Historic Tenacre house makes its move closer to Benvenue Street

May 5, 2024 by Bob Brown

Tenacre Country Day School students in Wellesley didn’t have to go far for a very cool field trip this past week: They only had to go outside on campus to see an historic 2-story building called Appledore on its 150-f00t move along rails to get closer to Benvenue Street.

The move of this former home for heads of school from 1952-2023 is part of a larger campus transformation that includes converting that building into an administrative office space and constructing a new 9,000 sq. ft., 2-story design center building at the former Appledore location that will support technology, art, and other learning.

appledore tenacre — Appledore building at Tenacre (photo courtesy of Chelsea Sebastian, who wrote that it was refreshing to see an old home moved instead of demolished)

Tenacre lays out its timeline for the project in a 2022-2027 strategic plan. The last phase involves renovating its Leesway building as it morphs into a learning hub for students in 2025.

The move of 4,000-plus sq. ft. Appledore, built in 1880, caught the eye of numerous Swellesley readers for “floating” upon temporary cribbing infrastructure at its new location. We thank those who shared photos with us.

Tenacre used the engineering project as not just an outdoor field trip, but also for an in-classroom lesson. Kindergartners at the pre-K-through-grade 6 school got a visit from the foreman from the project to help them model the mechanisms that would be used to move the actual house. This involved building a small house, leveling a rail, adding a temporary support beneath the house, and using wooden dowels to move the house down the rail.

Kids fortunately were spared modeling the process of getting a project through town approvals, including at the Design Review Board and Zoning Board of Appeals, as Tenacre did in 2023 (see construction plan submitted to the town last summer).

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Tenacre Country Day School to host community blood drive, March 7

March 3, 2024 by admin

Students and staff at Tenacre Country Day School in Wellesley invite members of the community to support their blood drive on March 7. Co-sponsored by the American Red Cross, the blood drive is open to the public. Appointments can be made, and walk-ins are welcome.

LOCATION: Tenacre’s Wells Playhouse, 78 Benvenue Street, Wellesley
DATE: Thursday, March 7
TIME: 9am-2pm

Although Tenacre students are too young to give blood, they are contributing in other ways to the blood drive. Fifth and sixth graders will assist with registration, the canteen, and guiding donors to Wells Playhouse. Second graders have made posters, and third and fourth graders will write thank you notes to the donors.

In addition to canteen snack items, all donors will receive homemade cookies.

To make an appointment, please contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS or visit this Tenacre Blood Drive link.

Tenacre Country Day School is a coed, private elementary school for Pre-kindergarten through Grade 6.

Wellesley seniors invited to be Tenacre student pen pals

August 18, 2023 by admin

The Wellesley Council on Aging seeks seniors to volunteer as pen pals for 6th grade students at Tenacre Country Day School.

The commitment is 1 letter per month, September through June.

Those interested should call 781-235-3961 to get on the list.

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

Now that was a colorful Wellesley weekend

May 16, 2023 by Bob Brown

Blooming flowers and trees weren’t the only colorful things in Wellesley this past spring weekend.

Dozens took part in the Upham Color Dash, a Holi festival-inspired fun run at Upham Elementary School where participants are sprayed with colored dust as they traverse the course. Those dishing out the colors seemed to be having a little too much fun…

Across town at Tenacre Country Day School, kids and adults were having fun at the annual Tenacre Fair, an inflatables-filled fun fest.

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Wellesley school news: Hardy groundbreaking; Tenacre students earn writing awards; WHS grad wins commits to cybersecurity; Star Academy students demonstrate math, critical thinking skills

March 28, 2023 by Bob Brown

The latest Wellesley school news:

Hardy groundbreaking

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the new Hardy Elementary School at the site on April 6 at 9am. The paparazzi will score shots of town officials with shiny shovels and hard hats over on Weston Road.

Site prep, soil work, and a Rte. 9 driveway are all underway.

Tenacre students earn writing awards

Four fifth graders at Tenacre Country Day School in Wellesley were honored for their essays in the 2023 Will McDonough Writing Contest, which was inspired by the famed Boston Globe sportswriter. Tenacre students who earned awards:

Alexis Schuldt (Wellesley), First Place
Dylan Zou (Wellesley), Second Place
Preston Bull (Wellesley), Honorable Mention
Samantha Miranda (Brockton), Honorable Mention

More than 1,000 students in grades 4-12 from across New England participated in the contest. The winners were chosen by Boston Globe sports editors.

First-place winners, along with their families, writers and editors from the Boston Globe, and members of the McDonough family will be invited to participate in an award ceremony on April 5 at TD Garden, followed by the Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors game.

Winners will also receive a Kindle and have their essays featured in the Will McDonough Exhibit in The Sports Museum at TD Garden.

Every member of the 5th grade class at Tenacre submitted a 400-word essay to the contest as part of a class assignment.

Wellesley High grad wins public service cybersecurity scholarship

Congrats to Alton Miles, a 2021 Wellesley High School graduate who is now a sophomore at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, as he recently won a CyberCorps Scholarship funded by the National Science Foundation. The scholarship obligates recipients to work for the government in cybersecurity for summer internships and post-graduation.

Miles’ mother, Laura Beusch, says her son “enjoys a new challenge and government cybersecurity involves staying a step ahead of cyber criminals, some sponsored by other countries. As others try to find new ways to compromise our national security, he wants to be part of a team working to protect it. He finds this work both interesting and important.”

Star Academy celebrates math students, future problem solvers

Star Academy, a private school with locations in Watertown and Wellesley, is celebrating the success of its 6th grade math team, which just won the New England Mathematics League, beating out 40 other teams. The Star Academy students all attend school on the Wellesley campus.

The in-person competition involved a test taken on March 2. Each student competed individually on 35 math problems of increasing difficulty, and the top 5 scores were combined into the team score.

Star Academy Director Margarita Druker attributes the student’s success to their hard work and dedication, as well as the school’s math program, which exposes kids to “advanced and unusual math topics at a young age.”

Separately, Star Academy students shined at the Massachusetts Future Solving Program State Bowl, held at Clark University in Worcester. The competition, for students in grades 4-12, saw top performers qualify for the International Bowl at UMass Amherst in June.

The academic program challenges students to research topics related to business/economics, science/technology, and social/political themes. This year’s topics were: digital realities; e-waste; the robotic workforce; the throwaway society; and currency. Students research the topics and devise 6-step processes to deliver solutions.

Star Academy students in grades 5-8 swept the divisions in which they competed, according to the school.

More: Other recent school news

Private schools in Wellesley (and beyond), sponsored by Riverbend

Students at Tenacre School in Wellesley had a sporting chance at writing contest

April 9, 2022 by Deborah Brown

Four Tenacre Country Day School students were recognized in the annual Boston Globe-sponsored writing contest, named for the late, legendary sports writer, Will McDonough. More than 1,000 students in grades 4 – 12 from across New England participated in the contest. The winners were chosen by Globe sports editors, who judge the 400-word essays based on topic development, organization, style, and mechanics.

Tenacre School, Wellesley — From left: Emma Beswick of Wellesley took second place; Lilly Singh of Natick came away with first place; Lily O’Toole of Medway and Jack Zavratsky of Weston each received an Honorable Mention

Every member of the fifth-grade class at Tenacre submitted an essay to the contest as part of a class writing assignment.

Congratulations to all.

Tenacre School students hit it out of the park in essay contest

May 6, 2021 by admin

A number of Tenacre Country Day School fifth graders, including seven Wellesley residents, were recognized for their essays in the annual Will McDonough Writing Contest, named in honor of the legendary Boston Globe sportswriter. Over 1,200 students in grades 4 – 12 from across New England participated in the contest. The winners are chosen by Globe sports editors.

All Tenacre fifth-graders submitted a 400-word essay to the contest as part of a class writing assignment.

The award-winning Tenacre students who are Wellesley residents are:

David Zhou, Tenacre, Wellesley — David Zhou was awarded first place for his 400-word essay in the Will McDonough Writing Contest.

Tenacre, Wellesley — Six Tenacre School students earned honorable mention for their 400-word essays in the Will McDonough Writing Contest. Front row: Ellie Culleton, Matthew Walter, Jackson Burns Back row: Brooks Carter, Cooper Schuldt, Kate Somerville

Congratulations to all.

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

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: deborahcb100@gmail.com

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.

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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 mburke@tenacrecds.org

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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