Wellan Montessori School Annual Report 2020–2021

Year in Review, 2020–2021 1

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.

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Y E A R I N R E V I E W 2020 –2021 “Oh, it just feels so good to be back.”

To hear these words from a Voyager student last September was nothing short of inspiring. After much time apart and tireless preparations for this school year, it fortified my team to hear words of gratitude and to witness joy from students of all ages. In Fall of 2020, hope and motivation bubbled up from deep within.

No word can describe that feeling better than Wellan.

For students who had spent months without sharing snack and spending recess together, without friends calling their name for one last goodbye at dismissal, September brought good tidings. September brought getting to go to school.

Times like these have called for optimistic realism. Along with all the have-todos of the past year, like wearing masks and limiting travel, there were so many things we got to do. We found ways to join together (virtually) for enriching activities, community service, and social justice efforts. We began important new curricular work with wellness, DEI, and anti-racism at the center (turn the page and read throughout for more on these strategic priorities). Students worked together with one another in the classroom, the youngest helping peers with their shoes and the oldest tackling complex projects as a team. There were times to witness this moment in history and process its challenges, and there were times to smile.

I am proud of this community. Students remained undeterred and consistently demonstrated eagerness to learn. Faculty and staff gave all of their energy and courage to these students. Parents and caregivers committed to following health protocols with diligence and showed unprecedented generosity to maintain a safe and strong learning environment at Wellan.

In keeping with our theme of the year, we truly stood strong and stuck together.

If one thing is certain, it’s that through the hardest times, our community ties have sustained us. We have persisted in doing what we are called to do, together. In the coming year, I look forward to strengthening our bonds even further.

I remain grateful for the privilege of leading this resilient school.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Board of Trustees MEET THE GRADUATES Celebrating Wellan’s Inaugural 8th Grade Class WELLNESS AT WELLAN COVID-19 Response and Curricular Initiatives

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DIVERSIT Y, EQUIT Y, INCLUSION & ANTI-RACISM A Look at Recent and Upcoming Initiatives

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WELLAN AT WORK Professional Development Staff News

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WELLAN GETS INVOLVED Parent Volunteers Annual Giving

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Wellan’s Mission in Action

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WELLAN ALUMNI Reconnecting with Our Former Students and Families

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Beth Black Head of School

Managing Editor, Writer: Beth Black Art Director, Writer, Editor: Ashley Calise Publication Designer, Writer: Haley Crocker Guest Photographer: Chris Dumas

“Parents: I appreciate the sacrifices you have made individually to keep your own children safe, and by doing so, collectively you have kept the entire school community safe.

Wellan’s ability to keep our kids in school even during the darkest days of winter is a profound testament to your hard work and dedication. This display of School Spirit is remarkable and the Board and I thank you so very deeply for this.”

—End of Year Ceremony Remarks by Lauris Lambergs, June 2021 Lauris Lambergs, Chair, Wellan Board of Trustees

2020 –2021 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Thank You to Wellan’s Outgoing Trustees

Executive Committee * Lauris Lambergs, Chair (Sasha, FS) * Kerry Stevens, Vice Chair Mathematics Teacher and Director of External Programs at Nashoba Brooks School * Brian Alfermann, Treasurer (Hanna, P; Hugo, P; Nora, LE; Clara, UE) * Cara Candal, Clerk (Lucas, P; Nico, LE; Eva, UE)

Brian Elworthy Trustee 2018–2021 * Board Member will return to serve in 2021–2022

Student grade level as of 2020–2021 school year:

At-Large Members Parents of Current Students: * Jacqueline Angell (Clementine, LE; Montgomery, UE) * David Bono (Abby, UE) * Sabeena Chacko Raskin (Luke, LE; Meera, FS; Priya, FS) * Erica DeRosa (Winn, P; Violet, LE) * Jill Dumas (Lucy, P) Brian Elworthy (Vivian, P; Bennett, P) * Chad Hinkle (Petra, V) Mac Jackson (Stella, B; Maisie, P) * Anish John (Aria, LE; Aidan, V) * Bob Kane (Lily, P) * Anna Turkova-Khan (Adam, LE; Sasha, LE)

B: Beginners P: Primary LE: Lower Elementary

Mac Jackson Trustee 2020–2021

UE: Upper Elementary V:

Voyager

FS: Former Student

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Community Members: * Claudia Urrea, Associate Director for Pre-K–12 MIT Office of Digital Learning

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Wellan’s Board of Trustees focuses on fiscal oversight, generative thinking, and strategic planning.

Rather than developing a static 3–5 year Strategic Plan that could quickly become outdated as the societal context changes or opportunities arise, the Wellan Board and School have adopted a flexible framework that includes seven enduring Strategic Priorities.

Trustees and school leaders come together for an annual retreat to discuss progress to date in each priority area, identify future projects that may need allocation of resources, and agree on action steps for the coming school year that align with the Strategic Priorities. School leaders propose a number of action steps that are timely in terms of the school’s current needs and available staffing resources. Some action steps can be executed within the school year; others are multi-year initiatives.

Trustees similarly commit annually to working on action steps at the Board level that will move the School forward in accord with these seven established priority categories.

Five of Wellan’s Strategic Priorities correspond to distinct areas of ongoing school operations— Educational Excellence, Talent Management, School Identity, Managed Enrollment, and Financial/Operational Health and Sustainability.

Two important priorities whose initiatives cut across all areas of the school are intentionally “woven” into the other five priorities, influencing the overall direction of the school.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & AntiRacism priorities are connected, for example, to Educational Excellence (e.g., DEI and anti-racism curriculum) and Talent Management (e.g., hiring, workplace culture, etc.).

Health, Safety, & Wellness priorities similarly are connected to the other categories, ranging from Educational Excellence (e.g., human sexuality curriculum) to Financial/Operational Health and Sustainability (e.g., ADA facilities projects).

Educational Excellence Maximize the academic learning and personal growth of all students, from toddlers to young teens.

