Colleagues,
I hope you each had a productive week. For the past few days, I’ve been attending the annual superintendent/school committee conference in Hyannis. As you might imagine, everyone has been trying to process and make meaning of Tuesday’s election results. The full range of emotions, from elation to fear, has been present in conversations here, along with an uncomfortable sense of how people, so seemingly divided, can understand and interact with one another. Tim Shriver, Co-Creator and CEO of the Dignity Index, had the challenging task of addressing the conference yesterday. He acknowledged the discomfort of this moment and how, unfortunately, the divisions in our country have led to visceral feelings toward “others” who don’t share our individual perspectives. His rhetorical question to the audience was, essentially, how do we rebuild a sense of “us?” His work through the Dignity Index offers one path forward toward this goal. If our starting point of interpersonal engagement is that everyone—even those with whom we strongly disagree—has worth and is deserving of dignity, we can perhaps begin to rebuild a landscape in which we can disagree without vilifying one another and separate political perspectives from mutual respect. I know this is far easier said than done, but I believe replacing contempt with dignity is a worthy goal for all of us to consider as we move forward.
As we head into the holiday weekend, I also want to give thanks to all of our veterans who have served in our nation’s armed services. Please keep all of our veterans and current active-duty sons and daughters in your thoughts this weekend as we recognize their service to our nation.
Thank you for your work to support our students and each other. Have a great weekend everyone!
Best, David
Calendar
November 11 – Veterans Day (Schools and Offices Closed)
November 12 – School Committee Meeting
November 13 – WEF Spelling Bee
November 19 – School Committee Meeting
November 27 – Early Release
November 28 – Thanksgiving Recess (Schools and Offices Closed)
November 29 – Thanksgiving Recess (Schools and Offices Closed)
December 2 – Professional Day (Schools Closed)
Take the Town’s Strategic Housing Plan Survey
The Town of Wellesley is conducting a community-wide survey to inform the development of the Town’s Strategic Housing Plan (SHP).
Providing feedback will help Town staff and consultants learn about current housing needs, understand what residents and Town staff think is going well, and develop strategies to address what could be improved. Completing the survey will take less than 15 minutes and will provide valuable information for the next steps of the Strategic Housing Plan. The survey will close November 8.
Questions may be directed to Meghan Jop, Executive Director, at mjop@wellesleyma.gov. Visit the Strategic Housing Plan’s project page for more information and details on community meetings to be held November 14 & 17.
Join us for the 35th Wellesley Spelling Bee!
Wednesday, November 13th, 7 pm, WHS Cafeteria
The Wellesley Spelling Bee is a Wellesley tradition that brings our community together to celebrate education. The Bee is a major fundraiser for WEF and raises money to fund enrichment programs for the Wellesley Public Schools – and it is great fun for participants and observers alike! We hope to see you there!
Click here to register a team of spellers for $500. Who can form a team? Anyone! Local businesses, community groups, town committees, friends, neighbors, etc.!
Click here to sponsor a high school or community team. Business sponsorships are available at various levels and provide great exposure for your organization to the Wellesley community
Questions? Email wellesleyeducationfoundation@gmail.com.
Nominate A Staff Member for the Educator Leadership Institute Program
Please take 1 minute and click on THIS FORM to nominate a member of your staff for the ACCEPT Educator Leadership Institute (ELI) Program.
We all want quality leadership in public education. We need your help identifying the next generation of educational leaders from your school. ELI candidates obtain DESE Administrative licensure while also earning a Master’s degree from Fitchburg State.
Our recruiting flier describes the program and info session dates at ACCEPT in Natick this fall.
Please take 1 minute and click on THIS FORM, and you will honor one of your educators with this leadership nomination. ELI will reach out to your candidate directly to invite them to the program.
Please submit your nomination now. You just might inspire the next great school leader!
COVID-19 Tests
Order your 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests by clicking this link.
MAALANA Affinity Group
Sponsored by
(IDEAS) INITIATIVES for DEVELOPING EQUITY and ACHIEVEMENT for STUDENTS &(M.A.S.S.) MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION of SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS
INVITATION TO IDEAS AFFINITY GROUP FOR EDUCATORS OF COLOR 2024-2025
(Updated 7/11/2024)
The IDEAS MAALANA affinity group provides a space for educators of color to network. The conversation is organic; there is typically no set agenda. Participants bring their willingness to engage, support, and brainstorm on school-related issues, process scholarly articles, and promote social justice. MAALANA also provides an opportunity to share each other’s company, and enjoy light refreshments when we meet in person. Meetings occur ten times over the school year. An email reminder is sent out each month to remind folks as to whether the meeting will be virtual on Zoom or in person, and a summary is sent after each meeting with links to articles on related topics. There is no commitment to attend all meetings. The meeting time is generally from 4:00 PM EST – 6:00 PM EST once a month, most often on the Second Friday. The physical location may change but it typically off 128/95 in the Waltham, MA area.
MAALANA is an affinity group designed to provide opportunities for educators of color from various communities in (or connected to) Massachusetts. We share school experiences regarding topics of race, culture, ethnicity, power/ privilege, culturally responsive teaching practices, and systemic social change to create educational equity. Strategies for addressing the academic achievement of children of color, preparing all students to successfully navigate a culturally diverse society, and collaboration techniques among colleagues are discussed.
MAALANA educators are Multiracial, Asian, Arab, African Descent, Latino/a, and/or Native American (Indigenous) educators, advisors, counselors, administrators, staff, consultants, tutors, and retired educators of color. We are people who are the only or one of few of their racial/ ethnic group in their building or school system. Claudia A. Fox Tree has facilitated the monthly meetings since the 2006-2007 school year. Please do not confuse us with MA-ALANA (with a hyphen), the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association (MTA) committee that formed in 2020.
Two (2) Contact hours will be awarded for attendance per meeting These may be combined with the IDEAS Book Group for a “bundle” of 10.
We typically meet on the lands of the Pawtucket, Agawam, Nipmuc, Massachusett, and Wampanoag.
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DATES: Please “pencil in” our 10 Dates for the 2024-2025 School Year Summer dates will be determined at the April meeting. Unless otherwise noted, we meet on Fridays (typically the second Friday of the month), usually in the Waltham Area from 4:00-6:00 pm EST. 2024-25 Dates are: Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Dec. (skip), Jan. 10 (likely to be virtual), Feb. 13 Thursday due to Feb. break (likely to be virtual), March 14, April 11, May 9 (Bring Your Ally), July (TBD), and August (TBD). Summer dates will be determined at the April meeting.
There is no commitment to attend all meetings.
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Please email cfoxtree@gmail.com, to join the mailing list. You will receive reminders, announcements, and summaries, whether or not you attend.
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Opportunities from the Town of Wellesley
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.
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