Wellesley Community Bulletin Board

May 19, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Check out the Community Bulletin Board section on The Swellesley Report, a place to find out about exciting events going on in the area.

Featured this week:

The Concord Review History Camp

Summer seminar for middle school students. See the flyer.
Promotes a love for history by allowing students to conduct in-depth research into their chosen historical topic.
[email protected]

MassBay Community College

Welcome back! Fall semester is on campus and online. See the flyer.
Classes start Sept. 7, 2021. Register now.
Start here, go anywhere

UU Wellesley Hills

Everyone is invited to participate in a 15-minute, silent, Black Lives Matter Vigil. More here.
DATE: Wed., June 2, at 12:30pm
LOCATION: 309 Washington Street

Aulegatum Financial Partners presents free movie screening event

The timeless classic, Think and Grow Rich is now a movie.
Screening date: June 25, 2021, 9:30pm
Free ticket here.

Wellesley Square salon news

Spacious, bright, and sunny hair salon overlooking the village in Wellesley Square has one chair available for the right stylist …. interested parties please call or text 781-223-8558

Here’s how to have your business or non-profit’s flyer appear on The Swellesley Report’s Community Bulletin Board at a nominal rate

Wellesley college campuses still closed to visitors for now

March 25, 2021 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

It’s been over a year since Babson College, Wellesley College, and MassBay have closed their campuses to all but students and employees of the schools due to the pandemic, and there is no sign of the ban being lifted anytime soon. Perhaps thinking back to last March, when cars lined up along routes 16 and 135 and unloaded piles of people who flocked to the Wellesley College campus, a rep contacted us with this message: “We are trying to get the word out to folks that the Wellesley campus is still closed to the public right now due to the pandemic—that includes folks walking to campus and then walking on campus, even outside. We know with the lovely spring weather and the state opening up some regulations that folks are very eager to get out, but this policy hasn’t changed and we are really hoping that folks can respect this for the time being.”

Lake Waban boardwalk, Wellesley, Summer 2016 — Lake Waban boardwalk, 2016. The popular walking path is closed off to those outside the Wellesley College community due to the pandemic.

This Wellesley College closure includes the 2.5 mile walking path around Lake Waban, a very special spot where Wellesley residents are itching to return. The entire lake is surrounded by private property, some owned by Wellesley College, some by the Hunnewell family.

We checked in with Babson and MassBay representatives, who echoed the plan to proceed with a cautious approach. MassBay, which this year is celebrating its 60th anniversary (albeit quietly), is delivering most of its learning online, with very limited academic activities taking place on its Wellesley campus. Babson, too, is waiting to welcome neighbors back to enjoy campus when it is “safe to do so.”

No word yet on when this all might change. Policies are likely to be revisited as vaccination rates rise and the pandemic slows down.

Wellesley schools round-up: WPS reopening plan; Black Lives Matter flag comes to WHS cafe; MassBay courses for high schoolers

March 7, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

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

Public schools updates reopening plan

Wellesley Public Schools Supt. Dr. David Lussier issued an update on Friday about the latest school reopening plans in light of the state’s increasingly strong push to get kids back in classrooms near the start of April and new efforts to get teachers and staff immunized against COVID-19. Lussier and other school leaders have been frustrated with the state’s inconsistent messaging around school plans throughout the pandemic.

K-2 students are already back in classrooms four days a week. To smooth the expansion of in-class school for grades 3-5, students in those grades will be rolled into the district’s weekly viral testing program. All district staff are already part of this testing program.

WPS will aim to maintain six feet of social distancing where possible, but that could scale down to three feet in certain situations.

WPS is working with the Wellesley Teachers Association to get students in grades K-5 all back to in-classroom learning five days a week (half days on Wednesdays) by the week of April 5.

Remote Learning School students will be allowed to stay in that program throughout the rest of the school year.

WPS will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, March 11 from 7-8:30PM to share more details, and Board of Health and medical experts will be on hand to answer questions. Wellesley’s Board of Health plans to meet with school leadership on Monday, March 8, to discuss its position on safe in-class learning.

As for grades 6-12, questions remain, Lussier says.

“[We] know that our community is equally interested in next steps for Grades 6-12. The state has provided fewer details at this point on the timing of expanded, in-person learning expectations at the secondary level. Recognizing the challenge of significantly larger student populations at WMS and WHS, along with more restrictive spaces, our team is continuing to work through the many logistical issues that must be solved before phasing in a full return, which we hope to accomplish later this spring.”

