Wilmington Montessori School
Today’s Learners; Tomorrow’s Leaders.
ANNUAL REPORT | September 1, 2017 – August 31, 2018
Cover art: Room 16’s 2017 auction gift — paint on canvas
OUR MISSION
W
ilmington Montessori School is a collaborative learning community rooted in Montessori principles, inspiring the joyful discovery of self and a passion for learning and independent thinking. We empower children to be knowledgeable and responsible contributors to the global community.
A MESSAGE FROM
Lisa A. Lalama & Ann Hriciga
Dear WMS Families and Friends,
W
hat a year of growth and change! As you have probably heard, the 2017-18 school year began with the exciting announcement that we would be opening a middle school program at WMS. Many of you have asked for this over the years, and we were thrilled to finally extend our educational program through eighth grade. The year was spent preparing for the September 2019 launch of the program, and as we began our 55th school year, we welcomed our first middle school class to WMS. The beginning of our middle school program meant the class of 2018 was the last group of sixth-graders to graduate from WMS. It was bittersweet, though the great news is that most of those graduates now attend seventh grade at WMS. These students have already strengthened and enriched our community, serving as role models for our younger students. Each afternoon, many of our Primary students eagerly anticipate being escorted to after-school child care by middle school students. We look forward to continuing to watch our seventh- and eighth-graders grow and learn until they are ready to enter high school. This was also a year of introspection. We looked closely at all aspects of WMS as we spent much of the year working toward becoming re-accredited by the American Montessori Society (AMS) and Middle States Association. We are pleased to say that we met the rigorous criteria required by these organizations and are a fully accredited school through 2025. Thank you to everyone who participated in this process.
Assamese dance, and we had the tremendous opportunity to see their performance at the Grand Opera House. Six more teachers attended training at the Kennedy Center over the summer and have brought back lessons and strategies to integrate the arts in their classrooms and throughout the school. From toddlers learning about arctic animals through yoga poses to Lower Elementary students sharing a Great Lesson through music, movement and art, the arts remain part of daily life at WMS at every program level. In addition, the strategic plan focused on teacher excellence. We spent a great deal of time conducting research about the best ways to improve our teacher compensation and are happy to report the WMS board of directors committed to improving teacher salaries and increasing the professional development budget. The final goal of our strategic plan was to strengthen our school’s long-term financial position. Once again the board of directors rose to the challenge and conducted a quiet campaign to approach long-standing supporters of WMS, asking them to help us fund the initiative to pay off the mortgage on our property. We successfully achieved this goal and celebrated with a “burn the mortgage” event at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year.
2018 saw the conclusion of our strategic plan with all of its goals successfully completed. In addition to opening the middle school, we continued to integrate the arts at WMS. Student performances included the annual 9-12 talent show and the spring show, “Compose Yourself,” along with the 6-9 winter performance of “On With the Snow” and our Primary students’ “Dreams & Lullabies” concert. We welcomed visiting artists from Assam, India, to teach us about storytelling and annual report 2017-18
•
1
All of these accomplishments were made possible through your support and involvement in the WMS community. From our newest alumni who participated in the Alumni Amazing Race in December 2017 to those of you who kindly shared your experiences with the AMS accreditation team to everyone who contributed time, energy and financial support: We could not do it without you. We’re looking forward to beginning our next strategic planning process in 2019 and are eager to share aspects of that plan with you over the coming year. We appreciate your continued involvement with WMS and welcome a visit from you at any time. You are WMS, and we are happy you are a part of our community. Best,
Lisa A. Lalama Head of School
Ann Hriciga Chair, Board of Directors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ann Hriciga, Chair Calissa Brown Israel Floyd Lisa Hastings-Sheppard Sharon Miller Anna Quisel Paul Sakaguchi Stephanie Simms Mayura Simon Susie Ventresca Zehra Wamiq ADVISORY BOARD Guliana de Grazia Audrey Doberstein Marie M. Dugan Harry G. Haskell, Jr. Michèle LeFever Quinn Nancy Karibjanian Deborah Murray-Sheppard William Ryan
2
•
wmsde.org
MARIA LEPORE-STEVENS (WMS ’01):
Leading People With Visual Impairments To Success
M
