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WHS Principal’s Newsletter
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Dear Families,
Happy Friday before the first week of school! I hope the preparations for the return on Wednesday (see the opening week calendar below for exact times) are going well. Not all teenagers are as excited for school to start as some of the parents (ahem), so if you find there is anything we might be able to do to help you as we begin the new school year please do not hesitate to reach out for help. We also want to underscore that we will continue to be here all year if needs arise later and we believe that working together with you as a team is the best way to support our students.
Most of the newsletter are things I sent last week, but we figured it couldn’t hurt for you to have them again for ease of reference.
This week we welcomed our new teachers to the school. They had some orientation from the district and then some high school specific learning time today. I’ve included a picture of them below (including their names and what they teach). If your child sees a name you didn’t recognize from years past, perhaps you’ll find that new name here.
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from l to r: Principal Jamie Chisum; Ceramics Teacher Jessica Lau; Math Teacher Zeinab Haghighatjoo; Math Teacher Ryan Tolfree; METCO High School Counselor Yinan Xue; English Teacher Caroline Crouse; English Teacher Emily Oberg; Fitness & Health Teacher Zoe Athanasapoulos; Spanish Teacher Rose Healea
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Wednesday, September 2nd though Friday, September 4th
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As we prepare for the new school year, Wellesley Public Schools must confirm student emergency contact details, directory information, and permissions. We use PowerSchool to maintain these data. The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open from August 19 through September 9, 2026.
Please log in during this window to update your child’s information. Homeroom assignments for Grades K-8 will be available on August 19, 2026; Grade 9-12 schedules will be released on August 26, 2026. Note that class lists are not distributed due to privacy laws (see MGL 603 CMR 23.00). Some teacher names may show as “TBD” while we finalize placements.
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Welcome to Wellesley High School! At this time, the school is making the final preparations to release 9th-grade schedules for the upcoming school year. It is important to pass along the following procedural information regarding our scheduling process. Please review this information carefully.
When will schedules be officially released for incoming 9th-graders?
Student schedules will be released on Wednesday, August 26th at 3pm.
How do I view my (student’s) courses?
Course lists can be viewed via your personal PowerSchool account at the following link. If you have any complications, please contact the High School at 781-446-6290. Students may not have received elective requests or may have to make choices between competing interests:
As you review your student’s courses, please remember that every effort has been made to meet all individual requests. Unfortunately, there are limitations to any schedule, and it is quite possible that due to the complexities of offering such a robust program of studies, you may not have been scheduled for your requested elective classes or you may be forced to make decisions to prioritize between competing interests. School Counselors are available to support students in making these challenging, yet healthy, choices.
How to request a schedule change:
As we continue to review our policies and procedures at WHS through the lens of Challenge Success, we remain focused on reducing stress-inducing practices and continuing to increase the personalization of our school environment. As a result, the school has developed a process for requesting schedule changes that eliminates the lines and first-come-first-served practices. This process is designed to ensure that requests to make a schedule change will be processed in an equitable manner. Additionally, this approach is designed to reduce the stress surrounding the change process by having discussions in a more personal environment with a student’s individual school counselor.
For Incoming 9th Graders – Class of 2030
When schedules are released, students with one of the following issues with their schedule can make an appointment to see their assigned school counselor prior to the start of school:
- Under enrolled – For 9th graders, this would be fewer than 34 credits
- Missing a Major Class – Including English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language, and/or Fitness and Health
- Mistake in schedule
If 9th graders wish to make a change for any reason other than what is listed above, they are required to first experience the course by attending their currently assigned classes for the first cycle of school prior to requesting a change using the following process: Program Changes WHS Handbook
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Grade 9 Seminars
During Quarter 2 (Nov – Jan), School Counselors work in small groups with their grade 9 students to support their transition to WHS. Students will have a grade 9 seminar added to their schedule by the end of September and will have access to the grade 9 Canvas curriculum.
Thank you all for your cooperation and once again, welcome to Wellesley High School!!
9th-Grade Guidance Counselor Assignments
Counselor
Ms. Marissa Coughlin: Last Names A – Cer
Mr. William Harrington: Last Names Chan – F
Ms. Margaret Walendin: Gateways, Cornerstones, & Scholars Programs
Ms. Kristi Stone: Last Names G – J
Dr. John Steere: Last Names Ka – Mi
Ms. Julie Trask: Last Names Mis – Q
Ms. Annis Chwalek: Last Names R – S
Ms. Morgan Coakley: Last Names T – Z
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Dear Students & Families,
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! As we make our final preparations to begin the year, it is important to pass along the following reminders and procedural information regarding our scheduling process and requests to make further schedule changes. Please review this information carefully. Schedules will be available on Powerschool on Wed, August 26th at 3pm.
How to request a schedule change:
As we continue to review our policies and procedures at WHS through the lens of Challenge Success, we remain focused on reducing stress-inducing practices and continuing to increase the personalization of our school environment. As a result, the school has developed a process for requesting schedule changes that eliminates lines and first-come-first-served practices. This process is designed to ensure that requests to make a schedule change will be processed in an equitable manner. Additionally, this approach is designed to reduce the stress surrounding the change process by having discussions in a more personal environment with a student’s individual school counselor.
Procedure to make a Schedule Change Request for grades 10 – 12:
Students receive a list of their courses for the following academic year in June so they can plan their summer assignments. For those students interested in requesting a higher level or AP course in the fall, they should complete the summer assignments for that course in case their request can be facilitated.
Students have an opportunity to request a schedule change at any point after they receive their courses in June until the week before school starts by filling out an electronic request form. If the requested change was possible within the constraints of the schedule, students will see the change reflected in their schedule when it is released in late August. If the change was not possible, their counselor will reach out to them to discuss options.
The Fall process to request a schedule change will be as follows:
Thank you all for your cooperation and we hope you have a wonderful start to the 2026-2027 school year!
WHS Counseling Department
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Friday, September 4th will be WHS Student School Picture Day. Please take a moment to review the WHS Picture Day Schedule document located on the WHS Homepage for detailed instructions.
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The safe transportation of students is a shared responsibility of students, parents/caregivers, bus drivers, bus monitors (where applicable), and administration.
Please also note the following list of acceptable items that are allowed on the school bus:
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You may have seen the news about the new Massachusetts High School Graduation requirements that were released by the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) last spring. They are lengthy and they will definitely have an impact on Wellesley High School in the future. Fortunately, we will not begin the implementation of those guidelines until the class of 2031 enters the high school next fall. None of our current high schoolers will be under the new requirements. We will be communicating a lot more about how things will look as we iron out our implementation plans later this year. If you are curious about what the state is asking of us all feel free to follow the link above for more information.
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The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is pleased to share the MCAS Family Portal with you. This online tool lets you see your student’s MCAS test results.
Preliminary MCAS results from spring 2026 are available. You will also see your student’s results from past years (2023–2025), if available. The Family Portal will be updated in September when final results are ready.
How to Get Started
To create an account, you will need
- your student’s registration code 1A2B3C4D5E6F (listed above); and
- your student’s date of birth.
Need Help?
- create an account;
- add your student to your account; and
- view your student’s test results.
Please contact your school principal if you have any questions about your child’s results. If you have trouble setting up your login, email us at portal@wellesleyps.org. We are here to support you.
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Celebrate our return to school with a night at Fenway Park cheering on the Wellesley High School Keynote Singers and Rice Street Singers as they sing the National Anthem at the Red Sox game on August 31 at 6:45pm against the Seattle Mariners.
With the recent success of the team, ticket prices have increased significantly. For the best priced ticket options, use the following designated link or scan the QR code on the attached flyer.
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Step Up Day is Wednesday, October 14th at Wellesley High School. Students will participate in activities tailored to their grade level.
9th & 10th Grade
- Students will have intervention time and attend their tan block class. Followed by an extended advisory period that includes presentations and community-building activities.
11th Grade
- Students will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT School Day exam.
- Registration/Payment: open till October 14th.
- Cost: $18.00
- Ensure the latest version of Bluebook is downloaded onto your computer.
12th Grade
Seniors have the option to take the SAT School Day exam:
Seniors not taking the exam:
- Post-high school readiness activities begin at 9:00 AM on the 1st floor.
- Session sign ups will be posted mid-September.
Questions? Contact your school counselor or Jen Culver, WHS Testing/SSD coordinator.
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Please join us for our first Coffee with the Principal of the school year with Principal Jamie Chisum on Friday, September 18th, 9:00-10:00 am in the WHS Faculty Dining Room.
On one Friday each month, we invite you to kick off your morning with us! We open the doors of our Faculty Dining Room for an informal, relaxed gathering dedicated entirely to our parent and school community. This is a wonderful, casual opportunity to connect with other families, meet new faces, and share a cup of coffee and conversation.
School Principal Jamie Chisum and Interim Director of School Counseling Meg Walendin will alternate every month, sharing timely school information and taking questions from the audience.
No RSVP or formal agenda required—just come as you are, whenever you can drop by. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Dear WHS Grade 9 and New WHS Families,
Welcome to our school community. We are thrilled to invite you to a special morning event designed specifically to help you transition into the high school years.
- When: Friday, September 25th
- Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Where: WHS Auditorium
What to Expect:
- Meet the Teams: Connect with members of our WHS Administrative Team and the WHS PTSO.
- Guest Speaker: Enjoy an insightful presentation focusing on navigating and strengthening the changing relationships between parents and high school-aged children.
- Get Informed:
- Learn about our regular monthly gatherings in the Faculty Dining Room, where School Principal Jamie Chisum and Interim Director of School Counseling Meg Walendin alternate each month to provide timely school updates and take audience questions.
- Hear from our PTSO President how the group supports and enhances the educational experiences at WHS and provides support for many programs within the school or outside of WHS.
- Find out how HRS (Human Relations Services) works with WHS to provide short-term and ongoing school-based counseling, individually or in groups, for students in the regular education population who are experiencing a variety of social/emotional challenges.
We hope you will join us for this valuable morning of information and community building.
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It’s been exciting seeing some students on campus this past week as we’ve begun the fall sports practice and tryout season. The energy in the building during the summer months is so quiet without them. Schools are really schools without kids, so I’m really looking forward to Wednesday when the building will be buzzing again with all the energy 1200 students bring when they come together for the first time in a while. And so the cycle of a new school year will begin. I wish everyone a productive year that helps all our students along their path to a successful future, whatever they hope that to be.
Best,
Jamie
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