Dear Families,��

Welcome to the last newsletter for the SY 2025-2026.�� I want to thank everyone for their contributions towards making this such a successful year at Wellesley High School. In any given year there are many challenges and many successes, but when we work together as a community we can have more of the latter.

Thank you to all our faculty and staff for working to support our students academically and beyond. Thank you to all the families who did a million things this year to make sure your kids had what they needed to show up and learn here.�� I appreciate being a part of a community that cares so much about the education of its children.��

Finally, thanks to the kids. High School is not an easy time, even though there is a lot of joy that is possible here.��

��I actually hope many of you don’t even see this letter because you’re off on your next adventures, but we have included some important information below in case you need it.��

Please take a moment to share your perspectives about ParentSquare and the district website using . It should take about 5 – 7 minutes to complete.

All feedback will be reviewed as part of the upcoming website redesign and to make improvements in how ParentSquare is used by the schools and district.

Congratulations on your graduation! We wish you incredible success in all your future endeavors.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

If your child has medication in the Health Office, they should pick up their medication at the end of their school day on their last day of finals.

Please call us if you have any questions.

Thanks and best wishes for a healthy and restful summer!

Anne, Krisann and Pam

Wellesley High School Nurses

781-446-6210 , x4503, x4610, x4611

Save the date! We are excited to announce that Homecoming Weekend will take place on October 16–17 this fall. Students, families, alumni, and community members are invited to join us for a weekend filled with school spirit, special events, and opportunities to reconnect.

The festivities will begin Friday evening with our annual Homecoming football game under the lights at Darcey Field. On Saturday, the celebration continues with Raiders Day at Hunnewell Fields from 11-2, where we welcome families and children of all ages to join us for a day of fun and games!

Lastly, we will have the Homecoming Dance for WHS students that evening.

Additional details to follow – Let’s go, Raiders!

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend, Ella Wigren ’27

Thanks for again for a great year. I hope you all have a summer filled with relaxation, adventure, and growth.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

Welcome to the end of the last Friday of the school year.��Today was the last day of regular classes for the 9-11th graders, as next week starts our finals.��Each color block will meet next week for a full two hours.��Some of those blocks will be in the morning and others will be in the afternoon. Please consult the schedule below to know when your child needs to be at their final.��

My advice for finals is for students to take them seriously, and to get their rest before the week. They’re important and they could impact students’ final grades, however they are not worth so much that students should lose sleep over them this week.��If you want to know the percentage value of a specific exam please consult that course syllabus.��Students are encouraged to reach out to their teachers beforehand if they have questions.����

Wellesley Media will be broadcasting our Graduation Ceremony throughout the month of June 2026. Please visit the or

The weather was warm and sunny, the stands were packed, and it was a beautiful evening for a graduation ceremony. We recognize all of Wellesley High School Class of 2026 for their hard work, energy, passion, and lasting contributions to WHS.��

Special congratulations for these honors:��

Congratulations on your graduation! We wish you incredible success in all your future endeavors.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

If your child has medication in the Health Office, they should pick up their medication at the end of their school day on their last day of finals.

Please call us if you have any questions.

Thanks and best wishes for a healthy and restful summer!

Anne, Krisann and Pam

Wellesley High School Nurses

781-446-6210 , x4503, x4610, x4611

8th graders ( our rising Freshmen ) are holding a surplus school supply drive at WMS and WHS from Monday June 8th to Wednesday June 17th. All supplies we receive will be donated to schools in Lawrence and Lowell. They’re asking for any new or gently used school supplies that are left over from this school year.

The goal is to eliminate the stress and reduce the cost of necessary school supplies. It is important that all students throughout the state feel that they have all the resources they need to have a successful learning environment.

Please consider donating any of the extra school supplies you may have to help make the classroom an equal experience for all.

The Donation Box is located in front of the WHS Main Office – Thank You!

Save the date! We are excited to announce that Homecoming Weekend will take place on October 16–17 this fall. Students, families, alumni, and community members are invited to join us for a weekend filled with school spirit, special events, and opportunities to reconnect.

The festivities will begin Friday evening with our annual Homecoming football game under the lights at Darcey Field. On Saturday, the celebration continues with Raiders Day at Hunnewell Fields from 11-2, where we welcome families and children of all ages to join us for a day of fun and games!

