The Swellesley Report

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

We get a look at Wellesley’s newest building—Hardy Elementary School

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When the Town of Wellesley goes back-to-school shopping, it goes big. As in, “I think we should get the kids a whole new  elementary school this year, don’t you?”

Although the big-ticket (over $72M) item didn’t exactly come to fruition on such a whim, the new Hardy Elementary School did, indeed, open for students and staff in time for the start of this school year. The original Hardy, which last year celebrated 100 years educating students, was torn down and built back up in near-record time. Teardown start date: July 9, 2024. Hardy School opening date: Aug. 28, 2024. That’s 50 days from demo to done.

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Hardy Elementary School, front view. All students enter via the front door at the start of each day.

The old building, located in the “front yard” of the property, close to Weston Road, stayed open and operational, while the new Hardy went up in the Route 9 eastbound side “back yard.”

The old Hardy was less than half the size of the new Hardy, a 80,039 square foot, 18-classroom school designed to serve approximately 365 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and was funded in part with a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

In case you’re planning a Wellesley teardown of your own and would like to stay in your old home while your new one is built in that unused corner of your vast property holdings, the answer is no. Something about safety regulations. Ah well, start looking for your swing space.

We were invited in to tour the brand-new Hardy building, and we’ve got pictures to show you.

If you, too, would like to get a good look at how your tax money is being spent, then save the date. The Grand Opening of Hardy Elementary School will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23,  at 10am. Wellesley Public Schools will hold a brief ceremony celebrating the completion of the new Hardy. Following the ceremony, visitors can tour the building and learn more about the design and construction process. This event is open to everyone in Wellesley.

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Hardy School Principal Grant Smith served as our tour guide. The school has a nature theme running throughout the building, inspired by Morses Pond, Various nature-themed decals adorn the walls, and a color palette of soothing greens, blues, warm yellows, and neutrals runs throughout the building. The Hardy project isn’t Smith’s first rodeo. Before he came to Wellesley in 2020, Smith was a principal in Winchester, where he was on hand for a major school renovation there.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Hardy Elementary School foyer. A Massachusetts School Building Authority reimbursement kept the town’s share of the $72M+ project to under $60M.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
The library is located in the heart of the school, off the foyer.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Kindergarten classrooms are 1,150 sq.ft., and grades 1-5 classrooms are 850-1,050 sq.ft. The school was built around the idea of a learning neighborhood concept, in which the classrooms for each grade open out into a pod area—a common learning and “neighborhood” space. Such flex space is where small group work often happens. Each learning common also has a separate closed-off small group room, “so rather than having to go down the hallway, this becomes a space where a special educator or a literacy or math interventionist can work with students without a lot of wasted transition time,” Smith says.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Outdoor classroom area.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Cubbies.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Salvaged Hardy sign that was above the main entrance door at the old school.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Every classroom has lots of storage space, a Smartboard, and a sound field system, which allows sound to be distributed around the room so someone sitting furthest away from the teacher, for example, can hear just as well as those closest to the instructional action.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
School nurse Ann Warmington gave us a tour of the health suite, which includes two exam rooms and an entry area (pictured). The suite also has its own bathroom, a full-sized refrigerator that holds snacks, and a small, locked refrigerator for meds, such as insulin. “It all works,” Warmington says.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
View from second floor. Hardy is the host school for the Skills program, formerly housed at the now-closed Upham School. The Skills Program provides a highly individualized and modified curriculum for students with autism spectrum disorder and/or other related disabilities that present with similar challenges. Hardy has four classrooms devoted to Skills, which serves students from the entire district.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Music room

