Dear Colleagues,

I hope you each had a productive week.�� I know the heat and humidity have a been a real challenge this week at our non-air-conditioned buildings; I want to acknowledge and thank our students and staff for their efforts under difficult conditions.�� As a side note, our air conditioning project continues to move forward on the municipal timeline, with the next checkpoint coming at special town meeting this fall, when funds for the final phase of design will be sought.����

Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate our seniors last week during their graduation on Friday.�� I also want to thank our elementary colleagues, who hosted clap-out events for the seniors who returned to their elementary schools in their graduation regalia.�� I love this tradition across the district!��

And finally, I want to take a moment to honor the many colleagues who have, or are about to, retire from the С����Ƶ this year.�� We honor your service to our students, families and colleagues!��

Andrea Holbrook, Tech Support Specialist

Donna Kalinowski, Central Office-Accounting Coordinator for Payroll

Deanne McGoldrick, Central Office-Transportation Director��

Elizabeth Rey, Bates Librarian��

Trisha Slyne, Central Office-Financial Transaction Asst.- Facility Rentals��

Leanne Jones, WHS Child Lab Teaching Assistant

Janet Sozio, WHS School Counselor

Timothy Eagan, Department Head of World Language (6-12)��

David McCullough, WHS English Teacher

Thomas Carter, Director of Visual Arts

Nancy Smith, WMS Literacy Teacher

Jonathan Wachs, WMS Industrial Tech. Teacher

Cynthia Peltier, WMS Math Teacher

Marcia Sullivan, Hunnewell Grade 5 Teacher

Heidi Marquedant, WHS Family & Consumer Science/Child Lab Teacher

Mark Bugden, Occupational Therapist

Karen Perry Kaplan, Schofield Fitness & Health Teacher

Jane Barrell, WHS Academic Resource Teacher

Jill Lapato, WHS Math Teacher

Martin Wagner, WMS Math Teacher

Steve Goodwin, Schofield Interim Principal��

Dina Maggipinto, Hardy Grade 2 Teacher

Alicia Diozzi, WMS Social Studies Teacher

Karen Thurber, Central Office-Production Center Clerk

John Brown, Athletic Director

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

June 18 – School Committee Meeting

June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 22 – Last Day for Students (Early Release)

June 23 – Last Day for Teachers

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Education to help districts and other educational entities plan their response protocol for interactions with federal immigration officers. We are reviewing our current internal protocol for interacting with immigration officers to ensure it aligns with the recommendations in the document. Once any adjustments are made, the district will share more information about our protocol with WPS staff.

As part of С����Ƶ’ ongoing work to ensure that we are fully compliant with the digital accessibility requirements by April 2028, we want to share two draft resources that are now available for your reference. First, we have gathered a variety of materials on our , which will continue to be updated over time. Additionally, a is available to use as a handy reference when creating or updating documents, slide decks, and webpages. This checklist is a quick way to help verify that your materials feature properly formatted headings, alternative text for images, and are fully screen-readable for all students and families.

On April 28, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) unanimously approved a new alternative pathway for educator licensure. This change allows qualified candidates to waive the��Communication and Literacy Skills test (CLST)��if they meet specific criteria, such as holding an advanced degree, completing a state-approved prep program, possessing a comparable out-of-state license, or having two years of documented instructional experience.

This milestone is a testament to our collective advocacy, including��AFT��and the��MTA, as well as��Leader Alice Peisch,��Senator��and the��MA Black and Latino Caucus,��for their essential testimony and letters of support.

