Fall Sports Pictures (2025)
Coaches will be handing out order forms within the first week of practice.
Picture dates:
* Girls Soccer & Field Hockey - Sept 23
* Boys Soccer and Cross Country - Sept 26
Fall Sports News
Wells High School 7th-grade student, Lauren Daly, learned in January that she had won first place in a local history essay contest sponsored by the Rebecca Emery Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. To honor this special milestone, contestants were required to research and write about a prominent or ordinary family living in the American Revolutionary era (1773-1783).
“I was very happy, and I was proud to honor our school system,” said Lauren Daly about her essay that focused on Dr. Josiah Bartlett (1729-1795). “I chose to study Josiah Bartlett because I really liked that he was a doctor and the work that he did,” added Daly, who aspires to study medicine and become a physician.
Beth Harlow is the Rebecca Emery Regent. “Her essay was thoughtful, well-written, and demonstrated strong historical understanding and creativity,” commented Harlow, who added later, “Lauren…was recognized as our wonderful Rebecca Emery Chapter, NSDAR student winner for her 7th grade entry. I look forward to reading and receiving her entry next year for 8th grade.”
Dr. Bartlett was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Months later, he became a delegate to the Continental Congress that created the Articles of Confederation, the country’s first constitution. Bartlett was the 4th governor of New Hampshire and became a justice on New Hampshire’s highest court. In 1790, the newly incorporated town of Bartlett was named in his honor.
At the Rebecca Emery Chapter’s Awards gathering at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk on February 7th, Lauren read aloud her composition to an audience of about 40. There, she received a certificate and a medal from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution as well as a pin, a candy cup, and an Amazon gift card.
“She did a beautiful job reading her essay to the audience,” commented Daly’s social studies teacher, Susan Dugovic. Lauren’s essay was later submitted to be judged at the state level of the DAR contest.”
The American History Essay Contest is open to 5th through 8th-grade students. It was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation's great history and learn about history in a new light.
Early in the morning of January 9th, students, staff and guests at Wells Junior High School (WJHS) streamed into the Ward Gymnasium to attend the school’s annual spelling bee. At the end of the event, eighth-grade student Carmen Puliafico emerged as this year’s winner. Lucy Minogue (6th gr.) became runner-up, and Natalie Shaw (5th gr.) received third place.
“Needless to say, the audience was outstanding, and the spellers all did a great job,” commented the spelling bee’s pronouncer, Julie Esch. “The final winning words spelled correctly by Carmen were ‘repugnant’ and ‘renowned’. “It was another fun event, and a way for our WJHS students to support and cheer for each other in healthy competition,” added Esch.
For prizes, Puliafico received a deluxe edition Scrabble Board, and runner-up Minogue received a gift certificate to Books a Million. All contest participants received goody bags with treats, pencils, and certificates.
The judges for this contest were English Language Arts (ELA) teachers from grades 5 through 8. Teacher Mary Rand was tasked with managing the hundreds of students entering the gym as they took to their seats.
On February 9th, Carmen Puliafico and his backup, Lucy Minogue will represent Wells Junior High School at the York County Spelling Bee to be held in the library at Saco Middle School. That event is scheduled to begin at 4 pm.
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Wells Junior High School will present its 31st Annual Turkey Dinner for area seniors on Sunday, November 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This free dinner will be held in the school’s cafeteria.
The meal is a traditional holiday dinner consisting of turkey with all the “fixings,” coffee, and dessert. Typically, about 400 are served over a two-hour period.
For over three decades these special dinners have stood as a goodwill gesture to the community. It is also an important “service learning” project for the eighth graders. In preparation for the big day, students fill various roles. They make decorations, banners, and table napkins to decorate the dining room and set up tables and chairs. On the day of the dinner they also greet guests, bring them to their table, work in the kitchen, wait on tables, and help clean up.
WJHS is located at 1470 Post Road (Route 1) in Wells. No reservation for this dinner is required. For further information, please call WJHS at 646-5142.
In March, Wells Junior High School held its annual Geography Bee with 10 classroom school finalists competing. Sixth-grader Tyler Donahue received first place, and 8th-grade student Clyde Holzer finished second. Runners-up were Kyle Dolliver and Eric Lee.
Other participants were Gabe Brown, grade 7. Gabe Danner-Wilson, grade 8; Zoe Lemont, grade 8; Will Minogue, grade 6; Liz Nadeau, grade 6; and Abigail Nawfel, grade 7.
Acting as the master of ceremonies of this contest was a former social studies teacher and organizer of many previous geography bees at WJHS, Bonnie Dill.
“Bonnie Dill was our special guest MC, and she knocked it out of the park,” noted teacher Allison Le. “The ten student finalists did an awesome job during the event, with the end being a long, multi-question showdown. Overall, it was a great success!”
Wells Junior High students will present three performances of the beloved children's whimsical musical "James and the Giant Peach JR." in the Olenn Performing Arts Center at Wells High School. The show times are as follows: April 3rd at 4:00 pm, April 4th at 6:30 pm, and April 5th at noon. Admission is $5 at the door. This delightful production is based on the book by British author Roald Dahl and is directed by Allison Le.
For the second year, Wells Junior High School music teacher Katie Mercier has introduced a unit of study to her eighth-grade students on learning to play the ukulele.
“I think it’s good because it gives them a basis on a stringed instrument,” said Mercier, who pointed out that the ukulele is an accessible, four-string instrument that is popular. She believes it gives students “a start” to either continue with the ukulele or branch out to another string instrument, such as the guitar or bass guitar.
At the start each student was assigned a ukulele to play and care for while in class. Students got familiar with the notes on the small fretboard that corresponded with notes on the upper or treble clef of sheet music. They eventually learned to form chords and play simple songs that they could record on their laptops.
“I like playing the ukulele,” said student Gavin Dusza, who has been learning piano for the past seven years. He noted that he had experienced some instruction with the violin in elementary school. “Ukulele was definitely different for me because I never played guitar, but after two weeks, you get the hang of it.”
Fellow eighth-grader Jack Kennedy said, “I liked this unit. I was surprised at how much I liked playing the ukulele. Music has never been my favorite subject, but the ukulele was actually fun. It’s easy and my new favorite instrument.” He added, “It makes me think of a nighttime beach-type-of-vibe every time I play. It's really smooth.” Kennedy said he would continue playing the ukulele following this class.
The ukulele originated and became popular in Portugal during the 1880s. Eventually, it became a significant fixture of Hawaiian culture. The instrument comes in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. The Hawaiian word “ukulele” translates in English to “jumping flea.” "Uku" is the word for "flea," and "lele" translates to the verb "jumping."
The Wells Junior High School cheerleading team is in the midst of their performance season and recently collaborated with the Wells High School team for a special showcase. Held at Wells High School, this event provided an opportunity for friends and family to witness the exceptional progress of both teams as they presented their competition routines.
The junior high team has upcoming performances on February 15 and February 22. A special thanks to our outstanding coaching staff for their immense dedication in supporting our cheerleaders!
Wells Junior High School eighth grade student Scarlett Lantz bested a crowd of competitors from across York County to win the county spelling bee before a packed crowd at Massabesic Middle School on Tuesday, February 4th.
Lantz qualified for the county bee by finishing 2nd in the WJHS Bee. WJHS champion Tyler Donahue finished in 8th place. Lantz will now represent York County at the Maine State Spelling Bee at Bowdoin College in March.