I hope you each had a restful April vacation and a productive week back in school.  I want to give a special shout-out to Bates teacher Katy Comstock for allowing me to shadow her 3^rd grade class on Wednesday.  After a wonderful school assembly, in which the arrival of school mascot Tux the Penguin was met with incredible enthusiasm, students returned to class and their study of the American Revolution.  That was followed by recess and then a math challenge before the arrival of class caterpillars, which will become the basis for scientific study in the days ahead.  Throughout our time together, I was reminded of the many transitions across subject areas that our elementary colleagues facilitate so skillfully each day. Thanks for the invitation, Katy!   

I also appreciated the chance to join our elementary literacy learning lab colleagues this week.  I was very impressed with the high level of professional discourse within the group as they prepared for their classroom visit to work directly with students while being observed by our coaches.  This type of job-embedded professional development allows our educators to calibrate their instruction as they work together to sharpen their skills in teaching writing to our students. Thanks to Jenn Friedman for inviting me to join her group!  

Thanks for all that you do to support our students and I hope you each have a great weekend!

Best, David

Calendar

May 7 – School Committee Meeting

May 27 – Memorial Day (Schools and Offices closed)

Youth Mental Health Workshop Series

Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in the workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room on May 8 and May 22 at 6:30 p.m.

The series is sponsored by Thrive Wellesley and will feature guest speakers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s The Resilience Project. It is designed to help families – parents, guardians & caregivers – gain a better understanding of the skills, community support, and resources for developing positive mental health and connections within their families. Join for either or both sessions. .

• May 8 – The Continuum of Care from Prevention to Treatment
• May 22 – Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves

Register now through the WFL website: . Thrive Wellesley is an Initiative of the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, in partnership with the Wellesley Youth Commision and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley.

WPS Family STEAM Night

On Monday evening, May 20, 2024, WPS will host a Family STEAM evening for our PreK-12 families. We will have STEAM activities including coding, programming robots, science and math games, working with circuits and more. Additionally, Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at Olin College of Engineering will be our featured speaker. He will talk about a variety of technology and engineering topics including ways children can incorporate computing and programming into the way they play, learn and prepare for ways to help their community. Please join us for an evening immersed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).

Please click on to learn more.

Summer Program Positions Available 

-Teachers and Paraprofessionals

-July 8 – August 1, 202, 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday

-The program is targeted at those students who need another opportunity to engage in essential content from their current grade in small group virtual sessions.

-To apply, Go to “” under the Faculty tab
(New Instructions as of 3/25/24)

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

I hope you each had a productive week.  Before we head into the April vacation week, I wanted to highlight a few items.  First, many thanks to our WMS Social Studies Department for managing the 8^th grade civics capstone projects this week.  This has been the third year of civics being a state-required course, which has created a wonderful opportunity for our students to apply their learning in the exploration of specific action projects.  By engaging local and state officials, students are developing important skills to, hopefully, remain engaged and active members of their communities in the future.  

I also want to thank the staff members of Upham and Hardy who joined me for coffees at their respective schools this week.  As always, I appreciate these informal opportunities to hear from our staff on a range of issues.  

And finally, I offer my best wishes to all of the members of our school community who are running in the Boston Marathon on Monday.  Many of our runners are participating on behalf of terrific causes for our community.  

Thanks for all that you do to support our students and I hope you each have a restful and restorative April break!

Best, David

Calendar

April 15 – 19 – April Break (Schools Closed)

April 23 – School Committee Meeting

Open Enrollment

Open enrollment for all benefit eligible Town of Wellesley Employees will be from April 1-26, 2024.

Benefits are effective from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. For quick access to all information, updated rates, plan information and links to all websites, please go to

Youth Mental Health Workshop Series begins April 11

Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in a three-part workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room starting this Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m.

The series is sponsored by Thrive Wellesley and will feature guest speakers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s The Resilience Project. It is designed to help families – parents, guardians & caregivers – gain a better understanding of the skills, community support, and resources for developing positive mental health and connections within their families. Join for one, two, or all three sessions. .

