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Dear Families,?

Happy Friday.?I¡¯m writing to you this afternoon after a great PTSO/Principal Coffee meeting. I don¡¯t normally combine those two events, but September just got too busy to schedule both this month.?We will hold them separately moving forward.?

Thank you to all the parents who came.?My nonmathematical estimate was we had about 30 people in attendance which was a really nice start to the year.?Today we introduced two of our new teachers, Nate Banfield in English and Danny Loss in Social Studies.?We had a presentation from our senior class officers on their event planning for the school year and parents got to watch our Friday morning announcements.?

In my updates I spoke to everyone about our new Cell Phone policy implementation which is going very well so far. Kids are still adjusting in places but reports from staff and students alike have been that they think the classroom environment is better this year and that learning in class is more focused than last year for the classes that weren¡¯t asking students to park their phones already.?

?I also spoke about how we are grappling with Artificial Intelligence here at the high school.?We are feeling both the pressure of preserving and ensuring our essential learning by protecting it from AI influence so we know our kids are learning what they should, and we are feeling the pressure to help the entire community teach our kids how to use AI responsibly and ethically in a world which will likely require it of them moving forward.?We are doing this through thoughtful experimentation and professional development. I encourage all of you to have conversations with your children about how they are using AI both for school and personal use. I also mentioned the environmental impact of using AI because of the tremendous amount of power the servers use.??

Finally, I spoke about the considerable work we are doing to align the course team curriculum in the 10th grade at the high school.?I chose to lift up the 10th grade first because it is how we are determining competency for the state.?Our teachers on those course teams know they need to have at least one major assessment per quarter that is as close to 100% common as possible. They also need to be crafting common rubrics for grading, improving interrater reliability, and then using item analysis to examine the results in an effort to improve instruction where necessary. Some teams are very far along with this work already, but the expectation is for them to continue to improve this year.?Other levels are also doing work in these areas with our normal PD time,?but I only have capacity to give this extra time to our 10th grade teams this year. This is clearly more than a one year endeavor, but I wanted to share with you our commitment to it.?

The ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ High School Club Fair will take place over the course of two days this year: Wednesday, September 24th and Thursday September 25th during A Block, Lunch Block, and from 2:30pm – 3:00pm after school in the cafeteria. We hope that students will visit the club fair to see the dozens of fantastic clubs that WHS has to offer this year and consider joining a club that they find interesting. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

In the United States, over 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. It remains the leading cause of death by disease in children under 19. Approximately 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, oftentimes more than once. Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund Clinic change the lives of both patients and their families through cutting-edge research and compassionate care.?

The Jimmy Fund Walk is an annual event held by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, the largest single-day walk fundraiser in the country. It follows the iconic Boston Marathon route, and you can choose to walk a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or full marathon. All routes end in the Boston Common. Since 1989, the Jimmy Fund Walk has raised over $185 million towards cancer care and research at Dana-Farber.

Every donation and registration is a step closer to a world where all cancers are treatable and curable. Every step matters in lowering those statistics to what we sincerely hope will become zero one day. Join us in fighting for a future without cancer. Please consider donating to our cause or registering for Walk Day.

We have organized a Shake Shack Donation Day to fundraise towards our goal. The event will take place on Monday, Sept. 29th at the ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ Shack; simply mention the code DONATE or type it into the kiosk, and 25% of your total will be donated to the Jimmy Fund Walk.?

– Lanting Ran and Grace Cahoon, co-captains of the ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ Raiders walk team

Step Up Day is Wednesday, October 8th at WHS. Students participate in activities tailored to their grade level.?

Visit the for detailed information

Questions? Contact your guidance counselor or Jen Culver, WHS Testing/SSD coordinator.

Dear ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ High School families,

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Our friends at Revolution Prep are offering the following?online?presentation?to our parents:

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Navigating the High School Transition: Practical Tips for Success:?Tuesday, October 7, 2025| 7:00 ¨C 8:00 PM | Online

Is your child about to make the transition from middle school to high school? The high school years can be exciting and transformative, but they can also be challenging and stressful. As the importance of standardized tests, grades, course rigor, and extracurricular activities increases, it¡¯s crucial to be prepared and equipped to succeed. In this talk, we¡¯ll provide you with practical tips and strategies to help you and your child navigate the transition from middle school to high school successfully.

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We¡¯ll cover a range of topics, including:

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Whether you¡¯re a student or parent, this presentation will provide you with valuable information and practical tips to help you succeed in high school and beyond.

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Register here under ¡°Parent Events¡±:????

The librarians at ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ 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, October 7th, 7:30pm at the ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ Free Library Cafe (1st floor)

to discuss Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick

The ÎÞ¾¡×ÊÔ´²É¼¯ Free Library will have copies available for check out.

Any question can be emailed to whslibrary@wellesleyps.org.

Our event kicks off with a home football game Friday night at 6 pm, Community Day on Saturday at Hunnewell Field from 11 – 2 showcasing our fantastic high school as well as our arts, athletics, and clubs.

This event is for families, children, and community members and will include games and fun activities for kids of all ages.?

Lastly, at night there will be a dance at the high school from 6:30 – 9 pm that is open to all students.?

Ticket sales will open soon and we will have capacity limits. Stay tuned for further details, and remember to purchase your tickets early!?

I hope everyone has a great weekend and please remember the celebration of the Rosh Hashanah holiday this coming Tuesday when school will be closed.?

Best,?

Jamie