like "The Metamorphosis Song," "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Mr. Sun." We will continue to discuss weather and explore different color shades as we look forward to more exciting science experiments and food tastings.

- Leanne Callaway, Room 4 Lead Teacher
Primary (3-6) Program
Don't Bug Room 17!

In late April, we began to study insects. We are learning about bees, ladybugs and the praying mantis, to name a few. We love seeing these insects outside in their natural habitats and will be talking about their life cycles too. We know that not all bugs are insects because insects have a head, thorax, abdomen, six legs and sometimes wings - and we learned a song to help us remember these parts!

The students loved studying bees. We were able to spot some carpenter bees and bumblebees in the Peace Park. Some of us are wary of bees that may sting, but we discussed that they are typically looking for nectar. We read about how they pollinate flowers when the pollen sticks to their hairs and they move from flower to flower.

- Jocelyn Hall, Room 17 Lead Teacher
Room 20 Students Dig Dinosaurs

Students in Room 20 have become paleontologists! To get started, we applied for an "emergency fossil permit" to dig on campus. WMS's Facilities Manager, Chuck, quickly and kindly approved our application. Thank you, Chuck!

The next day, Room 20 paleontologists worked together in teams to find over 40 “fossilized dinosaur bones!” They carefully excavated, transported, cleaned, researched and configured their discoveries. It was a great day, and the children were so proud of their accomplishments. Each team member had an opportunity to perform each dig site job.

Finally, we divided into teams to assemble the dinosaurs in our museum research center laboratory. Based on our knowledge, we identified each type of dinosaur. We measured and labeled their parts and put the pieces together. Every team did a museum walk to visit with each completed (or not completed, depending on the bones found) specimen. Each kindergarten team captain was stationed at their dinosaur to talk about their team’s findings and to answer questions. The team captains were also able to take a museum walk after their presentations.

Throughout this project, it was really amazing to see the children focusing on their jobs, following instructions, working as a team and really enjoying the work. Whether unearthing a “fossil” or cleaning and weighing an artifact, our paleontologists took pride in every job.

- Marilyn Faralli, Room 20 Lead Teacher
Lower Elementary (6-9) Program
6-9 Students Ask: How Much Space is in Space?

Students in the 6-9 Program have been studying astronomy and the solar system. In Room 22, each child adopted a planet or our Sun. In reading groups, we discussed the importance of looking at multiple sources as we research our planets. Why would one source give slightly different information than another? Is one source more trustworthy? How could you tell? Some children knew to check the date the book or video was created, as we keep learning and growing in our scientific knowledge about space, or to notice if NASA or another credible organization was the source of information. This is the beginning of an important conversation about the reliability of sources that will continue through the 9-12 and Middle School Programs - and beyond.

We looked at and created some models of how our solar system works. Montessori birthday celebrations are such a great introduction: All of the children knew the Earth circles the Sun while the moon circles the Earth. We played with creating stop motion videos to demonstrate this understanding. Here is an example of their stop motion video work.

As we began building more planets into this model, one child showed earnest concern: What if the Moon ran into Mars? We needed to understand how much space is actually in our solar system.

We each painted a picture of our planet on a tile based on NASA photos. (One exception: Pluto’s NASA photo was such a blurry image that she chose an artists’ depiction of what it might look like). We then laid out our planet tiles on the property, with one step representing 10 million miles. We got from the Sun to Mars without leaving the classroom - but then it got fun. The space between each planet grew and grew until we got into the parking lot and past the front doors by the time we got to Saturn. Uranus and Neptune led us to the soccer field, with Pluto out in the woods. Finally we laid out our planets and invited our younger and older friends take our planet walk to explore just how much space is in space.  

- Melissa Connelly, Room 22 Lead Teacher
Virtual 6-9 Program
Learning to read analog clocks (a skill that is becoming increasingly rare for children these days!)
A virtual lesson identifying coins, their value and interesting facts about them
Upper Elementary (9-12) Program
9-12 Students Travel the World and Galaxy During Virtual Field Trips

9-12 students finally took their long-awaited virtual field trips with family members, "traveling" throughout the U.S., to other countries and even into outer space! Later, they shared their adventures with their classmates through digital scrapbooks!
Middle School Program
Support the Delaware Humane Association with our Middle School Students

Middle School students are working on two service projects to close out the year. One of these projects is focused on the Delaware Humane Association. Students will be collecting needed items, as well as gently used fleece or plush blankets, to bring to the shelter. Additionally, the class will spend some time there bonding with the dogs and cats that are currently up for adoption.

If you would like to contribute an item, please use this Amazon Wish ListDonations can be shipped directly to WMS. If you have any gently used fleece or plush blankets, you can give those to a WMS staff member at drop-off or pick-up! All donations should be delivered to the school by May 21.

Thank you in advance for your support! 
WMS Team Places Second in State History Contest

Congratulations to seventh-grader Sadie Heiger and eighth-grader Cooper Giles for placing second in Delaware's National History Day with their "Ether Anesthesia" exhibit.

They will now move on to compete in the national contest, which will be held virtually in June.
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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