April 12-16
ERB Testing - Grades 4-8
April 14
Deadline to Submit COVID Test Results to Nurse Kathy
April 20 & 21
Outdoor Student Portraits
Read on to view the schedule!
April 22
Early Childhood Virtual Math Night - Geometry Theme
6:30 p.m.
April 23
Virtual Admissions Open House
Noon
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School Pictures - April 20 & 21 |
We are excited to share that Ann Deas Photography will be coming to WMS next week (on April 20 and 21) to take student portraits.
Photos will be taken outdoors, with the photographer maintaining a six-foot distance from the students. After the photos are processed, parents will be provided with a link to view proofs and purchase photos directly through the website. (No orders or payments will be processed through WMS.)
Please send any questions to Noel Dietrich, Director of Advancement & Communications.
Schedule:
Tuesday, April 20
- 9-12
- Primary Rooms 17 & 18
- All Toddler Classes
Wednesday, April 21
- Middle School
- All 6-9 Classes
- Primary Rooms 19 & 20
- Virtual kindergarten and 6-9 students (contact Noel if you would like your child to be photographed)
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Early Childhood Virtual Math Night - April 22 |
Virtual Math Night is back by popular demand! Toddler and Primary families are invited to join us on Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. for an evening of math fun. This month, we will be learning about geometry. Trish Harkins will be sharing a book from the author and artist, Hervé Tullet, and Paula Sharpe will host another math-related scavenger hunt. The kids will be entertained and tired before bed, and we will share more resources for parents. Sign up using the registration link below and you will be sent the Zoom link before the event!
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Required COVID-19 Testing: Results Due Today at 4 p.m.
We continue to be grateful for your efforts to keep our community safe through COVID-19 testing every two weeks.
Your child's next test results are due today, Wednesday, April 14, at 4 p.m. in order for your child to attend school tomorrow Thursday, April 15. Results must be emailed to 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:
- Wednesday, April 28
- Wednesday, May 12
Remember, tests should be taken no more than six days before the due date. You are still welcome to have your child tested more frequently and may forward the results to Nurse Kathy.
Thank you, and please contact Nurse Kathy if you have any questions!
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Upcoming New Castle County Testing Events
Thursday, April 15
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Merchant Square Shopping Center - 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Friday, April 16
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Thomas Edison Charter School - 2-6 p.m.
Saturday, April 7
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Westside Healthcare - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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UD Star Campus - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
(Please visit this page to confirm that there have been no changes to the schedule above before going to your testing location.)
Permanent Test Sites and Other COVID-19 Testing Options
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CLASSROOM NEWS - As seen on Bloomz
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Celebrating Spring in Room 3
The children seemed happy to be back at school after spring break. We read books that focused on the season of spring and discussed the changes that take place during this time of year. We talked about how the weather gets warmer, and we begin to notice flowers and other plants blooming as well as buds on the trees. When we were out on the playground, we also noticed a bird's egg and discussed how certain birds are seen more frequently in the spring.
Soon we will be focusing on the life cycle of a butterfly, and the children will get a chance to watch caterpillars turn into butterflies!
- Hillary McDonald, Room 3 Lead Teacher
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Room 4 Makes It Rain
While we talk about the weather regularly, during April we do more focused studies of the topic - including cool science experiments! "Rain in a Jar" illustrates one of our favorite meteorological events using shaving cream (or, in this case, non-toxic foam) and food coloring. Students helped to pour water into a jar and foam was added to the top. Teachers filled squirt bottles with food coloring, diluted by water, and each student used the bottle to add water to their "clouds." They then observed what happened. Some had only a bit of water seep through, while one had a big storm with a deluge of rain! Their reactions were fantastic!
- Leanne Callaway, Room 4 Lead Teacher
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Spring Cleaning & Gardening in Rooms 18 & 19 |
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Room 18 has been doing some spring clean-up in WMS's courtyard. We taught the children how to pull weeds from their roots and deadhead plants. Our daffodils bloomed before spring break, and now we are enjoying watching the tulips bloom. Betsy brought in a forsythia plant and some of the children made their own forsythia plants with paper and glue. Many children have painted daffodils and tulips at the easel.
In the next few weeks, we will be planting some vegetables in pots. Have you ever considered planting a vegetable garden at your house? When children are involved with the process of planting, caring for and harvesting their crops, they are more likely to try the foods that they have grown.
- Betsy Haas, Room 18 Lead Teacher
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Room 19 had spring fever last week! We jumped into gardening activities, named the flora and fauna blossoming all around us, and examined soil from our raised bed.
Room 19 brainstormed what kinds of things grow in a garden and then we had a great discussion about what seeds need to grow. Some of our young gardeners weeded our bed this week while others used the rakes and hoes to turn the soil.
We are looking forward to planting sunflowers, beans, marigolds and potatoes in our bed. We also enjoyed a lesson on how to use a magnifying glass to examine soil samples and find new specimens!
- Erin Wehler, Room 19 Lead Teacher
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Lower Elementary (6-9) Program |
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Lower Elementary students are continuing to learn more about constellations. What are the Zodiac constellations, and why can you only see some constellations during certain times of the year? Last week, we began using models to help us understand day and night, seasons and years, moon cycles, planets and more.
We've also begun planning to write Greek myths! We've discussed the elements of a story. What is the setting, and does it remain the same or change throughout the story? Who are the protagonists and antagonists? What is the problem, and how will it become resolved?
Of course, with mythology, there is a lot of room for imagination. So far, some magical elements children described included Poseidon's trident (which can bring water powers), magical seahorses, as well as Pegasus, fire-breathing powers, lightning swords full of electricity, invisibility, magic swords that create pearls, and another sword that "brings light to the whole world." We have discussed how to make these stories entertaining to read while remaining appropriate for school (without the violence found in many Greek myths), and I was impressed with how capably they spun stories to allow acceptable action sequences.
- Melissa Connelly, Room 22 Lead Teacher
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Virtual 6-9 Program
The 6-9 virtual learners are continuing their study of poetry. They have read and written many forms of poetry, including acrostics, quatrains and diamantes.
The students have also been working on animal research projects. These long-term (three-week) projects embed important lessons for children related to long-term planning and sustaining focus over time. A bigger project helps students to experience the benefits of tackling “a little bit each day.” We look forward to seeing the completed projects from these animal experts!
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Upper Elementary (9-12) Program |
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This week, 9-12 and Middle School students are spending their mornings taking the Educational Records Bureau's (ERB) Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) standardized test. At WMS, we administer the ERB tests for a wide range of reasons. The most important reason is that students benefit from the practical life experience of taking these sorts of tests. Standardized testing will be an important part of most students' high school and college years. They benefit from learning how to take multiple choice tests, practicing the skills of reading and re-reading questions, choosing the best possible answers and pacing themselves for the allotted time. ERB results and other assessments also help teachers and parents know when a student is reaching grade level benchmarks, working beyond them or in need of additional instructional support.
In addition to testing, 9-12 students have been preparing for their performance of the musical "Peter Pan," completing challenging math work, planning virtual field trips (to be "chaperoned" by a family member) and more!
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Middle School students' National History Day (NHD) projects have been completed (photos above) and submitted to Delaware's state contest for judging during the weekend of April 24.
Like the 9-12 students, middle-schoolers are taking ERB tests in the mornings this week. During the afternoons, they are doing math daily and working on their next long-term projects - creating history units for the class. These units will be five days in length and will need to include readings, videos, primary sources, activities and an assessment at the end.
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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.
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WILMINGTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL
WWW.WMSDE.ORG
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