Destination: Success!
What a great reunion it was! On Dec. 9, guest speakers at WMS included Alexa Pierce-Matlack (Class of ‘05), Mary Hirschbiel (mom of Cate, Class of ‘96), Chris Holbrook (dad of Austin, Class of ‘04, and Justin (Class of ‘00), Nancy Nemecz, (mom of Amanda Class of ‘03 , JJ, Class of ‘01, and Maggie, Class of ‘06), Lois Torgerson (mom of Jenny, Class of ‘97), and Shawn Stevens (dad of Maria, Class of ‘01). We heard about students who went in different directions after graduating from WMS—some to public school, some to private, some to parochial. They have been doing so many exciting things, including teaching math, preschool, and classes for disabled children, acting, studying library sciences, organizing charitable events, traveling abroad, and so much more! As each spoke about their WMS experience, there was an obvious theme: every graduate was acknowledged and respected as an individual, encouraged to develop their unique gifts and talents, supported in their studies and allowed to progress at their own speed, and left Montessori feeling prepared and confident. These were the kids who not only did well academically, but also found their way onto sports teams, choruses, theatrical productions, science, literature and math competitions—their accomplishments are too numerous to list! Alumni parents enjoyed being invited to talk about their Montessori kids, and while they acknowledged that tuition absolutely impacted the family budget (one family having three children in the school at the same time!), each spoke with certainty about the value of their investment and the importance of seeing Montessori education through to graduation. Recalling the traditional “birth and life” celebrations (during which the birthday child walks circles around a model of the sun, globe in hand, to represent the number of years they have been alive), one parent remarked: “It was at WMS that my child learned to carry the Earth gently. She was always at the top of her class academically in middle school, high school, and college, but Montessori taught her how to be empathetic and gave her the skills to form respectful relationships. You just don’t find that at any other school.” Many thanks to Leslie Connor for coordinating this informative evening.
Alumnus in Business
According to the article that appeared in the News Journal on Nov. 17, Elizabeth Nolan (Class of 2001) has been smiling nonstop since she and three other bakers started “Maggie’s Waggies,” a gourmet dog biscuit business. The company was founded last year with the goal of providing employment for those with intellectual disabilities, “empowering them to become productive contributors in society.” Since then, the company has grown, adding four more bakers. Elizabeth is proud of her company’s success, and we are proud of her! To learn more about Maggie’s Waggies, visit www.waggies.org.
National Merit Scholarship Program Recognizes WMS Alumni: Bob Lutz, a senior at Friends School and WMS alumnus, is a simifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Alumni Julia Roberts and Nathan Squire have been recognized as commended by the Merit Scholarship Program for academic accomplishment.
Alumni in the Arts
Check out the cast for Friends School’s upcoming performance of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum:” It’s a “Who’s Who” of WMS alumni! Stars of the mainly Montessori cast include Bob Lutz, Daniel Potter, Erin Conces, Sara Coughlin, Alexa Pierce Matlack, and Jenny Lowe. As if that weren’t impressive enough, this play is being directed by Sherry Goodill, a mom of two WMS alumni! Special congratulations to our music teacher, Kelly Rhodunda, who gives students many opportunities to develop and practice their performance skills. You are welcome to attend “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at Friends School on Friday, Nov. 14th at 7:30 pm, or Sunday, Nov. 16th, at 2:00 pm. (Please be aware that this is a PG 13 show.) Our alumni shine in so many areas!
Those who attended the Arden Club Theatre’s September 08 production of Kiss Me Kate were treated to performances by WMS alumni. Jenny Torgerson (Class of ‘97), played the second lead, and Sara Coughlin (Class of ’05), was a featured dancer. Oh, those talented WMS kids!
Briannah Kelly, (Class of '08), lit up our stage with her considerable talent while she was with us, and she continues to practice her theater craft now that she has graduated. She will be performing in The New Candelight Theater production of "The Music Man" in November and December. For ticket information, you may visit http://www.newcandlelighttheatre.com/. Break a leg, Briannah!
Newsworthy Alums
WMS alumni currently attending Friends School were mentioned several times in the Sept. 18, 2008 News Journal High School Report. Sophomore Erin Conces was recognized for having received a grant from the U.S. State Department to attend a two-week Arabic language and cultural immersion summer camp (See "WMS Alum to Study Arabic", below). Senior Bob Lutz is providing leadership for the Business Meeting (based on a form of community government), while Junior Claire Goodill is serving as treasurer. Bob is also an editor of the student newspaper, and Senior Julia Roberts is a copy editor. Julia is also the editor in chief for the school yearbook. Our alumni are always “doing us proud!”
WMS Alum to Study Arabic
We were so pleased to learn that Erin Conces, Class of ’05, received a STAR Grant from the U.S. State Department to attend an Arabic Immersion camp at the Concordia Language Village in Minnesota this summer. High school students from around the U.S. will be attending this camp in order to have a two week full immersion experience in the Arabic language and learn about many of the cultures where Arabic is spoken. Concordia is one of only a handful of programs in the U.S. offering Arabic at the high school level. Erin is very excited about attending, and we are very excited for her!
Prize Winning Alum
Congratulations to Patrick Quinn for winning the Grand Prize in the Get Up and Do Something video contest sponsored by the office of the Lt. Governor of Delaware. Patrick and a partner co-produced a 30 second commercial promoting the health benefits of a more active lifestyle. In addition to sharing a $1000 prize, their winning video will be adapted and aired for the 2009 state-wide campaign and they will have the opportunity to co-direct the commercial shoot. Patrick, who attended WMS from age 2 to 10 years, is a senior at Friends school. For his service project he is working with Serviam Media’s Media Mentors program which introduces disadvantaged youth to the fields of film and media. Patrick loves writing and directing films and plans to major in film making. He is just starting his college search and his dream is to study at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Patrick’s prize-winning video may be viewed at http://www.getupanddosomething.org/TV_video_contest_about.htm
Our alumni shine in so many areas! Here are just a few:
Music
Cellist Zoe Dobbs (Mt. Pleasant HS), WMS Class of 2004, for making All State Orchestra. Only the top instrumentalists from area high schools are invited to participate. Congratulations to the following WMS alumni who were invited to become members of the All State Junior Chorus: Zachary Chao (Tatnall), Sophia Schmidt (Tatnall), Abigail Wahlig, (Cab Calloway), Daniel Potter (Friends), Evan Budischak, and Eric Brown (Cab Calloway).
Math
Among the highlights of this year’s Math Night at Wilmington Friends was a presentation about minimizing distance by Connor Juers (sophomore) and Bob Lutz (junior), both of whom attended WMS.
Writing
Savannah Strange, Class of 2007, is currently attending Hanby Middle School. She was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Delaware Young Playwrights Festival sponsored by the Delaware Theatre Company. Her play The Chicken or the Egg was chosen from 523 entries.
