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Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley business buzz: Prepped and Polished expands; Refined Renovations opens studio; Jesamondo extends welcome to new stylist

May 2, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Prepped and Polished has moved within Wellesley

Prepped and Polished has moved to a larger Wellesley location at 462 Washington Street (near Mathnasium and the Barber Chair). With six private classrooms, the new space is about four times larger that that at its former 18 Grove St. location, allowing the tutoring and test prep business to meet students in a more comfortable environment. Prepped and Polished has been delivering educational services for almost 25 years and has three locations (Wellesley, Sudbury, and Newton Centre).


Award-winning design-build firm opens Wellesley studio

Refined Renovations has been refining homes in Boston’s north shore for the past 20 years. Now the company has a new Wellesley design studio at 184 Worcester St., Wellesley (near Great Wok), to better serve clients in the Metrowest area and downtown Boston.

The full-service design-build firm handles everything and is ready to take your project from inspiration to completion. The team of designers works with the in-house build team to ensure your project comes out beautifully. Refined Renovations specializes in kitchen remodels, complete home renovations, custom homes and furnishings and interiors. The company also provides a full suite of interior design services.

Refined Renovations, Wellesley
Beautiful and elegant kitchen.

Refined Renovations has been featured in the Boston Globe, regional magazines, and has earned eleven Best of Houzz awards over the past eight years, with over fifty 5-star reviews.

Refined Renovations has distinguished itself as a premier full-service design-build company in the Boston area, building dream homes and transforming dozens of kitchens to fit the personality and unique style of each client. The company’s growth is the result of repeatedly delivering on its promises. The focus is always on customer satisfaction and beautiful style. Whether you are renovating your existing home, or building your dream home, Refined Renovations would love to partner with you!

Currently booking design projects for fall and winter renovations. Limited openings exist for 2023.


Jesamondo weaves new stylist into its team

Jesamondo Salon & Spa has added Whitney Taylor, stylist and hair extension expert, to its team of salon professionals. Whitney specializes in extensions by Bellami, Harper Ellis, and Bombshell—let her weave something extraordinary with hair extensions that’ll leave you looking and feeling more youthful and vibrant with voluminous locks. Book an appointment.

Jesamondo, Natick

 

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Filed Under: Business

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Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley, Lockheart
Write Ahead, Wellesley

May author events in Wellesley; Books In Bloom coming to library

May 1, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Upcoming author and book events in Wellesley:

Thursday, May 7, at 7pm: The Wellesley Free Library will host Dan Levitt, author of What’s Gotten Into You: The Story of Your Body’s Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night’s Dinner. The book tells the startling tale of scientific discovery that allows us to trace the epic odysseys of your atoms from the Big Bang to you. In conversation with Toby Lester, author of DaVinci’s Ghost and The Fourth Part of the World: The Race to the Ends of the Earth, and the Epic Story of the Map that Gave America Its Name.

Friends of the Wellesley Free Library
These adorable friends of the Friends of Wellesley Free Library enjoyed the recent Spring Book Sale. Photo by Barbara Marx

Wednesday, May 10, 9:30am: Join the Wellesley College Alumnae of Boston at the Gardens of Elm Bank, 900 Washington St., Wellesley. The Spring Authors on Stage program will feature three engaging writers (an art historian, a memoirist, and a novelist) and their just-published books. There is a fee to attend this event.

Thursday, May 18, 4:30pm: At Wellesley Free Library, come talk with Newbery Award-winning author Lauren Wolk, author of Wolf Hollow, My Own Lightning, and Beyond the Bright Sea.

Books in Bloom

The Wellesley Free Library Foundation will celebrate spring with Books in Bloom, May 12-14. Stop by and view stunning floral interpretations of your favorite books by talented local florists. An opening night reception on May 12, 6:30-9:30pm (21+, ticketed event) will feature an open bar, live music by the Wellesley High School MTB Jazz Trio, and a raw bar presented by Wellesley’s own Row 34 chef-owner Jeremy Sewall.

Proceeds from the event help The Library Foundation to fund enhancements such as expansion to the library’s collections in the form of new databases, evolving materials formats, expanded reference materials, and more.

