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State Board Approves Design of New Watertown High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The view is from Common Street. The design of the new Watertown High School got the endorsement of the Massachusetts School Building Authority on Wednesday. Superintendent Dede Galdston sent out a letter saying that the MSBA Board of Directors unanimously supported moving the WHS project to the schematic design phase. “At this time, the design team, the OPM, and the School Building Committee will prepare for the next big milestone, the Board approval of participation in our project,” Galdston said in a letter to school and town officials.

Schools

Residents Appointed to New Architecture Committee, Will Advise on New High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The view is from Common Street. A group of Watertown residents has been appointed to advise designers of the new Watertown High School. Town Council President Mark Sideris announced the creation of the new Architecture Committee of the School Building Committee, which will be chaired by Leo Patterson, an architect and member of the School Building Committee. Sideris, who chairs the School Building Committee, sent out the following announcement:

I am pleased to say that we had a number of residents apply to be on this committee.

Schools

Find Out the Latest About the Watertown High School Project at Upcoming Community Forum

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Ai3 ArchitectsA view from Columbia Street of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The progress of the Watertown High School project will be updated during a Community Forum on Aug. 25, 2021. The School Building Committee, which is overseeing the project design and construction, will host the virtual meeting, which begins at 6 p.m on Wednesday. The presentation will include design updates, the latest about the swing space at Moxley Field, and progress toward making the school zero net energy.

Schools

Watertown High School Class of 2021 Celebrates Graduation After a Very Challenging Year

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Charlie BreitroseA Watertown High School senior celebrates after receiving his diploma at the 2021 graduation ceremony. A celebration for the 2021 Watertown High School senior class was a long time coming, having endured the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning and wearing masks in class. The grads had to wait an extra day due to weather concerns, but the delay did not dampen their spirits during Saturday morning’s graduation ceremony at Victory Field. WHS Class of 2021 Valedictorian Caiden Kiani, who also served as senior class president, said he has seen a lot of what goes on behind the scenes to make WHS run. He thanked a variety of people, including administrators, parents, counselors and others, but wanted to give some special thanks: the nursing staff, “who have helped us feel safe during the pandemic,” and the custodial staff, “who has worked extra hard to keep every room COVID free.”

Letters

LETTER: Group of Parents Support Using Moxley Field as Site for Temporary High School

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As WPS parents, We are writing in support of the proposal to build a new WHS on its current site and to use a section of Moxley Park as swing space during construction. There are many important reasons for this choice: this proposal will provide the best possible educational experience for students during construction; it will minimize the construction timeline; it will create the space needed to build a state-of-the-art, 21st Century high school for Watertown; and, it will reduce overall project costs. This investment requires temporary sacrifices from abutters, students and families. We are all sharing this burden, but the benefits far outweigh the temporary inconveniences. This project will benefit the entire Watertown community for generations to come.

Schools

Watertown High School Graduation to be In-Person, Seniors Will Have Prom, Other Events

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown High School’s Class of 2021 will hold an in-person graduation ceremony at Victory Field with no limits on guests. Pictured here, the Class of 2014 celebrates. Watertown High School’s graduation ceremony will return to Victory Field in 2021, with full attendance, and the senior class will also get to attend prom, the senior barbecue and other events. The Class of 2021 will graduate on Friday, June 4 at 6 p.m. at Victory Field, announced WHS Principal Joel Giacobozzi on Tuesday. There had been discussions about limiting the number of guests each student could invite, but with the change in the state’s COVID-19 guidelines the school will not limit the number of people attending the ceremony.

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LETTER: Group of Parents Support Using Moxley as Site for Temporary High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA view from Columbia Street of what the new Watertown High School could look like. Last week, the Town Manager announced that the new Watertown High School would be paid for within the confines of Proposition 2 ½, and will NOT require a debt exclusion vote by the community. This is truly an astonishing, unprecedented commitment by Watertown. Thank you to the Town Manager and the Town Council for creating this remarkable opportunity. This is a project that will be transformative for our entire community.

Schools

LETTER: Reconsider Using Moxley Field as the Site for the Temporary High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what a two-story modular building could look like on Moxley Field. It would be the temporary location for Watertown High School while a new school is constructed. The following letter was originally sent to the School Building Committee and the Town Council:

The architectural firm working on behalf of the Watertown High School project provided the recommendation to build a temporary high school on PFC Richard Stephen Memorial Playground on Westminster Avenue. It is dedicated to our fallen hero who gave his life in Vietnam. Richie played on this field.