Schools

Registration Open for Perkins School for the Blind’s 2026 Early Connections Conference

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Perkins School for the Blind will host the 43rd annual Early Connection Conference. Registration is now open. See details provided by Perkins, below. Join us on May 1 and 2 for the 43rd annual Early Connections Conference at Perkins School for the Blind! The Early Connections Conference brings together families, educators and medical professionals to share resources and make important community connections to support young children who are blind, deafblind, or low-vision, including those who have multiple complex disabilities.

Schools

Watertown Schools May Tap City’s Special Ed Fund, Add Athletics Fees to Make up Budget Deficit

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The Watertown Public Schools may ask the City to tap the Special Education Stabilization Fund created several years ago for a rainy day. The 2026-27 School Budget may be stormy, as the district faces a shortfall of $2.5 million as of Monday’s School Committee meeting. Other ways to make up shortfalls may include reinstating athletics and extracurricular fees. Superintendent Dede Galdston provided the budget update on Jan. 12, before the School Committee’s budget hearings officially start.

Schools

Watertown Students Make Dean’s List, Presents Research Project

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Watertown students attending college at Saint Anselm, James Madison, the University of Wisconsin, Northern Essex Community College, Hofstra, Assumption, SNHU, and Lasell made the dean’s list during the fall of 2025, and a student at Emmanuel College presented his research project. See details in the announcements provided by the colleges and universities. Saint Anselm

Saint Anselm College has released the Dean’s List of high academic achievers for the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year. To be eligible for this honor, a student must have achieved a grade point average of 3.4 or better in the semester with at least 12 credits of study which award a letter grade. This semester there were a total of 702 students from 25 states, the District of Colombia, and 3 countries.

Schools

New Watertown High School Opening Pushed to September

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A rendering of the new Watertown High School from Ai3 Architects. After originally hoping to open Watertown’s state-of-the-art new high school after spring break, Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the school will not host classes until the fall of 2026. The new school being built on the site of the old high school will be the first in the country to be net zero energy, meaning it will produce all the power needed to run the school, and meet the LEED Platinum green building standards. It will also have a new gym, auditorium, space for vocational programs such as engineering, childcare, carpentry, and potentially a culinary program. Galdston told the School Committee on Jan.

Government

Council President Lays Out Watertown’s Accomplishments & Future Challenges at Inauguration

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City Council President Mark Sideris gave his inaugural address on Jan. 2, 2026. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown’s elected officials face some key decisions that will impact the future of the City, including the future of Watertown Square and whether to build a new Middle School, said City Council President Mark Sideris, who also talked about the keys to successful governing of the City. Sideris spoke of what has been accomplished over the past few years, and the challenges facing the City Council, School Committee, and Library Board of Trustees during the Inauguration ceremony held on Jan. 2 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts.

Government

City Council, School Committee Bid Farewell to Departing Members

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City Councilor John Airasian, and School Committee member Lily Rayman-Read. Two Watertown elected officials served their final meetings in December, and each was bid farewell by their colleagues. City Councilor At-Large John Airasian departs the Council after two terms (four years), and Lily Rayman-Read finished two-four year terms on the School Commmittee. John Airasian

The City Council bid Airasian farewell at its Dec. 9 meeting with a proclamation in honor of his years of service to the community.

Schools

Watertown Public Schools Awarded State Grant to Support Farm-to-School Program

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Produce growing in the Watertown Public Schools’ Freight Farm. (Contributed Photo)

The state recently awarded the Watertown Schools a grant to run its farm-to-school program, including its Freight Farm. See details in the announcement from the Watertown Public Schools, below. Watertown Public Schools has received more than $80,000 in state grant funding to continue its farm-to-school efforts, expanding learning opportunities for Watertown’s students while also increasing local food production. Last week, Governor Maura Healey’s office announced $1.2 million in funding to expand educational food growth and farming efforts across Massachusetts.

Schools

Watertown Model UN Earns Honors at Boston Latin Conference

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Watertown High School’s Model United Nations club sent more than 40 students to the compeition at Boston Latin in November. (Contributed Photo)

A group of Watertown High School students showed their skills at diplomacy and negotiation and public speaking during the Model United Nations conference at Boston Latin School. Ten WHS students earned awards, including one who earned Best Delegate honors. The Model UN Club is an afterschool activity that has been growing in interest at the High School, said WHS social studies teacher David Mastro, who is the club advisor along with Bannon Beall. The Boston Latin Conference included at least 20 schools and around 300 students, Mastro said.