Year in Review, 2017–2018
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OUR MISSION Create a welcoming, diverse school community in which learners are: INSPIRED to strive for excellence and contribute positively to their communities. CHALLENGED to explore big ideas independently and collaboratively. EMPOWERED to pursue their goals with confidence, persistence, and integrity. 2 Newton Montessori School
Y E A R I N R E V I E W 2 0 19 – 2 0 2 0 A global pandemic. So many lives cut short by COVID-19. Black Lives Matter protests. Too many Black lives cut short by officers using excessive force. Today’s headlines sharpen our commitment to education, in particular these curricular areas: •
•
Health, Safety, and Wellness (HSW): We have a responsibility to teach students how to make well-informed, science-based decisions that promote their health, safety, and wellness and that of the broader community. Turn the page for a feature story on our HSW curriculum. Anti-Racism: We have a responsibility to educate students about the impact of systemic racism and ways to dismantle it to create a more just society that honors diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are in the early stages of developing our Anti-Racism curriculum and will report on progress in a future publication.
This annual Year In Review publication is a retrospective look at 2019–2020 community endeavors and milestones in the school’s history: • •
• •
•
•
Our first year operating as Wellan Montessori School. The meaning of “Wellan” highlights our educational mission and pedagogy. Launch of the Voyager program for Grades 7–8. Providing strong academic preparation for high school, this innovative program has a challenging, interdisciplinary curriculum that includes engaging opportunities to apply skills in “real world” contexts. The Arts Wing. What was once a dark, narrow basement hallway is now an open, colorful space inspiring new levels of creativity in Art, Music, and Drama. Membership in the Montessori Athletic Conference (aka the “Big MAC”). Watching our teams run onto the soccer field and basketball court for friendly competition with regional schools was exhilarating for everyone cheering on the sidelines. Go, Owls! Responding to a state-mandated school building closure. Wellan executed a fast pivot to remote learning using secure, customized software. Knowing community ties would be important while apart, teachers not only provided online and at-home learning activities, but also kept a major focus on maintaining relationships with and among students. Placing first in six “Family Favorite” categories in Boston Parents Paper. Your votes named Wellan as Boston’s Favorite among Montessori Preschools, Independent Preschools, Large Preschools, Montessori Elementary Schools, Montessori Middle Schools, and Independent Middle Schools.
WELLNESS AT WELLAN Curriculum Feature
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WELLAN IN THE WORLD Press Releases News Headlines
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WELLAN AT WORK Professional Development Staff News
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WELLAN GETS INVOLVED Board of Trustees Parent Volunteers Donors
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WELLAN ON A MISSION Student Reflections
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On behalf of all who work at Wellan, thank you for your support during this very challenging year. We have been sustained by the Parent Association’s communitybuilding efforts, the Board of Trustees’ ready support and steady guidance, our many donors’ generosity to the Annual Fund, as well as by individual acts of kindness and notes of encouragement. I remain very grateful for the privilege of leading this remarkable school.
Beth Black Head of School
Managing Editor, Writer: Beth Black Art Director, Editor: Ashley Robinson Publication Designer, Writer: Haley Crocker Guest Photographer: Chris Dumas
Wellness at Wellan C U R R I C U L U M F E AT U R E
Participating in team sports helps students stay active and healthy. Elementary through Voyager students can join after-school teams to play soccer and basketball. Fall 2019 marked the first season Wellan teams competed against other schools in the Montessori Athletic Conference (better known as the “Big MAC”). Go Owls!
Traffic safety. Fire prevention. Germ theory. Nutrition. Human reproduction. Cyber-safety. Positive ways to relieve stress. At every age, having accurate, developmentally appropriate information can help students keep themselves safe and develop healthy habits. Our commitment to fostering independence, a major tenet of Montessori pedagogy, includes preparing students to take increasing responsibility for their own physical, sexual, and emotional health and safety as they mature.
