Schools

Minuteman High School Closes Temporarily in Response to Coronavirus

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The following announcement was provided by Minuteman High School:

Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School will be closed through Friday, March 20, due to ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, joining numerous other school districts in the region that have cancelled classes as a precautionary measure. 

This afternoon (Friday), Minuteman administrators were notified that one student, who resides in Arlington, is under self-quarantine after being exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. The student is not exhibiting any symptoms. 

Superintendent-Director Edward A. Bouquillon issued the following email to all students, families, and staff this afternoon: 

Dear Minuteman High School Community: 

We are writing to provide you several important updates about what Minuteman is doing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our school and communities. We continue to ask our students, staff, and families to visit Minuteman’s coronavirus web page for updates. Several important announcements are outlined below. 

One Minuteman student from Arlington is under self-quarantine after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. We were notified of this information this afternoon, Friday, March 13. The student is not exhibiting symptoms and is under quarantine as a precaution.

Schools

Schools to Provide Learning Opportunities During Coronavirus Closing, but Will Not be Business as Usual

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Watertown Public School students will have chances to continue learning from home while the schools are closed for two weeks in an effort to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, but Superintendent Dede Galdston said it will not be considered part of the regular classes, nor impact grades. Students at Watertown High School have the Chromebooks, and efforts will be made to get the laptop computers to all Watertown Middle School students to use while they are out of school. Teachers are planning activities for the elementary school students, Galdston added. “Our intent is to keep learning alive, but it is not mandatory and not considered instruction,” Galdston said. “In order to provide equity in access, we are not allowed to provide remote learning as a replacement to in person education.”

Coronavirus

Town Closing Library, Senior Center, Rec Dept Until Late March in Response to Coronavirus

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In an effort to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, the Watertown Library, the Senior Center will be closed and all Recreation Department activities will be cancelled, Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced Friday afternoon. Town Hall will remain open. Driscoll spoke at a special School Committee meeting held Friday afternoon. This follows Thursday’s announcement that the Watertown Public Schools will be closed through March 27. While the Senior Center will be closed from Friday, March 13 to the end of March for activities and exercise programs, some senior services will continue.

Around Town

Presumptive Case of Coronavirus in Watertown, Schools Shutting for 2 Weeks

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The Watertown Health Department is investigating a case of Coronavirus in Watertown, and the Watertown Public Schools will be closed temporarily beginning Friday. ​The update on the Town of Watertown website reads:

We have been advised that there is a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Watertown. The case is not associated with the schools and has no children in the school system. The Health Department case investigation is ongoing and we will provide additional information tomorrow. Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston confirmed that the Watertown Public Schools will be closed for two weeks beginning Friday.

Around Town

Watertown Events Being Cancelled, Postponed Due to Coronavirus

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Several local events have been cancelled as a precaution due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Coronavirus. The Majestic 7, Watertown’s new movie theaters, announced that it has postponed its grand opening festivities planned for March 14-15. Dates for the rescheduled event have not been announced. The theaters remain open for regular business. Revels singing group announced that the Spring Sing in Watertown on March 21 has been cancelled.

Around Town

OP-ED: Cancel It if You Can – Taking Responsibility for Controlling the Pandemic

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

Will Brownsberger is the State Senator for Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston:

The pandemic will eventually touch many of us. What matters most is the speed of the pandemic. If the virus spreads too fast and too many of us are sick at the same time, we will overwhelm the health care system. People may not be able to get the care they need – for the virus or for any other health problem.  That’s what is starting to happen now in Italy. Doctors are discussing how to make brutal triage decisions effectively condemning weaker patients to die. We need to slow the virus down and since none of us are immune and there is no vaccine yet, we have only one way to protect our community:  To reduce unnecessary contact.

Schools

Watertown Schools Postpones Trip & Events Due to Coronavirus, Plans for Possible Remote Learning

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A Spring Break trip to Europe, a band performance, Mr. WHS and more Watertown Public Schools events have been postponed in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts. On Wednesday, Superintendent Dede Galdston sent a letter updating the situation in the Watertown schools as the COVID-19 virus spreads in the area. This comes a day after Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts, and several area colleges announced that students would not be attending classes on campus for the rest of the academic year. In Watertown, a planned trip to Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic has been postponed. About 60 WHS students had signed up to participate.

Around Town

Watertown Officials Start Preparing to Respond to Coronavirus

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A hand sanitizer dispenser has been placed outside the Town Council Chamber as one of the responses to the Coronavirus in Massachusetts. While there are no cases of the Coronavirus in Watertown, the Town’s Emergency Team met Tuesday to discuss ways to respond to the Coronavirus in Watertown. The town has already begun posting information about ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) in town buildings, and a liquid hand sanitizer dispenser and a sign saying “Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands” were placed outside the Town Council Chamber before Tuesday’s meeting. At Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Town Manager Michael Driscoll read statements from Director of Public Health Larry Ramdin and Fire Chief Bob Quinn. Ramdin stressed there are no cases of COVID-19 in Watertown, but added that on Tuesday, Gov. Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts due to the Coronavirus.