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The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

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Write Ahead, Wellesley

We’re so proud of all Wellesley’s graduates—here’s how to avoid them

May 15, 2025 by Deborah Brown

Commencement season arrives tomorrow, with Wellesley College taking the lead in sending 531 newly minted graduates out into the world. Be prepared—roads leading to Wellesley College, Babson, MassBay, Wellesley High School, and Dana Hall become clogged with traffic moving at a snail’s pace both pre- and post- ceremonies. Before you find yourself caught in a slow crawl behind vehicles with out-of-state plates, here’s when to avoid the areas. Note: all ceremonies are private, ticketed events.

Wellesley College

DATE: Friday, May 16
TIME: 10:30am-1:30pm
AREAS TO AVOID: Wellesley Square, the College’s rt. 135 and rt. 16 entrance vehicle entrances
SPEAKER: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson.
ATTEND VIRTUALLY: livestreamed here


Babson College

DATE: Saturday, May 17
TIME: undergrad, 9:45am-12:30pm; graduate, 2:45pm
AREAS TO AVOID: Great Plain Ave.; Forest St., Wellesley Country Club (plan your tee times accordingly)
SPEAKERS: Boston Globe Media CEO/Co-Owner Linda Henry (undergrads); and Blink UX Co-founder and former CEO Karen Clark Cole (grad students)


MassBay graduation

DATE: Thursday, May 29
TIME: 6pm
AREAS TO AVOID: route 9; Centennial Park parking area on Oakland St.; Oakland St. in general

MassBay graduation speaker
Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler
(Photo via MassBay)

SPEAKER: We just learned that Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler, will address the Class of 2025. Tutwiler directs the Executive Office of Education, which oversees early education, K-12, and higher education. Secretary Tutwiler sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies, as well as the University of Massachusetts system. He is Governor Maura Healey’s top advisor on education and helps shape the Commonwealth’s education agenda.

Before being sworn in as Secretary, Dr. Tutwiler served as the senior program officer at the Boston-based Barr Foundation, a grant making organization focused on arts, climate and education. Prior to that, Secretary Tutwiler was superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools and headmaster in the Boston Public Schools. As superintendent of Lynn Public Schools, he spearheaded a collaborative, equity-centered effort that translated into higher graduation rates and a more racially diverse staff while also overseeing the creation of the Commonwealth’s second largest early college program.


Dana Hall School

DATE: May 31
TIME: 10am-noon
AREAS TO AVOID: Grove St.; stretch of Washington St. (rt. 16) near the school; Cameron St., Hampden St. and other side streets near the school.


Wellesley High School

DATE: Friday, June 6
TIME: 5pm
LOCATION: Hunnewell Field
AREAS TO AVOID: Rice St.; Smith St., stretch of Washington St. (rt. 16) near the high school.


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Filed Under: Babson College, Dana Hall School, Education, MassBay, Wellesley College, Wellesley High School

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Young Wellesley artists recognized with 2024 Scholastic Art Awards

June 3, 2024 by Deborah Brown

Congratulations to the dozens of Wellesley students, and their teachers, who have been recognized as among the most artistic in Massachusetts through the annual National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Art awards come in categories such as photography, jewelry and drawing, and writing.

Those winning Gold Keys will be eligible for national awards to be determined later in the year. The Awards give students opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.

Wellesley High School, Gold Key winners: Evelyn Harris, Caroline Kenny, Daniel Park, Kate Taplin, Rachel Voci (2), Luke Wozny.

WHS Silver Keys: Grady Brown, Ellery Franceschini, Tristan Gardner, Evelyn Harris,  Caroline Kenny (2), Alexandra Vella, Isabella Wang, Erin Yu, Joanne Zhang.

WHS Honorable Mention: Lucy Biddlecom, Grady Brown, Eliza Chapman (2), Ellery Franceschini, Grace Hill, Darren Jimenez, Jennna Kelly, Ren Martinian, Katherine Ng, Daniel Park, Bridget Reidy, Taryn Reohr, Lucy Rodriguez, Erin Yu.


DANA HALL STUDENTS

Wellesley resident and Dana Hall School student Laura Zhao was awarded a Gold Key in Painting. Her work, titled “The Great Unraveling,” is pictured below.