Talent Management Attract, retain, and support the professional development of high-quality teachers and administrators.

School Identity Strengthen the school’s identity, brand recognition, and family engagement.

Managed Enrollment Build and maintain stable enrollment of students from diverse families who deeply value what the school offers.

Financial & Operational Health & Sustainability Maintain the health and sustainability of the school’s infrastructure.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-racism Establish and maintain curricula for students and operational systems for employees and families that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and promote the eradication of racism and other forms of systemic oppression.

Health, Safety, Wellness Establish and maintain curricula for students and operational systems for employees and families that support individual efforts to maintain health and wellness as well as the safety of the community.

Learn More: wellan.org/strategic-priorities

Members of the Wellan school community are invited to contribute ideas for initiatives that could improve the School. Please contact the Head of School.

Year in Review, 2020–2021 3

Meet the Graduates C E L E B R AT I N G W E L L A N ’ S I N A U G U R A L 8 T H G R A D E C L A S S

“Voyager is the most fun I have ever had at school.

The math class is one of the most interesting and engaging math classes I've ever had. We learn everything through such a creative and interactive lens.”

—Wellan Voyager Graduate 4 Wellan Montessori School

Educational Excellence

An Experience to Remember Wellan’s Voyager program for Grades 7 and 8 launched in Fall of 2019. From the start, students paired their unique interdisciplinary classroom experience with off-campus excursions to Cape Cod, the Charles River, and Blue Hills Observatory, where guest experts engaged them in hands-on STEM projects. When COVID-19 caused school buildings to close, students dove into independent research and social justice projects virtually through Wellan Wired.

Upon returning to school in Fall of 2020, students were able to collaborate in person once again: engineering roller coasters in STEM, preparing a full-fledged drama production in the course of one week, doing science labs and nature-based art projects in Webster Woods, contributing to the first annual Wellan Literary Magazine, and more.

Through the rocky seas of the pandemic, Voyager students not only persevered, but excelled. Graduates are well prepared to take on new challenges and opportunities in high school and beyond. Hats off to Wellan’s Class of 2021!

Maria Alam

Logan Bell

Maya Dimmick

Zoe Engel

Joined Wellan: 2013

Joined Wellan: 2020

Joined Wellan: 2012

Joined Wellan: 2020

Capstone Project Topic: The Use of Masks as a Tool for Social Mobility

Capstone Project Topic: The Evolution of Writing in Chinese Characters

Capstone Project Topic: The Role of Music in Concentration Camps

Capstone Project Topic: The Role of Queer People in First Peoples Nations, Before and After Colonization

Esmé Erdos

Ethan Goulding

Aidan John

Zach Levine

Joined Wellan: 2019

Joined Wellan: 2012

Joined Wellan: 2010

Joined Wellan: 2010

Capstone Project Topic: The Evolution of Hemline, Fashion, and Silhouette from the 1800s to Today

Capstone Project Topic: Why Certain Inventions Were Not Attributed to the Original Creator, and the Lasting Impact

Capstone Project Topic: The Effect of Diseases on the Outcome of the Civil War

Capstone Project Topic: The Evolution of Electricity and the Way It Is Understood

Year in Review, 2020–2021 5

Wellness at Wellan C O V I D -19 R E S P O N S E & C U R R I C U L A R I N I T I AT I V E S

MASK WEARING

Students adapted to wearing masks while focusing on work, playing with friends, and going about each school day.

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Health, Safety, Wellness

“Undaunted, Wellan faculty, students, and families adapted to the challenges of the past year with agility, creating a semblance of normalcy for students amid the stressful, changing context of the pandemic.”

—Beth Black, Head of School After months of remote learning in Spring of 2020, Wellan was able to open, and remain open, for the Summer Program and the entire 2020–2021 school year.

New health and safety policies required constant vigilance and dedication. Ultimately, they allowed learners to thrive and friendships to form.

Here’s a look back at how our community navigated this unique moment in history.

SUMMER PROGRAM LAUNCH OF IN-PERSON LEARNING

Massachusetts state policies, EEC and DESE requirements, and expert advice from Wellan’s COVID-19 Advisory Board shaped Wellan’s return to in-person programming in June of 2020. For teachers, the Summer Program was an important opportunity to adopt a new routine of health and safety protocols prior to the full school year launch.

For students, the program offered much-needed time outdoors—in the company of friends. Athletic and creative enrichment opportunities at school paired well with walking field trips to Weeks Field and Crystal Lake.

Year in Review, 2020–2021 7

TESTING

Regular PCR Testing Wellan’s School Nurse, Timarra Warren, was instrumental in ensuring the health of our community—not only fielding wellness questions and visits to the Nurse’s Office, but also administering PCR testing. In September, weekly PCR testing began for faculty and staff. In January, biweekly pooled PCR testing began for all students over the age of two.

Back-to-School Testing Clinic Following Winter Break, Wellan hosted a drive-up testing clinic for students, faculty, and staff, requiring a negative test result in order to return to school. All who participated in this testing clinic produced a negative result, and Wellan was able to resume inperson learning.

A New Lesson for Beginners In order to help toddlers gain comfort with nasal swab testing, teachers created an activity that would normalize the process.

Students explored the experience through pretend play. Acting as the nurse, each child gave a nasal swab test to the baby doll and practiced the hygiene routine (wipe nose, clean hands).

“We have nothing but respect and admiration for this school and the fabulous educators in normal times. This is especially true now in terms of the COVID-19 response and safety measures that have been taken. We are so lucky to be a part of this community.”

—Beginner and Primary Family 8 Wellan Montessori School

Health, Safety, Wellness

INVESTMENTS

PPE and Hygiene Supplies In preparation for the 2020–2021 school year, Wellan stocked up on personal protective equipment (PPE), touchless thermometers, and Plexiglass dividers to facilitate social distancing. Air purification units were installed in each classroom and in hallways, as well as touchless faucets, soap dispensers, and paper towel dispensers wherever possible.