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
The innovation space connects to library, creating a flex space that can be used for some of the STEAM disciplines, Smith says. The room boasts lots of built-in storage to hold building-related materials. such as Knex and oversized Legos. The area will be uses for project-based learning. basic coding, robotics, and more for all ages including kindergarten.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
Smith says, “The gym is not only ideal for our fitness and health classes here at the elementary level, but also for future community use, with bleachers and a scoreboard that would primarily be used outside of school hours.”  The full-sized gym is big enough for a high school game, with seating for 100 on the bleachers. It won’t be available for community use until at least January. The gym is adjacent to the cafeteria, and there’s a collapsible wall that separates the two, allowing for expansion if needed for a community event. The cafeteria side doubles as a performance space and can accommodate the current student population of approximately 285, on up to a maximum of 365 kids. There is not a  separate auditorium in the school. Cafeteria tables can easily be collapsed for a school assembly or a creative arts and sciences program. Kids sit on the floor, teachers get chairs on the perimeter of the space.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
The outdoor spaces are a work in progress. Smith says the playground will be open by the end of October, and the field will be ready by year-end. For now, students use the basketball court and a small back area for recess. The old Hardy had two playground areas, as well as a soccer field and a baseball field. The new Hardy has one playground designed for K-5, and a full soccer field for school use and community use outside school hours. The town lost a baseball field, as the new school building expanded Hardy by more than double.

 

Hardy Elementary School, new construction, Wellesley
The building is all-electric, with the estimated percentage of energy that will be created for the building at 60% via solar panels, which will be put on the roof during summer 2025. There are 5 EV chargers in the parking lot.

At the end of our tour, Principal Smith had something important he wanted to get across. “We’re all so grateful for the Town’s support and feel that the new Hardy School is a beautiful and a highly functional space that’s able to meet all the educational demands of teaching and learning in the modern age.”

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New Hardy Elementary School Opens With Ribbon Cutting and Hardy the Husky

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By contributing reporter Jennifer Bonniwell

 

The newly constructed Hardy Elementary School opened for the first day of school Wednesday with cheers and applause from parents, students, teachers and the costumed school mascot Hardy.

Hardy fifth graders Kennedy Coffey, William LaCombe Graf, Emily Lin and Eva Piazza helped Hardy Principal Grant Smith cut the ribbon while the students watched with their classes and teachers from the sidewalk. After, Smith welcomed the students and teachers to walk through the front doors for the first time.

hardy opening
Hardy the Husky along with Hardy Principal Grant Smith & fifth graders, from left, William LaCombe Graf, Kennedy Coffey, Emily Lin and Eva Piazza. (Photos by Jennifer Bonniwell)

 

“Today, we turn a page in Hardy’s history with the opening of this beautiful new school, which we hope will serve the children of Wellesley for the next 100 years, starting today,” Wellesley Superintendent David Lussier said.

School Committee Chairwoman Linda Chow said opening day was “extra special” because she has lived in the Hardy neighborhood for the past 30 years and her grown sons attended Hardy.

“I’m honored to be here today to take part in this wonderful and joyful milestone,” said Chow, whose mother still lives across the street from the school. “This is a wonderful reminder of how fortunate we are to be living in a community that values public education so highly.”

hardy opening
Hardy students filing into the new school building after the ribbon cutting on the first day of school Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

 

Faster Than a Wellesley Kitchen Reno

For those of you who left for the summer break when the old Hardy building was still standing, you may be wondering how this all happened so quick. It’s true, the old Hardy building was demolished July 9, just 50 days before the new building reopened to students (Yes, that’s faster than renovation time for most Wellesley kitchens). However, the new building is near the back of the school site, so construction began in February 2023 while students continued to use the old building. Students finished the 2023-24 school year in the old building and didn’t have to attend any other schools before the new Hardy opened. See the construction timeline and photos here.

The 18-classroom, all-new construction 80,039 square-foot Hardy 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.

The project is estimated to cost more than $72M, with a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursement that will keep the town’s share under $60M.

hardy opening

 

Two New Elementary Schools

Wellesley residents voted to approve debt exclusions to fund construction of new Hardy and Hunnewell elementary schools in December 2021. The special election followed Town Meeting’s approval for the projects’ funding in October 2021. The Hunnewell project began first, with demolition in summer 2022. Hunnewell reopened to students Feb. 26, 2024. Students from Hunnewell were distributed to the town’s other six elementary schools.

