Schools

Parent Group to Honor Those Who Helped Special Education in Watertown

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The 2017 Annual SEPAC Awards Night featuring Keynote Speaker Dr. William W. Henderson will be at the Watertown Free Public Library on Wednesday, April 12, 2017  6 p.m., the group announced. “This is an uplifting evening to honor all that is great in Special Education in Watertown. We have many dedicated people in our schools and the community,” Watertown SEPAC said in its announcement. Join us to recognize and honor those who have been influential in our children’s lives.  

The 2017 SEPAC Award Recipients are:

Andrew Allegro

Ellen Basile

Shane Carreiro

Kacie Kirkpatrick

Anita Lawson

 

Community Awards

George Donahue, lifetime mentor to young people with disabilities

Jasmin Hernandez, fifth-grade student at the Hosmer School

 

Marilyn Micco Parent Award

Brenda Manning

Schools

Superintendent Coffee Scheduled for Wednesday Night

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Watertown Interim Superintendent John Brackett invites parents and residents to an evening Superintendent Coffee. The coffee is scheduled for this Wednesday, March 29, 2017, at 7 p.m. in the Data and Innovation Lab on the 3rd Floor of the Phillips Building. This is the rescheduled evening session from earlier this month. There will not be a morning session this Wednesday. The final scheduled Superintendent Coffee is on April 26 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Entertainment

Come Hear Watertown Musicians, Young and Old, at MusicFest

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The Friends of Watertown Music (FoWM) presents its 6th annual MusicFest fundraiser, Friday, March 31, 5:30-9:30 p.m., at the Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverly Avenue, Watertown, MA. The event features over fifty performances by musicians by students, community members, and professional musicians, and an instrument petting zoo. Proceeds benefit the music program of the Watertown Public Schools. Suggested donations are $8/person and $25/family. T-shirts and other merchandise, pizza, and baked goods will also be on sale.

Minuteman High School

Minuteman High School Coming to Watertown for Information Night

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NOTE: Due to the snow storm, the meeting has been rescheduled to March 21 at 7 p.m.

Find out about Minuteman Technical High School at an information night to be held in Watertown. Students, parents and others interested in learning about the vocational school can attend the event on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, from 7-8 p.m. at Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave., Watertown. Representatives will provide an overview on Minuteman’s technical programs, explain the benefits of attending the school and explain the process for applying for admission.

Good Friday

Watertown School Calendar Includes Classes on Good Friday in 2018

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The School Committee approved the 2017-18 school calendar for the Watertown Public Schools, and it includes some changes from past years, including that school will be in session on Good Friday. 

Whether to have school on one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar was debated by school administrators because having that day off would push back the last day of class into the last week of June and because there are no other days off for religious holidays for any religion, said Interim Superintendent John Brackett. “I am cognizant of traditions and traditionally Good Friday has not been a school day, and that Good Friday, for many families remains a very important day within their religion,” Brackett said. He added, however, that the Watertown Schools celebrate the diversity of all students in the schools. He pointed to the recent statement released by the schools after President Trump signed the Executive Order banning travel into the U.S. by people of several countries. The statement read, in part: “We treat all students with respect, have high expectations for all, want parents to be our partners, and expect students, educators, and parents to respect the unique qualities that characterize each of us.  Together, we build and support a diverse and respectful community.”

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.