Lastly, we will have the Homecoming Dance for WHS students that evening.

Additional details to follow – Let’s go, Raiders!

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend, Ella Wigren ’27

Please don’t forget we will be observing the Juneteenth holiday on next Friday the 19th of June to commemorate the exact date U.S. Army General Gordon Granger announced all the slaves in Texas had been freed in 1865.��

I hope everyone has a great weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,

I wanted to write this afternoon to make sure everyone knew about the fact that because of circumstance, we will not be offering the Evolutions program at Wellesley High School this fall.��

Since some of you might not know the history of the program I will provide a little context.�� Thirteen years ago I was an assistant principal at Wellesley High School and we were in a place where we were very worried about our students. �� As a school we worried about the mental health of our kids who were telling us they wanted more from their school. We started our Bridge program to help students transition back to the high school after a long term absence. We designed our new High School building to have three houses to keep a better eye on kids than two. We launched an advisory program to keep an eye on our kids every day.�� We created the ERP program to give kids more places to connect without the pressure of a varsity sport or a high commitment club.�� And, I stole the idea of Evolutions from The Island School and a program at Concord-Carlisle High School called Rivers and Revolutions.�� I got the idea when a student of mine who had struggled from a semester at the Island School as a changed young man.�� When I asked him what the difference was, he looked at me and bluntly said, “I found out I was smart”.�� That was all I needed to hear.�� I knew we had to create something new at Wellesley High School. The goal of that work from the beginning was to create a program where students could learn in ways that would feel relevant to them. �� We would focus on skills and integration of knowledge and we would give kids more voice and choice in their learning.�� We would connect their learning to a community within the program and push them out of their comfort zones by creating partnerships with the Town of Wellesley and beyond.�� We would do everything we could to create learning experiences for kids that were valuable and meaningful.�� The Evolutions team did all of that and more and we still have this need at Wellesley High School.��

I am so proud of all the teachers who did that for hundreds of students over the past 11 years.��In full disclosure, during the 2022 school year one of those students was my own daughter who thrived in the program and credits her current success to lessons she learned while a student in Evolutions.��Losing this program is deeply personal to me.��Thank you to Thom Henes, Craig Brown, Emily Giddings, Larry Lovett,��Brian Corey, Christine Derosiers, Alice Liao, Crystal Bartels and Mindy Hoge who all taught in the program.����

And yet, as we looked at the budget numbers for this year we saw we had a crisis.��We simply could not ignore that the numbers had been declining.��We heard from our alumni and parents this winter about the value this program adds to our school and yet when we tried to be responsive in our annual recruitment push, the student requests for this year landed at 12.��Please know we wanted to run the program to keep it alive for these kids and the future.��We had strong plans to do this and when we realized the team itself was not going to be able to be the same, the hill just got too high to climb.��We had no choice but to make this decision right now.��

Our hope is that we can rework, rebrand, and relaunch Evolutions in the years to come.��We may be asking for your help to figure out how the program, which was always designed to change, should change now.��This year away will hopefully give us time to figure out the right next move for the students of Wellesley High School.��

Congratulations to all the Seniors and their families on your upcoming graduation!��After all of the festivities, consider donating your gown for reuse for next year.��Doing so helps cut down on the production of single-use graduation regalia, and you’ll pay it forward for another graduate.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! We wish you incredible success in all your future endeavors. Before you head off to your next chapter, please review these important technology wrap-up steps to ensure a smooth transition:

SBIRT screening (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) will be conducted during 10th grade Health classes. SBIRT is a mandated screening for substance use/abuse in public schools. The screening is interview-based and takes approximately 5 minutes. All results are kept confidential and are not included in your student’s school record. The screening is completed by trained health teachers and nurses. For more detailed information see the full letter here: .

If you would like to have your child opted-out of this screening for this year, please let us know by filling out this form: .����

Ever wonder about the��books��teens are��reading?

Ever read a popular YA book and wished you had someone to discuss it with?

The librarians at Wellesley High School host a monthly��Book Club��for��parents��where we read YA��books��and discuss. If you are interested in participating please email us at��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library (in the first floor cafe/commons) at 7:30pm

to discuss by Angie Thomas (realistic fiction)

Summer read – by John Irving

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – discussing A Prayer for Owen Meany!

