Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins Hosts 24-Hour ‘Hackathon’ to Create New Technology for the Blind

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{The following report was provided by Perkins School for the Blind}
After 24 hours of non-stop problem-solving, collaboration and software development, Perkins School for the Blind crowned the winners of its first-ever hackathon on Saturday. The grand prize winning design, a tactile lever device that allows coders with visual impairment to feel what their data trends look like, was one of 22 entries from college students across the United States and Canada who gathered at Perkins’ campus to develop innovative tech-based solutions to problems facing the visually impaired community in work, education and daily life. Throughout the event, more than 100 students worked in teams to solve one of six challenges inspired by the real-life experiences of blind individuals. A panel of expert judges scored the resulting designs. Other prize-winning designs included accessible apps like SonifEye, which allows coders with visual impairment to hear changes in data; Seats, which helps students locate empty seats in a cafeteria; Ezform, which allows individuals who are blind to fill out paper forms electronically; OvenBot, which helps users locate buttons on a digital display; B-Fit, which connect people with visual impairment with “spotters” at the gym; and iSee, which provides information on dining hall menus and allows users to connect with friends.

MassBay Community College

Watertown High Grad Excelling in Honors Program at MassBay College

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{The following report was provided by MassBay Community College}
Michelle Gallego, of Watertown, never thought she would have the time or the grades to be able to take honors courses in college, but she proved herself wrong and has taken four honors courses here at MassBay. The Watertown High graduate studied at Emerson College briefly before financial reasons forced her to take leave to work full-time. When she started to miss the academia setting, she decided to take classes at MassBay to continue what she loved – learning. Since being at MassBay, Gallego, a Humanities major, has taken Honors Freshman English I and II, American History I and Spanish in the Community: Service Learning and Travel Abroad. “The honors courses I’ve taken here have been my absolute favorite classes,” said Gallego.

MassBay Community College

MassBay Community College Hosting Open House for Prospective Students

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MassBay Community College announced it will hold its annual Spring Open House on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 10 a.m. President David Podell along with faculty, staff and students will be on hand to greet and welcome prospective students and their families to the Wellesley Hills campus. The Spring Open House is an opportunity for prospective students to meet and talk with current students, faculty, and staff to learn about the 70 degree and certificate programs offered at MassBay and transfer opportunities after MassBay. Prospective students are encouraged to attend to learn more about student clubs and organizations, the admissions and financial aid process, and talk with academic divisions. The Open House will include a self-guided tour of campus, mock classes, information sessions, student and alumni panel discussions, information for veterans, on-the-spot admissions, and more. WHAT: MassBay Community College Spring Open House

WHERE: MassBay Community College, 50 Oakland St., Wellesley Hills, MA

WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 2018

TIME: 10 a.m. (registration starts at 9:15 a.m.)

Prospective students can learn more about the event and RSVP at www.MassBay.edu/OpenHouse or call the Office of Admissions at 781-239-2500.

Dancing With the Stars

Tickets Available for Watertown’s Dancing With the Stars, Benefiting the Schools

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Watertown’s Dancing With the Stars, benefiting education in town, will be held on May 11, 2018 and features community members competing on the dance floor at the Hellenic Cultural Center. The Rotary Club of Watertown has taken over the event that was started by the Watertown Education Foundation. The Rotary Club sent out the following information:

Join the Rotary Club of Watertown for an evening of cheering on your favorite local stars as they strut their stuff in Dancing with the Watertown Stars! A portion of all proceeds will support education in Watertown. Have a great time AND support an amazing cause!

Gun Control

Watertown Middle School Students Call for End of School Violence During Walkout

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While thousands of high schools around the United States joined the National Walkout movement to raise awareness of school safety in the wake of the deadly shootings in Parkland, Fla., few middle schools joined in. On Thursday morning, Watertown Middle School held its own walk out, which hundreds of students attended. 

The organizers, most of whom were eighth-graders, gathered on the steps of the old West Junior High School building on Bemis Street and addressed the students who joined the walk out. The group spoke about trying to stop the violence and read the names of all of those killed in Parkland, adding some details about each of their lives. Eighth-grader Alex Thuene, who co-founded Watertown Middle School’s Stop Gun Violence Committee with eighth-grader Adham Hussein, addressed the students during the Watertown Middle School Walkout. “Seventeen lives were lost.

Letters

GUEST POST: School Committee Member’s Q&A With a WHS Senior

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(The following Q&A was submitted by Watertown School Committee Vice Chair Kendra Foley)

I always feel so proud of Watertown High School after hearing from our two School Committee high school advisors, Emily Koufos and Lauren Petrillo. Each month at our School Committee meetings, they give an update on the happenings at the high school, from sports to theater productions, AP tests to college acceptances. I recently had the opportunity to ask Emily Koufos a few questions about her experience at Watertown High School. KF: Have you had a favorite class? EK: My favorite class has definitely been AP Psychology.

Schools

SEPAC Awards Will Honor Those Who Work, Volunteer with Students with Special Needs

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The Watertown Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) will once again honor those who have dedicated their time to help students with special needs in the Watertown Schools at the annual SEPAC Awards. The group formed in the late 1990s as a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but it was always a challenge to get parents to come out to meetings, said Michelle Fallon, Hosmer Elementary School Evaluation Team Chair and parent of a student who received special education services from the Watertown Public Schools. The SEPAC awards began as a way to bring more attention to the people who dedicate their time to help students with special needs in Watertown, as well as to get more participation in SEPAC events, said Fallon, who had created a similar awards program when she was a member of the Watertown Historical Commission. “We came up with the idea to give some awareness for some of these wonderful people  working with kids,” Fallon said. The awards go to people who work in the district’s special education program, but they also are given to parents of students with special needs and even students who have volunteered to work with students in the special ed program.

Around Town

Deadline Approaching to Sign Up for the 2018 Town Wide Yard Sale

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The annual Town Wide Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2018, but the deadline to register is Thursday, April 19th. The money raised from registration fees benefits Watertown Community Education. The group sent out the following information:

Join us for the annual Town Wide Yard Sale. Schedule your yard sale on Saturday, May 19. For a fee of $10, we’ll do the advertising, provide a list of addresses to buyers and make it a community event for all to enjoy!!!