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Former MassBay Student from Watertown Graduates from Northeastern, Pursuing Engineering PhD

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Watertown High and MassBay Community College alum Juan Mesa recently graduated from Northeastern. He is heading to Carnegie Mellon to get his Ph.D.

MassBay Community College provided the following piece:

Juan Mesa, a native of Colombia, was five years old when he moved with his family to Boston and then settled in Watertown, in 2005. After Juan graduated from Watertown High School in 2013, he enrolled in the automotive technology program at MassBay Community College to turn his passion for cars into a career. “I didn’t do that well in high school because, to be honest, I was headed down the wrong path,” said Juan. At MassBay, Juan turned things around and began focusing on his studies and planning his career path. He enjoyed his BMW classes and earned his Associate in Science degree in Automotive Technology in 2015.

Around Town

LETTER: School Mental Health Professional, Mother of 2 Running for School Committee

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Jessica Middlebrook announced her run for School Committee. She is shown with her two daughters at Watertown Town Hall. My name is Jessica Middlebrook and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Watertown School Committee. In the wake of the most disruptive and painful school year in living memory, our community needs experienced, empathic leaders who will build connections, foster difficult but important conversations, and work toward creating equitable school cultures where all students feel valued and safe. With my experience as a parent and school mental health professional, my strong progressive values, and my abiding love for our community, I know that I can help our schools work better for all our kids and families.  

My husband, David, and I have been residents of Watertown for the past 12 years. We were drawn here to start our family because of its diversity and caring, engaged community.

Elections

LETTER: Watertown Mother, Educator Running for School Committee

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School Committee candidate Jennifer Nicholson, her husband Ryan Nicholson (Assistant Fire Chief on the Watertown Fire Department), and their children. My name is Jennifer (Holt) Nicholson and as a lifelong resident of Watertown, I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for the Watertown School Committee. It would be a tremendous honor for me to serve with pride and give back to the community that has given so much to my entire family. My children, incoming third and first graders at Cunniff, are fourth generation students of Watertown Public Schools. My husband, who is currently Assistant Fire Chief for the Watertown Fire Department, and I both graduated from Watertown High School in 2003.

Schools

Watertown Children’s Summer Reading 2021 Kicks Off at the Watertown Library

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The following information came from the Watertown Library:

As the school year winds down, there’s a lot to look forward to! Watertown Free Public Library’s annual summer reading program begins when the academic year ends. We’re here to help keep your student’s reading on track.  

How To Participate

Open the Challenge Card and print it from home. Challenge Cards are also available in the Children’s Room.Read!

Around Town

Residents Wanted to Serve on Architectural Committee for New High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The view is from Common Street. The following information was provided by the School Building Committee:

The School Building Committee is in the schematic design phase of the new Watertown High School. An architecture sub-committee is being established and is looking for citizen input to assist in some of the design elements. We are looking for citizens with backgrounds in architecture, engineering and sustainability. 

This is a commitment through this phase which will wrap up by the end of the year and may meet 3-4 times a month.

Assistant Principal

Watertown Schools Welcome Two New Assistant Principals, Administrator Who Will Integrate Technology into Learning

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Superintendent Dede Galdston introduced the School Committee to two new assistant principals and an administrator who will focus on using technology in education. The new assistant principals will be working at Watertown Middle School and Lowell Elementary School, while the district also filled the administrative position is known as the Coordinator of Digital Learning and Libraries. The middle school’s new assistant principal, Susan Carle, is returning to the area after working in the Midwest. She has been the assistant principal at Northwest Middle School in Chicago since 2016, Galdston said. Prior to that she was an instructional support leader and resident principal.

Heat Related Early Release

OP-ED: Parent Group’s Preliminary Results of Heat-Related School Early Release Survey

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The WPS Parent’s Action Group was formed in order to assess the impact of Watertown Public School (WPS) policies, including school closures, on Watertown families. 

We are extraordinarily privileged to live in a school district which cares about social equity and our little group of parents seeks to aid the school district in understanding the needs and realities of Watertown families through, among other things, innovative and nimble data analysis. 

The survey issued this week in relation to the WPS early closures is part of a broader project concerning accountability and transparency for the school district in making decisions that may disparately affect families.  The ultimate goal of these inquiries is to both understand the impact of decisions on families, as well as to imagine creative possibilities for supporting families. Preliminary Report

Heat-Related Early School Closure Family Impact Study

Dr. Lisa Lucile Owens

January 8, 2021

WPS Parent’s Action Committee

While our survey addressing the family impacts of the recent early school closures is still open and gathering data, this communication shares some preliminary data. On June 7 and 8, 2021, the Watertown Public School (WPS) district, as well as a number of other suburban school districts in eastern Massachusetts closed schools in the afternoons due to temperatures which reached 94 degrees Fahrenheit. This closure was first communicated to parents past 9:00 PM the night before the initial closure. As mask mandates at WPS schools are still in place, and the schools lack sufficient air conditioning, the school district made the decision to close school in the afternoon for all students.