Government

School Committee Member Leaving Town, Creating an Opening on the Board

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Watertown School Committee member Candace Miller announced this week she will be leaving town and the School Committee, too, this summer. 

Miller will leave less than two years into her four year term, so an opening will be left on the School Committee. Because of the timing, Town Clerk John Flynn said the Watertown Town Charter offers are a couple of options for filling the seat. The Town Charter reads “If a vacancy shall occur on the school committee during the first 24 months of the term for which the school committee member is are elected, the vacancy shall be filled by a held forthwith and no earlier than 64 days from the day the election is called.” The charter gives the Town Council the option of voting to have he vacancy filled by appointment by the remaining members of the School Committee. To move ahead with this option, six Councilors would need to vote for the option.

Schools

Watertown Preschool Running Summer Program Full of Fun, Learning

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A Watertown early childhood center will offer 11 week-long sessions, each with a different theme, but all designed to be fun for the children. The Goddard School in Watertown will offer its summer program for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years from June 19 and runs through the end of August. While the school is part of a group of nationwide early childhood development centers, most will not have a summer camp of this style, said Sunny Verma, who owns and runs the school along with his wife Simmi. “We are a new school – we’ve been around for seven months,” Verma said. “Most new schools would be conservative and have a more generic theme.”

School Start Time

Task Force Examining How to Push Back the Start of Class at WHS Each Day

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A task force has been formed to look at how the Watertown Public Schools would change the time that schools start each day, in particular having the high school start later. Interim Superintendent John Brackett created the group following the work of another committee that met last year to look at the benefits and drawbacks of changing school start times. Brackett said the research shows teens are better able to learn later in the morning, but right now the high school starts begins at 7:55 a.m., while the elementary schools start later – either at 8:15 or 8:30 a.m. Watertown Middle School starts classes at 7:40 a.m.

The subject is being explored at other schools, too, Brackett said. “There is a lot of talk, but it is more talk than action on changes of start times,” Brackett said. To examine what it will take to change the start time of schools, Brackett formed the School Start Time Implementation Task Force.

Schools

Watertown Schools Accepting Proposals for WHS’s New Mascot/Logo

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The Watertown Public Schools are seeking a new mascot (i.e. logo) and the Mascot Screening Committee is looking for submissions to be considered. School officials sent out the following announcement:

The Watertown Public School district has begun a process to identify and select a mascot/logo for Watertown High School. The high school has a nickname – the Raiders – and school colors – red, white and black – but it does not have an official mascot/logo. The nickname and school colors provide a common identity and connection to the traditions of the school, teams, and community. A mascot/logo adds to this by presenting a graphic image of that identity and connections.

Schools

School Business Manager Named Asst. Supt. as Part of Change in Administration Structure

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Mary DeLai has served as the Watertown Public School’s Interim Business Manager since November, but she has had the interim removed from her title and also given new duties. 

At Monday’s School Committee meeting, Interim Superintendent John Bracket announced that DeLai has been appointed the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations. This is a new position for the Watertown schools. DeLai will start her new position on July 1. Brackett said he was happy to have her continue working in Watertown. “When we were looking for an interim business manager people kept saying ‘if you could get Mary Delai, your district would be in great shape,'” Brackett said.

Enrollment

Enrollment for Kindergarteners Put on Hold at 2 Watertown Schools

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Kindergarten classes at two of Watertown’s three elementary schools are close to full, and school officials will put enrollment for kindergarten at those schools on hold. 

Monday night, Interim Superintendent John Brackett told the School Committee that enrollment projections at Hosmer and Cunniff elementary schools show that the classes could be on the top end of the class size guidelines. “We want to make sure we don’t get caught short on enrollment and class size,” Brackett said. “We are most closely following kindergarten projections, which are up quite considerably.” At Hosmer the current projection is 112 kindergartners, Brackett said, which would mean 6 classes of 18 or 19 students. At Cunniff, the number of kindergartners is projected to be 57.

Schools

Committee Selected to Choose New Mascot to Go With Watertown Raiders Name

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An 18-member committee has been appointed to find a new image to represent Watertown High School. The Committee is called the Mascot Screening Committee, but on Monday night School Committee Chairman John Portz said the Raiders name will not be changed, nor will the school’s red and black colors. The group has been given the task of finding a mascot, or logo, that represents the high school, its teams, clubs and other organizations. The current status of the mascot is confusing. While the image of the dancing cartoon American Indian can be seen around town, that is not the official mascot for the high school.

Schools

New Superintendent to Judge Education Foundation’s Dancing With the Stars

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The Watertown Education Foundation just announced that Watertown’s incoming superintendent, Dr. Deanne Galdston will be one of four judges at this years Dancing with the Stars event. Along with Dr. Galdston, Georgia Mulgrew, Jay Hughes and Maria Scalzi-Monahan will be judging this years competition. Dancing with the Stars will be this Friday, May 5, at the Hellenic Center in Watertown. Today is the last day to purchase tickets online at www.watertowned.org.