WEDNESDAY WEEKLY
May 29, 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS
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

June 7
Child-care day (registration required)

June 10-14
Pre-Camp Child Care (registration required)

June 17
Camp Montessori begins!



'Tis the Season
Message from Head of School Lisa Lalama
"When the child has come to understand something it is not the end, but only the beginning." - Maria Montessori

As each school year begins, we can be certain that some things change and some remain the same. This year we opened a middle school program; we knew that we were entering a year of change and new traditions. Throughout the year we have met with the students in sixth through eighth grades, listening to their ideas about how we should mark their movement to the next level in their school life. What became clear very quickly is that each of them wanted things to remain exactly the same as they had been throughout their time at WMS. They also recognized that didn’t make sense. Ideas and wishes were shared and plans evolved.

You are invited to celebrate the eighth-graders, who will be graduating in WMS’s inaugural eighth-grade class on Friday, May 31, at 9:30 a.m. in the gym. You will recognize some familiar traditions and experience some new ones that are beginning this year. In addition, the sixth-graders, their families and the 9-12 community will celebrate Moving-Up Day on June 6 in the Great Room. We wish all of these students well as they move up to the middle school or on to high school. No matter where they go, they will always be a part of the WMS community. Congratulations!
NEWS & NOTES
Co-op Hours: Final Reminder
As the 2018-19 school year comes to a close next week, please ensure you have submitted your co-op hours.   Co-op hours are due June 6.

25 Hours Submitted = $0 Billing
0 Hours Submitted = $900 Billing*

*Families will be billed $30 per unfinished co-op hour.

If you haven't submitted your co-op hours, please do so today via the   co-op report form . 

Upcoming Co-op Opportunities : Log co-op hours by providing food and beverages for the 2019 sixth-grade moving up ceremony, lending a hand at next week's field days, taking care of classroom pets over the summer or assembling a desk exercise bike. Email   co-op@wmsde.org   for more information. 

If you are in need of additional hours to fulfill your 30-hour requirement or have questions, please email  co-op@wmsde.org . 
Key Card Return
If your family will not return to WMS for the 2019-20 school year or be attending Camp Montessori over the summer, please remember to return your key cards to the front desk next Thursday, June 6.
Summer Skills Workbooks
As the school years winds to a close next week, some parents wonder how they can help their children review and maintain skills through the summer months. Tri-C Publications offers leveled workbooks for practicing school skills during the summer. Please contact Laurie Orsic for more information about these workbooks.

STUDENT Q&A: PE TEACHER FOR A DAY
On Tuesday, May 21, third-grader Vivian D. took over PE teacher Jill Hallissey's job - a spot she secured (with the help of her parents) through the annual WMS auction.

We sat down with Vivian to get her thoughts about the experience.

Wednesday Weekly : What was the most fun part of the day?
Vivian D. : I liked when we cleaned out the closet and washed pinnies. I also liked when I got to teach fourth-year health. I taught them about first aid and got to show them a finger splint and gauze, what to do for a bee sting, about different kinds of burns, animal bites and fractures.

WW : What was the most challenging part of the day?
VD : I'm never good at making decisions on who to call on. Sometimes when I blew the whistle, the younger kids wouldn't listen. Now I understand why sometimes teachers get stern when kids talk over the teachers.

WW: What advice can you offer to future PE Teachers for a Day?
VD : It's really fun - they will really enjoy it. And you may get to plan Field Day!

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Jill complimented Vivian's hard work and looks forward to hosting another student next year as PE Teacher for a Day.

"Vivian learned that having a plan and a backup plan are always necessary in PE - especially because of weather and gym availability," Jill said. "She also got to experience how classroom management can be so challenging, especially when students are running around in PE. This is where the whistle comes in handy! I am so proud of her for stepping into this role for the day."
TOMORROW'S LEADERS
Math, Science and Montessori: Therese Quinn Embraces Family Tradition
There was little question that Therese Quinn (WMS ‘00) would attend a Montessori school as a child: it’s practically in her blood. Her grandparents founded a Montessori school in Media, Pennsylvania, and her mother, Michele LeFever Quinn, is a longtime WMS advisory board member as well as a former staff and board member. “Montessori is definitely surrounding me and my family,” she said.

Family connections aside, Therese credits her Montessori education for allowing her to learn at her own pace and explore a variety subjects, which ultimately helped her discover her interests and strengths. She also benefited from the multi-age classroom, where she was eager to learn from her peers.

She attended WMS from preschool through sixth grade, and fondly remembers former WMS teacher Helen Gadsby’s plays in the 9-12 classroom and learning songs about grammar and long division (which she can still recite) in former teachers Natalie and Christa’s third- and fourth-grade classroom. During those years, math and science emerged as her favorite subjects.

“I loved Helen's plays!” she said. “Despite being more the math/science type now, I loved being one of the stars of the shows we put on twice a year.”

After WMS, Therese went on to attend middle school and high school at Wilmington Friends School, where she enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball. By the time she graduated, she already had her sights set on a career in engineering.

“I always loved math and science,” she said. “I was naturally good at those fields and really enjoyed them. I also loved to problem-solve. With my dad being an engineer, I learned about that type of career early and it just made perfect sense for me.”
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.
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