• April 11  –  Supporting Mental Health Through a Lens of Resilience
• May 8 – The Continuum of Care from Prevention to Treatment
• May 22 – Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves

  Thrive Wellesley is an Initiative of the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, in partnership with the Wellesley Youth Commission and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley.

Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) understands the pivotal role that school leaders play in empowering student success and achievement. To this end, DESE has established the Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship, a one-year program for aspiring school leaders that seeks to cultivate a strong and diverse pipeline of effective school principals who are committed to championing culturally and linguistically sustaining learning communities, equity-driven leadership, and anti-racist practices. This program aims to inspire and empower aspiring principals to lead with vision, passion, and purpose and to create a brighter future for all students. To launch this inaugural fellowship, DESE has partnered with The Lynch Leadership Academy.

The program is provided at no cost to districts, schools, or individuals.

Included is a flyer which also includes a link to register for an information session and the .

You can also learn more on . The application is due 4/26 (including a recommendation from the mentor principal).

WPS Family STEAM Night

On Monday evening, May 20, 2024, WPS will host a Family STEAM evening for our PreK-12 families. We will have STEAM activities including coding, programming robots, science and math games, working with circuits and more. Additionally, Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at Olin College of Engineering will be our featured speaker. He will talk about a variety of technology and engineering topics including ways children can incorporate computing and programming into the way they play, learn and prepare for ways to help their community. Please join us for an evening immersed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).

Please click on to learn more.

Summer Program Positions Available 

-Teachers and Paraprofessionals

-July 8 – August 1, 202, 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday

-The program is targeted at those students who need another opportunity to engage in essential content from their current grade in small group virtual sessions.

-To apply, Go to “” under the Faculty tab
(New Instructions as of 3/25/24)

Wishing the best of luck to our ����ֱ�� faculty and staff members who will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15! 

Runners include: Carolyn Livingstone, Hunnewell kindergarten teacher, on behalf of  Julia MacBlane, Schofield teaching assistant, also on behalf of ; Glen Magpiong, WHS varsity girls basketball coach, on behalf of ; and Sara Sullivan, Hunnewell psychologist, on behalf of the . We look forward to cheering you on!

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

The featured guest speaker will be Dr. Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at the Olin College of Engineering. Special thanks to the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club for making this event possible!

Best, David

Calendar

April 15 – 19 – April Break (Schools Closed)

April 23 – School Committee Meeting

Open Enrollment

Open enrollment for all benefit eligible Town of Wellesley Employees will be from April 1-26, 2024.

Benefits are effective from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. For quick access to all information, updated rates, plan information and links to all websites, please go to

Youth Mental Health Workshop Series begins April 11

Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in a three-part workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room starting this Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m.

The series is sponsored by Thrive Wellesley and will feature guest speakers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s The Resilience Project. It is designed to help families – parents, guardians & caregivers – gain a better understanding of the skills, community support, and resources for developing positive mental health and connections within their families. Join for one, two, or all three sessions. .

• April 11  –  Supporting Mental Health Through a Lens of Resilience
• May 8 – The Continuum of Care from Prevention to Treatment
• May 22 – Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves

  Thrive Wellesley is an Initiative of the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, in partnership with the Wellesley Youth Commission and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley.

Summer Program Positions Available 

-Teachers and Paraprofessionals

-July 8 – August 1, 202, 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday

-The program is targeted at those students who need another opportunity to engage in essential content from their current grade in small group virtual sessions.

-To apply, Go to “” under the Faculty tab
(New Instructions as of 3/25/24)

Wishing the best of luck to our ����ֱ�� faculty and staff members who will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15! 

Runners include: Carolyn Livingstone, Hunnewell kindergarten teacher, on behalf of  Julia MacBlane, Schofield teaching assistant, also on behalf of ; Glen Magpiong, WHS varsity girls basketball coach, on behalf of ; and Sara Sullivan, Hunnewell psychologist, on behalf of the . We look forward to cheering you on!

