The Swellesley Report

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

Sports

Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Cheerleading’s Angela Tsai

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Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.

 

Angela Tsai

 
Angela Tsai
 
Sport/position: Cheerleading (flyer)

When & how you got involved in cheer: I have been interested in cheer for a while now, and this year is my first year that I am trying this sport. I am glad I got to join the team as a freshmen.

What you love most about Cheer: I got to meet different people and it’s very fun to support the football games.

Pre-game routine: Our team does a shake out and it may seem silly, but it’s a great way for us to get our jitters out.

Top goal for this season: I want to become comfortable being in the air and to challenge myself by learning different stunts.

Thoughts about this year’s team: I am really enjoying getting to know the sport and I definitely admire all the hard work and effort it takes.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I am proud of my effort at every game. Every game/week we have to learn a new routine for Halftime, and it takes lots of practice in and out of the studio. I am proud to have performed all the routines with spirit and energy.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: I am very scared of heights and being a flyer you have to not be scared or doubt yourself when being held up high. During this season, I have learned to slowly conquer my fear of heights and to try my best. Cheer really helped me to face this fear because of the supportive coaches and teammates that I have around me.

Interests outside of cheer: I do competitive dance and I love listening to music during my free time.

Coach Odessa Sanchez on Angela Tsai: One of Varsity Raider Cheer’s newest recruits, freshman Angela Tsai (2030) has made an impressive impact since tryouts. With a proven talent for dance, strong work ethic, and eagerness to learn, Angela’s laser focus and determination have quickly made her a top performer and true “one to watch” at practices and halftime shows. Angela has made a strong debut as a flyer and point for routines. Angela brings the qualities coaches value: consistent attendance, prompt arrival, a serious attitude during instruction, and a willingness to work hard. She balances that dedication with a fun, positive personality that makes her a wonderful teammate and a delight to coach. We’re excited to watch Angela continue to grow—and thrilled that Wellesley Raider Cheer gets three more years with this gem of an athlete!
 

 
(Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

 
Past Athlete of the Week profiles
 

 
Deland, Gibson, Wellesley

     

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Wellesley charity news: Middle School ‘Reading Rally’ raises $22k for Jimmy Fund; 8th graders’ school supplies drive a success; Doctor wins New England Emmy

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The latest Wellesley charity & nonprofit news:

Middle School ‘Reading Rally’ raises $22k for Jimmy Fund

Recently, around 125 sixth graders from the Wellesley Middle School raised and donated over $22,000 to the Jimmy Fund. The Jimmy Fund is connected to Dana Farber, and any money it raises is used to help fight cancer. This important organization received a large sum from WMS 6th graders through an event called the Reading Rally, spearheaded by Ms. Kenerson’s advisory.  Participating 6th graders found sponsors, then read books for a two-week period, raising money to donate based on the amount read or from a flat donation.  The donation will surely help the Jimmy Fund, which uses near 80% of money gained from donations to conduct research. (Write-up shared by a WMS student. Thank you.)

8th graders’ school supplies drive a success

Wellesley 8th graders earlier this month organized a Surplus School Supply Donation Drive at Wellesley Middle School and Wellesley High, and the effort was a success.

Student Caroline Jaffe followed up to let us know that the effort netted more than 325 donations, which in turn will be distributed to schools in Lawrence and Lowell.

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Wellesley doctor and team win New England Emmy

Dr. Robyn Riseberg (of Wellesley,) Rebecca Powell, and Amy Kingman of Boston Community Pediatrics have received a New England Emmy Award in the Health/Medical Long Form Content category for the documentary Beyond Medicine: The Story of Boston Community Pediatrics.

Boston Community Pediatrics is first nonprofit, pediatric private practice of its kind in Massachusetts.
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You can now make tax-deductible donations to support Swellesley’s work. Thank you…

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Wellesley Public Schools continues search for new athletic director

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Wellesley Public Schools Athletic Director John Brown earlier this year announced he’d be retiring in the fall after 20 years on the job, and he was already looking pretty darned relaxed as a Distinguished Service Award honoree this past weekend at the Wellesley Veterans Parade.

The team looking to replace him, however, isn’t nearly as relaxed at this point.

Wellesley High Principal Jamie Chisum last week wrote in his weekly newsletter that “after many steps and hours of process our search has so far not yielded a new director. Our plan is to repost for the position and continue the work of finding the best match for who the middle and high school need at this time to make sure our student athletes have the best possible experience in our program. A huge thank you to all the people who have volunteered to be a part of our listening sessions prior to interviews, our interview teams, and our finalist day open sessions. Your feedback has been extremely helpful to the process.”

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Education

Scenes from Wellesley Middle School’s fabulous French Fête

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Wellesley Middle School French Fête food
Photo courtesy of WMS French teacher Rebecca Blouwolff

 
Wellesley Middle School in late March held its annual French Fête, a feast of food, music, activities, and culture.

The event is sponsored by the Parent-Teacher Organization and supplemented by many individual donations.

Highlights included:
• Parent volunteers abounded
• Families shared their francophone home cultures by sponsoring tables about Haiti and Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Wellesley High School Key Club volunteers, including several former WMS French students, helped out
• WMS French teachers Hafsa Abdelmoula and Rebecca Blouwolff organized a karaoke song and dances by grade to French pop tunes (including a first-ever country line dance!), games, and activities that highlighted the French language and the cultures of the French-speaking world
• Le Petit Four bakery donated gift cards to the dance contest winners, which coaxed many reluctant dancers out onto the dance floor

Middle School French Fête
French Fête parent co-chair Christina Hurley, WMS French teacher Rebecca Blouwolff, parent co-chair Cécile Jeffords, WMS French teacher Hafsa Abdelmoula

 
Wellesley Middle School French Fête food

Middle School French Fête

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Sports

Wellesley middle & high school runners to compete at pre-Boston Marathon races

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BAA logoA handful of Wellesley Public Schools student-athletes have been selected to run on Saturday, April 18 in the BAA Middle School 1k and BAA Invitational Scholastic Mile races on the streets around the Boston Marathon finish line.

