W E D N E S D A Y  W E E K L Y
September 27, 2017
In this Issue


Upcoming Events

September 27
3:30 p.m.
Great Room


September 28
7:30-9:30 a.m. (adults only)
3-5 p.m. (adults and children ages 4 and up)
Learning Commons


October 3 & 4


October 4
30-Day Celebration - for parent ambassadors and new families
5-6 p.m.
Great Room


October 4-5
9-12 Overnight Field Trip
Camp Tockwogh


October 5
6-7:30 p.m.
Great Room


October 6
School Closed - All Staff Professional Day
 (no child care)


October 12
Admissions Open House
Tell a Friend!
9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.



Message from 
     
Head of School Lisa A. Lalama 
 
 
For more from Lisa, visit the Montessori Message blog.
For the past year, Wilmington Montessori School's staff and board have been busily working on our American Montessori Society (AMS) reaccreditation report. Founded in 1960, AMS advocates for quality Montessori education by setting high professional standards and supporting best practices. Through our reaccreditation process with AMS, we will also complete the requirements for Middle States Association reaccreditation.

WMS holds itself to the highest standards in educating children. We strive to do our best each day and are reminded about best practices through the organizations that accredit us: AMS, Middle States, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Delaware Stars for Early Success. As we begin our final preparations for AMS's visit (December 3-6), we will be busy gathering the materials that demonstrate our ability to meet the standards set forth by AMS and Middle States for full accreditation. To apply for accreditation, Montessori schools must first be full AMS members. To qualify for full membership:
  • Classroom lead teachers must hold Montessori credentials for the level they are teaching in addition to their college degree. 
  • The head of school must also have a Montessori teaching or administrative credential. 
  • Teacher professional development is a required standard. 
  • Classroom materials must be those necessary to implement the Montessori curriculum, in addition to other materials that will support student learning at each age level. 
WMS meets all those standards and  has been fully accredited since 1989. The accreditation process holds us accountable to you as well as the accrediting organization, and the result of each accreditation visit is a list of strengths and challenges that will guide us as we move solidly into the future. The visiting team will explore all aspects of WMS from facilities, finances and extended day programming, to educational pedagogy, professional credentials and staff development plans. As members of the WMS community, you can be assured your children are being served by a staff and school that is creating the finest opportunity for children to learn in the best ways possible. Stay tuned for more news as our visit gets closer.



  
News & Notes News
chemistryTODAY: Join Science Explorers for Crazy Chemistry at 3:30 p.m.

Primary & 6-9 families: Join the Science Explorers in the Great Room TODAY, Wednesday, September 27 for a special presentation of
Crazy Chemistry!
 
We will create exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions, examine the effects of dry ice through the process of sublimation, observe color changes of acids and bases, produce a foam gnome, and show a suspension by making slippery slime! The assembly presenter will discuss the scientific method, discuss the roles of scientists, and interact with the audience, inviting individual students to assist in the hands-on lessons.

flushot Get Your Flu Shot at WMS - 
This Thursday, September 28

The best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Use the sign-up sheet on School Nurse Lisa Chou's office door if you would like to receive a shot. 

Schedule:
7:30-9:30 a.m.   - Adults only
3-5 p.m . - Adults and children ages 4 and up (with parent/guardian)

Cost: $35 - Pay with cash, check, credit card or flexible spending card.

Get Your WMS Spirit Wear Today:
the Online School Store is OPEN
 
Be stylish and show your school spirit: order WMS logo t-shirts, hoodies and cozy flannel lounge pants through the school store today. This year, spirit wear is only available for purchase online and the store will be open for limited periods throughout the year.  The store will close on Thursday, October 5, so be sure to get your spirit wear orders in on time. If you have any questions please email schoolstore@wmsde.org.

pictureSmile: Picture Days Are Almost Here

Tuesday, October 3, and Wednesday, October 4, are our school picture days. We will be taking individual photos and group/class photos at the same time. Remember there are no pre-order forms. All children will be photographed, even if their families do not plan to purchase a package.

Make up/retake photos will be taken on November 1.

Schedule:

   October 3 - Rooms 2, 5, 6, 9/10, 11, 16
   October 4 - Rooms 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20

For more information, please contact Lori Oberly.

Message from the WMS Board of Directors

Dear WMS Community,

The WMS Board of Directors extends a warm welcome back to our wonderful families and children as we begin the new school year. Our board gathered last week, thrilled to learn of a great start to the year. It is amazing how children return to the classroom with a sense of ownership and peace, which then extends to new WMS students and those rising to new levels.  

