Wellesley Public Schools
Learning • Caring • Innovating
Superintendent’s Bulletin
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May 1, 2015
Dear Colleagues,I hope everyone had a restful April vacation and a productive first week back. At our School Committee meeting on Tuesday, I formally announced that Friday, June 19th is our last day (half day) for students. The last day for teachers is Monday, June 22nd. If you have been following the news this past week, I’m sure you have seen the events transpiring in Baltimore that continue to challenge our thinking about race and the progress we have made as a nation. Locally, we also had a very important community conversation about race and diversity Thursday night, sponsored by the World of Wellesley. The conversation was difficult to hear as I listened to young people and adults of color recount their experiences in our town and in our school district. I can only imagine how much more difficult it was for these individuals to live these events. It remains essential for our schools to remain safe places where we continue to build the capacity of students and staff to engage in conversations about race. Our very best hope to move forward locally and nationally is the work we do each day as educators to come to terms with our past, view diversity as a strength, and equip our students to advance conversations about race and equity when they leave our schools. On a separate note, this year Administrative Professionals’ Day fell during our April vacation week. While this day may receive relatively little attention, I think it is critical that we acknowledge the work our administrative professionals throughout the Wellesley Public Schools. Whether we consider the role of our school secretaries or our colleagues who work at the central office, these individuals support our students, families, and staff with exceptional service each day and deserve our thanks.Finally, this week we hosted a large delegation of educators from the Philippines who traveled here to learn more about our special education programs. I thank the administrators and teachers who took time to share their practice with our colleagues. After hearing about the challenges present in classrooms in the Philippines, I am reminded of how fortunate we are in Wellesley to have the resources to provide our students with such an outstanding education. I am also inspired to meet colleagues who, despite having far less resources, share the same sense of mission as we do and who want the same opportunities for their students.Thank you for all that you do for our students and have a great weekend. Best regards,
David
Calendar
5/1/15 – Deadline to Apply to Enroll Children of Non-Resident WTA Members in Wellesley Schools
5/1/15 – Deadline to Request a Job Share or Transfer in the 2015-16 School Year
5/8/15 – Deadline for Health Insurance Enrollment
5/11/15 – Fingerprinting Session for those Cancelled on 4/27/15
5/12/15 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
5/25/15 – Memorial Day – No School
HEALTH INSURANCE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD IN PROGRESS
PARTICIPATION MANDATORY FOR ALL WHO ARE SUBSCRIBED IN A TOWN HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
The annual open enrollment period for Town of Wellesley employees and non-Medicare eligible retirees is April 10th to May 8th. All current health insurance subscribers must re-enroll in a health plan during open enrollment. This means that you must fully complete and return your health insurance enrollment form before the end of open enrollment: May 8, 2015. Forms must be brought to the Human Resources Office, Town Hall, 525 Washington Street, on or before May 8, 2015. If you do not submit an enrollment form by May 8th, your insurance will be cancelled effective June 30th. Even if you want to keep your current health plan, you still need to re-enroll. You do not need to re-enroll in your dental or long-term disability plan. Changes to your Health Insurance ContributionPlease be aware that the Town contribution to your health insurance premium has changed. However, there have been no changes to plan design, benefits or co-pays. Please review the new employee costs to determine which plan is best for you. The Town now contributes 80% to a Fallon plan, and 71% to the Harvard Pilgrim HMO, Tufts Navigator and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. All changes will become effective for July 1st. We encourage all subscribers to compare the plans, network coverage, co-pays, benefits and costs to you and your family. Some Helpful Links:Open Enrollment AnnouncementFallon Health Enrollment FormFallon At a GlanceFallon Health WebsiteFallon Health – Find a DoctorOpt Out ApplicationTransition of Care ApplicationLong Term Disability Election FormFor a complete listing of the Health and Dental Insurance options available to you during the FY16 Open Enrollment period, please click HERE.WELLESLEY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ANNOUNCES LOTTERY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY IN WELLESLEYThe Belclare Wellesley is a new condominium development located at 580 Washington Street and 53 Grove Street, Wellesley, MA. The development is located in Wellesley center, at the former site of the Wellesley Inn. There will be five (5) affordable units with three in the carriage house, and two in the cottage. The new carriage house and new cottage will replicate the ones that were on the site when the Inn was there. There is one 1BR unit, three 2BR units and one 3BR unit. The sales prices range from $173,100 to $216,000. The purchasers of the units will be chosen through a lottery to be held among all qualified applicants.There will be an information meeting on the lottery process on May 6th at 7pm in the Arnold conference Room at the Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482. Applications are due May 27th. For more information on the units, the timing, and the process, and for an application form go to http://www.maloneyrealestate.com/the-belclare-lottery Robert Kenney, Chair, Wellesley Housing Development Corporation
Fingerprinting Rescheduled for May 11, 2015
Anyone who was originally scheduled to be fingerprinted on April 27th will automatically be rescheduled for the same time slot on May 11th. The Human Resources Department will send out reminders to those employees who were scheduled on April 27th to confirm the time. We are working with the fingerprinting company to schedule more onsite dates – potentially in May or June 2015. Please be aware that all school employees in Massachusetts’ 351 school districts must be fingerprinted by September 1, 2016. If you have had your fingerprints taken in Massachusetts after July 1, 2013, please disregard this notice – we have your fingerprints on file.
WellesleyPD Summer 2015 Course OfferingsInstructions for RegistrationAll WellesleyPD course offerings and information is available online:
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.The array of instructional workshops and courses scheduled to be offered this summer promises to engage teachers in opportunities that promote continuous inquiry leading to the advancement of student learning and improved practice.Content-Based Courses
- Using Thinking Maps to Enhance Student Performance
Participants: PreK-12 Classroom Teachers & Special Educators
- Understanding and Applying Differentiated Instruction
Participants: PreK-12 Educators
Art
- Wheel Throwing for Educators
Participants: PreK-12 Educators
- Discovering the Artist Within: Fostering Creativity in the Classroom
Participants: PreK-12 Educators, Non-Art Specialists
Literacy
- Close Reading
Participants: Grades 3-6 Classroom Teachers & Special Educators
- Writing Workshop K-5
Participants: K-5 Educators
Science
- Being Scientists & Engineers: Integrating Science & Engineering Practices in the Elementary Classroom
Participants: PreK-5 Educators
Technology
- iPad Boot Camp
Participants: PreK-5 Educators
- Designing Blended Curriculum Units for the Classroom in Canvas
Participants: Grades 8-12 Educators
- Google Apps for Education
Participants: PreK-12 Educators
CPI Restraint Training
- Full Course
Participants: PreK-12 Educators, TAs & Paras
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 ReimbursementCourse 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. |
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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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