aria Lepore-Stevens vividly recalls the moment she decided she wanted to be a teacher. She was learning about decimals as a 9-12 student at WMS. “My teacher, Natalie [Marchiani], took a test tube set with beads, and took out a ones bead,” Maria said. “She said, ‘This is one. What if I were to cut it?’ She takes the bead, cuts it with a knife and 10 tenths beads just flew at us. I’m sure they were just in her hand, but at the time it seemed like magic. And in that moment, I understood decimals.” Inspired by that math lesson, Maria knew she wanted to be able to create those same moments for students as a teacher. More than 20 years later, Maria has made that ambition a reality. However, she’s not a classroom teacher in any traditional sense. Maria currently juggles two teaching roles — one as an orientation and mobility instructor for the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired and another as an adjunct professor of kinesiology at West Chester University (WCU). It seems an unlikely outcome for someone who originally planned to teach math. However, Maria’s involvement with Camp Abilities — a weeklong educational sports camp for children who are visually
JOIN US!
“[WMS] gave me a respect-everyone-butquestion-everything attitude, for better or for worse.” impaired — propelled her toward a career in orientation and mobility. Maria’s mother, Monica Lepore, co-founded Camp Abilities in Brockport, New York, in 1996. Maria began helping at Camp Abilities that summer, and has been involved every summer since. Camp Abilities has grown from that first camp in Brockport to 29 camps in the United States and around the world, including sites in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ireland and Portugal. As the program expanded, Maria accompanied her mother to new sites — from Alaskan villages to Native American reservations in Arizona — where she volunteered with various programs and interacted with blind children from many different backgrounds.
We love to hear from our alumni! Please send your news to alumni@wmsde.org. annual report 2017-18
•
3
Maria with her mother, Monica; Maria as a WMS sixth-grader (from the 2000-01 WMS yearbook)
As a teenager, Maria started working as a counselor, and she now serves as the camp director for the Delaware and Tucson, Arizona, Camp Abilities locations. Maria attended WMS from kindergarten through sixth-grade — an experience she considers instrumental in encouraging her independence and self-advocacy. “[WMS] gave me a respect-everyone-but-question-everything attitude, for better or for worse,” she said. By the time she graduated in 2001, Maria was already focused on math and science. She attended St. Mary Magdalen for middle school and Padua Academy for high school, where she got involved with the Science Olympiad program. Since her mother was a professor at WCU, her decision about where to attend college was easy. Thinking she wanted to become a math teacher, she enrolled at WCU as a math education major. But she soon switched to health and physical education when she realized she wanted to focus on orientation, mobility and special education for children with visual impairments. “I had been interested in teaching orientation and mobility since high school,” she said. “During my junior year of college, I realized that I was more interested in orientation and mobility than teaching math. I realized that health and physical education was better preparation for an orientation and mobility career than math ed.”
“Schools should be teaching students to be self-reliant — I think that’s a total Montessori thing.” 4
•
wmsde.org
After earning her degree in health and physical education, Maria immediately began a graduate program in special education with a specialization in visual impairment at the University of Arizona. She returned to Pennsylvania in 2013 after completing her master’s degree program, and started work a year later as an orientation and mobility specialist for Delaware Health and Social Services’ Division for the Visually Impaired (DVI). In this role, Maria teaches children who are blind how to get around. She visits children in their schools or homes, depending on their ages. “Movement and travel skills — it’s physical therapy, occupational therapy and education combined,” she said. “One of my proudest moments was a high school student learning a route from a local DART bus stop to Starbucks in order to bring a friend with a visual impairment out for coffee independently.” In addition to her job at DVI, Maria currently teaches disability studies classes at WCU. Since 2017, she has also been pursuing her doctoral degree in education at WCU, which she is due to complete next year. Even now, almost 20 years since she graduated from WMS, she traces some of the influence for her dissertation — about the self-determination of students with visual impairments — back to her Montessori roots. “Schools should be teaching students to be self-reliant — I think that’s a total Montessori thing,” she said. “My WMS background set the stage for me as to why self-determination and self-sufficiency is so important.”
