Dear Colleagues,
Happy new year! I hope you each had an enjoyable winter recess and returned rested and ready for the second half of our school year.
Along with Dr. Allen and Dr. Chisum, I met with students from our WHS Jewish Student Union this week as part of our ongoing efforts to monitor the impact of events in Israel and Gaza on our school community. Our students were incredibly thoughtful in sharing their views of the current situation. They highlighted their concerns about the polarizing nature of information being shared about this conflict, particularly on social media, which they believe is working against a deeper understanding of the complex issues at hand. We also talked about why it remains important for our students to know they can always bring concerns forward to our staff to help ensure that no one is experiencing antisemitism in our school community. I remain thoroughly impressed with the ability of our students to be so incredibly reflective and caring in their thoughts about these issues. They give me hope that we are helping to produce empathetic, future leaders who will work toward solutions for peace.
Please stay warm and safe this weekend and enjoy our snow on Sunday!
Best, David
Calendar
Happy New Year!
January 15 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Schools and Offices Closed
February 19 – 23 – February Break
24th Annual MLK Jr Breakfast and Family Celebration!
The World of Wellesley will hold its Twenty-Fourth Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast and Family Celebration on Monday, January 15, 2024 at Wellesley College. We hope you will join us in celebrating Martin Luther King Day with a unique program that delves beyond the familiar narrative, shedding light on the lesser-known facets of MLK’s impactful legacy.
This inspiring event is proudly led by The World of Wellesley, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to making Wellesley a welcoming place and committed to community empowerment through initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accountability, justice, and anti-racism.
We are proud to have Dr. Jennifer Yanco, a racial justice educator-activist, scholar, and author as this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Yanco’s book Misremembering Dr. King: Revisiting the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. invites us to reconsider how Dr. King is remembered and to revisit the radicalism of his work and legacy. Copies of her book will be available for purchase.
The program consists of two parts, a ticketed breakfast and discussion from 8 AM to 10:30 AM followed by a family program with free admission from 10:30 AM to 12 PM. The family program will feature interactive MLK-themed activities for children and all ages are welcome.
Please click here to purchase tickets. For each purchase made, a percentage of available seats will be reserved for community members who qualify for financial assistance. Community members with financial constraints, please email WOW at info@worldofwellesley.org. For more information about the program goto: WOW.org.
We hope you will consider purchasing a table or seats and help us bring these impactful programs to our community. For more information on either of the Martin Luther King celebrations, email info@worldofwellesley.org.
Thank you,
The World of Wellesley
Wellesley Scholarship Foundation Needs You for the Boston Marathon!
We are looking for a WPS faculty or staff member to run the Boston Marathon on our behalf! We have the number…we just need the runner to “pin” our support on race day! WSF will help you with all the fundraising and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!
If you are interested in running the Boston Marathon for the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation please contact WSF Trustee (Outreach) – Jen Mock at jennifer.mock23@gmail.com.
403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits
The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000. Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500. Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b). Contact information for the two programs are:
VOYA: Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com
Additional information is available at: https://www.wellesleyma.gov/
OMNI & TSACG: PH: 877-544-OMNI
Additional Information is available at: https://www.omni403b.com/SRA/
If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.
Human Relation 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.