Веллислийская средняя школа: история и современность

Wellesley High School is a public high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States, educating students on grades 9 through 12. The principal is Jamie Chisum, who took the position in 2014 after the departure of Andrew Keough. As of 2023, the school serves 1420 students. In 2022 it was ranked the 32nd best high school in Massachusetts and the 785th best public high school in the nation by U. S. News & World Report.

The old school building of what was then named Gamaliel Bradford High School was originally built as a public works project in 1938 during the Great Depression, designed by Perry Shaw and Hepburn and built by M. Spinelli and Sons Co., Inc. The building has been modified with several additions throughout its existence, most recently with a new fitness center. The 1938 building was replaced in 2012 with a new building constructed in the former parking lot.

The increasing size of the student body as well as the evolving nature of education challenged the capability of the 1938 building to meet the needs of the school community effectively and safely. In September 2005, the exploration of options for a new building or refurbishment was commenced by the town. In October 2007, a public meeting was held to introduce several options for the expansion of the school, including renovation and extension of the existing building and its demolition and replacement by a completely new structure. The site was expanded by purchase of three adjacent properties in Seaver Street and transfer of publicly owned land. On December 10, 2008, town voters approved the project by a nearly 2 to 1 ratio (5,026 YES to 2,869 NO), to build a new, state of the art high school on the parking lot next to the existing buildings. Site clearance started in August 2009 with the relocation of one house to a nearby site. Construction began March 2010 with an estimated completion date of September 2013. The new facility opened in February 2012, and the school held a gala to say goodbye to the old building, and alumni such as Billy Squier, Jane Curtin, and Biz Stone gave last rites in the school auditorium over a series of weekend concerts and get together events in 2011. After much analysis, the existing structure was declared to be a good example of the Art Deco style of architecture; however, it was found by the American Institute of Architects (A. I. A.) not to be a historically significant example and was demolished in 2011 and 2012. The state authorities held the final say in this ruling, but the A. I. A. review opened the door for the eventual knock down and the final site plotting. The new structure, which opened to students in February 2012, incorporates some of the design features of the prior building and is limited in its visual impact to blend with the surrounding residential neighborhood. The total cost was estimated to be $130 million with $85 million of that total to be raised from State and Federal matching funds. However, the final project came in under budget at $90 million and opened 18 months ahead of schedule.

The Wellesley High School Drama Society produces four productions every academic year a fall musical, winter show (for non competitive entry into METG), and two spring productions. There are a variety of opportunities for students as they can either audition to be a cast member or work backstage on the stage crew.

This club serves as the primary representative of the student body. Open to membership from all grades, Student Congress serves to promote the students' interests and enhance their experiences through communication, dialogue, and policy debate. The club also organizes the annual Seminar Day, which allows teachers, students, and guests to run hour long seminars about their personal experiences, lessons, and interesting topics.

The Wellesley High School Model UN club is an after school club formed in 2010.

Wellesley High School has an Academic Decathlon team. The team consistently makes it to the State Finals and has placed in the top 3 in Massachusetts for the past several seasons. In 2015, the team lost to the Acton Boxborough High School for the state title.

The Bradford is the Wellesley High School newspaper. The Journalism class is responsible for publishing new issues. Red Ink is an arts and literary magazine with student submitted poetry, stories, photography, and otherwise. The Green Pages is a digital newsletter, published bimonthly by students, focusing on the "green happenings" of the Wellesley Public Schools.

Child Lab is a developmentally appropriate laboratory preschool for 3, 4, and 5 year olds located on the ground floor of Wellesley High School. Since its inception in 1979, the Lab School has enrolled 18 children each year. It is an elective in which high school students enroll to learn about the development of young children and the best ways to approach optimum learning for the children. Child Lab is a great opportunity for high school students to learn about different ages and stages of children as well as to have the children taught by the students who have taken an interest in early childhood development.

Students at WHS may take classes at Wellesley College without paying tuition, provided that the classes are not offered at WHS.