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Search Results for: sevilla

Wellesley High School Class of 2012 to reunite over Thanksgiving break

November 14, 2017 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Windows in the old high school that the Class of 2012 decorated in fall of its senior year

 

The Wellesley High School Class of 2012 will celebrate its 5-Year Reunion on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Bostonia Public House (131 State St, Boston, MA 02110) from 8:30 – 11:30 PM. The event, featuring food and drinks, is free to Class of 2012 members. For more information contact Nina Sevilla at [email protected].

Parents of WHS Class of 2012 graduates are encouraged to spread the word.

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Filed Under: Education, Wellesley High School

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley
Riverbend School

Wellesley High math teacher asks Class of 2016: Now What?

June 6, 2016 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Craig Brown, Wellesley High commencement speech
Wellesley High math teacher Craig Brown: “When faced with a situation that is unfamiliar and needs resolution do you avoid it or embrace it?”

 

Wellesley High math teacher Craig Brown has been teaching the subject for 21 years, covering everything from Pre-Algebra to BC Calculus. This current school year Brown did something new: he taught math as part of the interdisciplinary team working with students in Wellesley High’s new collaborative Evolutions program. Adding to that, Brown also was selected by students to give the annual faculty speech at the WHS Class of 2016 commencement ceremonies. Here’s what he had to say:

 

Dr. Lussier, Dr. Chisum, members of the school committee, faculty, parents and friends, good evening.

And to the class of 2016, thank you. I know you had many outstanding faculty members to choose from to speak tonight and I’m honored that you chose me. That’s why it is especially hard for me to share this news with you.  Apparently there was some kind of mix up with your MCAS scores and due to a clerical error some of you are not graduating tonight…

Isn’t that right Dr. Chisum?

Naaah, that’s not right, everyone will graduate tonight. But suppose that wasn’t the case. What next?

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

When faced with a situation that is unfamiliar and needs resolution do you avoid it or embrace it? Either you have already dealt with something like this, or you haven’t, but you wish you did.

For the last four years you have been acquiring knowledge at Wellesley High School. You know to stay away from the center stairs, because they are often crowded,  lockers are rarely used, and you should get to school early for a parking spot or face that long walk from Washington Street, which really stinks in the winter.

You also probably figured out some teachers too. Some give pop quizzes every Day One while others rarely check homework. I’m sure you learned a lot of content too and all of these things were important, but hopefully, above all else, we gave you experiences to help you get better at new situations. It would be impossible for high school to prepare each of you for every unknown event that you will encounter. Instead, we teachers gave you a variety of challenges to overcome.

But what if it were true you weren’t graduating tonight? What the heck would you do? All these people here who traveled from far away looking to you for an explanation. There’s no easy answer and no quick solution. You wouldn’t have prepared for this problem. How would you move forward if it couldn’t be fixed? I know my students never discussed this in class and it probably wasn’t a question on MCAS. Are you ready for something that unpredictable?

Picture yourself at a crossroads, with a hundred different options, no street signs, no recognizable landmarks in sight and you don’t know what to do.  Now what?

Solving an Algebraic problem or writing a five paragraph essay were excellent skills to learn but they were only a glimpse of what’s ahead. Teachers created obstacles with clear outcomes in a safe environment that they knew you could manage. They encouraged you to get comfortable being uncomfortable so that you could develop the skills to take on new problems. That’s what I would like to celebrate today. Not that you actually passed MCAS, or earned a particular grade in a class, but instead that each day you came to school, found your classrooms, assessed the needs of the day and adapted in a manner to make your way through. It may not have seemed all that special at the time, but it did give you some valuable experience.

Before tonight I have never given a speech, especially at a graduation. I wasn’t concerned about speaking in front of a crowd, but rather not meeting everyone’s expectations. My friends and family said “Don’t worry, you’ll be great” and, of course, that would make me even more nervous. Preparing for tonight caused me great turmoil and angst, but I’m grateful to be here and share my thoughts with you …and relish all of it. I know that in some way I will be stronger because although I didn’t know how to write, edit and deliver a speech, I did it, and it feels good.

Now, it is time for YOU to go out and face life’s unpredictability without the shelter of Wellesley High School. Your prior accomplishments should help but it won’t be easy. Don’t shy away from things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Recognize them as chances to gain something new. I don’t mean to say you should be reckless or engage in activities that are unsafe, (don’t pick a fight with Superman), but instead be aware of the opportunity brought on by unexpected circumstances. There’s no guarantee that embracing these opportunities will turn out well.

Sometimes you may fail with miserable, disastrous, consequences and sometimes you may be overwhelmed with happiness. Most likely, it will be something in the middle, but no matter what, you will have new events to look back on and they will shape who you are.

Often we look for help in these situations from those around us, or the internet, or at last resort …our parents. When you were born, the hospital didn’t send home an owners manual explaining what every cry meant or how best to keep you happy, but parents endured, struggled through some difficult times, and have arrived here tonight overjoyed. In fact, they probably have learned many valuable lessons in life that will be useful to you in the very near future. Keep them close!

Nobody will ALWAYS know what to do with those scary, uneasy, moments that leave a pit in your stomach, but embrace them, and learn from them.

Stay curious! Gather experience! And always learn from it!

Good Luck Class of 2016

MORE: Class of 2016 Valedictorian’s speech: On 7-foot babysitters, “Luap” & the fallibility of authority

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Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Wellesley High 2016 Valedictorian: On 7-foot babysitters, “Luap” & the fallibility of authority

June 4, 2016 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley High School Class of 2016 President, Valedictorian and Senior Cup winner Teddy Sevilla shared these words with classmates and other attendees of the WHS commencement ceremony on Friday, June 3. Sevilla will attend Harvard University in the fall.

Superintendent Lussier, Principal Chisum, Assistant Principals,  Faculty, Classmates, Parents and Friends, thank you for your work over the past four years and your support today at graduation.

When I first heard that I was going to give a graduation speech, I looked for inspiration but initially felt a little bit lost. However, after plenty of searching, I realized that many of the greatest life lessons that I’ve learned, and that I want to share, came to me during childhood experiences.

For example, as a young kid with working parents, I had a lot of babysitters. However, unlike most young families, my parents exclusively hired babysitters from the Wellesley College basketball team. First there was Erin, the near seven foot tall pre-med student; then there was Kelly, a member of the thousand point club. Because of them, I spent my pre-kindergarten years surrounded by college women who towered over me and could easily squash me if I stepped out of line.

I’m not really sure why my parents chose such a specific hiring base for their babysitters. Maybe they wanted me to be a basketball player? Clearly that didn’t work. I can still remember Erin dunking on me on the basketball courts outside of Bates Elementary School. From those babysitters I learned two things: one, that I wasn’t very tall, and two, that I wasn’t very athletic. Indeed, within the childhood memories that each of us hold rest many valuable lessons.

So, as I was brainstorming for this speech a little more, I went to the site of some of the most formative moments in a young boy’s life: summer day camp. From ages 8-15, after one school year ended and before the next began, I was a devout attendee of Camp Nonesuch, a day camp in Weston. It was the ideal summer camp, at least on days when the health department didn’t close the pond for being a hazardous place to swim. My favorite activity at Camp Nonesuch, though, was not swimming or fishing or kayaking in those waters blooming with algae; rather it was the low ropes course activity known as “Adventure Games.” In Adventure Games, we would spend endless hours swinging on ropes, walking across wires, and lifting other campers through gigantic spider webs.

The most important part of the Adventure Games experience, though, was the counselor. A good counselor, which to a 10 year old meant one who lets you do whatever you want, could make the activity life-changing. But, a bad and bossy counselor – who actually made you do things – could ruin all the fun for an entire session. So, at the age of 10, I was full of anticipation as I approached the cabin in the woods where Adventure Games would first meet, only to find an unfamiliar person sporting a bright green counselor’s t-shirt. Within days, I became well acquainted with this brand-new counselor.

His name was Paul, and he was a strange species to my 10-year old eyes, since he was a Wellesley High School student. Very quickly, Paul established himself as a disciplinarian and an authority figure. Whether he was saying “Let’s all go down to the lower field,” or “Don’t try to push each other into the ravine” or “Hey, stop eating pinecones,” he always had advice in mind to try to keep our wild group of campers under control.

After experiencing years of lenient counselors who had given up on taming our unruly collective of campers, Paul’s authoritative approach both intimidated me and frustrated me. So, along with the other campers I resorted to calling him “Luap” (that’s Paul backwards) to try and undermine his authority. It didn’t really work, and we continued at odds with “Luap” until one fated day.

