• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Athlete of the Week
  • Seniors
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley COVID-19 update: Waterstone on list; kids aim to print 1,000 face shields; Moms & meals

April 26, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

You’ll need to wait until Monday to get the latest on Wellesley’s COVID-19 numbers from the town, which doesn’t update the stats over the weekend unless a significant change takes place. But we can see from the state data released on Saturday that Waterstone at Wellesley has been added to the list of assisted living facilities with less than 10 cases reported (maximum bed capacity listed for the facility is 52). Waterstone has a general message about COVID-19 on its website, but no case-specific updates.

This past week was a traumatic one for long-term care facilities in town, as cases at 2 of them boosted Wellesley’s total to 163 as of Friday. These facilities have recently undergone broad testing, which has revealed dozens of positive tests.

Kids aim to print 1,000 face shields

Wellesley’s Catherine Curran, a 6th grader at the Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, is part of a contingent of kids taking part in the Kids Print to Protect (KPP) project to crank out 1,000 face shields for heathcare workers.

This effort is addressing a health crisis that is only too real for these students. Curran’s great uncle was diagnosed with COVID-19, recovered, but then passed away because of the virus’ effect. “Most of my friends too know people who are infected.  I continue to think of these people every day, along with all of the others infected. It’s all so surreal and scary.”

The KPP project is led by 11-year-old Eric Zhang of Weston, who along with his 9-year-old twin brothers Alan and 30-plus more kids from 11 schools have taken up this cause. Many have 3D printers at home. Empow Studios and Zhang’s school, Jackson Walnut Park, have lent printers to the cause.

Zhang says the project’s origins came from watching the news and seeing a story about 3D print of face masks.

“I thought ‘Huh, interesting but not really feasible,'” he says. “Then I saw that Josef Prusa, founder of Prusa3D, was 3D printing face shields. I was like ‘I should do that too!'” The shields provide an added layer of protection over masks, are more reusable, and cost less and take less time to make, he says.

 

face shields
(Top Left to Bottom Right) Roger Zhang, Marcus Woo, Eric Zhang, Andy and Claire Liu, Dean Yang

Unsure of whether hospitals would take shields from an 11-year-old, Zhang headed to the National Institutes of Health website and found the organization’s recommended face shield and printed one out. “When it worked I thought ‘Wow! I can help!’ I got so excited and came up with the… number of 1,000 face shields. And well here I am.”

Where’s he’s at is roughly a couple of weeks away from completing 1,000 shields. More than 100 each have been delivered to facilities such as Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess in Milton.

Wellesley’s Curran, along with siblings Daniel and Grace, got involved in the project through friendship with the Zhangs. Based on Curran’s explanation, this sounds like quite a professional operation. “I am working as a Public Relations Co-Head and a Fellow in Donor Relations,” she says.

Curran says social distancing has been tough, but that she’s using the opportunity to learn new things online in math and explore new passions. It sounds like the shield-making endeavor is an experience she and the other kids involved won’t forget.

 

face shields
(Top Left to Bottom Right) Eleanor Park, Sarah and Aiden Zhang, Catherine and Grace Curran, Claire and Alex Hou, Anran Liu

 

Moms & meals

Wellesley Mothers Forum has been active supporting healthcare workers as well. The moms have provided meals to Newton-Wellesley Hospital workers, and their kids have shared art and letters of support.

NWH meals


  • Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
  • You Need Us, We Need You: Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture
print
Share

Filed Under: COVID-19, Education, Health

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Linden Square, Wellesley
Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley, see what's new

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Edge on Science
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Father's Day rescue in Wellesley
  • Family withdraws plan for large house near Wellesley's Brook Path
  • Wellesley Public School employees honored for loyalty
  • One final Hunnewell clap-out & shouts of "Judie! Judie! Judie!" for beloved crossing guard
  • Wellesley overwhelmed by Westwood in state final for girls' lacrosse

Upcoming Events

Jun 28
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Fay School admission information session

Jul 6
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Open House at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Jul 16
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Wellesley Square July Jubilation Sidewalk Sale

Jul 19
8:00 am - 9:00 am

Fay School admission information session

Jul 20
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Uncle Danny on Wellesley overwhelmed by Westwood in state final for girls’ lacrosse
  • Fred Wright on Father’s Day rescue in Wellesley
  • Michael on Father’s Day rescue in Wellesley
  • Bob Brown on Restaurants in Wellesley, Mass.: more than 50 dining options
  • Bob Brown on Sneak peek: We visit Wellesley’s Laughing Monk Cafe

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (416)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (576)
  • Beyond Wellesley (47)
  • Books (365)
  • Business (1,499)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (48)
  • Churches (79)
  • Clubs (228)
  • Construction (294)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,108)
    • Babson College (250)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (42)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (608)
    • Wellesley High School (961)
    • Wellesley Middle School (203)
  • Embracing diversity (69)
  • Entertainment (786)
  • Environment (748)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (161)
  • Food (342)
  • Fundraising (612)
  • Gardens (157)
  • Government (553)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (850)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (3)
  • History (388)
  • Holidays (405)
  • Houses (153)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (849)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (62)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (568)
  • Natick Report (29)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (73)
  • Outdoors (642)
  • Parenting (62)
  • Police (757)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (8)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (330)
  • Religion (131)
  • Restaurants (331)
  • Safety (150)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (120)
  • Shopping (143)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (980)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (392)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (230)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,230)
  • Volunteering (346)
  • Weather (177)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login