Dear Families,��

Congratulations on making it to our April break. This has been a long stretch for the students and the staff, so I know they really need this time. Thanks for supporting them all to get to this point.��

Below is a new Unexcused Tardy to Class policy that was passed by the School Council after a couple of months of discussion across the various stakeholders.�� We think it is a pretty reasonable and hopefully clear practice that we hope will curb what we have been noticing here at school.�� If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your house Assistant Principals who can talk you through it.��

Here’s the wording of the new policy for next school year. I will write about this again in my summer letter to remind everyone.��

If a student is late by less than half of any class or advisory without an approved excuse, they will be marked as unexcused tardy.��

If a student has five unexcused tardies in a quarter, the following procedures will be enacted:

5 Total Tardies: Student meets with AP for initial discussion about punctuality expectations and potential solutions

10 Total Tardies: Student receives a detention and parents/caregivers are notified

15 Total Tardies: Student receives Saturday Detention or additional detentions and parents/caregivers are notified

All student attendance information can be accessed by parents/caregivers via Powerschool.

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.

Hello Class of 2027! This is a reminder that the boat cruise ticket price will increase to $115 at��midnight on Friday, 4/17. Buy your tickets now before the price goes up!��

Join your fellow Class of 2027 students for an unforgettable sunset cruise on Friday,��May 15th, complete with delicious food, music, and dancing… all for the discounted price of $95 until midnight Friday, April��17th. Where��this special rate increases to $115!��

So make sure to grab your cheaper tickets soon from the��! As you won’t want to miss this exciting highlight of junior year!��

Best regards,��

The Class Officers of ’27

Nate Cody, along with his team “Running For A Cure”, raised a remarkable $102,514 for the Blood Cancer United mission – earning him and his team the title of Runner Up! Nate worked so hard with his team by reaching out to friends and family members to secure donations for his campaign and raise awareness for Blood Cancer United’s mission- a world without blood cancer.��This team, along with 17 other teams across New England, collectively raised $842,996.��

Student Visionaries of the Year is a national seven-week challenge through which high school student leaders raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. The funds raised benefit their mission; to cure blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.��

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This is truly an elite competition and we count ourselves lucky to have Nate, leading Team “Running For A Cure”, as part of this campaign to represent Wellesley High School. Here are photos from the night of the Gala last month when the group was together celebrating.

A HUGE congratulations to WHS junior, Kaya Charoensiddhi, who was awarded the Grand Prize at the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair that was held at the DCU Center in Worcester on April��9th.��

As the Grand Prize winner, Kaya has been delegated to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which will be held in Phoenix, Arizona from May 9-15, 20

This past Saturday, Wellesley High School hosted the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators’ (MAJE) Combos and Choirs festival. Students in our WHS Jazz Combo and our Jazz Choir, the Rice Street Singers participated��in the festival along with 11 combos and 3 choirs from neighboring school districts.

Many students and staff volunteered their time to ensure the festival ran smoothly. We thank the student volunteers along with Mr. Scott, Dr. McDonald, Mr Weirick, and Mr. LeDoux.��

We are excited to report that the Jazz Combo received a silver medal, and the Rice Street Singers were awarded the prestigious gold medal! This is the 16th consecutive gold medal for Rice St., and they are now invited to perform at the MAJE Gold Medal Showcase at Boston’s famous Hatch Memorial Shell on May 3rd.��

Congratulations to all the students and staff involved!

Hi Students and Families,

We hope you all are doing well. On Friday, May 1st from 7-9 pm, the class of 2029 will be hosting the 9th grade semi-formal in the high school cafeteria. The theme of the dance will be A��Night��in Miami.

We are excited to host our first class dance and this will be a fun night for 9th graders where they can spend time with their friends with music. There will also be a photobooth, a DJ, and snacks. Early Bird tickets will be on sale until April 17th for $25 through��.��Students and caregivers who would like more information on how to receive financial assistance should reach out to their school counselor or Mr. Shattuck.

We hope to see you there!

Best,

2029 class officers����

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.��

The Swiss Exchange FINALLY on their way to Basel, Switzerland after experiencing a few bumps in their travels. More pictures in the next issue.

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I’m excited to report that after some long travel both our Art Trip to Japan and our Swiss exchange trip to Basel are in those places and are already enjoying the sites and the cultures.

A big thanks to all the teacher chaperones who are leading these trips.�� I know our Swiss trip had some significant delays and changes as a result of the Lufthansa strike, but sometimes that’s just part of being flexible when it comes to travel.�� Enjoy a couple of pictures above.�� I can’t wait to hear how things are going.��

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and restful vacation week.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

Happy Friday everyone. It feels amazing to know it’s over 60 degrees outside.�� I won’t go so far as to say “real spring” is here, but I do like what the weather is doing for the next few days.��

Believe it or not, this week marked the beginning of Quarter 4 here at the high school.�� This likely means different things to different grades – hang in there seniors.�� For me this week meant the earnest kickoff of hiring season.�� Today and Monday Mark Ito and I are hosting finalist days for the World Language Department Head position (grades 6-12).�� I’d love to have some of you come by to ask questions of our finalist candidate on Monday from 10:30 to 11:00 in the FDR. In the week following April Break we plan on having finalists to host for our Athletic Director candidates.�� I will let you know the times you can drop in to those sessions in next week’s note.����

I’ve always felt that every hire we do is an opportunity. Our new staff members bring new ideas, new energy, and become a new resource to help our students become the best versions of themselves. The newness of spring is not only about hiring of course.�� It is also about saying goodbye to members of our community. �� It is incredibly important that schools rightsize to fit enrollment trends in town and it is also important that as we do that we do it with a human lens that is sensitive to the people who have to move on. That can be hard on the students too of course and if you hear your children talking about this happening, please take the opportunity to check in with them.�� As always, we are here to support you if you may need it.��

This past weekend,��our instrumental ensembles participated in the Massachusetts��Instrumental & Choral Conductor’s Association’s (MICCA) Concert Festival –��an annual event that promotes high musical standards for Massachusetts student ensembles by providing them with professional adjudication, clinical workshops, and the opportunity to perform for and listen to their peers.��

I am thrilled to share that all three of our instrumental ensembles—Honors Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia, and Wind Ensemble—earned��Gold Medals��at the MICCA festival. This is the highest possible distinction awarded at the event, and it is a testament to the hours of dedication and artistry these students have poured into their music this year, as well as the unwavering commitment and talent of Steve Scott and Sergey Khanukaev.

Additionally, the��Wellesley High School Drama Society (WHSDAC)��represented our school with pride as they presented their production of��“Fire in the Hole”��at the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild (METG) State Finals. Their performance was exceptional, and the production earned special awards for Acting (Oscar Allan, Natalia Medina) and Props (Addison Kinney, LInda Zhang).��This is a testament to the countless hours of artistry these students have poured into their craft this year, as well as the visionary leadership and tireless dedication of Skylar Grossman, Jonah LeDoux, and their entire production team.

Our students represented ����ֱ�� with class and excellence at every turn. Please take a moment to congratulate these performers if you see them in the halls today!

Here are some photos!

