2019-20 Wilmington Montessori School Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT | September 1, 2019 – August 31, 2020
Wilmington Montessori School
Today’s Learners; Tomorrow’s Leaders.

OUR MISSION
Wilmington 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,
Strategic planning retreat - June 2019
Montessori Model U.N. conference - February 2020
Family Woods Walk - November 2019
As our 2019 fiscal year ended, we gathered a group of faculty,
staff, board members, past and current parents, alumni and
other educators to begin planning the future direction of
Wilmington Montessori School. Using a design thinking
approach, we began to work in smaller groups to test the ideas
that were presented by the larger group, and we were ready to
fully embrace the new strategic direction for our school. Then,
along with the rest of the world, we faced the unimaginable
challenge of COVID-19, and we learned a great deal as our focus
shifted to preserving the health and safety of our community,
within WMS and beyond.
What we may ultimately remember about 2020 may not be
directly related to school, although we had many wonderful
experiences brought about through our deep connections to
our Montessori roots and our WMS community. During the
2019-20 school year, our sixth- through eighth-grade students
participated in the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN)
for the first time. Preparations for this conference began early
in the school year, as students learned more about the world
and a variety of global issues. In late February, several weeks
before the world began to shut down due to the pandemic, the
group traveled to New York City for the conference, where they
collaborated and negotiated with representatives from other
Montessori schools throughout the world to create solutions
to these global issues from the perspective of their chosen
country. This experience furthered Dr. Montessori’s vision of
giving children a view of the world, working toward peace.
During that fall and winter, our parents, who share so many
of their talents with us through their work in the WMS Co-op
Program, strengthened the connections within our community
by hosting a community cultural celebration and led groups
of parents and their children throughout the WMS campus to
explore our woods and other outdoor spaces.
annual report 2019-20 • 1

Virtual learning highlights - Spring 2020
As we closed our doors in mid-March 2020 and opened them virtually to our students two days
later, we were given the opportunity to model the ways in which we strive to teach children to face
new and unfamiliar challenges. Our school year ended with modified plans for our end-of-the-year
events, including a beautiful virtual celebration of the class of 2020, and with children returning to the
campus as we re-opened for Camp Montessori. We learned a great deal, and continue to learn as we
look ahead at WMS’s future — a future that is secured through your continued involvement with us,
whether in-person or in other ways.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another year of innovation, change and
opportunities to engage our community in the life of Wilmington Montessori School.
Lisa A. Lalama
Head of School
Ann Hriciga
Chair, WMS Board of Directors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(2019-20)
Ann Hriciga, Chair
Joe Abele
Calissa Brown
Israel Floyd
Richard Gulino
Lisa Hastings-Sheppard
Anna Quisel
Paul Sakaguchi
Stephanie Simms
Mayura Simon
Susie Ventresca
Zehra Wamiq
2 • wmsde.org
Families members presented diplomas to members
of the class of 2020 at their homes.
Students were thrilled to return to campus for
summer camp in June 2020.
ADVISORY BOARD
Guliana de Grazia
Audrey Doberstein
Marie M. Dugan
Michèle LeFever Quinn
Nancy Karibjanian
Deborah Murray-Shepherd
William Ryan

DEMETRIA RUHL (WMS ’10)
Graduation Speaker Shares Passion for Learning and Life
From the WMS 2010 Memory Book
Over a decade after graduating from Wilmington Montessori School, Demetria Ruhl (class of 2010) still looks forward to catching up with
the friends she met more than 15 years ago through her WMS Girl Scout troop. Every year around the holidays, former members of the
troop — started by WMS alumni parent Becca Gulino — would gather for dinner at the Melting Pot in Wilmington’s Independence Mall
shopping center. During the past year, the gatherings moved to Zoom due to the pandemic, but these young women still continue to come
together to celebrate each other’s birthdays and other occasions virtually.
“There is still a dynamic that I have with my Wilmington Montessori friends that I don’t have with anyone else,” she said. “I am very excited
to continue the Melting Pot tradition after the pandemic.”
With all Demetria was juggling last spring as a senior at Dickinson College, she still welcomed the chance to reconnect with her WMS
family when Head of School Lisa Lalama invited her to serve as alumni speaker at WMS’s virtual class of 2020 graduation ceremony.
“Being chosen as the 2020 graduation speaker was such an honor,” Demetria said. “I still remember how excited I was when I got Lisa’s
email! Writing my speech was a great way to reflect on my experience at WMS and how it has continued to positively shape my life in high
school, college and now in medical school.”
Like so many students around the world, Demetria’s college life came to an anti-climactic conclusion as she completed her studies of
French and chemistry and celebrated her own graduation from Dickinson College virtually last spring. Because of this, she felt a special
connection with the WMS class of 2020 when she spoke to them last June.
“I know from experience that this is not how you had hoped your time at [Wilmington] Montessori would end,” Demetria said to the class.
“Just two weeks ago, my own college graduation was virtual, and I understand how difficult it is to not be able to celebrate this special moannual
report 2019-20 • 3

