Dear Colleagues,
Last Friday I attended the annual METCO Director’s conference along with a sizeable contingent of Wellesley staff. As is the case each year, we were challenged to consider a number of important issues related to our diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda. Dr. Dena Simmons from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence began her keynote presentation with a powerful activity entitled, “things I wish my teacher knew.” Several of our colleagues in attendance shared powerful examples of difficult realities in their own lives that they wished their teachers had known when they were students. I think there was a collective wondering in the room about the degree to which we have deep knowledge about each of our students and whether or not our schools are safe places for our students to be their true, authentic selves.
Dr. Simmons also discussed the notion of “impostor syndrome,” or the idea that students may feel significant doubt about their place/status in a community. As an example, she described this feeling in her own life as a person of color attending a mostly white boarding school. The aggregated effect of students and faculty correcting her speaking style and questioning the validity of her cultural heritage made her feel like an impostor in her own school. I wonder how many of our students feel like impostors in WPS because they doubt the degree to which they are really welcomed by our community? It’s easy to imagine the academic and social/emotional consequences of this feeling.
I’ve continued to think a great deal about Dr. Simmons’ keynote and the important implications of these ideas for our work. I challenge all of us to consider ways in which no students in Wellesley feel “hidden in plain sight.”
Best regards, David
Calendar
12/11/18 – School Committee Meeting – 6:30 pm – Town Hall
12/24/18-1/1/19 – Winter Break!
Wellesley Education Foundation – 2019 WEF Grant Applications Important Information:
Monday, January 7th – Deadline for 2019 WEF Grant Applications. Early April – Decision Notifications
- WEF funded over $259,000 in grants last year!
- Grants funded at all WPS levels – elementary, middle and high school.
- WEF has a grant history 2010-2018 for review.
We welcome your inspiring and innovative applications. Please start the process at https://www.wellesleyeducationfoundation.org/
Educators Tab > Apply for a Grant tab
Lisa Hicks and Yolanda Tong, WEF Grants Co Chairs
WHS Seminar Day Wants You!!!
The holiday season is upon us, and on behalf of Student Congress at Wellesley High School, we would like to offer you an opportunity to avoid all those divisive conversations about politics around the dinner table. Instead, might we recommend you invite your loved ones to participate in this year’s Seminar Day!
If you’re a new teacher or need a refresher on what Seminar Day is, please scroll to the bottom of this post and read the short description. If you already know the gist, please consider presenting a passion of yours or reaching out to those who may have something valuable, interesting, and/or exciting for our students to hear about. We have included the sign-up form below for you. If you would like us to personally reach out to someone (family, friend, or acquaintance) who may have a topic to present to our students, please pass along any information to us. You can also feel free to send the link along to them as well. Speakers can speak for one block, two blocks, or all three!
Thank you! Zach Nicol and Carly Matarazzo
(Feel free to contact us with questions!)
What is Seminar Day?
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:
Block A: 8:05-9:05am
Block B: 9:10-10:10am
Block C: 10:15-11:15am
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@wellesleyma.gov 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.