Maria with former WMS 9-12 teacher Natalie Marchiani
ANNUAL FUND 2016-17
Wilmington Montessori School would like to thank the following donors for their support of the 2017-18 Annual Fund (as of August 31, 2018). With your help, we raised more than $87,000 to support ongoing professional development, technology and arts enhancements, financial aid and many other operating expenses that are not covered by the cost of tuition. Thank you to our 2017-18 Annual Fund Co-Chairs Kevin Kahn and David Kubacki for their leadership and commitment to Wilmington Montessori School. World Globe Friend ($5,000 and above) Anonymous The Lintner Family The Quisel Snyder Family William P. Roberts, III Golden Bead Friend ($2,500 to $4,999) Ann Hriciga and Mike Coughlin Joe Nemecz and Nancy Karibjanian Christine and Garrett Moritz Patricia Scott Pink Tower Friend ($1,000 to $2,499) Maurice Amado Foundation Allan, Calissa and Laurel Brown Grace, David and Olivia Kubacki Sharon E. Miller Pam and Jeffrey Politis William T. Ryan III Paul Sakaguchi Robert and Kathleen Siegfried Geoffrey and Mayura Simon Elizabeth W. Snyder Geometric Solid Friend ($500 to $999) Anonymous Ford and Marie Downes Rick and Esther Downes Mr. and Mrs. Francis Julian
Ken and Mary Louise Kubacki Lisa A. Lalama Zollie McClary XXIV John and Jonathan O’Brien The Sultan Family James Wake and Priya Bhatia Trinomial Cube Friend ($250 to $499) Michael and Becky Allen Kevin and Brenda Cole The Delport Family Jim and Helen Fath Israel and Patricia Floyd Bob and Sue Gildea Becca and Rick Gulino Mary and Henry Hirschbiel Augustus Jones and Christina Paez The Kahn Family Neil, Joanie, Matt and Lauren Kalin Colleen M. Lamiet Kate Tullis and Phillip Liu Nancy and Rick Oddo Kent Quisel Susan Ventresca and David Ropars Lisa and David Sheppard Zhen Xu and Shaorong Chen Brown Stairs Friend ($100 to $249) The Amin Family Anonymous Marybeth Auld Natalie W. Aussprung Trish Bradley Mr. Henry I. Brown III Jason, Stephanie and Viviana Chapman Maggie and J.C.* Chevrier Lynda Coan The Conaty Family Dr. Thomas and Martha Conaty Chuck Connor annual report 2017-18
•
5
George and Barbara Datto Robert and Nancy Dietrich Noel Sarah Dietrich Family of Campbell Ebling Richard Emge and Betsy Power The Fox Family Bobby and Chelsea Gildea Gram and Grampa Grasso Verne and Julie Harnish Martin and Tiffany Harrison The Honaker Family Lamont and LaKeetra Josey Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Kahn, Sr. Anya Kay Judith and Tim Kane Rosemary Killian Dr. and Mrs. Lazarus M. Kirifides Laura and Ted Kirkpatrick Randy and Kathy Labar Kelly and Jon Lambiras J. Travis and Rebecca Laster Mary and Matthew Lo Nora and Jim Lober Alison Mack and Anthony Kinney Mary Maloney Huss and Benjamin Goldstein The Honorable Jane P. Maroney Mark W. Murray
6
•
wmsde.org
Laura Z. Orsic The Pachowka Family David Paul and Kathy Klein Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Petrillo The Shweiki Family Jacob Shweiki Yasha and Jaron Simms Beth and Don Stookey Pat Sumner Barb Trotto Sarah Williams Dallas and Linda Winslow The Zankowsky Family Friends of WMS (Up to $99) Joseph Abele and Sara Weymouth Jake Allinson Joe Ambrosino RenĂŠe Anderson Anonymous The Banks Family Joan and Rob Beatson Thomas Randall and Jacqueline Betancourt Ramesh and Rajani Bhatia Nola Brown Patricia Callaway and Malcolm Christoph Lisa Chou Hilde Colton The Connelly Family Brian and Megan Crawford The Dakin Family Giuliana de Grazia Vivian Downes Sharon Entzminger The Faralli Walsh Family Kirsti Forrest Roan Gildea The Green Family Brian and Susan Greenberg Jocelyn Hall The Harris Family Albert and Akua Hutchful Lindsay Johnson Shelby and Brian Kaufman Beverly Lewis Ben Loder The Long Family Lisa and Joe Martin Sandy and Gerry McVey Mr. Elan Moritz Phoebe, Alex and Camille Moritz Bilal and Kristin Motley Laurie Muhlbauer