That day was “Trust Fall Day,” which was commonly known as one of the most boring days in the entire summer of Adventure Games. Usually Trust Fall Day entailed standing at ground level and trying wimpy trust falls in which you willingly let yourself fall into your best friend’s arms.  Of course, there was no chance of getting dropped. After your fall, you would trade places and repeat, and repeat, and repeat, ad nauseum.

Paul had other plans in mind. I watched as he stacked wooden boxes and pallets until they were about the height of my shoulder, and climbed atop them, standing like a beacon in his blindingly neon green counselor uniform.  He instructed us young campers to form a zipper out of our arms, basically making a large cradle, and then told us that we would be doing our trust falls off of that 3 foot tall platform. As if that wasn’t overwhelming enough for my 10-year-old mind, he then told us he would fall first to show us that nobody would get dropped, since if the counselor could do it then we all could too. Normally, I would be skeptical, but despite my distaste for Paul, his authoritative rule and experienced green shirt told me that he was right and that we would indeed catch him safely.

So, I lined up with the other campers and watched as he launched himself from that great tower in the blazing heat of the summer sun. I was confident. But as his giant high schooler’s body hit our tiny arms, I heard a slapping noise and felt my arms fall rapidly. In a split second, Paul ate more dirt than he had in his previous 17 years on earth. The thud as he hit the ground shook the camp, and I watched as his pristine neon green shirt was tarnished by dust and dirt.

That day, I learned about the fallibility of authority. For the majority of our lives, as seniors in high school we have been constantly presented with authority figures and people to follow. Whether they are conventional ones of society, like policemen, teachers, or camp counselors, or social ones like popular students at school, there are always those who set standards of behavior and are preserved in our minds as models of conduct.

Like Paul though, these role models are ultimately more vulnerable than we perceive them to be.  Years ago, I learned that even Wellesley College women’s basketball players couldn’t beat me at free throws on my Fisher Price basketball hoop. Today we know that counselors can fall during trust falls. We know that priests can sin, and we know that policemen can commit crimes.

Four years ago, Mr. McCullough stood upon this stage and told a graduating Wellesley High School class that they weren’t special. Well, with all due respect, neither is he, and neither am I, and neither is any speech giver speaking to you today. So given that, you may ask, why should I listen to what you’re saying? Or what even is the point of what you’re telling me?

Today, I stand upon a platform like my counselor Paul. Just as that platform was precariously constructed of mismatched wooden pieces and boxes, my foundations as an 18-year-old acting like he has something figured out about the world are equally unsteady. Given my current position, today, you all are in positions of power like the campers in that trust fall. You have the power to listen to and validate my words, or ignore them and deny them any significance. The beauty of recognizing the human vulnerability of my “authority” or that of anyone else, is that you can then realize how much power and freedom you have–as a listener, as a student, or as a graduate.

Ultimately, authority rests upon illusions of legitimacy. Please don’t take that assertion of mine to mean that you should take to the streets, destroy institutions, or embrace anarchy. Rather, find strength in the illusion of authority. As we move out of high school and into college, the military, or the work force, I ask that you be dauntless in the face of authority.

If you embrace that legitimacy rests upon shaky human foundations, then you cannot ever be out of place in a challenging class.  You will never be unqualified for your dreams.  You will never be incapable of success. You are just as powerful and just as weak in your humanity as your doctor or the President or the seven-foot tall babysitter telling you that it’s bedtime, and that is a beautiful thing.

Class of 2016, the legitimacy and authority of the world rests in your strong yet shaky human hands. Just don’t drop it.

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Filed Under: Wellesley High School

Exercise Coach, Wellesley

Wellesley High School Class of 2016 shows class at commencement

June 4, 2016 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Class of 2016 wellesley high

Wellesley High School’s Class of 2016 — and the teachers, administrators, friends and family that helped them get to graduation day — were rewarded with a comfortable and eventually sunny night at Hunnewell Field on Friday for commencement exercises. A mix of singers, musicians, speakers and hundreds of names kept things moving along for this graduating class that holds the distinction of being the first to spend all four years of their high school experience at the “new” building.

Class President and Valedictorian Teddy Sevilla, who gave a great speech (see transcript here) about the fallibility of authority, including one strict camp counselor from his past, and even took a fun poke at English teacher David McCullough of “You’re Not Special” 2012 commencement speech fame. Sevilla and classmate Nicole Frontero were voted by classmates as Senior Cup winners for all-around super-ness.

