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Write Ahead, Wellesley

Interested in extracurriculars at Wellesley High School? Join the club

October 3, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley High School is known for its sports teams, and rightfully so. But did you know there are 75 clubs and activities for students who either aren’t part of an athletic team—or who are and simply want to explore all that the school has to offer? Clubs and activities are available to students at no cost, and faculty, or CORI-checked non-school advisors, help run things. Times vary—some meet after school, some in the evenings, and others on weekends or a combination of all three.

We stopped by the Wellesley Clubs and Activities Fair, where student leaders of about 20 groups had set up information booths in the cafeteria to draw interested peers to learn more and get involved.

Wellesley High School Clubs Fair
Fiona Zhou, class of 2024, representing The Bradford, WHS’s student-run newspaper is written, edited and produced by students in print, online, and on Instagram and tiktok. The student journalists aspire to be the hub of information for the school, and pledge to be honest and unbiased in the way they collect and report news.

 

Wellesley High School Clubs Fair
Kate Gallico, class of 2023, staffed the Film Analysis Club’s table. She says club members will decide together on which films to view and discuss. Snacks will be part of each viewing, of course. “It sounds a little more serious than it is,” she said about the new club. “We’ll be doing movie nights and fundraisers to go to theaters. I’m hoping we get a good group going.”

 

Wellesley High School Clubs Fair
Science Olympiad. Team Captain Rohan Kelkar, (left), and Anish Sankar. The Science Team competes in five monthly meets in the Western Suburban Science League, invitational meets, and the culminating event for the year: the Massachusetts State Science Olympiad competition. There are 23 separate events in Science Olympiad, which are organized into categories: Life, Personal, and Social Science; Earth and Space Science; Physical Science and Chemistry; Technology and Engineering; and Inquiry & Nature of Science  The emphasis for this club is creative problem solving via teamwork.

 

Wellesley High School Clubs Fair
Model UN. From left, Max Chizmadia; William Liu; Niles Bowditch. Model U.N. challenges students to learn more about history, politics and diplomacy, and look at the world from the perspectives of many countries. Students work with each other and with high school students from around the region to solve the world’s crises. Model U.N. meets twice a month and attends one to two conferences during the year. Niles: “Basically you debate issues and try to come to resolutions. This means taking a tactful approach to debating because what is viable for one country might be completely orthogonal to what another country wants.” Me (realizing I’ll never get into Model UN): “Wait. What does orthogonal mean?” Niles (kindly furnishing a definition): “Like, opposing, ya know?”

 

Wellesley High School Clubs Fair
Wellesley High School Clubs Fair

A few of the other clubs and activities available are Academic Decathlon; Red Ink Literary and Arts Magazine; Climate Action Committee; Diversity Club; Key Club; Friends Forever; Moving Club, National Honor Society; Botball team; The Wellesleyan (yearbook); Young Ethnic Scholars; and more. See the entire list here, starting on page 25.


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Filed Under: Clubs, Wellesley High School

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Wellesley Select Board member Tom Ulfelder to speak at Men’s Group meeting

September 26, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Service League Men’s Group Speaker Series will welcome Wellesley Select Board member Tom Ulfelder at its Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2pm meeting, at the Friendly Aid Building, 219 Washington St.

Wellesley Friendly Aid
Wellesley Friendly Aid building. Nov. 2022

Are you wondering what’s happening in Wellesley? Curious about the big issues that the town faces? Select Board member Tom Ulfelder will discuss the key issues facing Wellesley today.

Tom and his wife Jean have lived in Wellesley with their four children for 24 years. Tom is currently serving his third term on the Select Board and has been a Town Meeting member since 2006; served as a member of the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative Parish Council; the Sustainable Energy Committee (now the Climate Action Committee); the Town Government Study Committee; and as a board member of Wellesley Friendly Aid.

The Men’s Group meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Senior men fron Wellesley and surrounding communities are invited for refreshments and conversation. Guests welcome.

Please email Pamela Beckett (pamelabeckett@verizon.net) or Eunice Groark (egroark@yahoo.com) for more information.


Wellesley sports and social clubs

Wellesley Select Board office hours are Sept. 28—reserve your appointment

What happens in Wellesley Service League?

Filed Under: Clubs, Embracing diversity, Entertainment, Government

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Wellesley Scout pack hits high note at rocket launch recruiting event

September 18, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley ScoutsWellesley Cub Scout Pack 185 hosted its annual Model Rocket Launch recruiting event over the weekend at Bates Elementary. Boys and girls launched their own rockets and learned about the scouting programs planned for the year.

