Colleagues,
I hope you each had a productive week (and thank you to our WMS staff for hosting their back-to-school night last evening!). I wanted to share an important reminder about cybersecurity. Recently, a “phishing” attack that used a compromised staff account is a reminder that cybersecurity remains a significant challenge for our district and the entire country. One of the best ways that we can protect our staff and student data is with multi-factor authentication (MFA) and I would encourage everyone to set this up as soon as possible. To support this work, members of the Technology team have been working with educators in each school building to help you in the MFA process, and I am pleased to hear that this process has been going smoothly. This work will continue over the next several weeks and there will be many opportunities for Tech staff to assist you. We are well on our way to our goal of fully implementing MFA by Thanksgiving. Thank you for your assistance in this process!
I am delighted that the weather is looking great for the weekend, which is perfect timing for two great events for our community. On Saturday from 11am-3pm, Fiske Elementary School will host its annual Western Roundup. This is a wonderful community event, especially for families. Of course, I want to reiterate our pride in Fiske being named a Blue Ribbon School earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Education!
The other event, also on Saturday, is our first home football game under the newly installed lights at the Hunnewell Track and Field. We’ve already previewed the excitement of our students at some of the boys and girls events in the past few weeks and I’m so pleased that we have these opportunities to bring our community together for these evening events. Please come by for “Saturday Night Lights”, with the game vs. Walpole beginning at 6pm. Go Raiders!
One final, important reminder: Next week, schools are closed on Thursday, October 3rd, for Rosh Hashanah. Whether considering this religious holiday or others on our calendar, it’s important that we remember to provide our students with the appropriate accommodations, which will allow them to participate in religious and cultural observances. To this end, our School Committee Policy IMDA outlines these accommodations and I ask that everyone be familiar with these provisions, which can help support our students during these important days on our calendar.
Thanks for all that you do for our students each day and have a great weekend!
Best, David
Calendar
October 3 – Rosh Hashanah (Schools Closed)
October 8 – School Committee Meeting
October 14 – Indigenous Peoples Day (Schools and Offices Closed)
October 29 – School Committee Meeting
COVID-19 Tests
Order your 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests by clicking this link.
WHS Child Lab
The WHS Child Lab is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year. Children who will be three years old or four years old by September 1st, 2025 are eligible to apply. Please contact Heidi Marquedant at marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for an application. All applications are due by October 31st.
Opportunities from the Town of Wellesley
Teachers and Department Heads – Apply for a Wellesley Cultural Council Grant!: The Wellesley Cultural Council (WCC) is now accepting grant applications to help fund visual arts, performing arts, and more! The WCC is the local presence of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and is a grassroots funding network supporting community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. Apply for a 2025 grant here. The WCC expects to have between $7,000 and $8,000 to award this year. All grant applications must be received by Wednesday, October 16, 2024. For questions or information, contact the Wellesley Cultural Council at culturalcouncil@wellesleyma.gov
Get your event featured!: The Town of Wellesley has a new Community Events Calendar on its website. Schools or departments hosting events are welcome to submit an event for inclusion on the town-wide calendar. Send details via the event submission form.
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 choose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500. Employees who are eligible for one of the additional catch-up provisions need to contact Donna Kalinowski in Payroll to have their annual limit changed in the payroll system. 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