Floral arrangements will be on view through Sunday, May 14.

More authors visiting Wellesley

Wellesley Books also has a line-up of authors coming in May. Some events require registration and a fee, so check ahead of time. Coming to town: Jamie Harper and Heather Lang (Supermoms! Animal Heroes); Suzy Levinson (Animals in Pants) and Lisa Perron (About My Love for You); Brant MacDuff, taxidermist and conservation historian, to discuss his new book, The Shotgun Conservationist: Why Environmentalists Should Love Hunting; Rinker Buck to promote the paperback release of his 2022 book, Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure; and Karin Lin-Greenberg to discuss her new novel, You Are Here. In conversation with Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light.

Free books

The Wellesley RDF books area is always there for you, ready to accept those books you’re ready to pass on to others, or for your browsing pleasure. That spot with its sagging shelves, crammed with books in no particular order, is one of our Wellesley happy places.

Dump, books section
RDF book swap section, 2016

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

Filed Under: Books, Charity/Fundraising

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Wellesley Business Buzz: Mélange enters the Linden Square mix; Faherty brings a chill scene to Wellesley Square; first month free at Beacon Hill Athletic Club; Open House at Page Waterman; ABC Gala coming up

April 26, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Mélange mixes things up in Linden Square

Mélange has opened in Linden Square next to Magic Beans. The shopping collaborative is made up of three small businesses whose owners work together to create a unique, curated shopping experience. Well acquainted with Wellesley from doing a series of pop-ups around town, the owners are excited to have a more long-term place to land. We popped in to check out the scene, a nice mixture, indeed. Or as they say in France, a très bon mélange. They’ve also got a location in Osterville on Cape Cod.

Melange, Wellesley
Mélange, Wellesley
  • 2 Webster: Melissa McCray  sources beautiful things and unique finds, perfect to make your house a home.
  • Hamilton Grace Designs: Dover resident Sarah Essex designs beautiful jewelry and handbags to complement everyday outfits as well as more formal ensembles.
  • Poppin In: Rachael Jilli’s chill blend of California, surf-inspired, casual clothing for adults and kids has washed up on the shores of Linden Square, which we think is just swell.
  • The Bar Top Shop: A capsule collection of vintage barware from the 1920s through the 1980s is coming soon.

Faherty brings good vibes to Wellesley Square

Family-owned retailer Faherty has opened in Wellesley Square at 50 Central St., adjacent to Lululemon. The lifestyle brand mostly has men’s, women’s, and kids’ clothing, with some candles and sustainably-sourced blankets thrown in for good measure. The interior offers a simple and rustic ambience with touches like a surfboard mounted on the wall, a ship’s wheel leaning casually on a shelf, and a mid-century modern console behind the register. They like to keep things casual or, as the manager phrased it, the store’s brand has experienced “10 years of good vibes.”

Faherty, Wellesley Square
Faherty, 50 Central St., Wellesley Square

Get fit at Beacon Hill Athletic Club

SPONSORED CONTENT: Join the Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs Wellesley and get your first month free when you use the promo code SWELLESLEY @ SIGN-UP

The Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs Wellesley is right in the middle of Linden Square and is easily accessible from anywhere in town. This location offers state-of-the-art weight training and cardiovascular equipment and an extensive group exercise program. Each of the beautiful locker rooms is equipped with a steam room and plenty of locker storage.

As a BHAC member, you have access to dozens of weekly Group Fitness Classes with formats including Barre, Yoga, Cycling, Pilates, and Zumba.


Open house event at Page Waterman Gallery & Framing

Enjoy a sampling of wines for summer, plus hors d’oeuvres, during Page Waterman Gallery‘s spring Open House event on Thursday, April 27, 5:30pm-8pm, 592A Washington St., Wellesley.

Sommelier Nolden Johnson who will be on hand to discuss (and offer sips) of these special selections:

  • Memini Sancerre white 2021
  • Bondol Provence Rosé 2021
  • Loire Valley Cab Franc 2021

Don’t forget to check out the cool art while you’re there.


