Schools

Watertown Student Named as Mentor to State Student Leadership Group

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Project 351 today announced the members of the 2018 Alumni Leadership Council (ALC), a group of Project 351 high school alumni, including one from Watertown, who serve as stewards of Project 351’s mission and values. The group sent out the following information:

Project 351 is a statewide youth service nonprofit organization that develops a rising generation of “community-first” citizen leaders. Annually, an eighth grade unsung hero and quiet leader is selected by every city and town in Massachusetts for a transformative year of development, enrichment, and impact through unique service opportunities. Alumni leadership provides invaluable mentorship; extends the reach and impact of Project 351 statewide service; and serves as an innovation lab for aspiring social entrepreneurs and community builders. “Project 351 believes in the unlimited potential of young people to lead in powerful and transformative ways in every community in Massachusetts,” said Carolyn Casey, Executive Director and Founder of Project 351. “As eighth-graders, our young leaders engage hundreds of cities and towns in service, build bridges to foster unity,  and encourage kindness and generosity in their hometowns.

Schools

Details of Asbestos Report at High School, District Will Hire Firm to Remediate

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Superintendent Dede Galdston announced details of the report about the asbestos found in the Watertown Public Schools, Monday evening, including plans to remove some found in plaster on the walls of classrooms at Watertown High School. The study was conducted by EFI Global, the consultant hired to do the work as part of the district’s requirement under the Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act (AHERA). The schools must do the inspection every three years, and last week Galdston said that more powerful testing methods found asbestos not detected in prior years. Asbestos was discovered in skim coat plaster at the high school. Air quality was also tested in the rooms where damaged plaster was found, and Galdston said that it came in 10 times lower than the limit allowed by the EPA.

Schools

Find Out How to Give Input on the Watertown High School Mascot

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The final four options for the Watertown High School mascot – or logo – that will go with the Raiders nickname were presented to the School Committee this week, and they seek input from the public about the finalists. The School Committee has set up an online survey for the community to give its input about the four images. The finalists are: a knight riding a horse into battle, a knight’s helmet with “Raiders” on the grill, a shield with a “W” on it, and a knight standing behind a shield. Take the WHS Mascot Survey by clicking here. Students at the high school will be surveyed by the School Committee High School Representatives.

Schools

Start Time for Watertown High School Moving Later Starting Fall of 2018

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Watertown High School will start 35 minutes later starting in the fall of 2018 after the School Committee voted to approve the school start time change on Monday night. 
Both the high school and Watertown Middle School will start at 8:30 a.m., while Cunniff, Hosmer and Lowell elementary schools will start at 8:15 a.m.

Research shows benefit of moving the start of school later is that high school students will be more ready to learn because it is more inline with adolescents’ biological clocks, said School Committee Chairman John Portz. “In the education world often times with research you have conflicting opinions. This is an issue where there is very little conflict,” Portz said. The change was made after more than two years of discussion and research by Watertown School officials. After an initial study by the School Start Time Task Force, the same group was asked to come up with recommendations for how to implement a time change and how it would impact other schools in town.

Schools

Asbestos Found in Walls of Watertown High School, Effort to Remove it Underway

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An inspection of Watertown High School discovered that the plaster on the walls contain asbestos, Superintendent Dede Galdston announced Monday, and the district has started determining the best way to deal with the hazardous material. 

The inspection was conducted by a firm hired by the Watertown Public Schools as part of complying with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). Galdston sent a letter about the asbestos to Watertown High School parents, and read it at Monday’s School Committee meeting. “During these inspections it was determined that the skim coat plaster at the high school contains some amount of asbestos,” Galdston said. “While previous reports did not identify asbestos in the plaster, more recent sampling and analytical methods have improved such that the levels of asbestos in plaster can now be detected.” All the plaster in the school is being examined to determine the extent of the asbestos, Galdston told the School Committee.

Elections

School Committee Hopefuls Air Their Views at Candidate Forum

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The six people running for School Committee shared their views on a variety of subjects during the School Committee Candidate Forum co-hosted by Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access Television on Thursday night at the Watertown Free Public Library. Three challengers – Amy Donohue, Michael Shepard and Lily Rayman-Read – appeared along with the three candidates seeking re-election – Guido Guidotti, Liz Yusem and John Portz. The candidates shared similar views on several questions, including:
• Wanting to renovate or rebuild schools that will be able to provide a modern education
• Seeking to improve communication with parents and with the school administration
• Continue to expand the Spanish lessons for elementary students up through fifth grade
• The start time for the middle and high schools should be moved later
• Watertown should explore joining the Minuteman Vocational District, or find another way to offer vocational education
Each candidate had their own views on certain subjects. Cutting Costs if the Schools Have a Budget Shortfall
Guidotti, a healthcare management consultant who seeks a second term, said that he thinks there is always room for more efficiency in the schools, but said the tough thing is to find efficiency without “cutting the lights off” for important people and programs.

Shepard, who served one term on the School Committee previously, said he wants to save the district money by leasing equipment, particularly technology, instead of purchasing it. By purchasing items outright, the district is stuck with the maintenance and upkeep, he said, but the district should see if any efficiency can be gained by leasing.

Schools

WHS Guest Speaker Tackles Some Tough Subjects as Part of the SPEAK Project

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Michael ‘Mykee’ Fowlin returned to Watertown High School on September 25th to perform his one-person show, “You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me,” for an all-school assembly, the Watertown Youth Coalition announced. As a professional actor with a doctorate degree in clinical psychology, he combines his skills and expertise to encourage people to transform the world by turning hurt into self-reflection, healing, and then action. The performance touched on topics including bullying, xenophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, dating and sexual violence, suicide, and more. While he didn’t shy away from difficult subject matter, he was able to do so in a way that connected with the students, moving the room from thoughtful quiet to roaring laughter throughout the performance. He urged students to respect each other and to celebrate both their differences and shared experiences.