Dear Parents and Caregivers,
November often brings a quiet shift in the school year. The energy of fall turns into focus. The days grow shorter, and the work feels heavier. For many students, this is when they realize how much effort it takes to sustain good habits, manage time, and stay motivated. That feeling of strain can be uncomfortable, but it is also deeply productive. It means your child is stretching, testing limits, and discovering what they can handle.
At Wellington, we see this stage as part of the work of becoming—learning to manage stress rather than avoid it, and to build balance day by day. As David Yeager writes in “10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People,” “When we mentor for future growth, it’s far better to give young people experiences that show them they are capable of meeting the high standard with the appropriate support, rather than offering them unfounded assurances of their abilities, or worse, hiding the standards from them altogether.”
Our teachers design learning that challenges students to persevere through complexity and self-doubt. Each paper revised, test prepared for, or performance rehearsed strengthens not only their skills but their sense of who they are. In that process, confidence grows quietly and steadily.
As parents, your encouragement is the bridge between stress and growth. Ask what your child is proud of, what felt difficult, and what they learned from it. Normalize the effort it takes to do something well. These conversations help transform short-term discomfort into long-term strength.
This season reminds us to be grateful for both the visible and invisible work our students do each day. They are not only completing assignments; they are building habits of discipline, resilience, and curiosity that will serve them for life. Thank you for the steady support you provide, and for trusting us to walk alongside them on this journey.
As we look ahead, I am also grateful for the many ways our community comes together to strengthen that work. On Tuesday, November 18, we will celebrate The Wellington Fund Day of Giving, a day that reflects the care, commitment, and generosity that make our students’ growth possible.
Warmly,
Rishi
Rishi Raghunathan
Head of Upper School
Important Updates
As we continue supporting students in building balance and resilience, we have also reviewed our upper school schedule with that same lens. Based on thoughtful feedback from students, families, and teachers, we are making a few adjustments that will begin in Trimester 2. These changes are designed to create better balance in the day, provide more consistent routines, and reduce the intensity of the testing calendar. My thanks to Aaron Frim, Sharla Starker, and Emily Berty for their help in reviewing and refining these updates.
5/4 Schedule
- On 5B days, lunch will be extended by 10 minutes, and the school day will now end at 3:30 p.m.
- On 5D days, assembly will become task time, and there will be no morning meeting.
- On 5L days, assembly will move to the afternoon, leading into clubs and other community programming.
- There are no changes to the four-day rotation.
Testing Calendar
- We are also adjusting the testing rotation to give students more flexibility and reduce overlap.
- The new rotation will follow a blue, white, pink pattern, with additional pink days built in to spread out assessments.
- There will be no assessments scheduled during the first two days after Thanksgiving, Winter, or Spring Break, and no homework will be assigned over these breaks except in Advanced courses.
- If a student has more than two assessments in a single day, they may request to move one.
These changes went into effect at the start of Trimester 2. Thank you for your continued support and for the feedback that helps us refine the upper school experience.
Important Dates
11/14-11/19: US Tech Week
11/19: WISE Parent/Caregiver Orientation (all trips) (6:30 p.m.)
11/20-11/22: US Theatre - A Wrinkle in Time (7:00 p.m.)
11/21: US Tri 1 Grades Post
11/24-11/28: No School
12/1: Classes Resume
12/3: US Junior Families with College Counseling (8:30 on-campus and 12:00 p.m. virtual)
12/5: Jaguar Invitational and Jaguar Friday Dress Down