SchoolPass Wellan invested in a software system, SchoolPass, that families used on a computer or phone to conduct a daily at-home wellness check and submit results. Based on answers to each question, the app clarified when to keep students home from school, ensuring that all who entered the building each day were symptom-free.

Added Classroom Spaces New tents in our courtyard and playground spaces allowed students and staff to take advantage of fresh air with outdoor classes. Wellan also secured new indoor classroom spaces by expanding into an additional building, now called West Hall.

Head to page 22 for more details on this exciting development.

Virtual Paint Night for Parents Parents need social time, too!

Cue the development team’s wildly popular Virtual Paint Night. Wellan Art Specialist (and professional artist) Vanessa Irzyk led attendees through a fun night of creativity with a beautiful lighthouse scene.

Spirit Week This year, our 8th graders organized a fun-filled week of themed days to showcase Wellan spirit, including Creative Hat/Hair Day, Fancy Day (pictured above), Favorite Color Day, Time Travel Day, and Pajama Day!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Drive-In Movie Family Events It is a challenge to plan community events during a global pandemic, but Wellan got creative! Each semester, the development team transformed Wellan’s parking lot to host popular drive-in movie nights for Primary, Elementary, and Voyager families.

Find more community events organized by the Parent Association on page 20.

Year in Review, 2020–2021 9

Health, Safety, and Wellness (HSW) Curriculum Wellan’s 2020–2021 efforts to promote health, safety, and wellness extend far beyond the School’s response to COVID-19. Faculty and Staff have been engaged in a multi-year process to develop and roll out HSW curriculum.

The curriculum is designed to prepare students to take responsibility for: • • •

Webster Woods offers an ideal setting for Voyager students to explore physical and mental health.

Maintaining their physical and mental health Protecting their personal safety Practicing healthy habits that lead to life-long wellness

The curriculum is designed to address these subjects: • • • • •

Safety Practices Healthy Body Healthy Mind Healthy Relationships Human Sexuality

Parents are often especially curious about how the School approaches Human Sexuality education. Below is the School’s position statement.

WELLAN HUMAN SEXUALITY EDUCATION STATEMENT Acknowledgement: The Wellan Human Sexuality Education Statement was inspired by a similar statement from The Park School of Baltimore.

Children are naturally curious about many aspects of human sexuality, including their own and others’ anatomy, human bodily functions, expressions of gender identity, human reproduction, puberty, and physical intimacy.

Children may acquire information about human sexuality from a variety of non-school sources, including family members, physicians, peers, and the media. Some of the information they receive may be inaccurate or biased; may instill fear or shame; or may focus solely on “body parts” rather than also teaching the importance of respect, communication, and decision-making with regard to expressing one’s sexuality.

School-based human sexuality education serves to provide students with a developmentally appropriate, scientifically accurate, and positive perspective on human sexuality.

Learning Goals •

Students will develop a positive, inclusive view of human sexuality as part of everyday life.

•

Students will receive scientifically accurate and developmentally appropriate information presented in an open, safe, respectful manner that is aligned with the • ways we teach other topics.

•

Students will be prepared for the physical and mental changes associated with puberty.

•

Students will learn to exercise control over their own bodies at a very young age, understand their right to refuse consent, and know when and how to report “hurtful or secret touching.”

Students will understand the differences between biological sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

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•

Students will understand the value of delaying sexual activity and ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.

•

Students will develop the decision-making and communication skills they need to care for their sexual health and develop healthy, consensual, mutually satisfying relationships.

Health, Safety, Wellness

Human sexuality education is integrated throughout the year in the Wellan curriculum at all age levels. This past April, Voyager students had the opportunity to explore several topics in-depth during a weeklong series of workshops presented by guest speakers.

LET’S TALK: Schedule for the Week MONDAY: Introduction to Sexuality TUESDAY: Anatomy/Physiology and Human Reproduction WEDNESDAY: Gender Matters THURSDAY: Healthy Relationships and Communication FRIDAY: Understanding Boundaries and Consent

Our Teaching Approach

Resources

At Wellan, our approach is to normalize the use of vocabulary and sharing of information related to human sexuality by introducing terms and concepts in a matter of fact way that is similar to the way we teach the body parts of a frog or how plants propagate.

dialogue with their children about human sexuality as it relates to their family values.

We teach specific lessons that fall within the Human Sexuality strand of our Health, Safety, Wellness curriculum. We also provide ageappropriate information in the context of everyday activities, in response to student questions or conversation, and during planned lessons that tie in with other subjects. ​ Given this integrated approach to human sexuality education, there is no “opt out” program at Wellan.

We expect that parents will not only reinforce the school-based curriculum but will engage in

Also recommended:

Wellan offers occasional parent education programs that may be helpful in promoting open, meaningful family conversations.

•

Talk to Me First: Everything You Need to Know to Become Your Kids' "Go-To" Person about Sex,

by Deborah Roffman

•

Reading List at sexpositivefamilies.com

Visit Us Online: wellan.org/hsw-curriculum

Year in Review, 2020–2021 11

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism at Wellan OUR COMMITMENT

Wellan stands united against racism and all forms of discrimination.

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism

“Any work which empowers students to feel safe and comfortable in their own skin is the most important work there is.” —Beth Black, Head of School As adults, we must continuously educate ourselves to provide students with the best curriculum, guidance, and support. We must continue to create a community where members feel a deep sense of belonging. We must work to ensure that students, educators, and caregivers have equitable access to Montessori education.

Here is a look at Wellan’s DEI initiatives of 2020–2021 and a preview of our work to come.

Students raised their voices this year at school and at virtual events organized by the Parent Association.

See more on page 20.

EXPERT ADVICE: WELLAN’S DEI CONSULTANT In August 2020, Wellan engaged Carlos Hoyt, PhD, LICSW as a consultant to help guide the School’s work in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-bias; and to lead professional development sessions for faculty, staff, and trustees.

Dr. Hoyt worked closely with Wellan in the first semester of the 2020–2021 year, establishing a foundation and resources for the School to build on independently.