Ruth Clifford, Curriculum Assistant and Specialists Division Leader, facilitated the school’s efforts to review and expand the Health, Safety, and Wellness curriculum.
I N T EG R AT I N G H E A LT H , S A F E T Y, A N D W E L L N E S S I N TO T H E C U R R I C U LU M What health, safety and wellness lessons do our students need in order to keep themselves safe and develop healthy habits? Over the past two years, as part of a multiyear curriculum review, teachers and administrators at Wellan have been considering that question in depth. Health, safety, and wellness lessons have long been part of the school‘s curriculum, whether in science, social studies, or practical life. We teach young students about healthy foods, the importance of using a tissue, and how to stay safe when crossing the street; we teach older students about human body systems, the importance of using deodorant, and how to stay safe online. Some class discussions arise naturally from students‘ conversations: I found
matches at my grandma‘s house. I got lost at the mall once. My uncle and his husband went to Italy. My sister sees a therapist because she‘s depressed. I think kissing is gross. Every year, a number of Primary students announce that a baby sister or brother has arrived, which inevitably sparks questions about where babies come from. Our students are full of questions and hungry for knowledge about their bodies, their minds, and the societal norms they observe or wonder about. Will I need glasses like my mom? Why do bodies come in different shapes? Are allergies contagious? Why do people take drugs? What‘s vaping? Fielding certain questions can be challenging for teachers, which is why it‘s important to have a school-wide curriculum. Year in Review, 2019–2020
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A consistent approach and shared vocabulary among teachers can ensure that students receive similar information no matter who they ask. For that reason, Wellan is engaged in formalizing curriculum for teaching health, safety, and wellness (HSW) topics. To begin this process, we connected with other schools to find out what HSW topics they were addressing and what curricular resources they were using. We researched a variety of existing health curricula offered by educational publishers. We gave presentations, facilitated a curricular activity, and led discussions with the full faculty, the Board of Trustees, and a group of parents who attended a Fireside Chat, eliciting feedback about ways to teach certain HSW topics at different ages. After reviewing these resources in the context of our school mission, educational
values, and priorities, we began to create a scope and sequence for our curricula. We determined five areas of focus: • • • • •
Safety Practices Healthy Body Healthy Mind Healthy Relationships Human Sexuality
Recognizing that we will continue to iterate curriculum development in these areas over time, we used this structure as a guide to get started. In 2018–2019, we had several aims: (a) to document lessons we were already teaching in the areas of Safety Practices and Healthy Body; (b) to plan new ways of delivering those lessons in order to achieve greater consistency across classrooms; and (c) to identify and contract with a Human Sexuality Education consultant who could offer professional development for
faculty so we could be aligned in our approach to the topic. This past year, Beginner and Primary classes implemented health lessons during their morning circle times. For example, during the months of September and October, they focused on topics including traffic safety, staying with the group, washing hands, and using tissues. Faculty continued to teach similar lessons throughout the school year, with different topics each month. Elementary students had Health and Wellness class as an afternoon special for a third of the year. Topics included disease prevention, nutrition, and exercise. Additional topics specific to Upper Elementary included several aspects of personal hygiene and different types of wellness practices, including stress management and the importance of sleep.
Looking ahead to teaching Human Sexuality, we aim to normalize conversations around sexuality in a developmentally appropriate way so that children feel empowered and have the information that they need to feel confident and prepared as they grow up. Deborah Roffman, our Human Sexuality Education consultant, returned to do additional professional development with teachers, exploring ways to develop and teach lessons on everything from toileting in Beginners to gender identity, puberty, and sexual decision making in Upper Elementary and Voyager. Ms. Roffman also offered an informative and engaging session for parents (see below). As we do in all areas of our teaching, we are approaching the teaching of health, safety, and wellness, including human sexuality, with the whole child in mind.
