Wilmington Montessori School

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Wilmington Montessori School
Established 1963
Type Nonprofit, Montessori
Headmaster Linda Zankowsky
Students 375 (2007-2008)
Grades Infant–6
Location 1400 Harvey Road
Wilmington, DE 19810,
Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Colors Blue and White
Mascot Monty the Meerkat
Contact (302) 475-0555
Website wmsde.org

Wilmington Montessori School is a Montessori elementary school located in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. Currently, the school has more than 360 students on a 25-acre campus and is recognized as Delaware's oldest and largest Montessori school[1]. Its facility has over 30 classrooms, including a library, gymnasium, performance stage, music and arts rooms and outdoor playing fields.

Contents

[edit] Academic approach

The curriculum is rooted in Montessori principles found in the Montessori Method. The school implements an open-ended curriculum intended to allow students to progress at their own pace. Montessori classrooms are multi-age, operating on the philosophy that the youngest children learn by watching the older children and the oldest children demonstrate true understanding of a concept when they can explain it to a younger child. This method is intended not only to teach children to collaborate and work together but also to inspire them to strive for their personal best in a non-competitive atmosphere. The social curriculum emphasizes the concepts of grace and courtesy throughout the program levels.

[edit] History

In 1963 the school was initiated by a group of Delaware parents. It began as Wilmington Montessori Association with fourteen children in a storefront in downtown Wilmington. The school later moved to a little red school house in Arden.

[edit] Asbestos implications for school budgets

In December 1989 the New York Times reviewed the implications for school budgets of cleaning up asbestos pointing out that private schools were disproportionately affected. The article exampled Wilmington Montessori where the school paid $10,000 to remove asbestos insulation from boiler pipes in a storage shed, wiping out a contingency fund for teacher salaries.[2]

[edit] Notable faculty

  • Linda Zankowsky Ed.D., the current Head of School, serves on the American Montessori Society Research committee. She recently published an executive position paper: School-wide reading assessment in a Montessori Program (University of Delaware).[3]
  • Marie Dugan - Founder and Director of the Wilmington Montessori School, DE. Co-founder of The Montessori Foundation. Marie M. Dugan was the Interim Executive Director of the American Montessori Society in 2004. She is currently the Chair of both the AMS Centennial Campaign Committee, the AMS Archives Committee and the Keynote Committee for the Montessori Centennial Conference in 2007. She is a former President of AMS, former Accreditation Commission member and former Chair of the AMS Heads of Schools Section, serving on the Board of Directors of AMS for 13 years. She is currently the co-representative to the United Nations as an NGO. Marie was the Head of the Wilmington Montessori School in Wilmington, Delaware for 25 years. She is currently an Educational Consultant, serving CMTE/NY and AMS in both independent and public schools.[4][5]
  • In 2007, teacher Lisa Wilson-Riblett shared first place as "Teacher from a Center or Preschool" in the 9th Annual Governor's Awards for Excellence in Early Care and Education.[6][7]
  • In 2005, teacher Angie Meadows was one of 100 educators in the country chosen as an "Unsung Hero" by ING Financial Services.[8][9]

[edit] Accreditation

[edit] Memberships

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "The Journey Forward",Amy Henderson, Montessori Life, Spring 2004
  2. ^ "Schools and 'Clean' Asbestos: What Price Safety?", Steven A. Holmes, The New York Times, December 13, 1989
  3. ^ "Research - What’s happening at AMS?", American Montessori Society, accessed 5 February 2008
  4. ^ "Board of Directors", Family Literacy Groups, accessed 5 February 2008
  5. ^ "The Montessori Foundation",Montessori.Org, accessed 6 February 2008
  6. ^ State of Delaware. (October 10, 2007) Gov. Minner presents awards for excellence in early care and education. delaware.gov Retrieved 2 Feb. 2008.
  7. ^ "Learning at own pace earns first place", The News Journal, 2007, accessed 5 February 2008
  8. ^ ING Financial Services. (2005) ING Unsung Heroes Previous Winners ING-USA.com
  9. ^ EducationWeek. (October 19, 2005) ING Unsung Heroes EducationWeek

[edit] Further reading

  • Zankowsky, Linda Stewart, Ed.D. (2007-06-12). School-wide reading assessment in a Montessori program 271. University of Delaware. Retrieved on 2008-02-03. “This Educational Position Paper focuses on the design of a classroom-based reading assessment system for Wilmington Montessori School that provides: (1) evidence of children’s progress across the developmental milestones of reading, (2) proactive information about children at risk of later reading difficulties, (3) a framework for teachers to monitor children’s progress against the developmental milestones of reading (4) for the collection of information across the school community to evaluate the overall success of the school in supporting children’s reading growth, and 5) for the school to hold to the principles of the child-centered Montessori philosophy.”
  • Projects Funded by Five Star Restoration Program in FY01 (html). epa.gov. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2007-04-17). Retrieved on 2008-02-03. “The Five Star Restoration Program was established so the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can work with its partners for education through community-based wetlands restoration projects in watersheds across the U.S. The National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Wildlife Habitat Council have joined together with EPA for this effort.”
  • Hembreck, Valerie. (Fall 2002) "If we build it, will they come? Creating a building as good as your school." Montessori Life, v14 n4 p11-13. (Article abstract)
  • Gillespie, Terri. (Spring 1994) "You Start with Trust: An Interview with Marie M. Dugan. Montessori People" Montessori Life, v6 n2 p18-20. (Article abstract)
  • Fourth Annual Excellence in the Estuary Awards (pdf). Estuary News. Volume 14, Issue 1, Fall 2003. delawareestuary.org (2003). Retrieved on 2008-02-04. “In 2002, the students, staff, and administrators at the Wilmington Montessori School in Delaware undertook a large endeavor, to restore the stream bank of Perkins Run, a tributary to the Delaware River.”

[edit] External links