Superintendent’s Bulletin 2/27/15

Please support Friends of Wellesley METCO’s Annual Appeal:  Friends of Wellesley METCO, Inc. is very grateful for the tremendous support of our teachers, staff, and administrators each day in the schools. We also count on donations to our annual appeal, in order to fund a broad range of educational support programs and enriching experiences for our Boston students.  Please click here for our 2014-15 Annual Appeal letter, or you can donate online. Thank you!

Spring is Just Around the Corner and so is the WEF Spring Grant Proposal DeadlineHave a new idea you’d like to try out in the classroom?  Is there a piece of equipment you know would enrich your students’ learning experience but it’s just not in the budget?  Now is the time to start putting together a request for funding from the Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF).  WEF is now accepting grant proposals from all Wellesley Public Schools teachers, administrators and specialists for the spring cycle of grants; the deadline to submit a proposal for this spring is March 9, 2015.  For more than 25 years, WEF has been providing grants to educators for innovative educational projects at all grade levels. In awarding grants, WEF works closely with school administrators to fund projects that result in richer and deeper learning experiences and have the potential to impact a large number of students in innovative ways. Up to 20% of the WEF grant budget may be allocated to grants at the elementary school level.  Criteria used to determine whether to fund a particular grant include (1) innovativeness, (2) potential to affect a large number of students, and (3) potential for replication by other teachers or classrooms.  Last fall, WEF funded more than $75,000 in teacher and administrator requests.  For an application form, additional information and some examples of well-written grants, please visit the WEF website Completed grant applications should be submitted to Anne Allieri in the Central Office of the Superintendent by Monday, March 9, 2015.  Please note that all technology requests must be reviewed by Kathleen Dooley, WPS Director of Technology.   For more information or answers to questions about potential grant ideas, please feel free to email the WEF Grant Chair Susan Clapham at grants@wellesleyeducationfoundation.org  

2014-15 Professional Development Opportunities

Share Your Expertise with Colleagues
Teach a WellesleyPD course this summer or during the 2015-2016 school year!  
The rate of pay is $60 per course hour for non-graduate level courses or $100 per course hour if the course is approved for graduate credit through Framingham State University. The rate of pay is adjusted for multiple instructors.To download a Course Proposal form, go to Wellesley PD and click on “Becoming a WellesleyPD Instructor”.Proposals must be submitted to Chelsea Bailow, Instructional Professional Development Coordinator, by Monday, March 2nd.  
​C&I Proposals
Proposals for C&I projects are now being accepted for work beginning June 2015 thru June 2016.   The rate for work completed prior to July 1, 2015 is $223 per six-hour day; the rate for work completed on or after July1, 2015 is $228.  To access a C&I Proposal Form, go to the Curriculum & Instruction Workshops page on the WellesleyPD website. Regular Education C&I Proposals
C&I compensation is granted for curriculum development projects or task force members to work on planned Curriculum Review Cycles or Strategic Plan Initiatives as outlined on WellesleyPD.  Proposals must be submitted to Anne Allieri, Asst. to Assistant Superintendent, Teaching & Learning, no later than March 9th (*extended deadline). Approval notifications will be emailed before April vacation.Special Education C&I Proposals
C & I Proposals that focus on specialized instructional inclusive practices, e.g., co-teaching models, and/or emotional/social/behavioral support systems will be given priority for approval.  Proposals should be submitted to Lori Cimeno, Director of Student Services, no later than
March 9th.  Approval notifications will be emailed before April vacation.
Register now for Spring Professional Development Offerings on WellesleyPD
​WellesleyPD can be accessed from the WPS website. Under the “Faculty” tab, select “Professional Development”.  

• 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 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​ 

EDCO COLLABORATIVE
To register for EDCO Collaborative courses, go to WellesleyPD and click “EDCO Collaborative”.

• Neurological Strategies for Building Students’ Growth Mindset, Perseverance, and Long-term Concept Memory

         Date: July 8, 2015               Audience: K-5 classroom teachers, administrators, special educators and specialists

• Building Students’ Enduring Understanding: Neurological Strategies for Engagement, Perseverance, and Transferable Knowledge

         Date: July 9, 2015               Audience: Grade 6-12 classroom teachers, administrators, special educators and specialists
PRIMARY SOURCE
Primary Source has announced their 2015 summer courses.  To view course offerings and to register, go to WellesleyPD and click “Primary Source”.Are you interested in a Job Share? Would you like to be considered for a Transfer in the
2015-16 School Year?
Teachers with Professional Teacher Status who would like to request a job share position or a transfer in the 2014-2015 school year must notify Gaylle McCracken in writing by May 1, 2015.  Requests should be sent to:  mccrackeng@wellesleyps.org .Apply Now to Enroll Children of Non-Resident WTA Members in Wellesley Schools.  Children of teachers or nurses residing outside Wellesley shall be entitled to attend Wellesley Public Schools without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WTA Unit A Contract).  If you are interested in this benefit for the 2015-16 school year, please contact spruillv@wellesleyps.org include your child/ren’s name, birth date, and current grade level.  Application Deadline:  May 1, 2015

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.