Other Dana Hall Gold Key winners are: Angel Fu, Drawing & Illustration; Ella Kang, Photography (2), Luina Qiao, Jewelry; Yudi Wang, Mixed Media.

Scholastic Art Awards, Dana Hall, Wellesley
Laura Zhao’s Gold Key winning painting, “The Great Unraveling.”

 

Scholastic Art Awards, Dana Hall, Wellesley
Ella Kang’s Gold Key winning photo, “Angles of Eiffel,”

Silver Key winners
Wellesley residents and Dana Hall students awarded Silver Keys are Grace Wang, Digital Art and Zhao, Photography.

Other Dana Hall Silver Key winners are: Fu, Drawing & Illustration; Kang, Mixed Media; Qiao, Jewelry (2); and Sissi Wang, Photography.

Honorable Mention
Wellesley residents and Dana Hall students who achieved Honorable Mention are Kayoon Lee, Painting and G. Wang, Drawing & Illustration.

Other Dana Hall students who took Honorable Mentions are Sophia Huang, Mixed Media; Kang, Photography, and Sculpture; Amy Miao Drawing & Illustration; and Jordan Nichols, Photography.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Dana Hall School, Wellesley High School

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London Harness, Wellesley

Wellesley school news: National Merit Scholarship winners & Presidential semi-finalist; Evolutions Spring Expo; EdTech Director appointed

May 8, 2024 by Bob Brown

The latest Wellesley school news:

 

National Merit Scholarship winners & Presidential semi-finalist

National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced this year’s National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners, including 3 Wellesley students:

  • Ava Chen (Phillips Academy, Andover)
  • Jonathan I. Liu (Wellesley High School)
  • Xiangyi Wang (Dana Hall School)

The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists.

These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

Separately, Wellesley High’s William G. Liu is one of just more than 600 students in the country names as a U.S. Presidential Scholars Program semi-finalist. This program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.


Thank you to new Swellesley advertiser Wellesley Nursery School in the Hills!

Wellesley Nursery School in the Hills


Evolutions Spring Expo

Wellesley High School’s Evolutions program will be holding its Gen 9 Spring Expo on Thursday, May 23 from 6-7:30m in the Wellesley High courtyard (or cafeteria if it’s raining).
Students will start to preview their work at the online Capstone Gallery starting next on May 13, so you can get an early peek at things there.

 

Educational Technology Director appointed

Dr. Adam Steiner has been appointed as Director of Educational Technology for Wellesley Public Schools, effective July 1. Steiner has most recently served as Director of Technology for the Maynard Public Schools, a role he has held since January 2020.

According to Wellesley Public Schools, the Director of Educational Technology is responsible for administering educational technology programs that support the curriculum with appropriate equipment, materials and services. In addition, the director is responsible for classroom technology;  computer, video, and telephone networks; appropriate training in technology use; and establishing priorities and budget for district technology.

Current Director of Educational Technology Megan Bounit is taking a position at Buckingham Brown and Nichols, which she both attended and worked at previously.

Filed Under: Dana Hall School, Wellesley High School

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Take a look at Dana Hall School’s renovated Upper School Building in Wellesley

April 11, 2024 by Deborah Brown

During a school-wide ribbon-cutting event at Dana Hall in Wellesley last month, spirits were high, and not just because it was almost time for the 450 students to start their two-week spring break. The March 4 celebration was all about the re-opening and reinvention of the three-story Upper School Classroom Building of the private all-girls day and boarding school. The $30 million+ project was funded by over 450 donors, along with grant money from the Manton Foundation.

“None of the costs have been covered by tuition…These donors believe in the mission of Dana Hall. They want you to have the best possible experience, in the best possible facility.” Head of School Katherine Bradley told students during opening day remarks.

We were invited in for a tour of the 74k sq. ft. building that features flexible classrooms, common spaces for collaboration and connection, purpose-built art studios, a Makerspace and choral room, all fully accessible and ADA compliant. Here’s how Dana tackled the renovation of a 1956 building that for almost 70 years let in little natural light and offered all the aesthetic pleasure of the Brutalism architectural style popular during that time period.