Any question can be emailed to��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

I hope everyone has a great weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

I’m going to start today by praising our boys lacrosse team, but maybe not the way you might think.��While our boys team has had a successful season on the field, nothing they accomplish will mean more than what they did this past Tuesday afternoon off of the field.��

Last week the Wellesley ����ֱ�� lost a wonderful man named Peter Jennings.��Peter was a member of the Wellesley High School class of 2008.��He was an All American lacrosse player, and a better young man.��He was voted the senior cup winner at his graduation by his classmates.��We remember him here with only fondness.��

When I made my way to the wake at St. Andrews on Tuesday evening I began hearing the story about how our boys lacrosse team had all gotten dressed up to come together and pay their respects to a man they had never met.��Our seniors would have been born the year Peter graduated from Wellesley High.��When I got to greet the family they told me how much it meant to them that the boys had come. Other attendees told me I should be so proud of them.��I’m writing to you this evening to tell you I am so proud of them and their coaches.��

I am so proud of our boys for bringing kindness to some really good people who needed just that. I’m writing tonight so we can all reflect on the power of doing things for our community. I also write because it is a wonderful example of how amazing our adolescents can be. When people tell me they don’t understand how I have spent my adult life working with teenagers, I tell them they don’t understand how amazing our kids can be.��Certainly, I know there are many other examples of our kids doing good in our community and beyond.��I just thought I’d lift up this one tonight.��

Please review our with important information for all attendees

The ceremony takes place on Hunnewell Field located across from Wellesley High School, 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA.��There is seating on the bleachers (both sides) to accommodate hundreds of people, and all are welcome to attend.��If you have a family member unable to climb the stairs of the bleachers and may need accessible seating, please call your student’s house office and speak to the house secretary by June 3, as we have a section of chairs on the field reserved for those who need accommodations.

In the case of inclement weather, WHS will make a decision on Friday morning, June 5th, as to whether to hold the graduation ceremony indoors at WHS.��Class of 2026 parents and students will be notified via ParentSquare email, and alerts will be posted on the WHS Homepage website as well as through WHS social media.��The event will also be simulcast LIVE on a dedicated online platform, and we will publish that information if needed prior to the ceremony. Tickets and information for indoor seating will be included in student’s cap & gown packages.

Congratulations to all the Seniors and their families on your upcoming graduation!��After all of the festivities, consider donating your gown for reuse for next year.��Doing so helps cut down on the production of single-use graduation regalia, and you’ll pay it forward for another graduate.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! We wish you incredible success in all your future endeavors. Before you head off to your next chapter, please review these important technology wrap-up steps to ensure a smooth transition:

The Evolutions Capstone Expo will be Monday, June 1st at 6pm in the WHS Courtyard – come see Gen 11’s self-driven projects and talk to them about their learning process. Event is open to the community.

To help get you interested, talk to Mason from Getting Smart about some of the projects they worked on this year and their Evolutions experience.��

The Athenaeum put together a wonderful visit for our students, including setting up a special collection of primary sources for them to handle and interact with. These included original documents, letters and journals from the seventeen and eighteen hundreds.����

As we headed back to Wellesley, our students told us that it was better than they expected and that they were really interested in the materials they had the opportunity to see and work with.��They also got excited about the physical spaces in the Athenaeum, particularly our tour of The Drum, the self-contained, metal lined space where the stacks of books are kept, and the old card catalog – something that they had never seen before, much less worked with.

We appreciate the generosity of our WHS PTSO, whose support allowed this memorable visit to happen.

9th grade students will be taking the STE portion of the MCAS exam next week.��

Session 1: Tuesday, June 2nd at 7:45AM – 3rd floor

Session 2: Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:45AM – 3rd floor

Room assignments will be posted outside of Perrin house office by Monday morning.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:��

If you have any questions, please contact your guidance counselor or Jen Culver, WHS Testing Coordinator.

SBIRT screening (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) will be conducted during 10th grade Health classes. SBIRT is a mandated screening for substance use/abuse in public schools. The screening is interview-based and takes approximately 5 minutes. All results are kept confidential and are not included in your student’s school record. The screening is completed by trained health teachers and nurses. For more detailed information see the full letter here: .

If you would like to have your child opted-out of this screening for this year, please let us know by filling out this form: .����

Ever wonder about the��books��teens are��reading?

Ever read a popular YA book and wished you had someone to discuss it with?

The librarians at Wellesley High School host a monthly��Book Club��for��parents��where we read YA��books��and discuss. If you are interested in participating please email us at��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library (in the first floor cafe/commons) at 7:30pm

to discuss by Angie Thomas (realistic fiction)

Summer read – by John Irving

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – discussing A Prayer for Owen Meany!

Any question can be emailed to��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Today marked the last day of classes for the seniors of the class of 2026. As is our tradition, the afternoon was reserved for “Color Wars” which is a giant field day for the entire class on the Hunnewell fields.�� It was a fantastic event with tremendous energy and enthusiasm.�� After working so hard for so many years it was great to see our kids, yes they’re still kids for at least another week, playing.�� A huge thank you to our class officers, Mr. Collin Shattuck, and our parent volunteers who helped us pull off all the organization of the day.�� I hope you enjoy the pictures.��

I’ve also included some pictures from the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation awards ceremony on Wednesday night.��I want to thank WSF for all their work and generosity.��For 76 years that organization has raised money to help fund post secondary education for the students of Wellesley High School.��They do so without a lot of fanfare, but they certainly deserve our ongoing gratitude.��

I hope everyone has a great weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

I’m sorry I’m writing this on Saturday morning instead of last night, but we had to get things rolling for our Junior Boat Cruise fairly early to get through traffic to the dock.�� It was a little chili on the upper deck last night but the kids had a lot of fun and they were really well behaved.�� We got some very nice compliments from the Odyssey staff on how great they were.�� I’m really proud of them.��

This week saw the end of our daily AP testing. There are still some makeups that will happen soon, but for the students who took those exams it was a long and arduous year to get to this point. I know our underclass students have more time remaining than our seniors, but this moment is a good one to pause and take stock of getting this far.��

A reminder that our 10th graders will be taking the Math MCAS on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we will have a special schedule. Please see that below.��

Today I need to report to you all 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.��

If you have guests attending the Graduation Ceremony on Friday, June 5th that require accessible seating, please email Andrea Ridge (ridgea@wellesleyps.org) no later than Friday, May 22nd, 2026.������

Please provide the following information:

You’re warmly invited to our final exhibition of the year, featuring work from all of our WHS Ceramics Intensive students.

All are welcome, and we hope you can join us. Additional details can be found on the postcard below.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! We wish you incredible success in all your future endeavors. Before you head off to your next chapter, please review these important technology wrap-up steps to ensure a smooth transition:

Ever wonder about the��books��teens are��reading?

Ever read a popular YA book and wished you had someone to discuss it with?

The librarians at Wellesley High School host a monthly��Book Club��for��parents��where we read YA��books��and discuss. If you are interested in participating please email us at��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library (in the first floor cafe/commons) at 7:30pm

to discuss by Angie Thomas (realistic fiction)

Summer read – by John Irving

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – discussing A Prayer for Owen Meany!

Any question can be emailed to��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Please see the recently updated����for Spring events and information.

Our list of clubs and enrichment programs for 2025-2026 has recently been updated.

To print your own copy or access the list, see����on the WHS website.��

I did want to mention how thankful I am for how well the students and staff handled the Canvas hacking disruption.�� It was a quick pivot and it took some creative workarounds to keep working. It was frustrating to not be able to access all the materials we had stored on Canvas, but the teachers and students managed to make the best of the moment and carry on.�� It wasn’t as easy as it may have looked from the outside.��

As the weather heats up next week it will start to feel like summer even though there is still a solid month to go for our underclass students.�� Hang in there everyone. We can do this, but we’ve still got some work left to do.��

Enjoy the weekend.��

Best,��Jamie

Dear Families,��

I’m going to start by reposting a letter from Adam Steiner, the WPS Director of Technology, and me about the Nationwide Canvas hack:

__________________________________________________________________________

��

Dear Members of the WHS ����ֱ��,

Based on advice this morning from the attorneys of the , the district has made the decision to disable the Canvas learning management system until the platform’s security can be confirmed and our student data is secure. As you know, Canvas has been hit with a significant cyber attack, and the SDPA is still in the process of evaluating the security of the platform.��

At this time, we do not know when Canvas will be safe to reactivate for WHS. We know this is extremely disruptive to our students and teachers and WHS is working now to develop alternate ways to share content and collect work from students. Solutions will be specific to each class. For AP classes, we are looking for ways to help teachers move test prep materials to another platform to share with students.

