Election 2017

Decision Made on How to Fill Vacant School Committee Seat

By |

The School Committee will have an open seat when one of its members moves out of town, and the seat will be filled by a special election that will be on the ballot during this fall’s Town Election. 

In May, School Committee member Candace Miller announced she would be stepping down from her seat because she and her family are moving. She told her colleagues on June 5, and submitted her letter of resignation to the Town Clerk that week saying she will officially step down on Aug. 5. The decision of how the remaining 2 years and two months is made by the Town Council. Tuesday night Council President Mark Sideris recommended that a special election be called.

Schools

WHS Mascot Committee to Discuss Submissions for New Logo

By |

The group that will help select a new mascot/logo for Watertown High School will discuss the proposals for the new logo at a meeting next week. 

On Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. the Mascot Screening Committee will review the submissions for the new symbol of Watertown High School, said School Committee Vice Chair Kendra Foley, who chairs the Mascot Committee. The school will keep the Raiders name and the red, black and white colors. “We have received 15 submissions,” Foley said at this week’s School Committee meeting. “We will review the proposals on June 13.” The Mascot Screening Committee will meet again on June 20 when the final selection may be made to send to the full School Committee to consider, Foley said.

Drug Prevention

Watertown High School Students Pledge to be Alcohol & Drug Free

By |

More than 70 Watertown High School students have pledged to be drug and alcohol free, and in return they will be part of a new group at the school which has special events and they will get discounts at local businesses. 

The kickoff meeting Raiders Against Drugs Society, or RADS, took place in late May with an assembly lead by student leaders at Watertown High School. The students discussed the goal of RADS, and the benefits – including discounts at stores, meetings with raffles and door prizes, special trips and more. To be a part of RADS, students must sign a pledge saying they will be alcohol and drug free. At the end of the school-wide assembly, the organizers asked for a show of hands of people who would take the pledge and join RADS. “Close to 80 students signed up on the first day,” said Donna Ruseckas, the Watertown Public School’s director of Wellness & Extended Services.

Government

Board of Health Considering Making New Tobacco Rules After Hearing from WHS Students

By |

After hearing about research collected by some Watertown High School students, the Watertown Board of Health will look at possible changes to the town’s tobacco regulations. The students are Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders – a program of the Wayside Multi-Service Center – and also take part in a statewide movement of youth fighting tobacco in their communities, said Dawn Graham, media and prevention specialist with Wayside. As part of the statewide anti-tobacco effort, called The 84 Movement, the students mapped where tobacco retailers are in town, and their proximity to schools, parks and places where teens hang out. “They found that there are more tobacco retailers in Watertown than there are schools, parks, and other teen hangouts combined,” Graham said. “They were concerned to see that most places teens spend time – including Watertown High School – are less than a 5 minute walk away from a retailer and that there is currently no cap on the number of retailers that can be in Watertown.”

Schools

WHS Student Overcomes Learning Challenges to Graduate with Honors

By |

Rosdom Kaligian, center, overcame dyslexia and autism to graduate from Watertown High School with honors. When the seniors at Watertown High School graduated on Friday, there was one graduate who overcame some major challenges to not only finish high school but do so with honors. 

Rosdom Kaligian has severe dyslexia and also is autistic. His parents considered placing him in an out-of-district special education program, his mother Barbara Aghamianz said, but he convinced them to keep him at WHS. “I think people forget how hard it is for these kids to graduate, let alone be successful.” Barbara said.

Class of 2017

Congratulations to the 2017 Watertown High School Graduates!

By |

Inside a packed gymnasium, the 160 members of the Watertown High School Class of 2017 graduated on Friday evening. Here is the Class of 2017:

+ = Cum Laude Society

* = National Honor Society

Sajda Mohammad Abbas

Michelle Anahid Aftandilian

Rachel Armineh Aftandilian

Aaseia Ahmed

Sidar Akisik

Celeste Marie Alberico

Evamarie Anna Alessandroni +*

Mahdi Gawdat Alhady *

Brian John Amedio

Faryal Amin *

Elizabeth Kelly Arauz *

Andres Fernando Arenas *

Ani Rose Aroyian

Sarine Marie Ashjian *

Genrikh Eduard Askaryan *

Maria Athanasopoulos

Vangelis Athanasopoulos

Christopher John Baccari *

Natalia Balan

Christopher Samuel Eric Banks

Emma McLaughlin Bannon *

Marie Hugena Barolette

Ryan Everett Barry

Josemaria Terefenko Beagan

Catherine Ann Bedig

Robert Benjamin Belli

Muwonge Douglas Birigwa

Larissa Maria Bittencourt

Noah Anthony Brennan

Conor Francis Britton

Benjamin David Bunnell

Lauren Taylor Burns *

Anthony Daniel Camilli

Bryan Leonardo Canales-Alfaro

Cathrin Casandra Canales-Alfaro

Anthony Stephen Cardarelli

Daniel Joseph Carito *

Samuel Benjamin Carton +*

Alexis Rae Catsoulis +*

Thanapat Chanthon

Taylar Lynn Chase

Joe Abdo Chebli

Lara Ferreira Chiste *

Joseph Chomthakham

Dante Joseph Cimino

Alexan Cinar *

Fancesse Cledomin

David Oleg Conlon *

Eli Alex Cook

Christina Maria D’Agostino

Gabrielle Lynne Dalton

Julia Silva Dario

Jackson Faber DaSilva

James Thomas DeRocher

Kiran Din

Sofia Maria Teresa DiPace

Maksim Doe

Julia Noelle Dunoyer +*

Elias Dimitrios Fabrikarakis

Teal Fechtor-Pradines

Anthony Franciel Feliz

Aurora Jeanette Fidler

Nicole Lara Frisoli +*

Antonio Miguel Galang

Colin Patrick Gardiner *

Areg Andre-Bared Ghahraman

Isaac Blustein Gibbons *

Sarah Elizabeth Greim +*

John Frederick Griffin

Artem Vagifovich Grigoryan

Ian Michael Groh

Mayra Camila Guerra

Sara Gyulakian +*

Jayden Anthony Hairston *

Bailey Samantha Herrera Samayoa

Francis Edward Hession

Helene Emilio Hoxha +*

Isaac Preston Huff *

Sabir Hussain

Khadeen Natatia Inniss

Nareg Alex Kalaydjian

Rosdom Vrej Kaligian *

Dimitrios Nicholas Kalmanides

Leslie Merrill Kay

Congratulations to the #Watertown High School Class of 2017 on your graduation! pic.twitter.com/GPNkkSbcj4
— Watertown News (@WatertownMANews) June 3, 2017

Gregory Shant Kazanjian

Vasken Sarkis Kebabjian

Jenna Destiny Kelly

Kourtney Rose Kennedy

Saqib Kahn

Seema Naz Khan

Yasir Khan *

Stefanos Alkiviadis Kiorpes +*

Zelal Kort

Fatima ez Zahra Kouchaoui

Hajar Kouchaoui

Eli Moshe Krieger *

Lance Christopher Kuo

Catherine Dawn LeBlanc

Tatum Ngoke Ting Lee

Sammy Jay Leitner

Benjamin Siring Lowry +*

Gautam Mannan

Thayna Caetano Marcos

Hovig Sarkis Margosian

Melissa Cunha Martins

Miriam Victoria Matevosian

Karina Louise McAdam *

Samantha Camryn McFarland *

Hanna Lee McMahon

Jenna Rose McMahon

Parsa Medhati

Carlos Rodrigues Menezes

Lily Mills *

Juan Carlos Morales-Gonzalez

Rodrigo Andre Moscoso

Shannon Mae Murphy +*

Lisa Elizabeth Nantongo

Paula Guimaraes Nascimento

Emerson Shaye O’Connor

Ryan Kinsale O’Reilly +*

Marina Osipova

Annie Mariam Pepanyan

Ava Bryce Peters

James Stephen Piccirilli *

Gabriel Alejandro Pino

Cassidy Lee Pirozzi

Vasiliki Vana Pistoftzian *

Talene Marie Pogharian +*

Max Vitaliy Potseluev

Elsie Jenny Prespolis

Sanan Khan Rafiq

Destiney Valentine Reardon

Cythia Evelis Rentas

Ahmed Abdulkader Rifai

Zachary Sarkis Rimsa

Andrea Stephanie Rios

Kaitlyn Nicole Robbins

Fatima Hassan Roda *

Ruby Xiao Rosenwasser *

Jillian Marie Russo

Elizabeth Santourian

Berk Sezgin

Yuri Arkadavich Shakhverdov

Reid Ignacio Shanabrook *

Brendan Sean Shanahan

Lori Dikranuhi Shirinian *

Alex Henry Smith

Jake Scot Soares

Kelvin Martins Soares

Garen Harout Soukiasian

Nicholas Joseph Stanizzi

Joshua Barry Stewart

Aidan Brown Sullivan

Nathalia Alejandra Tapia

Joseph Erik Tardif

Dora E. Tejada

Janaki Thangaraj +*

Emmanuel James Theodore

Stella Nicole Varnum +*

Olivia Nicole Venezia +*

Police/Fire

Daisy Troop from Cunniff School Donates Stuffed Animals to Police

By |

Girl Scout Daisy Troop 62586, from the Cunniff School, donated stuffed animals, toys, art supplies and books they collected to create S.A.F.E. (stuffed animals for emergencies) boxes for the Watertown Police Department, according to a troop leader. Officer Kerilyn Amedio then came to our meeting to tell us about being a police officer, and the girls presented her with their donations. Back row-left to right-
Lila DiFrancesco, Brooke Levine, Julie Pipitone, Officer Kerilyn Amedio, Olivia Moylan, Maddie Rooney, Amanda Vieira
Front-left to right- Paige Croft, Charlotte Holland, Mie Lim, Dana Brisson, Josepha Contreras,
Not pictured- Maya Torres Henry