Boys 1k race

Fleet Taylor, Wellesley Middle School 8th grader. Personal best Mile 5:44. Fishing is his hidden talent, and the mile is his favorite distance to run.

Girls 1k race (event record is 3:14.05 by Abigail Beggans of Wellesley in 2022)

Cora Gibby, Wellesley Middle School 6th grader. Personal best mile is 6:31: She achieved her PB this year at the Harvard Friends and Family kids meet. The 5K is her favorite distance to run.

Maren Tamburelli, Wellesley Middle School 7th grader. She also skis and swims.

Boys Invitational Mile

Sami Juma, Wellesley High School senior. Mile personal best is 4:27.91 . He ran a 15:45 5K (his favorite distance to run), at the Bay State Invitational. He also plays the piano and enjoys 12x400m workouts.

Alex Bonnette, Wellesley High School senior. Mile personal best is 4:32. ompeted at the Bay State cross country championships in 2025. His favorite workout is the 6×800, and his hidden talent is playing the saxophone

Girls Invitational Mile

Eloise Crissman, Wellesley High School junior. Mile personal best is 5:48.10. Eloise’s hidden talent is that she can do a headstand. She also completed a half marathon last spring.

Courtney Edmonds, Wellesley High School senior. Mile personal best is 6:00.4. Courtney’s hidden talent is that she can hold a plank for 11 minutes. She achieved her personal best in the mile during her junior season.

The schedule:

11:00 AM    Girls Middle School 1K Race Start

11:10 AM    Boys Middle School 1K Race Start

11:25 AM    Girls Scholastic Mile Race Start

11:35 AM    Boys Scholastic Mile Race Start

The youth races will be followed by professional runner 1-mile races.

More: Boston Marathon 2026—Wellesley guide

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Education

Help Wellesley middle schoolers with Civics Action Projects by taking online surveys

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From Adam Blumer, Wellesley Middle School Social Studies Department Head:

Across the state, all 8th graders take part in Civics Action Projects, where student groups pick an issue they want to work on at the school, local, or state level and develop strategies to try to make change happen. As part of this, we teach students how to create simple surveys to get data on how people feel about their topic and their possible goals/strategies for change. While this is still very much a developing skill, students benefit from getting rich data from an authentic audience to help shape their ultimate proposals at our Civics Fair. 

With this in mind, please consider helping out our 8th graders with their Civics Action Projects. If you want to fill out any (or all!) of these surveys, please fill them out by Tuesday, April 7. 

Thank you! If you have any questions about the surveys or the Civics Action Project, please contact Adam Blumer, WMS Social Studies Department Head, at blumera@wellesleyps.org

Community Member-Oriented Surveys

Topic/General SubjectTarget Audience Link to Google FormTeamCivics Teacher
Homework for WMS studentsParents of WMS studentsClick hereWTaylor
Air conditioning at WPSParents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley communityClick hereWTaylor
WMS start timeParents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley communityClick hereWTaylor
Increasing voter turnout in Wellesley (A)Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley communityClick hereMChute
Improved pediatric medical services for families in financial need Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley communityClick hereMChute
Increasing voter turnout and awareness in Wellesley (B) All students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community  Click here M Chute
Creating positive change at Morses Pond by hosting a fishing tournament All students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Creating a financial literacy elective class at WMSAll students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Increasing voter turn out in WellesleyParents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Using unused land in WellesleyAll students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Rising sea levels in MassachusettsAll students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
WMS Ropes Course RedesignAll students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Food insecurity in MassachusettsAll students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Beautifying WMS and schoolsAll students and Parents of WMS students, members of the wider Wellesley community Click hereMChute
Youth employment8th and 9th gradersClick hereWTaylor
Composting in WellesleyWellesley residentsClick hereWTaylor
Trash Pickup Wellesley residentsClick hereWMSEichner
Passing Periods WMS Students & Teachers & ParentsClick hereWMSEichner
LitterWellesley communityClick hereWMSEichner
Lunch TablesWMS ParentsClick hereWMSEichner
Voter TurnoutWellesley Residents (Electorate)Click hereSHardwick
Centennial Park DevelopmentWellesley CommunityClick hereSHardwick
Financial Literacy Classes in WPSWPS CommunityClick hereSHardwick
Recess at WMSParents of WMS studentsClick hereWTaylor
Pollution in WellesleyWellesley CommunityClick hereSHardwick

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Education

Wellesley Middle School Civics Project looking for volunteers

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8th graders in Wellesley participate in a Civics Project where groups pick a school, town, or state issue they think could be improved and work on ways to advocate for a specific change and/or to raise awareness about the issue.

Here’s a list of topics students have chosen and are just now getting started researching. Department Head Adam Blumer is looking for volunteers who might be willing to answer some basic questions or give advice to students. If you are willing to be a contact on a particular issue, please let him know on this form.

You don’t need to be an expert in any way or be involved in local government—just be willing to give some basic information or point students to resources (online or real life) that you know of to help build their knowledge and shape their project.

If you volunteer, at some point in the next week or two you might get an email from a group asking for information or clarification on something they’re learning about. The goal is to avoid having the same adult field requests from multiple groups, so the lift should be manageable.

If you have questions or need clarification, please reach out to Adam at Blumera@wellesleyps.org

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