The WPS technology department will continue to monitor the situation and keep our WHS community up to date. We apologize for this disruption and will work to support our students and teachers until it can be resolved.

Sincerely,

Dr. Adam Steiner, Director of Educational Technology

Dr. Jamie Chisum, WHS Principal

__________________________________________________________________________

I have no additional update for you all this evening, but we will surely be in touch with you all as soon as possible when we have relevant information.��

We’re a week into May and the testing season is off and running.�� We had a full week of AP exams and we have several more before we hold our Math MCAS tests. �� Next Thursday also marks the midterm of Q4 for the underclass students (senior midterm for Q4 was LAST Thursday, April 30th). �� Please check in with your kids to see how they are doing with all this and the many other school events that go on this month. Let us know if we can partner with you on anything.��

The WHS 2026��Senior Prom��will be held on��June 1st��from 6:00-9:00PM at the��,��60 State Street in Boston. There will be a DJ, photographer, food, and much more.

Secure your spot today! Early ticket sales directly fund our venue deposit and help us get an accurate guest count. Tickets can be purchased on RecTrac through��.��Ticket sales end Friday May 15th at 11:59pm.

To receive financial aid for your ticket purchase, please contact your house office or Mr. Shattuck at��shattuckc@wellesleyps.org.

If you would like to invite a guest to the senior prom who is not a WHS student, please pick up a Guest Application from the Perrin House on the third floor. The form needs to be completed by an administrator from the school that your guest attends. All forms must be returned to Mr. Shattuck in Perrin House by Friday, May 15th. If you have not submitted your form by then, your guest will not be permitted to attend the event.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the class officers listed below. We can’t wait to see you all there!

Sincerely,

Sophia Pavano (26pavanos@wpsraiders.org), Mimi Vella (26vellan@wpsraiders.org), Sami Juma (26jumas@wpsraiders.org), and Cam Lynch (26lynchc@wpsraiders.org)

If you have guests attending the Graduation Ceremony on Friday, June 5th that require accessible seating, please email Andrea Ridge (ridgea@wellesleyps.org) no later than Friday, May 22nd, 2026.������

Please provide the following information:

Dr. Kevin McDonald, WHS Choral Director, has been awarded the CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence, honoring 30 extraordinary educators across 12 states who are using the power of music to transform lives.��The program leverages the reach and influence of Country Music to elevate music education across the U.S., shining a national spotlight on the teachers building stronger, more well-rounded young people every day.��By partnering with music industry leaders and like-minded organizations, the CMA Foundation directs research-informed funding where it makes the greatest impact—empowering teachers through professional development, equipping classrooms with essential resources, and creating life-changing opportunities for students who might not otherwise have them.��

This year’s honorees represent 12 states and work across every corner of music education, from choir and band to orchestra, percussion, piano, and fine arts. Selected through a rigorous application process that considers instructional excellence, innovation in the classroom, and a demonstrated commitment to leadership, collaboration, and student success, each honoree receives a cash award to be used for their classroom or program. Honorees plan to direct their stipends toward new instruments, recording equipment, sheet music, guest composers, after-school clubs, and student scholarships, among other needs.

“Music Teachers of Excellence was built on the belief that our industry has a responsibility to invest in the people building the pipeline of music lovers, artists, and fans for generations to come. This milestone year isn’t just a celebration of these remarkable educators. It’s a celebration of the legacy we have built together, and a reminder of how much more we can do when the music industry unites around a shared cause.” CMA Foundation Director

Congratulations Kevin for being recognized as a transformative educator shaping the next generation through music.

You’re warmly invited to our final exhibition of the year, featuring work from all of our WHS Ceramics Intensive students.

All are welcome, and we hope you can join us. Additional details can be found on the postcard below.

WHS Rock Band will be providing the entertainment for an amazing fundraiser right here in town.����

This is an incredible organization, and Rock Band is truly honored to have been invited to play.

Please purchase your tickets to attend at the

And don’t miss the WHS Rock Band In The Little Theatre tonight!