ment in person with your friends and teachers at WMS who, alongside
with your families, have helped you get to where you are today.”
Demetria’s days of taking virtual classes from home were a stark
contrast to the rest of her college career, during which she kept busy
with her double major in chemistry and French, volunteered in the
admissions office, served as a teaching and research assistant in the
college’s chemistry department, conducted leukemia research as a
summer intern at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for
Children, and led the Dickinson swim team as senior captain.
As a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Wilmington
Friends School — the school she attended for middle and high
school — Demetria knew she preferred the smaller-school
environment she had enjoyed at WMS and actively sought a close-knit
college community that could offer her strong academic support.
“Ever since WMS, I knew it was important to forge strong relationships
with teachers,” she said. “I knew I could do that at a smaller school.”
Watch our entire virtual graduation video, including Demetria’s
speech at www.wmsde.org/2020grad.
“One thing that I can tell you
with confidence is that the
relationships and the
memories you have made
here at Montessori are strong,
and they have been built to
withstand the test of time.
”
– Demetria Ruhl, during her 2020 graduation speech
4 • wmsde.org
Demetria also knew she wanted to pursue a pre-med program, study
chemistry and French, travel abroad, and continue to competitively
swim. Dickinson checked all the boxes.
“Dickinson was one of the places that gave me a sense I could do it all
when I visited,” she said.
Demetria began college as a chemistry major and added French as a
second major. During the fall of her junior year, she studied abroad in
Toulouse, France, an experience that was more challenging than she
expected.
“Little did I know at the time that college in France is very different
from anything I had ever experienced in the U.S.,” she said. “It is only
looking back on my experience now that I can see that learning to
adapt to the French education system was one of the most valuable
parts of my entire study abroad experience. It pushed me out of my
comfort zone and gave me a new and valuable perspective.”
After completing several internships in the medical field, Demetria
enrolled in medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Medicine this fall, once again attending classes virtually from her
apartment. She credits her WMS foundation for her success during
her first year of medical school.

“Something I learned at WMS that stuck with me is how to be
self-motivated,” she said. “You need to be passionate about the
work you’re doing and motivate yourself because no one is going
to do it for you. You have a rewarding experience because you’re
pursuing things that interest you. We cover a very large amount
of content during the first year of medical school, and I think that
having virtual lectures has only made the love of learning that
I discovered at WMS even more important, as it motivates me
through the long days spent in my apartment watching classes and
then studying. I think that being an intrinsically motivated learner is
incredibly important in being successful in medical school (and in
any school or job)!”
Along with being a motivated learner, Demetria has been recognized
for her character. In college, she was honored to receive the
Amy Snow Prize, which is awarded to a student “who has a zest
for life and learning, a strong commitment to Dickinson and the
community, and the demonstrated belief in the good of people.”
Head of School Lisa Lalama, who was Demetria’s teacher during
her time in the 9-12 Program, said that this was a fitting award for
her former student.
“I remember her best for her huge heart — caring for others and
being kind to everyone — extending a helping hand,” Lisa said.
“Demetria exemplifies Montessori education. Her commitment
to the community and her understanding and concern for others
have served as an example for us all.”
At the end of her graduation speech, Demetria spoke directly to
the eighth-graders, whose WMS careers ended during a time when
the world faced unprecedented challenges.
“You are graduating in a unique moment in time, but you are
graduating with a Montessori education that has provided you
with the adaptability, creativity and love for learning that will enable
you to embrace the unknown and flourish both academically and
socially in your next adventure,” she said. “So many exciting
opportunities await you in high school and beyond, so go forward
with the confidence that you are prepared to succeed, the humility
to ask for help when you need it, and the knowledge that no matter
where life takes you, you come from a very special place that you
will always be able to call home, Wilmington Montessori School.”
Stay in touch! We love to hear
from our alumni! Please send your
news to alumni@wmsde.org.