In Other School News: WPS Honored For School Budget

 

Kudos to the Wellesley Public Schools (WPS) business office that prepares the annual school budget! For the third year in a row, WPS has been nationally recognized for the quality of its annual budget document. WPS received the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) from the Association of School Business Officials International for its Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget.

Only three Massachusetts school districts received the award: WPS, Worcester Public Schools and Springfield Public Schools.

The budget is prepared by the WPS business office team led by Cynthia D. Mahr, the WPS Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations.

A panel of school finance professionals reviewed the materials for compliance with the MBA criteria and noted in their comments that “the District’s budget document for another year meets or exceeds all MBA requirements. The document flows well and is an exceptional explanation in narrative and visual form of the District’s financial condition, goals, and long-term strategic financial management.”

Page Waterman, Natick
London Harness, Wellesley
Longfellow, Wellesley

More Hardy Elementary School tear down action: The cupola

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Yesterday we shared video of the start of the tear down of Wellesley’s 100-year-old Hardy Elementary School building, and today we have footage of the distinct cupola being demolished.

Thanks to Sarah Kunz for sharing the video, and the photo of the Hardy plaque from the Weston Road school.

 

 

hardy plaque
John D. Hardy Elementary School plaque (photo courtesy of Sarah Kunz)

 

Hardy Elementary School in Wellesley
Former spot for the Hardy plaque

 

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Countdown on for Wellesley’s Hardy Elementary School demolition

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Wellesley’s 100-year-old Hardy Elementary School building is set to be demolished beginning later this month as the school system preps for the August opening of the new Hardy building adjacent to the old.

Emily Sarazin, a project manager with Vertex, said during the June 27 Permanent Building Committee meeting (see Wellesley Media recording, where Hardy discussion starts about 3 minutes in) that the planned demolition start date for the old Hardy building is July 8. Notices have been sent to abutters, she said.

Most stuff being saved from the inside of Hardy has been moved to Upham Elementary School, which is no longer serving as an elementary school with the arrival of the new Hunnewell Elementary School and Hardy Elementary School.

The 18-classroom, all-new construction 80,039 square-foot Hardy 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.

The new school’s groundbreaking took place in spring of 2023.

Much progress is being made internally and externally on the new building, with classrooms, the gym, and kitchen all coming along, per the Permanent Building Committee update.

The project is estimated to cost more than $72M, with a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursement that will keep the town’s share under $60M.

Fenced off Hardy Elementary School

More: Wellesley art mystery: Hardy School “chalk” outlines

If only the MSBA would reimburse us. Contributions to support our work are welcome.

Wellesley schools round-up: Academic calendar; Hardy hits 100; METCO showcase; Robotics Team goes to State House

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The latest Wellesley Public Schools news:

Academic calendar 2024-25

The Wellesley School Committee is seeking community input on its draft version of the Wellesley Public Schools 2024-25 academic year calendar. Takeaways on what the School Committee is thinking so far: an August 28, 2024 first day of school; a June 23, 2025 last day of school (assuming 5 contingency days—typically snow days—are used); and an extra-long 12-day winter break.

Comments can be emailed to the School Committee at School_Committee@wellesleyps.org

Larger visual of the draft calendar available here.

Wellesley School Calendar, draft version

Happy 100th birthday, Hardy Elementary School

From the Wellesley Public Schools:

The Hardy students and staff celebrated an amazing birthday last Friday. The Hardy School building turned 100 years old on November 12, and the second-grade class marked the milestone by leading an all-school assembly featuring a very special guest. Former principal Gayle Vonasek—who led Hardy from 1995-2008—told the story of how the Hardy community came together to create the R.I.S.E. curriculum in 1995. It was a way, she explained, to get rid of all the lists of rules (for the hallway, for lunch, the bathroom, the playground …) and create a simpler way to set daily expectations.

Hardy School, Wellesley
Hardy School, Wellesley

Decades later, to Ms. Vonasek’s delight, students still follow the standards of: Respect for others, Inclusion of all, Showing safe behavior, and Encouragement of all to participate and solve problems. “If you show RISE behavior,” she told the students, “you will be successful all of your life!”

The second graders, as part of their “life long ago” learning, also shared history about their school building, what school was like 100 years ago, and that the branch library across the street used to be a one-room schoolhouse. Cheering them on was another special visitor, Kate Walker, who taught second grade at Hardy for 24 years.

Hardy School, Wellesley
Hardy second-graders address the school community.

METCO program gets a boost at Roxbury Showcase

Wellesley Public Schools and METCO leadership turned out for a METCO Showcase in Roxbury during which Boston parents were encouraged to explore opportunities for their children to attend suburban schools through the program.

Founded in 1966, METCO has enrolled tens of thousands of Boston students in predominantly white school districts, creating the opportunity for students in those districts to learn in a racially and ethnically diverse setting.

Wellesley has partnered with the state-funded METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) program since 1966 as one of the original seven founding districts.

Wellesley METCO
Wellesley Public Schools and METCO leadership turn out for METCO Showcase in Roxbury on November 18, encouraging Boston’s diverse students to apply to METCO for a chance to be referred via lottery to their preferred choice of outstanding suburban schools.  (l-r) Dr. David Lussier, Wellesley Superintendent of Schools; Stephanie Holland, METCO Director, Wellesley Public Schools; Milly Arbaje-Thomas, President & CEO, METCO, Inc.; Dr. Jorge Allen, DEI Director, Wellesley Public Schools.

WHS Robotics Team visits State House

The Wellesley High School Team Ultraviolet, a student-led Robotics team, visited the Massachusetts State House in Boston where they ran an open house-like demonstration where legislators could stop by and speak informally to the students. Team members discussed with lawmakers how their group makes an impact in the community through outreach programs including robot demonstrations and STEAM workshops. The students also lobbied for their bill that would establish an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program.

Wellesley High School Team Ultraviolet at the State House in Boston.

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Wellesley school community tops off new Hardy Elementary building

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The first exciting lesson of the new school year at Hardy Elementary in Wellesley took place on Friday morning, as members of the community gathered to watch the final steel beam put into place at the new building as part of a traditional topping off ceremony. Students, teachers, staff, and town officials had a chance to sign the beam, which was painted white and topped with an evergreen tree and American flag.

Ground was broken at the site in April. 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.

The new school is being built behind the existing one and is slated to open about a year from now.

hardy beam
Impressive handwriting by Hardy students on the building beam (courtesy photo via Wellesley Public Schools)

Help us cover all the latest Wellesley school news: Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Hardy PTO asks: Is there a husky in the house?

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The Hardy Elementary School PTO is on the hunt for a well-loved husky costume that has apparently gone missing.

Let’s hope it didn’t wind up under here… we know how some dogs like to dig.

 

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley

 

If you have a clue where the husky costume might be, email the Hardy PTO  at HardySchoolPTO@gmail.com

Help us cover what’s happening at Wellesley Public schools: Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Hardy School construction in Wellesley, summer 2023

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On a walk down Weston Rd, we took a peek at the Hardy School construction progress. We could only get so close to the active, fenced-in worksite that’s abuzz with workers operating heavy equipment.

Hardy School, Wellesley
Hardy School construction site

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. 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.

While the new school is being built students will remain in the current Hardy School, where they get to watch the construction action.

Hardy School, Wellesley
Hardy School, Wellesley, 2020

 

Hardy School groundbreaking, Wellesley
Hardy School students toss dirt during the official groundbreaking ceremony, April 2023.