Schools

Minuteman Seniors Get Diplomas at Drive-In Graduation, Watertown Student is Valedictorian

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A Minuteman High School students attends the drive-in graduation, Friday, held due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The following piece came from Minuteman High School:

On Friday, June 5, 121 students in the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School’s graduating Class of 2020 received their diplomas in a historic drive-in graduation ceremony. The first-ever drive-in ceremony was held to honor seniors in a timely fashion while also ensuring social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Each student was permitted to attend in one vehicle with family or loved ones. They each parked in assigned parking spaces that were grouped by their career majors. One by one, as their names were announced over a live stream on YouTube, students drove to the front of the building where they exited their vehicles to receive their diplomas and posed for photographs. 

In his remarks during the ceremony, Superintendent-Director Edward A. Bouquillon addressed the ongoing pandemic, economic turmoil, and racial unrest that the nation – and our families and communities – are grappling with. 

“I have confidence that you, the class of 2020, who have lost so much this senior year… you have gained an appreciation for the relationship and connection that only this crisis can teach,” Bouquillon said.

Around Town

See What was in the Gift Bags Given to Watertown High School Seniors

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The gift bags put together by the PTSO for the Watertown High School seniors. The Watertown High School Class of 2020’s big celebrations have been muted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but the PTSO tried to lift their spirits by giving each senior a bag full of gifts. The grads received the gift bags this week when they picked up their caps and gowns. Graduation was originally scheduled for Friday, June 5, but the pandemic prevented that from taking place. Instead, the school will hold a drive-up graduation ceremony on June 20.

Schools

Architects Show Design Ideas for New Watertown High School

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A rendering of what a new high school could look like if it’s built on the current site and the Phillips School site. In this option, a bridge would link the buildings on the third floor. The current site, on the right, would be the location of the auditorium, gym, school administrative offices and Senior Center. The School Building Committee saw what a new Watertown High School could look like, including 3-D renderings of buildings that could be built on the two proposed locations for the school. On Wednesday night, Scott Dunlap from Ai3 Architects presented the latest renderings for the high school project during an online meeting.

School Budget

School Officials Cut Back Budget Request, But Maintain Staff

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With the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the economy, Watertown School officials reduced their request to the Town for Fiscal Year 2021 by more than $1 million. In March, when administrators of Watertown Public Schools first proposed a budget they built it on receiving a 5 percent increase, as was planned by the Town Manager in the fall. The Town budget is uncertain after the pandemic hit, but it is expected to be negatively impacted by both lower state aid and local option taxes on restaurants and hotels. On Monday, Superintendent Dede Galdston presented the School Committee some reductions from the $52.96 million budget presented in March — a 5 percent increase. The new proposed budget is $51.93 million, up 2.9 percent from the last budget.

Arsenal Park

Meetings Wednesday on High School Project, Renovation of Arsenal Park

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An illustration presented in February of how Watertown High School could be built on both sides of Common Street. Two meetings will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, June 3. The Watertown School Building Committee (starting at 6 p.m) will hear a presentation about the latest design possibilities for the new Watertown High School, while the Conservation Commission (beginning at 7 p.m.) will hear about the second phase of the Arsenal Park renovation. High School Meeting

The School Building Committee will hear from architects from Ai3 about the progress of designs for the project, which could either go on the current site or on part of the Victory Field complex. They will also discuss upcoming forums about the project.

Around Town

Watertown School Committee, School Administration Release Statements on George Floyd

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Members of the School Committee and Watertown school officials separately put out statements about the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and racial inequity. John Portz, chair of the Watertown School Committee, read the following statement on behalf of the School Committee at Monday night’s meeting:

The tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the demonstrations that have followed across the country are witness to the racial injustices that continue in our society. As Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote many years ago, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 

As a school committee, we share the outrage over Mr. Floyd’s death and the frustrations felt by many in failures to address long-standing injustices and inequities in American society. 

As a school district, we continue our commitment to equity and respect for differences, through the Responsive Classroom curriculum, Kingian Non-Violence work, the Anti-Bias Coalition, and other district activities in the classroom, in the curriculum, and in all ways that we conduct ourselves as a district. 

We stand together denouncing these continued acts of racism and violence against people of color across our country. The following letter was provided by the administration of the Watertown Public Schools:

Dear Watertown Public Schools Community,

We are profoundly disturbed by the tragic and unnecessary death of George Floyd as well as Ahmaud Arbery’s killing in Georgia and Breonna Taylor’s in Kentucky. We are all negatively impacted by such acts, whether as victims, perpetrators, or bystanders. The families, friends, and community members of these individuals, and the countless others who have been lost to violence, are forever impacted. To our Black Families, Students, and Community Members, although we recognize and empathize with the hurt and the fear you live with on a daily basis, we know we need to and can do more. Please know, we will work every single day with others throughout our strong Watertown community to make our schools and community places for all of us to thrive and prosper, regardless of race or any other aspect of human diversity.

Entertainment

Watertown Schools’ Art Show Goes Online, See Visual Art from All Grades

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A piece made by a Watertown High School Student in the Studio Art class. For many years, the Watertown Public Schools Art Show has been displayed at the Watertown Mall, but the Coronavirus has forced the district to find a new venue — a virtual venue. The Connecting Through Creativity – WPS Virtual Art Show 2020 can now be seen online, and features works from every grade at every school in the district. The Watertown’s Coordinator of Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts Magen Slesinger provided the following information:

The Watertown Public Schools Visual Art Department is proud to present our first ever Virtual Art Show! When looking at visual art, we are often looking at the beautiful end product.

Schools

Different Kind of Graduation Planned for Watertown’s Class of 2020; Students Can Choose Grades or Pass/Fail

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One of the signs that went up around town to celebrate Watertown High School’s graduating seniors. Watertown High School’s graduating seniors will be receiving their diplomas at Victory Field, but no in the way they would have expected in the pre-pandemic world. The Class of 2020 will have a drive-up graduation on Saturday, June 20, where they will arrive in a car full of family members, get out and march on the field with Pomp and Circumstance playing and receive their diploma, said Superintendent Dede Galdston at Monday’s School Committee meeting. Students will also have a professional photo taken. The rain location will be the WHS auditorium.