Wellesley arts roundup: Davis Museum not quite ready for the rest of us; Dana Hall shows children’s book art; paintings & collage at Main Library

January 12, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our round-up of the latest Wellesley, Mass., arts news:

Davis Museum not quite ready for the rest of us

The Davis Museum at Wellesley College will be reopening its galleries to the Wellesley College campus community at the start of the spring semester, come Jan. 25. Among the exhibits: “Picturing Pompeii: Archaeology and Early Travel Photography.”

Virtual galleries remain the consolation prize for the wider community. Thanks, but we’ll pass. We filled our art quota for the month by taking in the Worcester Art Museum (we’ll try to sum up that visit for you soon).

worcester art musum — The big mosaic a Worcester Art Museum

Dana Hall gallery shows children’s book illustrations

The new Dana Hall Art Gallery exhibit called “Children’s Book Illustration and Other Work,” will run through Feb. 11. The show features the art of alumnae illustrators Devin Cole ’06 and Nez Riaz ’14.

Cole is a multimedia artist based in Italy whose work ranges from conceptual jewelry to large-scale paintings. Cole has self-published a children’s book intended to aid in teaching Italian.

Riaz has experience in children’s publishing and editorial illustration as well as educational art for print. She is serving as a sabbatical replacement for Visual Arts Department Head Michael Frassinelli.

Located in the Classroom Building, the Dana Hall Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Due to COVID-19 protocols, please email [email protected] before planning your visit. The gallery is closed weekends and school
holidays.

Wellesley library exhibits

At the Wellesley Free Library, two exhibits will run through the end of January. In the lobby, Wellesley resident Jae Roosevelt explores collage in her garage studio, which she describes as a “welcoming and creative space.”

Roosevelt, a Boston University Art History graduate, has shown her work in numerous galleries in Washington, D.C., as well as Accra, Ghana, and Nantucket. This is the first exhibit of her collages.

Art, Wellesley, Jae Roosevelt — Jae Roosevelt, collages.

In the Wakelin Room, Small Works, by Michael William, features paintings on a relatively small scale. William’s goal was to not spend more than a few days on each piece, and to choose simple subjects. In an artist’s statement, William says the paintings, “…bring me back to those moments where something often overlooked moved me enough to want to capture it.”

Art, Wellesley Library, Michael Williams — Spring Wedding, 12″ x 16″, acrylic on wood, by Michael William.

More: Seeing the world through Kunal Sharma’s eyes at Wellesley Free Library photography exhibit

Live theatre at Wellesley middle schools: Matilda & A Midsummer Night’s Dream

November 17, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Middle School this week invites the public to attend Matilda: The Musical Jr. in person from Thursday, Nov. 18 to Saturday, Nov. 20. This will be the first in-person theater performance at WMS since before March 2020.

Ticket are on sale now.

Masks are required for all attendees, regardless of vaccination status. In addition, seating will be assigned to support social distancing.

The Dana Hall Middle School presents its fall play, William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, on Thursday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m., in Bardwell Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public.

Like with Wellesley Middle School, this is the first public performance at Dana Hall since early last year.

In keeping with current protocols on campus, all students involved in the production and audience members will be masked while in Bardwell.

Bardwell Auditorium is located on the Dana Hall campus at 37 Cameron St. Bardwell is not wheelchair accessible. For more information, please call (781) 235-3010 ext. 2731 or visit www.danahall.org .

Wellesley sports update: Hockey & skiing in, hoops out for now; student-athletes sign with colleges

November 25, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley High School has announced that the following sports have been approved to play during the winter season, set to begin in mid-winter (practices start Dec. 14, meets/games on Jan. 4).

Those approved:

Ice hockey
Boys swimming & diving
Alpine & nordic skiing
Gymnastics

Not on the list for now:

Basketball

Basketball, listed as “pending further information” on the School Committee presentation, is challenging in that it relies on indoor facilities at the school that are being used for other purposes during the pandemic. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has approved the sport for the winter season, though it remains to be seen what other local schools do.

As for sports slated to be played, there will be no out-of-league competition or MIAA tournaments.

Dance, track & field, and wrestling have been moved by the MIAA to later seasons.

Congrats to local student-athletes who have signed national letters of intent to play sports in college:

Dana Hall School’s Kate Bossert ’21, a Needham resident, signed a letter of intent to play soccer at the University of
Vermont. She led the varsity team in scoring during her first three years with the Dana Hall team (she wasn’t able to play any games during her senior year due to the pandemic).

