More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
The Wellesley Middle School concert band and orchestra performed Thursday at the Massachusetts State House. Among attendees: Secretary of State William Galvin and State Representative Alice Peisch. Also pictured are WMS Band Director Dave Adams and WMS Orchestra Conductor Sergey Khanukaev.
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
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.
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.
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:
Send in a short blurb and/or picture about news and events going on at your school. Email: [email protected]
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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Check out the fun video of Upham Elementary School greeting TV news viewers with a big Good Morning.
Three Wellesley sixth graders are asking State lawmakers to help towns protect residents and the environment from harmful pesticides.
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).
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 [email protected]
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.
Wednesday, November 20, 7:30pm
Thursday, November 21, 4pm
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.
Wellesley 6th graders and Natural Resources Commission members plan to head to Beacon Hill on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to speak out against harmful pesticides.
NRC Director Brandon Schmitt writes that the NRC will join forces with the students “we worked with last year at Bates on a Watershed themed project-based-learning unit. The students contacted us with the [letter below] and we hope that they can have the opportunity to address the legislators on a host of bills related to Pollinators, Pesticides, and Miscellaneous Matters.”
The students will likely be providing testimony in favor of H.776, an act empowering towns and cities to protect residents and the environment from harmful pesticides.
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This week’s Wellesley Schools Roundup is sponsored by Dedham Country Day School. You are invited to come see DCD in action during Classroom Observation Day on Wednesday, November 13. Visit and get a sense of how DCD students learn to think creatively and critically. You’ll see that from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8, kids are being kids — and being themselves. You’ll witness them tackling hands-on projects, collaborating, taking risks, solving problems, and most of all, enjoying their experience. Register here.
Dana Hall School will hold an Athletics Open House for girls grades 5 -12 and their families on November 19, 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Learn about the private boarding and day school’s athletic and equestrian offerings.
Tenacre School toursTenacre School will hold its weekly Tuesday tour on November 12, 8:15am – 9:15am. No reservation required, just come on by and see what makes Tenacre an exceptional place for your child to learn and grow. To learn more contact the Admission Office at 781-235-2282.
A team of students from Wellesley High School has qualified to compete as one of 17 schools from across Massachusetts on Season 11 of WGBH’s televised academic tournament, High School Quiz Show. Tapings of the show will take place in January 2020 and tests students’ knowledge in math, science, civics, literature, history, current events and more. No stranger to the high-stakes Q & A contest, this will be Wellesley’s fifth appearance on High School Quiz Show.
Look for the show to premiere Saturday, February 1 at 6pm on WGBH 2.
Coach Carol Campbell says that “in September there is a trivia (literature/history/civics/
Students and staff at Schofield School recently collected more than 33 bags of donations (see picture) as part of a Fall Food Drive for the Wellesley Food Pantry organized by our very own Schofield CARES committee. Schofield CARES is a PTO sub-committee who’s mission is to build community through families helping families. They organize and provide meals, rides, financial assistance, and gear to families who need it in our Schofield community.
Boys Basketball (2 teams) – Grade 8
Girls Basketball (2 teams) – Grade 8
Boys Ice Hockey – Grade 8
Girls Ice Hockey – Grade 6, 7, and 8
Wrestling – Grade 6, 7, and 8
Send in a short blurb and/or picture about news and events going on at your school. Email: [email protected]
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.
Interested in underwriting our Wellesley Schools roundup? Here’s how to Advertise and/or Donate to support our independent journalism venture
Hardy School second graders will take a field trip to the Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston next week.
Schofield School is standing behind Team Skofield Spellarz as they prepare for the Wellesley Education Foundation Spelling Bee. The Bee takes place on Wed., November 13 at Sprague Elementary School at 7pm.
Tenacre School fifth graders recently launched their hot air balloons on Centennial Field and were cheered on by parents and other classes who came to watch the event. The students constructed the 3-meter tall balloons in class from tissue paper, glue, string, and a copper ring. This is a great example of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activity, because it integrates so much content across those disciplines. Some of the concepts and skills that students are exposed to during this activity are metric measurement, proportions, building models, density, gravity, buoyancy, convection, engineering, and design. The balloon launch is by far one of the favorite Tenacre experiences and captures the imaginations of students.