Hi students and families,

We hope you all are doing well. On Friday, May 1st from 7-9 pm, the class of 2029 will be hosting the 9th grade semi-formal in the high school cafeteria. The theme of the dance will be A��Night��in Miami. We are excited to host our first class dance and this will be a fun night for 9th graders where they can spend time with their friends with music. There will also be a photobooth, a DJ, and snacks. Early Bird tickets will be on sale until April 17th for $25 through��.��Students and caregivers who would like more information on how to receive financial assistance should reach out to their school counselor or Mr. Shattuck.

We hope to see you there!

Best,

2029 class officers����

Join The Class of 2027 students for an unforgettable experience on the water! The junior year tradition of embarking on a beautiful sunset cruise with delicious food, music, and dancing will take place on Friday, May 15th from 6:00-9:00 PM!��Tickets for the cruise are $95 until April 17th. After this date, the price will increase to $115. Please purchase your tickets soon from the����so��you don’t miss this exciting highlight of junior year!��

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

The School Nurses in conjunction with the Fitness and Health Department will be conducting hearing, vision, height and weight screenings for 10th grade students during Health classes on April 28th and 29th. �� Please encourage your child to have their glasses/contacts with them if used routinely during the school day.����

If you wish to opt-out of this screening please fill out this .�� To read the full informational letter .

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

3/31/26 – Jumpstart to Junior Year��(7pm over Zoom)

,����(passcode: w^73ar1U)

WHS counselors will present a framework and timeline for the post-secondary process with a focus on the milestones that are particularly relevant to students looking ahead to their junior year.��

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.��

Next week we will say bon voyage to our Art Trip that is headed to Japan (I’m so jealous) and to our Swiss exchange as well (also jealous).�� These trips abroad can be some of the most meaningful moments in our students’ education experience.�� I wish that for all of them.��

Have a great weekend everyone.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

Welcome to the end of what felt like a long March week. It’s starting to feel a little like spring, but no one would call it a warm spring.��

I wanted to tell you about my Tuesday afternoon this week because I had the privilege of spending it on the Fiske elementary playground.��Through the kindness of a group of young women and the brilliance of my principal colleague Rachel McGregor at the Fiske School, a mentoring program has been established for a group of young students there.��I heard about this from Rachel and just had to go see it in action.��

Every other Tuesday a group of 4-6 Wellesley High School students make their way over to Fiske, where they mentor 12 – 15 elementary students for an hour.��Sometimes the kids stay inside the library there and play board games, or draw, or do origami. Other times they head outside to playground , where they play with their high school friends.

Now, I had forgotten the level of pent up energy a 4th or 5th grade student has at the end of a day of school, but I was quickly reminded. The elementary students were awesome and I think this hour was just what they needed.��

My eye, of course, went to the high schoolers there doing this mentoring.��They didn’t get paid and no one was giving them credit for a class being there. Maybe they get some Key Club hours, but mostly I saw their genuine desire to make sure these students had a safe and fun experience that afternoon. They knew all the students by name. They knew exactly what they would want to do with their time and they didn’t just monitor the kids while they played. What made me so proud of our high schoolers was they jumped in and played right next to the children.��They kept things under control, but they made sure it was always fun.��

When people tell me they don’t understand why I choose to spend my life with high school kids, I tell them they don’t understand how thoughtful and fun our adolescents can be.��Sure we hear stories of not so great things, but every day in this role our students remind me of all the good they can and will do. Thanks for sharing yours with us.��

As we near the end of the season we have a special Boston Marathon fundraising event to benefit Dreamfar and the Joseph Tierney Learning Center! A first of it’s kind cornhole tournament in a place that welcomes all,��.

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Bring a friend or family member to play in the tournament or just come by to celebrate! There will be inspired merch, raffle prizes and a 50/50 raffle.

Tournament style will be determined by number of teams signed up.

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Food and drink are available for purchase and non-alcoholic options are available. While this event is not 21+ it is a busy spot so folks with small children should plan ahead.

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Want to get involved and lend a hand, loan a cornhole board set, or a raffle prize? We’d love to hear from you! Just send an email��anna@dreamfarhsm.org

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We can’t wait to see you!

Anna McKeown & Emmie Laudano

All the miles,

Anna McKeown

Mentor & Executive Director

Dreamfar High School Marathon

Congratulations to the WHS Worldquest team of Grace Taylor, Devin Kiernan and Victoria Dudler, who this past Saturday won the Massachusetts state title.

What is Worldquest?��It is the nation’s premiere world affairs competition!��Students must demonstrate mastery of issues related to current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures.

Next month the WHS team will represent Massachusetts as they compete in Washington, DC for the national title.

All State:��This past weekend, WHS sent 15 students to the Massachusetts��Music Educators��Association’s��All-State Festival. This event featured over 1,000 of the top music students��from across the Commonwealth, and put them together in honors ensembles where they rehearsed challenging and inspiring repertoire with esteemed guest conductors from around the country.

Students had one day to prepare, and performed in a concert at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester the following day.

Please join the Wellesley High School Intensive Artists and faculty for their annual All Intensive Art Show onsite in the WHS Art Wing

Artwork from TV/Video, Photography, Metals, Drawing/Painting, and Ceramics will be on display beginning Wednesday, April 1.

We invite you to the Opening Reception. Refreshments will be served, and all faculty, students, and parents are welcome to attend:

Be sure to read the student artist statements and come experience the incredible work on display.

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 had a great session with about a dozen parents this past Wednesday night where I listened to their hopes for what they want in our new Athletic Director and what they hope for our Athletic Department in general.��They gave me great feedback I will use to craft interview questions when we begin that process in a couple of weeks.��

Don’t worry if you missed that session, because this coming Wednesday evening at 6 pm in the High School Faculty Dining Room there will be another session for parents to come answer the same two questions.��I hope some of you can make it. If you can’t and would still like to contribute your responses please email my assistant at malonej@wellesleyps.org.����

I am also holding two listening sessions for any student who would like to come at 2:35pm on both this coming Monday and Tuesday in the Faculty Dining Room.��I hope to see a lot of you students there.��

I hope you all have a good weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

Happy Friday of the Eid holiday today.����

Last week I wrote about the many incredible things our students were up to in the interim period between the winter and spring athletic seasons, and today we find ourselves four days into the spring athletic season already.�� Today also marks the end of winter and the first day of spring (though it doesn’t feel like it yet). Next week our 10th graders will take their ELA MCAS tests (more on that below) and this moment officially kicks off our busy testing season that includes SAT’s, APs, and two more rounds of MCAS.��

Spring means different things to our different ages of students.�� Seniors can start thinking about the existential moment of ending their public school careers. Their minds may struggle to stay focused on their academics at times, they may be working through final decisions about what they will do next year, and they can wonder about all the stories they’ve heard about “senior spring” that is filled with so many closing events.�� Our 11th graders may see all this happening for seniors, but often they find themselves having to just keep their heads down and keep their eyes focused on the task at hand.�� They feel pressure to do their best at this point in their academic career and between finishing their courses and entering testing season they may have an increased volume of responsibilities. The 10th graders have just picked their classes for junior year and they are often watching the 11th graders closely to see if they can better understand the narrative behind how daunting that year will be when it is their turn.�� Our 9th graders are no longer 9th graders really.�� They may have increased confidence socially and academically from navigating the high school for so many months already and they rarely get lost in the building now.��

When we get to this point in the year I always feel like the end of the year comes in a hurry.�� The end of the year events come in a hurry too.�� Between the extra testing, the banquets, the awards ceremonies, the celebrations and graduation the pace here feels like it increases exponentially, while all the work of our classes continues on to the end of the year.�� Today, I’m writing so that everyone can have this fresh in our minds as we begin this moment. It’s always good to check in with your student to make sure their plan for managing their schedule makes sense. It’s good to keep an eye on them to make sure they are prioritizing their rest and balancing their responsibilities.�� As much as we want our students to learn to manage their time on their own, the additional “spring things” can catch up to almost anyone.�� As always, please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help along the way.��

10th grade students will be taking the��ELA��portion of the��MCAS��exam next week.��

Session 1:��Tuesday, March 24th at 7:45AM, 4th floor

Session 2:��Wednesday, March 25th at 7:45AM, 4th floor

Room assignments will be posted outside of Phillips house office on Monday.

IMPORTANT��REMINDERS:��

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

We would like to bring your attention to a recent handbook change for the 2026-2027 school year.��Please see below for the excerpt from page 50 of the WHS Student Handbook:

AP-Advanced Placement Exams:��Three-hour tests administered in May each year at Wellesley High School for students seeking advanced standing or credit in college in certain subject areas. WHS administers AP exams for students enrolled in WHS AP courses, WHS sponsored VHS AP courses, or for any other pre-approved courses.��Self-study is allowed for 11th and 12th graders only with some��.����

This past weekend, Wellesley DECA competed at the 68th Massachusetts DECA State Career Development Conference (SCDC). We had 23 students attend and compete across a range of business and marketing events.

We are proud to announce that��six Wellesley DECA members qualified for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC)��this April in Atlanta, an improvement from last year when four students qualified. Congratulations to our qualifiers and to everyone who competed, each student put in a large amount of work to prepare.

Students competed in either��roleplay events or written/presentation events. Roleplay competitors completed a written exam and participated in two roleplay scenarios, with finalists advancing to a third round. Written competitors presented their projects to judges and presented again if they advanced to finals. All competitors represented Wellesley DECA extremely well.

A special shoutout to��Jax Choi-Undheim and Zach Nolan, who represented Wellesley DECA in the��Quiz Bowl competition. Quiz Bowl is a March-Madness–style bracket tournament of business, marketing, and DECA knowledge where teams of four compete in fast-paced trivia rounds. Jax and Zach advanced all the way to the��quarterfinals, which was an impressive accomplishment.

We would also like to thank��Ms. Bell, who supported the team throughout all three days of the conference. She helped with��coordinating logistics, helping students stay organized and on time for their events, and for making the entire trip run smoothly.

Additionally, congratulations to��Kourosh Farboodmanesh, who concluded his term as a��Massachusetts DECA State Officer��at SCDC. Over the past year, Kourosh has served more than 13,000 DECA members across the state. At the conference, he helped run the nightly ceremonies in front of thousands of attendees while also competing in his own event. His dedication and leadership have made Wellesley DECA incredibly proud.

We would also like to thank��Kian Farboodmanesh, a member of our chapter, who served as an��official photographer for the conference. Kian spent the weekend capturing photos of ceremonies and behind-the-scenes moments. We greatly appreciate all of the work he put in to document the event.

You can view the full photo collection from the conference��

For additional Wellesley-specific photos and updates, be sure to follow our Instagram��@wellesleydeca.

Congratulations again to all competitors for their hard work and dedication. We are excited to see our qualifiers represent Wellesley DECA at ICDC in April

The Wellesley High School Dramatic Arts Society’s production of “Fire in the Hole” had an incredible performance at Brockton High School this past weekend! As a result of their outstanding performance, they have officially advanced to the State Finals!

��Students earned several special recognitions and awards, including:

The finals will take place at Hancock Hall in Boston from March 26-28; WHS Performance on Friday 3/27

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR STATE FINALS AT

Greetings Class of 2026 Students and Families,��

We’re writing to share updated payment information for our upcoming 80s Dance on March 27th.��

Tickets cost $25��and can be purchased��in advance����or��at the door. Please note that Venmo is the only form of payment accepted for advance purchases, while both Venmo and cash will be accepted at the door.

We look forward to seeing you all there, The 2026 Class Officers

Parents, if you would like to help out with this event, please refer to����to contribute food and beverages! Thank you!

Hello Wellesley High School!

From Monday, March 23rd through Thursday, April 2nd, we’re holding a school-wide clothing drive to support the��organization Cradles to Crayons. This drive is part of a service mission through Project 351 and Cradles to Crayons to help combat clothing insecurity and support families in our community and beyond.��You can help by donating new or gently used clothing items and shoes, especially infant, toddler, and little kids clothing items. There will be two collection bins located just outside of the main office by the main entrance for bags of clothing items.

You can reach out to Aidan Guild with any questions at��29guilda@wpsraiders.org.��

Students have the opportunity to travel to��Galapagos��during February break 2027! It’s an amazing opportunity they will not want to miss.��Follow the link below for information and to sign up.

Please reach out to Mr. Bateman (batemank@wellesleyps.org) if you have any questions.

The Wellesley Scholarship Foundation is excited to partner with Marian Derryberry for this year’s Boston Marathon!��Marian has been a special educator at Wellesley High School for 23 years and is thrilled to be running her 11th marathon and her 1st Boston!��Knowing how meaningful the support from WSF can be for students, Marian is appreciative of any donation to this year’s marathon fundraising effort!��Please click the following link to check out her fundraising page and learn more about her running journey!����

WHS 10th Grader Nate Cody has been accepted as a candidate in Blood Cancer United’s 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.

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Student Visionaries of the Year is a national seven-week challenge through which high school student leaders raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. Last year’s New England candidates raised an amazing $1,300,000 for the mission of Blood Cancer United. This year’s campaign began on February 5th and culminates with our Grand Finale Gala on Sunday, March 29th at Granite Links in Quincy, MA.��The funds raised benefit our mission; to cure blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.��

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This is truly an elite competition and we count ourselves lucky to have Nate, leading Team “Running For A Cure”, as part of this campaign to represent Wellesley High School. Please see Nate’s fundraising link, which can be found��,

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

WHS counselors will present a framework and timeline for the post-secondary process with a focus on the milestones that are particularly relevant to students looking ahead to their junior year.����

Meeting ID: 864 3077 3862

Password: 137436

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 7 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by John Green (nonfiction)

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

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

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.��

The intervention time at the start of these days allows students who are not testing (in this case everyone but the 10th graders) to have access to any of their teachers until 10:20 in the morning.�� I do advise students to reach out to their teachers ahead of time to make sure they come at a time when their teacher has some space.�� We generally have excellent success when students plan ahead. Some of your students will be asked to come in because they owe some makeup work, they need to finish a test, or if their teacher thinks they need some more direct support on what they’re learning.�� In any case, I think it is helpful for you to help us make sure students get the most out of this opportunity as possible.��

One final topic for you today, we’ve had reports of a couple of “near misses” in the parking lot during our drop off and pick up times.�� One dangerous behavior that I’d like people to stop engaging in is letting your student off when your car is not in the lane right-hand next to the sidewalk. Having students cross a lane of potentially moving traffic is what has caused some of these close calls.�� Also, it may seem restrictive, but the speed limit at the front of the building is 5 mph.�� Adhering to that limit also helps keep everyone safe.��

I hope you all have a great start to your spring this weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

I know we’ve seen a few snow flakes flying the last couple of days, but the ground looks a whole lot greener (browner?) than it did last week at this time.��I have not yet adjusted to this time change fully myself, but I’m hopeful more days will help all of us still struggling.��

This afternoon I want to share with you a photo from something exciting that happened at Wellesley High School Wednesday evening. The Channel 5 newshow Chronicle is working on an episode that will highlight the 60th anniversary of the . They filmed two different segments here on Wednesday.��The first was the story of two young men, Clarence Bly and Teddy Komjathy, who met in their Wellesley elementary school and remain friends today in their twenties.��This segment actually is a revisitation of Clarence and Teddy’s story that Chronicle produced 10 years ago for the 50th anniversary of Metco.

The second segment was an interview with Ms. Paula Davis who was one of the original six Metco student graduates of Wellesley High School in 1968.��Paula shared stories of how Ruth Batson had actually called her mother specifically to recruit Paula into Metco.��She shared stories while she flipped pages in her yearbook.��

Paula described stories that were good and others that were not, but she was firm in her assertion that she and all her classmates would choose to do it all again. She also took a moment to praise our current students who take the ride in from Boston each day for their determination and grit. She wanted them to know it is worth it.��I honestly felt it was a privilege to be present for these two moments.��

WHS Class of 2025 Alumni Lily��Kahrl recently received her Congressional Bronze Medal.��

To qualify for this prestigious honor, Lily has performed:

At the food pantry, Lily served meals, greeted guests, and helped prepare meals, and gave a��lot��of people high fives.��

And she wore a pink jacket like Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde”��to greet Congresswoman Katherine Clark, our Representative.��

Congratulations to the Wellesley High School Science Olympiad team placed��5th overall at the Massachusetts State Tournament, held��March 7 at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Competing against��71 teams from across the state, the team earned��two gold medals, one bronze medal, and several top-six ribbons��across a wide range of STEM events.

The team’s��senior captains are Stephanie Xia, Huan Trinh, Chris Lin, and Anish Sankar, with��Mia Chung serving as junior captain, and the team is coached by��Dr. Jeff Robin.

The WHS boys Nordic ski team were league champions, and the boys and girls teams won the combined league champion award! It was a very special night with 7 Wellesley boys placing in the top ten of the league.

As shown in photo in below (clockwise): Luca Buchbinder (9th place), Leo Ventimiglia (3rd place tie), Coach Mark Jacobson, William Carroll (10th place tie), Nico Buchbinder (6th place), Parker Lee (5th place), and Wyatt Park (3rd place tie). Not pictured, Cooper Munro (7th place). Congratulations to All!

After hosting the preliminary round of the METG High School Drama Festival at Wellesley High School on Saturday, February 28th,��the Wellesley High School Dramatic Arts Society’s production of “Fire in the Hole” was selected to advance to the semi-final round. Students also earned several awards for both acting and technical work:

Students will now prepare for the Semi-Final round on Saturday, March 14th (location to be announced).

Students have the opportunity to travel to��Galapagos��during February break 2027! It’s an amazing opportunity they will not want to miss.��Follow the link below for information and to sign up.

Please reach out to Mr. Bateman (batemank@wellesleyps.org) if you have any questions.

Greetings Class of 2026 Students and Families,��

We are excited to announce this year’s 80s Dance!��

The event will take place Friday, March 27th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the high school. This dance is a beloved senior class tradition, and students are encouraged to come dressed in their best 80s attire.

ATTENTION PARENTS: We are looking for some snack and drink donations to help make the evening a success! If you would like to contribute, please sign up using the link below:

We look forward to seeing you all there,

2026 Class Officers

The Wellesley Scholarship Foundation is excited to partner with Marian Derryberry for this year’s Boston Marathon!��Marian has been a special educator at Wellesley High School for 23 years and is thrilled to be running her 11th marathon and her 1st Boston!��Knowing how meaningful the support from WSF can be for students, Marian is appreciative of any donation to this year’s marathon fundraising effort!��Please click the following link to check out her fundraising page and learn more about her running journey!����

WHS 10th Grader Nate Cody has been accepted as a candidate in Blood Cancer United’s 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.

��

Student Visionaries of the Year is a national seven-week challenge through which high school student leaders raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. Last year’s New England candidates raised an amazing $1,300,000 for the mission of Blood Cancer United. This year’s campaign began on February 5th and culminates with our Grand Finale Gala on Sunday, March 29th at Granite Links in Quincy, MA.��The funds raised benefit our mission; to cure blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.��

��

This is truly an elite competition and we count ourselves lucky to have Nate, leading Team “Running For A Cure”, as part of this campaign to represent Wellesley High School. Please see Nate’s fundraising link, which can be found��,

��

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

WHS counselors will present a framework and timeline for the post-secondary process with a focus on the milestones that are particularly relevant to students looking ahead to their junior year.����

Meeting ID: 864 3077 3862

Password: 137436

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 7 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by John Green (nonfiction)

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

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

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 know today marks the last day of our little intersession between winter and spring sports.��As much as we love our athletics, there is something nice about things slowing down a bit on that front. The kids haven’t slowed much.��We had a tremendous Acastock concert last Friday night, tonight at 7 pm our Massachusetts Theater Guild will be performing their play Fire in the Hole as they prepare for the state semi-finals tomorrow in Brockton, our Academic Decathlon team qualified for the National Championships by finishing in the top three in the state, as you can see above our Science Olympians finished 5th out of 71 teams at the all state competition, and not to be left out our Mock Trial students competed in a session at the Moakley Court House in Boston in front of real judges. They won their first match but lost the second in the quarter finals of the tournament.��It was their first loss all year!��

All four classes at the high school got to do some fun kids games when they competed in our annual Dodgeball tournament.��Some great pictures below.��

Finally, I will be sending out another separate note about this but I did want to give folks a heads up that I will be hosting some listening sessions for both students and parents (separately) so we can hear what hopes people have for a New Athletic Director and for our Athletic Department in general as we begin our search process. It is an exciting and daunting challenge, but it will be made better by the wisdom of the crowd. Those meetings will be from 6-7 pm in the Faculty Dining Room at the High School.����

If you didn’t know already, this is a busy place to be!��

Have a great weekend everyone.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,��

Happy end to the first week in March.�� Tomorrow we push the clocks forward, so this is a “short” weekend unfortunately, but I do see that the predicted temperature for Wellesley on Tuesday is 73.�� Here’s hoping for some serious melting.��

This past Wednesday was our annual Seminar Day.�� Each year on the first Wednesday in MArch we pause classes for a half day and invite guests from the community, teachers, administrators, and students to teach each other about topics they have expertise in.�� Here’s a sampling of some of our seminars this year:��

Students choose three seminars to attend that they find interesting and spend the morning learning for the sake of learning. It’s a beautiful thing. If you think you or someone you know would be willing to give a seminar that would interest our adolescents please reach out to us so we can sign you up for next year!����

After hosting the preliminary round of the METG High School Drama Festival at Wellesley High School on Saturday, February 28th,��the Wellesley High School Dramatic Arts Society’s production of “Fire in the Hole” was selected to advance to the semi-final round. Students also earned several awards for both acting and technical work:

Students will now prepare for the Semi-Final round on Saturday, March 14th (location to be announced).

