Thank You!

from Susan Hurwitz, The Fund for Wellesley Community Board Chair

We, at The Fund for Wellesley, want to extend a huge thank you to the many, many
members of our community, who came together with us to plan and host last week’s
preview tours of the new High School for our senior citizens. A special thanks goes to the staff at the Council on Aging, who managed all the communication and transportation arrangements; North Hill retirement community, who brought ex-Wellesley residents, gave us the use of their bus and provided refreshments for all; members of the School Committee, the Green Committee and High School staff, who set up and coordinated the all the elements along the tour route. We had many volunteers the day of the event, both adults and students, to serve as guides. This was quite a complex event to organize, and it was a pleasure working with everyone who pitched in on the planning, collaboration and coordination. We wanted this afternoon to be a special “thank you” event for the senior citizens who have supported Wellesley education for many years. And it was very special…for all of us.

Crockett Library Rededication

from Jeanie Goddard, impresario of "Turn Out the Lights"

To rededicate the Wellesley High School Library to Wilbury A. Crockett was the most natural of decisions for the Wellesley school community. For almost 40 years, Bill Crockett defined excellence and passion and commitment to the life of the mind for both his students and his colleagues. A brilliant teacher, an inspiring department head, a community treasure, Bill’s influence is on-going. The honors, the tributes paid to him when he retired were legion—so many of his students felt that they had been profoundly changed by virtue of being in his classroom. One of his most celebrated students, Sylvia Plath, wrote eloquently about her and our Mr. Crockett:

“If we discovered abilities and interests we never knew we had, it was he who awakened us to them. If we made dreams become realities, it was because of his daily encouragement, unceasing inspiration, rare wisdom, and insight. Suffice it to say that again and again through the years, whether in thought or in person, we all come back to him. And we come back with warmest admiration, gratitude, and love. Mr. Crockett is the teacher of a lifetime.”

Some of his students became writers and teachers and scholars, but all of his students attest that despite their chosen professions, they remain devoted to literature and to the ideas that Bill introduced them to at WHS. Although he has been retired for 32 years, he so influenced the young teachers in his department that they continued his legacy. They in turn passed on the values of reading widely and writing extensively to their students, a number of whom are teaching now at Wellesley High School. We invite you all to attend the Rededication of the Wilbury A. Crockett Library on May 15th at 3:30 p.m. Tales will be told and cookies and lemonade will be served.

The New WHS

New photos of WHS with some interior furniture courtesy of PBC

Movie/photos by Ann Rappaport

Photos courtesy of Turner Construction

Welcome to Wellesley Celebrates Education

from Katherine (Gig) Babson, WHS '65
WHS School Building Committee Chair

We are delighted to showcase a series of events in 2011-2012 which celebrate education in the town of Wellesley!

Jeanie Goddard, a retired and a dearly beloved WHS English teacher, is organizing “Turn Out The Lights”, an extravaganza of events during Thanksgiving week, allowing us to bid a fond farewell to WHS. “Turn On The Lights” will be a series of events leading up to the dedication of the new WHS on May 19, 2012. Many groups in Town are sponsoring events before Thanksgiving and through the winter, celebrating education in our Town.

Turn Out the Lights and Turn On the Lights

Two of the major milestones are "Turn Out the Lights" in November 2011 and its companion event "Turn On the Lights" in May 2012. "Turn Out the Lights" is a farewell to the town's high school building and a celebration of over 70 years of educating Wellesley's students. There will be seminars, a Performing Arts Showcase of music and drama starring current and former students, a football game welcoming back WHS alumni/ae, dancing, food, visits with retired faculty members, METCO and Child Lab reunions, and a giant yard sale of old WHS memorabilia, like banners, locker fronts and old uniforms. Former WHS English teacher Jeanie Goddard is the organizer-in-chief so it should be a wonderful occasion! To learn more, read Jeanie's letter to the Wellesley Community.

"Turn On the Lights" will occur in the spring of 2012 to celebrate the opening of the new high school on Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend. The weekend will start on Friday night with a special Masterworks concert performed by members of the WHS orchestra and choruses. On Saturday morning, public tours will be available from 9 AM to noon and the WHS Dedication will take place at 4 PM in the Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Auditorium, followed by a light reception and then Kid's Movie Night in the WHS Gym. The annual Veteran's Parade, Concert, and Fireworks will all take place on Sunday. Please join us!

Last updated: 5/9/2012

News & Quick Links

• NEW! For those of you who missed the 1938 Room Dedication, please click here to see Beth Hinchliffe's talk and slides. There are a lot of wonderful photos of important people and places in Wellesley's history!
  
  
• NEW! Time is running out so don't forget to buy your brick and help pave the plaza of the new WHS - proceeds from the brick sale support WEF.
  
  
• NEW! The Wellesley Square Merchant's Association is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt on May 19th in celebration of Turn On the Lights and Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend. 10% of the proceeds of this event will benefit the Wellesley Square Merchants High School Scholarship Fund. Please see their flyer here. (Note that the flyer has been updated.)
  
  
• NEW! Read about all the "green" features in the new Wellesley High School in a new brochure put together for Wellesley by SMMA, the high school architects, and members of the Wellesley Green Schools Council. Monitor real time energy and water use at the high school from your own computer using this web link, which replicates the 'dashboard' in the high school lobby.
  
  
• NEW! Note that the May 19th tours are open to the public and no reservations are needed.
  
  
• Wellesley High School officially opened its doors on 2/28/12. Read all about it (and see photos) in our Press archives

• Listing of all the events surrounding the new WHS is here.
  
  
• Read about GoSmart, the energy saving initiative which encourages WHS students to walk, bike or take the bus to the new school with some great prizes!
  
  
• Rededication of the Wilbury A. Crockett Library will take place on May 15th at 3:30 PM. Details here.
  
  
• Jeanie Goddard is one of this year's Townsman 10! Read the article here.
  
  
• See Rhys Heyden's Turn Out the Lights video. And read his report "The Space Between" about the old and new high schools here.
  

• Wellesley Celebrate Education video with commentary by Gig Babson and Ilissa Povich! Click here to see it.
  
  
• Save the Date!
  5/18/2012 - 5/20/2012
  for Turn On the Lights

Calendar

Full version of this calendar