Dear Colleagues,
Among the many efforts in place to support the transition of our 8th graders to WHS are the annual “Step-Up” concerts that provide our rising freshmen with a chance to preview and participate in the music program at the high school. Last night’s Choral Step-up Concert reminded me of why these events are among my favorite of the year. I would imagine that for any 8th grader coming to WHS and participating alongside of Dr. Mac’s award-winning choral students and a very large audience, might be intimidating. What happens though, is that our high school students are incredibly supportive each time our 8th graders are on stage, giving them standing ovations in what feels like the warmest possible welcome. One of the highlights last night was the rousing applause that WMS Choral Conductor, Lauren Connors, received the first time she was on stage. Clearly, her former students, who have continued to flourish at WHS, have not forgotten the impact of her teaching and support. For 90 minutes, last night, I’m not sure anyone was thinking about GPAs, college admissions, political hostility, or government shutdowns. The attitude and talent of our students, along with amazing musical scores, transported everyone in the auditorium to a place of pure joy. This is what being a “community” feels like and it’s hard to imagine a clearer embodiment of our Core Values in action. All I can say is “WOW!”
Best regards,
David Lussier
Calendar
2/19-2/23 – Winter Break
2/27/18 – SC Meeting – 6:00pm Town Hall
3/13/18 – SC Meeting – 6:30 pm – Town Hall
3/20/18 – SC Meeting – 6:30 pm – Town Hall
Wanted: Seminar Day Presenters
Wellesley High School’s Seminar Day is just over a month away. This year we wanted to extend our speaker invitation to all who work in the District. Seminar Day will be held on Wednesday, March 7th, and if you (yes YOU!) or anyone you know (or meet in the near future) would love to share a passion with our students, please feel free to fill out or pass along the following form:
What is Seminar Day? What does the schedule look like?
Seminar day occurs on the March half day every year at WHS. Instead of classes, we plan three one-hour blocks of seminars, and our students (and staff!) attend the ones that align with their interests and passions. The schedule for the day is as follows:
Advisory: 8:05-8:15am
Block A: 8:20-9:20am
Block B: 9:25-10:25am
Block C: 10:30-11:30am
There are usually 100+ speakers, many of whom come from our very own staff (and some students!), and the speakers present on an extremely diverse set of passions and experiences. The goal is to ignite and spark inspiration in our students as they explore a number of seminars of interest OR ones in which they never even knew they’d be interested. Questions? Email Zach Nicol: nicolz@wellesleyps.org, or Carly Matarazzo: matarazzoc@wellesleyps.org.
Apply Now to Enroll Children of Non-Resident WTA Members in Wellesley Public Schools
Children of teachers or nurses residing outside of 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 2018-19 school year, please click registrar. The Application and Letter of Intent Deadline is May 1, 2018.
Insurance Benefits Information
Health and Dental Insurance Benefits information is handled by the Town Hall Benefits Office. 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.