High School Project

Forum on Watertown High School Planned; Building Committee Doesn’t Like Renovation Option

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A mockup of what Watertown High School could look like if the current school was renovated and expanded. A new gym would be built on the Phillips School site, and a parking garage would go on the corner near Barnard Avenue (bottom right). An option of renovating and expanding the existing Watertown High School got bad reactions from the School Building Committee Wednesday night. The committee also saw more details of building a new school on part of the Victory Field complex. The planning for rebuilding or renovating the high school will be discussed further during a virtual Community Forum to be held on Wednesday, July 29 at 6 p.m. During the forum, the public will have a chance to voice its opinions on the options.

Schools

Two Watertown High Students Receive Newspaper Awards

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Watertown’s Sarah Vail and Toni Carton received Headliners in Education Honors for their work on the Raider Times. Headliners in Education honored two Watertown High School seniors for their work in high school journalism, and presented them with $500 awards. Sarah Vail and Toni Carlton each received Headliner in Education Honors, and were the first two to garner the awards from the non-profit organization which supports journalism in schools. The group received official approval to be a 501 3(c) non-profit organization in March. The same month, founder John Vitti, a Boston Globe editor who lives in Watertown, received a Community Service Award from SXSW (South by Southwest), which came with seed money for Headliners in Education.

Schools

Minuteman’s Peer Leadership Program Flourishes Despite Pandemic

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Minuteman High School students Annalise Linden of Waltham and Day Kolz of Wayland craft hearts and other decorative items for the school’s Kindness Week that was held in February. The following information was provided by Minuteman High School, and was written by Judy Bass:

During the spring closure caused by the pandemic, students in Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School’s Peer Leadership Program continued to find ways to stay connected and serve as role models for younger students. The program is one of many activities beyond the classroom that encourages students to cultivate their maturity, sense of responsibility and character in ways that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. “The students gain a sense of why it’s important to make positive connections with people,” said English teacher Terri O’Brien, who is a co-advisor of the Peer Leadership Program. “We put a lot of emphasis on the idea that they can create the culture of the school through their example.

COVID-19

No Decision on How Schools Will Operate in Fall, Officials Prepping for Three Scenarios

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With about eight weeks until the start of the school year, Watertown School officials continue to prepare for three different scenarios — in-person teaching, remote learning, or a mix of the two. Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee Monday that with “the sands shifting everyday” she will not know which of the three will be used until sometime in August. Massachusetts education officials presented district with guidelines and asked them to come up with plans for how to operate schools in each of the three scenarios. Galdston said that while it is not clear which of the three will be used for the district as a whole, the Watertown Public Schools must prepare for remote learning because some students will be choosing that option no matter what. If the schools do return in person, they could try to welcome everyone back, or have students rotate when days they are in school by the day or the week, Galdston said.

Government

School Committee Discussing Reopening Plans; Water & Sewer Rates on Council Agenda

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On July 13, the School Committee will be discussing how the Watertown Schools will look when classes start in the fall, and the Town Council will discuss a number of items on July 14, including the water and sewer rates. Monday night at 7 p.m., the School Committee will meet virtually. The agenda includes a report from the Reopening Task Force, and a review of how the virtual learning went in the spring. Also on the agenda are a review of the Superintendent’s performance related to meeting the 2019-20 goals, and a discussion of the District Improvement Plan. See the entire agenda by clicking here.

Class of 2020

WHS Class of 2020 Graduates Awarded Seal of Biliteracy for First Time

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One of the signs that went up around town to celebrate Watertown High School’s graduating seniors. A dozen Watertown High School graduates got an extra honor when they graduated in June — the Seal of Biliteracy. The students who got the seal had to show they could speak, understand, read and write in both4 English and another language. They showed this by getting certain scores on the standardized tests like the MCAS, and ones for other languages. The Seal of Biliteracy has been adopted by 39 states and in Washington, D.C..

Entertainment

WGBH’s Camp TV Offers Educational Activities for Kids

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The following information was provided by WGBH Channel 2:

Summer is here at last, but Massachusetts parents are feeling the burden of juggling work and childcare as the coronavirus continues to impact the support structures they rely on – from daycare to summer camp to assistance from grandparents. To help, Boston public media producer WGBH has three free resources for a range of ages that I thought might be of interest to your readers: Camp TV;  Beyond the Page: Young Adult Book Club; and Family Fun at Home. You can find more information about each one below. Please let me know if I can answer any questions. If you are considering a story on resources for families this summer, I hope you’ll consider including this information.  

Camp TV

This 1-hour television day camp experience invites “campers” at home to meet enthusiastic head counselor, Zachary Noah Piser, and experience summer camp activities to learn through play. Camp TV will air weekdays at noon ET on WGBH 2 beginning Monday, July 13. Silly Hat Day awaits!

Around Town

Watertown’s School Meal Pickups Extending Through Summer

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The Watertown Public Schools will continue to provide free breakfasts and lunches through the summer, but will be distributing meals on different days. Since the shutdown of schools due to COVID-19, the Watertown School Nutrition program has been giving out meals from the parking lot at Watertown High School to families in need. The program is funded through a Federal grant provided to districts in Massachusetts. During the school year the meals were distributed three days a week, and more than 200 families took part. Over the summer they will be handed two days a week — Tuesdays and Fridays.