EXPERT ADVICE: DEBORAH ROFFMAN
Do you know how to talk to your child about where babies are before they are born? Are you comfortable answering questions about private body parts? What about broaching the subject of sex and sexual decision making? These are topics that often make parents and teachers uncomfortable and seem hard to broach with children, or simply easier not to address. But if they aren’t addressed, are your
children getting the information they need to be successful as they grow up and become more independent in the world? Children are sexual beings from the moment they are born (think about the first question people often ask about a new baby: is it a boy or a girl?!) and they deserve to learn the factual information that they need about human sexuality in a developmentally appropriate way. Deborah Roffman, an author and long-time educator in the area of human sexuality, visited Wellan for the second time in March, 2020. In addition to presenting a faculty workshop, she led a parent session in which she provided information and practical strategies for parents
about how to talk to children about all aspects of sexuality — from teaching the names of body parts to your toddler, to engaging in “tough conversations” about sex and sexuality with your pre-teen. Roffman’s book, Talk to Me First — which is an excellent resource for parents — and her approach to teaching has helped inform us as we develop our school’s philosophy and curriculum in the area of human sexuality.
E M OT I O N A L W E L L N E S S Health and wellness are important for our minds as much as our bodies! Check out these recommendations compiled by our own librarians, Kate Kane and Kimberly Burke.
The Feelings Book By Todd Parr
This book illustrates the wide range of moods we all experience. The simple but colorful and eye-catching illustrations show the ever-changing, sometimes nonsensical emotions that we all feel. This book has some very simple words on each page that describe the feeling in the illustration, so young children can begin matching the words to the illustrations.
How are you Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers This book includes photographs of fruits and vegetables showing different emotions. Not only will this spark conversation with toddlers about the feelings they see on the pages, but you can also engage them with an interest in the different kinds of produce, which are beautifully depicted.
When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt / When Sophie Gets Angry
Wemberly Worried By Kevin Henkes
By Molly Bang This author does a fantastic job of describing the physiological feelings that the body goes through when one is hurt or angry, helping children recognize their own reactions to feelings and learn to selfregulate as a result. The story line is one all children can relate to and they will empathize with Sophie and cheer her on as she works through her feelings.
ON OUR BLOG: Testing the Waters: Navigating Friendships in Elementary Wellan‘s blog is a great resource that covers a wide range of topics, including socialemotional wellbeing for students of all ages. In her post published this year, Lower Elementary teacher Kayla Stiffler highlighted the importance of learning and practicing conflict resolution with elementary aged children — especially as they develop understanding of different perspectives and boundaries while forming new friendships.
This is a perfect book for any child who suffers from some anxiety or worry. It showcases a mouse who worries about everything from snakes in the radiator to shrinking in the bathtub. But, what she is mostly worried about is school. The book walks the reader through Wemberly’s experiences as she conquers her fears and begins to gain control over her worried feelings.
P H Y S I C A L A N D E M OT I O N A L H E A LT H D U R I N G T H E PA N D E M I C When we began working on the Wellan Health, Safety, and Wellness curricular sequence, we had no idea just how important issues of physical and emotional health would become in 2020. The global COVID-19 pandemic completely disrupted routines we all considered “normal,” including attending classes live in school buildings. As evidence of a possible epidemic accumulated, our Head of School Beth Black formed a Wellan COVID-19 Task Force comprised of parent volunteers with expertise in public health and medicine, including virology. After consulting with this group and the Wellan Board of Trustees, Beth made the decision to close the school building. This difficult decision
was made prior to a school closure order from Governor Baker. Families were asked to isolate themselves to limit the risk of exposure and virus spread. Closing the school building significantly reduced the risk to students’ physical health. The focus on teaching and learning continued remotely, as teachers pivoted quickly to offering both asynchronous and synchronous learning activities students could do independently at home. As we moved into holding virtual class meetings and lessons, a major concern was to ensure online safety for our students. Wellan engaged a company called EventFinity to build a secure, customized software platform that would display each day’s activities in a calendar format.
