Schools

Middle School Holding Forum About Safety on Campus After List of Students Found

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Watertown Middle School

Watertown Public School officials and the Watertown Police appear at a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. for the Watertown Middle School Community following the discovery of a list of students created by a WMS student. School officials said they have assessed the situation and determined there was no credible threat, but some parents remain concerned for the safety of their children and have questions about how the school handled the situation. The list was found last week, and the school contacted parents of students who were on the document. Watertown Middle School implemented the district’s safety protocols, and has been working with the student and the student’s family, who worked with the school and police “to ensure their well-being and the safety of our community,” read a letter sent out by Watertown Middle School Principal Jennifer Chen Fein.

Around Town

TVs in Public Spots in Watertown to be Required to Use Closed Captioning

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Televisions in public areas in Watertown will be required to use closed captioning. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Televisions in public areas in Watertown, including in restaurants and businesses, will have to turn on the closed captioning feature during regular hours. The City Council unanimously approved the ordinance requiring closed captioning, also called subtitles, at its Jan. 9 meeting. The ordinance was recommended to the Council by the Watertown Commission on Disability, City Council President Mark Sideris said.

Schools

School Committee to Look at Ways to Make Overnight Field Trips Affordable for All Students

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Watertown Public School music students perform at Bandarama. Those in high school take a trip to New York every two years. The School Committee approved a field trip for Watertown High School music students to spend a weekend in New York, but had concerns about the price and making sure that all students can participate. The trip to the Big Apple has become a biannual tradition for the chorus, band, and orchestra. The trip includes a performance and workshop with professional musicians, a Broadway show, a dinner/dance cruise around the Statue of Liberty, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and walking around Central Park.

Around Town

Feast on Art Exhibit at Mosesian Center for the Arts Focusing on Food

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Judy Haberl’s Baby Cakes 5 is part of the Mosesian Center for the Arts exhibit “Feast: Food Represented in the Visual Arts.” (Courtesy of MCA)

The following announcement was provided buy the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

The Mosesian Center for the Arts is excited to present an exhibition that finds inspiration in food. Depictions of food have been around since antiquity. In mosaics and frescos from Roman times, wine, fruit, bread, and grains have been depicted in private houses and temples. In later centuries, paintings portraying both religious and secular themes often incorporated food and drinks.

Schools

Watertown Students from 7 Colleges Earn Academic Honors

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Fifteen students from Watertown earned academic honors for the Fall 2023 semester from Regis College, James Madison University, Nichols College, University of Alabama, University of Rhode Island, Boston University and Lasell University. The following announcements were provided by the colleges and universities. Regis College

Regis College proudly announces the university’s Fall 2023 Dean’s List recognizing their outstanding academic achievements. “Being named to the Dean’s List is a recognition of a students’ semester-long unwavering commitment to their academic program,” said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Erina Driscoll, PhD. “Regis is committed to building students’ character and confidence as they are intellectually prepared for a life and career of meaning through an inclusive and innovative environment.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Wallet Stolen Out of Car, Counterfeit Bills Used at Target

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Jan. 16, 1 p.m.: A Riverside Street resident moved her husband’s vehicle onto the street at 8:30 a.m. and left it running and unlocked. She came back out a half hour later and her wallet was missing out of the purse she left on the front passenger seat. It contained credit cards and her driver’s license.

Around Town

Hunger in Watertown Will be the Focus of Live Roundtable Discussion

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Food on the shelfs at the Watertown Food Pantry, which has seen an increase in the number of people using its services since the start of the Pandemic. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A series of articles in Watertown News put a spotlight on a problem that often goes unseen in the community: hunger. The discussion will continue with a live event, where Watertown Cable Access Television will debut a video about food insecurity in town. WHAT: Monday, February 12, Watertown Cable Access TV and Watertown News will hold a live round table about the state of hunger and food insecurity in our community at 6 p.m. on the main stage Mosesian Center for the Arts

WHO: Panelists will include Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director Tia Tilson, Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham, the City of Watertown’s Community Wellness Program Manager Stephanie Venizelos, Watertown Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Lara, and Watertown Social Services Resource Specialist Sophia Suarez-Friedman from the Wayside Multi-Service Center. HOSTS: Moderated by Charlie Breitrose of Watertown News and journalist Maya Shwayder.