Schools

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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.

Schools

Watertown Cheerleaders Head to States After Winning Division Championship

By |

The Watertown High School cheerleading squad has enjoyed a successful winter, and will look to keep it going at States this weekend. 

In February, the team went to the Middlesex League competition in Lowell, where the Raiders qualified for Regionals. The team also won the Wildcat Invitational. On March 5, the team headed to Wilmington High School and had a great day, said Jennifer Ryan, one of the teams’s coaches. “We actually qualified to move onto States,” Ryan said. “Also, we were the North Small Co-ed Division Champions!”

Schools

Schools Need $1.75 Million to Maintain Programs, Special Ed Costs Rising

By |

The Watertown Schools will need $1.75 million more next year to maintain the current staffing and programs, according to school officials, and special education costs are expected to grow in FY 2018 and beyond. The total FY18 Level Service Budget is $45,332,330 representing a 4 percent increase over FY17 (the current school year), or $1,755,330 more, said Mary C. DeLai, interim Director of Business Services. The amount includes cost of living adjustments and step increases provided in union contracts. In October, Town Manager Michael Driscoll included a 5 percent increase for the schools in his preliminary FY18 Town Budget. One area that DeLai anticipates where costs will increase is special education.

Schools

Watertown Youth Coalition Run Relaxation Station During WHS Exam Week

By |

The Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC) Peer Leaders, part of Wayside Multi-Service Center, helped provide some relief to fellow students during mid-term exams week, the group announced. WYC Peer Leaders set up a Relaxation Station in the lobby of Watertown High School each day of exam week offering tea, hot chocolate, snacks, relaxing coloring pages, and tip sheets on how to beat exam stress. A large coloring mural provided the opportunity for community collaboration and more coloring. Large crowds of students and some teachers visited the table and had great things to say about having this support provided during the stressful week. The Relaxation Station was a huge success, with both students and school faculty asking if it will be back for final exams week.