SEPTEMBER 2020: Professional Development for All Faculty and Staff Diversity Without Divisiveness: From Powerful Principles to Powerful Praxis Dr. Hoyt led his first session for all staff and faculty prior to students arriving for the first day of school. He presented a framework for understanding social identity, social bias, and social justice and facilitated small group breakout discussions. Participants focused on how they would put this work into practice on their own and with students.

Carlos Hoyt, PhD, LICSW

“A teacher, an author, and a facilitator providing guidance beyond the false and problematic habits of mind that result in social bias”

NOVEMBER 2020: Professional Development for All Faculty and Staff Getting Serious About Belonging This session centered the definition of belonging, and how educators can assess students’ feelings of belonging and inclusion at each age level.

JANUARY 2021: Presentation and Discussion With Board of Trustees Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the Board Level: Towards a Common Bearing Dr. Hoyt joined the Board of Trustees for their monthly meeting to discuss the importance of DEI work, how it should manifest at the Board level, and the impact of social identity and social conditioning on this work.

www.carloshoyt.com

Year in Review, 2020–2021 13

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, ANTI-RACISM CURRICULUM While Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism are values and concepts integral to Montessori philosophy, we recognize our duty to deepen and extend our curricular approaches to educating ourselves and our students about these important issues of identity, belonging, and justice. We are committed to ongoing personal and professional development as educators and to thoughtful, well-researched curriculum development.

As we learn together and evaluate curricular approaches, we are focused on exploring the ways we can achieve these learning outcomes, developed by Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance).

Learning Goals (Standards adopted from Learning for Justice) •

Students will develop positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society.

•

Students will develop language and historical and cultural knowledge that affirm and accurately describe their membership in multiple identity groups.

•

•

Students will recognize that people’s multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals.

Students will express pride, confidence, and healthy selfesteem without denying the value and dignity of other people.

•

Students will recognize traits of the dominant culture, their home culture, and other cultures and understand how they negotiate their own identity in multiple spaces.

•

Students will express comfort with people who are both similar to and different from them and engage respectfully with all people.

•

Students will develop language and knowledge to accurately and respectfully describe how people (including themselves) are both similar to and different from each other and others in their identity groups.

•

Students will respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others and will exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.

•

Students will respond to diversity by building empathy, respect, understanding, and connection.

•

Students will examine diversity in social, cultural, political, and historical contexts rather than in ways that are superficial or oversimplified.

•

Students will recognize stereotypes and relate to people as individuals rather than representatives of groups.

Diversifying Our Bookshelves It’s important for students to practice perspective-taking while reading about characters who are different than them, so that they can do the same when interacting socially. At left, local store Newtonville Books gave Wellan an Instagram shout-out for Librarian Kimberly Burke’s efforts to bring more diverse books into the library. Above, teachers offer reading selections within the classroom on the topics of Black History and LGBTQ+ Pride.

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism

•

Students will recognize unfairness on the individual level (e.g., biased speech) and injustice at the institutional or systemic level (e.g., discrimination).

•

Students will analyze the harmful impact of bias and injustice on the world, historically and today.

•

Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup, and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.

•

Students will identify figures, groups, events, and a variety of strategies and philosophies relevant to the history of social justice around the world.

•

Students will express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their identities and concern when they themselves experience bias.

•

Students will recognize their own responsibility to stand up to exclusion, prejudice, and injustice.

•

Students will speak up with courage and respect when they or someone else has been hurt or wronged by bias.

•

Students will make principled decisions about when and how to take a stand against bias and injustice in their everyday lives and will do so despite negative peer or group pressure.

•

Students will plan and carry out collective action against bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective.

Visit Us Online: wellan.org/deiar

coming soon New Curriculum Model for Elementary Students In the 2021–2022 school year, Elementary faculty will complete Learning for Justice professional development sessions related to the 20 Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action Learning Standards (at left) and work on implementing these standards into the curriculum.

learningforjustice.org

New Curriculum Model for Voyager Students In the 2021–2022 school year, Wellan’s Voyager program will pilot use of the Pollyanna Racial Literacy curriculum for Grades 7-8 in three 6-week units.

Representation Matters in Curriculum for All Ages It is important for students to learn about scientific and cultural innovations made by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)—and it is never too early to start. During Black History Month, Beginner Teacher Anny Espiritu developed a material so that toddlers could learn about two Black inventors.

Students were able to approach a folder featuring an inventor’s portrait and open it to see a corresponding invention.

Year in Review, 2020–2021 15

pollyannainc.org/

EDUCATION & REFLECTION FOR ADULTS

Faculty and Staff Listening Circles Following Dr. Hoyt’s sessions, many of Wellan’s team members expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss DEI topics in small groups. That drove the initiative to organize optional monthly Listening Circles. Groups of 3–5 staff members met virtually to pose questions, reflect, share resources, and support one another.

Conferences and Webinars Throughout the year, faculty and staff attended many virtual conferences and webinars (see our Staff News at page 18 for several examples). Many opportunities to engage were organized by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), through which Wellan is accredited.

A group of staff and trustees kicked off the year by attending AISNE’s virtual four-day Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference (above). One action step inspired by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., a speaker at this conference, was the implementation of a 21 Day Challenge for Racial Equity (see below). Later in the school year, Wellan sponsored attendance for every adult member of the community to engage in AISNE’s webinar with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.

21 Day Challenge for Racial Equity In the month of March, Wellan invited all adult community members to participate in the 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge developed

by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. Parents, faculty, staff, and trustees committed to one activity each day for 21 days—which studies have shown is the length of time required to form a longlasting habit—in the name of creating effective habits for social justice.

Recommended activities span the categories Read, Listen, Watch, Notice, Connect, Engage, Act, Reflect, and Stay Inspired. The goal is not to passively educate oneself in isolation, but to actively disrupt racist practices, policies, and discourse while engaging with others in community. With that in mind, the Parent Association offered a virtual discussion group and coordinated buddies for anyone who was interested.