AP Exams will take place from��Monday, May 4th through Friday, May 15th:

Registered AP exam students:��

Thank You,

Jennifer Culver | Testing & SSD Coordinator | culverj@wellesleyps.org

Wellesley High School students are invited to attend the upcoming Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives��Spring Leadership Forum—a great opportunity to connect with student leaders from across the state, build leadership skills, and make your voice heard.

We hope to see you on��Saturday May 16th, 2026 from 8:30 to 3:30��at��The Atrium at Mass Bay ����ֱ�� College��located on��50 Oakland St. Wellesley Hills, MA. This event will feature engaging discussions, interactive workshops, and the chance to collaborate with other motivated students who are passionate about making a difference in their schools and communities.��

Spots are limited, so be sure to register as soon as possible to secure your place.��Register��!

The MASR brings unparalleled benefits to Student Representatives on School Committees all across Massachusetts, includng:

The Office of Congressman Auchincloss is hosting a��Virtual��Service��Academy��Night��on��Tuesday, May 12th��from��6:15-7:30pm. This is an opportunity for high school students in grades 9-11 to learn more about the application process for five United States��Service��Academies: West Point, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marines, and Coast Guard.

��

During the��Academy��Night, students will get to hear��from��Congressman��Auchincloss’ staff about the Congressional nomination process required for four of the five service��academies (Coast Guard��Academy��does not require a Congressional nomination). We will also be joined by representatives��from��each of the��service��academies to hear about the individual schools’ application processes.

��

Pre-registration for the webinar is required. Students and parents may register for the webinar at this��.

��

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Outreach Director directly at Catarina.Pereira@mail.house.gov��or by phone at (617) 332-3333.

We have noticed a significant increase in students ordering food and beverages to the campus from outside food delivery services (UberEats, DoorDash, etc.) during the school day, which has created a few safety and instructional concerns.

To ensure our school remains a secure environment, please review the following points:

We appreciate your partnership in helping our students make choices that prioritize their safety and education.

Ever wonder about the��books��teens are��reading?

Ever read a popular YA book and wished you had someone to discuss it with?

The librarians at Wellesley High School host a monthly��Book Club��for��parents��where we read YA��books��and discuss. If you are interested in participating please email us at��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

June 9 –����by Angie Thomas (realistic fiction)

Summer read – TBD

Any question can be emailed to��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Please see the recently updated����for Spring events and information.

Our list of clubs and enrichment programs for 2025-2026 has recently been updated.

To print your own copy or access the list, see����on the WHS website.��

I’m glad we have some nice weather for our 10th graders at Elm Bank’s Carriage House tonight for their end of year semi-formal.��It is such a beautiful venue.��If you are picking up please remember to be on time as the staff has to stay until all the kids are gone.��I’m looking forward to a good night with them.��

A happy mother’s day to all the mothers out there!��For all you students out there reading this newsletter, please consider doing something nice to honor yours.��

��A huge thank you to all of you who sent cards and notes to our teachers during Teacher Appreciation week this week.��If you didn’t get the chance, I’m sure they’d happily hear from you in the coming weeks as well.��

Have a great weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

It doesn’t feel at all like this is the end of the week after a vacation. We’ve certainly arrived in May, if only just barely. Of course this is the time of year when we find ourselves fitting so many things in before the end of the year.��

Tomorrow morning is SAT’s, Monday kicks off roughly three weeks of AP testing, and later in the month our 10th graders will have two days of MCAS math testing.��In June we’ll switch to 9th grade Science MCAS before finishing with final exams.��If all that weren’t enough, tonight’s 9th grade semi-formal here at the high school kicks off a myriad of other dances, proms, boat cruises, banquets, awards ceremonies and, of course, our graduation on June 5th.��

That’s a lot and your students are very likely to feel the volume and pace of it all as they work their way through it.��Lots of times we describe to you how important it is for adolescents to become independent by working through challenges on their own. That will always be true and, given what I described above, I’d encourage you to keep an eye out and check in on them during the next few weeks.��If it helps, tell them I told you to ask.��

I understand that our seniors have begun to play a very unofficial game of “senior squirt”.��I appreciate that they have set up the rules for their game so no one can get squirted in our building.��What we have not appreciated is that the students are bringing scooters wherever they go because a person is deemed safe if they are on one.��Having the scooters in our building has become unsafe with many students riding down the hallways.��If you come to school with one we will confiscate it until the end of the day.��

To be clear, the reason schools do not condone “senior squirt” is because over the years and at schools across the country, it has led to far more injuries than is worth it.��We want nothing more than to see all of you stay safe.��

�±������������’s (HRS), which has been so supportive of our district this week, will be conducting a grief support circle for the WPS community on Thursday May 7 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Hardy cafeteria.

