Watertown School Staff Member Sent Home as Precautionary Measure Related to Coronavirus

A teacher from Watertown High School who had recently traveled abroad, was sent home as a precaution measure after the possibility of having been exposed to the COVID-19 “Coronavirus,” the Watertown Public Schools announced. Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston said the measure was taken out to be cautious, and was in line with recommendations by local, state and federal health officials. She also talked about a planned WHS trip to Europe during spring break. School officials said there has not been a confirmed case of the Coronavirus in the Watertown Public Schools, however, there is a staff member who went home just in case the person was exposed to the virus. “I can confirm there are no known or suspected cases of Coronavirus in Watertown,” said Galdston, who said she could not comment specifically about the case, or even if the person had been tested, due to federal HIPAA regulations protecting people’s medical records.

Watertown High School’s New Principal Introduced, Has Local Ties

Watertown High School’s next principal, Joel Giacobozzi, right, shown with WHS students on the day he visited the school for his final interview in January. Watertown High School’s next principal has a wide breadth of educational experience, and also has ties to town. The School Committee formally met Joel Giacobozzi at Monday night’s meeting. Superintendent Dede Galdston picked Giacobozzi from the three finalists, who visited Watertown at the end of January. He currently serves as associate head master at Boston Latin, and previously was assistant principal at Scituate High School and took part in the principal internship program in the Boston Public Schools.

Performers Wanted for 9th Annual Watertown MusicFest, Save the Date

Students play at the fourth annual Watertown MusicFest. The following information was provided by Friends of Watertown Music:

Our 9th Annual Watertown MusicFest promises to be a great community event with over 50 performances – by Watertown’s youngest musicians to professionals – on three “stages!” We also feature an instrument “Petting Zoo” and refreshments! Friends of Watertown Music invites all musicians to perform! We welcome solos, duos, and ensembles at all levels.

Two Locations to be Considered for New Watertown High School

An illustration of how Watertown High School could be built on both sides of Common Street. In this scenario, the main academic building replaces the former Phillips School, while the gym, auditorium and Senior Center go on the current WHS site. The current site and the Victory Field complex will be the two sites considered for the location of the new Watertown High School, but not Moxley Field or other properties in town. Last week, the School Building Committee voted unanimously to send the preliminary design program to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. In prior meetings, the architects have presented mock ups of what a new school could look like on various sites, but Dunlap said that was just for demonstration.

See Photos from Watertown High School Drama’s “Chicago” the Musical

Senior Toni Carton, left, played Velma Kelly in “Chicago,” performed at Watertown High School last weekend. On the right is Alicia Karunaratne as Liz. Over the weekend, audiences enjoyed three performances of theWatertown High School Dramatic Arts Program’s production of the musical “Chicago” the high school edition. The show featured 16 songs, most of which also featured the dancing of WHS’s actors. The Married Murderesses and Billy Flynn perform a number during the Watertown High School production of “Chicago.”

Sign Up for the 2020 Watertown Town-Wide Spelling Bee

The 10th annual Watertown Town-wide Spelling Bee is coming up and teams can sign up now. This year’s spelling bee will be on Sunday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it will be held at the Hosmer Elementary School Auditorium. The money raise during the spelling bee will go to help the Watertown Public Schools. The spelling be is open to all Watertown elementary school students in grades 1 through 5. To register team of three students costs $60, and T-shirts are available for $15.

Eversource Seeks Entries for 7th Annual Student Challenge

The following announcement was provided by Eversource:

Writing a poem, drawing a cartoon strip, or creating a superhero are just three ways Eversource is encouraging students to demonstrate their knowledge of energy efficiency. The energy company is reminding students that submissions are still being accepted for its seventh annual Student Challenge. The contest promotes energy conservation, energy efficiency and sustainability and is open to kindergarten to high school students in its Massachusetts electric communities. The deadline for registration is March 17, 2020. All entries must be received or postmarked by March 27, 2020. “From posters and poems to persuasive speeches and community projects, Massachusetts students continue to impress us year after year with their entries and ‘energy smarts,’” said Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner.