Wellesley Public Schools
Learning • Caring • Innovating
Superintendent’s Bulletin

 
January 16, 2015

Dear Colleagues,Happy new year to everyone and I hope your first two weeks since the winter break have been productive.  While we still have one half of the year remaining, I know many of us have been engaged in the critical transition work that is already underway to prepare for SY2015-16.  In particular, I want to offer my thanks to our Middle and High School colleagues for their work in preparing our current 8th graders and their families for their entry into Wellesley High School next year.  Both schools do such a great job of making large buildings seem small, which makes this transition all the more seamless.  Observing the 8th grade parent night at WHS this week, I heard many appreciative comments from parents about the care we place in this process.  This is mirrored in the excellent work that our elementary colleagues engage in as they support our 5th graders moving to the Middle School.  This can also be seen in our Kindergarten Roundup—only a month away!—in which we welcome families to the Wellesley Public Schools as they begin their journey through our system.  In short, from Kindergarten through High School, your thoughtful work helps reduce anxiety and builds confidence in the care and expertise found in each of our schools.  Finally, I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend.  Along with rooting for the Patriots, I hope we each find time to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As educators working in public schools, we remain fully engaged in the civil rights movement as we aspire to move closer to the dream that Dr. King so eloquently described.  There is no more important work than the work of teachers  who are building the future each day.  Thank you for your commitment to this cause and enjoy the weekend.  Best regards,David

Calendar
1/27/15 – School Committee Meeting & Public Hearing – FY16 Budget – Selectmen’s Meeting Room – 7 pm
2/1/15 – Deadline:  WHJWC Grant Applications Due
2/3/15 – School Committee Meeting – Selectmen’s Meeting Room – 7 pm
2/16-2/20/15 – February Break
2/24/15 – School Committee Meeting – Selectmen’s Meeting Room – 7 pm

School Committee Meeting Report – January 15, 2015 

  • Each of the FY16 Budget Subcommittees reported out:  District-wide/Special Education, Elementary, WMS, WHS, Capital

The documents presented at School Committee meetings may be found on the School Committee page of the District’s website.

Save-A-Date: January 20, 2015Please join us to learn more about Social Security and how it relates to benefits offered through Massachusetts’ public retirement systems. Presented by Kurt Czarnowski, principal of Czarnowski Consulting, a retirement planning company which provides expert answers to your Social Security questions Session 1: Tuesday, January 20th, 12:00 – 1:15
Lunch and Learn (feel free to brown bag it)
Wellesley Library, Wakelin Room, 1st Floor Session 2: Tuesday, January 20th, 3:30 – 5:00
Includes 457 Deferred Compensation Plan Update
Great Hall, Wellesley Town Hall, 2nd Floor Who should attend? All Wellesley Town and School Employees, including members of the Wellesley Contributory Retirement System and the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System, interested in learning more about Social Security Benefits.Please RSVP to Caitlin Russo at crusso@wellesleyma.gov and indicate which session you plan to attend. 

WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S GAY, LESBIAN, OR WHATEVER CLUB
INVITES YOU TO ITS ANNUAL

COFFEE HOUSEJanuary 30th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at WHSCome have a refreshment and perform or watch!
Featuring performances by:
Wellesley High School’s Improv Troupe Robot and The Ready Readys
Wellesley High School Acapella Groups
Thunder Step SquadAll are welcome. No sign up necessary. Contact Alison Joyce at ali11896@yahoo.com with questions

Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club:  Call for Grant Applications

The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club is beginning its annual review of applications for grants.  Each year we award grants to a variety of educational, elderly, healthcare, recreational, civic and community programs, with particular emphasis on those programs that have a significant impact on the Wellesley community as a whole and its individual residents.  An application is available on our website: www.whjwc.org.   If you are unable to download the application, please contact us at whjwcdonations@gmail.com. Please note this is a new email.Applications must be completed in full before submission.  Please be sure to identify the specific activity or program for which you are requesting funding and the dollar amount corresponding to your request.  Please feel free to include any supplemental information you feel will support your request.  If your organization produces an annual report, we request that you submit a copy with your application.  Please email your application by February 1, 2015 to: whjwcdonations@gmail.com

We will inform you of the Donations Committee’s decision in writing by mid-May 2015. You will receive a letter whether or not you have been awarded a grant. Our committee looks forward to your application. 