Wellelsey Public School officials for the second time this year informed the community that a swastika was found drawn on the wall of the boys’ bathroom at Wellesley Middle School and that the incident is under investigation. In addition, Superintendent David Lussier has relayed that a WHS athlete last week was called a racial slur by an athlete from a neighboring town.
This from Wellesley Middle School principal Mark Ito in a letter to the WMS community:
Dear WMS Community,
It is with deep concern that I share with you that a swastika was found in one of the boys’ bathrooms at the middle school in the evening hours, late last week. As we continue to investigate, we are unsure of who drew it, but we do feel it was done after school hours when the building was open for evening activities. Regardless, this act of anti-Semitism is something that will not be tolerated in our school and district. As the building leader, I feel that any act that does not support our values of inclusivity and safety for all, will be strongly addressed by our WPS/WMS administration.
In response, we will continue to discuss strategies with our community partners from Temple Beth Elohim, consider the timing of our anti-Semitic curriculum delivered in social studies classes, think of potential educational opportunities from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and monitor our building for safety. I also plan to communicate a message to all students in our school that expresses my concerns and thoughts about anti-Semitic and racist acts. We are a caring community at WMS, and I want everyone to be responsible for our feelings of safety and respect that need to be practiced daily.
If you have any information that you feel is important for our school to know, please contact me or one of our assistant principals directly. Additionally, I hope that you will talk to your children about the incident, as it involves all of us. As a school, we feel such sorrow and remorse when anti-Semitic incidents happen, as we work tirelessly to try and prevent them. That being said, I feel confident in our ability to address — reactively and proactively – those things that negatively impede our school days and greater lives. We continue to strive for safety for all students at WMS.
Sincerely,
Mark Ito
Principal, Wellesley Middle School
Dear Members of the Wellesley Community,
As we continue to hold diversity, equity, and inclusion as high priorities in the Wellesley Public Schools, we have recently been reminded of the challenges we face in pursuit of these values. Following an athletic competition last week, a WHS athlete was called a racial slur by an athlete from a neighboring community. At the end of the week, we discovered a swastika drawn in a bathroom at Wellesley Middle School. The District has reported both of these incidents to the Wellesley Police Department and the Anti-Defamation League.
Let me be clear that any actions involving language and/or symbols of hate are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our District. Each of these incidents also underscores the importance of our continued efforts to ensure that our school community remains a safe and inclusive place for all of our students and staff.
When hate is allowed to grow unchecked, it can lead to tragic consequences. Just one year ago yesterday, a gunman took the lives of eleven worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We are clearly not immune from the issues of hate and division that are on the rise in our country. As we engage with each other and our young people, I ask that all members of our community speak with one, unambiguous voice in support of our core values of Respect for Human Differences, Cooperative and Caring Relationships, and Commitment to Community.
Thank you,
David F. Lussier, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Unfortunately, these incidents have precedent in town.
Swastikas found drawn at Wellesley Middle School, June 2019
Wellesley HS repulsed by racist email sent to teacher, March 2019
Swastika found at Wellesley HS in boys’ bathroom, 2017
Wellesley HS investigates swastika etched onto computer, 2016
Wellesley parks vandalized, 2017
Wellesley HS students walk out, demand everybody wake up to racism, April 2019
Wellesley Middle School custodians and neighbors went above and beyond the call of duty on the Friday night leading into Labor Day weekend to help a teaching assistant recover a lost necklace with sentimental value.
The spoiler alert here is that the necklace was found. But stick around to find out how the search went down, if you didn’t happen to be tracking it online in real time.
Wellesley Middle School’s Kate Monahan posted on a local Facebook group early Friday night that she had lost a delicate gold necklace with a pearl on it that she received 20 years ago for First Communion. She wondered if any parents had heard anything about it from their kids.
Neighbors then sprung into action, with offers extended to search the parking lot along the path that Monahan took to her car on the way home. Speculation included the possibility that she might have detached the necklace when swinging her bag around her shoulder.
Kari Sciera, a WMS teacher who lives nearby the school and is known for her good fortune, was among those volunteering to help when she saw the post around 6:30pm. “I had nothing going on,” she lamented. What’s more, she lost a meaningful ring herself a few years back that she still hopes will show up some day, so she could feel for Monahan, and what would put a damper on her long weekend.