As educators, we recognized that long stretches of time at home without a clear return-to-school date would take a toll on our students’ social and emotional wellness. The Wellan faculty and staff developed online strategies to help children cope with the lack of familiar school routines and the forced separation from friends and teachers. They also created ways to keep families’ spirits up, including the After School Team’s “Pre-Dinner Fun,” weekly challenges on social media, and the exchange of digital ”postcards” like the one at right. Our Parent Association volunteers helped us to keep strong community ties through several creative virtual events. Head to page 14 to see snapshots of these memories!
H O W W E L L A N S TAY E D H E A LT H Y A N D H A P P Y T H I S S P R I N G
Favorite kind of exercise:
Riding a bike (70%)
Most popular way to keep others well: Practice Social Distancing
6 ft.
6 Wellan Montessori School
The thing that cheers you up best: Talking to friends (25%)
RESOURCES ON OUR BLOG: This year, many of our weekly blog posts revolved around the themes of health, safety, and wellness. Find these posts and much more at wellan.org/blog.
Beginners Mind: How to Practice Yoga with Toddlers Clockwise from top right: Handwashing is an integral part of the Beginners curriculum for learning basic hygiene; Faculty and staff line the sidewalks of Crescent Ave to cheer on third year students during an End of Year Drive-Up Diploma event; Students sing “Lean on Me” during the virtual End of Year Ceremony; Digital postcards help students keep in touch; A student flies a kite she made during an online Woodworking class; A student dresses up as an “at-home hero” for a Drama class activity.
Movement: Why it Matters & Tips to Try at Home
Changing Choices: 5 Ideas for Green Parenting
Year in Review, 2019–2020
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Wellan In the World PRESS RELE ASES | NE WS HE ADLINES
Learning opportunities for Wellan students go beyond the walls of the classroom. In October 2019, the inaugural Voyager class (Grade 7) embarked on a weeklong research adventure on Cape Cod. During their “deep dive,” students examined the effects of climate change in coastal areas, explored beach erosion with park rangers, and went to sea on an oceanographic research vessel. As part of this unit of study, the class constructed a “GPS Turtle Drifter” and tracked where wind and waves took it over a period of months. The last recorded position of the drifter was the mid-Atlantic, almost halfway to Europe!
10-Year-Old Newton Entrepreneur Wins Award for Eco-Friendly Product In Fall of 2019, Upper Elementary student Andrew Yum won the “Judges’ Choice Award” at the Acton Children’s Business Fair for his product, Earth Bags — handmade cloth pouches that function as a reusable alternative to zip-up plastic bags. This project was inspired by Design Lab curriculum at Wellan, as well as Andrew’s own concerns about the environmental impacts of plastic waste. His mother, Michelle Leung remarked, “I truly think the school and the teachers have done fabulous work to nurture the kids to be empowered to make a difference, no matter how small.“
AS SEEN IN N E W T O N PAT C H
Seventh Grade STEM Curriculum Investigates Ocean Health, Climate Change Two local newspapers featured a profile on Wellan’s Voyager program, including its immersive, hands-on STEM curriculum and their “deep dive” trip to Woods Hole, Cape Cod. There, students learned about impacts of climate change on coastal areas and marine life through various projects, such as analyzing sediment and conducting a wave study at Coast Guard Beach and using underwater technology aboard Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute‘s research vessel.
AS SEEN IN NE W TON & WA LT H A M TA B
Name Change Announcement in Montessori Life Magazine
AS SEEN IN MONTESSORI LIFE
Wellan is accredited by the American Montessori Society, which produces the national magazine Montessori Life. Their Winter 2020 issue featured the news of our name change: “Wellan Montessori (formerly Newton Montessori) renamed itself this year to more accurately represent the school. In Old English, wellan means ‘to bubble up from a deep source.’ Wellan students find intrinsic motivation, an eagerness to learn, and curiosity ‘bubbling up’ from within.” The magazine even included a couple of friendly faces you might recognize from Lower Elementary!
