Wellesley Public Schools is pleased to announce that two Boston resident parents have been appointed to serve together as METCO Representatives to the Wellesley School Committee. This new, non-voting position was created by the School Committee in May 2023.
The new representatives, Nicole Daley and Dr. Joanne DaSilva Moreira, will represent and advocate for Boston resident students and families; participate in biweekly School Committee meetings; collaborate closely with district leaders to support Boston resident students and families; and work to ensure Boston resident students and families feel welcomed, supported, and valued in WPS. Their first School Committee meeting appearance was October 3.
Daley and DaSilva Moreira will serve for one year, sharing the role of interim representative. Next year, per School Committee policy, the newly formed Boston Parent Council will oversee the selection process for a 2-year term. As that group is still organizing its membership and structure, this year the position was appointed by a committee including the WPS METCO Director, the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and a Boston parent representative.
METCO REPRESENTATIVE BIOS
Nicole Daley
Nicole Daley is a biology teacher at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. She formerly served as the Director of the Division of Violence and Injury Prevention at the MA Department of Public Health for 2 years. She served as Program Director of the Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships initiative at the Boston Public Health Commission for over 8 years and the Director of Evaluation and Engagement at the One Love Foundation for 2 years. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MPH from Boston University School of Public Health. Her expertise is in the field of teen dating violence prevention, healthy relationship promotion, and program and partnership development. She has led teams to develop innovative curriculum for teens and adults on healthy relationships, teen dating violence, media literacy, and healthy break-ups. She has a passion for supporting young people in being change agents in addressing violence. Her work with the Start Strong teens has been featured in the Boston Globe, The New York Times and CNN. Nicole has a son in the fifth grade at the Bates School.
Joanne DaSilva Moreira
Dr. Joanne DaSilva Moreira is honored and excited to be chosen to be one of the METCO Representatives to the Wellesley Public Schools School Committee. Her daughter, Annaya, is currently in ninth grade at Wellesley High School. Annaya began attending the Wellesley Public Schools as a first grader at Schofield Elementary School. During Annaya’s time there, Joanne volunteered at the consignment shop and helped organize and facilitate two consecutive Math Games Night at Schofield Elementary School. Joanne has also represented the “METCO Marvels” every year at the Wellesley Education Foundation Spelling Bee since Annaya started. For the past two years, Joanne served as Co-Vice President of the Wellesley Middle School PTO.
Joanne is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Fogo, Cabo Verde in the 1970’s and she exudes a great deal of pride in her Cabo Verdean culture and values. Joanne has always considered herself a life-long learner whose favorite teachers have been that of her very own students. Joanne has a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy and is currently an Instructional Coach for the Boston Public Schools. She is deeply humbled to represent the students and families of the Wellesley METCO community and looks forward to working with the members of the Wellesley Public Schools School Committee.