March 4, 2016
Dear Colleagues,
There were two great school events this week that I wish to highlight, as they showcase both the engagement of our students and the creativity of our staff. First, on Wednesday, Wellesley High School hosted its annual Seminar Day. Completely organized and run by students, this is a day in which students, staff, and members of our community are invited to share a unique aspect of their expertise. The result is an incredibly eclectic set of offerings that provide opportunities for learning beyond our curriculum. Imagine learning about what it’s like to be a prison guard at a maximum security prison (thank you Mr. Bognanni!), how the Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942 affected fire codes (thank you Lt. Delaney), or what it’s like to volunteer for the Peace Corps (thank you Ms. Wrobel and Ms. Lapato.) (Or “mastering the art of the interview,” by yours truly.) Many thanks to all of the staff and community who participated in Seminar Day, as well as a huge thank you to the students who managed the entire day.
Creativity abounds in Wellesley, and just today, I had the chance to head over to Sprague to see the glamorous “A-Cat-emy Awards” show. This week was “Read Across America,” which is timed appropriately each year with Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Sprague takes this celebration to a whole different level by organizing an event to celebrate reading and to solicit and recognize their students’ favorite books. Oh yes, all of this is organized around an Academy Awards theme! The faculty was dressed in their best red carpet attire with plenty of paparazzi and “mom”arazzi! The students were totally engaged and led by the incredibly charismatic host, Mr. Ken Craig, who may have a whole new career ahead of him hosting awards shows. Hats off to the Sprague team for having such great spirit and engaging the students in a creative way to celebrate reading!
Have a great weekend everyone and don’t forget that tonight is “Acastock 2016” at Wellesley High School. If you are a fan of a cappella music, this is a must see event!
Best regards,
David
Calendar
03/07/16 – Acastock 2016! – 7 pm – WHS
03/07/16 – US Navy Concert Band – 7 pm – WHS
03/11/16 – WEF Spring Grant Proposal Deadline Extended!
03/07/16 – WINGS Summer Positions Application Deadline (see details below)
03/08/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
03/10/16 – Teachers for Safe Schools Meeting – 3:30 pm WMS Rm 241
03/22/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
03/31/16 – Deadline for C & I Proposals
03/31/16 – Deadline for WellesleyPD Course Proposals
CONDOLENCES to Al Martignetti (Bates Custodian)on the loss of his grandmother, Janet Martignetti, on February 25, 2016; to Valerie Stark (WMS Choir Accompanist) on the loss of her mother, Dorothy Crocker, on February 25, 2016; and to Abigail Eustis (Bates Gr. 5 Teacher) on the loss of her grandmother, Eva Jean Annis, on February 27, 2016.
Screening and Panel Discussion of Film Beyond Measure
March 10, 2016, Olin College
Our friends at Olin College, who last Spring hosted the first exclusive East Coast screening of the film Most Likely to Succeed, have invited all of us to join other members of the Wellesley community for a Screening and Panel Discussion of the film Beyond Measure on Thursday, March 10, 2016, an event which starts with a reception @ 6pm.
Beyond Measure is the latest film from award-winning director Vicki Abeles, whose Race to Nowhere showed us how high-pressure, test-oriented education systems are not serving students well. This follow-up film showcases schools, including Olin College and High Tech High, that are taking matters into their own hands and finding ways to innovate and to put students at the center of the learning experience. I saw the film two weeks ago at the National Superintendent’s Conference, and found it to be very powerful.
Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion featuring: Director Abeles, Bennington College President Elizabeth Coleman, Olin and Needham K-12 faculty and students. Here are links to the film’s website and trailer. To register for the event, click here. I hope to see you there! Best, David
WEF Spring Grant Proposal Deadline Extended to March 11, 2016
Have 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? Consider putting together a request for funding from the Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF). WEF is now accepting grant proposals from Wellesley Public Schools teachers, administrators and specialists for the spring cycle of grants. The deadline to submit a proposal for this spring is March 11, 2016. This spring all proposals and administrative signoffs will be made electronically through the WEF online grant application process. To access the application, go to the Wellesley Education Foundation website, click ‘Grants’ and click ‘Apply Now/Login‘ from the drop down menu.
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. 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 nearly $105,000 in teacher and administrator requests. For additional details and some examples of well-written grants, please visit the WEF website, click ‘Grants’, click ‘For Educators’ from the drop down menu and click WEF Grants Criteria & FAQ.
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
US Navy Concert Band Comes to WHS
Our nation’s premier wind ensemble that performs at presidential inaugurations and state ceremonies, will be performing live at WHS at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 7th. Several WHS students will have the opportunity to perform with the highly regarded military concert band. The event is free, but seating is limited, so reserve your tickets now at http://tinyurl.com/USNavyBand.
Teachers for Safe Schools Meeting
March 10, 2016
Teachers for Safe Schools invites all Wellesley Public School staff to attend a discussion about gender identity and expression on Thursday, March 10th, 3:30 pm, at Wellesley Middle School, Room 241. All are welcome!
For questions please email Ilene Sharpe or call 781-446-6235 x 3241.
Teachers for Safe Schools Mission Statement
The mission of Teachers for Safe Schools is to consciously create, support and encourage a school climate that is safe professionally and emotionally and allows for staff of all sexual orientations and gender expressions to be acknowledged and respected.
Professional Development Opportunities
WellesleyPD
Registration is open for the following courses through WellesleyPD:
Google Apps for Education – Last Chance!
- Instructor: Pete Ritter
- Participants: PreK-12 Educators
- Date/Times: Online Only, Weeks of 03/14/16 – 04/11/16
Share Your Expertise with Colleagues
Teach a WellesleyPD course this summer or during the 2016-2017 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. The rate of pay is adjusted for multiple instructors.
We are especially interested in courses that align with and support the WPS Strategic Plan and District goals in the following areas:
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Differentiation
- The 4 Cs
To propose a course, please submit a completed WellesleyPD Course Proposal to Chelsea Bailow, Professional Development Coordinator, no later than Thursday, March 31st.
C&I Proposals Now Being Accepted for Summer 2016 and the 2016-2017 School Year
Regular Education
We are seeking C&I proposals whose focus is to develop curricula and/or innovative teaching practices resulting in products that can be shared with colleagues. Priority will be given to Proposals related to current Curriculum Review Cycles or aligned to the Strategic Plan and District goals.
Special Education
We are seeking C&I Proposals whose focus is on specialized instructional inclusive practices, e.g., co-teaching models, and/or emotional/social/behavioral support systems.
To access a C&I Proposal Form, please go to the Curriculum and Instruction Workshop page on the WellesleyPD website. Proposals can be initiated by administrators or by teacher groups who have worked with their department head.
C&I Proposals are due no later than Thursday, March 31, 2016. For Regular Education proposals, please submit to Anne Allieri, Teaching & Learning Department. For Special Educationproposals, please submit to Lori Cimeno, Director of Student Services.
Approval notifications will be sent prior to April Vacation.
Primary Source Summer Institutes
The district has an annual Primary Source membership through which we are allotted seats in their courses. Since the number of seats is limited, you must receive approval from the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning prior to registering.
To view the summer catalog of face-to-face and online offerings, click here. A hard copy will also be available in buildings.
If you’re interested in registering for a course, please submit the Primary Source Registration Request form. Deadline to request registration is Friday, April 15th. Notification of your registration status will be sent after April vacation.
Other Opportunities
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.
BU Leadership Program
Boston University launched its Institute for Creative Educational Leadership in the summer of 2015. An extraordinary and diverse cohort of aspiring education leaders are now engaged in a unique 16-credit Certificate of Educational Leadership program that can, with additional coursework, lead to Ed.M. and CAGS degrees in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. The initial reviews by the students have been extremely positive. For additional information on this program, please click here.
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 2016-17 school year, please click here to access the form. Once complete, please return it to District Registrar Nancy Costigliola in Central Office or email it back to her at registrar@wellesleyps.org. The Application Deadline is May 1, 2016.
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.
WINGS Summer Positions Available
7/11/16 through 8/4/16
Monday through Thursday
The following summer positions are available in the WINGS Program. Please clickhere for details on hours and rates for each of the positions.
Elementary Academic Lead Teacher: 7/11/16 through 8/4/16
Enrichment Lead Teachers: 7/11/16 through 8/4/16
Special Education Lead Teachers: 7/5/16 through 8/4/16
Related Service Providers (see listing): 7/5/16 through 8/4/16
Teaching Assistants Four Weeks: 7/11/16 through 8/4/16
Teaching Assistants Five Weeks: 7/5/16 through 8/4/16
Paraprofessionals: 7/5/6 through 8/4/16
Nurse 7/5/16 through 8/4/16
Job requirements for Lead Teachers: Teaching experience and license within content area required. Familiarity with WPS learning goals preferred. Applicants for positions within academic strands must state their preferred grade level and content area. Enrichment Teachers must submit their course design with letter of interest. Included must be a course description and applicants are encouraged to share their passions, special interests, and talents with students.
Deadline for Applications: 3/7/16
Applications can be found at: http://www.wellesley.k12.ma.us/wings
Send your application and enrichment course descriptions (if applicable) to: Astrid Mazariegos, Summer Program Coordinator, 40 Kingsbury St. Wellesley, MA 02481 or by email to: wings@wellesleyps.org
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 tohttp://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.