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

I hope you each had a productive week, in which there was great deal of activity across the district.  With the start of our MCAS testing window, I appreciate all of the planning that has gone into establishing schedules, preparing our technology, and supporting our students through these annual assessments.  

As we prepare to move into April, I know our transition work in supporting students to make grade level changes is well underway.  Many thanks to our WMS colleagues for hosting a terrific 5^th grade parent night this week.  Moving from small elementary schools to a much larger middle school can feel daunting, and each year I am so impressed with how Dr. Ito and his team inspire confidence in our families that WMS is a supportive environment in which their children will be known, cared for, and challenged.  

Annual Town Meeting also got underway this week and the WPS FY25 budget was approved as part of the Towns’ omnibus budget on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, separate funds were also approved for the addition of bathrooms and team rooms on the site of the Hunnewell Track and Field, which will help complete the long-planned upgrades to that site.  

Many thanks to the staff of Bates and Schofield who joined me for coffees this week.  I always appreciate the chance to have these personal connections and to hear more about what’s going well in your schools and ways we can better support your work.  

Finally, I want to acknowledge Good Friday and Easter this weekend for those members of our community observing these religious holidays.  

Thanks for all that you do to support our students and have a great weekend!

Best, David

Calendar

 March 29 – Good Friday (Schools closed)

April 2 – School Committee Meeting

April 15 – 19 – April Break (Schools Closed)

Summer Program Positions Available 

-Teachers and Paraprofessionals

-July 8 – August 1, 202, 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday

-The program is targeted at those students who need another opportunity to engage in essential content from their current grade in small group virtual sessions.

-To apply, Go to “” under the Faculty tab
(New Instructions as of 3/25/24)

Wishing the best of luck to our ����ֱ�� faculty and staff members who will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15! 

Runners include: Carolyn Livingstone, Hunnewell kindergarten teacher, on behalf of  Julia MacBlane, Schofield teaching assistant, also on behalf of ; Glen Magpiong, WHS varsity girls basketball coach, on behalf of ; and Sara Sullivan, Hunnewell psychologist, on behalf of the . We look forward to cheering you on!

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team Seeks Mentors

The Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team, Team Ultraviolet, is looking for adults who would like to volunteer as mentors for our team. Both non-technical and technical help is greatly appreciated!  Mentors help us either by monitoring build sessions to ensure safety, or guiding us technically in the area of science, technology, engineering, design, math, business and presentation.  Currently our mentors are parents, teachers, engineers from tech companies in the surrounding area, and WHS alumni.  Robot building takes a considerable amount of manpower. Last year it took us 250+hrs to build a robot that qualified for the New England district final. Therefore we are always looking for more mentors to join us!  

Please read  for more information.  If you are interested in being a mentor or learning more, feel free to contact me at sharonxsun@hotmail.com, and I will be happy to answer any questions.

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

While we are now officially in spring, it feels more like February outside! I hope you each had a productive week.  Many thanks to the Fiske staff who joined me for coffee and conversation on Tuesday.  I also want to thank WHS Science Teacher Caitlin Moniz for allowing me to shadow her for part of her day on Tuesday.  It was great to see how Caitlin differentiates her practice between the CP and Foundations physics courses she teaches, including her collaboration with Special Educator Jesse Davis.  

Probably the most high-profile news in the district this week was the announcement that Upham Principal Jeff Dees will become the next principal of the Hunnewell School, following Ellen Quirk’s retirement at the end of the school year.  I am delighted that we can support this leadership transition from within our own ranks.  I remain grateful to both Ellen and Jeff, for their leadership of their respective schools, particularly through the many years of the HHU building projects.  

I also want to give a shout-out to the WEA and the WPS Fitness and Health Department for sponsoring a blood-drive this week at Sprague. The turnout was great and they collected 48 units of blood, which is so desperately needed at the moment.  Special thanks to Margaret Flitsch for all of her coordinating efforts!    

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, please consider checking out the WMS production of Newsies Jr., which opened yesterday and will have performances tonight as well as two shows on Saturday.  

Thanks for all that you do to support our students and have a great weekend!

Best, David 

Calendar

 March 26 – School Committee Meeting

 March 29 – Good Friday (Schools closed)

April 15 – 19 – April Break (Schools Closed)

Summer Program Positions Available 

-Teachers and Paraprofessionals

-July 8 – August 1, 202, 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday

-The program is targeted at those students who need another opportunity to engage in essential content from their current grade in small group virtual sessions.

-To apply, Go to “” under the Faculty tab

Wishing the best of luck to our ����ֱ�� faculty and staff members who will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15! 

Runners include: Carolyn Livingstone, Hunnewell kindergarten teacher, on behalf of  Julia MacBlane, Schofield teaching assistant, also on behalf of ; Glen Magpiong, WHS varsity girls basketball coach, on behalf of ; and Sara Sullivan, Hunnewell psychologist, on behalf of the . We look forward to cheering you on!

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team Seeks Mentors

The Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team, Team Ultraviolet, is looking for adults who would like to volunteer as mentors for our team. Both non-technical and technical help is greatly appreciated!  Mentors help us either by monitoring build sessions to ensure safety, or guiding us technically in the area of science, technology, engineering, design, math, business and presentation.  Currently our mentors are parents, teachers, engineers from tech companies in the surrounding area, and WHS alumni.  Robot building takes a considerable amount of manpower. Last year it took us 250+hrs to build a robot that qualified for the New England district final. Therefore we are always looking for more mentors to join us!  

Please read  for more information.  If you are interested in being a mentor or learning more, feel free to contact me at sharonxsun@hotmail.com, and I will be happy to answer any questions.

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

I hope you each had a productive week.  On Tuesday night, WMS Principal Mark Ito, and Math Department Head Liz Gentes provided an update to the School Committee on plans to update the screening process at WMS for math acceleration.  Rather than employing a placement test at the end of the 5^th grade, the new plan would transition this assessment into the early fall, and be based on multiple measures of student work.  It’s a more comprehensive way to conduct this assessment and I am grateful to the WMS team for their continued analysis of our current practice and thoughtful planning for these changes. 

I also want to give a shout-out to WMS STE teacher, Brian Kelly, for his thoughtful work supporting our First Robotics Team at WHS.  Right now, the team is working out of a family’s garage, as we continue to seek a permanent home for the group and its equipment.  

And finally, special thanks to Fiske Music Teacher, Julie Verret, for allowing me to shadow her for part of her day on Friday.  Julie has been mobile this year, teaching in the cafeteria, library, and in classrooms.  Her incredible enthusiasm for music is evident despite these logistical challenges. I loved watching her supporting our students in developing instrumental compositions, learning new notes of songs based on haiku poetry, and even some square-dancing.     

Thanks for all that you do to support our students and have a great weekend!

Best, David

Calendar

 March 19 – School Committee Meeting

 March 29 – Good Friday (Schools closed)

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

American Red Cross Blood Drive 

Sponsored by:
Wellesley Educators Association and Wellesley Fitness and Health Department
Sprague Elementary School
401 School Street
Wellesley, MA 02482

Wednesday, March 20th
12pm-6pm

To schedule an appointment, please visit  and enter sponsor code: Sprague
Or click 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Margaret Flitsch or Kari Sciera for more information flitschm@wellesleyps.org and scierak@wellesleyps.org

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team Seeks Mentors

The Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team, Team Ultraviolet, is looking for adults who would like to volunteer as mentors for our team. Both non-technical and technical help is greatly appreciated!  Mentors help us either by monitoring build sessions to ensure safety, or guiding us technically in the area of science, technology, engineering, design, math, business and presentation.  Currently our mentors are parents, teachers, engineers from tech companies in the surrounding area, and WHS alumni.  Robot building takes a considerable amount of manpower. Last year it took us 250+hrs to build a robot that qualified for the New England district final. Therefore we are always looking for more mentors to join us!  