Yvonne Nass Alyssa Novello Andre and Elizabeth Odom Emmy Pittarelli The Pogue Family Andrew Quinn Elaine and Michael Reilly The Reiters Wanda L. Rhodes Chris and Krista Rossetti Samantha Russell The Latina Saarloos Family Luke Scheuer Loretta and Jim* Schneider The Skouvakis Family Mr. and Mrs. Drew Sloan Susan Strauss The Strouds Assad Sultan Ed Swager, Jr. Greta Swager Yvonne Tetreault Laird and Jessica Townsend Ed and Janet Tyczkowski Erin Facciolo Wehler Erin Winner Cass Winner WMS Staff The Zogby Family In Honor of Colin and Ethan Campbell Jill Campbell
In Honor of August and Theodore Donovan Alan and Gloria Lyles In Honor of Marie M. Dugan Joyce and Don Hutchison Judith McCartin Scheide Abigail Quandt and Don Potter In Honor of Max and Will Fox Ray and Nancy Fox In Honor of Kimberly Sullivan Giles The Giles Family In Honor of Justin Holbrook, Teacher of the Year, Baltimore School District Marie M. and George Dugan In Honor of Augustus L. Jones III S. A. Jones In Honor of Addie Laster Drs. James and Madlon Laster In Honor of Paige Lucarelli Anonymous We deeply regret any errors or omissions. Please notify Lori Oberly, Development Assistant, of any corrections at 302-475-0555 or giving@wmsde.org.
In Honor of Avigail and Judah Dadone Dr. and Mrs. Henry Weiner In Honor of Angela Datto Mr. and Mrs. Leon Janns *Deceased
annual report 2017-18
•
7
In Honor of Jackson A. Reeves LaDell B. Reeves
In Memory of Dolores Morra The Garvin Family
In Honor of Sophia Russial Anonymous
In Memory of Everett B. Roane - Grandfather Dr. Olivia D. Roane
In Honor of Katrina, Arielle and Nicky Sotiropoulos Nick and Sue Sotiropoulos
Corporations, Foundations and Government Amazon DBA Community Recycling General Mills Box Tops for Education Goodshop Little Nest Portraits Network For Good
In Honor of the 9-12 Teachers, Students, Porkchop & Chester Bacon Anand In Honor of Aiden Widdoes Fallon Gilbert In Honor of Zane D. Wilson Darla F. Wilson In Memory of Mark Bomgardner Kathryn Lloyd and Kerwin Dobbs In Memory of Richard Coyle Susan Coyle In Memory of Helen Gadsby John and Sherry Goodill In Memory of Mr. & Mrs Shew Him Louie Anita Louie In Memory of Jane Miner Marybeth Auld Romeo and Mary Ellen Galasso Trish Harkins Cathy Simon-Cord The Wiggins Family Neil Yoskin
8
•
wmsde.org
Matching Gifts BlackRock, Inc. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Wells Fargo Matching Gift Program W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Sixth-Grade Class Gift The WMS Class of 2018 gifted the school with new picnic tables, which are located in the Peace Park. This additional outdoor seating provides more space for students to enjoy lunch outside and gather for outdoor lessons, and for future students and families to comfortably enjoy our campus. Thank you, Class of 2018! WMS Class of 2018 Jack Allen Cate Conaty Brandon Jones Angelica Martin Logan Ranji Samantha Russell William Snyder Ella Walsh