Dana Hall, Wellesley
The planning for this building, which serves students grades 9-12, started in 2019 with an architect team from Dario Design and general contractors Construction Management & Builders. Sections of the building were torn down and rebuilt, The remaining hallways in between were gutted and renovated. This entrance is for the Upper School’s classrooms. There is another entrance for the Upper School administrative offices.

Dana Hall, Wellesley

“What the architects wanted to do was honor the past of the school so the middle exterior of the building is as it was in the 1950s. then what they did was basically gutted the entire inside. It’s really fun to hear from alums that the outside is familiar to them,” Rob Mather, associate head of school and my tour guide said. “We did have two wings on the old building. They removed those and built these two major wings.”

The previous building relied heavily on 1950s cinderblock and artificial lighting. The design team provided plenty of natural light, right on down to the basement via walls of windows in the new wings, and skylights in the older section. “The goal was to reflect the past, present, future of the school,” Mather said.

Dana Hall, Wellesley
Seating outside the administrative offices has come a long way from the days when hapless students sat in chairs lined up against a wall outside the principal’s office. Not that Dana has ever seen much need for a strong disciplinarian approach. Or a principal (that’s head-of-school, if you please). Throughout the building are open areas with break-out spaces, similar to the above, for students to connect academically and socially to enhance a sense of community. In addition to administrators’ offices, college counseling and learning specialists are in the Upper School building now to bring students closer to the resources.

 

Dana Hall, Wellesley
A typical classroom now lets in plenty of natural light and offers expansive sight lines across campus. The building has been brought up to code with safety and accessibility measures throughout, including sprinklers, ramps, and an elevator. Each floor has a different color palette for those with a visual impairment, or who just tend to get lost or disoriented. A new HVAC system and the year-round climate control that comes with such a wonder is a welcome addition.

The classrooms are utilitarian spaces. Teachers lead a nomadic existence going from classroom to classroom, without  individual teaching spaces they call their own, or even a desk. Each classroom has a standup desk for teachers with room for not much more than a laptop. Students sit at tables and chairs that can be easily moved into multiple configurations as the situation calls for. If teachers want to sit during class time, they simply pull up one of the chairs/tables that students also use. Floors are carpeted, so no need for tennis balls on chair and table legs to minimize the noise during all that moving around. All classrooms have LED projectors. When we peeked in on a class, the projectors were in use, and students in small groups had their laptops out. The school has a 6:1 ratio of students to teachers.

A separate faculty workspace area has three rooms outfitted for video conferencing for meetings with families or colleagues from other schools.

Dana Hall, Wellesley
Waldo Auditorium was expanded to 621 seats to allow the entire school population to fit. Previously, the kids would sit and the adults would stand in the back. Now everyone gets a seat. Theatre and other arts performances will still take place in Bardwell, across from Hunnewell School. This auditorium is for study hall, standardized tests, morning meetings, and the like.

 

Dana Hall, Wellesley
Skylights bring light right down into the basement, which has been rebranded as “the lower level.” Word is that the seniors are making moves to claim this corner as their own. Apparently it’s not a bad napping spot, pesky skylights notwithstanding. And snacks are allowed, so perfect.

 

Dana Hall, Wellesley
The music room, lower level, is soundproofed. Exterior regrading has brought light inside to the previously cavern-like space.

The Makerspace is a work in progress as computer science and engineering department teacher Pat Townsend unpacks new equipment by the day and finishes setting up. This is the spot with all the toys—3-D printers, laser printer, woodworking tools galore, along with a dust collector system and other safety features.

Townsend described the latest project the students will work on. “I’m gong to have them design a bridge with a robot going across and the boat has to go under. I want them to do calculations on how high the bridge has to be, and the span of it, as well as the ramps coming up so that the robot can go over it. It can’t be too steep a grade, and the boat has to go under and clear the bridge.”

Dana Hall, Wellesley
Makerspace.
Dana Hall, Wellesley
An art room.

 

I have this theory that all students want their school to look like Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, a fanciful and Gothic castle with nooks and crannies that would take an entire academic career to fully explore. The other part of this theory is that school administrators want their school to be a place that signals “Serious Modern Learning Environment That Will Prepare Students for the 21st Century.”

And yet, there are nods to Dana’s 1881 roots, a time when mystery and fanciful touches existed alongside “Serious Modern Learning.” A mythical creature carved into a bench of solid oak is a visual piece of history, now part of the Upper School’s entryway.