Students voted science teacher Louisa Morrison as Teacher of the Year, and math teacher Craig Brown delivered the faculty speech, during which he encouraged students to embrace challenges… like delivering a faculty speech. School superintendent David Lussier cracked a Chuck Norris joke and Principal Jamie Chisum let Shakespeare do some of the talking. Grads Lizzie Mears and Matt Snyder were MVPs for splitting duties as graduate name readers.

#Wellesley High #classof2016 #commencement

A video posted by theswellesleyreport (@theswellesleyreport) on Jun 3, 2016 at 8:36pm PDT

DSC_0957graduation dogClass of 2016 wellesley highWellesley High Class of 2016Wellesley High Class of 2016

 

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Filed Under: Education, Wellesley High School

Sleek Salon, Wellesley

Must-see TV: Wellesley High quiz team

January 7, 2016 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

wellesley high quiz team 2016
WHS Quiz Team (L to R): Matthew Kraemer – 12th Grade; Vinay Reddy – 12th Grade; Jarrett Huddleston – 11th Grade (alternate); Teddy Sevilla – 12th Grade; Kate Dario – 10th Grade (alternate); Zoe Salvucci – 11th Grade; Robert Cohen (coach)

 

Wellesley High School juniors and seniors once again will be competing on TV in this year’s WGBH High School Quiz Show.  The first round match against Hingham will be recorded Sunday, Jan. 24 at 10:30am at the WGBH studios in Brighton, and you’re welcome to catch the show live there by requesting free tickets in advance here: http://www.wgbh.org/quizshow/

The first-round show will air on March 19, and if Wellesley advances to the finals, that would be shown in mid-May. This is the third straight time Wellesley has qualified for the TV bracket of 16 teams.
The team has high hopes, with a couple of returning members in Teddy Sevilla and Zoe Salvucci.high school quiz show bracket
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Write Ahead, Wellesley

It’s “All Aboard” for the Wellesley Junior Class Auction

March 20, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

header10Come sail away with the WHS Class of 2016 as it holds its Junior Class Auction on Saturday, March 21, at 7pm in the WHS Cafeteria. The Auction Book is just in, so look below for a sneak preview of the great offerings – there’s something for everyone! Remember, you don’t have to be the parent of a junior to take advantage of the wide range of spectacular parent, teacher, student and merchant-donated items including prep for the New SAT, a service trip to Mexico, One Direction concert tickets, delicious food and restaurant options, and babysitting and tutoring by WHS students. The evening promises to be a fun event for all! Admission is free, and proceeds benefit upcoming class activities. For more info check out www.whsauction.org

WHS Junior Class Officers (l. to r.) Emily Zeytoonjian, Lizzie Mears, Teddy Sevilla and Matt Snyder and their classmates welcome you to attend the WHS Junior Class Auction on March 21
WHS Junior Class Officers (l. to r.) Emily Zeytoonjian, Lizzie Mears, Teddy Sevilla and Matt Snyder and their classmates welcome you to attend the WHS Junior Class Auction on March 21

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Filed Under: Fundraising, Wellesley High School

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Save the Date: Wellesley High School Junior Class Auction to be held March 21

March 12, 2015 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

header10Join the Wellesley High School Class of 2016 as it holds its Junior Class Auction on Saturday, March 21 at Wellesley High School. Students chose this year’s theme – “All Aboard!” and we will be swabbing the deck, and decorating the space with a sailing and nautical theme. There will be a live and silent auction, raffle, entertainment, and refreshments (sorry – no cocktails, this is an alcohol free event!)

Come and bid on spectacular parent, teacher and student-donated items including the traditional prime high school parking space and premium graduation seating. This event promises to be a fun event for all. All proceeds benefit class activities. Questions? Contact Terri Sevilla at [email protected] or 781-235-5354.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and close at 10 p.m.  Attire is casual.

Schedule of Events:

  • 7:00 pm:  Welcome, check-in, refreshments and entertainment.  Student/Teacher donations and raffles.
  • 8:20 pm – 8:50 pm:  Raffle and Silent Auction tables begin to close (staggered.)
  • 8:55 pm:  Live Auction
  • 9:45 pm: Super Silent Auction closes followed by check-out and item pick up.
  • Credit cards accepted, cash preferred.

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Filed Under: Fundraising, Wellesley High School

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