More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
Wellesley High School’s team earned a spot on High School Quiz Show Season 11, and taping of its first match (vs. Andover High School) takes place on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3pm.
You can attend for free, but should RSVP here.
The show will air on March 28 at 6pm.
A handful of Wellesley athletes, and 1 coach, have been recognized for their outstanding performances during the fall as all-scholastics by the Boston Globe.
Earning accolades were Wellesley High School 200 freestyle relay swimmers Isabelle Boegholm, Keleyia Rochelle, Nellie Thompson and Valerie Passanisi, who helped lead the team to its Division 2 state championship title. Coach Jennifer Dutton earned Coach of the Year honors for leading the team through its undefeated season.
Wellesley High football quarterback Matt Maoina and Groton School’s Caleb Coleman (running back and linebacker) of Wellesley both were named all-scholastics.
Other Wellesley all-scholastics:
Cross country runner Jason Norris, who helped the Raiders finish second at the all-state championships
Golfer Michael Thorbjornsen, who lived up the the hype during his debut season at Wellesley High
Numerous other WHS athletes were also recognized as all-stars (apologies if we missed other private school students, tricky to determine which are from Wellesley).
Keep us updated on Wellesley High winter sports action: We invite coaches, team managers, parents, athletes to keep us updated on your season via this form.
More: Wellesley Sports Discussion Group on Facebook
There are lots of opportunities around Wellesley to get into the holiday spirit:
Happy holidays, Wellesley. By now you’re probably ready to slow down, set aside the to-do list, and contemplate the reason for the season. Some of Wellesley’s houses of worship celebrate with all the formality you might expect from historic churches with Puritan roots, while others have a more casual flair or take a non-denominational approach to the holidays. All the services bring people together, and all are welcome. Here’s a list of upcoming Wellesley services.
The Town of Wellesley will follow a holiday schedule on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Here’s the breakdown.
The Town of Wellesley has draped trees with holiday lights from the Hills to the Square. The tree lights and wreaths throughout Town are made possible by very generous donors and businesses in the community and are hung by Wellesley’s own Municipal Light Plant workers, all to make Wellesley festive during the holiday season.
In addition, look in front of Town Hall for the menorah, the Christmas tree, and the crescent to appear soon. And of course, the high holy tradition of free metered parking has been put in place.
The Board of Selectmen has waived parking fees at all two-hour street meters in Town through Tuesday, December 31. This includes two-hour meters in all municipal-owned parking lots.
Parking fees are NOT waived at four-hour meters, private parking lots and commuter rail lots.
The Wellesley Free Library has a full roster of fun holiday activities planned including a holiday wrapping station at the Hills branch; a holiday jazz concert with the Kareem Sanjaghi Band; gingerbread houses construction with graham crackers and icing; Sankta Lucia story and craft; holiday sing-a-long with David Polansky; a LEGO Winter Village set-up; Giant Snowpeople craft; and more.
December 27 – 29, Snow Village and garden lights
DATES FOR TRAINS AND LIGHTS: December 27 – 29
LOCATION: Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 900 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
HOURS here.
Don’t miss the Wellesley High School Winter Choral Concert on Thursday, December 19, 7pm – 9pm at the WHS auditorium. If it’s not already part of your family’s holiday traditions, find out why it should be.
All WHS choral groups will perform.
Free and open to the public.
The Wellesley High School Winter Band and Orchestra concert will take place on Tuesday, December 10, 7pm – 8:30pm in the Wellesley High School Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Auditorium, 50 Rice St.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Every Wednesday is early release day for Wellesley elementary school students. On Wednesday, December 4, the middle school and high school also will turn the kids loose mid-day so that the WMS and WHS teachers may participate in a Professional Day.
The Wellesley Middle School PTO will be sponsor a panel discussion on the Dangers of Vaping on Thursday, December 5th at 7pm in the Middle School Auditorium. The guest speaker is Dr. Lester Hartman, Medical Home Director, Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics. Mark Ito, WMS Principal and Jaime Chisum, WHS Principal, as well as other WMS and WHS staff, will also be in attendance to discuss the issue. All are invited and welcome to attend what will be an informative discussion. For more information, please click here.
Bates Elementary School hosted author Rob Buyea, who read to students and talked about his writing process. Buyea is an best known for his Mr. Terupt series of novels. The E.B. White Read Aloud Award winner is a full-time author who lives with his wife, three daughters, and two dogs in North Andover Massachusetts.
The Winter Band and Orchestra Concert will take place on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 7pm – 8:30pm at Wellesley High School, Katharine L. Babson Jr. Auditorium at Wellesley High School, 50 Rice Street.