VIRTUAL LEARNING Montessori Style

COVID-19 Relief Fund Donations
In March 2020, the world changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilmington Montessori School transitioned
to home learning plans on March 17, which continued into June. With the support of the donors below, we were able
to offer high-quality virtual learning to students of all ages, continue to pay our entire staff through the duration of our
closure, prepare our facilities for our return in June, and remain open and on-campus through the 2020-21 school year, using
outdoor classroom spaces and COVID-19 protocols.
Sophia Smith and Adebowale Adeyemi
Anonymous
Michael and Becky Allen
AstraZeneca PLC
Pamela Bargren
The Bradley Family
Laurent Chardonnet
Michael Coughlin and Ann Hriciga
Delaware Nonprofit Support Fund
Noel Sarah Dietrich
The Downes Family
Marie and George Dugan
Family of Campbell Ebling
Joan Fitzgerald
Israel and Patricia Floyd
The Godowsky Family
Becca and Rick Gulino
Harris Family
Christopher and Kay Holbrook
The Wiggins and Huntoon Family
Fendy Jn Pierre and Geraldine Celestin
Augustus Jones and Christina Paez
Dr. and Mrs. Horatio C. Jones, III
Lamont and LaKeetra Josey
Preet and Monica Joshi
The Junk Family
The Kahn Family
The Lintner Family
Nora and Jim Lober
The Lyons Family
Lisa and Joe Martin
Enrique Moras and Karen Schleeweis
Sriram Nadathur and Shweta Srikanth
Sivakumar Ramu
Viraf and Jennifer Ranji
Francis and Lisa Riggins
Jeff Rodgers and Allison Linden
Athena and David Ruhl
Luke Scheuer
Lisa and David Sheppard
Yasha and Jaron Simms
The Quisel Snyder Family
The Sultan Family
James Wake and Priya Bhatia
Jeff Wikstrom and Emily Burton
Bonnie Zogby
In Honor of Marie M. Dugan
Michèle LeFever Quinn
In Memory of Kimberly Sullivan Giles
Dave Giles
In Honor of Miss Erin and Miss Sharon,
Room 19 Teachers
Grace, David and Olivia Kubacki
In Honor of the Students of WMS
Kathy Wittig-Valtos
In Honor of the Teachers and Staff
Anonymous
In Honor of Ava and Ella Walsh
Marilyn Faralli
In Honor of the WMS Class of 2020 —
Jack Allen, Samantha Bargren,
Angelica Martin, Logan Ranji,
Samantha Russell, William Snyder
and Ella Walsh — and the dedicated
teachers and staff who guided them on
this journey
Marybeth E. Auld
We deeply regret any errors or omissions.
Please notify our development staff of any corrections at
302-475-0555 or giving@wmsde.org.
annual report 2019-20 • 7

