We hope everyone had a great April Break and enjoyed watching (or perhaps running) the Boston Marathon last week. WMS will hold its own "Mini Marathon" this Thursday morning! Please see the sign up below if you would like to volunteer. If you are a 6th grade parent (or a family that is new to Wellesley Public Schools) we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday evening at Lockheart Restaurant. All the best,
Your 2023-2024 PTO Presidents
Katie Sullivan & Annie Oh |
| - Monday 4/22: Day 5
- Tuesday 4/23: Day 6
- Wednesday 4/24: Day 1
Grade 8 Planning Meeting (Zoom)
WMS Parent Social, 7pm @Lockheart - Thursday 4/25: Day 2
WMS Mini-Marathon - Friday 4/26: Day 3
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Links for information on dates and events that are further out: LINK to Wellesley Middle School Events Calendar LINK to Wellesley Public School Events Calendar |
Wednesday: 8th Grade Planning Meeting 8th Grade Planning - Zoom Meeting
Wednesday, April 24th @ 7:30 p.m. Please join our fabulous 8th Grade Parent Reps over zoom on Wednesday to hear about all of the cool stuff being planned for the end of the year. Have questions? Email Sharon Clarke-Levin at sharon@perfectcurve.com. Join the Zoom Meeting here. To make your student’s 8th grade donation of $75, click here for the WMS PTO PayPal account or mail a check to: WMS PTO, P.O. Box 81426, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 Thank you to everyone who has donated to the effort so far. We are nearing 50% class participation! |
Wednesday: WMS Parent Social Attention 6th Grade Parents and Families New to WMS - You are cordially invited to a special social gathering on Wednesday, April 24th from 7:00-9:00pm at Lockheart Restaurant (102 Central Street - Downstairs). This event will be an evening filled with fun, laughter, and the opportunity to connect with others who are new to our community. Cash bar, come as you are. Please RSVP here to make this a great event! |
Thursday: Mini Marathon - VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED The 17th Annual WMS Mini Marathon is on Thursday, April 25th from 9:15-11:15am (rain date - Friday, April 26th). The course is 1.3 miles on the sidewalks surrounding the school and there will be 6 heats, 2 per grade level. View the mini marathon route here. WMS students will participate in this free and fun springtime event run by the Health & Fitness Department, and coordinated by our Co-Chairs, Jennifer Shea and Marissa Rosenbaum. Thank you Jen and Marissa! Click here to volunteer and cheer our students on! |
Reading Rally: Final Update Ms. Kenerson's advisory continues to collect donations from students who participated in the 6th grade Reading Rally. They have already collected over $2000 for "Off the Rocks" animal rescue! Please tally your donations on your sponsor sheet and submit it to HR 323 by end of day on Monday. Parents/Guardians can make the donation online at this link to Off the Rocks Rescue OR send a check to Off the Rocks directly. The pizza party will be happening May 2nd or 3rd during regular 6th grade lunch (for everyone that submitted a sponsor sheet). An email about food and allergy considerations will be sent that requires a response from parents. |
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6th-10th Our Vice President, Scott Lainer, is planning Teacher Appreciation week with the help of our amazing parent helpers: Caryn Navarro, Lara Cohen, and Ted Rebholz. They are coordinating a wonderful week for our dedicated 212 WMS staff members. Current plans include: thank you notes written by students to their teachers (Monday, May 6), Anna's Taqueria burrito lunch (Wednesday, May 8), and a bountiful breakfast (Friday, May 10). Most of the food and supplies are paid for by your annual donation to the PTO. We are asking for some food and supply donations, to keep the overall cost down.
To sign up to donate yogurt, paper plates, or flowers, please click here.
If you would rather support the effort financially, please click here to donate funds. |
Need a small job? Are you good with numbers? Do you know QuickBooks? A job shared is always more fun and we are currently seeking a second Co-Treasurer to process checks and donations for next year. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please email wmsptoinfo@gmail.com and we'll schedule a call or cup of coffee with our diligent Treasurer, Lara Sojka, to see if this job is a good fit for you. This volunteer position is a great stepping stone if you are thinking about getting back to work. Or, perhaps you already have a full-time job and would like to help us manage our annual operating budget of $67,000. Estimated time: 3-5 hours per week. |
Lady Raiders: Spring Flag Football GRADE 8 LADY RAIDERS! Would you like to play some flag football this spring? Beginners are welcome and there is no experience needed.
