Colleagues,
I hope you each had a restful April vacation and a productive week back in school. I want to give a special shout-out to Bates teacher Katy Comstock for allowing me to shadow her 3rd grade class on Wednesday. After a wonderful school assembly, in which the arrival of school mascot Tux the Penguin was met with incredible enthusiasm, students returned to class and their study of the American Revolution. That was followed by recess and then a math challenge before the arrival of class caterpillars, which will become the basis for scientific study in the days ahead. Throughout our time together, I was reminded of the many transitions across subject areas that our elementary colleagues facilitate so skillfully each day. Thanks for the invitation, Katy!
I also appreciated the chance to join our elementary literacy learning lab colleagues this week. I was very impressed with the high level of professional discourse within the group as they prepared for their classroom visit to work directly with students while being observed by our coaches. This type of job-embedded professional development allows our educators to calibrate their instruction as they work together to sharpen their skills in teaching writing to our students. Thanks to Jenn Friedman for inviting me to join her group!
Thanks for all that you do to support our students and I hope you each have a great weekend!
Best, David
Calendar
May 7 – School Committee Meeting
May 27 – Memorial Day (Schools and Offices closed)
Youth Mental Health Workshop Series
Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in the workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room on May 8 and May 22 at 6:30 p.m.
The series is sponsored by Thrive Wellesley and will feature guest speakers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s The Resilience Project. It is designed to help families – parents, guardians & caregivers – gain a better understanding of the skills, community support, and resources for developing positive mental health and connections within their families. Join for either or both sessions. Full details here.
- May 8 – The Continuum of Care from Prevention to Treatment
- May 22 – Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves
Register now through the WFL website: https://wellesleyfreelibrary.libcal.com/. Thrive Wellesley is an Initiative of the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, in partnership with the Wellesley Youth Commision and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley.
WPS Family STEAM Night
On Monday evening, May 20, 2024, WPS will host a Family STEAM evening for our PreK-12 families. We will have STEAM activities including coding, programming robots, science and math games, working with circuits and more. Additionally, Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at Olin College of Engineering will be our featured speaker. He will talk about a variety of technology and engineering topics including ways children can incorporate computing and programming into the way they play, learn and prepare for ways to help their community. Please join us for an evening immersed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).
Please click on this flyer to learn more.
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
How to Apply for WPS Internal Job Postings as a New Internal Applicant (New Instructions as of 3/25/24)
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.
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. How to Apply for WPS Internal Job Postings as a New Internal Applicant