Wellesley Public Schools
Learning • Caring • Innovating
Superintendent’s Bulletin
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Dear Colleagues,This week, we said farewell to outgoing School Committee Members KC Kato and Tere Ramos. Both of our colleagues have been passionate supporters of the Wellesley Public Schools and the work we do in classrooms each day. Serving on School Committee requires an incredible amount of time and dedication and we thank KC and Tere for their service to our community.At the same time, we welcome newly elected School Committee members Tony Bent and Sharon Gray. Tony has a long history in Wellesley having taught at Wellesley High School, as well as being a parent and grandparent of children who attended/attend the Wellesley Public Schools. Tony has also been a superintendent of schools and served in a number of education leadership roles in Massachusetts.Sharon Gray is a WPS parent who has been active on many fronts supporting the district, including serving as the Co-president of the Upham PTO, Co-chairing the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for STEAM and serving on the Board of the Wellesley Education Foundation. Sharon served as a journalist for many years including a long stint for the Tampa Bay Times. Please join me in thanking KC and Tere for the service and welcoming Tony and Sharon to the Wellesley School Committee!Finally, I was delighted to end the week by announcing the appointment of Toni Jolley as the permanent principal of the Bates Elementary School. Throughout the current school year, I have had many opportunities to visit the school and receive feedback from parents and staff about the progress at Bates. I think it’s fair to say that there were few expectations that the climate of the school and confidence in its leadership and direction could have turned around so quickly. Less than one year later, the Bates Elementary School may look the same from the outside, but inside there is a feeling of community and excitement that every superintendent hopes to see in a school.
The credit for the turnaround that has been underway at Bates is due to our exceptional staff, committed parents and of course, Toni Jolley. Toni is a seasoned educator who has served as a teacher and principal in the Boston Public Schools, and as a Literacy Specialist in the Wellesley Public Schools. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Toni has proven herself to be both an outstanding leader for Bates and the Wellesley community, and I am honored to serve with such an outstanding colleague. Please join me in congratulating Toni on her new role! Thank you for all that you do in support of our students and enjoy the weekend. Best regards,David
Calendar
3/9/15 – WEF Spring Grant Proposal Deadline
3/9/15 – C & I Proposals Due (extended)
3/10/15 – School Committee Meeting – Selectmen’s Meeting Room – 7 pm
3/13/15 – DCAP Registration Deadline (extended)
3/19/15 – School Committee Working Meeting – Supt. Conf. Room 8:30 am
3/20/15 – First Day of Spring!
3/24/15 – School Committee Meeting – Selectmen’s Meeting Room – 7 pm
3/30/15 – Annual Town Meeting Begins – 7:30 pm
WHS French Exchange Program In Need of Host
The Wellesley High French Exchange is looking for someone to host one of the French teachers coming to WHS from April 8 to April 24, 2015. He is a physical education teacher and speaks English. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact
Christine Laborde-Casterot at labordecasterotc@wellesleyps.org
Friends of Wellesley METCO Annual Appeal
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
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.
Information Session for SEI MTEL Candidates
- Wednesday, March 18th, 2:30pm-3:00pm
- WMS Faculty Dining Room
- Co-Hosted by Anne Higgins, Director of ELL & Chelsea Bailow, PD Coordinator
Passing the Sheltered English Instruction MTEL (Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure) is one route to attaining your SEI endorsement. This information session will provide details on the logistics and materials for preparing for the test, as well as how PDPs may be earned for your time.Please click here to RSVP.
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
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.What’s a DCAP?? Are you interested in learning more about our District Curriculum Accommodation Plan?Allan Blume, Associate Professor at Simmons College, will be joining us on Monday, March 9, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm in the Superintendent’s Conference Room, to lead us in a discussion about how we can support our students through acommodations. AND…..it is not too late to join the DCAP Team! We have extended the application process until Friday, March 13th. If you are interested, please send Lori Cimeno, Director of Student Services, an emal at cimenol@wellesleyps.org. 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. |
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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. 
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