Sundays 6-7pm - Drop Ins @Babson Indoor Turf
April 21, 28 & May 5, 19
Tunes = Energy & Fun!
Drop In! No Commitment! Come to one Session or All!
RSVP to info@communityinvestors.net |
Fiorella's Fundraiser Results Thank you for your support ordering Fiorella's before break. We raised an extra $125 for the PTO and it will go towards Teacher Appreciation week costs. Many thanks for participating if you were able! |
| Wellesley Post Office Food Drive - May 11th Want to help the cause of food insecurity in an easy but impactful way? Take part in the Wellesley Post Office Food Drive on May 11th. This food drive is partnered with the Wellesley Food Pantry, which means that all proceeds from the food drive in Wellesley will be brought to the food pantry. This is a national event that takes place everywhere in the United States so alert your family and friends across the country so that they can donate to their local organizations as well. The idea is to leave any donations you have right next to your mailbox. If you do not have a mailbox, there are mailboxes located in areas accessible to anyone that are larger than normal mailboxes. Since all donations in Wellesley go directly to the Wellesley Food Pantry, donating items from their wishlist on their website would be very helpful to them. Additionally, this is not the only way to help food insecurity. The Wellesley Food Pantry is open for donations and many local religious organizations have opportunities for people to donate food to help the cause. Hunger is a problem that affects many people, so please, don’t wait to take action. |
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| Guided Hike of Wellesley Trails — Friday, April 26, 10:30am Join the Wellesley Trails Committee for a spring trail walk in the North 40. Learn about the vernal pool and pine tree forest while meeting new people. This will be about 45-60 minutes on a relatively flat dirt trail. Meet on Turner Road trailhead entrance to North 40 (before the gate). No registration required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Morses Pond beach parking lot. Questions: trails@wellesleyma.gov |
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| Youth Mental Health Workshops Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in a three-part workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room starting this Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. The series is sponsored by Thrive Wellesley and will feature guest speakers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s The Resilience Project. It is designed to help families - parents, guardians & caregivers - gain a better understanding of the skills, community support, and resources for developing positive mental health and connections within their families. Join for one, two, or all three sessions. Full details here. - May 8 – The Continuum of Care from Prevention to Treatment
- May 22 – Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves
Register through the WFL website. Thrive Wellesley is an Initiative of the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, in partnership with the Wellesley Youth Commision and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley. |
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| A Road Map for Parents: Tools to Reduce Your Child's Anxiety, Stress and School Avoidance Lynn Lyons, LICSW
Tuesday, April 30th @6:30pm, WHS Auditorium Current news about young people and mental health has created warranted concern, but the information can be overwhelming and hard to sort through. Parents need dependable strategies to help their children manage their anxiety, moods, and social pressures, including school avoidance. The ability to help guide our children requires, more than ever, an ability to recognize and address one’s own emotional management as we practice and model better skills. Based on current research and over 30 years of clinical experience, Lynn Lyons will talk about the common traps adults fall into, and the key adjustments needed to prevent and stem the current surge of anxiety and depression in our kids. |
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| Spring Hike in Millennium Park with Friends of Wellesley METCO! Please join Friends of Wellesley METCO on Sunday, May 5, 2024, 12:00-3:00 PM (Rain Date: June 2, 12-3pm). We will explore beautiful Millennium Park (300 Gardner Street, West Roxbury). Hike the trail, play games, and eat ice cream! Meet in the parking lot next to Field B. Hosted by Friends of Wellesley METCO and Building Bridges Initiative. Host contact (Dawn Woods): (617) 851-7354 |
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| Wellesley Climate Action Upcoming Events: Climate Cafe
Thursday, April 25, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Wellesley Free Library, the Commons Chat with an Energy Coach. Enjoy FREE coffee and refreshments on us! We can help you save money, increase the value of your property, improve your health, and preserve the planet for the people you love. Learn how YOU can enjoy: - Local, state, and federal financial incentives for electrification
- No-cost technical advice to help you prepare to upgrade your HVAC, water heater, and appliances
- Lower heating and cooling costs
- Increased property value
- Improved indoor air quality
- Public transportation
- Impressive financial incentives when you buy an electric vehicle
- A safer yard for children, pets, and the environment
- Reduced waste
We can help you shrink your carbon footprint today!
