Wellan Alumni Newsletter - Summer 2022

Wellan’s 2022 Cross Country Team

ALUMNI NEWS

Wellan Montessori School

Celebration at the Wellan Block Party!

We have never been so excited for a Wellan Spring Social! We were thrilled to be together in person again for this tradition, after a two-year hiatus. The fundraising event was a huge success, filled with delicious bites from local food trucks, live music by Wellan teacher Jon Dostou & his band, lawn games, a photo booth, and most importantly, a wonderful group of parents, staff, and friends!

All proceeds from the event supported the performing arts program at Wellan. We can’t wait for next year’s event! Check out some fun moments from the evening:

Summer 2022 HOW TO STAY CONNECTED: We’d love to hear from you! What have you been up to these days?

What are your fondest memories from Wellan? How has Wellan impacted who you are today?

1. Send us a postcard: 80 Crescent Ave Newton Centre, MA 02459 2. Write us an email: alumni@wellan.org 3. Connect on social media:

4. Our favorite… call or email to schedule a time to come visit!

Congrats to our Wellan grads, and to any of our Wellan alumni who graduated this spring!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Ru-Yao Van der Ploeg, Class of 2009 We were so happy to catch up with Primary 3 alumna Ru-Yao! Ru-Yao just finished her freshman year at the New England Conservatory, where she studies the viola. During her time at Wellan (Newton Montessori School back then), Ru-Yao shared that she “loved the music classes and art classes” and has fond memories of school trips like apple picking at Honey Pot Hill. As a recent high school graduate (and soon to be college sophomore!), Ru-Yao advises this year’s Wellan graduates to “join as many clubs as possible, but also enjoy making new friends” as they move on to high school. Her last piece of advice? “Definitely make sure you get enough sleep!” We look forward to staying in touch and continuing to hear about your accomplishments, Ru-Yao!

Then...

Above from left: Ru-Yao as a Primary student at Wellan; Ru-Yao visiting with her former teacher, Esther Lee, this past spring!

Leone Marco Luzzatto, Class of 2011 It was a real treat to receive a message from Leone and hear about a few of his memories from his time at Wellan (Newton Montessori School back then). He also sent a photo of some keepsakes he has saved through the years! (See photo at right) Leone looks back on his time at Wellan with great memories, and shared that when he received the “Wellan Alumni” magnet last year he “immediately — and proudly — put it on display at home.” He hopes to reconnect with some former classmates whose faces he recognized in an alumni newsletter! We hope you can join us for an alumni event soon, Leone! Thanks so much for connecting with us!

Zachary Beaver, Class of 2015 Zachary Beaver stays connected with Wellan by acting as a mystery reader in his former Primary class! Ms. Esther, one of our Primary 3 teachers, is always thrilled to see him. In the fall, Zach will be an 8th grader at Roxbury Latin. He and his family have maintained a close relationship with Wellan over the years. They’ve joined us at our spring socials, have a plaque in their name on the Wellan Alumni wall, and his parents, Ben and Val, and sister, Sophia, are also valued members of our community. Thanks for visiting, Zach!

and now!

ALUMNI EVENTS Last fall, five members of the inaugural 8th grade class of 2021 joined us for an afternoon of pizza, games, and reconnecting. We were thrilled to also see that some of the Class of 2021 returned for this year’s graduation ceremony as well!

This summer, the Class of 2022 will be participating in a social event at Central Rock Gym, prior to the launch of their high school careers! We look forward to celebrating with them and adding an extra element of challenge to our day.

All 8th graduates will then be invited back to a fall alumni event to reconnect and share stories of the start of the school year. This will be the first time that the Class of 2021 and Class of 2022 will be reunited again on campus!

As our Alumni Association grows, we look forward to these events evolving and expanding. If you’d like to get involved in the Wellan Alumni Association, please reach out at alumni@wellan.org.

Pictured from top left: Maya Dimmick, Aidan John, Maria Alam, Logan Bell (who joined us virtually!), and E Goulding.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2022!

Sophia DeDomenico 12 years at Wellan

Sebastian Perry 11 years at Wellan

Kourosh Farboodmanesh 10 years at Wellan

Ben Jolly 9 years at Wellan

Julian Youngblood 1 year at Wellan

Petra Hinkle 11 years at Wellan

Calum Scott 12 years at Wellan

Astrid Erdos 3 years at Wellan

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W EL L A N.ORG

Can’t visit us, but want to share what you’ve been up to? Text a photo and a message to (617) 702-6346. Alumni updates will be featured in the next newsletter.