Wellesley ABC fundraiser reminder

EVENT: Tacos & Tequila Gala
TO BENEFIT: Wellesley A Better Chance Program (ABC), opening the doors to greater educational opportunities for academically talented and promising young women of color since 1972.
DATE: Friday, May 5
TIME: 6:30-10pm
LOCATION: Italo American Club, Wellesley
BUY TICKETS: ABC Gala tickets


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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Refined Renovations, Wellesley

An hour in a Wellesley garden: Tulip Mania at Elm Bank Reservation

April 24, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Late last fall the Massachusetts Horticulture Society (MHS) team made the decision that its 36-acre spread at Elm Bank Reservation simply must have more early-spring color. Although the calendar noted that the gardens would open for the season on April 1, Karen Daubmann, director of Garden and Programs at the 194 year-old organization, wanted to greet the public with more than the usual flowering trees and shrubs. “When we’re open for the season I want there to be a ton of things for people to see,” she said. “So that’s why we did the tulips.”

Mass Hort, Elm Bank, Tulip Mania
Mass Hort, Elm Bank, Tulip Mania

50,000 of of the harbingers of spring were planted in the Trial Garden beds last fall, bringing April color to Elm Bank like never before. Welcome to the first-ever Tulip Mania, happening through the end of this week, maybe into the weekend. You know how it is with gardens.

With the staggered bloom time of many thousands of tulips, the always-popular area centered with a Hartley Victorian Greenhouse has officially woken up early from its long winter’s nap. Home to Mass Hort’s  yearly test plots of new and unreleased varieties of annuals and perennials, the elongated beds of the Trial Garden are typically planted out in May and peak in late-summer.

The decision to get going earlier and go big while doing it was one of those last-minute scrambles that turned out incredibly well. First off, Mass Hort had to get in line behind the bulb-buying competition—places like big botanic gardens and golf courses start ordering their tulip bulbs in June. Mass Hort didn’t place their order until late October. Three vendors came through for them—Van Engelen; Brent and Becky; and A.D.R. All the bulbs come from Holland. Although the Mass Hort team wasn’t able to pore over catalogs and pick the varieties of their dreams (when you order bulbs in October, you get what you get and you don’t get upset), it’s hard to mess up with tulips. Will they be bright and colorful when planted en masse? The results say yes. That’s all that matters.

Mass Hort, Elm Bank, Tulip Mania
Mass Hort, Elm Bank, Tulip Mania

For those who think spring-blooming bulbs must be planted on a gorgeous day in early fall or never, take heart. Mass Hort has really tested the limits in the Test Garden, and the early data is very heartening for all gardening procrastinators. Looks like we can dig in the dirt right into the holiday season.

“We planted them pretty late in November and early December,” Daubmann said. “Like, end of the line. We had staff out here and volunteers. Luckily we had a pretty mild fall.”

The planting process was, shall we say, very good exercise. Gardeners got down on their hands and knees over a two-week period, tucked in the bulbs with encouraging words, and hoped for the best. Next year—and yes, Mass Hort is all in on Tulip Mania for next year—the right tool for the job is coming to the rescue. They’ve just purchased a new tractor-drawn bulb planter. That should save a few backs and knees.

Mass Hort, Elm Bank, Tulip Mania
Mass Hort, Elm Bank, Tulip Mania

Meanwhile, Mass Hort is already looking toward what’s next. The green houses are crammed with plants itching to take their rightful place in the Test Garden. They’ll get their turn. As the tulip blooms are spent, the staff pulls up the bulbs and bags them up for sale. “They won’t all come back next year,” Daubmann concedes, “but I think people like the bargain, and the thought, and the hope, which is what horticultural is all about—hope.”

If you hope to go to Tulip Mania, the event takes place at least until Friday of this week. Hours are 10am-6pm. It’s possible there will still be enough of a show for Saturday and Sunday, but check the Mass Hort website first.

Reserving admission tickets would be a good idea because they limit the number of guests who can tour Tulip Mania at any one time. You can buy tickets at the gate if attendance is light at the time you show up. Included with paid admission is a bunch of 5 fresh-cut tulips. Admission fee: $10 for adults. Free for youth 12 and under. Free for Mass Hort members.