The late registration and order change deadline for AP Exams is quickly approaching. All required registration steps must be completed by��Friday, March 13 at 2:30 PM.

Registration Steps

1. Join Your Class Section in��

Any questions please reach out to��Jen Culver��or��Anne North��in the Main Office.

Please visit the����for all testing information.

The Wellesley Scholarship Foundation is excited to partner with Marian Derryberry for this year’s Boston Marathon!��Marian has been a special educator at Wellesley High School for 23 years and is thrilled to be running her 11th marathon and her 1st Boston!��Knowing how meaningful the support from WSF can be for students, Marian is appreciative of any donation to this year’s marathon fundraising effort!��Please click the following link to check out her fundraising page and learn more about her running journey!����

WHS 10th Grader Nate Cody has been accepted as a candidate in Blood Cancer United’s 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.

��

Student Visionaries of the Year is a national seven-week challenge through which high school student leaders raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. Last year’s New England candidates raised an amazing $1,300,000 for the mission of Blood Cancer United. This year’s campaign began on February 5th and culminates with our Grand Finale Gala on Sunday, March 29th at Granite Links in Quincy, MA.��The funds raised benefit our mission; to cure blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.��

��

This is truly an elite competition and we count ourselves lucky to have Nate, leading Team “Running For A Cure”, as part of this campaign to represent Wellesley High School. Please see Nate’s fundraising link, which can be found��,

��

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

WHS counselors will present a framework and timeline for the post-secondary process with a focus on the milestones that are particularly relevant to students looking ahead to their junior year.����

Meeting ID: 864 3077 3862

Password: 137436

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by��Elizabeth Acevedo (novel in verse)��

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

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

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 take a moment and acknowledge that the fact that our country is involved in a war with Iran is not at all lost on our high schoolers.�� For many of them the moment is personal, and there are many reasons for that.�� I want to encourage you to have conversations with your students at home. It is important that they know you are available to talk about it.�� You don’t need to have all the answers to their questions, but our kids benefit from our willingness to grapple alongside them with these events. ��

At the high school we strive to never assume we know how any student is feeling, and we try to make ourselves available to listen if students need us.�� At a moment like this it is worth us staying in touch if any of us finds we are concerned for any of our kids.�� Please reach out to us if you think we can be of any assistance. If you’re not sure where to start, my advice is to begin with your child’s school counselor.��

I encourage all of us to never worry alone and take good care.��

Have a good weekend.��

Best, Jamie��

Dear Families,��

Welcome to the last Friday in February.��With three snow days and a week’s vacation, this shortest of months went by in what seemed like a blink of an eye.��

I hope you all made it home from any travels you had (in fact I know one family that won’t be able to get home until tomorrow!).��It’s been a long time since we’ve had so much snow we needed two days off in a row, but we fared much better than our neighbors in Southeastern Mass and Rhode Island.��I’m thankful for all our DPW workers and first responders for their tireless work so we could get on with our work once the snow was cleared.��

Just a quick note that for our underclass students the course recommendation process has started for next year already.��Teachers will finish up their meetings with their students by Monday, so many of those conversations have already taken place.��

��I want to encourage all of you to have discussions with your students about their choices.��My advice to start by asking what their thoughts are and what their conversations have been like with their teachers. You have the holistic perspective of your students so you will have to tease out the individual teacher recommendations from the entire picture of your child’s overall life schedule.��

Our counseling department always reminds our students to strive for balance so they have both the proper level of challenge with enough time remaining to still be kids.��If a student wants to really challenge themselves we encourage them to do that in areas where they have a particular interest.��We want students to consider including an elective in their schedule so they can use their brain differently and get a change of pace during the day.��We encourage students to think about their heavy times of year and consider having a directed research or free block during those quarters in our schedule.��Please know our school counselors would love to make themselves available to your families to help you with questions whenever you may need them.

The Wellesley High School Science Olympiad team competed at the Brown University Science Olympiad Invitational on February 14, 2026. Competing against nearly 50 teams from across the region, our team placed Fifth Overall and brought home a trophy.

The team is led by senior captains Huan Trinh, Stephanie Xia, Anish Sankar, and Chris Lin, along with junior captain Mia Chung. The team is coached by Dr. Jeff Robin.

Dear Parents and Students of the Class of 2027,��

Due to the recent snow days, we are excited to announce that the second round of the Class of 2027 Parking Raffle winners will now be announced on Wednesday March 4, 2026!

This raffle offers students the chance to win the second of two guaranteed parking spots throughout the upcoming school year 2026-2027, providing a convenient and reliable spot to park in. And after this past week’s weather, a guaranteed parking spot is a real game changer!

But wait … there’s more! A second name will be drawn, with the winner receiving a FREE Junior Boat Cruise ticket!��

A reminder that the ticket prices are $50 for one ticket, $135 for three tickets, and $200 for five tickets. Please note: tickets purchased for the previous round will NOT be carried over into this second round.��

Purchasing multiple tickets will increase your chances of winning! We encourage interested students and families to take advantage of this year-long parking opportunity. Please note that your ticket purchase is also a major fundraiser for The WHS Class of 2027 that will provide funds for student events thoughout this year and also through their senior year.

To enter,��please venmo: @wellesleyhigh2027,��including the student’s first and last name in the description.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our class!��

Sincerely,��Class Officers of ’27

Our annual Seminar Day is an opportunity for students to attend three 1-hour seminars��given by teachers, community��members, and students. Please see our schedule below:

We have over 60 speakers this year, and our hope is that students are able to attend seminars that they find interesting and enjoyable.

Thank you to those community members, WHS teachers and staff who are presenting at Seminar Day this year. We realize it’s an add to your already busy schedules, and the Student Congress along with all of our students greatly appreciate your time and commitment.

****��

Thank You, The WHS Student Congress

Wellesley High School Acastock will be taking place on March 6th at 7pm. This annual event is a large A Cappella concert featuring our four A Cappella groups and our special guest: Professional A Cappella group Ball in the House.��

The show will have professional sound from Clarus – the same company that provides sound for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (also the same competition you might know from the movie��Pitch Perfect.)��

Tickets are on sale now at the following link:

WHS 10th Grader Nate Cody has been accepted as a candidate in Blood Cancer United’s 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.

