Schools

LETTER: Family of Former WHS Head Master Seeks to Keep Gym Dedicated in His Name

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(The following letter was originally written to Watertown School Committee Chair Kendra Foley)

Dear Ms. Foley,

Thank you for this opportunity to share our recommendation for the naming of the Gymnasium or the Auditorium at the new Watertown High School. We would like for Dr. John J Kelley, former principal of Watertown High School, to continue to be honored by the school. As you know, the gym at Watertown High School was dedicated to Dr. Kelley in the early 1990s. The decision to name the gym after him was based on not just his many years of service to the school and the community, but also on the positive and long-lasting impact he had on individual students throughout his career. While time has passed since the dedication of the gym, nothing about Dr. Kelley’s impact has changed.

Schools

WPI Student from Watertown Completes Intensive Research Project

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The following announcement was provided by WPI:

Marley Fortune, a member of the class of 2025 majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense research project titled “How Bazar? Creating Interactive Media for Community Building.” At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology that addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university’s 50-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives-and make a difference before they graduate.

Schools

Naming of New WHS Gym & Auditorium Put on Hold, List of Nominations Released

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of the designs for the new Watertown High School viewed from Columbia Street. The School Committee voted to take more time to make the decision about after whom the gymnasium and auditorium at the new Watertown High School should be named, and will come up with criteria to judge the nominations submitted by the public. The original timeline called for having nominations in by Oct. 7 and the final vote on Oct. 21.

Schools

St. Stephen’s Armenian School Hosting 40th Anniversary Gala

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The following information came from St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School:

St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a gala on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The gala will honor Houry Boyamian, who presided over the school as principal for 35 years until her retirement over a year ago. Boyamian led the school from its early days with a handful of students to a well-established educational institution.

Schools

City Council Suggesting New WHS Auditorium be Named After Former Town Manager

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of the designs for the new Watertown High School viewed from Columbia Street. The City Council joined the people submitting suggested names for facilities at the new Watertown High School by submitting the name of the man who enabled the City of Watertown to build the new school without a tax increase. On Tuesday, the City Council voted to allow City Council President Mark Sideris to send a letter on behalf of the Council suggesting that the auditorium be named after former Town and City Manager Michael Driscoll. “I do think it is appropriate for a number of reasons,” Sideris said. “Michael Driscoll was the author of many of the things that went on in this community and the new high school, as well as the two new elementary schools, would not be going on right now if not for his guidance to this Council and the community and the School Committee on how to approach this.”

Schools

Take a Look Around the Half Completed New Watertown High School

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Architects showed the tour the inside of the new auditorium at Watertown High School. The balcony can be seen on the left side. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

While still a mesh of steel, concrete, and wood, visitors can get an idea of what the future home of Watertown’s high schoolers will look like when it opens in 2026. With construction of the new Watertown High School at the midpoint, the designers of the new school led a group of Watertown School and City officials around the four-level school building taking shape between Common and Columbia streets. City Councilor President Mark Sideris, left, and Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli stand outside the Watertown High School construction site.

Schools

Watertown Public Schools Hosting Family Meet and Greet Series

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Public Schools:

The Watertown Public Schools Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is inviting members of the community to a series of caregiver “meet and greets” this fall. These informal forums will give families and caregivers an opportunity to meet one another and will be led by Watertown Public Schools’ Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Director Dr. Ceronne Daly. “We are so excited to launch this series of meet and greets,” said Dr. Daly. “We are hoping these sessions will give us an opportunity to connect in an authentic way with our families and caregivers. It is critical for families and caregivers to know they have access to Watertown Public Schools and they see the district as partners in the education of their children.”

These gatherings are born out of the Office of DEIB’s goal to plan, execute, and attend events that engage staff, families, students and the community in the work of DEIB.

Schools

Suggestions Wanted for Names of New High School Gym & Auditorium

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of the designs for the new Watertown High School viewed from Columbia Street. The School Committee seeks recommendations from the public for what to name the gym and auditorium at the new Watertown High School. People can send in their ideas to School Committee Chair Kendra Foley, she said at Monday’s School Committee meeting. “I’d like to invite members of the community to make any suggestions for names of the new high school gym and auditorium. Those suggestions should be sent to me at kendra.foley@watertown.k12.ma.us,” Foley said.