Wednesday Weekly - May 19, 2021

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY

May 19, 2021

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 25-27

Hispanic Cultural Fair (Hosted by the 9-12 students)

(Primary through Middle School students will attend with their classrooms.)

May 26

Deadline to Submit COVID Test Results to Nurse Kathy

Results must be sent to nurse@wmsde.org by 4 p.m.

Virtual Science Night - Birding (for ages 1-6)

6:30 p.m., Zoom (Register to receive the link)

May 31

Memorial Day

No school or child care.

June 1

Virtual Admissions Open House

Noon

Tell a friend!

Full Calendar

Planning for Our Future

This is the time of year when we reflect on the current year and begin to consider what the next school year holds. Last week, we held the WMS Annual Meeting, a meeting hosted each year by the WMS Board of Directors to share the state of the school with the WMS community: staff, current and alumni families, and others with an interest in our school. Information was shared about the past year and our plans moving forward.

Each member of our community has a hand in the future of our school. Many of you participated in the strategic planning session held almost two years ago as well as the ongoing Q & A sessions hosted by Sarah Williams and me. Others of you have asked questions, shared ideas and offered support in countless ways. Your active participation in the life of WMS has helped form the new strategic plan. The focus of the next strategic plan will be in two areas: an increased emphasis on outdoor learning, employing the tenets of project-based learning, and continuing to incorporate the current best research-based practices in teaching and learning with an emphasis on children’s personalized learning journeys. Both items are in service to the students we serve and continue to focus on building the strength of our teaching staff. Just as children continue to learn, so does our staff. Lifelong learning is a strongly held value at WMS.

As we prepare to share more details about the years ahead, we want to thank each and every one of you for your involvement in the WMS community. It is through our partnership with you that we continue to learn and grow and be a strong school choice for students from the age of 12 months through eighth grade.

Lisa A. Lalama

Head of School

NEWS & NOTES

Virtual Science Night - Birding for Early Childhood Students

Please join us on Wednesday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m. for our virtual science night for Toddler and Primary students.

We will identify some backyard birds, discuss their important characteristics, learn some bird dance moves and play a round of bird-themed bingo!

For those who attend, STEAM Education Coordinator Paula Sharpe and Instructional Support Specialist Trish Harkins will share some special materials they created to attract some birds to your backyard!

On-going Precautions

As you have likely heard, the State of Delaware plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions for vaccinated individuals on Friday. At this time, WMS will NOT be changing our protocol related to masking and physical distancing. All children in Primary and older, as well as all adults (regardless of vaccination status), must remain masked on campus (indoors and outdoors). We plan to continue these procedures through the end of the school year and will be in touch if there are any changes as we enter camp and look forward to the fall. Thank you for helping to keep us all safe!

Outdoor Areas

While we love to see our families enjoying our campus, our restrictions for outdoor play areas remain in place as well. At this time, all outdoor play areas are reserved for classroom and extended day program use only.

Vaccinations

We are thrilled that many staff members, parents and older students in our community are receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. If your child is vaccinated, please notify Nurse Kathy so your child's medical record can be updated.

Required COVID-19 Testing: Next Results Due next Wednesday, May 26

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 on Wednesday, May 26 at 4 p.m. in order for your child to attend school on Thursday, May 27. 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:

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

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!

More Information about WMS COVID-19 Testing Requirements

Upcoming COVID-19 Testing Events

Registration is HIGHLY recommended. To register, visit delaware.curativeinc.com.

Thursday, May 20

Warner Elementary School (Wilmington) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Glasgow Park (Glasgow) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday, May 21

Dickey Park (Newark) - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 22

Bethel AME Church (Wilmington) - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
St. Joseph Parish (Middletown) - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Westside Healthcare (Wilmington) - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday, May 23

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.)

Policies & Procedures

WMS's COVID-19 policies are based on guidelines from the CDC and Delaware's Office of Child Care Licensing. We continue to monitor those sources for information to adjust our policies and practices as needed.

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.