Year in Review, 2019–2020
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Wellan At Work P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E LO P M E N T | S TA F F N E W S
W ED DINGS A N D ENGAGEMENT S
CITIZENSHIP
Fiona Gohery became a U.S. citizen in February 2020
Esther Lee became a U.S. citizen in June 2020
Grace Stansell and husband, Jacob
Tessa Landry and fiancée, Katherine
Rachel Friebe and fiancé, Aviran
Emily Davulis and husband, Angelus
Wellan Gets Involved B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S | PA R E N T V O L U N T E E R S | D O N O R S
Each year, the Wellan Parent Association organizes “Service Saturdays” — an initiative inspired by the Montessori ideals of peace, kindness, and empowerment. For our December Service Saturday, participants joined together to assemble “Sweet Cases” for children in foster care. Our volunteers filled duffel bags with comforting items including a stuffed toy, blanket, hygiene kit, and handmade cards. We love coming together to serve our community.
“We cannot be more emphatic in declaring our unanimous, unequivocal support for Beth, the administrative team, and the faculty, and what they have done [during the mandated school building closure], under extraordinarily stressful conditions, on behalf of Wellan’s students. We all share a common pride in being part of a vibrant and strong Wellan community.” —Message to the community from the Board of Trustees, May 2020 Lauris Lambergs, Chair, Wellan Board of Trustees
BOARD OF TRUSTEES At-Large Members
Executive Committee * Lauris Lambergs, Chair (Sasha, FS) * Kerry Stevens, Vice Chair Mathematics Teacher and Director of External Programs at Nashoba Brooks School Jay Mehta, Treasurer (Anya, LE) * Cara Candal, Clerk (Nico, P; Eva, UE)
* Board Member will return to serve in 2020–2021
Community Members:
Parents of Current Students:
Rachel Scott, Assistant Director of Admission at Beaver Country Day School * Claudia Urrea, Associate Director for Pre-K–12 MIT Office of Digital Learning
* Brian Alfermann (Hanna, P; Hugo, P; Nora, P; Clara, UE) * Jacqueline Angell (Clementine, P; Montgomery, LE) * David Bono (Abby, UE) * Erica DeRosa (Winn, B; Violet, P) * Brian Elworthy (Vivian, B; Bennett, P) * Chad Hinkle (Petra, UE) * Anish John (Aria, LE; Aidan, V) Sarah Rahman (Inaya, P; Ameer, LE; Gibran, FS) * Anna Turkova-Khan (Adam, P; Sasha, LE)
Student grade level as of 2019–2020 school year: B: Beginners P: Primary LE: Lower Elementary UE: Upper Elementary V:
Voyager
FS: Former Student
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
E D U C AT I O N A L E XC E L L E N C E
TA L E N T M A N AG E M E N T
SCHOOL IDENTIT Y
Year in Review, 2019–2020
S T R AT EG I C ENROLLMENT
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FINANCIAL & O P E R AT I O N A L H E A LT H & S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
PA R E N T A S S O C I AT I O N E V E N T S
Bill's 5K
Thanksgiving Feast
Service Saturday
MLK Day of Service
Puppets & Pajamas
Family Skating Event
PARENT ASSOCIATION Officers
Committee Chairs
Kara Nemeth, President Lisa Gillette, Vice President
Jessica Alfermann (Family Skating Event) Chris Dumas (Staff Appreciation) Jill Dumas (Puppets and Pajamas) Tracy Goulding (Book Fair) Joan Hanania (Service Saturday) Lela Jacobsohn (Spirit Week) Elizabeth Kane (Staff Appreciation)
Sachié Karmacharya (Pride Celebration) Durlov Khan (Bill‘s 5K) Lisa Lappin Levine (Walk for Hunger) Meghan Murphy (Spirit Wear) Catherine Peyton (Family Skating Event) Sabeena Raskin (Thanksgiving Feast) Jaime Vines (Thanksgiving Feast, Spirit Week)