Margaux Gryska, a Wellesley High senior, signed to attend Syracuse University and compete on the women’s rowing team (Wellesley High doesn’t offer crew).

Wellesley High senior Grace Donahue signed a letter of intent to attend Holy Cross and play field hockey there.

Congratulations to Grace Donahue who signed her National Letter of Intent to play Field Hockey at Holy Cross. It is quite an accomplishment and honor to receive a Division 1 athletic scholarship.
Way to go Grace! pic.twitter.com/92h36Xhi9b

— Wellesley Raiders (@wellesleysports) November 20, 2020

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

June 16, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

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, [email protected], 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?v=zN5XqoSf97k

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/3316951625001911/

Dana Hall students have created a similar Insta account, ([email protected]), 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.”

bates banner

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:

Wellesley schools news: Middle School celebrates Year of the Rat; Addams Family coming to Dana Hall

February 25, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Our summary of the latest Wellesley schools news.

If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition of Wellesley School News, please reach out to us.

Middle School celebrates Chinese New Year

The 10th annual Wellesley Middle School Chinese New Year Celebration hosted by teacher Min Zhou and her Mandarin language students drew hundreds of attendees for some Year of the Rat fun.

With support from the Middle School PTO and Parent Chinese New Year celebration committee led by Lily Cho, attendees were treated to traditional entertainment, including a lion dance, Guzheng music performance by Amanda Wang, and a yo-yo display by D. Zhang. Dumplings and lo mein were among the menu items, and games including chopstick races and Jianzi (hackysack). Calligraphy, brush painting and trivia were also on the agenda.

Everyone even received a red envelope filled with treats on their way out.

(Photos courtesy of Alicia Talanian)

chinese new year wellesley

wms chinese new year

POSTPONED: Screening of If Only, film about prescription drug dangers

The Wellesley High School PTSO and Wellesley Youth Commission will present a screening of If Only, a film that demonstrates the dangers of prescription drug misuse and abuse. Put out by The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and Millennium Health, the film follows the story of two teenage boys who experiment with and become addicted to drugs. The screening will take place on Tues., March 17, 7pm, at the Katherine L. Babson Jr. Auditorium at Wellesley High School.

If Only film screening, Wellesley

Dana Hall presenting The Addams Family musical in March

The Dana Hall Middle School presents its spring musical, The Addams Family, on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Thursday, March 5, at 2 p.m., in Bardwell Auditorium. The performances are free and open to the public.

The Addams Family [email protected] musical keeps the spirit of the original Broadway show intact while making changes to songs and scenes for younger actors.

Bardwell Auditorium is located on the Dana Hall campus at 37 Cameron Street. Please note that Bardwell is not wheelchair accessible. For more information, please call (781) 235-3010 ext. 2731 or visit www.danahall.org.

Addams Family

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Acuity: Dana Hall Dances in 2020

February 24, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Dana Hall Dance presents its annual dance concert, Acuity: Dana Hall Dances in 2020, on Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 29, at 7:30 p.m., in Bardwell Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public.

This year’s show features a mix of student choreography along with works from Director of Dance Devon Fitchett and Dance Faculty Member Mikaela Bradley. Students from all levels of the Upper School dance program will be performing works in modern, contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop and tap

Bardwell Auditorium is located on the Dana Hall campus at 37 Cameron Street. Please note that Bardwell is not wheelchair accessible. For more information, please contact Devon Fitchett at [email protected]

dana hall dances

Wellesley schools roundup — student safety; Hardy author visit; Upham kids on TV; at State House against pesticides; Tenacre Curriculum Night; Dana theater

November 14, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Middle School students and internet safety

Katie Greer, national expert in youth technology and cyber-safety, came to Wellesley Middle School (WMS) to speak to 6th and 7th graders about the latest in internet risks, safety, and responsibility. Later that evening, in an effort to promote communication between parents and their children, Greer spoke with the Wellesley Public Schools parents. The engaging and informative presentation provided parents with answers to help their kids stay safe in a technology-driven world. This WMS PTO funded event allowed parents to prepare for tough, but essential, conversations about responsible internet use with their children. Topics included social media sharing, cyber bullying, privacy, sexting, gaming and parental controls. The WMS PTO thanks all the WMS families who have donated to the PTO annual drive, which makes such lectures possible.

