Dear Colleagues,
I’ve been thinking about the importance of civility a great deal in the past week. At the national level, I can’t remember a time when the political landscape was more toxic than it is at present. Something is wrong when a White House staffer’s joke about Senator McCain’s death doesn’t warrant action, or at the very least, an apology. This is not ok.
We are not immune to this tone within our own community. Recently, commentary associated with Hardy, Hunnewell, and Upham projects has included attacks on people’s integrity and even the call for a member of Town Meeting to be censured given the continued ad hominem nature of his communications.
Civility doesn’t mean we must all agree on issues. Quite the contrary. What is does mean, however, is that we can disagree while still being respectful. And when we are not sure of someone’s intentions, let’s assume they are positive. Even better, let’s start by trying to understand someone’s alternative perspective and maintain an openness to shifting our own deeply-held positions.
I fear technology, and social media in particular, have made this problem worse. The internet allows us to join echo chambers of our own interests where positions become crystallized, often based on conjecture and false facts. It’s easy to forget norms of civility when you are shouting from a keyboard.
As an educator, my primary concern is the impact that this lack of civility may have on our students. They are surely watching and listening. My hope is that in the Wellesley Public Schools, our students learn how to debate the merits of an issue without feeling they must vanquish an enemy in the process.
Reinforcing the importance of civility is everyone’s work, and I challenge all of us to consider ways we can do so through our work together.
Enjoy the weekend and thank you for all that you do to support our students each day.
Best regards,
David Lussier
Calendar
5/18/18 Open Enrollment Deadline for Health Insurance
5/23/18 School Committee Meeting – Town Hall- 6:30pm
5/24/18 Due date to request WHS Graduation Entrance Ticket
6/1/18 WHS Graduation – 5 pm
6/1/18 Graduate Course Reimbursement Submittals Deadline
6/12/18 School Committee Meeting – Town Hall- 6:30 pm
6/19/18 School Committee Meeting – Town Hall – 6:30 pm
Last day of school for Students: June 20, 2018, half day
WHS Graduation News
Wellesley High School Graduation is on Friday, June 1, 2018, Hunnewell Field, 5:00 pm. If held outside, a ticket will not be necessary. In case of rain, the graduation will be in the GYM at Wellesley High School. Any faculty and staff planning to attend the graduation must email Cheryl Rose rosec) by Thursday, May 24th, and request a ticket. Cheryl will send you the ticket and instructions by return mail.
SAT Associate Supervisors and Proctors Needed!
Associate Supervisors are needed to administer SATs for June 2, 2018. Proctors are needed to monitor the halls, direct students to their classrooms and assist the Main Office staff with running the test center, as needed. Both positions are paid positions so you will be compensated for your time.
The following positions are open:
Proctor (Hall Monitor): $100, 7:00am to 1:00pm*
Associate Supervisor (Test Proctor): $125, 6:45am to 1:00pm*
*All positions have the opportunity for early release should students arrive and complete testing early.
Please note the following:
According to College Board guidelines, Associate Supervisors and Proctors must be current or retired faculty or other professional staff of WPS or from a neighboring institution or a graduate student.
Also, according to College Board guidelines, an Associate Supervisor or Proctor cannot administer any SAT Program test that will be taken by a member of their household or immediate family at any test center NATION WIDE.
If you are interested in any or all of the dates and are eligible according to the College Board guidelines, please email Kyle Getz at getzk.
In your correspondence, please indicate which position you would be most interested in filling, as well as your current address and cell phone number. IMPORTANT: Indicating interest doesn’t guarantee a position as the number of Associate Supervisors and Proctors required to run the test center is based on the number of students testing as well as their needs. Every effort will be made to make positions available to as many people as possible.
Graduate Course Reimbursement
Course reimbursement funding of $30,000 is available to distribute in FY19 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 and/or when a specialist teacher’s immediate supervisor, subject to the approval of the Assistant Superintendent, verifies that there are no further in-district courses available for recertification in that specialist’s field, that specialist may apply for tuition reimbursement. Any Unit A member for whom no DESE license exists, including but not limited to occupational and physical therapists, so long as that member maintains appropriate certification and/or licensure required to perform his or her duties, shall be eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement. To apply for this course reimbursement, please send, by no later June 1, 2018 the completed spruillv. You will be notified of the amount awarded to you sometime prior to the first paycheck in September 2018. Please note: all information must be received by June 1, 2018 or you will be disqualified for reimbursement. All courses must have occurred in the summer of 2017, fall of 2017 and spring of 2018 and have been completed by June 1, 2018. Any courses taken prior to the summer of 2017 will not be considered for reimbursement.
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.