Schools

Watertown Students Take Part in Biotech Event at Northeastern

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On Wednesday, March 8  and Thursday, March 9, 190 Massachusetts high school students participated in Biotech Futures, an event held at Northeastern University and organized by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd). Biotech Futures is a college and career exploration event that exposes students to the educational opportunities and diverse fields of study in the life sciences at the college level though hands-on laboratory experiences and campus tours. Biotech Futures is a component of MassBioEd’s BioTeach program, which provides lab-based training in biotechnology to 150 public high school science teachers each year. “At Biotech Futures events, students see the connection between their BioTeach-inspired lab experiences and exciting collegiate-level science and engineering programs,” said Peter Abair, Executive Director of MassBioEd. “The involvement of faculty and graduate students who share their research and career pathways often makes these experiences transformative for the participating students.

Schools

Watertown Schools Offers Track Program for Students with Disabilities

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This year, the Watertown High School track and field team will offer an adaptive track program for students in grades 2-12 with disabilities. Students will participate in stretching, running and racing activities on the Victory Field track. WHS athletes will be mentoring/coaching under the supervision of parent volunteers. The four-week program is open to students in grades 2-12, and will run from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on April 11, April 18, April 25 and May 3. Mail the application (below) with a $25.00 check made payable to Nancy Alberico to:

Nancy Alberico
C/O WHS Track & Field Boosters
25 Duff Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Questions/Feedback to: nancy.alberico@commonmoves.com or call 617-974-6101.

Schools

Watertown Youth Coalition Run Relaxation Station During WHS Exam Week

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The Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC) Peer Leaders, part of Wayside Multi-Service Center, helped provide some relief to fellow students during mid-term exams week, the group announced. WYC Peer Leaders set up a Relaxation Station in the lobby of Watertown High School each day of exam week offering tea, hot chocolate, snacks, relaxing coloring pages, and tip sheets on how to beat exam stress. A large coloring mural provided the opportunity for community collaboration and more coloring. Large crowds of students and some teachers visited the table and had great things to say about having this support provided during the stressful week. The Relaxation Station was a huge success, with both students and school faculty asking if it will be back for final exams week.

Around Town

Watertown High School Student Wins Multiple Television Awards

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The budding Watertown High School television production program received several honors this year thanks to the work of one enthusiastic student. 

Senior Rebecca Grossman won four awards in the Boston/National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences high school competition for her work this year in the WHS television production program, which is just a few years old. “When I came (to the School Committee) in January 2015, one of the goals was within 3-5 years I hoped to compete in the student broadcast awards,” said WHS TV instructor Todd Robbins. “We are well ahead of schedule. Not only did we compete but we did very well.” Last year, the school competed in seven categories, but did not win any awards.

Class of 2016

Congrats to the Watertown High School Class of 2016!

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Congratulations to the 162 members of the Class of 2016 who graduated at Victory Field Friday evening. 

Valeria Alejandra Aedo

 

