Dear Colleagues,
I hope you each had a productive week. Following last week’s town elections, the School Committee welcomed new member, Illana Nissenbaum, who joined the Committee this Tuesday for her first meeting. Sharon Clarke was also elected to complete the final year of Catherine Mirick’s term. Congratulations to both Illana and Sharon, and special thanks to outgoing member, Craig Mack, for his service throughout his three-year term on the Committee.
On Tuesday, the Administration presented its plan to the School Committee to meet the Competency Determination (CD) requirement for high school graduation, following the elimination of MCAS for this purpose. I want to thank Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Sandy Trach and our secondary principals, department heads and staff, who collaborated to identify the course pathways which address the state-required standards to meet this CD requirement. (Please see our website for these details.) We will continue to monitor the work of the state committee that is being pulled together to establish a new state standard at some point in the near future.
I also want to thank everyone who participated in the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services search process, with finalist days being held this week. Interviews also began today for the next Principal of Schofield and I appreciate the staff and parents/caregivers who are also participating in that process. (And a special shout-out to HR Director Dave Turcotte, who has been doing yeoman’s work managing these important searches!)
I hope you each have a great weekend and happy St. Patrick’s Day on Monday!
Best, David
Calendar
March 18 – School Committee Meeting
March 31 – Eid al-Fitr (Schools Closed)
April 18 – Good Friday (Schools Closed)
April 21-25 – April Break (Schools Closed)
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 the 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 the District Registrar, 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 the 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 2025-2026.
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.
Affordable 1 Bedroom Unit Available Now – 53 Grove Street
A 1-bedroom affordable condominium opportunity is available in Wellesley Square! As this is not a lottery, interested individuals should reach out immediately to Avi Glaser, aviglaser@comcast.net. Please see application and flyer for eligibility requirements and more information.
Movie Screening: Plastic People
Join us for a special screening of Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics, an award-winning 2024 documentary investigating our addiction to plastic and the growing threat microplastics pose for human health.
Tickets are free. Click here to register.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Newman Elementary School Auditorium
1155 Central Avenue Needham, MA 02492
(From Wellesley’s RDF: continue for a mile on Route 135 and turn right on Central Avenue)
6:30 to 7:00 p.m. – Poster Session
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. – Film Screening
8:30 to 9:00 p.m. – Moderated Discussion
Join us early for a poster session or stay for a moderated discussion to learn more about local initiatives and how you can become involved in solutions.
Sponsored by Wellesley Climate Action Committee, Sustainable Wellesley, Wellesley Health Department, Green Needham, Needham Board of Health, Needham League of Women Voters, Needham High School Environmental Action Club.
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Sponsored by Wellesley Educators Association and Wellesley Fitness and Health Department
Sprague Elementary School
401 School Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
12pm-5pm
To schedule an appointment, please visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: Sprague
Or Click HERE
COVID-19 Tests
Order your 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests by clicking this link.
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