Start the Challenge:

coming soon

www.eddiemoorejr.com

Dr. Moore is recognized as one of the nation’s top motivational speakers and educators, especially for his work with students K-16. He designed the challenge “to further understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.” If you missed the challenge in March—start today!

Early Childhood Faculty & Staff Reading Groups In the 2021–2022 school year, faculty and staff in our Early Childhood programs will do on-going professional development with readings, activities, and group discussions around Tiffany Jewell’s This Book Is Anti-Racist.

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism

EXPANDING ACCESS TO MONTESSORI

in progress

Montessori Educator Certification Program Wellan Head of School Beth Black has a vision to create opportunities for people of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to earn Montessori certification. The School has begun preparations to launch an AMS-approved certification program for aspiring Montessori teachers, to be called the Wellan Institute. The long-term goal is to offer certification for teachers with need-based scholarships available. As a pilot program, Wellan will begin with certification for teachers of Primary students (3–6 year olds). Wellan is thrilled to have Primary Teacher Priya Venkateswaran (at right) coordinating this effort.

Free, Virtual Webinar Series: Montessori Is for Everyone In the month of March, Wellan hosted over 200 attendees for a virtual webinar series—all about how to apply Montessori philosophy at home or in a classroom setting.

All nine sessions, taught by Wellan faculty and staff members, addressed common questions and needs surrounding each plane of development (see page 19 for a full list of topics and presenters).

Administrative Coordinator

Need-Based Financial Assistance for Wellan Families Wellan strives to make our school affordable for every admitted student. The Wellan financial aid program is need-based, providing grants to accepted students who, without such assistance, would be unable to attend. Awards are based first on the family’s socio-economic eligibility, and also take into account other factors that help the school achieve full enrollment, create a diverse student body, and build a strong community of families who understand and support the school’s educational mission.

One primary goal for this event series was to share free Montessori resources far beyond the scope of the Wellan community. The School reached out locally to libraries, education programs, and families of Greater Boston. Word traveled from friend to friend, and ultimately attendees registered from 22 states within the US, as well as six additional countries spanning three continents.

Wellan is exploring new ways to center equity in sharing Montessori resources with parents, caregivers, and educators. Ideas include offering webinars with subtitles and in multiple languages, as well as forming in-person partnerships with local community organizations. If you have suggestions, please contact communications@wellan.org.

Priya Venkateswaran

Percentage of students awarded financial aid for 2020–21:

27%

Financial aid as % of school budget for 2020–21:

7.3%

Average award amount for 2020–21:

$8,388 Financial aid budget for 2020–21:

$637,488

For More Information, Visit: The maps above represent states and countries where attendees registered for Montessori Is for Everyone.

Year in Review, 2020–2021 17

wellan.org/financial-assistance

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

Ashley Calise and husband, Kyle

Austin Matte and wife, Stevie

Jess Brennan and husband, Thom

ENG AGEM ENT S

Sarah Chadwick and fiancé, Lee

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Samantha Foley and fiancé, Sam

Kayla Hindle and fiancé, Terry Keeling

CONFERENCE LEADERSHIP Michael Silverstone presented ”Creation Stories & the Nature of the Elements” at the Montessori Education Teacher Training Collaborative (METTC) in 2021.

He also co-presented three webinars with Dr. Debbie Zacarian based on their book, Teaching to Empower: Taking Action to Foster Student Agency, SelfConfidence and Collaboration (2020).

These webinars were presented for ASCD Annual Conferences (2020 and 2021) and the AISNE Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Conference (2020).

Montessori is for Everyone: Virtual Workshop Series for Parents, Caregivers, and Educators Beth Black presented “Introduction to Montessori: Your Child’s Inner Genius” Esther Seungyeon Lee presented ”How to Prepare a Home for Peace” Mary Evelyn Lucier presented “A Place for Everything: How to Help Kids Get Organized” Amanda Cusanno presented “Promote Independence by (Interior) Design” Beth Schuch and Michael Silverstone presented “Freedom Within Limits: Independence in the Elementary Years” Priya Venkateswaran presented “What Makes Your Heart Happy? Preschoolers and Big Emotions” Kayla Stiffler presented “Testing the Waters: Navigating Friendships in Elementary”

Kate Kane presented “Making the Most of Storytime” Beth Black, Caitlin Bowring, and Katie Hamill presented “Montessori Myths & Magic: Q&A Session with Panelists”

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE Conferences and Classes Faculty and staff attended a wide range of webinars and virtual talks this year— DEI and anti-racism were particular areas of focus. See several examples below: • •

• • • • • • •

AISNE Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Conference Ibram X. Kendi’s “Go Beyond an Awareness of Racism, Contribute to the Formation of a Truly Just and Equitable Society” (AISNE) “Systemic Equity Strategies: Develop a Schoolwide Approach” (AISNE) “Social Justice Standards: A Framework for Anti-Bias Education” (AISNE) AISNE Middle School Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Conference (with Voyager students) “Advance Anti-Racism Work In Your Community” (AISNE) “Insight Shifts of Consciousness for White Educators” (AISNE) “Neutrality Doesn’t Work: How Schools Can Respond to BLM and Black@Instagram” (ISM) “Racial Socialization as Resistance to Racism, the Early Years” (Embrace Race)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Degrees and Certifications Justine Brooks received her Montessori Coaching Certificate from Public Montessori in Action.

Abby Zimage completed her Infant/ Toddler Montessori training at Northeast Montessori Institute.

Anny Espiritu completed her Infant/ Toddler Montessori training at Cambridge Montessori Institute.

Laurie Gallagher and Kayla Hindle completed training for their Montessori Elementary 6–9 Certification at METTC. Brian Johnson completed his 9–12 Stand Alone training at METTC. Kayla Stiffler completed the classes ”Culturally Responsive Literature Instruction” and “Articulating the Intangibles of Teaching: Aligning Your Purpose and Practice for Instructional Leadership” through Harvard Graduate School of Education.