Liana Aleksanyan *

Kareem Kamel Alhady #*

Jaime Marie Amedio

Mark Gregory Amirbekyan

Michaela Elizabeth Antonellis *

Marvin Aramthip

Shant Ara Arouyan

Nelli Balian

Tina Anahid Barsoumian

Tristan MacPherson Bennie Underwood

Tawhid Bibi

Zoie Star Bleau

Hallie Xiuyan Jaffe Blitzman

Dominika Sylvia Bondaryk *

Kerikor Boyajian

Jeremy Alvaro Breen *

Thomas Joseph Brennan *

Abiral Bhushan Budhathoki

Taylor Venezia Bunnell

Matthew Joseph Busconi

Demba Jake Kamborian Camara

Amanda Cardoso

Niko Daniel Carvajal Janke *

Gabriel Peregrino Cezario

Ryan Daniel Clancy

Abbie Leigh Cleveland

Hannah Grace Cook *

Michael Robert Corvini

Ethan Ernest Cox

Christian Andre D’Amico

Roman Pavlovich Davis

Erin Caitlyn Delong

Joseph Antoine Der Torossian

Ali Mohamad Dia

Derek Jordan DiPietrantonio

Marissa Mae DiVito

Falena Motta Dos Santos

Allison Rose Dowling *

Grace Catherine Duguay

Barry Joseph Dunn *

Mohammed Ahmed Ali El-Sherbini

Karl Elbakian #*

Brian Richard Ellis

Sofia Gloria Farhadi #*

Daniel James Farrar

Shelby Gwen Farrell

Taylor Alexis Ferrante

Santino Fierimonte

Gabriella Holden Fiorentino #*

Kelly Ann Flynn *

Kyle John Foley #*

Evan Tsiu Foun *

Karina Pereira Franca #*

Dylan James Fulton *

Sara Anne Fulton #*

Tyler John Gardiner #*

Antonia Maria Gardner

Arpy Shake Gavlakian

Gabriel Gerhske

Soleen Tamara Ghahraman *

Natalia Maria Gieza

Paige Riley Gilbeau

Michael John Giordano

Jaslyn Elexa Gomez-Jobson

Michael Gorman

Zoe Rosenthal Grodsky #*

Rebecca Annie Grossman *

Briana Rene Guillory

Brianna Jeanne Rose Hache *

Kristine Shake Hagopian

Mackenzie Nicole Hand

Garabed Krikor Haroutounian

Julia Rose Harrington #*

Emily Rose Hart *

Sasha Blu Helfner #*

Jeremy Edward Holt #*

Eric James Hopkins

Jason Richard Hughes

Nazely Ann Iknaian

Vrej Hagop Jamsakian

Kolbey Lee Jumper

Dorothy Kaoma

Abboud Roger Kaouk

Allyson Tamar Kazanjian

Robert Francis Kennedy #*

Olivia DeCarlo Keuchkarian

Sabiha Khalid *

Christa Rose Knell #*

Felicia Marnie Korte *

Joel Andrew Krislov

Anthony James Lacerra

Andrew Christopher Lamarche

Sarah Ann Lampasona

Nicole Maria Lanzo *

Peter Arthur Laskaris

Jake Kenneth Leitner

Samantha Naomi Lewis

Erika Libertini *

Austin Jei Lin #*

Joanna Nataly Lopez Ordonez

Nicholas Peter Martino

Farid Abdallah Mawanda

Ally Kathleen McCall *

Hannah Vaughn McCall #*

Daniel Thomas McCurley

Kelly Breanna McCusker-Brown

Hermes Teixeira Melo

Ivana Michelle Mendez Juliao

Steven Patrick Mey

Riyan Moore

Luis Enrique Moradel

Molly Jeanne Munger

Taylor Rose Nalbandian

Nathan Nebiye *

Patrick Ryan O’Donnell

Olivia Taylor Oakley

Mikayla Gianna Paone

Christopher Gor Patvakanian #*

Lillian Grace Pennington *

Erica Pepe

Keith William Perrin

Sean Cameron Peschier

Kira Elizabeth Peterson #*

Hillary Ximena Ponce

Tyler Thomas Poulin

Noah David Prior

Rachel Margaret Quinlivan #*

Anna Reyes

Kiana Marcela Reyes

Christopher John Rohlicek #*

Romina Romei *

Melissa Marie Rose #*

Katelyn Jean Rourke

Nathan Turner Ryan

Thomas Park Scudder

Ekta Sharma

Arshdeep Singh #*

Samantha Janet Smith

Deanna Rose Solari

Eve Nichole Souliotis

Layza Chalita Souza

Stephen Joseph Strangio *

Leah Nicole Sutherland

Samantha W.S. Tat

Parkev Terzian

Katherine Beach Tolman

Yesayi Tolmoyan

Emmanuel Lagene Torres

Amin Touri *

Ani Vehapetian

Abigail Jean Vershbow *

Edmundo Vangjel Villa-Perrez

Christopher Paul Vincent

Angelik Wannes

Lana Nasser Wehbe

Jason Taylor Wilkins

Erick David Yax-Vidal

Grigor Yeghishyan

 

# Cum Laude Society

*National Honor Society

Schools

School Committee Looking at Changing School Start Times in Fall 2017

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Watertown Public Schools officials will investigate starting the day for the high school and middle school later each day in the fall of 2017, however a change could be coming for middle schoolers in the fall of 2016. The School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee took up the issue Thursday morning and gave their OK for Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald to look at moving the school day later. The move has been looked at because research has shown that teenagers’ body clock has them staying up later and they need more than eight hours sleep. The current start time for high school (7:55 a.m.) and middle school (7:40 a.m.) are earlier than the research recommends. A survey of Watertown parents found them more supportive moving school start time back 15 minutes than 30 minutes, or more, to get to the 8:30 a.m. start time school officials are looking at.

Schools

Watertown Junior Chosen as a Winner in National Essay Contest

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The international nonprofit organization Facing History and Ourselves today announced the seven student winners of The 2016 Facing History Together Student Essay Contest. The winning students – including a Watertown junior –and their classrooms and teachers will receive over $9,000 in scholarships and prizes. This year’s contest, “Student Voices: To Kill a Mockingbird in Today’s World,” invited students to reflect on the themes, characters, and settings from Harper Lee’s classic American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, in order to make connections to their own experiences. Nearly 4,000 seventh-12th grade students from across the U.S. submitted an essay. Meet the Winners:
Cicada Scott, Senior
Manitou Springs High School, Manitou Springs, Colorado
“Congratulations!

Schools

Watertown High Welcomes Three Guest Speakers for SPEAK Week

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The annual SPEAK Week is back at Watertown High School (WHS) March 28-April 1!! SPEAK (Sharing Personal Experiences and Knowledge) Week is organized by Wayside Multi Service-Center’s Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC) Peer Leaders from WHS, the WYC announced. Every year WYC Peer Leaders organize a fun filled week with special guest speakers, activities and knowledge building that relate to helping youth make positive healthy choices. This year SPEAK Week welcomes three guest speakers:

Get Real Teen Council, presenting on healthy relationships and consent, brought by the WHS Feminist Group. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, civil rights activist who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, brought by World of Watertown, Watertown Public School Department, and the Watertown Police Department, discussing nonviolent conflict reconciliation.