Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to April! I hope everyone had a productive week. It’s certainly been a busy one in WPS. First, I am pleased to report that the WPS FY’2023 Budget was officially passed at Town Meeting on Tuesday night by an overwhelming margin (90%) as part of the Town’s omnibus budget for next year. While there was a motion offered to eliminate any increase in the WPS FY’23 budget, I was heartened by the many Town Meeting Members who offered a robust defense of our proposals, which ultimately carried the day. Votes like this one are an important affirmation of your good work each day. I want to take a moment and thank everyone who helped in the budget process this year, no one more so than Cindy Mahr, our Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, who helped us navigate this process, and who’s sharp analysis and clear explanations were essential in getting our budget passed.
I also want to thank the many teachers and administrators representing all of our schools, who came together this week for the RTI virtual summit in Waltham. For 2 ½ days, we had the chance to explore important topics critical to our work on developing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). I know one of my big take-aways is the importance for us to define the essential learning standards that must serve as our focus for all students PreK-12. We can certainly go beyond these standards in our teaching, but we must have this core learning identified so that our students’ mastery of this essential learning is a non-negotiable in every classroom at every grade level. I know attendees will be bringing a great deal of information back to our schools and I encourage everyone to be talking about these important ideas in service of ALL students. Special thanks to Assistant Superintendent Sandy Trach for her leadership to make our participation in this summit possible and to Karen Bognanni for managing the thousands of details to pull this off. Lots more to come on this important topic!
Thank you for all that you do to support our students each day and enjoy the weekend.
Best Regards,
David
Calendar
3/28-4/5/22 – Annual Town Meeting – 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
4/30/22 – Applications Due for WPS Enrollment of Staff Children
Congratulations and thank you to the WPS Fitness & Health Department and the WEA, who co-sponsored a Blood Drive at the Sprague Elementary School on Wednesday, March 23rd. Teachers and administrators filled all 50 spaces for blood donations! This collaborative effort will help tremendously in the nation-wide crisis situation of blood bank shortages. Special thanks to Margaret Flitsch and Kari Sciera of the Fitness & Health Department who organized all of the details for the event, and to eight other members of the Department who helped to run it.
Tutor Coordinators and Tutors needed for K-12 WPS Academic Tutoring (April – June 2022)
Wellesley Public Schools will offer K-12 Academic Tutoring for WPS students in ELA, Math and Science from April 2022 through June 2022. WPS is seeking applicants for the following positions:
Tutoring Coordinators (1 elementary, 1 WMS, 1 WHS) $1500 stipend. Please click here to apply to the internal posting. ** You must create your account in TalentEd to view the Internal Postings.
Tutors (several positions available at the elementary, middle and high school) $44.47/hour. Please click here to apply to the internal posting. ** You must create your account in TalentEd to view the Internal Postings.
- Tutoring may occur before/after school and/or weekends and April break.
- Tutoring will be held in WPS schools during building hours and/or on WPS Zoom. Students are recommended for tutoring by teachers and administrators based on their classroom performance.
- Students will utilize their current school work during tutoring sessions.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning trachs@wellesleyps.org with any questions.
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 Freshmen and Part Time Varsity Assistant Coach for Boys Volleyball
- WHS Assistant Track 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.