Many thanks to everyone able to join us for an informative, enjoyable Back-to-School welcome meeting last week. It was wonderful to tour the freshly prepared classrooms and even better to welcome new teachers and families. The Upper Elementary students even presented an electronic classroom tour for parents to follow using carefully placed QR codes. A few photos appear in the WSMS Flickr album Back-to-School Night 2014.

the new fish in the Upper Elementary, labeled with a QR code for the classroom tour

Though we weren’t able to gather on the patio to enjoy our traditional wine and cheese reception afterward under the stars, we certainly were lucky we decided to stay indoors given the late, dramatic downpour. One big thing I didn’t have the chance to announce at our reception: the Parent Organization’s various fundraisers over the 2013-14 school year enabled us to again support WSMS’s amazing teachers and staff with classroom gifts. In late August, each of the three classes received $100 from the Parent Organization for use toward new materials in the classroom. Thank you, WSMS families, for helping us reach this annual goal!

And last but not least on Back-to-School Night, a big shout out to all the many volunteers—Sarah Waddill Miller, Melissa Click, Alana & Jeremy Wardenburg, Patricia Marchack, Cynthia Post, Michael Kaplan, Barry Hibdon, Sam Cohen, and Kate Pitzer—who organized, contributed snacks and drinks, and helped out on the spot to make our wine & cheese reception so much fun. Thank you all!

-Kristin Bowen (on behalf of the WSMS Parent Organization)