I n p e r s o n ... a n d a t h o m e ! OUR MEMORIES
wellanmontessori
wellanmontessori
In the fall and winter, our community enjoyed longstanding PA traditions of building friendships, giving thanks, and serving the greater Boston community. Even while the school building was closed and we could not be together in person, PA volunteers got creative about ways to connect and celebrate virtually. wellanmontessori Spirit Week & Spirit Wear
wellanmontessori
wellanmontessori
wellanmontessori Staff Appreciation
wellanmontessori Walk for Hunger
wellanmontessori Scholastic Book Fair
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wellanmontessori Pride Celebration
CLASS PARENTS
B1 Kerry DeTora, Joanna Kirtley, Raha Tajrobehkar B2 Maria Gionfriddo, Hillary Jackson, Mac Jackson B3 Chelle Subber, Cristin Taylor BB Lindsey O‘Rourke
P1 P2 P3 P4
Christine Berg, Rose Gold Zaid Ashai, James Engel Davina Harris Swann, Karen Rizner Maren Coniglione, Elizabeth Kane, Durlov Khan P5 Kim DeLeonardis, Shadi Johnston P6 Lisa Burton, Nicole Olenio Blackshire P7 Laura Gellis, Jenn Tolkoff
LE1 LE2 UE V
Durlov Khan, Shirley Yang Steve Gatzos, Meghan Murphy Liz Bowie, Sabeena Raskin Elena Alam, Tracy Goulding
A N N UA L G I V I N G Wellan relies on gifts to the Annual Fund to support important projects and initiatives throughout the school each year. Funds raised allow us to continue expanding our financial aid capacity, provide meaningful professional development opportunities for teachers, and invest in ongoing improvements to our programs and facilities.
2019–2020 Fundraising Statistics
Total Fundraising¹ $198,680
Overall Participation² 81%
Average Family Gift $770
Faculty/Staff Participation³ 100%
This year, we were thrilled to celebrate the completion of the most transformative renovation project in our school’s history with the opening of the brand new Wellan Arts Wing! The Arts Wing features beautiful new classroom spaces with state of the art resources for students to explore in our Music, Drama, and Art programs. This extensive renovation project was made entirely possible by the generosity of the Wellan community through gifts to the Annual Fund. We look forward to sharing countless wonderful experiences with students, teachers, and families in these spaces for years to come. ¹ Includes unrestricted gifts, pledges, restricted gifts, and ticket revenue. ² Overall participation is measured as a percentage of 2019–2020 parents, staff, and board members. ³ Faculty/Staff participation is measured as a percentage of 2019–2020 full-time staff. Please visit wellan.org to view the Annual Financial Report for 2019–2020.
THE ARTS WING
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A N N UA L F U N D D O N O R S
2 019 – 2 0 2 0
Transformer ($5,000 +)
Benefactor ($1,000 – $2,499)
Partner ($500 – $999)
Anonymous
Anonymous (6)
Anonymous (3)
l The Angell Family l Anna and Durlov Khan l Lauris and Ginta Lambergs
l Brian and Jessica Alfermann
The Bernstein Family
¡ Beth Black and Keith Gillette
l The Candal Family
l David Bono and Holly Happe
The Crystal Family
The Chaguturu Family
Visionary ($2,500 – $4,999) Anonymous (2) ¡ Adrian DeDomenico and Jennifer
Cardy
l Alison and Brian Elworthy The Feinberg Family
Sohrab Dinshaw and Rashna Mehta
Anne Clark and Gregory Jones
¡ The Donnelly Family
The Cohen Family
Geoff Ebeling and Anna Hitchner
l Erica DeRosa and Andrew Teman
The Farboodmanesh Family
Kristoff and Elizabeth Homan
Florencia Halperin and C. Giovanni
The Jay Family