��

Student Visionaries of the Year is a national seven-week challenge through which high school student leaders raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. Last year’s New England candidates raised an amazing $1,300,000 for the mission of Blood Cancer United. This year’s campaign began on February 5th and culminates with our Grand Finale Gala on Sunday, March 29th at Granite Links in Quincy, MA.��The funds raised benefit our mission; to cure blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.��

��

This is truly an elite competition and we count ourselves lucky to have Nate, leading Team “Running For A Cure”, as part of this campaign to represent Wellesley High School. Please see Nate’s fundraising link, which can be found��,

��

WHS counselors will present a framework and timeline for the post-secondary process with a focus on the milestones that are particularly relevant to students looking ahead to their junior year.����

Meeting ID: 864 3077 3862

Password: 137436

����

Additional information visit:����

Students will begin meeting with teachers about course recommendations for next year after February break.��Course selection for the 26-27 school year will take place in March.

9th graders will prepare for course selection with counselors in seminar in January.��10th and 11th graders will have counseling seminar during the course selection window in March.

All meetings are from 9-10 am on Fridays in the Faculty Dining Room. Next Date: April 10

Wellesley Scholarship Foundation����is now open and closes on March 1st. Please check in with your counselor with any other post-secondary questions.

Visit the����for all your testing information throughout the year.

WHS School Counseling Department

Director: Margaret Walendin –��walendinm@wellesleyps.org

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by��Elizabeth Acevedo (novel in verse)��

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

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

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 just wanted to end with a couple of sports congratulations.��Congratulations to our Girls Alpine Ski team who finished second at the state championships this past week. It may not be the trophy they hoped for, but it was impressive to all of us!��Second, I wanted to mention the inspired play of our boys hockey team who beat Medford High School 4-1 on Tuesday night to open their playoff run.��Last night they lost an incredibly close and hard fought game against the state number 2 seed and perennial powerhouse Xavarian 4-3.��Coach Donato prepared the boys so they were both ready and unafraid. We’re proud of you guys.��

Have a great weekend and, please, no more snow.��

Best, Jamie��

Dear Families,

Happy Friday on the eve of our February vacation week.��As usually happens the week prior to a break is filled with assessments and events people need to get in before the kids go away.��If you weren’t ready for a break at the beginning of the week, you certainly are now.��

Tuesday night we had home varsity basketball games for both the girls and boys teams. It was fun to catch those games and then hop over to our annual Choral Step Up concert in the auditorium.��It was fun seeing our middle schoolers join our high school singers on stage.��Despite the rush of the week, the kids sounded fantastic and, what’s best, there were lots of smiles during and after.��Here’s a shot of the group on stage together at the end of the show.��

On Wednesday afternoon our Chinese Club, sponsored by our generous PTSO, hosted a Lunar New Year Celebration in the cafeteria. Lots of food. Lots of fun. Lots of sharing.��There were hundreds of students who stopped by the event.��Thank you to our Chinese club students for all their hard work putting this event together and for doing such a great job cleaning up!��

On Thursday night I attended the Wellesley Education Foundation event called “Making Sense of AI in Education: Understanding What Matters Most” with presenter Greg Kulowiec.��

Greg talked to about 100 parents about how this “arrival” technology can be used to help students enhance their learning and not interrupt it.��If you were wondering, “arrival” refers to this technology that we did not ask for or plan for. It just arrived back in 2023 and students and faculty have been grappling with its existence ever since.��

Greg suggested we won’t really understand the full impact of AI on education for 5-7 more years and he advised us all to spend some time learning about it as the implications grow.��

Dear Parents and Students of the Class of 2027,��

We are excited to announce that the second round of the Class of 2027 Parking Raffle has been extended to Friday February 27, 2026!

This raffle offers students the chance to win the second of two guaranteed parking spots throughout the upcoming school year, providing a convenient and reliable spot to park in.

But wait … there’s more! A second name will be drawn, with the winner receiving a FREE Junior Boat Cruise ticket!��

A reminder that the ticket prices are $50 for one ticket, $135 for three tickets, and $200 for five tickets. Please note: tickets purchased for the previous round will NOT be carried over into this second round.��

Purchasing multiple tickets increases your chances of winning, and we encourage interested students and families to participate and take advantage of this year-long parking opportunity! Not only is this a great opportunity, it is also a major fundraiser for The WHS Class of 2027 that will provide funds for events thoughout this year and senior year.

To enter,��please venmo: @wellesleyhigh2027,��including the student’s first and last name in the description.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our class!��

Sincerely,��Class Officers of ’27

Wellesley High School Acastock will be taking place on March 6th at 7pm. This is a large a cappella concert featuring our four a cappella groups and our special guest: Professional A cappella group Ball in the House.��

The show will have professional sound from Clarus – the same company that provides sound for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (also the same competition you might know from the movie��Pitch Perfect.)��

Tickets are on sale now at the following link:

Seminar day is an annual event on the first Wednesday of March in which��students, faculty, and community members can share a unique story or teach about a topic outside of our normal curriculum.

Each seminar block will be held in person for one full hour, and speakers can sign up for one, two, or all three blocks. Please note: Deadline to sign up is February 20th

Schedule for Seminar Day 2026:

Please sign up with this , and we hope to��see you there!

Please contact��baileya@wellesleyps.org,��prichardt@wellesleyps.org, or��26budson-mcquilkena@wpsraiders.org��with any questions or requests for any materials.

****��

Thank You, The WHS Student Congress

Wellesley High School Dramatic Arts Company (WHSDAC) presents its Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild (METG) One-Act entry, Fire in the Hole, by Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Schenkkan (from The Kentucky Cycle), in late February. It focuses on the conflicts in a 1920’s coal-mining town.

A FREE preview performance will be held Friday, February 27 @ 7pm at Wellesley High, followed by Q&A. Due to mature content, the show is not recommended for children under 13.

2026 METG Preliminary Round is at Wellesley High School on Saturday, February 28 and we take the stage at 1:30pm.��Click below for tickets and further info:

Come Support the 50+ students who will perform, work backstage and host the other five competing high schools!

WHS 10th Grader Nate Cody has been accepted as a candidate in Blood Cancer United’s 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.

��

Student Visionaries of the Year is a national seven-week challenge through which high school student leaders raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. Last year’s New England candidates raised an amazing $1,300,000 for the mission of Blood Cancer United. This year’s campaign began on February 5th and culminates with our Grand Finale Gala on Sunday, March 29th at Granite Links in Quincy, MA.��The funds raised benefit our mission; to cure blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.��

��

This is truly an elite competition and we count ourselves lucky to have Nate, leading Team “Running For A Cure”, as part of this campaign to represent Wellesley High School. Please see Nate’s fundraising link, which can be found��,

��

WHS counselors will present a framework and timeline for the post-secondary process with a focus on the milestones that are particularly relevant to students looking ahead to their junior year.����

Meeting ID: 864 3077 3862

Password: 137436

����

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:��.����

Additional information visit:����

Students will begin meeting with teachers about course recommendations for next year after February break.��Course selection for the 26-27 school year will take place in March.

9th graders will prepare for course selection with counselors in seminar in January.��10th and 11th graders will have counseling seminar during the course selection window in March.