Please read  for more information.  If you are interested in being a mentor or learning more, feel free to contact me at sharonxsun@hotmail.com, and I will be happy to answer any questions.

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

What a busy week around the district!  On Wednesday, our WHS students put together a terrific Seminar Day agenda.  I enjoyed getting to teach again by leading a seminar on interviewing skills.  I think the students found the role-playing very helpful and I was glad we discussed trying to banish the word “like” from their lexicon!  Special shout-out to WHS Senior, Ela Gardiner, who is the student representative on the MA State Board of Education.  In a real coup, Ela was able to host Education Commissioner Jeff Riley and Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler in the seminar that she led.   

I also want to thank PAWS teacher Katy Cavallo for inviting me to shadow her for part of a day this week.  I was able to see the great classroom routines that Katy has in place and the joy that “Mr. Ken” brings to his musical visits.  And huge respect to all of our PAWS educators for the sheer physicality of their work getting up and down from the rug, constantly bending over to support students, and endlessly setting up and breaking down activities in their classrooms. Whew!   

Looking forward to a full night of “Acastock” tonight at WHS as my intro to the weekend.  Thanks for all that you do to support our students and don’t forget to set your clocks back on Sunday by one hour.  Have a great weekend!

Best, David

Calendar

 March 12 – School Committee Meeting

 March 29 – Good Friday (Schools closed)

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

American Red Cross Blood Drive 

Sponsored by:
Wellesley Educators Association and Wellesley Fitness and Health Department
Sprague Elementary School
401 School Street
Wellesley, MA 02482

Wednesday, March 20th
12pm-6pm

To schedule an appointment, please visit  and enter sponsor code: Sprague
Or click 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Margaret Flitsch or Kari Sciera for more information flitschm@wellesleyps.org and scierak@wellesleyps.org

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team Seeks Mentors

The Wellesley High School FIRST Robotics Team, Team Ultraviolet, is looking for adults who would like to volunteer as mentors for our team. Both non-technical and technical help is greatly appreciated!  Mentors help us either by monitoring build sessions to ensure safety, or guiding us technically in the area of science, technology, engineering, design, math, business and presentation.  Currently our mentors are parents, teachers, engineers from tech companies in the surrounding area, and WHS alumni.  Robot building takes a considerable amount of manpower. Last year it took us 250+hrs to build a robot that qualified for the New England district final. Therefore we are always looking for more mentors to join us!  

�ʱ��𲹲��������𲹻��� for more information.  If you are interested in being a mentor or learning more, feel free to contact me at sharonxsun@hotmail.com, and I will be happy to answer any questions.

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. 

Notice is hereby given that the ����ֱ�� (hereinafter referred to as the “District”), is requesting proposals for Yearbook Publishing Services (the “Program”).

No offer of intent should be construed from this legal notice that the District intends to enter into a contract with the interested Yearbook Publishing Company (hereinafter referred to as “YPC”) unless, in the sole opinion of the District, it is in the best interest of the District to do so. The District reserves the right to negotiate final contractual terms with the successful YPC.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) documents may be downloaded from the District’s Website at /business-office/bids/ or can be obtained from the District by e-mail, U.S. mail. To request the RFP documents by e-mail, U.S. mail, please contact schoolbids@wellesleyma.gov or Sherly Cordero, Purchasing Coordinator,����ֱ��, 40 Kingsbury Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. The District will receive questions through 4:00 p.m., March 18, 2024 and respond to all questions in writing by March 22, 2024.