MORTGAGE CAMPAIGN 2018 Thanks to generous support and contributions from board members and other long-time friends of WMS, our school marked a milestone in 2018: our building’s mortgage was paid in full. In 1999, WMS began a $2.3 million construction project to add the Great Room and additional classrooms. We continued to make monthly mortgage payments toward this project until last year. Paying off our mortgage returns $200,000 to our annual operating budget, which has allowed us to increase teacher salaries and significantly improve our school’s financial outlook. Thank you to the following donors who helped fund the final mortgage payment. Anonymous Boeing (Match) Calissa, Allan and Laurel Brown Kevin and Brenda Cole Marie M. and George Dugan Israel and Patricia Floyd Allan and Judy Gregory The Hayman Family Ann Hriciga and Mike Coughlin Ivy Spatafora Family Dr. & Mrs Horatio C. Jones III The Kang Family
Michèle LeFever Quinn in honor of Marie Dugan Zollie McClary XXIV Sharon E. Miller Pam and Jeffrey Politis The Quisel Snyder Family William P. Roberts, III Athena and David Ruhl William T. Ryan III Paul Sakaguchi Lisa and David Sheppard Mayura and Geoffrey Simon The Sultan Family
annual report 2017-18
•
9
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 2017-18
T
he 2017-18 fiscal year was another strong year for Wilmington Montessori School. Generous donors and board commitment allowed WMS to pay off the mortgage on our campus. WMS is now debt-free. The administration and board worked together to balance revenue and spending, which generated a modest operating surplus. We spent $156,000 on capital improvements, including renovations for our new WMS middle school classrooms, and to improve and enhance our facility. These improvements would not be possible without the support of the foundations and donors that contribute to WMS. We are thankful to everyone in our community and the many ways they provide support.
SOURCES OF FUNDRAISING REVENUE: $500,031 $22,015 Annual FundAuction Community Gifts Foundation $34,516
7%
$87,958
Other
4%
18%
71%
community gifts annual fund auction other
10
•
wmsde.org
$355,542
EXPENSES: $4,111,039 65%
Salaries & Benefits facilities, Maintenance & Operations
18% 10%
Financial Aid Classroom & Educational Expenses
5%
2%
Debt Service
0
16
32
REVENUE AND SUPPORT: $4,432,698
48
Tuition & Fees
68% 18%
Other Programs Contributions Investment Income Other Income
0
64
11% 2% 1%
10
20
30
40
50 602017-18 1170 annual report •
AUCTION 2018 A dedicated committee of parents and staff staged Growing Together: A Garden Gala & Auction at WMS on April 14, 2018. Parents and friends of the school enjoyed competitive bidding, and danced to live music from The Late Ambitions. The 2018 auction raised more than $34,000 toward the school’s operating budget. WMS appreciates the support of the many volunteers who made this night a success, the generosity of our donors, and the talent and effort of the student artists who created so many exceptional class gifts. We warmly thank all contributors to the auction listed below: American Karate Studios Arden Theatre Company Barclaycard US Belak Flowers Bellefonte Café Bob’s Discount Furniture Brandywine Brewing Company Brandywine YMCA Brown & Brown Metro, LLC Building Systems & Service, Inc. Café Riviera Camp Montessori Campbell Premier Fleet Carl M. Freeman Golf Facilities Laurent and Nastasha Chardonnet Lisa Cleveland Color Guru The Comic Book Shop Culinaria Restaurant Currie Hair, Skin & Nails DealCatcher.com Delaware Children’s Museum The Delaware Symphony Delaware Theatre Company Ford and Marie Downes Thomas Fallon Photography The Friendly Gift Shop Girl Scout Troop 5 Goat Kitchen & Bar The Grand Opera House Robert and Mary Anne Grenfell Josh and Layla Gros Hagley Museum and Library Haldas Market