All meetings are from 9-10 am on Fridays in the Faculty Dining Room. Next Date: April 10

Wellesley Scholarship Foundation����is now open and closes on March 1st. Please check in with your counselor with any other post-secondary questions.

Visit the����for all your testing information throughout the year.

WHS School Counseling Department

Director: Margaret Walendin –��walendinm@wellesleyps.org

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by��Elizabeth Acevedo (novel in verse)��

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

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

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 hope everyone has a great week and the kids have time to do some things they really enjoy.�� If you’re traveling, please be safe.�� We’ll see you on the 23rd.��

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,

Happy Friday at the end of the first week of February and the end of the first week of our 3rd quarter.��I actually wanted to write to you about something that happened last Friday evening after I sent out my weekly newsletter.����

Last Friday night I had the absolute pleasure of attending our Rock Band concert in the Little Theater.��We had a fantastic audience in attendance with lots of parents and family members coming together to enjoy the performance from the over twenty members of the Rock Band group.��If you don’t know, this group rotates in different musicians to play different instruments and different vocalists to sing different songs.��The student performers choose their own songs and they practice without direct instruction from our performing arts staff.��Of course they follow some WPS rules around safety and supervision while they are in our spaces, but largely, and appropriately to their age and genre, they operate with a lot of independence.��I have to tell you I love that independence and spirit so much.��

Developmentally adolescents have one job to do – individuate. In the past it was adolescents that coined phrases like, “Never trust anyone over 30” or “Question Authority”, that frankly drove me and my predecessors crazy.��And yet, teenagers need to express themselves. They need to learn to build their own communities.��Sometimes art, in this case performance art, is the perfect outlet to do that. What I saw last Friday night was the expression and exploration of this group of teenagers.��Their performances expressed joy, frustration, hope, love, and more I’m sure.��I wish everyone in the community could have seen it.��

Of course what the students displayed was their talent and hours and hours of practice.��I love and admire their commitment, and what I loved about being there the most was watching them bravely displaying themselves.��If you were worried about kids on their phones and computers too much not interacting with each other, you would have been inspired by Rock Band.��I get to see so much good in your children every day when I walk the halls of Wellesley High School and last Friday night I got to witness kids doing exactly what they were meant to be doing at this age.��I’m thankful for it.��

If you want to know my favorite tunes, there are too many to name, but I’ll highlight “The Seeker”, “Fake Plastic Trees”, “Light my Fire”, and “The Chain” as just a sample of songs that took the roof off.��There were more, and if you’d like to hear them live yourself, I think they have an upcoming gig in a couple of weeks at Lockheart Restaurant in Wellesley Square. Look for them on social media.��You won’t regret it.��

When:��Saturday, February 7, 2026

Time:��9:00 AM -12:00 PM

Where:��Proctored online via Zoom

Cost:��$20 – 100% of the proceeds benefit Wellesley HS Class of 2027

*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then use��to walk you through the process of self-proctoring with extended time.

When:��Saturday, February 7, 2026

Time:��9:00 AM -12:30 PM��

Where:��Proctored online via Zoom

Cost:��$20 – 100% of the proceeds benefit Wellesley HS

*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then useto walk you through the process of self-proctoring with extended time.

��

Step 1:��Register here:����������������������

Step 2:��Schedule a free 30-minute score report review with a Revolution Prep testing expert to help you interpret the results and develop a customized plan to prepare. Please schedule this appointment for the few days after the exam. You can pre-schedule this Score Report Review here:������

Step 3:��Attend the mock exam and instantly receive our best-in-class score report, illustrating three high-impact areas to focus on for each section of the test.

��

Questions?��If you have questions or want to learn more about Revolution Prep, you can reach out to Vasilios Kostakis at (781) 916-8668 or by email at��vasilios.kostakis@revolutionprep.com

We have our second of two important��PTSO��meetings next��February 11��from 10:00–11:45am in the WHS Faculty Dining Room

The meeting will focus on the upcoming course selection process, with representatives from each department sharing information and answering questions. Please see below for the February meeting schedule.

The Wellesley High School Council serves as the legislative branch of the school government. The Council is responsible for conducting open discussions and making recommendations on matters of school policy, school culture, curriculum, and other issues brought to its attention from its respective constituencies of the Student Congress, Faculty Senate,��PTSO, local residents and the principal.��

Please see the page on our website��for the latest updates and information.

��

We’re excited to share an upcoming event hosted by the��Wellesley Education Foundation:��Making Sense of AI in Education: Understanding What Matters Most.��

The event will feature��Greg Kulowiec, who will share insights into how AI works and what it means for education. The discussion will examine the impact of AI on learners, along with the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI. This event is open to��WPS Staff, Families, and Caregivers.

Seating is limited: if you plan to attend,��please RSVP��using this link:

Additional information��can be found

Parents and Students of the Class of 2027 – We are excited to announce that the second round of the Class of 2027 Parking Raffle is now open!

This raffle offers students the chance to win the second of two guaranteed parking spots throughout the upcoming school year, providing a convenient and reliable spot to park in. The raffle drawing will take place on February 13th, just before February break, and we will announce the winner shortly after.��

Seminar day is an annual event on the first Wednesday of March in which��students, faculty, and community members can share a unique story or teach about a topic outside of our normal curriculum.

Each seminar block will be held in person for one full hour, and speakers can sign up for one, two, or all three blocks. Please note: Deadline to sign up is February 20th

Schedule for Seminar Day 2026:

Please sign up with this , and we hope to��see you there!

Please contact��baileya@wellesleyps.org,��prichardt@wellesleyps.org, or��26budson-mcquilkena@wpsraiders.org��with any questions or requests for any materials.

****��

Thank You, The WHS Student Congress

We are beginning the succession process for the PTSO Executive Board and committee chair positions. We are looking for dedicated parents and guardians to step into leadership roles for the 2026-27 school year. Serving on the PTSO Board is a meaningful way to support our students, collaborate with school staff, and help shape programs and activities that enrich our school community.

We are currently looking to fill all board positions, including:

No prior PTO/PTSO experience is required. just a willingness to collaborate, communicate, and contribute your time and ideas. Board members work as a team, and support and guidance are provided. Please send any questions or interest to��whsptsopres@gmail.com.��

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:��.����

Additional information visit:����

Students will begin meeting with teachers about course recommendations for next year after February break.��Course selection for the 26-27 school year will take place in March.

9th graders will prepare for course selection with counselors in seminar in January.��10th and 11th graders will have counseling seminar during the course selection window in March.

All meetings are from 9-10 am on Fridays in the Faculty Dining Room. Next Dates: February 13, April 10

Wellesley Scholarship Foundation����is now open and closes on March 1st. Please check in with your counselor with any other post-secondary questions.

Visit the����for all your testing information throughout the year.