 

Dana Hall, Wellesley
Dana Hall, Wellesley

 

And even a “Serious Modern Environment” isn’t immune to a healthy dose of mystery. On a summer day in 2023, a bronze statue was dropped off at Dana by a gentleman who said he had something that belonged to the school. His story, which he stuck to, was that the the Amor Caritas bronze sculpture by American artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens had been inadvertently packed up by movers when he (and his wife) left the employ of Dana Hall. The gentleman wouldn’t leave his name, just the treasure.

It’s not like the school hadn’t even noticed it was missing. Archivists thought that it had likely gone to the Chestnut Hill campus of Pine Manor Junior College when the school left Wellesley in 1964. Director of Communications Liza Cohen has written a great piece about the mystery.

Dana Hall, Wellesley
Dana Hall is 99% certain that this Amor Caritas bronze sculpture by American artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens is the same one that went missing from the school in the 1970s.

 

Sustainability at Dana Hall

The new Upper School building is all-electric and LEEDs certifiable, according to Mather. Solar panels were not a part of the project, but he says Dana may add an array later.

The HVAC system and the entire building runs on electricity, allowing for a net zero carbon emission. Dana Hall sources their clean energy from the Town of Wellesley.

The idea behind retaining the original shell of the previous building was to avoid creating demand for cement. “By maintaining the initial shell, Dana Hall was able to reuse essential carbon intensive materials and reduce the amount of new concrete used by 50%.”

Other materials were chosen based on high recycled content such as steel framing (90-100% recycled material); aluminum curtainwall and storefront systems (80-100%); asphalt paving (80%); and carpet (45%).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dana Hall School, Education

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Upcoming Wellesley theatre productions: 13, The Musical; Shrek, Jr., & Newsies, Jr.

March 3, 2024 by Bob Brown

Non-stop entertainment is coming to Wellesley this month thanks to talented local theatre students:

13, The Musical

Wellesley Theatre Project presents 13, The Musical at its Studio Theater, 219 Washington St., on March 14, 15 and 16 at 7pm, and March 16 & 17 at 2pm. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online in advance, or at the door for $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

13TM_Square

Evan Goldman is plucked from his fast-paced, preteen New York City life and plopped into a sleepy Indiana town following his parents’ divorce. Surrounded by an array of simpleminded middle school students, he needs to establish his place in the popularity pecking order. Can he situate himself on a comfortable link of the food chain…or will he dangle at the end with the outcasts?!

Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and Wellesley nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year-round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.


Shrek, Jr.

The Dana Hall Middle School presents its spring musical, Shrek, Jr., on Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m., in Bardwell Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public.

Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in Shrek, Jr., based on the Oscar-winning film and Broadway musical. It’s a big bright beautiful world as everyone’s favorite ogre leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairytale, Shrek, Jr., is a fun show with a powerful message for the whole family.


Newsies, Jr.

Newsies, Jr., based on the Disney film, will be held March 21 at 4:3o pm, March 22 at 7pm, and March 23 at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets will cost $10 and the Wellesley Middle School Drama show will take place at Wellesley Middle School.

 

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

Support your local news source, The Swellesley Report

Filed Under: Dana Hall School, Theatre, Wellesley Middle School

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Wellesley students named National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists

September 13, 2023 by Bob Brown

National Merit logoSix Wellesley High School seniors and two from Dana Hall School have been named among 16,000 academically accomplished National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists and are now eligible for part of some $28 million in scholarships to be awarded next spring.

Those qualifying scored high on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and met other requirements. About 95% of semifinalists will likely make it to the finalist round, and about half of them will earn scholarships, according to the National Merit organization.

Scholarships are underwritten by the National Merit Scholarship Corp., as we as as hundreds of businesses and higher education institutions. Among the scholarships are 2,500 awards worth $2,500 apiece. Winners will be announced between April and July next year.

Congrats to all of the semifinalists.

Dana Hall School

Swann Li
Xiangyi Wang

Wellesley High School

Kaloyan K. Draganov
Lily S. Jin
Lauren H. Kim,
Jonathan I. Liu,
Jackson N. Moss
Alan L. Song


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

Filed Under: Dana Hall School, Education, Wellesley High School

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