Couldn’t make the high-flying event, but want to get your K-5 child involved in scouting? Learn more at Pack 185’s website, where you can register online, or email them at pack185wellesley@gmail.com

To learn more about all the troops in town, check out Swellesley’s Scouting page. All of the troops are welcoming and inclusive, so don’t hesitate to contact leaders at any time during the year with questions

More about Pack 185

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Kids

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Wellesley DAR chapter demonstrates a strong constitution with library display

September 18, 2023 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

The Wellesley-based Amos Mills-Lucy Jackson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is celebrating Constitution Week (Sept. 17-23) for the month of September with a display at the Wellesley Free Library. Wellesley High School history teacher Erin Sullivan delivered a talk titled ‘Teaching the Constitution” at the group’s recent meeting.

For those who need a memory jog, the Constitution is the the document that starts out, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Bet a lot of you can’t read that without singing the Schoolhouse Rock song in your heads.

Wellesley Daughters of the American Revolution
Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution flank their patriotic-themed display at the Wellesley Free Library.

More on the DAR

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Wellesley Free Library

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Scouting about for a good fall activity for your Wellesley child?

August 11, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley has five scouting troops with family-friendly programs designed for boys and girls in kindergarten through seniors in high school. Programs emphasize shared leadership, learning about the community, service, family understanding, character development, citizenship training, personal fitness, and more.

Linden Square Holiday Stroll
Scouts from Wellesley Troop 64404 seized the opportunity to capture the Holiday Stroll crowd’s attention as they moved around Linden Square. December 2022

 

Wellesley Boy Scouts
Wellesley Boy Scouts Troop 185 kept community going, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. July 2020.

Throughout the year there are planned activities such as hikes, model rocket launches, canoe trips, camp fires, sing-a-longs, and more. Kids work on badges, plan projects, and advance through the ranks.

To learn more about the troops, check out our Scouting page. Some of the troops are already registering for the fall. All of the troops are welcoming and inclusive, so don’t hesitate to contact leaders at any time during the year with questions

Filed Under: Clubs, Kids, Scouts

Frans' Flowers

Wellesley Girl Scouts in action: Labeling trees; Garden fashionistas

May 19, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Girl Scouts have been busy this spring:

Labeling trees

Middle school Girl Scouts have labeled 83 public trees along Central, Kingsbury, and Washington Street to show estimates of how much carbon dioxide is removed by each tree annually and to date.

The tree tags for Wellesley Wonderful Weekend were created by Cadette Troop 73505 and Lisa Moore, environmental education and outreach coordinator for Wellesley’s Natural Resources Commission.

The trees measured have stored some 420,000 pounds of carbon dioxide between them, per the scouts.

girl scouts measuring a tree
Scouts measured the circumference of 42 public trees along Central Street in Wellesley Square. (Photos courtesy of Wellesley Girl Scouts)

 

tree label about carbon dioxide
This label is for the tree growing on the traffic island at the intersection of Central Street and Weston Road. Estimates of carbon dioxide were created by entering tree data into a USDA Forest Service tool called MyTree.

Garden fashionistas

 

Wellesley Girl Scout Troops 73505 and 73200 recently took part in a garden party-themed fashion show fundraiser at St. John’s Church. The event included brunch and a silent auction in addition to the fashion show.

girl scout fashion girl scout fashion


More: Please help fund our Swellesley Report summer internship

Filed Under: Clubs, Environment, Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend

Wellesley Rotary, Dinner On Us

Wellesley Girl Scouts putting on garden party-themed fashion show fundraiser

May 7, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Girl_Scouts_of_the_USA.svgWellesley Girl Scout Troops 73505 and 73200 invite you to their garden party-themed fashion show fundraiser, which will be held on May 13 from 10-11:30am at St. John’s Church (9 Glen Rd.).

The event includes brunch and a silent auction in addition to the fashion show.

Registration has opened.

 


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

Filed Under: Charity/Fundraising, Clubs

Get your ticket to Rotary Club’s yummy “Taste of Wellesley” fundraiser, May 4

April 28, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Taste of Wellesley, Rotary ClubAfter a three-year pause due to COVID, the Rotary Club of Wellesley is proud to bring back its “Taste of Wellesley” annual fundraiser to support the community. The event will again 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. The event will take place at The Gardens at Elm Bank on Thursday, May 4, 6:30pm-9pm. The event will provide a wonderful evening of food, beverages, live entertainment and opportunities to gather in community. Online tickets here.

Tickets also for sale at:

Roche Bros., 184 Linden Street, Wellesley
The Windsor Press Inc., 356 Washington St., Wellesley Hills
Or contact a Rotary Club member

Purpose of the Taste of Wellesley

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Charity/Fundraising, Clubs, Entertainment, Food

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

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

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