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WHS Principal’s Newsletter
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Dear Families,
I’m going to start today by praising our boys lacrosse team, but maybe not the way you might think. While our boys team has had a successful season on the field, nothing they accomplish will mean more than what they did this past Tuesday afternoon off of the field.
Last week the Wellesley Community lost a wonderful man named Peter Jennings. Peter was a member of the Wellesley High School class of 2008. He was an All American lacrosse player, and a better young man. He was voted the senior cup winner at his graduation by his classmates. We remember him here with only fondness.
When I made my way to the wake at St. Andrews on Tuesday evening I began hearing the story about how our boys lacrosse team had all gotten dressed up to come together and pay their respects to a man they had never met. Our seniors would have been born the year Peter graduated from Wellesley High. When I got to greet the family they told me how much it meant to them that the boys had come. Other attendees told me I should be so proud of them. I’m writing to you this evening to tell you I am so proud of them and their coaches.
I am so proud of our boys for bringing kindness to some really good people who needed just that. I’m writing tonight so we can all reflect on the power of doing things for our community. I also write because it is a wonderful example of how amazing our adolescents can be. When people tell me they don’t understand how I have spent my adult life working with teenagers, I tell them they don’t understand how amazing our kids can be. Certainly, I know there are many other examples of our kids doing good in our community and beyond. I just thought I’d lift up this one tonight.
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Graduation Day is next Friday, June 5th at 5:00pm – Rain or Shine
Outdoor Ceremony (weather permitting):
The ceremony takes place on Hunnewell Field located across from Wellesley High School, 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA. There is seating on the bleachers (both sides) to accommodate hundreds of people, and all are welcome to attend. If you have a family member unable to climb the stairs of the bleachers and may need accessible seating, please call your student’s house office and speak to the house secretary by June 3, as we have a section of chairs on the field reserved for those who need accommodations.
If Rain:
In the case of inclement weather, WHS will make a decision on Friday morning, June 5th, as to whether to hold the graduation ceremony indoors at WHS. Class of 2026 parents and students will be notified via ParentSquare email, and alerts will be posted on the WHS Homepage website as well as through WHS social media. The event will also be simulcast LIVE on a dedicated online platform, and we will publish that information if needed prior to the ceremony. Tickets and information for indoor seating will be included in student’s cap & gown packages.
- The ceremony takes approximately 2 hours from start to finish.
- Grad Images is our official photographer to capture the shot of your student receiving their diploma.
- Wellesley Media will be film the entire event, airing on their cable station throughout the month of June 2026
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Congratulations to all the Seniors and their families on your upcoming graduation! After all of the festivities, consider donating your gown for reuse for next year. Doing so helps cut down on the production of single-use graduation regalia, and you’ll pay it forward for another graduate.
Bring your cap & gown with you to the All Night Party on Friday night – or anytime next week!
Collection bins will be in the WHS lobby by the Main Office beginning June 5th- 16th.
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Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! We wish you incredible success in all your future endeavors. Before you head off to your next chapter, please review these important technology wrap-up steps to ensure a smooth transition:
- Account Deactivation: Your @wpsraiders Google account is scheduled for suspension on August 1, 2026.
- Data Backup: Please download any Google Drive files you wish to keep before August 1, as you will lose access after that date. Feel free to visit the Tech Office if you need any assistance with this process.
- Update Contact Info: If you have provided your WPS email address to colleges or other organizations, please update them with your personal email address as soon as possible.
- Login Credentials: For any external accounts or portals where you used your WPS email to create a login, remember to update your profile settings to a personal email address.
- Equipment Return: If you were issued a WPS laptop and charger, please return them to the Tech Office on or before Friday, May 29th.
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The Evolutions Capstone Expo will be Monday, June 1st at 6pm in the WHS Courtyard – come see Gen 11’s self-driven projects and talk to them about their learning process. Event is open to the community.
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The Athenaeum put together a wonderful visit for our students, including setting up a special collection of primary sources for them to handle and interact with. These included original documents, letters and journals from the seventeen and eighteen hundreds.
As we headed back to Wellesley, our students told us that it was better than they expected and that they were really interested in the materials they had the opportunity to see and work with. They also got excited about the physical spaces in the Athenaeum, particularly our tour of The Drum, the self-contained, metal lined space where the stacks of books are kept, and the old card catalog – something that they had never seen before, much less worked with.
We appreciate the generosity of our WHS PTSO, whose support allowed this memorable visit to happen.
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9th grade students will be taking the STE portion of the MCAS exam next week.
Session 1: Tuesday, June 2nd at 7:45AM – 3rd floor
Session 2: Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:45AM – 3rd floor
Room assignments will be posted outside of Perrin house office by Monday morning.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Bring your FULLY charged testing device with the MCAS Student Kiosk downloaded.
- If you need technical assistance, please visit the Tech Office on the third floor as soon as possible.
- Arrive ON TIME, exams start promptly each day.
- Bring a book to read if you finish early.
- Personal electronic devices are not permitted during the exam.
If you have any questions, please contact your guidance counselor or Jen Culver, WHS Testing Coordinator.
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SBIRT screening (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) will be conducted during 10th grade Health classes. SBIRT is a mandated screening for substance use/abuse in public schools. The screening is interview-based and takes approximately 5 minutes. All results are kept confidential and are not included in your student’s school record. The screening is completed by trained health teachers and nurses. For more detailed information see the full letter here: SBIRT Info Letter. If you would like to have your child opted-out of this screening for this year, please let us know by filling out this form: SBIRT Opt-Out Form.
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Imagine your student hiking the volcanic terrain of Isabela Island, spotting a blue-footed booby nesting just feet away, and snorkeling through crystal-clear Pacific waters beside sea lions and marine iguanas. Picture them standing on Santiago Island—the very ground where Darwin spent the most time during his historic expedition—and feeling the weight of that scientific legacy beneath their feet.
Along the way, students build a deeper understanding of ecology, evolution, and conservation that no textbook can replicate—along with the curiosity and confidence that come from exploring the world’s most extraordinary natural classroom.
Mr. Bateman’s Charting the Galápagos Islands information meeting is taking place this week, and this is your last chance to RSVP: https://bit.ly/4shtRF4 If you’ve already RSVP’d—you’re all set! But feel free to remind friends to register, too, so they don’t miss out on important trip details and enrollment information.
We hope to see you there!
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Ever wonder about the books teens are reading?
Ever read a popular YA book and wished you had someone to discuss it with?
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-group@wellesleyps.org Upcoming dates and books:
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library (in the first floor cafe/commons) at 7:30pm
Upcoming dates and books:
Next year (2026-2027)
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – discussing A Prayer for Owen Meany!
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Today marked the last day of classes for the seniors of the class of 2026. As is our tradition, the afternoon was reserved for “Color Wars” which is a giant field day for the entire class on the Hunnewell fields. It was a fantastic event with tremendous energy and enthusiasm. After working so hard for so many years it was great to see our kids, yes they’re still kids for at least another week, playing. A huge thank you to our class officers, Mr. Collin Shattuck, and our parent volunteers who helped us pull off all the organization of the day. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
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I’ve also included some pictures from the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation awards ceremony on Wednesday night. I want to thank WSF for all their work and generosity. For 76 years that organization has raised money to help fund post secondary education for the students of Wellesley High School. They do so without a lot of fanfare, but they certainly deserve our ongoing gratitude.
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I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Best,
Jamie
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