WEDNESDAY WEEKLY
May 22, 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 6-24
Student Art Show
WMS lobby

May 23
9-12 Performance -
"Making the Band"
9:30 a.m. - Dress rehearsal
7 p.m. - Performance
Gym

May 27
Memorial Day
No classes - no child care

May 28-June 4
Middle School Art Show
WMS lobby

May 30
End of Year Assembly
11:15 a.m.
Gym

May 31
Eighth Grade Graduation
9:30 a.m.
Gym
All are welcome

June 3
Middle School and Elementary Field Day
9 a.m.
WMS Sports Field

June 4
Primary Field Day
9:30 a.m.
WMS Sports Field

June 6
Last Day of School

Sixth Grade Moving-Up Day
9 a.m.
Great Room


The Twin Poets performed at WMS Monday evening.
Elevating the Arts
Message from Head of School Lisa Lalama
This week we’ve been fortunate to host the Twin Poets , Delaware’s poets laureate. When speaking to the Upper Elementary and middle school classes, they shared information about their travels throughout the world. One of their takeaways was their experience in other countries and cultures where art, no matter the medium, is elevated to the status that we award sports’ stars in the United States. Think about that: artists and sports stars viewed as heroes, people to dream of becoming and to emulate, serving as examples to children and adults.

Most of us do not pursue the arts or sports as our professions when we reach adulthood. However, many of us participate in one or both activities as observers or maybe even as hobbyists. How does that happen? What feeds that interest? Experience and exposure lay the foundation for and capture the interest of children as they grow and learn more about their neighborhood, community and world. Two-year-olds may call the painting or coloring they do in school or at home art. As they grow, they learn that art is more than painting, and music, dance, writing, speaking, the clothes we wear and the homes we live in are all forms of art. The arts encompass so many dimensions and are appreciated on many different levels that are as individual as we are.

WMS prides itself in providing a rich experience in the arts through our arts integration focus. All of our teachers strive to integrate the arts into our students’ daily learning experiences. They teach each other by sharing the work they do in their classrooms and spend time in professional development learning more about the arts. This summer we will again send teachers to the Kennedy Center to learn more about integrating the arts as part of their practice for the coming school year. From each classroom, to visiting artists, to professional development, we’re doing our part to elevate the arts right here at WMS.
NEWS & NOTES
Running Club 5K
Thank you to all the parents and students who came out for the inaugural Nursing Research 5K last Thursday at Rockford Park. WMS accounted for 42 of the 92 participants, which earned us a special award for having the largest group. We're proud of our runners, all of whom successfully finished the race.

Additionally, Taylor Stroud, Keira Abele and Maya Connelly were the top three finishers among girls ages 13 and under, and Chase Abele and Jacob Politis took second and third place among boys 13 and under. Several WMS parents were also among the top runners in their age categories. Congratulations to all our runners!

Navigating Tick Territory at WMS
The warmer weather means we are beginning to hear reports of tick activity on the WMS campus. Although we do all we can to protect our students against ticks, we are blessed with a bountiful forest on our property, and ticks are inevitable. Please check your children thoroughly at the end of each day - especially in armpits, belly buttons, behind ears and between toes. Nurse Lisa is happy to demonstrate how to perform a thorough tick check if you're not sure.

WMS applies recommended treatments to reduce tick populations at key times during the spring and summer seasons. We also set up cones at the edge of the Primary and elementary playgrounds to make everyone aware they're entering "tick territory." After outdoor field trips and nature expeditions, teachers bring their students by the nurse's office for tick checks.

A few weeks ago Emily Marshall, an educator with Delaware Health and Social Services who specializes in Lyme disease prevention and education, spoke to our 9-12 and middle school students. She taught our students a lot about ticks in a short period of time (did you know that Lonestar ticks are about the size of a poppy seed you might find on a bagel?) and we were pretty impressed. In fact, we were so impressed we've invited her to return during the second week of Camp Montessori on Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, June 25, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Feel free to stop by her booth in our front lobby and learn some useful information or email specific questions to [email protected] .
TODAY'S LEARNERS
9-12 Musical: Video-Gamers Team Up with Mechanics to Make the Band
What do you get when a bunch of video-gamers team up with a group of mechanics? A garage band, naturally. Tomorrow the 9-12 students will step up to the WMS stage to present “Making the Band,” this year’s annual musical. Set in an auto repair garage, “Making the Band” follows the story of a group of young video-gamers who decide to form a garage band with the help of some mechanics.

As the gamers learn about the instruments they need for their garage band (drums, guitar, bass, keyboard and a lead singer), they break into familiar songs from the 1960s through the '90s including “Your Song,” by Elton John, “We Got the Beat” by the Go-Go’s and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” 

Along with learning these popular songs, students also learned dances like the twist, the stroll, the hand jive and the sprinkler. Other students are more comfortable away from the spotlight.

“Some students will perform on stage but the show can’t go on without the essential behind the scenes stars like the light technician, sound board manager, stage crew, follow spots and digital display technician,” music teacher Joe Ambrosino explained. “These talented students really run the show!”

Will the kids be successful in getting the band together? Join the talented 9-12 performers tomorrow night to find out. Catch “Making the Band” at 9:30 a.m. for the dress rehearsal or attend the main event at 7 p.m.
The Wednesday Weekly shares WMS news and events that are relevant to the families in our community. 

Please send submissions to  [email protected]  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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