Dear Colleagues,
I hope you each had a productive week. I know this was a particularly difficult time for our Hunnewell community as it mourned the loss of one of our parents. Any time tragedy strikes, I am so proud of the way our team rallies around our students, families and each other. A special thank you to Ellen Quirk and her team for all of their work to coordinate that support this week
Finally, it feels great to be seeing so many field trips moving forward for the spring. Another sign of our transition out of the pandemic! To that end, I want to give a big shout-out to our Performing Arts Department for the exceptional work on display last weekend for Mamma Mia at WHS and this weekend for Frozen Jr. at WMS. The pure joy I saw on the faces of our students performing was matched by the joy experienced by our audiences. I’ve really missed that over these past two years and I am reminded of how important the arts can be in bringing our community together.
Thanks for all that you do to support our students each day. Have a great weekend!
Best Regards, David
Calendar
3/22/22 – School Committee Meeting – 6:30 pm
3/28-4/5/22 – Annual Town Meeting Begins – 7 pm
3/31/22 – Deadline for ESY Program Employment Applications
4/12/22 – School Committee Meeting – 6:30 pm (TBC)
4/15/22 – Good Friday – No School
4/18-4/22/22 – April Break
Congratulations to Hardy School Librarian Lisa Sheehan who is the recipient of the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) 2022 President’s Award. This award honors an MSLA member who, early in their career, has made a significant impact on student learning through a quality school library program.
Good Luck to Peter Knapp (K-5 Visual Arts Teacher @ Hunnewell & Upham) who will be running the Boston Marathon in April for the Wellesley Education Foundation! If you wish to contribute to Peter’s fundraising goals in support of WEF and the amazing opportunities they afford our teachers and students, please use this link.
Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)
Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend Wellesley Public Schools without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).
Below is the timeline for submitting applications:
March 1: Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Marissa Capone, District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org.
Eligible staff members can also access the application on the WPS website.
April 30: All applications are due to Marissa Capone, District Registrar at registrar@wellesleyps.org. Late applications will not be accepted.
Mid-to-late May: Placement decisions will be made. Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms. Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.
If there are any questions, please reach out to Marissa Capone District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2022-2023.
Tuition Reimbursement Info and Deadline
Just a reminder that Unit A members seeking tuition reimbursement for graduate coursework in accordance with the Unit A collective bargaining agreement must submit the completed application for reimbursement, along with evidence of enrollment into a program and course cost, proof of payment and transcript, no later than June 1, 2022. The Tuition Reimbursement form can be found on the HR page of the WPS website.
The contract states:
Course reimbursement for graduate courses taken by staff who are without master’s degrees and/or who are seeking professional licensure as required by the Massachusetts Department of Education 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.
Coaches Still Needed for Spring Season:
WHS Assistant Sailing Coach
Season: Monday, March 21st through May 27th
WHS JV Volleyball Coach
Season: Monday, March 21st through Friday, May 27th
Questions or to apply, please contact: Athletic Director John Brown brownj@wellesleyps.org or 781-446-6290, ext. 4614
Extended School Year (ESY) 2022: Help Wanted!
Wellesley Public Schools is hiring for the 2022 Summer ESY Program which runs from July 5 through August 4, 2022. Dates, hours, pay rates and openings are available on under the WPS Internal Job Postings and on School Spring. Please submit your application by March 31, 2022.
Questions? Please email:
Abby Kupris (PAWS): kuprisa@wellesleyps.
Ryan St. Aubin (K-5): staubinr@wellesleyps.
John DeLuca (Middle and High School): delucaj@wellesleyps.org
Human Relations Services
The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help. Wellesley Public Schools has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members. This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension. It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and improve coping skills.
HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. Wellesley Public Schools is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service.
Do you have a question for the WPS Human Resources Department?
Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org. The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.
WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website
For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.