Traverso
l The John Family
The Havemeyer Family
The Galese Family
The Laubach Family
Jessica Hawks and Daniel Nelson
Badar Khan and Masu Haque
The Leavey DeTora Family
The Hazrachoudhury Family
The Mallet Family
Bob and Elizabeth Kane
The Mulliken Family
The Kher Family
The Perumbadi Family
l Jay and Swapna Mehta
Chris and Nadia Pierce
Achal and Sveta Oza
l Sarah Rahman and Zaid Ashai The Raskin Family
l
Bianka and Lee Eichelberger
The Dumas Family
2019–2020 Board Member
¡ 2019–2020 Staff Member
The Park Family The Peyton Family
The Shen Family
Shuyu Ren and Cuiyan Xin
The Subber Family
Ruben and Rachel Rodrigues
The Tolkoff Family
The Sun Family
The Wang Family
Hillary and Athe Tsibris
l Claudia Urrea The Vranich Family
Year in Review, 2019–2020
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A N N UA L F U N D D O N O R S
(c o n t i n u e d )
Patron ($250 – $499) Anonymous (3) The Argudo Family The Arroyo Family
l Chad Hinkle and Jaime Vines Salvia Jain and Devavrat Shah ¡ Joe Jolly and Susan Rivers
The Perry Family The Schmitt Family
l The Scott Family l Kerry Stevens
The Bedard Family
The Katz-Hernandez Family
Josh and Christine Berg
The Kearney Family
The Sulesky Family
The Betanzo Family
The Kirtley Family
Michael Uzzi and Monica Kapoor
The Bharathan Family
The Liu Family
The Van Dyk Family
The Goncalves Family
Jason and Yanshen Lucki
Xinxin Wang and Hui Chen
The Goulding Family
The Marathe Family
David Yu and Angela Lin
The Gu Family
Matt Noble and Emily Dill
Friend (up to $249) Anonymous (26)
¡ The Griffiths Family
The Alam Family
¡ The Hamill Family
¡ Jasmin Argueta
¡ Andrée (Pat) Hernandez
The Obregon-Ospina Family Dan O‘Connor and Maren Coniglione ¡ Kathie and Hugh O‘Dowd
The Bhatia Family
¡ Kayla Hindle
The Olenio-Blackshire Family
David Bolger and Karen Rizner
¡ Jackie Hogan
The Otero Family
¡ The Bowring Family
The Boyerinas Family
Deryle House and Jennifer Beachell The Huang Family
Kevin Oxendine and Kate Marcot ¡ Ashley Robinson ¡ Merav and Yoni Rosen
¡ The Brooks Family
¡ Vanessa Irzyk and Wes Page
¡ Kim Burk
¡ Mikail Jaikaran
The Rosenberg Family
¡ Sarah Chadwick
¡ Christiana Jamroz
Nikhil Sahni and Ishani Ganguli
The Cheng Family
¡ The Karmacharya Family
The Sand Family
Tom Chiaino
¡ Laurie Katz
¡ The Santiago Family
¡ The Clifford Family
¡ Terrell Keeling
¡ The Schmiedigen Family
¡ Savannah Clinton
¡ Beatriz Lares
¡ The Schuch Family
¡ Ken Condon and Becky Alukonis
¡ Esther Seungyeon Lee
¡ Erin Conway
¡ Lisa Lappin Levine
¡ Michael and Joyce Silverstone
¡ Haley Crocker
¡ Margarita Londono
¡ Wendy Smith
¡ Amanda Cusanno
¡ Mary Evelyn Lucier
¡ Madeline Sosnowski
The Ducoff Family The Ekici Family ¡ Anny Espiritu
CJ and Sara Floros ¡ The Foley Family
Joshua and Casie Friedman ¡ The Gabarro Marban-Lorenzo Family ¡ The Gass Family
The Gatzos Family ¡ The Gionfriddo Family
Dan and Lauren Glidden ¡ The Gohery Family
The MacFadden Family ¡ The Maher Family
The Matos Family ¡ Lauretta Maynard
The McClean Family ¡ Stephen McDonough ¡ The McLean Family
Irina Sigalovsky and Leonid Fridman
¡ The Stanten Family ¡ The Stiffler Family
Davina and Michael Swann ¡ The Taschereau Family
The Taylor Family Heidi Vanderbilt-Brown and Andrew Popper
Yael and Gopi Mohan
The Ward Family
Ali Muftu and Justine Barletta
The Wellenius Family
The Murphy Family
Linda and John Woodard
¡ Katie and Jason Ng
The Ng Family 18
Wellan Montessori School
The Xie Family The Yasinovsky Family
GRANDPARENT AND EXTENDED FAMILY DONORS Visionary ($2,500 – $4,999) Jodi Alfermann
Friend (up to $249) Daniel and Toby Bernstein Angela Chiaino