Questions? Email Marybeth Martello, Sustainability Director, mmartello@wellesleyma.gov ******************* Wellesley EV Test Drive and Showcase
Test drive at least two EV or hybrid vehicles: - 12 makes and models available.
- Learn what it is like to own and drive an EV from fellow residents.
- Take advantage of federal tax credits and state rebates to save $10,000+.
- Get advice from EV experts.
Register now at bit.ly/EVMay2024
This free event takes place: Thursday, May 9th, 4 - 7 p.m. at the parking lot across from MassBay Community College. Rain date: Thursday May 16, 4 - 7 p.m. Test drives available based on order of pre-registration at bit.ly/EVMay2024 |
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| DPW Partners with Black Earth for Curbside Composting Take part in curbside composting for food waste. The Wellesley Department of Public Works (DPW) is partnering with Black Earth Compost on a new curbside composting pilot program. Residents who sign up for this program will have their food waste picked up once a week at their home for a fee. The curbside composting program is an alternative to the free food waste drop off program at the Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF). The first 250 Wellesley residents to sign up for the program will receive a free starter kit. Register for this program at Black Earth Compost. Once 50 customers sign up, Black Earth Compost will begin weekly pick-ups in Wellesley on Wednesdays. The program follows a tiered pricing structure; as more customers sign up, the fees go down. Customers reap what they recycle, receiving one (1) free bag of compost every year they participate in the program. Visit the RDF Recycling webpages to learn more! Additional Info... |
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| WPS Family STEAM Night On Monday evening, May 20, 2024, WPS will host a Family STEAM evening for our PreK-12 families. We will have STEAM activities including coding, programming robots, science and math games, working with circuits and more. Additionally, Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at Olin College of Engineering will be our featured speaker. He will talk about a variety of technology and engineering topics including ways children can incorporate computing and programming into the way they play, learn and prepare for ways to help their community. Please join us for an evening immersed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math). Please click on this flyer to learn more |
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| WYFH Spring & Summer Registration Spring Skills & Scrimmages for Grades 1st/2nd is still open!
The clinic starts 4/27 at Sprague 1-2 pm –
Register now to reserve your sport! Summer Clinics 2023 (7/9/24 – 8/1/24) - 4 weeks offered!
Field Hockey Fun
This clinic is for rising 1st – 4th graders. Players will learn field hockey stick skills, basic rules and play a lot of age-appropriate field hockey games to keep it fun and interesting! Tue/Wed/Thu (4-5 pm), $75/player. Field Hockey Skills Training
This clinic is for rising 5th – 9th graders. These practices will be run like a middle school or high school field hockey practice. Small-sided games will provide lots of touches to further develop stick skills, while full field drills and scrimmages will develop offense, midfield transition and defense strategies. Tue/Wed/Thu (5-6 pm), $100/player. WHS Pre-Season Training (7/30/24 - 8/15/24) – 3 weeks offered!
For rising 9th – 12th graders (at Wellesley High School) Get ready for tryouts! This has been a popular program for getting stick ready, fitness + conditioning & drills that will prepare our WHS players for the fall season. All experience levels are encouraged to sign up. Net proceeds are donated to help provide essential field hockey equipment that benefits the youth and high school programs (field hockey goals, corner masks, lining of the fields, etc.) as well as high school swag for players and coaches. Tue/Wed/Thu (6-8 pm), $150/player. Families are encouraged to register now to avoid the $50/player late fee.
WYFH programs are offered to all boys and girls! |
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