Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back from April vacation, which I hope was restful for everyone. This is the time of year when we are engaged in many activities related to students transitioning from our elementary schools to the Middle School and from the Middle School to the High School. I particularly enjoy observing the reactions of our 5th graders to their first experience eating in the Middle School Cafeteria during their transition tour. They are often star-struck by the many choices suddenly available to them! Most important, I continue to be so grateful to the attention of our teachers, counselors, and administrators, who put so much time and effort into helping students make these transitions in a seamless way.
I also want to be sure we keep the family of Ron Brace in our thoughts and prayers this week. Ron was one of our Middle School Track coaches who was probably best known for his skill on the football field at Boston College and with the New England Patriots. While I didn’t know Ron, I’m told he relished the chance to be engaged with youth following his career as a professional athlete.
Finally, I hope everyone took a moment to thank and recognize all of our Administrative Professionals/Secretaries this week. At each of our schools and at the Central Office, these individuals keep the District moving and provide critical support and guidance to students, parents, and community members each day.
Thanks to each of you for the important work you do for our students and have a great weekend!
Best regards,
David
Calendar
05/01/16 – Deadline for WTA Non-resident Members to Enroll in WPS
05/10/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
05/24/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
05/30/16 – Memorial Day – No School
Condolences to Susan Boyle (Teacher, Deaf/Hard of Hearing) on the loss of her mother, Dorothy “Dot” Monroe, on April 16, 2016; and to the Family of Ron Brace (WMS Track Team Coach) who died on April 23, 2016.
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.
Professional Development Opportunities
WellesleyPD Summer 2016 Course Offerings
Summer courses through WellesleyPD are now open for registration!
To login to WellesleyPD:
- Username: lastnamefirstinitial
- The default password is wellesleypd; you may click “Forgot Your Password?” for reset information to be sent to your WPS email address
If you encounter difficulty logging in, please contact Chelsea Bailow, Professional Development Coordinator.
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.
If the minimum number of participants is not reached 2 weeks prior to the date of the first scheduled session of the course, the course will be cancelled. Participants will be notified of course cancellations at least 10 days prior to the date of the first scheduled session of the course.
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.
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.