Dear Families,

Believe it or not next week is October already and Wednesday will also mark the midpoint of the first quarter of the school year already. I hope things have started well. For our 9th grade families and those who are new to Wellesley High School, we do not send midterm reports home unless the teachers are seeing serious academic challenges. Despite this, I would encourage any of you with questions to reach out to your students’ teachers and/or school counselors to ask them. We’d much rather be involved early if you think there is something we can do. Additionally, we would encourage your students to go see their teachers to make sure they are on track for the second half of the quarter.

This Monday morning I had the pleasure of spending some time welcoming our Swiss Exchange students to Wellesley High School in our auditorium. There are 15 students and two faculty members visiting us this year. I got to tell them a little bit about our school and its history, and they had the chance to ask me some great questions about how things work here at Wellesley and in the US education system in general. Their presence and perspective is a wonderful gift to our community. I hope you get the chance to meet some of them while they are here. I’m confident the same will be true when our students go to Switzerland this winter.

The WHS Varsity Senior Boys’ Soccer home game will be next Wednesday, 10/1/25 at 6pm vs. Waltham under the lights.

The senior boys will be announced at 5:00pm before kickoff, so please join us at Hunnewell Field to cheer our team on!

I apologize that I forgot to include the picture of the 50th reunion class of Wellesley High School from 1975 last week. Two Saturdays ago I got to spend an hour or so with them to give them a tour of the “new” high school. They regaled me with stories from their high school years while I pointed out to them many of the historical accents featured in our current space. It was a great connection to be in touch with our highly energetic alumni from 50 years ago.

Wellesley High School Acatober Come join the Wellesley High School Choral Department for our annual Acatober Concert on October 17 or 18 at 7:00pm- This is one of the most popular WHS Events and is an all a cappella concert featuring our 5 curricular choral ensembles, 4 a cappella groups, and guest artists- the Northeastern University Nor’Easters! Tickets may be purchased at: WHS Acatober Ticket Link

WHS Ceramics Students Supporting Local Families On Tuesday of this week, a cohort of the WHS Ceramics Intensive students (and me) gave up their holiday this week to sell ceramic bowls at a charity event for Vineyard Haven. This organization helps support local families that are battling with childhood cancer. Collectively, the Ceramics Intensive program raised over $400 at this event. All proceeds go directly to Vineyard Havens and their organization.

The WHS Varsity Senior Boys’ Soccer home game will be next Wednesday, 10/1/25 at 6pm vs. Waltham under the lights.

The senior boys will be announced at 5:00pm before kickoff, so please join us at Hunnewell Field to cheer our team on!

In the United States, over 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. It remains the leading cause of death by disease in children under 19. Approximately 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, oftentimes more than once. Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund Clinic change the lives of both patients and their families through cutting-edge research and compassionate care.

The Jimmy Fund Walk is an annual event held by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, the largest single-day walk fundraiser in the country. It follows the iconic Boston Marathon route, and you can choose to walk a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or full marathon. All routes end in the Boston Common. Since 1989, the Jimmy Fund Walk has raised over $185 million towards cancer care and research at Dana-Farber.

Every donation and registration is a step closer to a world where all cancers are treatable and curable. Every step matters in lowering those statistics to what we sincerely hope will become zero one day. Join us in fighting for a future without cancer. Please consider donating to our cause or registering for Walk Day.

We have organized a Shake Shack Donation Day to fundraise towards our goal. The event will take place on Monday, Sept. 29th at the Wellesley Shack; simply mention the code DONATE or type it into the kiosk, and 25% of your total will be donated to the Jimmy Fund Walk.

– Lanting Ran and Grace Cahoon, co-captains of the Wellesley Raiders walk team

Step Up Day is Wednesday, October 8th at WHS. Students participate in activities tailored to their grade level.

Visit the WHS Step-Up Day for detailed information

Questions? Contact your guidance counselor or Jen Culver, WHS Testing/SSD coordinator.

The librarians at Wellesley High School host a monthly Book Club for parents where we read YA books and discuss.

If you are interested in participating please email us at whslibrary@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 7th, 7:30pm at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor)

to discuss Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick

The Wellesley Free Library will have copies available for check out.

Any question can be emailed to whslibrary@wellesleyps.org.

Our event kicks off with a home football game Friday night at 6 pm, Community Day on Saturday at Hunnewell Field from 11 – 2 showcasing our fantastic high school as well as our arts, athletics, and clubs.

This event is for families, children, and community members and will include games and fun activities for kids of all ages.

Lastly, at night there will be a dance at the high school from 6:30 – 9 pm that is open to all students.

Ticket sales will open soon and we will have capacity limits. Stay tuned for further details, and remember to purchase your tickets early!

Wednesday, Oct 1: Q1 Midterm

Thursday, Oct 2: Yom Kippur Holiday – Schools Closed

Wednesday, Oct 8: Step Up Day / Early Release

Thursday, Oct 9: Back to School Night & Wellness Fair (stay tuned for further details)

Have a great weekend everyone.

Best

Jamie