NE W BOR NS

Abby Zimage and fiancé, Tim

Orion Adler Levy (Mother: Rachel Friebe)

Ruby Madeline Jacob Jean-Baptiste Mak (Mother: (Mother: Rebecca Christine Mak) Jean-Baptiste) Year in Review, 2020–2021 19

Quinn Elizabeth Hudson (Grandmother: Beth Black)

Lily Christine Smitherman (Mother: Laura Smitherman)

Wellan Gets Involved PA R E N T V O L U N T E E R S | D O N O R S

In efforts to increase DEI initiatives throughout our community, the Parent Association organized two social justice events enriched with special guests. For our Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service Event, we read a story and heard from Tanya Nixon-Silberg from Little Uprisings about the work she does with children and families,

and what we of all ages can do to advance racial justice. Families then created their own yard signs promoting messages of equality, peace, and justice using art materials supplied by the Parent Association. • In June, the Parent Association welcomed author Robin Stevenson to our Virtual Pride Celebration. Robin read from her

Pride Puppy picture book for our younger students and Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle for our older students, opening up discussions about the global fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Lastly, students decorated their own Pride flag at home. We appreciate these opportunities to connect, reflect, and act as a school community.

COMMUNITY BUILDING In a year defined by social distancing, the Parent Association gathered our community together over Zoom—hosting interactive events for students Primary through Voyager. Talented local magician and Wellan favorite, Robert Clarke, joined Primary families for a Virtual Magic Show. Robert wowed the audience with surprises and tricks! • Later on in the year, the Parent Association invited friends from Muse Paintbar to guide Elementary and Voyager students through creating their own artistic masterpiece during a Virtual Paint Party. Students received art supplies and worked step by step to paint a beautiful sunset scene (pictured at right).

PARENT ASSOCIATION Officers

Committee Chairs

Kara Nemeth, President Lisa Gillette, Vice President

Tracy Goulding (Book Fair) Sabeena Chacko Raskin (Thanksgiving Feast) Elizabeth Kane (Staff Appreciation) Sachié Karmacharya (Pride Celebration) 20 Wellan Montessori School

Lisa Lappin Levine (Walk for Hunger) Meghan Murphy (Spirit Wear) Catherine Sabatos-Peyton (Virtual Paint Party) Jaime Vines (Thanksgiving Feast)

PA R E N T A S S O C I AT I O N E V E N T S SERVICE EVENTS Some of the most meaningful work we can do as a community is to give back. For Wellan’s Winter Service Event, families joined together virtually to decorate cards for community members of the Friendly House in Worcester. The Parent Association also created a “Kindness Bingo” card for those who wished to continue acts of service beyond the event—such as donating clothes or food to local organizations, picking up trash on a walk, and calling a friend or family member. • Wellan once again took part in Project Bread’s Annual Walk for Hunger. As this event remained virtual for the second year in a row, the Parent Association encouraged families to join the Wellan “team” and participate—whether donating funds or walking to raise awareness.

WELLAN TRADITIONS Due to safety precautions this year, many events required some creative adjusting; nonetheless, the Parent Association found a way to carry on beloved Wellan traditions, such as Spirit Wear, Thanksgiving, the Scholastic Book Fair, and Staff Appreciation. In lieu of an all-school Thanksgiving Feast, we practiced gratitude in

our classrooms and found ways to celebrate. Students had lunch using their annual handmade Thanksgiving placemats, and then enjoyed a special dessert generously supplied by the Parent Association. • For Staff Appreciation, Wellan faculty and staff were blown away by a week full of special treats and lunches. The team

felt especially touched by thoughtful handwritten notes and messages from families. • Our annual Scholastic Book Fair was virtual for the second year in a row, but no less successful—thanks to participation from families, the Parent Association raised over $650 Scholastic dollars for the school library and classrooms.

CLASS PARENTS B1 Guil Maradei, Danielle Maradei B2 Leslie Smith Baccini, Sveta Oza B3 Ollie MacFadden, Dan Glidden Lauren Glidden B4 Melissa Anguilla, Meghan McKenzie BB Reshma Singh, Kristin Bedard, Purvi Agarwal

P1 Jon Schaffrath, Sze-kar Wan P2 Sasha Mezer, Christine Berg P3 Uzma Saghir, Eric Stiffler P4 Marier Hernandez, Anna Carter P5 Nasreen Quibria, Karan Mansukhani K1 Davina Harris Swann, Jill Dumas K2 Elizabeth Kane, Nicole OlenioBlackshire Year in Review, 2020–2021 21

LE1 Shirley Yang, Cheng-Hsi Ho LE2 Sabeena Raskin, Steve Gatzos LE3 Catherine Sabatos-Peyton, Anna Farago LE4 Christy Zarlengo, Maren Coniglione UE1 Meghan Murphy, Cara Candal UE2 Tracy Goulding, David Bono, Michelle Leung V Anne Clark

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. This year’s recordsetting Annual Fund was instrumental in covering unbudgeted expenses that Wellan incurred in order to continue providing safe and enriching conditions for in-person learning throughout the pandemic.

2020–2021 Fundraising Statistics Total Fundraising¹ $258,373

Overall Participation² 84%

Average Family Gift $820

The health and safety of our school community has always been a top priority at Wellan. One of the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic was the need for more classroom space in order to allow for social distancing throughout the school day. The major addition of West Hall to our campus proved critical in this effort over the past year, and also continues to offer exciting opportunities for our Upper School programs to expand in the future. West Hall hosts a Voyager suite complete with a lecture-style seminar room, a STEM classroom, and a Humanities classroom; two Upper Elementary classrooms; a flex space; and a 3D Printing Lab/Media Room. Our renovation of these spaces was generously supported by the Wellan community through gifts to the Annual Fund. We look forward to all the learning and growth that will continue in West Hall for years to come. ¹ Includes unrestricted gifts, pledges, restricted gifts, and grants. ² Overall participation is measured as a percentage of 2020–2021 parents and board members.

