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Fall fun at annual Bates Pumpkin Fair
Some braved the haunted house, some stuck to the outdoor games, but all had fun at the annual Bates Pumpkin Fair this past weekend at Bates Elementary School.
The fair had something for every kid, from face painting to music to silly spooky lawn games ranging from soccer kicks to bowling (those pins really didn’t want to go down). Obligatory bouncy contraptions let kids burn up energy against a colorful foliage background.
Some attendees experienced the fair for the first time, while others (including one mom I know who I couldn’t believe still had a kid at Bates…) are veterans of the can’t-miss event.
From what I could see, Wellesley kids look very ready to take on Halloween in a couple of weeks.
Scenes from Wellesley’s 50th Bates Pumpkin Fair
The Bates Elementary School’s 50th Pumpkin Fair looked a bit different than in other years—a pandemic-friendly haunted house was less scary in the woods than inside the school—but still was the place to be in Wellesley on Saturday afternoon.
Kids scrambled to try out Howl in One golf, Scary Soccer Shoot, and Freaky Football, among other games, and to get their turn on a handful of big inflatables. Popcorn and cotton candy proved popular, and volunteers transformed children into various creatures via face paint.
A good warm-up for Halloween, which is just 2 weeks away.
Wellesley’s fall filling up: Wonderful weekend, Bates Pumpkin Fair, Turkey Trot 2021
Wellesley’s fall activities schedule is filling up fast as organizers look to return to traditions:
Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend
Bates Pumpkin Fair
The Bates Elementary School’s 50th anniversary Pumpkin Fair is slated for Oct. 16 from 2-6pm at the school.
Bouncy houses, games, the haunted house, and more will be among the fun activities.
Volunteers are needed.
Wellesley Turkey Trot
The 2021 Wellesley Turkey Trot is planned to be an in-person event this Thanksgiving morning and registration is now open.
Bates Elementary School fares well in lead-up to Halloween
Bates Elementary School couldn’t hold its annual Pumpkin Fair this fall due to the pandemic, but the Bates PTO adjusted deftly by hosting the Bates Pumpkin Spirit Week.
Spirit Week kicked off with a pumpkin patch in front of the school, where school community members could safely pick pumpkins and take photos without the usual big crowds.
Throughout the week, students were invited to participate in cake and pumpkin decorating contests and a pumpkin scavenger hunt around school grounds. Families are also being encouraged to decorate their doors/porches/yards and hide an image of the Bates mascot Tux the penguin in those decorations so other families can enjoy finding Tux.
The PTO also managed to deliver goodie bags to all Bates students, and thanked various town entities for their support and guidance.
Wellesley schools news: Last day of school; Black Wellesley students & alums share stories on Insta; Bates gets some love; Congrats to Dana Hall grads; Walking 100 miles for ABC
Our round-up of the latest Wellesley, Mass., school-related news:
Last day of school
The last day of school is today, Tuesday, June 16, and we think it’s safe to assume that nobody will miss the remote-learning style of education that was put in place starting in mid-March, when schools were closed due to COVID-19 concerns.
Classes are scheduled to start back up on Wed., Sept. 2. How that will look in light of the pandemic is still being worked out by school administrators.
Black Wellesley students & alum share stories on Insta
A new Instagram account, black@wellesley, has been created as a space where alumni and current students can anonymously tell their stories of how race impacted their experiences at Wellesley High School. The account already has over 1k followers.
The account places an emphasis on Black voices and relays painful stories of racist experiences in the schools and the community. Stories abound about Black Wellesley residents being put on Metco school buses as young children; crass comments that Black students have had aimed at them throughout their time in the schools; and assumptions made about the financial situations of Black students.
To hear stories straight from the mouths of students and alumni, attend the Facebook Live Wake Up Wellesley discussion on Tue., June 16) at 6pm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/
Dana Hall students have created a similar Insta account, (black@danahall), as have students and alumni affiliated with hundreds of educational institutions around the country. The Dana account description says, “These are our stories. We are bursting the bubble. The big and the small things that never allowed us to just be students at Dana Hall.”
Bates gets some love
Bates Elementary School is looking a little brighter, despite not being physically open to students and staff, thanks to a new banner courtesy of Capucine Zelenko. Mom Susan tells us that Capucine, a rising junior at Ringling College of Art + Design (majoring in Illustration), “was moved by how caring the Bates community has been during this time (and the Wellesley community in general), and wanted to reach out to her little sister’s elementary school to show appreciation.”
Congrats to Dana Hall grads
Dana Hall School held its 139th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 30. The 91 members of the Class of 2020 attended virtually, as did faculty, friends and family from around.
Board of Trustees Chair Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77 welcomed students and their guests: “I’m sure this is not the graduation that you imagined three months ago, and yet it is no less significant than any other Dana graduation that has come before you. In fact, one could say that your graduation carries more meaning given the shared experience of these difficult times which too shall pass.”
Graduates included Wellesley residents Amica Fontijn-Harris, Margaret Gordon, Nathalie Martin-Nucatola, Catherine McCarron, Jessica Schwartz, Allison Sibold, Eleanor Simister, Grace Thames, Isabelle Varsa, Eliza Wallis, and Katherine Ward.
Walking for Wellesley ABC
Sonali Fiorillo, who just finished her freshman year at Wellesley High, says she has been “inspired by actions many people are taking to combat inequality recently.” So she has come up with a way of her own to help. She’s launched a crowdfunding campaign for Wellesley A Better Chance by committing to walk 100 miles over the next couple of weeks. “I have chosen this organization because we have to start making a change in our own communities to really see the impact. I like that they give opportunities afforded by Wellesley to young ladies of color,” Fiorillo says.
More:
Martin Luther King Day in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Annual Martin Luther King Day, Jr. breakfast
The annual World of Wellesley community breakfast in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will take place on Mon., Jan. 20, 2020, 8am – 10am at Alumnae Hall, Wellesley College.
The event will feature an inter-racial and inter-ethnic panel of social justice advocates who will provide insights on Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream and the fight for civil rights of Blacks, Indigenous People and Latin X. The talk will focus on where we are, where should we be and how can we get there together.
There will also be special performances by the Wellesley High School Cheer Team and the Kuumba Singers of Harvard University.
The donation for an individual ticket is $30. Students are $10 for full breakfast buffet.
Free parking in Wellesley College garage (first right at main entrance on 135), and the building is accessible.
This event is co-sponsored by World of Wellesley and Wellesley College.
At the 2019 breakfast, Claudia Fox Tree shined a spotlight on Native Americans.
MLK Day Family Event
Join World of Wellesley and the Wellesley High School Diversity Club for crafts, games, activities and pizza.
Closed in Wellesley on Monday, January 20
Wellesley Public Schools
All Town of Wellesley departments
Recycling and Disposal Facility
Tolles Parsons Center
Wellesley Free Library
Other closures:
United States Postal Service
New York Stock Exchange