Lesley Robertson
2014 -2015 Donations Committee
Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club

2014-15 Professional Development Opportunities

WellesleyPD Instructor Information SessionAre you interested in offering a course to colleagues this summer or next school year? Come to one of three 30-minute information sessions. We’ll discuss the process for becoming an approved graduate level instructor for Framingham State University, the course proposal and approval processes, and the requirements for submitting a course for approval.

  • Wednesday, January 28th, 3:00pm – 3:30pm, Wellesley High School
  • Tuesday, February 3rd, 3:30pm – 4:00pm, Sprague Elementary
  • Thursday, February 5th, 3:00pm – 3:30pm, Wellesley Middle School

Please RSVP using the following link.If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Bailow (bailowc@wellesleyps.org or x5437).
Register now for Winter/Spring Professional Development Offerings on WellesleyPD
WellesleyPD can be accessed from the WPS website. Under the “Faculty” tab, select “Professional Development”.  

  • iPad Boot Camp:  An Introduction to the iPad
    Instructors: Amy Jankins & Jackie Hoglund
    Participants: PreK-12 Educators 
    Dates/Times:   2/25/15, 3:30 pm – 7 pm;   3/4, 3/11, 3/18/15, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm 
  • Advanced iPad: 2nd Offering
    Instructors:  Rosey McQuillan & Ranjani Sriram
    Participants:  PreK-12 Educators
    Dates/Times:  Online Only – Weeks of 4/6/15 – 5/10/15
  • Using Thinking Maps to Enhance Student Performance
    Instructors:  Lizzy Floyd & Sarah Fontaine
    Participants:  PreK-12 Classroom Teachers & Special Educators
    Dates/Times:  6/23/15 and 6/24/15, 8 am – 5 pm;   6/25/15, 8 am – 4:30 pm
  • CPI Restraint Training – Full Course WINTER  Last chance to register!
    Instructors: Adam Diliberto, Elisa Buchsbaum & Jody Steinhilber
    Participants: PreK-12 Educators, TAs & Paras
    Dates/Times: 1/20/15, 1/21/15, 1/22/15, 3:45p – 6:45p
  • CPI Restraint Training – Full Course SPRING
    Instructors: Adam Diliberto, Elisa Buchsbaum & Jody Steinhilber
    Participants: PreK-12 Educators, TAs & Paras
    Dates/Times: 6/15/15, 6/16/15, 8:00a – 3:00p
  • CPI Restraint Training – Refresher Course SPRING
    Instructors: Adam Diliberto, Elisa Buchsbaum & Jody Steinhilber
    Participants: PreK-12 Educators, TAs & Paras
    Dates/Times: 3/31/15, 3:45p – 6:45p​
GRADUATE COURSE REIMBURSEMENT Course reimbursement funding of $30,000 is available to distribute in FY15 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, by June 1, 2015, 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 to Valerie Spruill, Administrative Assistant to the Human Resources Director, spruillv@wellesleyps.org   You will be notified of the amount awarded to you sometime prior to the first paycheck in September 2015.  Please note:  all information must be received by June 1, 2015 or you will be disqualified for reimbursement.  All courses must have occurred in the summer of 2014, fall of 2014 and spring of 2015 and have been completed by June 1, 2015.   Any courses taken prior to the summer of 2014 will not count for reimbursement.
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.
 
Wellesley Public Schools • Wellesley, Massachusetts www.wellesley.k12.ma.us/district/superintendent David Lussier, Superintendent

The Superintendent’s Bulletin is posted weekly on Fridays on our website. It provides timely, relevant information about meetings, professional development opportunities, curriculum and program development, grant awards, and School Committee news. The bulletin is also the official vehicle for job postings. Please read the bulletin regularly and use it to inform colleagues of meetings and other school news.

Wellesley Public Schools would like to continue connecting with you via email. If you prefer to be removed from our list, please contact Wellesley Public Schools directly. To stop receiving all email messages distributed through our SchoolMessenger service, follow this link and confirm: Unsubscribe If you need to update your email address or phone number, please contact the secretary at your child’s school. SchoolMessenger is a notification service used by the nation’s leading school systems to connect with parents, students and staff through voice, SMS text, email, and social media.

Superintendent’s Bulletin 1/16/15
Secured By miniOrange