For a full list of eligibility requirements and FAQs, please visit the��.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Friday everyone! My two favorite days of the year are opening day and graduation day.�� At 5pm today, we will celebrate our 157th Wellesley High School Commencement and award diplomas to 320 graduates.�� Many of these students have been with us since their very first days of school and, as such, today not only marks an important milestone in their lives, but it also represents a capstone of your collective efforts. We are sending our students out into an uncertain world, but I remain hopeful that we have prepared them to be a force for good. Many thanks to our high school colleagues, who have been putting in so many additional hours supporting our end-of-year activities for our seniors. Great work, team!��

Finally, I also wanted to thank our METCO team for hosting the annual awards ceremony last night at WHS.�� In addition to honoring our graduating seniors, students at the elementary, middle, and high school were recognized for their academic accomplishments and leadership across the district.�� Congratulations!������

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

June 5 – Graduation

June 9 – School Committee Meeting

June 18 – School Committee Meeting

June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 22 – Last Day for Students (Early Release)

June 23 – Last Day for Teachers

Last week, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education to help districts and other educational entities plan their response protocol for interactions with federal immigration officers. We are reviewing our current internal protocol for interacting with immigration officers to ensure it aligns with the recommendations in the document. Once any adjustments are made, the district will share more information about our protocol with WPS staff.

As part of С����Ƶ’ ongoing work to ensure that we are fully compliant with the digital accessibility requirements by April 2028, we want to share two draft resources that are now available for your reference. First, we have gathered a variety of materials on our , which will continue to be updated over time. Additionally, a is available to use as a handy reference when creating or updating documents, slide decks, and webpages. This checklist is a quick way to help verify that your materials feature properly formatted headings, alternative text for images, and are fully screen-readable for all students and families.

On April 28, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) unanimously approved a new alternative pathway for educator licensure. This change allows qualified candidates to waive the��Communication and Literacy Skills test (CLST)��if they meet specific criteria, such as holding an advanced degree, completing a state-approved prep program, possessing a comparable out-of-state license, or having two years of documented instructional experience.

This milestone is a testament to our collective advocacy, including��AFT��and the��MTA, as well as��Leader Alice Peisch,��Senator��and the��MA Black and Latino Caucus,��for their essential testimony and letters of support.

For a full list of eligibility requirements and FAQs, please visit the��.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you each had a productive week. Our Senior Awards ceremony was held last night at WHS and, as always, I was reminded of the incredible accomplishments of our students both in school and beyond.�� (And I was also feeling like I was a real slouch in comparison to my high school accomplishments!) Our seniors have one more week of activities before graduation next Friday! Many thanks to Dr. Chisum and his entire team for their collective efforts in supporting these end-of-year activities.��

Earlier this week, the School Committee formally approved the appointment of Dr. David Jordan as our next Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, effective July 1st.�� I hope you’ll join me in welcoming David to our team as he takes over the reins from Cindy Mahr, who has served with such distinction in this role for the past eight years.��

This morning, I enjoyed getting to see field day at Fiske during my visit.�� The students were having a ball as they participated in the many creative activities that PE Teacher Christina Gerst helped set up with the assistance of her volunteers.�� Great job Falcons!��

Finally, the Hunnewell Fun Fair will be held on Saturday from 12pm-3pm and has now been moved inside due to the weather.�� Please consider stopping by with your family if you are looking for something fun to do!��

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

June 5 – Graduation

June 9 – School Committee Meeting

June 18 – School Committee Meeting

June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 22 – Last Day for Students (Early Release)

June 23 – Last Day for Teachers

As part of С����Ƶ’ ongoing work to ensure that we are fully compliant with the digital accessibility requirements by April 2028, we want to share two draft resources that are now available for your reference. First, we have gathered a variety of materials on our , which will continue to be updated over time. Additionally, a is available to use as a handy reference when creating or updating documents, slide decks, and webpages. This checklist is a quick way to help verify that your materials feature properly formatted headings, alternative text for images, and are fully screen-readable for all students and families.

On April 28, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) unanimously approved a new alternative pathway for educator licensure. This change allows qualified candidates to waive the��Communication and Literacy Skills test (CLST)��if they meet specific criteria, such as holding an advanced degree, completing a state-approved prep program, possessing a comparable out-of-state license, or having two years of documented instructional experience.

This milestone is a testament to our collective advocacy, including��AFT��and the��MTA, as well as��Leader Alice Peisch,��Senator��and the��MA Black and Latino Caucus,��for their essential testimony and letters of support.

For a full list of eligibility requirements and FAQs, please visit the��.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you each had a productive week. On Wednesday of this week, we celebrated one of the great traditions in Wellesley, which is to honor the members of our staff who have served in WPS for 25 years.��The “Chair” Ceremony, has long been sponsored by our incredible partner, the Wellesley Education Foundation.��Another powerful aspect of the event is that each honoree is introduced by a colleague of their choosing.��Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always heartfelt, these reflections on our colleagues’ body of work serve as a reminder of the legacy of service they have forged in Wellesley.��We truly have a special team in WPS.��Please join me in celebrating the 17 honorees this year, whose bios are listed below.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to Amie Larson, visual arts teacher at WHS, whose ceramic intensive students had a showing of their work at the Gorse Mill Gallery in Needham this week.�� Not only was their work exceptional, but listening to our students describe how they transitioned from inspiration to execution, reminded me of how much student agency is exemplified in Amie’s class.�� Well done!��

Finally, as we head into the Memorial Day Weekend, I hope we can all pause at some point and reflect on the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our military who have died in the service of our country.�� Please keep them and their families in your thoughts over weekend.����

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

May 25 – Memorial Day (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 9 – School Committee Meeting

June 18 – School Committee Meeting

June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools & Offices Closed)

Congratulations to this year’s

Pamela Allen, Rebecca Blouwolff, John Brown, Rita Cameron, Kathryn Dexter, Jacqueline Hennessey, Lisa Humphrey, Andrew Kelton, Christine Kerr, Kathryn Mahoney, Mark Mayall, Michael Mazzeo, Neysa McNamara, Lisa Mortarelli, Lauren Pedroni, Elizabeth Quinty and Michelle Weir

Today,��С����Ƶ had the honor of hosting the Association of Massachusetts School Equity Leaders (AMSEL) general membership meeting at Hardy Elementary School. AMSEL convenes equity-focused leaders from districts across Massachusetts to advance educational equity, support one another’s work, and build collective capacity for systemic change. As a proud member, WPS welcomed colleagues from across the Commonwealth,��and we are grateful to the Hardy community for hosting this important work.

On April 28, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) unanimously approved a new alternative pathway for educator licensure. This change allows qualified candidates to waive the��Communication and Literacy Skills test (CLST)��if they meet specific criteria, such as holding an advanced degree, completing a state-approved prep program, possessing a comparable out-of-state license, or having two years of documented instructional experience.

This milestone is a testament to our collective advocacy, including��AFT��and the��MTA, as well as��Leader Alice Peisch,��Senator��and the��MA Black and Latino Caucus,��for their essential testimony and letters of support.

For a full list of eligibility requirements and FAQs, please visit the��.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you each had a productive week.�� I wanted to give a special shout-out to WMS 6th grade teacher Jonathan Rabinowitz, for his continued work to deepen our students’ knowledge of major world religions.�� This year, his students applied this knowledge in a contemporary context by researching questions such as how to keep kosher or halal, how college athletes remain observant during the month of Ramadan, and how Christianity is depicted in popular culture.�� Building this broad understanding of world religions is invaluable in preparing our students to be global citizens in a diverse world.����

Similarly, I wanted to give a shout-out to PK-5 Department Head for Science and Engineering, Lisa Fox, for her terrific presentation to the Hardy Faculty on Wednesday.�� Lisa focused on sense-making, and more specifically, introducing an elementary, hands-on science lesson that challenges learners to apply their knowledge of energy into making a popsicle stick fly with the help of a propeller.�� While debriefing the lesson, Lisa highlighted the value of flipping a lesson and asking students to “do” before providing specific instruction.�� Along with the other members of the Hardy faculty, I could see the value of this approach as we worked through our own scenarios, testing out approaches, and often failing, before eventually reaching a solution that was nearly successful.��������

If you are around town this weekend, please consider participating in with activities throughout the day on Saturday, and a parade and fireworks on Sunday.����

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

May 19 – School Committee Meeting

May 25 – Memorial Day (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 9 – School Committee Meeting

June 18 – School Committee Meeting

June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools & Offices Closed)

On April 28, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) unanimously approved a new alternative pathway for educator licensure. This change allows qualified candidates to waive the��Communication and Literacy Skills test (CLST)��if they meet specific criteria, such as holding an advanced degree, completing a state-approved prep program, possessing a comparable out-of-state license, or having two years of documented instructional experience.

This milestone is a testament to our collective advocacy, including��AFT��and the��MTA, as well as��Leader Alice Peisch,��Senator��and the��MA Black and Latino Caucus,��for their essential testimony and letters of support.

For a full list of eligibility requirements and FAQs, please visit the��.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Friday everyone, and I hope you have been enjoying some of our beautiful spring weather. In my travels around the district this week, I was delighted to see so many gestures of appreciation in our schools in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week. As recent events have reminded us, our schools remain the heart of our community and you are on the front lines every day helping to support the growth of caring, compassionate, educated, and engaged learners.�� This work can be exceptionally challenging at times, but I hope you know the difference you make each and every day.�� On behalf of our community, let me join the chorus of those who honor your efforts!��

Of course, we are heading into Mother’s Day weekend, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give a big shout-out to all of our moms, who play such critical role in our lives.�� Please be sure to appropriately recognize all the moms among us this weekend!

And on a more personal note, my wife and I are delighted that our son, Bejamin, will be home this weekend for the first time in nearly a year, after his extended military deployment to the Middle East.�� Given the area of operations of his ship, we held our breath when the war started and we were so pleased when he left the war zone and returned safely to San Diego.�� I can’t think of a better Mother’s Day gift in our family.

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

May 19 – School Committee Meeting

May 25 – Memorial Day (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 2 – School Committee Meeting

June 16 – School Committee Meeting

June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools & Offices Closed)

WHS Choral Director Dr. Kevin McDonald who was selected to receive a Country Music Award, earning their distinction of Music Teacher of Excellence. The award was presented on tuesday by Jamie Chisum, Lauren Saracino, and members of the admin team along with members of Kevin’s family. Kevin will travel to Nashville in October to be honored and celebrated as part of the CMAs. This is a tremendous honor, and Kevin is so deserving.

___

Ruth Ortiz Collazo: On April 28th, Ruth Ortiz stood before the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and did something remarkable — she told her story. While others spoke in policy and data, Ruth spoke in images: a teacher who has spent eight years serving Wellesley, waking up in the middle of the night thinking about an exam, and facing the uncertainty of DESE license non-renewal. Her testimony drew the room’s attention in a way that others did not, because it was personal and true. And because it reminded the Board that behind every policy are real people with real stories. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the Proposed Amendments to Regulations on Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval. We would like to recognize Señora Ortiz for her courage and advocacy, not only on her own behalf but also on behalf of all educators across the Commonwealth who face similar barriers to licensure.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

As I wrote to everyone in the community last night, I know this has been a difficult week throughout the district as we mourn the loss of two of our Schofield students.�� I did want to be sure to offer some heartfelt thanks to the members of our team who really stepped up in support of our community this week.�� For their exceptional leadership within their respective school communities, I can’t say enough about Stephen Goodwin, Grant Smith, and Kristen Stacy. They managed an incredible level of care for their students, staff, and families while deeply feeling this loss themselves.�� Midge Connolly was an extraordinary partner in helping to organize mental health supports from both internal and external partners and Sharon Gray helped manage press inquiries and a number of critical communications.�� I have to give a huge shout-out to our school psychologists, school counselors, adjustment counselors, and nurses, who also provided critical mental health supports across the district this week. (And a special thank you to our colleagues who volunteered to come to Schofield on Monday and partner with our classroom teachers.) And last night, Kevin MacDonald used the WHS choral concert as an opportunity to lift us up at a time when we really needed it.�� You get the idea. This has been an all-hands-on-deck moment, and your collective efforts have helped our community navigate through a difficult week.

Finally, I wanted to recognize a special colleague, Rabbi Rachel Saphire, who will be leaving her post at Temple Beth Elohim to lead her own congregation in Virginia beginning this summer.�� Rachel has been an invaluable community partner to the district over the past 17 years and she will be deeply missed.��������

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.��������������

Best, David

May 5 – School Committee Meeting

May 19 – School Committee Meeting

May 25 – Memorial Day (Schools & Offices Closed)

June 2 – School Committee Meeting

Condolences to Patty MacLeod, Administrative Assistant for Fitness & Health and the Visual Arts Departments, on the passing of her Mother-in-Law, Lois C. Thomas.

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend С����Ƶ without charge for tuition on a space available basis��(Article 14 WEA Unit A, Article 13 WEA Unit B).

March 6:����Interested eligible staff members may submit a��letter of intent using the����online.��

May 1:����All applications are due to the District Registrar,��late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all��applications��in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.��Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.��Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to the District Registrar, at��registrar@wellesleyps.org.��

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year��2026-27.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman��cashmani@wellesleyps.org��for PAWS Preschool, or Heidi Marquedant��marquedanth@wellesleyps.org��for the WHS Child Lab Program. Enrollment in Child Lab typically opens in the fall.

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

Preparation courses to review core material covered in the designated MTEL

Asynchronous and Hybrid options

1 undergraduate credit per course for $297

Register by May 1, 2026,

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you each had a productive week. On Monday, I was delighted to join 14 of our Boston-resident students, along with METCO Director Stephanie Holland, to participate in our annual advocacy day on Beacon Hill.�� Along with representatives from many of the METCO communities, we were able to engage with state legislators on the importance of the program and related financial needs. Special thanks to WHS Seniors Ariana Jean-Baptiste, Ziio Cartagena and Arima Christopher, who spoke powerfully of their METCO experience during a breakout session with legislators.��

I also share the news that our colleague Stephanie Holland will be leaving her METCO post at the end of the year as she and her family are moving to Ireland this summer.�� Stephanie has provided exceptional stewardship of our METCO program and she will be sorely missed.����

Additionally, I want to give a shout-out to the staff members who are leading the Art trip to Japan and the Swiss Exchange program, both of which embarked this week.����

As we head into a well-deserved April vacation, I wish each of you a safe and restful break.�� And special well-wishes to all of our staff members who are running the Boston Marathon on Monday.�� ��

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students. Have a great weekend!��������������

Best, David

April 20-24 – April Break (Schools Closed)

May 5 – School Committee Meeting

May 19 – School Committee Meeting

Congratulations and best wishes to these amazing WPS teachers who will be running the Boston Marathon this month!

Have we missed any teachers or staff members? If so, please share with Allison DiRenzo at��direnzoa@wellesleyps.org��for inclusion in a future Bulletin

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend С����Ƶ without charge for tuition on a space available basis��(Article 14 WEA Unit A, Article 13 WEA Unit B).

March 6:����Interested eligible staff members may submit a��letter of intent using the����online.��

May 1:����All applications are due to the District Registrar,��late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all��applications��in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.��Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.��Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to the District Registrar, at��registrar@wellesleyps.org.��

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year��2026-27.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman��cashmani@wellesleyps.org��for PAWS Preschool, or Heidi Marquedant��marquedanth@wellesleyps.org��for the WHS Child Lab Program. Enrollment in Child Lab typically opens in the fall.

Preparation courses to review core material covered in the designated MTEL

Asynchronous and Hybrid options

1 undergraduate credit per course for $297

Register by May 1, 2026,

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you each had a productive week. How about that snow on Tuesday morning? Felt like we were going backward on the calendar for a few hours!��

Annual Town Meeting wrapped up this week with two long sessions on Monday and Tuesday evening.�� (That’s four nights of Town Meeting this year!) Special thanks to Performing Arts Director Lauren Saracino for the additional work that she and members of her team put in to support Town Meeting in the WHS Auditorium, which is no easy task!��

Earlier today, I was delighted to share the announcement that Dr. Diana Guzzi will serve as the next Principal of the Schofield Elementary School, effective July 1st.�� Dr. Guzzi joins us from the Newton Public Schools, where she has served as the Principal of the Bowen Elementary School for the past 17 years.�� I also want to thank Dr. Stephen Goodwin, who has stepped in this year to serve as Schofield’s Interim Principal.�� Thank you for your exceptional service, Stephen! Thank you to our entire team in advance for welcoming Diana to Schofield and to our WPS family.����

Finally, I began my spring coffees with staff last month at each building, which will extend into May.�� Many thanks for those who have joined me to share their feedback on areas of school and district success as well as areas for improvement.����������

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students. Have a great weekend!��������������

Best, David

April 14 – School Committee Meeting

April 20-24 – April Break (Schools Closed)

May 5 – School Committee Meeting

Congratulations and best wishes to these amazing WPS teachers who will be running the Boston Marathon this month!

Have we missed any teachers or staff members? If so, please share with Allison DiRenzo at��direnzoa@wellesleyps.org��for inclusion in a future Bulletin

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend С����Ƶ without charge for tuition on a space available basis��(Article 14 WEA Unit A, Article 13 WEA Unit B).

March 6:����Interested eligible staff members may submit a��letter of intent using the����online.��

May 1:����All applications are due to the District Registrar,��late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all��applications��in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.��Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.��Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to the District Registrar, at��registrar@wellesleyps.org.��

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year��2026-27.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman��cashmani@wellesleyps.org��for PAWS Preschool, or Heidi Marquedant��marquedanth@wellesleyps.org��for the WHS Child Lab Program. Enrollment in Child Lab typically opens in the fall.

Preparation courses to review core material covered in the designated MTEL

Asynchronous and Hybrid options

1 undergraduate credit per course for $297

Register by May 1, 2026,

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to April and happy Friday! This week is an important one to our faith communities with observances for Passover, Good Friday, and Easter.��Wellesley’s annual Town Meeting also kicked off this week with sessions on both Monday and Tuesday evenings. I’m pleased to report that our FY’27 WPS Budget passed by a vote of 184-10 during the second night of town meeting.��In addition to our FY’27 budget, this year we also produced a longitudinal study of district costs over the past decade.��This was driven by the question often posed around town: “Why do school budgets increase, even during times of declining student enrollment?” The resulting analysis showed that increases in non-discretionary spending, such as transportation, personnel costs, and mandated services such as special education, far exceed any savings from declining enrollment.������

Thank you to everyone who supported the development of our budget for next year. In particular, I want to give thanks to Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Cindy Mahr, for her exceptional work on the FY’27 budget as well as the aforementioned longitudinal analysis.��I share the bittersweet news that Cindy will be leaving us at the end of the school year to begin a new chapter in her professional life as the Chief Financial Officer of the Hopkinton Public Schools.��Please join me in thanking Cindy for her eight years of service to WPS and wishing her well in this next leg of her professional journey.����

I also want to congratulate WMS World Language teacher Rebecca Blouwolff and all of our WMS colleagues and parent volunteers who hosted the annual “French Fête” last week, which was a terrific celebration of French culture. (And my favorite, French line dancing!) Formidable!��

Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students. Have a great weekend!��������������

Best, David

April 3 – Good Friday (Schools Closed)

April 14 – School Committee Meeting

April 20-24 – April Break (Schools Closed)

May 5 – School Committee Meeting

Graduate credit courses offered through the Albion Center at Idaho State University will no longer be accepted for credit by С����Ƶ. This decision follows a recent message from the Massachusetts School Superintendents’ Association indicating that the program is under review due to concerns about the rigor of its coursework. While Idaho State University courses may still be applied toward professional development points (PDPs), they will no longer count as graduate-level credit within WPS for lane changes. Please reach out to Sandy Trach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, with any questions.