WHS School Counseling Department

Director: Margaret Walendin –��walendinm@wellesleyps.org

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by��Elizabeth Acevedo (novel in verse)��

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

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

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.��

Since I’m writing today about groups of students bravely being themselves in public, I also want to take a moment and highlight our Evolutions students who this past Monday night displayed and presented the work they recently did on their Midstone projects. �� If you haven’t attended an Evolutions Midstone or end of year Capstone event what you’ve missed is the opportunity to see these students show off the work of their own genuine curiosity.�� In these moments our students in the interdisciplinary Evolutions program research a topic of their choice, do the hard work of learning to narrow it to a focus that fits their time frame and resources, and then choose the mode they think best expresses what they want to communicate. �� I got to see an art installation that was a closet with clothes at the front and a poster on the back wall with statistics about the negative effects of the fast fashion industry.�� I saw a TED style talk about the power of not having your phone in your bedroom. I heard a passionate talk from a young woman who wanted to show how the narrow definition of beauty in our society particularly hurts our young women of color. There was a presentation on the pressures of youth sports, a display about the negative effects of social media, and another on how food companies continue to push unhealthy choices on all of us to sell their products.��

Evolutions doesn’t teach the students to create perfect products, but it does teach students to pursue the iterative process of real research about a curiosity they have.�� If this sounds interesting you can check out the Evolutions page on our website as you consider course selection for next year.��

I hope everyone has a great weekend and Go Pats!

Best,��

Jamie

Dear Families,

Welcome to the end of the last week of January and the start of Quarter 3.��This week seemed like a long and cold week even with the snow day on Monday.��I’m certainly hoping this weekend’s weather stays out at sea and misses us completely.��

Next Tuesday and Friday we will welcome the 8th graders from Wellesley Middle here at the high school for an introduction and a tour from our amazing Student Ambassadors. The WHS Class of 2030 is preparing to come to the high school already!

Student Ambassadors are high school students who volunteer their time to welcome new students who may transfer to the high school or who come here as 9th graders from our own middle school.��They help orient 8th graders on this step up visit, but they also help the ninth graders on opening day at their new school in the fall. These student leaders make themselves available to give tours of WHS to families upon request after school during the year as well.��I try to make sure I praise them any chance I get because their work here is incredibly important to helping our new students feel welcomed and informed from the very beginning.��If you know a student who might be interested in becoming a new Student Ambassador ,please contact our Director of School Counseling, Meg Wallendin, in our main office.��

Later in the month of February and in early March students in grades 9, 10, and 11 will be meeting with their current teachers to talk about their recommendations for courses and levels next year.��As a faculty we take these recommendations seriously and the current teachers know your students as learners.��

One warning I’d like to include here is that if you end up having to drop a level next fall, your student could lose a valued elective in order to accommodate the change.��Those changes can be very disruptive to a student’s start of the year.��Now is a good time to check out the as a family so you can think about what courses your student might want to request.��

Also, please consider balancing course requests with after school activities and obligations as all of those pieces combine to make a full picture of a high school student’s actual day.��Students hear from their school counselors the need to consider the right balance for their lives as they make their choices.��

WPS parents and caregivers are invited to participate in an online focus group to share your insights on current WPS website needs, including accessibility, resource organization, and communication efficiency. The perspective of parents and caregivers is essential to building a platform that better serves our WPS community.��

The focus group will be held on Monday, February 2, from 7-8 p.m. on Zoom.��.��

Thank you for your continued commitment to our district’s����and for helping us innovate our digital tools to better support our students and families!

When:��Saturday, February 7, 2026

Time:��9:00 AM -12:00 PM

Where:��Proctored online via Zoom

Cost:��$20 – 100% of the proceeds benefit Wellesley HS Class of 2027

*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then use��to walk you through the process of self-proctoring with extended time.

When:��Saturday, February 7, 2026

Time:��9:00 AM -12:30 PM��

Where:��Proctored online via Zoom

Cost:��$20 – 100% of the proceeds benefit Wellesley HS

*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then useto walk you through the process of self-proctoring with extended time.

��

Step 1:��Register here:����������������������

Step 2:��Schedule a free 30-minute score report review with a Revolution Prep testing expert to help you interpret the results and develop a customized plan to prepare. Please schedule this appointment for the few days after the exam. You can pre-schedule this Score Report Review here:������

Step 3:��Attend the mock exam and instantly receive our best-in-class score report, illustrating three high-impact areas to focus on for each section of the test.

��

Questions?��If you have questions or want to learn more about Revolution Prep, you can reach out to Vasilios Kostakis at (781) 916-8668 or by email at��vasilios.kostakis@revolutionprep.com

Hi Freshman Students and Families,

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for our 9th grade movie night! We’re excited to watch BACK TO THE FUTURE on Friday, February 6th from 4 – 6:00 pm in the WHS cafeteria.

The tickets are $10 for Basic Entry and $15 for a Deluxe Ticket that includes pizza, popcorn, and a drink. Please fill out submit this��to purchase your ticket.

This will be a fun night for our class so make sure you purchase a ticket by Thursday, February 5th.

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,��Your Class of ’29 Officers

Chris Wang, Will Peng, Taylor Zimmer and Sydney Lai

Seminar day is an annual event on the first Wednesday of March in which��students, faculty, and community members can share a unique story or teach about a topic outside of our normal curriculum.

Each seminar block will be held in person for one full hour, and speakers can sign up for one, two, or all three blocks. Please note: Deadline to sign up is February 20th

Schedule for Seminar Day 2026:

Please sign up with this , and we hope to��see you there!

Please contact��baileya@wellesleyps.org,��prichardt@wellesleyps.org, or��26budson-mcquilkena@wpsraiders.org��with any questions or requests for any materials.

****��

Thank You, The WHS Student Congress

We are beginning the succession process for the PTSO Executive Board and committee chair positions. We are looking for dedicated parents and guardians to step into leadership roles for the 2026-27 school year. Serving on the PTSO Board is a meaningful way to support our students, collaborate with school staff, and help shape programs and activities that enrich our school community.

We are currently looking to fill all board positions, including:

No prior PTO/PTSO experience is required. just a willingness to collaborate, communicate, and contribute your time and ideas. Board members work as a team, and support and guidance are provided. More information will be provided when we return in January. Please send any questions or interest to��whsptsopres@gmail.com.��

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:��.����

Additional information visit:����

Students will begin meeting with teachers about course recommendations for next year after February break.��Course selection for the 26-27 school year will take place in March.

9th graders will prepare for course selection with counselors in seminar in January.��10th and 11th graders will have counseling seminar during the course selection window in March.

All meetings are from 9-10 am on Fridays in the Faculty Dining Room. Next Dates: February 13, April 10

Wellesley Scholarship Foundation����is now open and closes on March 1st. Please check in with your counselor with any other post-secondary questions.

Visit the����for all your testing information throughout the year.

WHS School Counseling Department

Director: Margaret Walendin –��walendinm@wellesleyps.org

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@wellesleyps.org

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at the Wellesley Free Library Cafe (1st floor) at 7:30pm to discuss����by Neil Schusterman (SciFi)

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

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

The Wellesley High School Council serves as the legislative branch of the school government. The Council is responsible for conducting open discussions and making recommendations on matters of school policy, school culture, curriculum, and other issues brought to its attention from its respective constituencies of the Student Congress, Faculty Senate,��PTSO, local residents and the principal.��

Please see the page on our website��for the latest updates 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 hope you all have a safe and warm weekend.��

Best,��

Jamie