Thank you to everyone who has already submitted your 2024-25 re-enrollment forms! We look forward to welcoming your family back to WMS next fall!  Your prompt re-enrollment helps us plan for next school year, including offering contracts to teachers in a timely manner.

If you need assistance with or have questions about re-enrollment, please contact the WMS Admissions office at admissions@wmsde.org or the Business Office at businessoffice@wmsde.org.  

We are projecting waitlists at some levels for the 2024-25 school year as well. To ensure your child’s placement for next year, it is important that we receive your re-enrollment contract and non-refundable/non-transferable deposit by the Thursday, February 15, 2023 re-enrollment deadline. After Thursday, February 15, 2024, remaining spaces in our programs will be available to our waiting list of new applicants.

We value your family and plan for your re-enrollment. However, if you are choosing not to re-enroll, we ask that you notify admissions@wmsde.org as soon as possible (or open your child's re-enrollment link and click "Will not enroll") in order to inform our planning for next year. 

The Board of Directors, teachers and staff are committed to the families and students at WMS and to making 2024-25 another great school year with your family. Thank you for your trust in and commitment to WMS. 

WMS Book Exchange: Share the Joy of Reading - Today & Tomorrow, February 7 & 8

The inaugural WMS Book Exchange is underway! Join us today or tomorrow! Readers of all ages - children and adults alike - are invited to the Great Room from 8-9 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. each day to explore various books and fill up a bag of your favorites. This is a fantastic opportunity to exchange literary treasures and discover new stories. In addition to the book exchange, we'll have engaging book-related activities. Be a part of this literary celebration, share your favorite reads, and immerse yourself in the joy of books!

Donations Still Needed

We are still looking for a few more donations from the following categories:

Graphic novels

Elementary chapter books

Adult non-fiction

Feel free to drop them off today if you have any!

Family Education: ISACS/ADVIS Webinar -

Talking to Youth About Heated Topics with Rosetta Lee

The ISACS/ADVIS Parent Education Series continues! WMS faculty and staff members have all been trained by this month's speaker (longtime educator and diversity trainer Rosetta Lee) and agree that this webinar is not to be missed!

Earn one co-op hour for attending the following virtual presentation:

Young people bear witness to challenging or traumatic events in current events, media and our local communities. They are often trying to process thoughts, feelings and reactions without our explicit help and guidance – thereby increasing their confusion and anxiety. As adults, we have a natural instinct to protect our children from harsh realities while also preparing them to navigate this complex world – is it possible to do both? How can we talk about identity, difference and justice in age-appropriate ways? How do you reinforce your family's values without instilling disrespect for other perspectives? How do you coach young people toward authentic and respectful dialogue across difference? Engage in these questions and more. There will be time for Q&A. This webinar will focus on grades K-8 but will be applicable to all.

To sign up and receive the Zoom link for this event, please see Bloomz!

Watch a video message from Rosetta Lee below:

Register for Camp Montessori!

Registration for Camp Montessori 2024 is open and several weeks are already filled to capacity at certain levels! Don't miss the chance for your child to join us for a fun-filled summer! Register for at least five weeks (as a family) by March 31, 2024 to receive a 10% early registration discount.

Register Today

Room 19's Snowy Adventures: Hands-on Learning in Nature

Maria Montessori believed the natural world provides endless opportunities for exploration, curiosity, hands-on learning and development. In her book, The Absorbent Mind, she wrote: “Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur." Montessori teachers believe in nurturing each child's connection with the natural world around them. Children learn to observe, compare and appreciate the diversity of systems, species, and environments. Our students also learn an understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things. 

During last month's snowy weather, Room 19 enjoyed a hike in the woods, observing and identifying animal tracks. They also learned about other tracking skills such as looking for droppings and fur, evidence of burrows and signs of food caching. The group identified five types of animal tracks - white-tailed deer, red foxes, domestic dogs, gray squirrels and wild rabbits. They also saw the tracks of small mice and various birds. We followed the tracks of a red fox which led to the base of an oak tree where it left a hole as it was digging for nuts.

Later, the students used their scientific sketching skills to draw and record the various tracks they saw and learned about both in the woods (field) and in the classroom (lab). "Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment." - Maria Montessori