Dear Colleagues,
With the arrival of our first hot days this week, I am reminded that the end of the school year is rapidly approaching. With field trips, exams, graduations, and any number of activities occurring, I know these final weeks often feel frenetic and exhausting. At the same time, I know this is also the time of year when we receive so many expressions of gratitude from students and parents for your terrific work.
I especially want to call out the work of our PAWS staff this week. So often we frame our work in a K-12 context. It’s critical that we don’t overlook the foundation our students receive through our integrated PreK program. Staffed by incredible educators, PAWS models the type of inclusive philosophy to which we continue to aspire as a whole district. I am particularly proud of the work our PAWS team has done this year to develop a new schedule proposal for next year that will be far more responsive to student needs, create more time for professional collaboration, and offer new student enrichment opportunities. It’s a terrific model that reflects the creative thinking from our staff!
Finally, please enjoy the long weekend and find time to reflect on the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Memorial Day is an important time to remember the high price of the freedom we enjoy.
Best regards,
David
Calendar
05/30/16 – Memorial Day – No School
06/01/16 – Deadline – Graduate Course Reimbursement Submittals
06/03/16 – WHS Graduation – 5 pm
06/07/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
06/21/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
SAT Associate Supervisors and Proctors Needed!
Associate Supervisors are needed to administer SATs for June 4, 2016. Proctors are needed to monitor the halls, direct students to their classrooms and assist the Main Office staff with running the test center, as needed. Both positions are paid positions so you will be compensated for your time.
The following positions are open:
Proctor (Hall Monitor): $100, 7:00am to 1:00pm*
Associate Supervisor (Test Proctor): $125, 6:30am to 1:00pm*
Associate Supervisor Extended Time (Test Proctor): $185, 6:30am to 2:30pm*
*All positions have the opportunity for early release should students arrive and complete testing early.
Please note the following:
According to College Board guidelines, Associate Supervisors and Proctors must be current or retired faculty or other professional staff of WPS or from a neighboring institution or a graduate student.
Also, according to College Board guidelines, an Associate Supervisor or Proctor cannot administer any SAT Program test that will be taken by a member of their household or immediate family at any test center NATION WIDE.
If you are interested and are eligible according to the College Board guidelines, please email Kyle Getz at getzk@wellesleyps.org. In your correspondence, please indicate which position you would be most interested in filling, as well as you current address and cell phone number.
IMPORTANT: Indicating interest doesn’t guarantee a position as the number of Associate Supervisors and Proctors required to run the test center is based on the number of students testing as well as their needs. Every effort will be made to make positions available to as many people as possible.
Graduate Course Reimbursement
Course reimbursement funding of $30,000 is available to distribute in FY17 among qualified teachers. This funding is for graduate course work done as part of a master’s degree program to fulfill a teacher’s obligations for the Massachusetts Educators Professional License and for course work required to achieve the next stage of licensure culminating in a professional license. To apply for this course reimbursement, please send the following information to Valerie Spruill, Administrative Assistant to the HR Director, spruillv@wellesleyps.org: your name, evidence of your enrollment in an applicable master/doctoral degree program, name and description of the course, evidence of course cost (a billing statement), proof of payment (i.e. credit card statement, canceled check or receipt of payment), and transcript. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2016. You will be notified of the amount awarded to you some time prior to the first paycheck in September 2016. Please note: all information must be received by June 1, 2016 or you will be disqualified for reimbursement. All courses must have occurred in the summer of 2015, fall of 2015 and spring of 2016 and have been completed by June 1, 2016. Any courses taken prior to the summer of 2015 will not be considered reimbursement.
Professional Development Opportunities
WellesleyPD Summer 2016 Course Offerings
Summer courses through WellesleyPD are now open for registration!
To login to WellesleyPD:
- Username: lastnamefirstinitial
- The default password is wellesleypd; you may click “Forgot Your Password?” for reset information to be sent to your WPS email address
If you encounter difficulty logging in, please contact Chelsea Bailow, Professional Development Coordinator.
Registration for courses closes 2 weeks prior to the date of the first scheduled session of the course. Early registration is encouraged, as class size for each course is limited and a minimum number of participants is required in order for a course to run.
If the minimum number of participants is not reached 2 weeks prior to the date of the first scheduled session of the course, the course will be cancelled. Participants will be notified of course cancellations at least 10 days prior to the date of the first scheduled session of the course.
Institute about the WIDA Early English Language Development Standards Framework
The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, in partnership with WIDA Early Years, is sponsoring an institute for Early Education and Care Partners who support young dual language learners,
age 2.5-5.5 years.
WIDA E-ELD Standards Framework Implementation Institute
June 15 & June 16, 8:00am-4:30pm, June 17, 8:00am-12:00pm
Location: Southbridge, MA
For more information and to register, please click here
TEC Online, Self-Paced Courses Free to WPS Educators
WPS has partnered with The Education Cooperative (TEC) to offer two online, self-paced courses free of charge to Wellesley educators. Please note that the ELL course is NOT an endorsement course.
- Engaging All Students with Differentiated Instruction (Click here for more details.)
- Strategies to Enhance Instruction for English Language Learners in the Classroom (Click here for more details.)
To Register: Go to tec.registration.etlo.org and complete the registration page. You’ll receive an email with a URL for the course you’ve selected, as well as instructions on enrolling in the course.
PDPs: Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of completion. Submit the certificate to Chelsea Bailow, Professional Development Coordinator, in order for the course to appear in your WellesleyPD records.
Thinking About Retirement?
For WTA members interested in retiring in 2016: Contact a representative from MTRS at 617-679-6877.
For further information to determine eligibility for retirement benefits visit: http://www.mass.gov/mtrs; to calculate your retirement benefits, go to http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/active-and-inactive-members/retiring-from-the-mtrs/regular-superannuation/estimate-your-retirement-benefits.html and to http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/forms-and-general-resources/downloadable-forms/
If you plan to retire this year, please send a signed letter (four months prior to retirement) indicating your intention to Director of Human Resources Gayle McCracken, Wellesley Public Schools, 40 Kingsbury Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481.
WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website
Please be aware that we added a new feature called “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. We will post all of our internal jobs under this website tab. Therefore, you will no longer see internal job postings in the bulletin. This new way of posting will allow us to post internal positions any day of the week.