Congratulations
Our very own Veena Rao (EC2) received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Early Care and Education. Nominated by many EC2 parents last spring (according to award organizers, Veena had more nominations than any other nominee in the ten-year history of the Governor’s Award!), Veena and her class were visited by a representative from the Family and Workplace Connection (FWC) on September 5, 2008, the third day of school. FWC coordinates this program for the Women and the Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and the Governor’s Office. A dinner in honor of the nominees was held last night in Dover, and it was there that the award was bestowed by
Claire DeMatteis, Esq., of the Women and the Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Congratulations, Veena! A note from Veena: “I was deeply moved during the award ceremony when the comments and letters from all of you were read. I am extremely touched to know I hold such a special place in your hearts as you and your children do in mine.”
Veena received a cash gift as part of this award and has decided to donate half of it to the school as a tribute to the children. Thank you, Veena!
Elementary I News
Attached here is the EI Class News. It’s amazing what a group of 6 – 9 year olds can do in just three weeks of school!
Tech Corner
Last week, the school-age children at EWMS and their parents signed an Acceptable Use Policy for technology equipment at this school. In an effort to keep us all abreast of technological issues, here are terrific tips about “netiquette” from Independent School Management (ISM).
Hours Opportunities
We are still looking for another parent or two to help with the Playground Committee that spruces up the playground each Friday to prepare for the next week. On a rotating basis, at the end of the day, you will sweep mulch back into the proper area, rake the sandbox, clean up outside the gate where necessary, and wheel the recycling bins to the curb for Monday pick up. This is a quick job that makes a big difference for your children’s school.
The Housekeeping Committee needs new members. This is an important committee for the cleanliness of the school, but does not take an inordinate amount of time. On a rotating basis, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, parents spruce up the steps and halls or the lavatories. This makes an enormous difference for your children as well, of course. Please call the office to volunteer.
Saturday Thanks Maintenance Day
Larry and Vivek were here for the maintenance day on Saturday. While not everything on the list was accomplished, a lot was done, and we are grateful that. Day for Kids
Allison, Channa, Kelly, Randy, Ranieka, Val, and Victoria all helped at the Day for Kids table sponsored by EWMS on Saturday. Visitors to the
table enjoyed working with the myriad of practical life materials provided by Veena, and children were glad to leave the table with a streamer made from an EWMS pencil and crepe paper. It was a beautiful day to be on the Riverfront.
Parents’ Meeting, September 25, 2008, 6:30 PM
We hope you will all be able to join us for the Parents’ Meeting tomorrow night. The evening traditionally starts with photos of your children at work in their classrooms – you will not want to miss the show. You will also have a chance to hear from the teachers and the committee chairs.
Center for Talented Youth
The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth will be hosting webinars this fall. Research about gifted students, information about the annual Talent Search, and opportunities for students and families are topics scheduled to be presented. Sessions are free, and each is scheduled for about 15 minutes. You may access more information at the website below: http://www.cty.jhu.edu/ts/webinars.html
Alumni Update
Senior, Mackenzie Snead, is both the co-editor of the Wilmington Friends School student newspaper, The Whittier Miscellany, and the weekly contributor to the learning report in the NewsJournal’sCrossroads section.
A senior at Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Kate Killheffer has been nominated for the National Young Leaders Conference.
Fellow senior Tim McBride is the Student Council president.
Following a 12-week stint as a licensed merchant marine on American Cruise Lines this summer, Kempton Baldridge is back at Johns Hopkins University for his junior year. He writes, “I can trace a lot of the reasons why I ended up at Johns Hopkins to my 6 years at EW.”
Having graduated in the spring from Bryn Mawr with a degree in History, Mary Nash Godden is happily working at the Delaware Art Museum. Witt Godden is a sophomore at the University of Delaware majoring in vocal performance. Caroline Godden has just begun her first semester at Syracuse where she is studying visual arts.
Images from
Amy Dwyer
AnimationLibrary.com
Animationfactory.com
Barrysclipart.com
E. McCrae Harrison
Gifanimations.com
Kate Frawley
Keenya Smallwood
Victoria Hostin
Assembly Line
Rabbi Michael Beals was our special guest at the September 19, 2008 assembly. He came in to speak with us about the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and how these are the days of opportunity to recognize the mistakes we might have made in the preceding year, fix them, and start fresh. He brought in a Shofar (rams’ horn) that he and his wife purchased in Israel 16 years ago and first used at their wedding.
When the shofar is blown, Rabbi Michael said we should all remember the advice given 800 years ago by another rabbi: we should think to say, “I’m sorry;” “How can I make it right?,” “How can I be sure not to do that again?,” and “I won’t do that again!” Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Monday, September 29, 2008, and Yom Kippur at sundown on Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
School Picnic
Kids and adults alike enjoyed the picnic last week. Thanks so much for the wonderful contributions to the shared feast, and to the hospitality committee for their organization of the event.
Art Program
EII (Class 5) was assigned the task of researching an artist and copying one of her/his works. This is Marvin’s take on Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Postman.”
In the course of his work, Marvin learned that Van Gogh was born in 1853 in Holland. He worked as an art dealer initially, and did not turn to art professionally himself until 1880.
In-service Day, September 26, 2009
This Friday is an in-service day for the teachers. We are offering day care for families who need it. Please speak to someone on the extended day staff if you have not yet signed up.
The Silent Journey and the Discovery
If you have not yet signed up for the Silent Journey and the Discovery, there is still time. The Silent Journey will be held on Friday, October 17 at 3:15 PM and again at 5:00 PM for one hour. You will be able to participate in either of these sessions. On Saturday, we will begin at 8:30 AM and end at about 1:30 PM. While we recognize that this is a big time commitment on a Saturday morning, we know that it will be worthwhile, and are so convinced of its efficacy in helping parents understand their children’s Montessori experience, that we will be offering free child care.
Youth CaN Café
Once a month on the first Tuesday, the Youth Can Club will be sponsoring a “Contribute What You Can Café.” It will be open for business from 7:30 until 9:00 AM in an effort to offer parents a regular opportunity to rub elbows and chat. The café will be held in Classroom 4 and will serve coffee and baked goods—contribute what you can. We ask that parents bring their own mugs for the fair trade coffee the club will be serving, as they would like this effort to be as Earth Friendly as possible. All proceeds will go to the Youth CaN club who last year adopted a polar bear with the money they raised. It being early in the school year, the club has not determined what its focus for this year will be as yet. The club has an environmental focus.
Fundraising News
We received donation checks from Target and the United Way of Delaware this week totally nearly $175.00. A further $750.00 came to us in the form of a direct deposit from the United Way. These regular contributions come from you through those organizations; those of you who have linked your Target card to EWMS or donate to us through the United Way campaign deserve our sincere thanks.
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