ANNUAL FUND 2019-20
Wilmington Montessori School would like to thank the following donors for their support of the 2019-20 Annual Fund
(as of August 31, 2020). With your help, we surpassed our goal and 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 2019-20 Annual Fund chair Kevin Kahn and Giving Tuesday coordinator
David Kubacki for their leadership and commitment to Wilmington Montessori School.
World Globe Friend ($5,000 and above)
Michael Coughlin and Ann Hriciga
The Lintner Family
Christine and Garrett Moritz
Joe Nemecz and Nancy Karibjanian
William P. Roberts, III
The Quisel Snyder Family
Golden Bead Friend ($2,500 to $4,999)
Becca and Rick Gulino
Ted, Laura, Sean, Quinn and Ryan Kirkpatrick
Patricia M. Scott
Pink Tower Friend ($1,000 to $2,499)
The Bradley Family
Allan, Calissa and Laurel Brown
Israel and Patricia Floyd
The Giles Family
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Julian
Sharon E. Miller
Lisa Rong
Paul Sakaguchi
Robert and Kathleen Siegfried
8 • wmsde.org
Geoffrey and Mayura Simon
Elizabeth W. Snyder
The Sultan Family
Geometric Solid Friend ($500 to $999)
Laurent and Nastasha Chardonnet
The Downes Family
Donna Bissey and Michael Hartman
Roxanne Higgins
Christopher and Kay Holbrook
Horatio and Suzanne Jones
Grace, David and Olivia Kubacki
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Kubacki
Lisa A. Lalama
John and Jonathan O’Brien
Pam and Jeffrey Politis
William T. Ryan III
Trinomial Cube Friend ($250 to $499)
Anonymous
Jeff Barnes and Felise Luchansky
Paul and Leslie Bastianelli
Trish Bradley
Rick and Esther Downes
Family of Campbell Ebling
Gary D. Finger
Jeremy and Melissa Fischer
Joan Fitzgerald
Bob and Sue Gildea
Robert and Mary Anne Grenfell
Christine Hansen
The Hayman Family
Frank and Elizabeth Joyce
The Kahn Family
Kathryn Tullis and Phillip Liu
Jen and Frank Luckangelo
The Honorable Jane P. Maroney
Susan Ventresca and David Ropars
James Wake and Priya Bhatia
Zhen Xu and Shaorong Chen
Bonnie Zogby
Brown Stairs Friend ($100 to $249)
Anonymous
Sophia Smith and Adebowale Adeyemi
Michael and Becky Allen

Marybeth Auld
Joan and Rob Beatson
Peter and Patricia Brennan
Mr. Henry I. Brown, III*
Jill Campbell
Lynda Coan
Chuck Connor
Susan Coyle
Howard Damude and Julie Johnston
Noel Sarah Dietrich
Robert and Nancy Dietrich
Marie and George Dugan
The Dumrauf Family
Indroneel Ghosh
John and Sherry Goodill
Brian Grue
Mr. Michael Heneghan
Trevor and Victoria Hill
The Wiggins and Huntoon Family
Lamont and LaKeetra Josey
Kenneth and Amelia Kahn
Rosemary Killian
Anthony Kinney and Alison Mack
Lynn Koehler
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Labar
Mary and Matthew Lo
Nora and Jim Lober
Mary Maloney Huss and Benjamin Goldstein
Barbara Miller
Mark W. Murray
The Oberly Family
The Pachowka Family
David Paul and Kathy Klein
Donald Potter
The Reiters
Greg and Heather Russell
Loretta Schneider
Cathy Simon-Cord
Nickoloas and Susan Sotiropoulos
Beth and Don Stookey
Sandy Dedinas Thomas
Barbara L. Trotto
Feng Wang and Hongmin Jiang
Sarah Williams
Linda Zankowsky
Friends of WMS (Up to $99)
Joseph Abele and Sara Weymouth
Kiera Abele
Amanda and Michael Adams
Joe Ambrosino
Anonymous
Natalie Wolf Aussprung
Pradeep Suresh Babu and
Laxmi Teja Renukuntla
Mandy Balanetsky
The Banks Family
Pamela Bargren
Nora Barry
Susie Barton
Rick and Tina Betz
David Bostick and Ursula Guillen
The Surbrook Bowers Family
Sean and Ana Brown
Evan Burgomaster
Dr. and Mrs. Burks
Patricia Callaway and Malcolm Christoph
Neil and Sarah Campbell
Gabrielle Clark
Allie Colflesh
Hilde Colton
Michael and Jessica Conlan
The Connelly Family
Carmen Crespo
My Dang
Emily H. Davis
Jeffrey Donovan and Agueda Molina
Jim and Thelma Dooley
*Deceased
All photos included in this section are from the November 2019 Annual Fund Drive.