The goal is to provide a safe, validating space for our grieving parents, caregivers, staff, and community members.�� so facilitators can plan for the session.

AP Exams will take place from��Monday, May 4th through Friday, May 15th:

Registered AP exam students:��

Thank You,

Jennifer Culver | Testing & SSD Coordinator | culverj@wellesleyps.org

Hello Juniors – it is already May and the biggest event of junior year is in two weeks!

Get your tickets right now to join your classmates for a beautiful sunset cruise featuring catered food, music, dancing, and stunning views of Boston. Tickets are $115, so visit the����as soon as possible!

Remember, the Boat Cruise will take place on Friday, May 15th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Please see the����from three of the junior class officers to hear more about this event.

Best regards,��

The Class Officers of ’27

Wellesley High School students are invited to attend the upcoming Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives��Spring Leadership Forum—a great opportunity to connect with student leaders from across the state, build leadership skills, and make your voice heard.

We hope to see you on��Saturday May 16th, 2026 from 8:30 to 3:30��at��The Atrium at Mass Bay ����ֱ�� College��located on��50 Oakland St. Wellesley Hills, MA. This event will feature engaging discussions, interactive workshops, and the chance to collaborate with other motivated students who are passionate about making a difference in their schools and communities.��

Spots are limited, so be sure to register as soon as possible to secure your place.��Register��!

The MASR brings unparalleled benefits to Student Representatives on School Committees all across Massachusetts, includng:

The Office of Congressman Auchincloss is hosting a��Virtual��Service��Academy��Night��on��Tuesday, May 12th��from��6:15-7:30pm. This is an opportunity for high school students in grades 9-11 to learn more about the application process for five United States��Service��Academies: West Point, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marines, and Coast Guard.

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During the��Academy��Night, students will get to hear��from��Congressman��Auchincloss’ staff about the Congressional nomination process required for four of the five service��academies (Coast Guard��Academy��does not require a Congressional nomination). We will also be joined by representatives��from��each of the��service��academies to hear about the individual schools’ application processes.

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Pre-registration for the webinar is required. Students and parents may register for the webinar at this��.

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If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Outreach Director directly at Catarina.Pereira@mail.house.gov��or by phone at (617) 332-3333.

We have noticed a significant increase in students ordering food and beverages to the campus from outside food delivery services (UberEats, DoorDash, etc.) during the school day, which has created a few safety and instructional concerns.

To ensure our school remains a secure environment, please review the following points:

We appreciate your partnership in helping our students make choices that prioritize their safety and education.

Ever wonder about the��books��teens are��reading?

Ever read a popular YA book and wished you had someone to discuss it with?

The librarians at Wellesley High School host a monthly��Book Club��for��parents��where we read YA��books��and discuss. If you are interested in participating please email us at��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

at the��Wellesley Free Library (in the first floor cafe/commons)

at��7:30pm

to discuss��by Gary D. Schmidt (middle grade novel)

June 9 –����by Angie Thomas (realistic fiction)

Summer read – TBD

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – TBD

The Wellesley Free Library will have copies available for check out.

Any question can be emailed to��whslibrary-group@wellesleyps.org

Please see the recently updated����for Spring events and information.

Our list of clubs and enrichment programs for 2025-2026 has recently been updated.

To print your own copy or access the list, see����on the WHS website.��

I want to thank all the families and staff who have worked so hard to keep an eye on our kids and our community this week.�� We are such a community of doers inside and outside of Wellesley High School. Our hearts continue to go out to communities of PAWS, Hardy and Schofield and anyone else who loves goodness.�� Our hearts will be with them for a long time and I know so many people have talked to me about what could we possibly do to help. I certainly don’t have a perfect answer for that, but on Wednesday the Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole suggested to the congregation that putting your kindness out in the world might be the best response.��

I wish you all a peaceful and restful weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie