Colleagues,
While we are now officially in spring, it feels more like February outside! I hope you each had a productive week. Many thanks to the Fiske staff who joined me for coffee and conversation on Tuesday. I also want to thank WHS Science Teacher Caitlin Moniz for allowing me to shadow her for part of her day on Tuesday. It was great to see how Caitlin differentiates her practice between the CP and Foundations physics courses she teaches, including her collaboration with Special Educator Jesse Davis.
Probably the most high-profile news in the district this week was the announcement that Upham Principal Jeff Dees will become the next principal of the Hunnewell School, following Ellen Quirk’s retirement at the end of the school year. I am delighted that we can support this leadership transition from within our own ranks. I remain grateful to both Ellen and Jeff, for their leadership of their respective schools, particularly through the many years of the HHU building projects.
I also want to give a shout-out to the WEA and the WPS Fitness and Health Department for sponsoring a blood-drive this week at Sprague. The turnout was great and they collected 48 units of blood, which is so desperately needed at the moment. Special thanks to Margaret Flitsch for all of her coordinating efforts!
If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, please consider checking out the WMS production of Newsies Jr., which opened yesterday and will have performances tonight as well as two shows on Saturday.
Thanks for all that you do to support our students and have a great weekend!
Best, David
Calendar
March 26 – School Committee Meeting
March 29 – Good Friday (Schools closed)
April 15 – 19 – April Break (Schools Closed)
Summer Program Positions Available
-Teachers and Paraprofessionals
-July 8 – August 1, 202, 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday
-The program is targeted at those students who need another opportunity to engage in essential content from their current grade in small group virtual sessions.
-To apply, Go to “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab
Wishing the best of luck to our Wellesley Public Schools faculty and staff members who will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15!
Runners include: Carolyn Livingstone, Hunnewell kindergarten teacher, on behalf of Wellesley’s War Memorial Scholarship Fund; Julia MacBlane, Schofield teaching assistant, also on behalf of Wellesley’s War Memorial Scholarship Fund; Glen Magpiong, WHS varsity girls basketball coach, on behalf of Wellesley’s A Better Chance (ABC); and Sara Sullivan, Hunnewell psychologist, on behalf of the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation. We look forward to cheering you on!
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 Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org.
Eligible staff members can also access the application on the WPS website.
May 1: All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.
The district will review all applications in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been 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 Dana Zakak 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 2024-2025.
For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.
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/DocumentCenter/View/11303/457b-Self-Enrollment-Instructions?bidId=
OMNI & TSACG: PH: 877-544-OMNI
Additional Information is available at: https://www.omni403b.com/SRA/Landing
Please use this link for information about SECURE Act 2.0. If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.
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.
Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team Seeks Mentors
The Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team, Team Ultraviolet, is looking for adults who would like to volunteer as mentors for our team. Both non-technical and technical help is greatly appreciated! Mentors help us either by monitoring build sessions to ensure safety, or guiding us technically in the area of science, technology, engineering, design, math, business and presentation. Currently our mentors are parents, teachers, engineers from tech companies in the surrounding area, and WHS alumni. Robot building takes a considerable amount of manpower. Last year it took us 250+hrs to build a robot that qualified for the New England district final. Therefore we are always looking for more mentors to join us!
Please read this flyer for more information. If you are interested in being a mentor or learning more, feel free to contact me at sharonxsun@hotmail.com, and I will be happy to answer any questions.
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.