Most of all, this smooth start is due to all the preparation by WMS's staff and teachers as they planned and set up classrooms this (and every) summer. They lovingly create that joyful, orderly realm of discovery, where children not only build a superb educational foundation, but also develop the higher orders of self-regulation and mindfulness that lead to success for our graduates. As we follow educational research and trends, all paths continue to lead back to principles articulated by Maria Montessori, with the child at the center of his or her own education . Our board members have all experienced the value of a WMS education for our own children. For our children, for your children and for the children of the future, we are grateful to Lisa Lalama, the teachers and staff for their dedication to WMS's proud tradition of excellence in education. Cheers to 2017-18!

In partnership,

Anna Quisel (Board Chair)

mindfulnessFree Parent/Child Workshop: Mindfulness - Supporting 
Inner Peace

Thursday, October 5, 2017, 6-7:30 p.m.
(Recommended for children ages 3 and up)
Great Room
 
Join the Montessori Teachers' Association of Delaware for  Mindfulness Family Night , featuring James Butler. This mindfulness workshop is an interactive learning experience for the whole family. Learn about the brain benefits of mindfulness, tips for practicing at home, how to make mindfulness fun, how mindfulness supports peace education, and how to spend time practicing simple mindfulness activities that anyone can do. This event is sure to provide tools to help ourselves and our kids be more present and less distracted.
 
About the Speaker:  James Butler works with teachers, parents and Pre-K through 12th-grade students in the Austin Independent School District in Texas. He previously taught for 13 years, primarily in early childhood. In 2016, Mr. Butler founded Mindful Classrooms and wrote a mindfulness curriculum for educators called Mindful Classrooms, which is now being used in six states, as well as in Dubai. He recently wrote the children's book Mindfulness Is .

Please contact Tina Randolph at the front desk at 302-475-0555 to register.

Today's Learners Learners
Sit Back and Watch: The Power of Observation

by Erin Wehler, Room 15 Primary (3-6) Lead Teacher

"The teacher must derive not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural phenomena. The teacher must understand and feel her position of observer: the activity must lie in the phenomenon." ~ Maria Montessori

The beginning of the school year is a high-energy, fast-paced time of the year. Students, teachers and families are buzzing about the building more so than usual. New projects and classroom ideas are flowing. So, why do you peer through the observation room window to see your child's teacher  sitting?

Primary Lead Teacher Erin Wehler observes a student at work.
Just as you observe thro ugh the window, the teacher is also observing. Observation is the essence of the Montessori Method. As a scientist and medical doctor, Maria Montessori was trained to carefully observe even the smallest details. As she observed the needs and tendencies of children in their environment, Dr. Montessori constructed educational materials to support their growth - materials we still use in our present-day Montessori classrooms. And as scientists do, she created these materials through observation, background research, testable hypotheses, experimentation, trial and error, and drawing her own conclusions.  

At WMS, observation informs our instruction, provides constant feedback on each child's progress over time, and plays a critical role in lesson planning and management. Teachers can deviate from what is expected to what is needed for each child to meet or surpass that expectation - it's how we check in with our students to ensure they are adequately challenged. 

A challenging lesson a teacher initially thought was important work for the child may need to be adjusted and revised.  For example, in the Primary classroom, observation of children's social skills guides our grace and courtesy lessons. Would the class benefit from a walking exercise to avoid bumping into one another while walking around the room? As we observe the work period, we might notice that children are actively engaged for longer periods of time than usual. Should we consider extending the work time period?  We observe each child's academic development. If we see a child who is unable to pair knobbed and knobless cylinders together, we know to redirect him to the numerical rods to provide the mathematical structures necessary for order, sequencing and exactness. We also observe independence. Could a child benefit from an additional lesson on long vowels because she was observed heavily depending on the help of another student?

Teachers aren't the only ones who benefit from observation. Younger children observe older children constantly, which is why the multi-age classroom serves students so well. Children use observation to absorb their environment and internalize work processes before engaging in the work independently. In the Primary classrooms, we often see a first-year student intently watching an older child working on higher-level math or language work and later ask to try that work. That child has memorized every detail.

According to research on effective teaching by the Education Development Trust, "evidence suggests that effective teachers are knowledgeable about their students, adapting instruction to their needs... [and] monitor students' understanding by offering regular appropriate feedback." Our teachers understand what it means for our students to be well prepared academically. But we also know how to nurture each child's individual strengths and abilities. I encourage you to try this. Have a seat. Pretend you know nothing about your child. Observe.

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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