Schools

Watertown Student Awarded Charles River Chamber Scholarship

By |

Zuhayr Masud

The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Chamber:

The Charles River Regional Chamber is once again awarding four scholarships to deserving seniors from our core communities. This year’s Watertown recipient is Zuhayr Masud. Zuhayr Masud is a 2023 graduate of Watertown High School who is “a unique individual who is curious, collaborative, and extraordinarily intelligent,” said teacher, Vivienne Mulhall. As the class president, Alex has a variety of extracurricular activities and talents, including the impressive art portfolio of his artistic evolution in high school. Zuhayr outreached and lead a school campaign to advocate for the Fair Share Amendment that resulted in the school committee’s endorsement.

Schools

LETTER: Candidate Joins the Race for Watertown School Committee

By |

Jen Nicholson

Jennifer Nicholson for School Committee: 2023 Campaign Announcement

I am delighted to share that I will be running for one of the three School Committee seats up for election in November. I am a K-12 graduate of Watertown Public Schools and a strong proponent of public education. I’ve had the pleasure of working in a few different roles within our district, including last year as a Math Interventionist at Cunniff, where my own two children are rising third and fifth graders. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Human Resources from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Regis College, along with nine years of teaching experience. 

My candidacy is an extension of my ongoing civic engagement. Since the 2021 election, I maintained my leadership position with the Cunniff PTO and also joined a number of boards and committees, including Watertown SEPAC, Watertown Cable Access Corporation, Watertown Boys and Girls Club, and the WPS District Improvement 2.0 Team. Additionally, I collaborated with district leadership on a school lunch allergy initiative, which provides a meal option that is free of the top 9 major allergens and available daily at all three elementary schools.  

During my campaign, I look forward to sharing community building initiatives as well as outlining specific and actionable ways that I can help improve our district. As a School Committee member, I will also work to find new approaches to meaningfully engage the entire community and actively promote public dialogue. I plan to advocate that our School Committee members hold regular meetings (open forums) with the public, similar to what the charter requires of our City Councilors.  Personally, I commit to monthly opportunities to be available to listen to all stakeholders in this capacity, while also ensuring the public is well informed. I’m running for Watertown School Committee because I am a lifelong learner who is committed to giving back to our community. I value two-way communication so I will always prioritize community outreach and continuously work to find ways to increase public participation in decision-making. I look forward to many opportunities to engage with community members as well as continuing to collaborate to provide all of our children with the most meaningful and successful educational experiences possible. 

Jen Nicholsonnicholsonforwatertown@gmail.com

Schools

14 Students from Watertown Make MassBay Dean’s List

By |

The following announcement was provided by MassBay Community College:

The following local students have been named to the MassBay Community College Dean’s List. They achieved this outstanding academic honor for the spring 2023 semester. * Alan Siedman of Watertown, who studies Engineering Design

* Evan Raftes of Watertown, who studies Liberal Arts – Psychology /Sociology

* Naomi Zoberg of Watertown, who studies Liberal Arts – Communication

* Jacob Belouin of Watertown, who studies Mechanical Engineering

* Cathy Logakis of Watertown, who studies General Studies

* Astrik Kostanian of Watertown, who studies Liberal Arts

* Kristen Hantout of Watertown, who studies General Studies

* Viviane Soares Da Silva of Watertown, who studies Computer Science

* Benjamin Fandetti of Watertown, who studies General Business – Hospitality Management

* Davit Arzumanyan of Watertown, who studies Computer Science

* Thiago Da Silva of Watertown, who studies Cyber Security

* Catalina Gomez Castellanos of Watertown, who studies General Studies

* Melissa Aguilar of Watertown, who studies Computer Science

* Mason Harris of Watertown, who studies Cyber Security

To be eligible for the MassBay Dean’s List, students must complete at least six credits of college-level courses, be in good standing with the College, and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. To learn more about MassBay, visit massbay.edu. About MassBay Community College

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online.

Schools

School Committee Member Will Not Be Seeking Another Term

By |

Lindsay Mosca

School Committee member Lindsay Mosca announced this week that she will not be running for re-election in 2023. Mosca is one of three people on the School Committee whose terms are up at the end of the year. The election will be held. Nov. 7, 2023, and the deadline for candidates to submit signatures to the City Clerk’s office is July 31.

Schools

Former Students, Educators Get Final Look Around Watertown High School

By |

Photo by Charlie BreitrosePeople lined up to get one last look at Watertown High School before it is torn down. The hallways of Watertown High School buzzed with activity one last time last week, as former students, teachers, even principals took a look around the old school and shared memories. The school, parts of which date back to the 1920s, will be torn down in the fall to make way for a brand new, state-of-the-art building. While many looked back on their memories at WHS fondly, most agreed it was time to say goodbye on June 22. Photo by Charlie BreitroseFormer students and staff milled around the hallways at Watertown High School one last time.

Schools

7 Students Awarded Scholarship at 55th Event in Honor of Lt. Paul Sullivan

By |

The scholarship winners at the 2023 Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Ceremony, from left: Eliabeth McGrath, William, Curley, Alessia Visocchi, James O’Connor lll, Maggie Driscoll, (not pictured Maeve Lawn) and Ciaran Flanagan. The following information was provided by the Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship Committee:

Congratulations to the 55th Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship recipients. A total of 7 awards were presented on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at the Sons of Italy Hall. Paul was a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Watertown and a graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Waltham in 1961 and a 1965 graduate of Boston College. During those years he participated on many area athletic teams, most notably in the areas of basketball and baseball. He worked for the Watertown Recreation Department as a park instructor. After his college graduation, Paul taught at the West Jr. High School in Watertown and coached at Sacred Heart High School in Newton and St.

Schools

Watertown Students Get Their Chance to Run Their Own Radio Station

By |

Watertown High School senior Henry Broadstone got experience as a radio DJ during WHS’s pilot program through the High School Radio Project. (Photo by Todd Robbins). A group of Watertown High School students got a taste of what it’s like to be a radio DJ, putting together their own shows and recording song introductions, banter between tracks, and even interviews with fellow hosts. Their work can be heard on a streaming audio station that airs 24/7. The students from Watertown, along with a high school in Nebraska, were the first to test the High School Radio Project program, designed to empower students with the opportunity to experiment with radio as a potential career, said WHS Radio & Television Broadcasting Teacher Todd Robbins.

Schools

Traffic Commission to Discuss Changes Around Temporary High School

By |

A map of the temporary high school site at Moxley Field showing the proposed changes to deal with traffic in the area. (Courtesy of the Watertown Public Schools). The Watertown High School Project team invites you to attend a scheduled Traffic Commission meeting on Wednesday June 28, at 7 p.m. at the Administration Building (149 Main Street) in the Philip Pane Meeting Room to finalize the traffic provisions that will be in effect for the duration of occupancy of the temporary high school located at Moxley Playground. This is an opportunity for community members to review the final version of the previously presented traffic plans that will result in an overall increase in safety for all surrounding residents and students. The below changes have been added to the final proposed plans after careful consideration by Watertown Public Schools and Watertown Police, as well as incorporating discussions from past meetings with the Community,:

• One (1) dedicated SRO [School Resource Officer] Parking space for each school (WMS and Moxley HS)• No through traffic on Bemis St.