Business

Watertown Community STEM Night Returns to the Middle School

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The showcase of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the Watertown Public Schools, along with people and businesses in the city that work in those sectors, returns to Watertown Middle School on April 29. See more details in the announcement from the organizers, below. Mark your calendars, Watertown! On Wednesday, April 29th, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, Watertown Middle School is transforming into a hub of innovation, curiosity, and local talent for the 2nd Annual Community STEM Night, presented by the Watertown Business Coalition and Watertown Public Schools! Whether you’re a student with a passion for coding, a parent curious about what’s happening in our classrooms, or a resident interested in the booming life science sector in our backyard, this is an evening you won’t want to miss.

Schools

German International School Boston Appoints New Head of School

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Philipp Kraft with Interim Head of School, Funda Suzan. The German International School Boston, which has a preschool to grade 3 campus in Watertown, recently announced the hiring of its new head of school. See the announcement from the school, below. German International School Boston (GISB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Philipp Kraft as its next Head of School. Mr. Kraft joins GISB from Alexander-von-Humboldt-Schule in Neumünster-Einfeld, Germany, where he most recently served as Head of School since 2019.

Schools

Rotary Club Accepting Applications for Scholarships

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The Watertown Rotary Club invites high school seniors from Watertown to apply for scholarships offered by the club. See details in the announcement from the Rotary Club, below. All residents of Watertown who are high school seniors and applying to college are eligible for Watertown Rotary Scholarships. The amount of each award and the number of scholarships granted are determined on a yearly basis. 

All eligible residents must submit completed applications, postmarked no later than April 17, 2026 to:

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEEROTARY CLUB OF WATERTOWNP.O. Box 765Watertown, MA 02471-0765

The form must be completed in full and accompanied by a transcript and letter of recommendation to be considered a valid application. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee.

Schools

Proposed Watertown School Budget Cuts Multiple Positions, Increases Athletics, Busing Fees

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Watertown School officials, with the guidance of the School Committee, have reduced a shortfall of $2.5 million and came up with a budget that would have a $700,000 surplus, according to the presentation made Monday by Superintendent Dede Galdston. The total Watertown Public Schools Fiscal Year 2027 budget is $64.59 million, a $2.48 million or 4% increase from FY2026. The budget provides a level services budget from the current school year, which means that the district provides the same programs and generally includes the same staffing levels, although some positions have been eliminated and others added in the budget. The School Committee will discuss the proposed budget and vote on it at a meeting on Thursday, March 26 at 5:15 p.m. to be held remotely. See details here.

Schools

Watertown Student Named Semifinalist for Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship

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Jack Kent Cooke Foundation logo

The following information came from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation:

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced today that Yuanzhe Wang of Middlesex Community College  is among the semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation named 485 semifinalists for the scholarship, which supports the nation’s top community college students with financial need seeking to complete a bachelor’s degree at four-year colleges or universities. 

Selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants, this year’s semifinalists represent 224 community colleges across 37 states. Each was chosen through an evaluation process that assesses academic ability and achievement, perseverance, and leadership. 

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship enables recipients to complete their bachelor’s degrees debt-free at any accredited four-year college or university in the United States and provides last-dollar funding of up to $55,000 per year for two to three years. The award is designed to remove financial barriers so that high-achieving community college students can transfer to and thrive at the nation’s top institutions. 

“Through the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation works to ensure that exceptional community college students have the opportunities to reach their full academic potential,” said Executive Director Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili. “This year’s semifinalists reflect the remarkable talent and ambition found in community colleges nationwide.” 

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship provides comprehensive support that extends far beyond financial assistance, recognizing that admission and enrollment are only the beginning. Selected Cooke Transfer Scholars receive personalized educational advising from the Foundation’s Deans of Scholar Support, who guide them through the transition to a four-year institution and help prepare them for future careers.

Government

City Has $4M Left from Elementary School Projects, Which Will Go to High School & Middle School Projects

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Cunniff Elementary School is one of three elementary schools in Watertown to be rebuilt or renovated. The projects closed out with a combined surplus of $4 million. The new school opened in 2021. (Photo by Watertown Public Schools)

Watertown’s elementary school building projects finished with a surplus of more than $4 million, which will allow the high school construction project to stay on budget, and fund designs for a potential new middle school. On Tuesday night, the City Council approved transfers of the $4,052,660 left over from the construction of the new Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools, and the renovation and expansion of Lowell Elementary School.

Government

Members of Congress Get a Look Inside Watertown’s School Lunch Program, School Farming Class

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Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Jim McGovern have lunch with Hosmer School second-graders Maya and Daphne. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A pair of enthusiastic Hosmer Elementary School ambassadors showed two members of Congress around their school Wednesday, ending with a meal cooked up by the school cafeteria staff that featured produce grown in Watertown High School’s hydroponic farm. Congressman Jim McGovern and Congresswoman Katherine Clark visited Watertown as part of McGovern’s End Hunger Now Tour of Massachusetts, in support of the bill he filed on Capitol Hill to increase the amount of federal funding for school breakfasts and lunches. Hosmer second-graders Maya and Daphne guided the two members of Congress through the hallways, into classrooms, through the media center, up and down stairs, and finally through the lunch line in the cafeteria. Watertown City Council President Mark Sideris, left, speaks with Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Jim McGovern during their tour of Hosmer Elementary School, led by Maya and Daphne.

Schools

Watertown Students Make Dean’s List at Several Colleges During Fall Semester

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Students hailing from Watertown made the dean’s list at UMass Amherst, Holy Cross, Georgia Tech, St. Lawrence, Tufts, Simmons, St. Michael’s, and Emmanuel. See the announcements provided by the colleges and universities, below. Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross congratulates the students named to the Fall 2025 Dean’s List for outstanding academic achievement during the spring semester of the 2025-26 academic year.