Schools

Parents Say Watertown Schools Not Doing Enough to Stop Bullying

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The School Committee got an earful at their most recent meeting from some parents about what they see as an inadequate response to bullying that occurs in the Watertown Public Schools. Maria Hinkson, the mother of two girls, told the School Committee Monday night that she believes the Watertown Public Schools are not doing enough to stop students from being bullied. Her younger daughter, who is at the middle school, has not been bullied, but her eldest, who is now in college, dealt with bullies from the third grade through high school. “No one has taken any action. I made calls, sent emails, argued, fought for years,” Hinkson said.

Schools

Watertown Parents Invited to Kindergarten, PreK Information Nights

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Parents and guardians interested in enrolling their children in Watertown’s kindergarten or PreK program can learn more at upcoming information nights. Each of the three Watertown Public Schools’ elementary schools will hold kindergarten info nights on Jan. 16. On Jan. 14, there will be an informational session about PreK at Hosmer School.

Schools

Parents & Students Can Have Their Say About Next WHS Principal

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As Watertown School officials seek to find the next Watertown High School principal, parents and students will have an opportunity to talk about what qualities they would like the person to have. Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee Monday that, while the deadline to apply for the position closes Friday, the district has already has nearly 30 candidates. She said the next principal, who replaces the retiring Shirley Lundberg, will have a chance not only to build a learning environment at WHS, but a new school. The high school project has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority program, and planning for rebuilding or renovating the school has begun. The applicants for WHS principal will be screened by a committee made up of school officials, teachers, staff, parents and students.

Biology

Watertown Science Students Get a Look Inside a Real Biotech Lab, Meet Scientists

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Watertown-based Enanta Pharmaceutical’s Michael Tchen shows a group of WHS biology students around the company’s labs. About two-dozen Watertown AP biology students took part in what is becoming a tradition for Watertown High School when they got a look inside a real biotech lab that is working on cures and vaccinations for diseases, including HIV and hepatitis. The group of WHS students took the field trip to Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Arsenal Street earlier this month for what is known at the company as a Lunch & Learn. The group of mostly juniors and seniors got to see the different phases of developing a drug, and talk to people who working on the cures. Last March, the WHS AP chemistry classes took the tour of Enanta.

Schools

See Which Groups Got Education Grants from the Watertown Community Foundation

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The Watertown Community Foundation announced it has awarded grants totaling $34,385 to initiatives supporting Watertown Public Schools. Grantees were notified this week just before the end of the 2019 school year. Grants will be implemented in spring of 2020 and or fall of 2020. 

The funds distributed through the School Based Grant Program focus on solely on Watertown’s public schools to support activities that improve instruction and learning.  

2019-2020 Education Grants  

21 School based grants totaling $34,385 were given for: 

WHS College VisitsWHS Robotics TeamWHS SPEAK ProgramWHS WCAMP – Watertown College Application Mentoring ProgramWHS/WMS/General Public Undocumented and Unafraid: Lessons from a DreamerWHS/District Musical Instrument Purchase and Repair ProgramWMS One School One BookWMS Grade 8 Dynamic Earth Heat Flow Traveling Program through Museum of ScienceWMS Garden/ Nature Club Spring /Fall 2020WMS 7th Grade Thematic Social StudiesWMS 3Doodle Modeling in Middle School Technology Education and EngineeringLowell -Grade 1 – Discovery Museum Traveling Science Workshop -SoundCunniff- Grade 5 – 10 Oculus Go Devices for Virtual Field Trips and Immersive EducationLowell PreK -5-Len Cabral Storytelling AssemblyLowell- K -Force and Motion Workshop presented by the Discovery MuseumCunniff ESL -After-School Enrichment Activities for ESL StudentsDistrict Grade 3- Gore PlaceDistrict PreK-5 – Purchase of the book One World, One Day, by Barbara KerleDistrict Pre-K- Districtwide Pre-K Science EnrichmentHosmer Gr. 5- The Courage Campaign: Movement & Self-Discovery WorkshopHosmer – International Week 2020

For questions, please contact Jan Singer at jan.singer@watertownfoundation.org.  

The Watertown Community Foundation, a public, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, works to build and sustain a vibrant, close-knit community in Watertown – now, and for future generations. To accomplish this, WCF raises funds from individuals, families, businesses, and foundations; awards grants to nonprofits and community projects; and builds networks of donors, grantees, program participants, and stakeholders. 

WCF Board of Directors 

David Siegel and Darshna Varia, Co-Presidents; Robert Airasian; Albrik Avanessian; Emily Barclay; Eleanor Donato; William B. Ford; Ashley Morris; Mary Ann Mulligan; Antonia O’Hara; Anthony Paolillo; Maria Panaggio-Phillips; Lora Sabin; Robert Shay; Elaina Themistos; Lauren Coughlin Unsworth; and Kathryn White.

Eileen Hsu-Balzer

School Committee Member Departs After 24 Years of Devotion to Watertown’s Children

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School Committee member Eileen Hsu-Balzer left the board after serving for nearly a quarter century. Few people have touched the lives of as many Watertown children as retiring School Committee member Hsu-Balzer. Last week, the School Committee honored her during her final meeting on the board on which she served six terms.

“Eileen is stepping down after 24 years — an amazing commitment to the Town’s Schools.,” said School Committee Chair John Portz. “You have to go back to 1896 to find anyone who served as along as Eileen has on the Watertown School Committee.” Former School Committee member Tony Paolillo served 12 years with Hsu-Balzer.

Schools

Deadline for Watertown Parents to Enter Student Information Online Approaching

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The Watertown Public Schools is going digital when it comes to registration forms filled out by parents and guardians about their children. The deadline for filling out the online forms is Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. School Committee member Amy Donohue reminded her colleagues, and parents, about the upcoming deadline to fill out the forms on the Watertown Public School’s online system. Superintendent Dede Galdston said the effort is to get all the information on the district computer system, and will make it easier in the future.

Kingian Nonviolence

Students Lead Effort to Bring Kingian Non-Violence, Reconciliation Circles to WHS

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Watertown High School students (from left) Catherine Fabian, Eva Henry and Claire Fabian led the effort to bring the Kingian Nonviolence Principles and Reconciliation Circles to WHS. A group of Watertown High School students took what they learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles of non-violence at the middle school and created a program to be used with all students at WHS. The efforts have been recognized by district leaders, and education officials at the state level. Those interested in the effort can take part in upcoming events, including Community Introduction to Restorative Justice Circles on Wednesday, Dec. 11, in the WHS Lecture Hall, from 6-8 p.m.

The following piece was provided by those involved in the effort at Watertown High School:

Background and Context

The Kingian Principles of Nonviolent Conflict Reconciliation were the basis for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work in the Civil Rights Movement.