The Wellesley Middle School Jazz Band concert will be held on Wed., Dec. 11, 7pm – 8pm, at Wellesley Middle School, 50 Kingsbury St.
The Wellesley elementary schools would like to remind parents that as a rule of thumb, there will be outdoor arrival and recess unless the temperature drops below 20°F. Please make sure your student comes to school with boots, hats, socks, mittens or gloves, and possibly snow pants as these items are necessary for outdoor play.
Wellesley High School Academic Decathlon team strives to repeat trip to Nationals
Thanksgiving Day football: Wellesley shuts out Needham, game ends in skirmish
Wellesley Connects seeks mentors for first-gen college-bound high schoolers
After qualifying last year to attend the Academic Decathlon Nationals in Minnesota for the first time in school history, this year’s Wellesley High School Academic Decathlon (Acadec) team is again aiming high. The team is currently led by senior captains and Acadec veterans Shayla King and Derek Mui, and junior captain Ben Workman. Ben is the reigning Massachusetts Acadec State Champion and Division IV National Champion.
Round 1 competitions were held at Quincy High School on Nov. 23. Although the team came in 4th place overall, the results were extremely close with only a few points separating the 2nd -4th place teams. In addition to the captains, strong performances were achieved by Darin Chaoui, Jacob Landau, and Arnav Jain. The team’s next regional competition will be held on Feb. 1, followed by the state competition on Feb. 29. This year’s nationals will be held in Anchorage, Alaska.
Academic Decathlon is a national and international competition that includes seven objective tests (math, literature, social science, art, music, science, and economics) focused on a common theme. The 2019-20 theme is “In Sickness and
Health: Exploration of Illness and Wellness.” In addition to the seven theme-based objective tests, there are three subjective events (speech, essay, and interview). In order to beat teams from other schools and earn medals, decathletes must spend time reviewing college-level material, write a short speech, write an essay, and get interviewed. Competitions end with a game show-like Super Quiz relay, which is a fun, low-pressure event.
Wellesley’s Acadec team members compete in three divisions based on GPA (Honors, Scholastic and Varsity). The team is currently in need of Varsity division members, so any student interested should reach out to one of the captains or Mr. Ryan Liacos, team faculty advisor and coach. This is a fabulous opportunity to participate in state (and possibly national) competitions, bolster a college resume and build interview skills. As stated on the Massachusetts Academic Decathlon website, “students from all academic backgrounds have the opportunity … to discover and embrace the thrill of learning and academic exploration that soon turns into a lifelong pursuit of knowledge.”
Interested in learning more? Feel free to reach out to any of the captains (Shayla King
([email protected], Derek Mui ([email protected], or Ben Workman ([email protected]) or WHS teacher Mr. Liacos.
Wellesley Connects is an all-volunteer mentoring program for primarily first generation, college-bound Wellesley High School students who could benefit from one-on-one advising as they explore post-graduation planning. Wellesley Friendly Aid and the Office of Guidance at Wellesley High join forces on this program, now in its fourth year.
Students, who are invited to apply to the program in their junior year, are paired with a mentor who provides assistance with the college application process. Programming workshops include college applications, financial aid, scholarship opportunities, essay writing, college visits and individual assistance.
Wellesley Connects seeks mentors to work with WHS juniors (class of 2021) joining the program. Requirements include a familiarity with the college application process and a strong desire to help a student with post-high school planning. Responsibilities include a commitment to work with a student for 18 months during the student’s junior and senior years as well as attending training workshops, group meetings and other workshops. Mentors also meet with their mentees individually outside of group meetings.
If interested, please contact Margot Lansing or Sharon Kiernan , the co-directors, for additional information at [email protected] or call 781-235-3960.
MORE:
Wellesley community and charitable action groups
Babson College gets $50 million donation
Wellesley School Committee office hours
Wellesley High School earlier this month inducted over 140 juniors and seniors into the the National Honor Society (NHS). The NHS recognizes students for their academic studies and for their service to the community. Principal Jamie Chisum delivered congratulatory remarks, followed by a keynote address by President of New England Revolution soccer, Brian Bilello.
Established in 1921, the country-wide organization is guided by four main purposes: to create enthusiasm for scholarship; to stimulate a desire to render service; to promote leadership; and to develop character.
The Wellesley Chapter of the National Honor Society accepts members on a closed application basis. In order to be eligible to apply students must maintain a Grade Point Average of at least 4.3 for freshman, sophomore, and junior Years. If this requirement is met, students will be notified of eligibility during junior year. More information here about the Wellesley chapter of the NHS.
Wellesley students: make sure to get your scholarship application in
Wellesley School Committee Office Hours, December 2019