Benefactor ($1,000 – $2,499)
The Coniglione Family The Davis Family
Dennis and Barb Alfermann
JoAnn and Jack DeRosa
Dennis T. DeDomenico and Sandra
Joseph and Laurie DiClerico
Brod Ann-Ellen Hornidge and Ned Murphy Anthony and Donna Lucki
Marge Donnelly
Grandparents Day
The Faboodmanesh Family Shelley and Rob Jackson
In November, Primary grandparents joined our Head of School, Beth Black, and 6th grade students for a presentation on Montessori programming. Afterwards, grandparents worked interactively with their grandchildren gaining a deeper understanding of the philosophy in a meaningful and memorable way. We loved having them in the classrooms!
Penny Jolly and Jay Rogoff Dr. Jerold Kramer and Renee
Partner ($500 – $999) James and Kathleen Castracane Beth and Hugh Wilkinson
Levine-Kramer Judy and Richard Lappin The Lavers Family Lynn N. Nelson The Rivers Family
Patron ($250 – $499) Margaret Murphy
CORPORATE DONORS AbbVie Bank of America BNY Mellon Dell
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Tam Larry and Joyce Tatsch The Willet Family
ALUMNI DONORS Transformer ($5,000 +) The Klevens Family
Education First (EF)
Benefactor ($1,000 – $2,499)
Fidelity Investments
The Chow Family
Intel Corporation John Hancock Medtronic
Patron ($250 – $499)
MSCI Inc
The Beaver Family
National Grid Novartis Oracle Corporation
Alumni Day We were thrilled to welcome back 15 alumni on our first Alumni Day this past fall! Our guests visited with old friends over a pizza lunch, reminisced with their former teachers, and participated in a tie-dye t-shirt art project with Ms. Vanessa. We loved catching up and can’t wait for their next visit.
Friend (Up to $249)
State Street Bank
Lauren and John Beshears
Sun Life Financial
The Cirasuolo Family The Woodworth Family
Year in Review, 2019–2020
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INSPIRE. “I felt inspired during the service project we did, making bags for kids in foster care. It inspired me to want to help more in my community. It made me feel good when we put the toys in the bags, knowing it would go to someone who needs it.” —Jasmine, Grade 6 “Once, in fourth grade, I saw three sixth-graders do a project on WWI. They performed it and it mesmerized me. Every day after that, I was planning a massive research project. Those sixth-graders unintentionally showed me my passion for doing research projects.” —Calum, Grade 6
CHALLENGE. “Many students feel challenged at Wellan for different subjects, but always learn something new each time they are challenged. A time I felt challenged was when I found out that I was Gaston for the play “Beauty and the Beast” at the Wellan Drama Club. I was very happy but I was also challenged because I had never played a character like Gaston and didn’t know how to. Eventually I found out different ways to express myself as a character like him.” —Lara, Grade 6
EMPOWER. “I feel empowered when hearing about kids my age or a little older doing great things — it gives me the feeling that I can accomplish my goals.” —Ethan, Grade 7 “One day a teacher asked me and a few friends to run an advisory meeting. She empowered us to take charge and organize a group on our own. This experience helped us grow our leadership skills and made us more confident.” —Petra, Grade 6
20 Wellan Montessori School
Wellan on a Mission S TUDENT REFLEC TIONS
Year in Review, 2017–2018
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INSPIRE. CHALLENGE. EMPOWER.
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