{"id":9683,"date":"2026-01-30T17:24:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T01:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellesleyps.org\/whs\/?p=9683"},"modified":"2026-01-31T09:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:47:47","slug":"whs-principals-newsletter-for-30-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellesleyps.org\/whs\/2026\/01\/30\/whs-principals-newsletter-for-30-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"WHS Principal’s Newsletter for 30 January 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WHS Principal’s Newsletter<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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January 30, 2026<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Dear Families,<\/div>\n
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Welcome to the end of the last week of January and the start of Quarter 3.\u00a0This week seemed like a long and cold week even with the snow day on Monday.\u00a0I\u2019m certainly hoping this weekend\u2019s weather stays out at sea and misses us completely.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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Next Tuesday and Friday we will welcome the 8th graders from Wellesley Middle here at the high school for an introduction and a tour from our amazing Student Ambassadors. The WHS Class of 2030 is preparing to come to the high school already!<\/div>\n
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Student Ambassadors are high school students who volunteer their time to welcome new students who may transfer to the high school or who come here as 9th graders from our own middle school.\u00a0They help orient 8th graders on this step up visit, but they also help the ninth graders on opening day at their new school in the fall. These student leaders make themselves available to give tours of WHS to families upon request after school during the year as well.\u00a0I try to make sure I praise them any chance I get because their work here is incredibly important to helping our new students feel welcomed and informed from the very beginning.\u00a0If you know a student who might be interested in becoming a new Student Ambassador ,please contact our Director of School Counseling, Meg Wallendin, in our main office.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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Course Recommendations are Coming<\/strong><\/div>\n
Later in the month of February and in early March students in grades 9, 10, and 11 will be meeting with their current teachers to talk about their recommendations for courses and levels next year.\u00a0As a faculty we take these recommendations seriously and the current teachers know your students as learners.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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One warning I\u2019d like to include here is that if you end up having to drop a level next fall, your student could lose a valued elective in order to accommodate the change.\u00a0Those changes can be very disruptive to a student\u2019s start of the year.\u00a0Now is a good time to check out the 2026-2027 Program of Studies<\/a> as a family so you can think about what courses your student might want to request.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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Also, please consider balancing course requests with after school activities and obligations as all of those pieces combine to make a full picture of a high school student\u2019s actual day.\u00a0Students hear from their school counselors the need to consider the right balance for their lives as they make their choices.\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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District Website Focus Group Opportunity: February 2<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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WPS parents and caregivers are invited to participate in an online focus group to share your insights on current WPS website needs, including accessibility, resource organization, and communication efficiency. The perspective of parents and caregivers is essential to building a platform that better serves our WPS community.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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The focus group will be held on Monday, February 2, from 7-8 p.m. on Zoom.\u00a0<\/strong>Register using this link<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong> <\/div>\n
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<\/strong>Thank you for your continued commitment to our district\u2019s\u00a0Core Values<\/a>\u00a0and for helping us innovate our digital tools to better support our students and families!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Practice PSAT and Digital ACT: Saturday, February 7<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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SAT Practice Exam:<\/strong><\/div>\n
When:\u00a0<\/strong>Saturday, February 7, 2026<\/div>\n
Time:\u00a0<\/strong>9:00 AM -12:00 PM<\/div>\n
Where:\u00a0<\/strong>Proctored online via Zoom<\/div>\n
Cost:\u00a0<\/strong>$20 \u2013 100% of the proceeds benefit Wellesley HS Class of 2027<\/div>\n
*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then use\u00a0this self-proctoring guide<\/a>\u00a0to walk you through the process of self-proctoring with extended time.<\/div>\n
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Digital ACT Practice Exam:<\/strong><\/div>\n
When:\u00a0<\/strong>Saturday, February 7, 2026<\/div>\n
Time:\u00a0<\/strong>9:00 AM -12:30 PM\u00a0<\/div>\n
Where:\u00a0<\/strong>Proctored online via Zoom<\/div>\n
Cost:\u00a0<\/strong>$20 \u2013 100% of the proceeds benefit Wellesley HS<\/div>\n
*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then use\u00a0this self-proctoring manual\u00a0<\/a>to walk you through the process of self-proctoring with extended time.<\/div>\n
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Step 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Register here:\u00a0https:\/\/www.revolutionprep.com\/partners\/495<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <\/div>\n
Step 2:<\/strong>\u00a0Schedule a free 30-minute score report review with a Revolution Prep testing expert to help you interpret the results and develop a customized plan to prepare. Please schedule this appointment for the few days after the exam. You can pre-schedule this Score Report Review here:\u00a0https:\/\/www.revolutionprep.com\/vasilios-kostakis<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n
Step 3:<\/strong>\u00a0Attend the mock exam and instantly receive our best-in-class score report, illustrating three high-impact areas to focus on for each section of the test.<\/div>\n
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Questions?<\/strong>\u00a0If you have questions or want to learn more about Revolution Prep, you can reach out to Vasilios Kostakis at (781) 916-8668 or by email at\u00a0vasilios.kostakis@revolutionprep.com<\/a><\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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9th Grade Movie Night: Friday, February 6th<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Hi Freshman Students and Families,<\/div>\n
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Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for our 9th grade movie night! We’re excited to watch BACK TO THE FUTURE on Friday, February 6th from 4 – 6:00 pm in the WHS cafeteria. <\/div>\n
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The tickets are $10 for Basic Entry and $15 for a Deluxe Ticket that includes pizza, popcorn, and a drink. Please fill out submit this\u00a0google form<\/a>\u00a0to purchase your ticket. <\/div>\n
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This will be a fun night for our class so make sure you purchase a ticket by Thursday, February 5th. <\/div>\n
Hope to see you there!<\/div>\n
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Sincerely,\u00a0Your Class of ’29 Officers<\/div>\n
Chris Wang, Will Peng, Taylor Zimmer and Sydney Lai<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Poster announcing \"Seminar Day\" on March 4th, from 8:20 AM to 11:30 AM.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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WHS Seminar Day is Coming Up!<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Seminar day is an annual event on the first Wednesday of March in which\u00a0students, faculty, and community members can share a unique story or teach about a topic outside of our normal curriculum.<\/div>\n
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Each seminar block will be held in person for one full hour, and speakers can sign up for one, two, or all three blocks. Please note: Deadline to sign up is February 20th<\/div>\n
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Schedule for Seminar Day 2026:<\/div>\n
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