Dear WMS Families & Friends,

When we ask our 4-year-old what she’d like to be when she grows up, she doesn’t hesitate: Elsa (from the movie “Frozen”)! Although we know she’ll never shoot snow from her fingertips, we also know she’ll grow up to be an independent, caring, imaginative leader like her favorite Disney character. That’s because those values are instilled in her daily at Wilmington Montessori School. The WMS model of child-led, multi-sensory, experiential learning in a nurturing and cooperative environment has shaped thousands of our children over the 60 years since the school’s founding, inspiring in them a sense of curiosity, independence, and respect for themselves and others.

This year, we celebrate the school’s 60th anniversary and the Montessori values that remain at its core. WMS has grown over the decades, with a beautiful 25-acre campus and an expanded program that serves children from 12 months through 8th grade, but the Montessori tenets on which the school was founded continue to define it. Written into WMS’s DNA are the core values of education for life, a joyful environment for children, individualized learning, teachers who focus on children and family partnership. These are what make the school such a special place. And whether you have a future scientist, artist, Spider-Man or Elsa at home, your child’s future has been shaped by this Montessori foundation. 

A donation to WMS benefits our community in so many ways. Individual gifts support financial aid, help us make enhancements to our campus, fund field trips and hands-on learning experiences, further the school’s investment in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives, expand experiences in project-based learning and the arts, and so much more. And though all families support the school with tuition dollars, these funds alone do not cover the full cost of a Wilmington Montessori education. Gifts of all sizes from supporters like you sustain the exceptional education that WMS is known for.

Help us build on the vision of the founding parents who built the school we know and love. Give a gift to WMS that will help the school thrive for its next 60 years, serving students today and for generations to come. There are many ways to give - you can donate online at wmsde.org/donate, email give@wmsde.org to request a donation envelope, or stop by the desk to scan our Venmo code!

We are so grateful for our WMS community - for our children’s friends, for the parents who share the joys and challenges of this busy stage of life, and for the teachers who give their full hearts to nurturing our kids. These are just a few of the reasons we love Wilmington Montessori School. This fall, join us in sharing your reasons on social media using the hashtag #WMS60reasons. Together, let’s spread the word about this special school and how it shapes our childrens’ lives.

Thank you for being part of this cherished WMS community, and for all you do to support our children and their education. 

Sincerely,

With gratitude and friendship,

Amelia Wiggins & Jonathan Huntoon

Parents of Lilly (Primary, Room 19) and Charlie (First Grade, Room 15)