WMS Wednesday Weekly - September 14, 2022

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY

September 14, 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 20

Announced Fire Drill

10 a.m.

Students will practice the drill with their teachers in advance. If you are present, please follow staff instructions, exit the building and proceed to the nearest congregation area (Peace Park, soccer field or blacktop (by the Primary playground).

September 21

U.N. International Day of Peace

September 22

Grandfriends' Day

Grandparents and other special friends are invited to visit our classrooms from drop-off time until 10 a.m. RSVP at www.wmsde.org/grandfriends by 9/16.

October 5

School Closed in Observance of Yom Kippur

Pre-registered child-care available. Space is limited, particularly in the Toddler Program, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up online by Wednesday, September 28.

Full Calendar

Education for Peace

Next Wednesday, WMS will hold its annual International Day of Peace student assembly. This day was established in 1981 by the United Nations for the purpose of “all of humanity to commit to peace above all differences.” This is especially meaningful for Wilmington Montessori School. Maria Montessori devoted her life to furthering peace through the education of children. At WMS, this goal remains embedded in our daily practice.

Classrooms at WMS are thoughtfully prepared environments. The elements immediately noticed are appropriately sized furnishings, beautiful materials on the shelves, and neat and orderly spaces for each activity. What may not be as obvious are the practices employed by our trained Montessori teachers. Their focus is to develop all aspects of children’s growth, physically, emotionally, socially and academically. No matter the ages of the students they teach, the teachers focus on child development, offering opportunities to hone creative and critical thinking skills, as well as helping them develop relationships by building their social and emotional awareness and understanding of others. These skills lay the foundation for inspiring and equipping children to build peace. It is through interacting with and learning about others that children learn to care for them. They notice and begin to accept and understand what makes each person unique, working to accept differences as a variation of humanity.

When we gather as a school to honor the International Day of Peace next Wednesday, we remind ourselves of our connection to the world’s people and honor Dr. Montessori’s foundational principle of education as the pathway to lasting peace.

Lisa A. Lalama

Head of School

NEWS & NOTES

Grandfriends' Day - Thursday, September 22

Grandfriends are special people in our children’s lives—aunts and uncles, family friends, grandmothers and grandfathers, and even great-grandparents. Now's your chance to spend a fun-filled morning with your Montessori child and experience a glimpse into their daily school life.

Enjoy refreshments and activities, and work alongside the students!

When:

Thursday, September 22, 2022

From drop-off time (8:30 a.m. for Elementary/Middle School, 8:45 a.m. for Primary & 9 a.m. for Toddler) until 10 a.m.

Where:

Wilmington Montessori School

1400 Harvey Road

Wilmington, Delaware 19810

Event Schedule:

Registration at classroom doors

8:30-10 a.m. — Elementary/Middle School classrooms open to grandfriends for visits.

8:45-10 a.m. — Primary classrooms open to grandfriends for visits.

9-10 a.m. — Toddler classrooms open to grandfriends for visits.

RSVP by 9/16/22: www.wmsde.org/grandfriends

Emergency Alert System System Test -

Tomorrow at 7 p.m.

We will be running a test of Wilmington Montessori School's emergency alert system on Thursday, September 15, at 7 p.m. The Blackboard Connect system is used to send urgent updates to families and staff in the case of an unexpected closing or emergency that requires immediate response. All families and staff should receive phone messages, texts and email alerts during the test. After this test, if you would like to add additional email addresses or phone numbers to your notifications, please email alert @wmsde.org with the contact information you would like to add. Thank you!

Parking Lot Safety Reminders

Please help us keep our community safe by following these guidelines on our campus:

The speed limit in our parking lot is 8 1/3 miles per hour. Please drive slowly and pay attention to your surroundings to protect our children.
During car line, please stay with your vehicle, prepare your child to exit and pull your vehicle out of the way as soon your child has left with a staff member. If you need to make a phone call or take care of another task, please proceed carefully to a parking spot to allow the car line to keep moving.
If you are in the Primary car line, please keep the entryway to the Toddler drop-off area open so Toddler families can make the turn toward the Toddler Playground. Stay to the right so Elementary/Middle School families can pass to your left.
Elementary families - Please follow the car line around the Peace Park - do not cut through the gravel area. This is a safety issue. Please pull all the way to the end of the sidewalk near your entrance to allow more families to line up behind you. Do NOT park your vehicle and have your child walk to the door.
Doors will close promptly at 8:30 a.m. for Elementary/Middle School, 8:45 a.m. for Primary and 9 a.m. for Toddlers - if you arrive after that, please park your vehicle and walk your child to their classroom.

Thank you for helping us keep our parking lot safe!

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