Congratulations and best wishes to these amazing WPS teachers who will be running the Boston Marathon this month!

Have we missed any teachers or staff members? If so, please share with Allison DiRenzo at��direnzoa@wellesleyps.org��for inclusion in a future Bulletin

As we look toward the next school year, the district will be transitioning from Zoom to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform for general staff use. This shift, which will take effect this summer, allows us to be more fiscally responsible by fully utilizing our Google Education Plus license. In addition, Google Meet now offers several helpful new features, including Adaptive Audio, which eliminates echo when multiple staff members join a meeting from the same room, live translated captions in over 65 languages, and a picture-in-picture mode that allows the user to view the Meet and relevant documents at the same time.

This change won’t happen until this summer, which will give everyone the remainder of the school year to explore the platform and receive assistance from the Tech Dept. Please visit the����to submit a Help Desk ticket or to find a member of the department assigned to your building.

In August 2026, there will be a three-week gap between pay periods. This occurs periodically due to how the school and payroll calendars align.

��

To help ensure a smooth transition through this period, we are sharing this notice well in advance so that all employees can plan accordingly. Staff may wish to set aside funds during the year to help cover personal expenses during this short gap.

��

Below is a summary of the upcoming schedule for the 2025–2026 school year:

��

No paychecks will be issued between August 17 and September 8, 2026.

��

If you have any questions about your individual pay schedule, please contact the Payroll Office for assistance.

The MTRS has many members who��do not��have a beneficiary on file. This Spring, these members will receive either an email or a mailed letter (if no email address on file) asking them to designate a beneficiary.

To designate or change a beneficiary, members must sign and mail the����to our Main Office.

If MTRS members have questions, please email��annstmt@trb.state.ma.us.

Children of Unit A and B members residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend С����Ƶ without charge for tuition on a space available basis��(Article 14 WEA Unit A, Article 13 WEA Unit B).

March 6:����Interested eligible staff members may submit a��letter of intent using the����online.��

May 1:����All applications are due to the District Registrar,��late applications will not be accepted.

The district will review all��applications��in May and school placement decisions will be made in June. Placement decisions are made based on available space and staff will be notified of their school when decisions have been made.��Once notified of a determination, applicants will be provided with access to the online registration forms.��Registration of students is not completed until all forms have been received and approved by the District Registrar and Nurse.

If there are any questions, please reach out to the District Registrar, at��registrar@wellesleyps.org.��

A survey will be sent out in mid-March to confirm currently enrolled faculty children will be returning in school year��2026-27.

For enrollment of younger faculty children, please contact Isabel Cashman��cashmani@wellesleyps.org��for PAWS Preschool, or Heidi Marquedant��marquedanth@wellesleyps.org��for the WHS Child Lab Program. Enrollment in Child Lab typically opens in the fall.

Preparation courses to review core material covered in the designated MTEL

Asynchronous and Hybrid options

1 undergraduate credit per course for $297

Register by May 1, 2026,

The Town of Wellesley offers an��Employee��Assistance��Program��(EAP) to support employees and their families.����Effective July 1, 2025, CMG Associates is the new��EAP��provider (see��).��Employees may want to access the��EAP��because of emotional difficulties, life stress, family difficulties, concerns about substance abuse or��other addictive behavior, legal or financial problems, or other personal issues.��The��EAP��is completely free,��confidential, and available at all times (day or night, weekdays, weekends, and holidays).��Employees may call CMG Associates at 888-851-7032, or they may visit��, click on the link entitled��EAP��Log-In, and use the User ID: WELL.

��

May make changes throughout the year through the company.

Work directly through US Omni and the SMART Plan.

Email��AskHR@Wellesleyps.org.��The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.����

For all Internal Job Postings, please��go to “” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.��