EVENT: Tulip Mania
DATES: At least through Friday, April 28. Maybe over the weekend if the tulips are still in bloom.
HOURS: 10am-6pm for Tulip Mania specifically (you can tour the rest of the gardens as well)
LOCATION: The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington St., Wellesley
VARIETIES PLANTED: Sunny Prince; Hermitage; Golden Emperor; White Emperor; Christmas Dream; Candy Prince; Negrita; Pretty Princess; and more

More Mass Hort news

This year Mass Hort received $600k from the State to stabilize the Manor House. Although not nearly enough to start renovations, this exciting turn of events will allow MHS to stabilize the building, remove asbestos, keep it watertight, and start working on the exterior.

Join MHS as they open up the French doors on the terrace, giving you a peek into the living room area. Don’t miss this opportunity to support the future of the Manor House and enjoy a lovely spring evening in the Garden.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Environment, Gardens, Outdoors

Call and Haul, Wellesley

An hour in a Wellesley garden: Rotary Club donates tulip tree saplings for the town’s 4th graders

April 20, 2023 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

You know what Wellesley could use? About 500 tulip trees, that’s what. If we gave every 4th grader in town a 12″ deciduous sapling from the magnolia family with instructions to plant them, it’s possible to imagine that a few years from now we’d see 12-foot high trees with cheerful blooms dotting the town.

Wellesley Rotary Club, trees for Arbor Day
Many Rotary Club members were on hand to rally eager volunteers as they bagged up over 500 tulip tree saplings. Every 4th grade student in the Wellesley Public Schools will receive one, with planting instructions.

The Rotary Club, as it has for the past 25 spring seasons, has asked kids to dig in and help make the dream a reality. In celebration of Arbor Day, and as a way to help keep the town’s designation as a Tree City intact, dozens of volunteers bagged up over 500 saplings for distribution to the 4th graders. The yearly project is done in partnership with the Department of Public Works and has made thousands of saplings available to kids.

Suzy Jordan, town horticultural technician, will next week visit classrooms, set everyone up for success with a lesson about how to plant the saplings, and pass out a tulip tree sapling to each student. “It takes several years until they start forming the tulips,” Jordan said. “They’re a cup shaped flower, just like a tulip. These will be yellow with a little bit of orange.”

Wellesley Rotary Club, Arbor Day, tulip tree sapling
Wellesley Rotary Club, Tulip tree sapling. I removed the plastic bag before planting.

With 30 years and a little luck, those skinny sticks the kids take home can reach a mature size of 120 feet, with a 40-foot spread. If the hardy hardwood can avoid pests like aphids, or verticillium wilt, a soil-borne fungus disease that attacks tree roots, tulip trees can live for up to 500 years. Luckily, tulip trees have a good track record of disease resistance, a major factor when Jordan is deciding which variety to purchase.

The Rotary Club donates the funds each year to buy the trees. Last year it was pin oaks. Other varieties they’ve sent out into the world include sweet gum, persimmon, and spruce.

Tulip Tree, Wellesley College
Tulip Tree. Credit: Wellesley College

Jordan let me take one home, which I planted right away in the area of my yard I’ve given over to No-Mow May (more on that in future posts). I dug a 12″-deep hole and mixed in a scoop of 3-3-3 fertilizer. The sapling went in to a depth of “bare to the flare,” a  good guidepost when planting any tree. I looked for the bulge just above the the area where the roots begin to flare away from the trunk and made sure that the root flare was just above the soil surface. Next, I staked the sapling, securing it with some twine. Because I planted the tree in my No-Mow May area, which is marked off by all the sticks and branches that fell in the yard over the winter, the tulip tree has a good chance of being left to grow in peace.

Thanks to volunteers for making sapling-preparation day a success: Phyllis Theerman, Shabbeer Syed, Vin Spoto, Eylem Plter Shi Shen, Fred Wright, Ellen Korpi, Dan LaRochelle, Daniel Ryu, Tracy Turcotte, Elizabeth May, Gordon Humber, Kim Emerson, Bill Westerman, Pat Hayden, Maria Qaiser, Jeanne Hoerter, Carl Nelson, John Bradica, Elizabeth Zisis.

