Schools

Watertown Students Take Part in Biotech Event at Northeastern

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On Wednesday, March 8  and Thursday, March 9, 190 Massachusetts high school students participated in Biotech Futures, an event held at Northeastern University and organized by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd). Biotech Futures is a college and career exploration event that exposes students to the educational opportunities and diverse fields of study in the life sciences at the college level though hands-on laboratory experiences and campus tours. Biotech Futures is a component of MassBioEd’s BioTeach program, which provides lab-based training in biotechnology to 150 public high school science teachers each year. “At Biotech Futures events, students see the connection between their BioTeach-inspired lab experiences and exciting collegiate-level science and engineering programs,” said Peter Abair, Executive Director of MassBioEd. “The involvement of faculty and graduate students who share their research and career pathways often makes these experiences transformative for the participating students.

Schools

School Committee Unanimously Selects New Superintendent

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Members of the School Committee enthusiastically and unanimously chose Dr. Dede Galdston to be Watertown’s next superintendent on Monday night. School Committee members said Galdston, currently Assistant Superintendent in Billerica, has the experience, temperament and even the personality that they believe will allow her to successfully lead the Watertown Public Schools. School Committee Vice President Kendra Foley said she wanted to make sure that the next superintendent was the best fit for Watertown, and she believed Galdston has the qualities needed to lead the town’s schools. The two finalists, Galdston and Arthur Unobskey, were selected from 31 applicants, and then came to town for a day long interview and tour of the schools. Teams of School Committee members and school administrators then visited their districts, said School Committee Chairman John Portz.

Schools

Watertown Schools Offers Track Program for Students with Disabilities

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This year, the Watertown High School track and field team will offer an adaptive track program for students in grades 2-12 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. The four-week program is open to students in grades 2-12, and will run from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on April 11, April 18, April 25 and May 3. Mail the application (below) with a $25.00 check made payable to Nancy Alberico to:

Nancy Alberico
C/O WHS Track & Field Boosters
25 Duff Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Questions/Feedback to: nancy.alberico@commonmoves.com or call 617-974-6101.

Schools

Watertown Student Makes Honor Roll at State’s Largest Virtual School

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TEC Connections Academy (TECCA), the Commonwealth’s largest virtual school, announced its first-ever Honor Roll and High Honor Roll, recognizing more than 350 students for their academic excellence. Based in Walpole, TECCA serves over 1,300 students from across Massachusetts in grades K-12 and employs more than 50 teachers and support personnel. “I am so proud of our TECCA students for their continued academic achievements,” said TECCA Superintendent Adam Goldberg. “From the staff committed to giving our students an excellent education, to the families who work every day behind the scenes to support students, our Honor and High Honor Roll recognize the hard work of the entire TECCA community.”

Students on Honor Roll and High Honor Roll, like Olympe Nalbandian of Watertown, maintained a high grade average in the previous semester and were honored last week during a virtual award ceremony. The first-ever Honor Roll builds on TECCA’s recent milestones.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Announces Youth of the Year Winner

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Watertown Boys & Girls Club hosted their annual “Youth of the Year” event and selected Club member, Kat Nilov as their winner, who will move on to compete at the state-level. Youth of the Year, a national Boys & Girls Clubs initiative, is a recognition program that celebrates the incredible achievements of Club members ages 14-18. This year, four Watertown Club members were chosen as candidates based on their active participation and excellent character. Noah Brennan, Sajda Abbas, Kat Nilov, and Didar Jajan are all a constant presence at the Whites Avenue site, acting as positive role models for the Club’s youth members. Each candidate was asked to write a two-page essay sharing how the Club has impacted them and to prepare a brief speech.

Around Town

Watertown Youth Coalition Hosts a Film on Growing up in the Digital Age

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The film Screenagers is coming to the Watertown Free Public Library on Thursday, March 23, from 7-8:30 p.m., the Watertown Youth Coalition announced.Screenagers reveals how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance. The target audience is middle school students and their parents, but this is appropriate for all ages. Join us for a screening followed by a panel discussion led by youth. Seating is limited and this is expected to be a SOLD OUT Event. Tickets are FREE but you must reserve your spot ahead of time.

Around Town

Pennies for Patients is Back! Find Out How to Help the Effort to Cure Blood Cancers

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This year, the Watertown Middle School will again be participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s School & Youth Program, Pennies for Patients —a three-week coin, cash, and check drive to raise funds to find cures for blood cancers, organizers announced. Our drive will run from March 2 through March 24. 

As you may know, leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. Mr. Johnson, our physical education teacher, is a lymphoma survivor. Our fundraising is in honor of him and in memory of two other WMS teachers, Pat Stayn and Peter Clough, who died as a result of lymphoma. In addition, in recent years, several of our parents have battled these diseases, some successfully and others without success.

Schools

Superintendent Finalist said She Believes Watertown is a Good Fit for Her

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Dede Galdston, one of two finalists in the search for the town’s next superintendent, said she is looking for a particular kind of district, and Watertown fits well. She discussed her priorities, style of leadership and values Monday night during a public forum and interview with the School Committee. For the past six years, Galdston has been assistant superintendent in Billerica, and she has worked in that district for more then 20 years, starting as a Spanish teacher before becoming foreign language coordinator, assistant principal at Billerica High School and then humanities coordinator. Her current district is nearly twice the size of Watertown’s, at 5,000 students, and has a more homogenous population. Before coming to Massachusetts, however, she worked in very diverse communities – first in San Jose, Calif., and then in the Bronx.