Gun Control

Watertown Students Pour Out to Join National Walk Out for Gun Control

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First about 20 students gathered outside Watertown High School, then the number doubled and soon people were pouring out of the front door until hundreds of students filled the area in front of the school as part of the National Walk Out calling for safer campuses and gun control in the wake of the shootings in Parkland, Fla. The walk out had been scheduled for last March 14, to coincide with rallies across the nation, but a nor’easter put those plans on ice for a week. The event was organized by students and they were not required to come out for the Walk Out. A few hundred students left school for the 17 minute event. They were joined by about a dozen members of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment, who stood across the street from the school.

Business

Watertown Savings Seeks Entries for High School Photography Contest

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Watertown Savings Bank (WSB) is seeking submissions for their Annual High School Photography contest, bank officials announced. If you are a high school student who lives or attends school in Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Newton, Waltham, and Watertown you are eligible to participate. The 12 winning photographs will be published in the bank’s 2019 calendar, which is distributed free to thousands of WSB customers and community members annually. WSB is looking for photos that depict scenes from the local community. Entries must be submitted by Sunday, April 15 at midnight.

Schools

Minuteman High School Students Win Medals at SkillsUSA Competition

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Students from Minuteman High School captured medals in a host of technical categories in a regional skills competition against their peers last month, including one from Watertown, the school announced. Minuteman students earned gold, silver and bronze medals in the SkillsUSA District III Competition held at Joseph P. Keefe Regional Technical School in Framingham on February 28. SkillsUSA is a national organization that allows students in career and technical education to compete in rigorous technical and leadership competitions. The advisor of the Minuteman chapter of SkillsUSA is Engineering instructor Malcolm Paradise. The medalists from Minuteman were as follows:
Culinary Arts: Gold, Sam Zurlo ‘19, Lexington
Cosmetology Over 500 hours: Bronze, Madelyn Hedges ‘18, Arlington
Additive Manufacturing: Gold, Ben Tangora ‘20, Lexington and Brandon Bain ‘20, Lexington
Electrical Construction Wiring: Silver, Luke Scannell ‘20, Lexington
Mechatronics: Gold, Benjamin Leone ‘18, Lancaster and Dan Seriy ‘18, Needham, Silver, Alex Northup ‘19, Needham and Ethan Moore ‘19, Arlington
Web Design & Programming: Gold, Adam Powell ‘18, Arlington and Ethan Francis-Wright ‘18, Arlington
Mobile Robotics: Gold, Gaetano Taranto ‘19, Waltham and Jake Dionne ‘19, Concord, Bronze, Emmanuel Adey ‘20, Lexington
Robotics Automation Technology: Gold, Sam Harris ‘19, Lancaster and Sophia Li ‘19, Acton
Telecommunication Cabling: Gold, Sean O’Connor ‘18, Winchester
Industrial Baking, Silver, Thomas Merida ‘18, Watertown
Many of these students will compete at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference held from April 26-28 in Marlborough. Minuteman is an award-winning regional high school that integrates robust academic and career & technical learning to deliver a revolutionary competitive advantage to its students, expanding their opportunities for college and career success.

Adaptive Track

Watertown Track Team Offering Program for Students with Disabilities

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Track Team and it’s Booster Club are offering an Adaptive Track program this spring for students 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. This is a four week program to be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the following dates (no transportation provided):
Monday, April 23
Monday, April 30
Monday, May 7
Monday, May 14 (awards ceremony)
Registration is open now and is available to students in Watertown, Belmont, Waltham & Newton in grades 1-12. Mail the attached application with a $40.00 check made payable to Nancy Alberico to: 
Nancy Alberico
C/O WHS Track & Field Boosters
25 Duff Street, Watertown, MA.

Drama

Watertown High School Students Putting on the Musical “Pippin” This Week

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While the elements have not cooperated, Watertown High School’s production of the musical “Pippin” will go on this week as scheduled. Monday afternoon the 30 plus members of the cast fine tuned their numbers while the crew worked on the scenery and lighting at the WHS Auditorium. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 15; Friday, March 16; and Saturday, March 17. The show is a bit of a mind bender for the actor who are putting on show within a show, said WHS junior Daniel Vanryn. “It is really cool, it is almost a show within a show.

Schools

Artwork by Watertown Public Schools Students Will be on Display at the Mall

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The Watertown Mall, located at 550 Arsenal Street, Watertown, will again be hosting the Watertown Public Schools’ Annual Student Art Exhibit from April 4 to April 24, 2018, the Mall announced. The exhibit will feature hundreds of works of art made by students from Watertown Public Schools. You will be left awestruck by the hardworking young artists, who range from kindergarteners to high schoolers, and their very unique talents. The art displayed will vary in medium and you will be exposed to spectacular pieces created using watercolors, crayons, cray pas, pencils, computer art, ceramics, paper machè, and more. The exhibit will run from Wednesday, April 4th to Tuesday, April 24th and we hope to see you there.

School Committee

School Committee Passes Resolution Calling for Gun Safety, More Mental Health Services

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In the wake of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the Watertown School Committee passed a resolution asking for strengthening gun control laws and improving mental health services for students. Also, some students at the high school will have their own response to the shootings. 

The School Committee began its meeting Monday with a moment of silence for the 17 people killed during the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Feb. 14, 2018. Later in the evening, the School Committee unanimously passed the resolution at Monday night’s meeting. The resolution calls for State and Federal lawmakers to support laws and regulations that:

Insure thorough background checks and waiting periods before adults can purchase or own guns
Prohibit the presence of guns on school property, unless by a law enforcement officer
Ban the sale of semi-automatic, assault-style weapons as well as high-capacity
magazines or clips
Strengthen counseling and mental health services for students

School Committee member Lindsay Mosca said she thinks that the resolution was the right step for the board to take, and said that she does not see it as a political issue but one of concern for students’ safety.