Have pics of a Rotary Club tree your family planted years ago? Please send pics to us at theswellesleyreport@gmail.com, and we’ll happily post them.

The Rotary Club funds the tree program, and other initiatives, through its major fundraiser, Taste of Wellesley, which takes place on Thursday, May 4, 6:30pm-9:30pm. The event will feature a wide variety of signature dishes from Wellesley restaurants, cafes, caterers, local breweries and wineries, along with live music and auction items that are locally sourced. Only 300 tickets will be sold, and they’re going fast. Get yours here, or at Roche Bros. in Linden Square or The Windsor Press (365 Washington St.).

A word about No-Mow May

The idea behind No-Mow May is that by waiting until June to mow lawns, clover,  dandelions, and other plants have a chance to flower, thus feeding pollinators. The popularization of the idea is widely credited to Plantlife, a UK-based organization devoted to protecting and restoring wild plants and fungi. The group says that a decades-long increase in habitat loss and pesticide use has threatened the food supply of pollinators such as bees and other flying insects.

We’ve given over a corner of our yard to No-Mow May. Yes, I have misgivings. My worries, and there are many, is that the long-eradicated knotweed will sniff out weakness and come roaring back. And that the area won’t look like a casual meadow, it will just look like a hot mess. And that I’m actually growing a tick farm, and my family will get Lyme disease. And that Mr. Swellesley, my co-editor and husband, won’t be able to cut down the area at the end of May with his push mower, so we’ll have to hire someone to come out and chop down an unwieldy jungle. And that nobody will want to come out for such a rinky-dink problem of our own making, so Mr. Swellesley will have to take a scythe to the area. And because Mr. S. doesn’t know how to use a scythe, he’ll cut off his own foot.

Other than that, I’m all in on No-Mow May. More to come on my grand experiment.

At least some people in this town know how to chill

The Wellesley Department of Public Works has no such anxieties. Last summer the DPW, in partnership with the Natural Resources Commission, conducted an experiment with No Mow May at Simons Park, adjacent to the Wellesley Free Library. One section of lawn was left to nature, while another section got its usual regular haircuts. The unmown part looked like a Robert Frost poem, knee-high grass swaying in the breeze, birds swooping up and down the wide swathe of sunny meadow, snagging insect treats. It really was quite pretty, and I felt a little sad when I saw the shorn results in June. The Simons Park No Mow May experiment continues this spring.

More Wellesley garden writing

An hour in a Wellesley College professor’s garden—a visit to Little Red

An hour in my Wellesley garden—tidying the shed

Weston Garden Club tour is a once-in-a-decade celebration

Filed Under: Clubs, Education, Embracing diversity, Environment, Gardens

Rumble Boxing, Natick Mall

European Manor in Wellesley Square to close this summer

April 15, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

European Manor, a popular shopping destination for over 35 years in Wellesley Square, will close its doors this summer, according to an email sent to loyal customers. Laurie Mettler, who has owned the home furnishings and gifts boutique for the past 11 years, said in the missive that “the decision to close the store was not made lightly, and the thought of disappointing all of you weighed heavily in that decision. In the end I’ve come to know in my heart that this is what is best for me at this juncture in my life.”

European Manor storefront

Naturally, Mettler is going out with a bang so if you have room in your beautiful Wellesley home for high-quality decorative accessories, tabletop items, furniture, lighting, jewelry, wall decor, and baby items, visit the 556 Washington Street store soon for the best selection. Signs in the window note that a storewide sale is going on, and a sandwich board outside the front door boasts savings of 25% off on all full-priced items. All sales are final.


  • Check out the Wellesley Square Merchants directory. Find your next place in Wellesley Square and beyond for the dining, shopping, and services.
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Filed Under: Business, Shopping

Wellesley Gardeners’ Guild spruces up the post office boxes

April 15, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Members of the Wellesley Gardeners’ Guild took advantage of the mid-80s April temperatures to yank the winter greens out of the Square and Hills post office window boxes and put in fresh spring annuals and perennials. The civic organization funds, plants, and maintains the boxes seasonally. Members each take a week-long turn watering the boxes, no easy task during the hot summer months.

