Colleagues,
I hope you each had a restful February break. This was a busy week back on many fronts. First, I want to thank the Joint Health and Safety Committee for approving our new COVID Dashboard which will be posted on our website this weekend. Second, you may have seen the Commissioner’s announcement on Tuesday that he intends to bring a proposal before the State Board of Education to begin phasing in full, in-person learning schedules, starting with grades K-5, during the first week of April. This would be followed by a similar transition later in the spring at the middle and high school grades. We were disappointed that this message was not coupled with a specific window for educators to begin receiving vaccinations, which we still hope will happen in March. Please read the letter that the School Committee and I drafted and sent to state officials this week.
Regardless of the path being charted by the state, the Administration is committed to working collaboratively with our staff to begin addressing the factors that will allow us to expand our current reopening efforts. For example, there is a great deal of science now supporting the efficacy of 3-feet of social distancing in schools, when coupled with other safety measures. At the same time, we recognize there are specific operational questions, such as managing lunches, that create concerns when thinking about adopting this new standard. Similarly, we also believe that by expanding our weekly surveillance testing to include students in Grades 3-5, we can create an additional level of safety assurance as we move forward. Finally, we also want to be sure that any of these steps are preceded by opportunities for education and dialogue. The Administration and WEA will be working through the Joint Health and Safety Committee in the coming week to discuss these and other topics.
Please stay safe this weekend and thanks for all that you do for our students each day.
-David
Calendar
3/01/21 – WEF Grant Applications Deadline
3/09/21 – School Committee Meeting – Remote Online – 6:30 pm
3/14/21 – Daylight Savings Time Begins – Spring Forward!
3/30/21 – School Committee Meeting – Remote Online – 6:30 pm
4/02/21 – Good Friday – No School
WEF Grant Applications Deadline Approaching . . .
Just a reminder that the WEF grant cycle is now open and applications are due by March 1st. Also, if you are planning to submit a WEF grant application, please contact your school principal or department administrator prior to submitting the grant. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mike LaCava at lacavam@wellesleyps.org .
WPS is so fortunate to have WEF as a collaborative partner. Please consider applying for a grant this year.
Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children
Children of Units A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend Wellesley Public Schools without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WTA, Unit A and B Contract). Below is the timeline for submitting applications:
March 1st: Interested applicants can submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Asya Kibko, District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. Please note: You must be logged into a @wellesleyps.org google account in order to complete the form. You will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your response. The application will be available on the District website starting on March 1st.
March 1st until April 30th: Forms are accepted – Late applications will not be accepted.
End of May: Placement decisions will be made. Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided an enrollment packet to be completed and submitted to the District Registrar.
If there are any questions, please reach out to Asya Kibko, District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. A survey will be sent out in March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2021-2022.
Salary Lane Change Process Reminder
Effective November 1, 2020, a teacher must submit a Course Approval Form (CAF) if: 1) a course may lead to a lane change; or 2) a course is paid by District funds. Forms should be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the expected start date of the course. Course approvals are active from the date of approval through June 30th of the following school year (e.g., approved 1/20/2021 for a course starting 3/1/2021 would be active through 6/30/2022). Approvals are based on the course title and course description and cannot be exchanged for another course without prior written approval of the Superintendent or designee. A teacher has until June 30th of the following school year from the course completion date to submit the transcripts (e.g., course ended 4/1/2021 transcript must be submitted by 6/30/2022).
Human Relations Services
The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help. Wellesley Public Schools has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members. This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension. It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and improve coping skills.
HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. Wellesley Public Schools is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service.
Do you have a question for the WPS Human Resources Department? Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org. The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.
WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website
For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.