Wellesley Health Department launches Parent & Newborn Support Services program

January 31, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

From the Town of Wellesley:

The Town of Wellesley has launched a new program, Parent & Newborn Support Services (PNSS), to support prenatal, postpartum, and newborn health and well-being. PNSS seeks to ensure that all families in Wellesley receive timely, culturally sensitive care as they navigate parenthood. This new program addresses the unique needs of each family and provides perinatal support and care, health assessments, newborn care and feeding guidance, and connection to clinicians and community resources.

“Public Health Nursing is at the heart of community wellness,” said Amanda Stone, RN, public health nurse and PNSS program manager. “PNSS is dedicated to helping families during one of the most significant and transformative times of their lives. Through the integration of professional nursing care, health education, and meaningful family engagement, the program builds partnerships that support maternal, child, and family health.”

Parent & Newborn Support Services include education to promote healthy pregnancies and prepare families for childbirth; postpartum care and emotional support; health screenings including blood pressure checks; infant care guidance focused on newborn feeding, safe sleep practices, and healthy newborn growth and development; infant weight checks; and creating a safe home environment.

“Healthy beginnings set the foundation for lifelong health and well-being,” said Lenny Izzo, MS, RS, CHO, Director of Community and Public Health. “When families feel supported from the very beginning, children are more likely to thrive physically, emotionally, and socially. This is a direct investment not only in individual households, but in the future of our entire community. The Wellesley Health Department remains committed to ensuring that every family has access to the care and information they need during the first, critical months of their child’s life. Together, we are building a healthier, stronger, and more resilient community.”

Home visits and telephone consultations are available by appointment. To schedule a home visit or telephone consultation, please call the perinatal nursing team at 781-489-4412 (direct line) or email parentandnewbornsupport@wellesleyma.gov. Parent & Newborn Support services are confidential and free of charge.

For more information, please visit https://www.wellesleyma.gov/2559/Parent-and-Newborn-Support-Services-PNSS

Fundraising

Get your Girl Scout cookies in Wellesley

January 30, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Girl Scouts are all over town selling cookies. Come warm up with the Sprague 4th grade Juniors at a pop-up cookie shop this Sunday, Feb. 1 from noon to 4pm at Truly’s Next Door. Free hot chocolate and tea.

Multiple Wellesley troops will be outside Roche Bros next weekend as people stock up for the Patriots game and Valentine’s Day. Cookie booths will be set up at The Linden Store, Boston Sports Institute, and more in coming days and weeks.

Search for booths by zip code. Note that cookie booths in other towns support Girl Scout troops in those towns.

Troops receive $1.10 for each box sold. The rest of the proceeds stay local and fund the camps and properties maintained by Girl Scouts of Eastern MA.

Back in October, the high school and middle school troops hosted the Daisies, Brownies, and Junior troops for a day of archery, crafts, and s’mores at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham. Hosting community events is a long-standing tradition that gives Wellesley Girl Scouts opportunities to become leaders and entrepreneurs.

For more information, please email wellesleygs@gmail.com.

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College admissions—what actually matters, and how to build a college list

January 30, 2026 by Martha Collins

What actually matters (and what doesn’t)

Admissions officers review applications in context, looking for evidence that a student has challenged themselves and grown over time.

Course rigor matters more than perfection. Colleges want to see that you’ve taken appropriately challenging courses—especially in core subjects—relative to what your high school offers. An upward grade trend or consistent rigor often carries more weight than a single low grade. A 3.6 in a demanding curriculum may matter more than a 4.0 with limited, safe course choices. Likewise, grades over time beat one standout semester. GPA is important, but so is trajectory. Improvement, resilience, and consistency tell a story that a transcript snapshot cannot.

Depth beats breadth in activities. A long list of clubs with minimal involvement is less compelling than passionate, sustained commitment to a few interests. Leadership, initiative, or tangible impact—whether in a job, sport, family responsibility, or volunteer role—matters more than an activity’s prestige.

What matters less than families think

—Chasing “impressive” résumé-padding extracurriculars solely for admissions. Consistent, committed engagement across a few meaningful activities is often valued more than a long, shallow list.

—A “perfect” personal statement (aka the CommonApp essay.) A perfectly polished essay filled with over-the-top vocabulary is less important than a truly genuine one. Admissions officials really want to hear your authentic voice, and may fail to appreciate your essay if it sounds like it was written by a 50 year-old.

Admissions is about context and authenticity, not perfection.

Building a balanced college list

[Read more…]

Wellesley business buzz: Sit Still kids salon & Clarity Optical coming to Linden Square

January 30, 2026 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Sit Still kids salon moving into space next to ice cream store

Sit Still , which offers kids’ haircuts and birthday parties, is readying to open a location in Wellesley on Linden Street in between the Shade Store and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

Sit Still is a chain with franchises across the country. This would be its first Massachusetts spot.