Wellesley Gardeners' Guild, post office boxes
From left, Post Offices Civic Improvement co-chair Laurie Roberts; Tami Moffitt; and co-chair Kim Moldaver.

Post office boxes past

Wellesley Hills post office
May 2022

 

Wellesley Gardeners' Guild, December 2020
December 2020

 

Wellesley Gardeners' Guild
July 2017

Wellesley Hills post office boxes

 

Station Oak, Post Office Square, Wellesley
Station Oak, Wellesley Square Post Office, May 2022

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Filed Under: Clubs, Environment, Gardens, Outdoors, Volunteering

Ground officially broken for Wellesley’s new Hardy Elementary School

April 11, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We’ve attended a few groundbreaking events in Wellesley over the years, but the Hardy School ceremony last week took such affairs to the next level for us. A combination of pomp, circumstance, and history made the ritual one that the school community won’t soon forget. Hardy School principal and gracious host Grant Smith moved things along smoothly from a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to photos of Shawmut Design and construction reps as well as state and local officials posing with shiny shovels. Several students also got their chance to dig in and joyfully break ground, probably the first (and only) time they’ve been encouraged to throw dirt on school property.

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
Hardy School students live the dream of throwing dirt on school grounds without getting into trouble.

There was even a printed program, an intermission, and a rousing rendition of the Hardy RISE song, sung by the entire student body and led by music teacher Thomas Corcoran.

The groundbreaking took place on Wellesley’s 141st birthday. Quite a present for the town: a new school.

Hardy is expected to open in fall 2024. The 18-classroom, all-new construction 80,039 square-foot building is designed for an enrollment of 365 students, with the flexibility for space to be reconfigured to include a 19th classroom in the case of a “bubble” year. The design includes purpose-built spaces for the district-wide Skills Program, a highly individualized and modified curriculum for students with autism spectrum disorder and/or other related disabilities that present with similar challenges.

Over the years Hardy has expanded several times to accommodate a growing school-age population— the building had additions in 1925, 1957, and modular classrooms were added in 1993 and again in 1997.

 

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
The community gathers on Wellesley’s 141st birthday to observe Hardy School groundbreaking ceremonies.

The projected cost is $72.5M. Executive director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, Jack McCarthy, was on hand to participate in the proceedings and publicly reassure the town that “we at the MSBA are proud to be your investing partners to the tune of approximately 13 million dollars,” the expected reimbursement amount the state is kicking in.

Town Meeting on April 10 approved a motion under Article 19, allowing for the transfer for more than $1M from 3 completed school projects to replenish the Hardy construction project contingency fund.

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
Hardy School groundbreaking, from left: former School Committee members Melissa Martin, Sharon Gray, and Michael D’Ortenzio; Permanent Building Committee member Suzy Littlefield. School Committee members Catherine Mirick,  Leda Eizenberg, and Linda Chow; State Rep. Alice Peisch

 

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
Hardy School groundbreaking, from left: former School Committee member Melissa Martin; Select Board vice chair Tom Ulfelder; WPS coordinator for community engagement Sharon Gray; Matt King of the Permanent Building Committee; and Superintendent David Lussier. Supt. Lussier during remarks marveled over the long history of Hardy School, which opened 100 years ago in 1923 at a time when “Calvin Coolidge, the former governor of Massachusetts, became the 30th president of the United States…There are certainly very few things that last for 100 years and to think that we continued to educate generations of students in this building in that same period of time is fairly remarkable.”

 

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
The Wellesley Educators Association made their presence known. Starting April 9, union members began participating in a “work to rule” job action, which they say is in response to stalled contract negotiations with the School Committee.

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Filed Under: Hardy Elementary School

Daffodil Hill blooms at Wellesley College

April 10, 2023 by Deborah Brown 3 Comments

Beautiful springtime sight—Daffodil Hill at Wellesley College with the sun setting over Lake Waban.

daffodil hill wellesley college


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

Filed Under: Gardens, Wellesley College

Hardy PTO Beehives not wigged out by tough words at Wellesley Spelling Bee

April 1, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Almost 40 teams faced off at the annual Wellesley Education Foundation’s Spelling Bee in the WHS cafeteria last Thursday. Teams of three participants each listened closely as word-caller Mike Dowling spat out toughies like portmanteau, milligrubs, and zougmond. In the end, it was the Hardy PTO Beehives who took home the trophy by demonstrating the correct spelling of zeusaphone. Definition: an instrument that creates sounds through producing musical tones by altering its spark output. Huh? We’re not quite clear on that either, but it apparently has something to do with Teslas. Such a Wellesley word to win on.