Please visit wellan.org to view the Annual Financial Report for 2020–2021.

WEST HALL

A N N UA L F U N D D O N O R S

l l l l

Transformer ($5,000 +)

Benefactor ($1,000 – $2,499)

Partner ($500 – $999)

Anonymous

Anonymous (2)

Anonymous (3)

The Angell Family

l Brian and Jessica Alfermann

The Berg Family

David Bono and Holly Happe

Ogi Ogas and Tofool Alghanem

The Bernstein Family

The Dumas Family

The Anguilla Family

The Cohen Lau Family

The Elworthy Family

The Bachman Family

Megan Hardin and Sree Chaguturu

The Bowie Scott Family

l Anna and Durlov Khan l Lauris and Ginta Lambergs

Visionary ($2,500 – $4,999) Anonymous (3) The Beachell House Family Adrian DeDomenico and Jennifer Cardy Lorrie Edwards and Martin Galese

The Brumme Family

l The Candal Family

The Crystal-Park Family ¡ The Donnelly Family

The Engel Family ¡ The Esch-Santiago Family

The Cohen Family

The Farboodmanesh Family

Andrej and Dahlia Cop

The Forte Family

l Erica DeRosa and Andrew Teman The Feinberg Family

The Gu Family Jess Hawks & Dan Nelson

l Chad Hinkle and Jaime Vines Florencia Halperin and Giovanni Traverso l The John Family The Goncalves-Espinoza Family Kristoff and Elizabeth Homan

l Mac and Hillary Jackson l Bob and Elizabeth Kane

The Kher Family Bharathan Kumaraguru and Vaish Panchapakesa

The Havemeyer Family

Joanna and Tyler Kirtley

The Liu-Teoh Family

Badar Khan and Masu Haque

The Kiwada Family

Scott & Megan McKenzie

Kay and Anjan Mukherjee

The Laubach Family

The Mohan Family

Sarah Rahman and Zaid Ashai

The Lee Family

The Morris Family

The Raskin Family

Michelle Leung and Patrick Yum The Mallet Family

l

2 0 2 0 – 2 0 21

2020–2021 Board Member

¡ 2020–2021 Staff Member

The Murphy Family ¡ The Ng Family

The Mehta Family

The Noble Family

The Mulliken Family

The Obregon-Ospina Family

The Perumbadi Family

Achal and Sveta Oza

The Peyton Family

Shuyu Ren and Cuiyan Xin

The Shen Family

Ruben and Rachel Rodrigues

Reshma Singh and Irfan Rashid

The Saxena Family

The Wellenius Family

The Schaffrath Family The Schmitt Family The Sun Family Hillary and Athe Tsibris

l Claudia Urrea The Van Dyk Family The Vranich Family Xinxin Wang and Hui Chen

From Top Left: The Media Room/3D Printing Lab; the Voyager Humanities Room; the Flex Space; an Upper Elementary classroom; the West Hall corridor.

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 (2)

The Glidden Family

The Miloslavsky Family

The Alam Family

The Goulding Family

The Perry Family

The Betanzo Family

Wei Jiang and Peng Huang

The Rosenberg Family

The Chiaino/Nemeth Family ¡ Ken Condon and Becky Alukonis

¡ Joe Jolly and Susan Rivers

The Trojanowski Family

The Katz-Hernandez Family

The Willett Family

The Dimmick/Goldberg Family

The Lang Malone Family

The Yasinovsky Family

The Ebeling Family

The McClean Family

David Yu and Angela Lin

The Epstein Family

The McMenamin-Wagner Family

¡ The Gabarro Marban-Lorenzo Family

The McNeal Family

“The school community represents the best of all things — commitment to raising children who will create positive change in the world around them.”

—Alumni Family on Why They Give Friend (up to $249) The Agarwal Family

¡ The Gohery Family ¡ The Griffiths Family

The Aragam Family

¡ The Hamill Family

Anonymous (11)

The Arroyo Family The Baccini Family The Bedard Family

Davina Harris and Michael Swann ¡ Andrée (Pat) Hernandez ¡ Kayla Hindle

The Blackshire Family

¡ Vanessa Irzyk ¡ Elyse Kalins

The Bou Family

¡ The Karmacharya Family

The Bettivia Meza Family

¡ The Bowring Family

The Boyerinas Family ¡ Ashley and Kyle Calise ¡ Sarah Chadwick

The Cheng Family The Cianfrone Family The Clark/Erdos Family Dan O'Connor and Maren Coniglione ¡ Samantha Foley

The Friedman Family Patrick Furlong and Rena Xu ¡ The Gallagher Family ¡ The Gass Family

The Gatzos Family ¡ Pauline Gennis

The Kearney Family ¡ Terrell Keeling ¡ Beatriz Lares

Mercedes Leboreiro Hermandez and Dan Toffling ¡ Esther Seungyeon Lee ¡ The Londono Family

The Parikh Family Amy Perrault The Poutas Family ¡ Merav Rosen ¡ Beth and TJ Schuch ¡ Nate Shaffer

The Shiranian Family Irina Sigalovsky and Lenoid Fridman ¡ Michael and Joyce Silverstone ¡ Wendy Smith ¡ Laura Smitherman ¡ Maddie Sosnowski

The Spier/Van Welie Family ¡ The Stanten Family

l Kerry Stevens

The MacFadden Family

¡ The Stiffler Family ¡ Jason and Jen Taschereau

The Mansukhani Ghura Family

¡ The Tatsch/Maher Family

Guil and Danielle Maradei

The Tolkoff Family

Nikhil and Sheela Marathe

¡ Priya Venkateswaran

The Matos Family ¡ Lauretta Maynard

The Visi Family The Wan Family

The Mezers

The Ward Family

David and Emily Murphy

The Winn Family

Kathie and Hugh O'Dowd

The Zarlengo Family

¡ The Gionfriddo Family

24 Wellan Montessori School

GRANDPARENT AND EXTENDED FAMILY DONORS Benefactor ($1,000 – $2,499)