Failing to find the necklace on the sidewalks or in the parking lot, Sciera circled back to the school when she noticed the lights on. She hit up the custodians to find out if they might have struck gold.
Custodian Carlos Parada left messages with others who had left for the night to see if they knew anything, then checked with the current crew. Nothing. They checked the main office and Monahan’s classroom, and nothing still.
That’s when Parada did the dirty work of putting a glove on his hand and sifting through the vacuum bag used in that wing of the school. Zilch.
Then Parada got a call back from another custodian, Moises Burgos, who said he had found something and explained where he left it. And there it was, broken, but fixable, at just after 8pm.
“We cheered and hugged,” Sciera says. She also shared a photo of the necklace that those following along online could see. More celebration.
Sciera emphasized that the Middle School has never looked better in large part to the custodians. “That’s one big reason this tiny necklace was located so quickly in a huge building,” she says.
Mark Barisano, WMS Facility Supervisor says such efforts are all in a day and night’s work for the crew, which he says has searched dumpsters and barrels for everything from dental retainers to homework.
The dramatic reunion of necklace and owner came on Tuesday when Monahan paid a visit to Sciera’s room, and the 2 co-workers met for the first time. “And of course we hugged,” Sciera said.
Wellelsey Public School officials today informed the community that 2 swastikas were found drawn on the wall of the boys’ bathroom at Wellesley Middle School and that the incident is under investigation.
This from Wellesley Middle School principal Mark Ito in a letter to the WMS community:
As we transition into summer, I know that many of you are looking forward to the end of our school year. There are many reasons to celebrate, as the completion of one grade marks the beginning of the next. I want to thank everyone in the community who has helped to create a strong school environment for our children.
At the same time, our school continues to work with students, in these final weeks, on respectful conduct and behavior. Recently, two (approximately) 3”x 3” swastikas were drawn in ballpoint pen in one of the boys’ bathrooms. Although we continue to investigate, any help from the community of known leads would be appreciated. Additionally, our administration has been faced with cases where students are being insensitive to issues related to race and anti-Semitic actions. Namely, these actions are in the form of unacceptable comments that are claimed by students to be “jokes.” Although we understand where middle school students are in their adolescent development, we also know that values and actions are formed throughout a child’s life, and as adults, we need to react to harmful behaviors when they happen. Comments are made by both students outside and within their own culture. Simply stated, there is no place for these behaviors in our school.
We are working with our community partners in making sure that coordinated, appropriate consequences and learning happens, and that the behavior stops. It is in the school environment where we hope to cultivate empathic and sensitive human beings who will live within our diverse world. When left unchecked, it is these behaviors that erode the values of our school and make our community feel less safe to all those here.
As the leader of this school, I need to express how we do not condone these actions, and how we will respond to any act that goes against our values of a “caring and cooperative community” and a “respect for human differences.” Our administration works hard to ensure that students learn through appropriate responses to these behaviors. Earlier today, I messaged my thoughts to our students, in support of our values. Our goal is to ensure that students learn to show a respect for diversity in our school. We hope as parents and guardians that you will take the time to speak to your children about these values, and how they play out in the daily actions they exhibit. I am deeply saddened that these acts have happened in our school community, and I vow to stop them. Respectfully, Mark Ito Principal, Wellesley Middle School
Dear Members of the WPS Community,
Earlier today, WMS Principal Mark Ito shared the attached message with the Middle School Community. Due to its content, I think this is an important message to share with our entire district. The fact that swastikas were found drawn in a school bathroom on Friday is troubling on its own. This is even more concerning as it comes amid growing concern of reported anti-Semitic student behaviors at WMS. Let me be very clear that language and actions grounded in hate are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the Wellesley Public Schools
As has been evidenced on other fronts this year, we have work to do as a district and community to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all of our students and staff. Thank you for your help in reinforcing these important messages with our students.
Unfortunately, this incident has precedent in town.
Swastika found at Wellesley HS in boys’ bathroom, 2017
Wellesley HS investigates swastika etched onto computer, 2016
Wellesley parks vandalized, 2017