Wellesley spelling bee
The Hardy PTO Beehives celebrate their correct spelling of zeusaphone to win the 2023 Wellesley Education Foundation Spelling Bee. From left, Urmila Kamat, Tanya Auger, Lisa Rogers. Photo credit: George Roberts

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Family and friends show their pride in the Hardy Beehives team.

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Sustainable Wellesley, shown here in this year’s final round, took home the trophy in 2022. The team put up a good fight defending their title, but the word “gourmand” was their undoing. Last year they spelled ichnolite for the win. From left: Katie Smith Milway, Elizabeth May, Chris Crowley

 

Wellesley spelling bee
WMS teachers, sponsored by the WMS PTO, show their Bee spirit. From left, Kari Sciera, Valerie Stark, and Drew Bourn competed on team Sponge Bob Spell Pants. We see you photobombing, Bee co-chair Sharon Clarke-Levin.

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Beauties and the BEEst, sponsored by Wellesley Toyota, was one of two teams representing the WHS Evolutions program. From left, Wellesley Town Meeting member Skye Jacobs; Maria Losapio; and Lila Malek

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Superintendent David Lussier, left, and Sprague School principal Leigh Petrowsky were two of the four judges who had the final word on correct spellings.

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Spelling Bee Judges Mark Ito, WMS principal, left; and Sandra Trach, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Bee co-chairs Berk Veral (left) and Sharon Clarke-Levin

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Wellesley Education Foundation co-presidents Amy Hernandez (left) and Elizabeth Shlala

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Yes, chefs! WHS National Honor Society Seniors represented by Adam Juma (left); James Iorio (middle); Sebastian Papa. Sponsored by Katherine Babson (and also, presumably, by Pippa the young black lab and author of “Tails With Gig”)

 

Wellesley spelling bee
WHS principal Jamie Chisum never misses a beat. When he rings the gong, that’s it. You’re done spelling.

 

Wellesley spelling bee
Spelling Bee word-caller and sports reporter Mike Dowling enunciated each word carefully and kept the proceedings moving along.

Wellesley Education is a heavy-hitting fundraising organization in town. Almost $224k for school initiatives was awarded via grants to WPS educators in 2021-22, benefitting all ten public schools in the district.

Congratulations to all for keeping this fun tradition going. Good times.


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Filed Under: Charity/Fundraising, Education, Embracing diversity, Entertainment

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Most Read Posts

  • Friday is letters-to-the-editor day on The Swellesley Report
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  • POPS Senior Profile: Izzy Pavano—bringing energy & enthusiasm to choral program
  • Wellesley Trails Committee guided trail walk: Hemlock Gorge & Echo Bridge (June 3, 9-10am)
  • New Wellesley Square high rise is for the birds

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Upcoming Events

Jun 3
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Hemlock Gorge & Echo Bridge guided walk

Jun 3
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

CANCELED: Big Joe the Storyteller in Linden Square

Jun 3
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

CANCELED: Big Joe the Storyteller in Wellesley Square

Jun 4
8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Schofield 5k, Fun Run and Fun Fair

Jun 4
9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Hazardous Household Waste & Document Destruction Day

View Calendar

Recent Comments

  • Bob Brown on Wellesley Trails Committee guided trail walk: Hemlock Gorge & Echo Bridge (June 3, 9-10am)
  • Anne on Wellesley Trails Committee guided trail walk: Hemlock Gorge & Echo Bridge (June 3, 9-10am)
  • Bob Brown on New Wellesley Square high rise is for the birds
  • Mauyra on New Wellesley Square high rise is for the birds
  • Ellen on Wellesley Rec to make pickleball rec to schools, NRC

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  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
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