Emma Dressler
Arlene Dunn
Sharon Entzminger
Mary Falkenburg
The Farabaugh Family
Marilyn Faralli
Rosemary Feehan
Darla J. Flowers
Kirsti Forrest
Sharon Gilbert
The Godowsky Family
Betsy Haas
Tarek Hajri and Saoussen Sarraj
Jocelyn Hall
Jill Hallissey
Trish Harkins
Ronald and Nikki Harrington
The Harris Family
Harris Family
Anne Q. Hartshorn
Yaoliang He (Sandy)
The Heiger Family
Janet Tahal-Hewitt
Jayonna Holder
Shane Jackson
Evan Juers
Noa T. Junk
Haley Kahn
Judith and Tim Kane
Shelby and Brian Kaufman
Sean Kirkpatrick
10 • wmsde.org
Lilah Kleban
Joyce Lafferty
Ping Lai
Samuel Leeman
Matthew Lenza and Kateryna Karachun
Cristin Lettich
Carol Lettich
Margo Long
Carolyn Malatesta
Lisa and Joe Martin
Hillary McDonald
Connie Mucha
Laurie Muhlbauer
Yvonne Nass
Alyssa Novello
Jessica O’Keefe
Laura Orsic
Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Parrish
Amber Picard
Linda Pirlot
Emmy Pittarelli
Victoria Pittarelli
Heidi and Ed Preisendanz
Liming Pu and Mrs. Jing Xu
Sivakumar Ramu
Viraf and Jennifer Ranji
Francis and Lisa Riggins
Guy and Robin Romero
Samantha E. Russell
The Latina Saarloos Family
Amy Sacia
Jennifer Salerni
Ilana Sanders
Luke Scheuer
The Shaer Family
Paula Sharpe
Lisa and David Sheppard
Yasha and Jaron Simms
Raj and Sharmistha Singh
Becky Siple
William Patrick Stoner
The Stroud Family
Pat Sumner
Xiaochao Tang and Yeon Sun Ro
Hans Vermeersch and Rosie Grayburn
Rocío Viscarra
Brian and Mallory Walsh
Taylor Warrington-Purcell
The Wehler Family
Jenn, Knox and Brett Weinheimer
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney W. Wilson
Erin Winner
Carolyn Zogby
In Honor of Colin and Ethan Campbell
Jill Campbell
In Honor of Samantha Russell
Susan Coyle
In Honor of Marie Dugan
Robert and MaryAnne Grenfell
In Honor of Bryan, Ian and
Jon Bindloss
Arlene Dunn
In Honor of Miss Erin and
Miss Sharon, Room 19 Teachers
Grace, David and Olivia Kubacki
In Honor of Ava and Ella Walsh
Marilyn Faralli
In Memory of Kimberly Sullivan Giles
The Giles Family

In Memory of Helen Gadsby
John and Sherry Goodill
In Honor of Sophia and Skylar
Holbrook
Christopher and Kay Holbrook
In Honor of Zollie McClary XXIV
Anonymous
In Memory of Aaron Pogue
The Quisel Snyder Family
In Honor of Samantha Russell
Greg and Heather Russell
In Memory of Jane Miner
Cathy Simon-Cord
In Memory of Dolores Morra
Janet Tahal-Hewitt
Corporations, Foundations
and Government
Amazon
General Mills Box Tops for Education
Giving Assistant, Inc.
Lifetouch National School Studios
Network For Good
Tea Collection
Matching Gifts
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Incyte Corporation
PayPal
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Spur Impact Association
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Financial Aid Fund
Israel & Patricia Floyd
We deeply regret any errors or omissions.
Please notify our development staff of any corrections
at 302-475-0555 or giving@wmsde.org.
annual report 2019-20 • 11

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 2019-20
Wilmington Montessori School’s 2019-20 fiscal year concluded with a modest loss due to the effect of the COVID-19
pandemic. The administration and board worked together to balance revenue and spending and were able to keep the
loss to a modest amount. Our goal every year is to have our campus operate in an efficient manner, without compromising
the educational experience at WMS.
We spent $18,058 on capital purchases to maintain and enhance our facility. These improvements are possible because of
the support of our donors and supporters. We are thankful to everyone in our community and the many ways they provide
support every year.
Community Gifts Annual FundAuction Other
SOURCES OF FUNDRAISING
REVENUE: $200,445
7%
Covid-19 Contributions | $98,081
annual fund | $87,203
other | $15,161
44%
49%
12 • wmsde.org

Peace Day 2019
EXPENSES: $3,672,030
Salaries & Benefits
66%
facilities, Maintenance
& Operations
19%
Financial Aid
12%
Classroom &
Educational Expenses
3%
0 16 32 48 64 80
REVENUE AND SUPPORT: $3,480,463
Tuition & Fees
75%
Other Programs
10%
Investment Income
9%
Contributions
6%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
annual report 2019-20 • 13

Class of
2020

Ella Walsh
Logan Ranji
Samantha Russell
Angelica Martin
Samantha Bargren
Jack Allen
William Snyder

Highlights
2019-20