Black Lives Matter flag comes to WHS cafe

Wellesley High School Principal Dr. Jamie Chisum has informed the high school community that has raised a Black Lives Matter flag in the cafeteria, following a decision by Wellesley Middle School to add such a flag. The WHS flag comes courtesy of Tinea Rochelle and family, who contacted Chisum to let him know they wanted to donate one.

blm whs — Black Lives Matter flag at WHS

Chisum wrote:

Tinea is the proud mother of two graduates of Wellesley High School who continues to support us in our diversity work. As one of my faculty members eloquently stated, “Black people are asking us to care.” So, this week we put up the donated flag in our cafeteria. We believe in black lives matter and that is what this flag represents. Our flag does not advocate for any political position or agenda. It does not mean only black lives matter, but that black lives matter as well. The raising of this flag breathes life into all four of our Core Values: Respect for Human Differences, Cooperative and Caring Relationships, Commitment to Community, and Academic Excellence. We clearly must do more than simply hang a flag to truly honor all of these values for our black students, staff, and visitors, but we believe this is a lasting symbol to remind us of the need to continue our work towards equity.

I’ll leave you with a short story one of our black students told me in the past few weeks. She said that she remembers a day when she was walking by a store that had a Black Lives Matter flag in the window. She said she couldn’t quite explain it, but when she saw that flag she felt safe to go into that store. She felt comfortable because someone deliberately raised that symbol. We would love it if raising this flag could have that effect for our black students, staff, and any other visitors to our building.

In a few weeks we will have an advisory lesson for our students so we can talk through the reasons we decided to hang the Black Lives Matter flag. At that time I will also send home some information about ways you might choose to have conversations about the flag and its inclusion at Wellesley High School.

blm wms — Black Lives Matter flag at WMS

School Committee, Permanent Building Committee to discuss Hardy and Hunnewell

The Wellesley School Committee reconvenes on Tuesday, March 9 at 6:30pm.

The agenda includes updates on the Hardy and Hunnewell elementary schools, approval for an art trip to Spain and France, plus updates on COVID-19, wellness, and climate change.

Separately, the Permanent Building Committee at its March 11 meeting at 7:30m will also be discussing Hardy and Hunnewell building plans, as well as have Middle School updates.

Wellesley PTSO seeks more contributions

The Wellesley PTSO says 13% of families have contributed to its annual appeal but that donations are well below the usual levels. “We fully appreciate that this is an unusual year, but your financial support is more critical now than ever to support students and teachers in their work both this spring through their return to school in the fall.”

MassBay invites high school students to take summer courses

Registration is now open for seven online and remote summer courses exclusively for high school students at MassBay Community College. The six-week courses start on July 6, and include Entrepreneurship, Principles of Management, General Biology I with a Lab, Creative Writing, Drugs and Society, Medical Terminology, and Security Awareness. High school students can also enroll in other MassBay courses this summer and study alongside college-aged students.

For more information, contact MassBay’s Admissions office at 781-239-2500 or [email protected].

Who has the cutest pet in Wellesley?

January 7, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley pets Who has the cutest pet in Wellesley?

The Rotary Club of Wellesley is holding a virtual pet photo & video contest! All you need to enter the club’s contest, is fill out an entry form and submit a $25 entry fee on the website WellesleysGotPets.com. The window for submissions closes on January 8^th and voting will be opened to the public from January 10^th to January 24^thto decide the winner in each category! The BEST IN SHOW winner will be decided on by three judges: Honorary Chair Sue Webb of Wellesley Animal Control, Dr. Anthony Cosimini of The Cat Hospital, and Dr. Liz Hartman of The Wellesley Animal Hospital.

Proceeds from Wellesley’s Got Pets will got to benefit The MassBay Meal Scholarships provides eligible students with the funds to access food they might not have otherwise be able to afford. Typically, the school provides the meals to students on campus but as students are now having to study remotely due to COVID-19, MassBay has partnered with Imperfect Foods to deliver groceries directly to students’ homes. Imperfect Foods has expanded its service area in a commitment to ensure all eligible students are able to access food deliveries. Recipients of the MassBay Meals Scholarship receive funds through their Imperfect Foods account to choose the produce, meat, and pantry supplies that work best for them. The students will receive weekly $50 credit to their account, for a total of $600, covering the 12 week semester.

Many MassBay students have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, either by job loss or reduction in hourly-wage positions, remote education responsibilities with their own children, or learning new online technology to complete their studies. The MassBay Meal Scholarship Program can help ease student’s financial burdens, while providing access to nutritious food to help students focus on their studies and reach their academic goals.

WellelseysGotPets.com

MassBay students motivating Wellesley resident to complete virtual Boston Marathon

August 31, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

sue m — Sue Maggioni and Maggie on Heartbreak Hill

Wellesley resident Susan Maggioni, dean of business and professional studies at MassBay Community College, is running the virtual Boston Marathon in early September fittingly enough for MassBay students who will all be taking virtual classes this fall.

The money Maggioni raises as a charity runner will go toward a scholarship fund to help MassBay students pay for tuition, books, and more. She’s aiming to raise $10K.

“Our students are absolutely amazing; they are talented, dedicated, and caring, ready to learn and grow. They successfully graduate and transfer to four-year colleges and universities in greater numbers than any other community college in the state,” Maggioni says. “And many of our students are front line heroes, working in hospitals, health care and social work facilities, daycare centers, grocery stores, and restaurants. But many others have lost their jobs during the pandemic and are struggling to make ends meet while keeping their academic dreams alive.”

Maggioni has run the marathon once before to raise funds for MassBay students, and overall, this will be her fifth 26.2-mile race and third Boston Marathon. She hopes her first virtual marathon will be her last, though respects the Boston Athletic Association’s decision not to hold the race as usual for safety reasons.

“I’ve been a life-long runner; but I have never undertaken anything like this before–no cheering crowds, no road closures, no bathroom breaks…just me, my running buff and 26.2 miles to cover. I’m not sure how it will go, but I know I have to try. If our students can do what they do, then I can do this.”

Maggioni says she is grateful for everything the BAA has done to make even the virtual race memorable.

“But it does mean a lot of extra planning on the part of the runners. When the event was moved to the fall, I tapered for a bit, then began building up again, struggling to get those long runs in during our endless summer heatwave. I would have liked to have completed a 20 mile run, but tapped out at 17.5,” she says. “I’ll just rely on muscle memory for the rest, I guess.”

Her daughters, who run in college and high school, will provide support. So too will a six-hour playlist of “upbeat ’80s music.” Let’s hope she doesn’t need all six hours’ worth on Sept. 7, her target date.

That will give her a few hours to rest up for the first day of school, which starts Sept. 8.

Note: Maggioni says that two other marathon runners, Hannah Careway and Tom Regan, are raising money for MassBay’s Food Insecurity Program. Both are MassBay grads from this past spring, and received their bibs from the Wellesley Rotary Club.

More: Wellesley’s 2020 Boston Marathon runners (FYI, given that the race has been postponed and virtualized, not all runners on this list will likely be competing.)

MassBay student will deliver commencement address during virtual ceremony

June 12, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

MassBay Community College has announced that Amber Khan of Newton will deliver the student commencement address to her classmates and their guests at the College’s 58^th commencement ceremony. Due to the coronavirus and the need to practice state-issued social distancing policies, this year’s commencement ceremony will be held virtually, on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 6pm.

Khan, a first-generation college student, will graduate with an Associate of Science in general studies science and plans to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society for two-year college students. She participated in the College’s Leadership Engagement and Development (LEAD) program, acted as a mentee in the STEM Mentor Program, and was one of eight students from MassBay selected to take part in Sanofi’s Experiential Learning Opportunity program over spring break in 2019.

[Read more…]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Wellesley Books, Wellesley Bakery closing shop for 2 weeks; town infrastructure question; MassBay moving online

March 15, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Update (7pm, 3/15/20): Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Sunday that all schools across the state will be closed through April 6, extending beyond what could have been a March 30 re-opening in Wellesley. No on-premise consumption at restaurants until April 6 either.

With so many canceled or postponed events, including cultural, sports and religious activities, the streets of Wellesley are quieter than usual this weekend as people and organizations take action regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). While we did see a smattering of political supporters holding signs outside Town Hall on Saturday to grab attention of those voting via absentee ballot, the number of runners along the Boston Marathon course was way, way down from recent weeks after the race was postponed until September.

Things are getting quieter still as more businesses announce plans to temporarily shut their doors. The latest: Wellesley Books, which will be closed from Monday, March 16 through Sunday, March 29. You can still order online or by phone, as staff will be taking phone orders during the day.

Wellesley Books

Wellesley Bakery too is closing for 2 weeks.

Others, such as art gallery and framing shop Page Waterman, are maintaining normal hours. However, for customer framing services they request you make an appointment. The March 21 special event, a talk by John Hagen about Frank Weston Benson, has been canceled. “As an art gallery, maintaining a high standard of cleanliness is always a priority. Page Waterman cleans all surfaces multiple times each day. In addition, employees are required to regularly wash their hands throughout each day in-store and are required to stay home if they feel sick and until they provide the necessary documentation that states that they are safe to return to work.”

Infrastructure question

Some in town are curious about how the town will respond if things become more extreme. “Do you have any ability to find out about the town’s plans for critical infrastructure like supplying water, electricity, sewer, etc?” wrote one Swellesley reader on Sunday morning.

We reached out to town officials, and heard back quickly from Stephanie Hawkinson, Wellesley’s communications and project manager.

“Our infrastructure is not impacted by the Coronavirus situation and will continue to operate as normal,” she wrote. “Our DPW staff continues to maintain water/sewer lines and WMLP continues to maintain electricity 24 hours a day, and internet to our commercial partners, and to respond to emergencies. Those departments are staffed 24/7 and the Town is taking precautionary measures to ensure the health of those employees.”

The town’s plans were put in place before Wellesley was accepted into the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, which largely focuses on climate change.

wmlp manhole

MassBay moving online

MassBay Community College, which has a campus in Wellesley, has announced that it will use this coming week to transition more courses online. The school, which is on spring break this week, plans to have transitioned many courses to online by the time students return. The school already offers some of its courses online.

cdc flyer

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