Colleagues,
I hope you each had a productive week. One of my favorite Wellesley traditions is the “Chair” ceremony sponsored by the Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF), which honors colleagues with 25 years of service to our district. This year’s event was held on Monday at Wellesley College during which 16 of our staff members were recognized. Another wonderful aspect of this ceremony is that each honoree is introduced by a colleague of their choice, which often leads to wonderful anecdotes, both hilarious and, often, poignant. This year was no exception! Such long tenures in a single school district are becoming increasingly rare, particularly given the demands of our jobs. Please join me in congratulating the following colleagues for their service to our district:
Deborah Cohen, Alyssa Connor, Heather Haskell, Susan Higgins, Mara Hochberg, Andrea Holbrook, Kenneth Johnson, Lisa Licata, David Nichols, Janet Sozio, Christina Staunton, Ellen Theriault, Kristina Thompson, Julie Hirschberg Trask, Julie Verret & Chad Weirick.
This is also an exciting weekend as our community celebrates its annual Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend! In addition to the normal festivities, including a terrific parade on Sunday and fireworks Sunday night, we will be formally dedicating our new Hunnewell School on Saturday morning at 10AM, followed by an open house, which will allow the community to see the beautiful new school.
Have a great weekend everyone and thank you for your service to our students!
Best, David
Calendar
May 20 – Family STEAM Night
May 20 – School Committee Meeting
May 21 – School Committee Meeting
May 27 – Memorial Day (Schools and Offices closed)
May 28 – School Committee Meeting
June 3 – School Committee Meeting
June 7 – WHS Graduation (Half Day WHS only)
June 11 – School Committee Meeting
June 13 – Last Day of School for Students (Half Day)
June 14 – Last Day of School for Teachers
Congratulations to…
Alexandra Kritharis, first grade teacher at Fiske, on the birth of Klelia Davos on 5/13/24.
WPS Family STEAM Night
The WPS Family STEAM Night will start with Dr. Amon Millner as our keynote speaker, dinner will be provided, and activities will include 5 different robots, coding, Makey Makeys, drawing, hydroponics, math games, the WMS Girls Who Code Club, the WHS Robotics Club “UltraViolet,” and more!
Youth Mental Health Workshop Series
Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in the final installment of the workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room on 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.
The May 22 session topic will be “Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves.” Full details here. 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 Commission and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley.
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