Friend (up to $249)

Anonymous

Michael Berg Muriel Bono The Companieh Family Richard and Tanis Coniglione Diane and John Davidow Kevin and Kim Davis JoAnn and Jack DeRosa The Donnelly Family The Genier Family Marty and Martha Gholston Penny Jolly and Jay Rogoff Judy and Richard Lappin The Levine Family The McNeal Family Harry and Eleanor Mezer Kandarp and Daksha Oza Laura Paxton The Schmitt Family Joyce Tatsch The Willett Family

Dennis and Barb Alfermann Ann-Ellen Hornidge and Ned Murphy Tun-Hou and Chen-Ching Lee Beth and Hugh Wilkinson

Partner ($500 – $999) Jodi Alfermann Elizabeth Angell James and Kathleen Castracane Laurie and Joseph DiClerico Jane and Bill Havemeyer George Jolly and Caroline Seligman Lynne Nelson

CORPORATE DONORS Alexion Pharmaceuticals Bain & Company Bank of America BNY Mellon Cengage Learning CVS Health Charity Program Education First (EF) Fidelity Investments Google Intel Corporation John Hancock Johnson & Johnson Louis Vuitton Merk & Co. MSCI Inc Novartis Salesforce Sanofi Genzyme State Street Corporation Takeda Pharaceuticals Tracelink TripAdvisor Verizon

ALUMNI DONORS

Virtual Alumni Paint Party!

This year’s virtual events made it easier than ever to reunite with Wellan Alumni!

Our Alumni Paint Party welcomed former students and their families from California, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Maine, just to name a few. We had so much fun making Owl-themed art with Ms. Vanessa and catching up with friends. Do you have fun ideas for a future alumni event? Send them our way!

Email alumni@wellan.org.

Transformer ($5,000 +) The Klevens Family

Patron ($250 – $499) The Ng Family The Rose Family Heidi Vanderbilt-Brown and Andrew Popper John and Muna Vitale

Friend (Up to $249) Anonymous The Beshears Family Leigh Cirasuolo The Pike Family Year in Review, 2020–2021 25

Concetta Vitale Sabah Vitale

Student Achievement WELL AN’S MISSION IN AC TION

Each day at Wellan, students make progress toward learning goals.

Their efforts are worth celebrating!

Here are a few highlights that Inspire, Challenge, and Empower.

26 Wellan Montessori School

INSPIRE. The After School Program’s brand-new Yearbook Club inspired us by collaborating on the very first all-school Wellan Yearbook. Together, Elementary students sifted through many photos of the year to distill fond memories from Beginners through Voyager. They captured moments of classwork and community, filling our hearts and reminding us of the incredible things we can achieve, when we work together.

CHALLENGE. Another “Wellan First” in student publications, Flow is a literary magazine that features writing and art by students in 6th – 8th grade. The challenge? Putting it together! 7th graders took on the responsibilities of collecting submissions, editing, designing the layout and cover using professional software, planning finances, marketing the finished book, and more. To complete the project successfully, students had to organize, communicate, learn new skills, and take leadership.

EMPOWER. Through their civic engagement projects, Upper Elementary students demonstrated that all of us have a voice and can make a difference, no matter our age. UE students took action to increase voter turnout by designing original yard signs—and while US voters must be at least 18 years old, students also made their voices heard by writing to President Biden and Vice President Harris about issues they consider important. And... President Biden wrote back! His response affirmed their agency as citizens: “Even at your young ages, you have the power to impact the future for generations to come.”

Year in Review, 2020–2021 27

BENJI OTTING, ’14 We were thrilled to have Wellan alumnus Benji Otting as our guest speaker for our virtual End of Year Ceremony in June. He shared a bit about his experience at Wellan (back when it was NMS!) and imparted some wisdom to the graduating class of 2021.

Benji was also a graduate himself this year—in the fall, he will be attending Rice University as part of the Air Force ROTC, class of 2025.

Congratulations, Benji!

“Wellan let me be natually curious, cultivated my passion for knowledge, and helped me see every class, activity, and encounter I would have going forward as a potential opportunity to learn more.”

CONCETTA VITALE ’15 Wellan alumna Concetta Vitale recently graduated from Dana Hall School. After being accepted to numerous colleges and universities, she will be attending Boston College in the fall. Through the years, Concetta has stayed in touch—even spending time during her school vacation weeks to volunteer in classrooms at Wellan.

We look forward to seeing Concetta again soon and hearing about her first semester at college!

“The amazing curriculum at Wellan is taught by teachers who are caring, inclusive, and encouraging. Every teacher was there to guide me and help me grasp difficult concepts while making sure I attempted to do the material independently.”

ALUMNI IN COLLEGE There are Wellan alumni everywhere! Here is a list of some of the schools our former students attend today. We would love to hear from more of our alumni who are graduating from high school or college. Email us at alumni@wellan.org.

Babson College Bates College Boston College Brown University Bryant University BU School of Medicine Chapman University Colby College Colgate University Dartmouth College George Washington University

Harvard University College of the Holy Cross Indiana University Louisiana State University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northeastern University Northwestern University Princeton University Providence College Rice University Rollins University 28 Wellan Montessori School

Union College University of California - Berkeley University of California - Irvine University of Chicago University of Connecticut University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Vanderbilt University West Point Military Academy Wisconsin University Yale University

Wellan Alumni R E C O N N E C T I N G W I T H O U R F O R M E R S T U D E N T S & FA M I L I E S

Alumnus Toope Oladunjoye and his family visited Wellan this spring. Toope and his sister joined us for outdoor storytime with a group of Primary students and his former teacher, Ms. Fiona!

Interested in visiting Wellan and reuniting with former teachers? Contact us at alumni@wellan.org to set up a time to stop by!

Year in Review, 2020–2021 29

INSPIRE. CHALLENGE. EMPOWER.

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