Charlie Breitrose
A packed the Council Chamber in Town Hall heard about plans for the Extended Day program in Watertown.
After the furor over the recent announcement that the Extended Day program would not be available on some early release days, Watertown school officials will put together a group of parents to look at solutions for covering the program on those days.
At last week’s School Committee meeting, Human Resources Director Craig Hardimon said he attended a meeting last Tuesday with other school administrators to hear from parents.
“I need to be clear that we heard loud and clear that parents and guardians are upset with the decision to close the extended day program for the professional days, the timing of the announcement and the overall theme of communication,” Hardimon said. “Please accept our apology. If we could do it over again, we would have handled it differently.”
Donna Ruseckas, Director of Wellness & Extended Services, said that she and others at the meeting sat down with Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald and they decided to create a team to work on Extended Day coverage solutions.
The district will work with parents on coming up with solutions, Ruseckas said, and an advisory group will be formed.
Those interested in taking part in the advisory group can email Donna Ruseckas at donna.ruseckas@watertown.k12.ma.us. Please include the school which your child attends.
There is no limit to how many parents can take part, Ruseckas said.
“If 15 people email me, I think it is important to make room for 15 people,” Ruseckas said “There could be five from one school, five from another. It could be all from one school, that is fine.”
Town Council President Mark Sideris, who also sits on the School Committee, thanked the administration for its quick turn around, coming up with a plan within 24 hours after the meeting with parents.
The district also created an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page regarding the Extended Day program. (Click here to see the page).
Hardimon said they have answers to as many questions as possible, and for questions they do not have the answer yet there is a timeline for when it will be answered.