Holiday shopping events in and around Wellesley

November 17, 2018 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Marketplace, Saturday, November 17

The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) will host the 42st Annual Wellesley Marketplace on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Wellesley High School, 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, Mass. Marketplace is an annual retail favorite for those seeking unique holiday gifts for family and friends. Shoppers have access to over 200 vendors and artisans from New England and afar. Available wares include gourmet foods, handmade jewelry, artwork, crafts, and clothing.

Needham Community Council Annual Holiday Boutique

Thursday, November 29th, 4 pm – 7 pm
Friday, November 30th, 10 am – 2 pm
Saturday , December 1st, 10 am- 2 pm

The Council Holiday Boutique is one of the highlights [and bargains] of the season. Several large rooms overflow with treasures of all kinds. You will find unique decorative items, vintage, jewelry, gifts, clothing, candles, nutcrackers, cards, stockings, Christmas, Channukah & New Years’ items, wrapping paper, and more….

First come, first served; cash & checks only, no credit cards; all sales final. All proceeds of thrift shop sales benefit the free programs of the Council and stay in Needham to support our neighbors.

Wellesley Square Holiday Stroll, Sunday, December 2

The Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association is getting ready for the always festive Holiday Stroll on Sunday, December 2, noon – 6pm. On the big day carolers will roam Wellesley Square, as will Frosty and Rudolf — they’re always up for a photo op. And of course, Santa will be there in all his jolly glory. You can bet he’d never miss the Holiday Stroll and the chance to hear the holiday wishes of all the children.

Wellesley Health Department to hold Walk-in flu clinic, November 20

November 16, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Health Department is holding a community flu clinic for residents 18 years and older on Tuesday, November 20 from 10am to noon at the Warren Recreation Building (90 Washington Street, 2nd Floor). Insurance plans are accepted, please bring your information. Walk-ins are welcome. Residents who are unable to attend the flu clinic should contact the Health Department at 781-235-0135 to make an appointment.

Sneak peek: Fells Branch Library gets an overhaul

November 16, 2018 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The reimagined Fells Branch library is about to take its final leap from fantasy into reality with a Grand Opening celebration on Saturday, November 17, 10am – 2pm, at the new space’s 508 Weston Road location. The branch, located in Wellesley’s oldest public building, was built in 1858 as a one-room school house for 30 students and teacher Caroline Almeda Hartwell. Students were educated there for 65 years until Hardy School opened in 1922.

It’s always been about education

From there the building, now no stranger to being repurposed, opened in 1923 as a library, with the fundraising help of the Fells Improvement Society. This time around, the building’s help came from the Wellesley Free Library Foundation; grants from the Fund for Wellesley; grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services; and private donors. These groups and individuals kicked in the approximately $80k it took to create a space geared toward children 0 – 6 and their caretakers. This increased focus on a young clientele came about as a result of the library’s usage statistics. “All the programs for the young children were off the charts, such as Book Babies,” WFL Assistant Director Elise MacLennan said. “We wanted to make it even more welcoming for caretakers and parents. That’s the age group the books are geared toward. It’s not the place to look for books for older kids, but the older siblings are most definitely welcome, of course.”

In addition to books and materials for young children, there are best sellers and other popular adult books, and any holds can be sent to Fells for pickup.

Heck yes, I want to come by

When MacLennan offered me the chance to take a sneak peek at the library, I jumped at the chance. Here’s are some pics of the colorful, child-centered space:

Wellesley Fells Library — Here’s a “before” shot of the exterior. The Fells branch temporarily closed in July 2017 and will host a Grand Opening celebration on Saturday, November 17, 10am – 2pm

Wellesley Fells Branch — It’s all in the details on this mousie chair. The new learning library will encourage play as a crucial method of learning and the foundation for subsequent academic achievement and lifelong success.

Library hours:

Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

Email [email protected] for more information, or go to www.WFL-Foundation/donate to make a gift to this project.

Wellesley Middle School setting sights on wider world with Geography Bee

November 16, 2018 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, November 20, interested Wellesley Middle School students will participate in the preliminaries for the National Geographic Geography Bee. The top 10 finishers overall will then be eligible to participate in the local-level school finals in December. Students who want to practice or see what the questions are like are directed to the Geography Bee app on their iPad. Their social studies teachers will provide more details.

In 2015, Sprague student Ishan Kundu advanced from the local level to the next round of the 27th annual National Geographic Bee. Students like Ishan who make it that far take a paper and pencil geography test in an effort to qualify for State finals. That’s an impressive accomplishment in and of itself given that thousands of 4th – 8th grade students from public, private, and independent schools do the same, and only the top 100 make it to the State Bee.

The 2017 National Geographic Bee champion received the top prize of a $50,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the Society, as well as an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands. Second- and third-place finishers received $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships, respectively.

Think you’ve been around a bit and could probably get a few Geography Bee questions correct? Here are a couple sample questions:

What term is used for the two halves of Earth that are divided by the Equator:
a) hemispheres
b) projections
c) longitudes
Correct answer: hemispheres

Beirut, Tripoli, and Tel Aviv all lie on the coast of which body of water?
a) Mediterranean Sea
b) Caspian Sea
c) Black Sea
Correct answer: Mediterranean Sea

Messy weather delays Wellesley Public Schools opening

November 16, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

As a result of the overnight storm, the Wellesley Public Schools will open with a two-hour delay on Friday, November 16.

The delayed schedule is as follows:

The PAWS Preschool will start at 10:45 AM.

The Morning PAWS session is cancelled. The full day PAWS program starts at 10:45 am and the afternoon session starts at 12:30 pm. Students who extend the day until 1:00 pm will arrive at 10:45 am.

Elementary start time is 10:30 AM. Before school elementary programs are cancelled.

The WMS and WHS start time is 9:30 AM.

All buses will run on a two-hour delayed schedule for pickup.

first snow 2018 fall elm bank — Elm Bank Reservation sledding hill, 6am-ish. Where to sled in Wellesley