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Harry’s Hospitality Group Mike and Donna Hartman Ann Hriciga Kramer Portraits Nathan and Ana Krauthamer Colleen Lamiet The Laster Family Little Shop of Diva Little Nest Portraits Margo Long Longwood Gardens Lucky’s Coffee Shop & Restaurant Karen Lyons Chef Ryan Marchetta Mathnasium Zollie McClary and Stephanie Simms The Melting Pot Tim and Teresa Moore Moore Brothers Wine Company Bilal and Kristin Motley Mt. Cuba Center Name Bubbles, LLC National Constitution Center O.K. Video Oasis Family Fun Center Old Country Gardens Painting With A Twist Parent Education Consulting Services Penn Cinema Riverfront PNC Bank PSU TixMan Pure Yoga Pilates Studio The Quisel Snyder Family
Reading Fightin Phils Ron’s Tree Service LLC Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 10 Room 11 Room 13 Room 14 Room 15 Room 16 Room 19 Room 20 Mary and Charles Rush Sanctuary Spa Luke and Therese Scheuer Soccer Shots Stephen’s Jewelers Sweeney’s Bakery ThigPro Balance & Relationship Management Institute Trader Joe’s ViaDel Consulting Group Zehra Wamiq Wilmington Blue Rocks WMS Administrative Team WMS Board of Directors WMS Elementary Extended Care WMS Maintenance Team WMS Preschool Extended Care Zindler’s Sports Collectibles
We deeply regret any errors or omissions. Please notify Lori Oberly, Development Assistant, of any corrections at 302-475-0555 or giving@wmsde.org.
12
•
wmsde.org
Class of
2018
Poetry I
“WHERE I’M FROM,” Excerpts from the class of 2018
am from WMS From swinging on the swings to play Getting pushed off the swings by my friends To writing poems and stories in the 9-12 I will miss WMS when I leave for high school I know they will always have my back —ANGELICA MARTIN
I’
I’
m from WMS From my friends and family. From my love of math, to my hatred of writing. From my hatred of ACE to my love of reading. I’m from creating funny memories, Ready to create more. —LOGAN RANJI
m from WMS Starting with Marybeth and Nell Now ending with Shelley, Joanna and Margo on June 6th 2018. I’m staying at Wilmington Montessori for a new chapter in my life. Joining PRIED students to make Wilmington Montessori an even greater place. I’ve developed many great friends. You will always be a special part of my life. —SAMANTHA RUSSELL
16 •• wmsde.org www.wmsde.org 14
I’
m from WMS, where I’ve sprouted my wings, into an endless flight. Where I’ve charged my cannon, that will never be powered down. —JACK ALLEN
L
ast but not least I’m from WMS The everlasting kindness I’ve been shown and taught The friends that are now like family the strength and inner beauty that will stay with me for a lifetime And the path I’m paving to my own life that path is leading away from my WMS career But I know it will lead on to many new adventures I will always remember The footprints left by the WMS community —ELLA WALSH
A
nd last but not least, I’m from WMS from the incredible teachers, to the incredible community. I’m from room 20, to rooms 9 and 10. I’m laughing with my friends, to sharing our favourite songs together —WILLIAM SNYDER
annual report 2017-18
•
15
Highlights
2017-18
Today’s Learners; Tomorrow’s Leaders.
1400 Harvey Road, Wilmington, DE 19810 www.wmsde.org