Active shooter training at WHS

In a Nov. 13 post on the Wellesley High School website, Principal Jamie Chisum reminded the school community that all students need to be out of the high school the afternoon of Thursday, November 14 from 2:45 until 3:30. During this time the faculty and staff will be doing a joint active shooter training exercise with the Wellesley Police Department. All the school’s internal organizations this affects have been notified and are prepared for this occasion. This is the only day WHS will have to do this for the year.

Hardy School hosts author Lisa Rogers at Book Fair

Author and Wellesley resident Lisa Rogers was on hand at the Hardy School Book Fair to showcase her new nonfiction picture book 16 Words. The 40-page hardcover book, geared toward readers ages 4 – 8, tells the story of how beloved American poet William Carlos William’s process of mindfulness helped him come up with his well-known 16-word poem “The Red Wheelbarrow.”

At the Book Fair, Rogers helped children pick out books and then read to them from 16 Words. “The children were so excited to ask her questions about her book and the process she went through to come up with idea, write the story and to see it in final print.,” said Hardy parent Jamie Fussner.

Williams’ poem has a special place in The Swellesley Report’s household. The wise words were long ago inked onto the interior of Mrs. Swellesley’s backyard shed for her to ponder as she heads out into the garden:

Mrs. Swellesley's shed

Here’s how to get your school’s news into Swellesley’s weekly Schools Roundup post:

Send in a short blurb and/or picture about news and events going on at your school. Email: [email protected]

Stuff that’s newsworthy:

Upcoming events such as bake sales, book sales, fairs, etc.

Dates such as for Back to School Night, meetings, etc.

Pictures of events that may not have been open to the public but that give people an idea of great things that are happening in your school, such as author’s visits.

Congratulations to faculty/staff who are retiring, or who are new hires.

The weekly deadline is Wednesdays at noon. The post will appear each Thursday.

Interested in underwriting our Wellesley Schools roundup? Here’s how to Advertise and/or Donate to support our independent journalism venture

Upham Elementary School’s Early risers

Check out the fun video of Upham Elementary School greeting TV news viewers with a big Good Morning.

Students Speak at Statehouse Against Pesticides

Three Wellesley sixth graders are asking State lawmakers to help towns protect residents and the environment from harmful pesticides.

Natural Resources Commission, pesticides — NRC Director Brandon Schmitt; Rep. Alice Peisch; Jack Burkhead; Kavin Shah; NRC member Raina McManus; Natalia Medina; and NRC Chair Katie Griffith. Photo: Town of Wellesley

The students joined members of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) at the Statehouse on November 12 to advocate for local legislation relating to Pollinators, Pesticides and Miscellaneous Matters.

At a hearing of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, Jack Burkhead, Natalia Medina and Kavin Shah gave testimony in favor of House Bill 776.

The proposed bill, sponsored by Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth), aims to give local governments more oversight on reducing toxic chemical use on private property and encouraging organic alternatives.

The students learned about pesticide dangers last year during a 5th grade project-based learning unit at Bates Elementary School.

As part of its Grow Green Wellesley initiative, the NRC has partnered with the Board of Health to educate residents about the effect of pesticides on public health.

In addition to testifying, the students met briefly with Rep. Fernandes and Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley).

Garden Club Federation writing contest

The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and National Garden Clubs, Inc. is sponsoring two writing contests for youths in the interest of raising environmental awareness.

The first is a poetry competition for kindergarten through ninth grade with the theme, “Adventures in the Garden”. There is a statewide winner at each grade level. For high school students, there’s an essay contest, “Challenges in Preserving Our Natural Habitats” with a top national prize of $1000.

The deadline is December 1, 2019

More information here.

Tenacre School Curriculum Night on Nov. 21st

Dive into Tenacre School’s curriculum on Thursday, November 21 at Curriculum Night. Learn from Tenacre’s teachers about specific components of the curriculum. Topics for the evening presented in brief will be 15-minute synopses including reading, writing, the arts, physical education and wellness, math, and science. For more information, contact Meg Burke at [email protected]

Dana Hall fall plays, Nov. 20 & 21

Dana Hall School The Dana Hall Middle School will present three plays: Jane Austin: Action Figure; Too Many Daughters: A Jane Austin Parody; and a Dana Hall original, Sunset in a Cup: A Letter from Emily Dickinson. The performances are free and open to the public.

DATES/TIMES:

Wednesday, November 20, 7:30pm
Thursday, November 21, 4pm

LOCATION:

Bardwell Auditorium
Bardwell Auditorium is located on the Dana Hall campus at 37 Cameron Street. Please note that Bardwell is not accessible. For more information, please call (781)235-3010 ext. 2731 or visit www.danahall.org.

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