Colleagues:
Our recent cold weather and light snow are reminders that winter is starting! Last night’s Winter Concert at WHS was another! It’s amazing to think that approximately 20 percent of our WHS student population participates in the Choral Program. It is a real testament to the strength of our Performing Arts Department and our continued belief that the arts are a critical component of a well-rounded education. Huge kudos to Kevin McDonald and Chad Weirick for their work with our students!
Yesterday, we also had a chance to preview our FY2018 budget recommendation for our staff. This year, we were asked to model two different budget scenarios: one in which our budget grows by 3.5 percent and one in which it grows by 4.5 percent. There are always difficult choices to be made in any budget cycle and the resources required to maintain level services alone, continue to increase. Our proposals for next year include additional support for our growing Special Education and Elementary World Language programs, with new investments sought to support Math instruction as well as our Performing Arts and Athletic programs. We also had to increase our allocations for substitute teachers to keep pace with our actual expenses in this area.
On Tuesday night, we will present this recommendation to the School Committee, which will mark the transition of this process from internal development to public vetting. I have no doubt that there will be hard questions to answer as we educate Town officials and the general public on the rationale behind our requests. Many thanks to Judy Belliveau and her entire team for their work on the budget, as well as to the many staff members across the District who have engaged in this process since the early fall.
Thanks to everyone for your terrific work every day in our District and have a great weekend.
David
Calendar
12/13/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
12/26/16-1/2/17: Winter Break
1/7/16 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm – Town Hall
Congratulations to Bill Johnson, on his retirement from Wellesley Public Schools after 14 years in the Technology Department! Bill retired on December 6, 2016.
Baby News!!! Congratulations to Jenn DiStefano (Bates Kindergarten Teacher) on the birth of her daughter, Isla Rose, on November 30, 2016.
Upcoming Performance Arts Schedule:
Hardy Concert ~ Dec 12, 8:45 AM at Hardy Gym
Schofield Concert ~ Dec 13, 8:45 AM at Schofield Gym
WMS 8th Grade Choral Concert ~ Dec 13, 7:00PM at WMS Auditorium
Bates Concert ~ Dec 15, 9:00AM at Bates Gym
WHS One Acts Festival ~ Dec 15 & 16, 3:00PM & 6:30PM
Upham Concert ~ Dec 16, 8:45AM at Upham Gym
WMS 7th & 8th Gr Band & Orchestra Concert ~ Dec 20, 7:00PM at WMS Aud
Hunnewell Concert ~ Dec 21, 8:45 AM at Hunnewell Gym
Health Insurance Opt-Out Program Reminder:
Receive up to $4,500 per benefits year!
Did you know that you can receive up to $4,500 for opting out of the Town of Wellesley’s health insurance plan if you have coverage available elsewhere? You can receive up to $2,250 for an individual plan, or $4,500 for a family plan, per year, if you meet the following criteria:
- You are currently enrolled in a Town of Wellesley health insurance plan and have been a participant for 2 years immediately preceding the opt-out.
- You have health insurance coverage available elsewhere, most likely through a spouse.
- You sign up for the opt-out program using the application found online.
Please go to www.WellesleyMA.gov, click on the Human Resources page and go to the Employee Benefits link on the left for more details! Payments will be made in June of each year for the previous year and are pro-rated based on date of enrollment in the opt-out program. Offer ends June 30, 2018.
All Benefits Information
Benefits information is handled by the Town Hall Benefits Office. All benefit inquiries should be directed to Joanne Liburd at JLiburd or by calling 781-431-1019 extension 2244.
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.