Schools

Watertown Public Schools Partners With Regis College to Enhance Staff Development, Recruitment

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Regis College and Watertown Public Schools announced the establishment of a strategic partnership that will support school employees with unique employee development programs, employee recruitment through access to Regis graduates, collaboration opportunities with Regis faculty on product development and research, discounted tuition rates, and use of the Regis campus facilities. 

“An enduring priority for Regis College since it was founded is to expand access to higher education opportunities,” said Regis College President Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN. “The strategic partnership with Watertown Public Schools will support faculty and staff interested in earning a bachelor, masters or doctoral degree that will enhance classroom instruction for students. This partnership is designed to provide employees of Watertown Public Schools a collaborative, flexible, and convenient way to earn college credits and advance their career through education at a discounted rate with mentorship from accomplished faculty with real-world experience.” 

“Supporting the professional growth and career goals of our employees while diversifying our workforce is a key priority for Watertown Public Schools,” said Aisling Bucci, Recruitment and Cultivation Specialist for Watertown Public Schools. “Our new partnership with Regis College provides valuable opportunities and pathways for our teachers, staff, and the next generation of educators. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our employees, students, and the Watertown community as a whole.” 

This agreement includes discounted tuition for Regis online and hybrid degree programs for school employees and their families, a flexible transfer policy for adult degree completion, and customized academic consulting to align educational programs with corporate goals.

Schools

Familiar Architecture Firm Picked to Design Watertown Middle School, Committee Concerned with Budget & Getting “A Team”

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Watertown Middle School

A familiar firm has been selected to design the new Watertown Middle School, but members of the School Building Committee had concerns about getting the firm’s “A Team,” and whether the City can afford to build the kind of school they want for the students of Watertown. Wednesday night, the School Building Committee selected Ai3 Architects to do the feasibility study for the new middle school. The firm that designed Watertown’s three elementary schools and the new high school. Ai3 was one of four finalists, and narrowly got the top ranking by the nine members of the committee. Each firm presented ideas for how they would approach building the school.

Schools

Watertown Students Earn College Honors at Le Moyne, Dean, Hofstra, Plymouth St., Norwich, URI & SNHU

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More than a dozen Watertown students earned honors at their college. The schools they attend include Le Moyne College, Dean College, Hofstra University, Plymouth State, Norwich University, University of Rhode Island, and Southern New Hampshire University. Le Moyne College

Lucy Romano, Freshman Marketing and Business Analytics major from Watertown, MA, has been named to the Le Moyne College Fall 2024 Dean’s List. To make the list, students must achieve a GPA of 3.5 or above. Located in a suburban setting on a picturesque 160-acre campus in Syracuse, N.Y., Le Moyne College is one of only 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States.

Schools

Finalists for Designing the New Watertown Middle School to be Interviewed by Building Committee

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Watertown Middle School

The finalists for architecture firms seeking to design the new Watertown Middle School will be interviewed in public by the School Building Committee, including one with experience working in town. Four firms will be interviewed at the meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. at City Hall. In November, the City Council voted to make make improving Watertown Middle School a priority. City Manager George Proakis said the option with the most bang for the buck is to knockdown the older part of the building, constructed in 1922, and renovating and modernizing the newer section, added in 1998.

Schools

Watertown Students Can Apply for Charles River Chamber Scholarship

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The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Regional Chamber:

The Charles River Regional Chamber is offering scholarship opportunities for up to four deserving students who either live in Needham, Newton, Watertown, or Wellesley and/or who attend school in Needham, Newton, Watertown, or Wellesley and who plan to attend an accredited post-secondary program, trade school, community college, college, or university full-time in the next academic year. The student(s) selected will have a check (approximately $2,000) sent to their college or university to be applied toward tuition upon successfully completing their first semester. New this year, the chamber is revising the application to adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape by allowing applicants the option to submit a video response instead of the traditional essay. This change offers students who find it easier to express themselves verbally an alternative to writing an essay. This adaptation aligns with our efforts to ensure the application is inclusive and accessible to all types of applicants.

Schools

Roadway Near High School to be Closed Temporarily for Construction

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The following announcement was provided by Vertex, the City’s project management firm for the Watertown High School project:

Please be aware starting Tuesday 1/21/25 through Friday 1/24/25 (weather-depending), one lane of Columbia Street will be closed between Common and Robbins to allow repair work to previously installed electrical conduits at the pole on the opposite side of the street from the new school. 

This temporary closure will occur daily from 7AM – 5PM, and then re-open.  Access to and from all residents’ homes will be maintained throughout this closure period. We ask that residents please not park along Columbia between Common and Robbins for these few days to allow working room and equipment. There will be a police detail to assist with traffic as needed. Please see the graphic (above) to better illustrate the area being affected. 

Additionally, the project construction site will be open on Monday 1/20/25 – the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.  The team will abide by the City ordinance will not start construction until 8am. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Laurie Soave, On Site Contact Telephone: 781.565.8688 Email: Lsoave@vertexeng.com

Schools

Perkins School Launches Online Academy for Continuing Education & Professional Development

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The following announcement was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:

Perkins recently launched Perkins Academy, an online continuing education and professional development platform for educators, dedicated to unlocking learning for children with disabilities. The natural extension of Perkins’ mission to help students with disabilities find their place in the world, Perkins Academy will offer remote, on-demand learning opportunities for educators. 

With 95 percent of students with disabilities in public schools, there’s an increased demand to share Perkins know-how across the country with public and private school teachers. Perkins Academy will deliver highly specialized training to educators that goes beyond the resources of many public schools. This past year, Perkins’ Watertown campus educated over 200 students locally, and over 1,000 across the state. The online learning modules will help disseminate the knowledge gained from their work in Massachusetts to teachers and families.

Schools

Watertown Students Earn College Honors at Bates, Lasell, Wisconsin, Miami U., and MassBay; One Graduate

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Dozens of Watertown students made the dean’s list and president’s list at Bates College, Lasell University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Miami University, and MassBay Community College. And a student graduated from Fort Hays State. Bates College

Lily Lambo of Watertown, Mass., was named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the fall semester ending in December 2024. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.92 or higher. Lambo is still considering a major at Bates.