Written Technical Proposal and Price Proposal must be in separately sealed envelope, labeled “PRICE PROPOSAL for RFP #2024-01 – High School Yearbook Publishing Services RFP”; “NON-PRICE PROPOSAL for RFP #2024-01 – High School Yearbook Publishing Services RFP”, and addressed to Cynthia D. Mahr, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, ����ֱ��, 40 Kingsbury Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 no later than March 29, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.

The district reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any errors or corrections in a proposal or in the proposal process. The District will award the Contract based upon a review and analysis of the proposals to determine which proposal is the most advantageous to the District. Interested companies should direct questions to schoolbids@wellesleyma.gov, or Sherly Cordero, Purchasing Coordinator at the address above or at 781-446-6210 extension 5632.

• ����ֱ�� – High School Yearbook Publishing Services – RFP 2024-01 (PDF)

I hope you each had a productive week as we returned from our February vacation.  The big news for us this week was the official opening of the new Hunnewell Elementary School on Monday.  The building is beautiful and I want to thank the Hunnewell staff again for their work—particularly during the vacation week—to get their classrooms and other learning spaces ready for our students.  We were able to use the prior Hunnewell School for 83 years and I’m hoping this new building proves to have an equal longevity!  

I also want to give a shout-out to WMS Social Studies Department Chair, Adam Blumer, for organizing panels of Town leaders this week to come and speak to our 8^th grade students, who are embarking on their civics projects.  I know these opportunities help demystify our Town Government and inspire our students to consider engaging on the issues that our leaders shared during their panel conversations.  

Thanks for all that you do to support our students each day and enjoy the weekend.   

Best, David

Calendar

  March 29 – Good Friday (Schools closed)

Condolences

To Laura Kelly, first grade teacher at Bates for the loss of her father, Paul L. Kelly.

Timeline for WPS Enrollment of Faculty Children (Kindergarten – Grade 12)

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend ����ֱ�� without charge for tuition on a space available basis (Article 12, WEA, Unit A and B Contract).

Below is the timeline for submitting applications:

March 1:  Interested applicants may submit a letter of intent with the one-page application to Dana Zakak, District Registrar, at .
Eligible staff members can also access the  on the WPS website.

May 1:  All applications are due to Dana Zakak, late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all  in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.  Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.  Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to Dana Zakak District Registrar, at registrar@wellesleyps.org. 

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year 2024-2025.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman cashmani@wellesleyps.org for PAWS Preschool or Heidi Marquedant marquedanth@wellesleyps.org for the WHS Child Lab Program.

American Red Cross Blood Drive 

Sponsored by:
Wellesley Educators Association and Wellesley Fitness and Health Department
Sprague Elementary School
401 School Street
Wellesley, MA 02482

Wednesday, March 20th
12pm-6pm

To schedule an appointment, please visit  and enter sponsor code: Sprague
Or click 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Margaret Flitsch or Kari Sciera for more information flitschm@wellesleyps.org and scierak@wellesleyps.org

403(B)/457 Fund Contribution Limits

The limit for 403(b) and 457 contributions for calendar year 2024 will be $23,000.  Employees who are 50 years of age and older may chose to have an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, if eligible, bringing the limit to $30,500.  Changes to your contribution amounts must be made through Voya (457) or OMNI & TSACG for 403(b).  Contact information for the two programs are:

VOYA:  Bruce Coughlin PH: 781-237-3776 or at bruce.coughlin@voyafa.com

Additional information is available at: 

OMNI & TSACG:  PH: 877-544-OMNI

Additional Information is available at: 

Please use this link for .  If you have additional questions about these provisions, please reach out to OMNI/TSACG directly.  

If you have questions about payroll deductions, please contact Donna Kalinowski at ext. 5613.

Human Relation Services

The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help.  ����ֱ�� has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members.  This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension.  It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and  improve coping skills.  

HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. ����ֱ�� is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service. 

Do you have a question for the WPS ����ֱ�� Department? 

Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.  The ����ֱ�� Department is happy to assist you.  

WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.