Schools

Perkins School Earns Special Status with United Nations Economic and Social Council

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The following information was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:
Perkins School for the Blind, the first school for the blind in the U.S. and the international leader in blindness education, has earned United Nations Economic and Social Council Special Consultative Status (ECOSOC).  
This enables Perkins executives to attend meetings at the UN, submit written statements and oral presentations, consult with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, and use UN facilities for conferences or meetings in New York, Geneva, and Vienna. The United Nations Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

Cunniff School

Parents, Neighbors Have Concerns About Proposal for Cunniff School Renovation

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Parents and neighbors of Cunniff Elementary School got a look at what the school might look like after the renovation project is done, and they had some big questions and concerns about the loss of play area, drop off areas and more. 

Wednesday night the School Building Committee visited the school on the Westside of Watertown to discuss the upcoming renovation and addition of the campus. The board has upcoming meetings planned for Hosmer and Lowell schools. The current favored plan calls for keeping the front classroom wing at Cunniff, tearing down the one-story wing in back and replacing it with a two story wing. Along with classrooms, the project will add a full-size gym, expand the library, and create a music/blackbox theater space, said architect Scott Dunlap of Ai3 Architects. The classrooms in the existing wings will undergo major renovations.

Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins School for the Blind Hosts Harry Potter Weekend

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Perkins School for the Blind got a taste of Hogwarts over the weekend, when children with visual impairments got to participate in Harry Potter Weekend. 

The outreach program opened the campus to students throughout the community with visual impairment for some fun and games inspired by the young wizard. “This was a terrific weekend not only for volunteers and staff, but for the students. The kids were so immersed in the activities,” said Mike Cataruzolo, manager of Volunteer Services at Perkins School for the Blind. “They really felt like they were at having a magical time at Hogwarts. We hope to have this weekend again next year.”

Schools

Watertown Students Get a Taste of Science, Technology & More During STEM Week

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In an effort to boost interest by students in STEM education — science, technology, engineering and math — the Baker-Polito Administration declared Oct. 22-26, 2018 STEM Week. The Watertown Public Schools organized a range of events for students in elementary, middle and high school, including field trips to local companies, panels of professionals, and design challenges. Some of the students and classes attending the events are from STEM subjects, but there are others from classes like civics and economics. Laura Alderson Rotondo, the district’s Career Technical Education (CTE) coordinator, said she would have liked to have gotten every student in the district involved in the STEM Week activities, but having started planning in September it was not possible.

Cunniff School

School Committee Excited by Improvement on MCAS Shown by Watertown Elementary Students

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The elementary school results on the 2018 MCAS test pleased the School Committee, particularly the improvement by students over the last year. Watertown’s principals and administrators presented the results at Monday night’s School Committee meeting. Efforts were made after last year’s MCAS results, said Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Assessment Theresa McGuinness. “Last year, when we met to discuss the scores we realized we had a curriculum alignment problem,” McGuinness said.  “We met to see how we could make changes.” The growth in the scores particularly stood out, she said.

Schools

See When Renovation Projects to be Presented to Watertown’s Elementary Schools

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Parents and neighbors of Watertown’s three elementary schools will get to see what is in store for their buildings during the upcoming renovation projects, and they will have a chance to give their feedback. 

The district’s architect and the School Building Committee will present the current plans at meetings held at the individual schools. The first meeting will be at Cunniff Elementary School on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. Next will be Hosmer Elementary School on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. Lowell Elemenatary School’s meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m.

Parents will be notified through announcements sent out by their children’s schools, while nearby residents will be sent a notice of the meeting, said Town Council President Mark Sideris, who is also chair of the School Building Committee.

Around Town

Applicants Sought for Watertown Community Foundation’s Education Grants

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) has merged with the Watertown Education Foundation (WEF) and announces the release of the Fall 2018 School Program Grants. This program focuses solely on Watertown’s public schools and seeks to support activities that improve instruction and learning.  The application form is available online. Grant requests of up to $2,500 will be considered, though the average amount awarded will likely range from $500 to $1,000. Where partnerships of two or more schools or organizations are involved an award of up to $5,000 will be considered. A total of $35.000 will be awarded Applications can be submitted for individual classrooms, grade-level initiatives, after-school programs, school-wide efforts, and system-wide plans.

Entertainment

Crafts, Entertainment & Treats at the Annual Homelearners’ Fall Fair

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The following information was provided by Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts:
The AHEM Homelearners’ Fall Fair, featuring handmade crafts, entertainment, and delicious baked goods, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, for three action-packed hours: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., Watertown, MA. Admission is free. For information visit www.ahem.info. This lively fair provides a great opportunity to buy inexpensive, homemade gifts for the holidays, sample tasty baked goods, be entertained by a variety of talents, and enjoy networking and conversation with other homeschoolers — also a great way to introduce people to the homeschooling concept.