{"id":9426,"date":"2025-12-12T18:32:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T02:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellesleyps.org\/whs\/?p=9426"},"modified":"2025-12-12T21:39:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T02:39:36","slug":"whs-principals-newsletter-for-12-december-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellesleyps.org\/whs\/2025\/12\/12\/whs-principals-newsletter-for-12-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"WHS Principal’s Newsletter for 12 December 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

WHS Principal’s Newsletter<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
December 12, 2025<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Dear Families,<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Is it possible for the pace of these weeks to be increasing?\u00a0 It certainly feels like they are. The train here runs fast. The weeks leading up to a long break often seem filled with assignments and assessments as teachers try to get them in before the time away when students might forget things, but there\u2019s also a lot of teaching happening so there\u2019s a lot of new information and skills being learned.\u00a0<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This morning I got to sit in on a class where the teacher started his students with a challenge problem as their warmup.\u00a0 He literally told them, you only know how to do the first part of this, but I want to see what you can do trying to figure out the rest of it on your own. Don\u2019t worry, it wasn\u2019t being evaluated, it just gave the students the opportunity to engage in some collaborative, productive struggle. As teachers we regularly try to push students up to and just beyond their zones of proximal development. In this activity I saw the teacher actually using the activity as an attempt to pull the students from above it rather than push them up from below it. \u00a0 There are so many ways to help kids learn.\u00a0<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence Finalist<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
We are delighted to share that WHS Coral Director,\u00a0Dr. Kevin McDonald<\/strong>,\u00a0has been named a semi-finalist for the CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence award. As an applicant, Kevin has advanced to\u00a0Phase 2<\/strong>\u00a0of the\u00a0application\u00a0process\u2014an exciting milestone that reflects his dedication to students\u00a0and to\u00a0high-quality music education.\u00a0View the press release here<\/a>!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Finalists will be announced during\u00a0Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4\u20138, 2026<\/strong>. Selected finalists will each receive a\u00a0$5,000 grant<\/strong>, divided evenly between classroom use and personal professional support.\u00a0<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The CMA Foundation transforms lives by investing in music education programs across the United States. Beginning in 2006 with passionate artists and industry professionals who first fell in love with music within the four walls of a classroom. Thanks to the teachers who believed in them, they were able to go after their dreams.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

WHS Counseling Department: Winter 2025-26 News to Use <\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
Additional information visit:\u00a0<\/strong>WHS School Counseling Website<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong> <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Parent Nights<\/u><\/strong><\/div>\n
All parent nights are at 7pm on zoom unless otherwise indicated.<\/em><\/div>\n
1\/7\/26\u00a0– GAP Year Presentation w\/J2 Guides<\/div>\n
1\/21\/26\u00a0– 8th Grade Parent\/Guardian Night<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0*This event is in person: WHS Auditorium<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Past Parent Nights click link to view recording:<\/div>\n
9\/11 –\u00a0Standardized Testing<\/a> <\/div>\n
9\/17 –\u00a0Senior Parent Night<\/a> <\/div>\n
10\/15 –\u00a0Navigating the College Transition for\u00a0<\/a>Students w\/LD<\/a> <\/div>\n
10\/27 –\u00a0MEFA Financial Aid Night<\/a> <\/div>\n
11\/12 –\u00a0Junior Parent Night<\/a> <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Scheduling<\/u><\/strong><\/div>\n
Students will begin meeting with teachers about course recommendations for next year after February break.\u00a0Course selection for the 26-27 school year will take place in March.<\/div>\n
9th graders will prepare for course selection with counselors in seminar in January.\u00a010th and 11th graders will have counseling seminar during the course selection window in March.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Coffee with The Director of Counseling<\/u><\/strong><\/div>\n
All meetings are from 9-10 am on Fridays in the Faculty Dining Room. Next Dates: February 13, April 10<\/div>\n
All are welcome!<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/span><\/em>Academic Support Options<\/strong><\/div>\n