The business’s website says Sit Still launched 14 years ago. As for the opening in Wellesley: Coming soon.

This would add to the plethora of barber shops and salons in Linden Square and along Linden Street, including Roosters and Linden Street Barber Shop and Atelier and Jhellen and…

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Clarity Optical coming to Linden Square

We don’t have much on this, but a business called Clarity Optical—presumably eyewear, etc.— has plans to open at 200K1 Linden St. in between LaserAway and FP Movement on the Roche Bros. side of the strip. The business will include retail, exam, and service areas.

We don’t know when they plan to move in yet.

Know of Wellesley businesses coming or going? Please tip us off: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Friday is letters to the editor day on The Swellesley Report

January 30, 2026 by admin

The Swellesley Report accepts letters to the editor. Letters must be of general local community interest and must be signed. Community shout-outs are also accepted and encouraged. For example, a non-profit may thank an organization for a donation received.

In letters to the editor this week

Select Board candidate “has a demonstrated track record of listening to all perspectives.”

See more letters here.

How to submit your letter to the editor

The deadline is Wednesday at noon for letters to appear that week, or a week further out. Send letters to the editor to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Submitting a letter to the editor does not guarantee that your letter will be posted on The Swellesley Report.

Letters must be written for The Swellesley Report only—we do not accept form-type letters sent to multiple news agencies.

Please review detailed guidelines for letters to the editor here.

You can see all letters to the editor here.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

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Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Boys’ basketball’s Garrett Briggs

January 30, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.

Athlete of the Week: Garrett Briggs

Sport: Basketball

When & how you got involved in basketball: I started playing in 5th grade metro west

What you love most about basketball: I love how competitive it is, and the people that I have met.

Pre-game routine: I don’t really have any pre-game rituals, but I listen to Music and do the same warm up before every game.

Top goal for this season: To make playoffs for the first time in years.

Thoughts about this year’s team: We got off to a rough start but after Christmas we turned our season around and got a lot better giving us a good chance at making playoffs.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I am proud of beating Walpole this year and how I played.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: A fun and inspiring moment for me was last year being able to play with my brother.

Interests outside of basketball: I like to go to the gym and spend time with friends and family

Coach Paul Seaver on Garrett Briggs: “Garrett has been off to a fantastic start to his senior season, improving each and every day as we now move into January. His consistent hard work has been paying off more and more, as his mentality and approach to our team and culture continues to provide great stability in our rotation, as well as locker room and practices. What continues to impress me the most about Garrett is his commitment to the little things, his attention to detail and his overall heart and desire to compete each and every day. He is a great asset to this team and program and an absolute joy to coach.”

(Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

Past Athlete of the Week profiles

Local government

Wellesley readies to launch Citizens’ Leadership Academy in spring

January 29, 2026 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Select Board this week got an update on a planned Citizens’ Leadership Academy designed to inform and engage residents, inspire more people to volunteer on town matters, and perhaps help town departments to improve their own operations (see Wellesley Media recording of Jan. 27 meeting just after the 2-hour, 56-minute mark).

The initial plan for the free and interactive initiative would be for an 8-week course to start on March 26 and run on Thursday nights. Applications will become available in February for those who live or work in town. The first class will be capped at 25 participants (more details on the plan can be found in documents attached to the Jan. 27 Select Board agenda).

Participants will learn from the town’s executive director, clerk, sustainability director, police chief, and many more Wellesley government A-listers.

A brief graduation ceremony would be slated to take place at a spring Select Board meeting.

According to Assistant Executive Director Corey Testa, “Wellesley’s system of town government relies heavily on resident participation,” including elected and appointed town body members along with hundreds of volunteers who work with staff. “The system works best when residents understand how town government is structured, how decisions are made, and how departments and boards interact…”

Testa described a Citizens’ Leadership academy as a low-cost way to build such understanding, and a proven model in other communities, including Barnstable, which he said has had more than 1,000 graduates from its program over the past 20-plus years.

Nearby, Natick has offered such a program and is thinking of someday bringing it back. In recent years the town has offered Natick 101 in-person and online courses about its government operations, and made recordings available.

Wellesley’s plan is to offer tours, behind-the-scenes demonstrations, and more that participants might typically not have access to, Testa said.

Board member Kenny Largess joked that “I wished I had this two years ago” before joining the Board. “I think it will be really, really helpful.”

Testa said that the Academy might at some point inform development of a boot camp for newly elected officials.

The Board raised questions about the ideal number of sessions and more. The plan is to offer the Academy annually.

Among the big questions remaining: How to pay for snacks. Yup, that’s the sort of decision town governments need to make, and it’s not always straightforward.

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