School Committee

Consultant to be Hired to Plan for Renovation of Watertown’s Schools

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The School Committee agreed to hire a consultant to get the planning for renovating Watertown’s schools rolling, and at the same time officials will apply to the state for money to renovate the high school. School officials want to renovate the five Watertown schools, but they need to decide which to tackle first. School Committee Chairman John Portz announced last week that a “request for qualifications” has been put out by the district looking for consultants. “There are a series of next steps. One is hiring a consultant to prioritize building projects,” Portz said.

Brigham House

Watertown Students Bond with Seniors Through Intergenerational Activities

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This school year, some of Watertown’s youngest students have added a new component to their curriculum—events with the town’s senior citizens. Preschool and elementary school students have trick-or-treated, performed a Thanksgiving play, listened to “Mrs. Mittens” read a winter story, and delivered valentines. With the Phillips School building (adjacent to the Senior Center) now being used for some preschool classes, the partnership was welcomed and convenient, said Karen Feeney, Watertown’s Early Childhood director. “We are thrilled to collaborate with our neighbors as a way to foster community. The seniors have so much fun and the students love it.

Schools

Watertown Schools Release Statement on Respecting Diversity

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In light of recent discussions at the Federal level about travel bans from certain countries and immigrations, School Committee Chairman John Portz and Interim Superintendent John Brackett released a “Statement on Respecting Diversity.” The statement reads:
In Watertown, we celebrate our diversity. As a school system, we are committed to protecting the right of all students and educators to participate in our learning community. Recent events at the national level regarding travel restrictions and related actions prompt us to reiterate and reassure that Watertown Public Schools is an open, welcoming, and inclusive place to learn and work. Debates in national policy continue, but we are committed to providing a safe, learning environment for all students.

Letters

LETTER: Councilor Believes New Developments Not Causing School Overcrowding

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I want to preface this article by saying that there will always be more work to do when it comes to improving our schools and class sizes in general. I don’t believe there is a definite line we could ever reach where I would say there is no more work to be done. I think that is simply true as we are part of an ever-evolving and changing world.  With that being said, the standards I use to measure our class sizes and school population are both comparative and historic. I write this because almost every action taken by the Town and/or School Committee comes back to a widely held belief that our schools are overcrowded and class sizes are too high. Part of that belief is that development in town is the main cause of this.

Schools

Superintendent Candidates Will Visit Watertown, Attend Public Forums

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With two finalists chosen for Watertown’s next superintendent, the School Committee is preparing a strategy for interviewing the candidates and a schedule of public forums. 

Wednesday night, School Committee Chairman John Portz formally announced the two finalists – Dr. Deanne Galdston, Assistant Superintendent of the Billerica Public Schools, and Dr. Arthur Unobskey, Assistant Superintendent in the Gloucester Public Schools (see their bios below). The finalists selected from 12 candidates who were interviewed by the Superintendent Search Committee, said School Committee Vice Chair Kendra Foley, who chaired the Search Committee. Each of the finalists will spend a day in Watertown, during which they will visit each of the five schools, speak with a Watertown High School student, meet the Town Manager and Town Auditor, and then have two public forums – one with teachers and staff in the afternoon and one with parents and community members in the evening. “Candidates will come for pretty much the entire day – 12 hours – from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,” Portz said. Unobskey will be be in Watertown on March 2 and Galdston will visit on March 6.

Schools

Watertown Schools Announce Finalists for Superintendent Position

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The Watertown School Committee is pleased to announce that two candidates for the position of School Superintendent have been recommended by the Search Committee for its consideration. The candidates are:
• Deanne Galdston, Ed.D. of Newton, currently Assistant Superintendent, Billerica Public Schools
• Arthur Unobskey, Ed.D. of Lexington, currently Assistant Superintendent, Gloucester Public Schools
At the February 13, 2017 School Committee meeting the names of these finalists will be formally presented to the School Committee. The Committee will discuss the ensuing process for interviewing and ultimately selecting one person as the new Superintendent, to start July 1, 2017. Each candidate will be invited to Watertown for a one-day visit that includes a tour of the school buildings, educator and community forums, and an interview with the School Committee. The tentative dates set for these visits are Thursday, March 2 and Monday, March 6.

Schools

Watertown Girl Named Student of the Term by Minuteman High School

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Minuteman High School has selected four outstanding students as Students of the Term for Term Two of the current school year, including one from Watertown, according to the school. This honor is awarded every term to one student from each grade level based upon nominations from teachers. The criteria include exceptional academic achievement and good citizenship, according to Assistant Principal Brian Tildsley. The students chosen are freshman Paul Gleason of Wayland, sophomore Tazmin Anbar of Watertown, junior Brodie Hawkes of Waltham and senior Catherine Maxwell of Arlington. All four were given certificates in recognition of this award, had a photo taken with the teachers who nominated them and were treated to lunch at Minuteman’s student-run restaurant, The Fife & Drum.

Dean's List

Watertown Student Makes Dean’s List at the University of Maine

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The University of Maine recognized 2,298 students for achieving Dean’s List honors in the fall 2016 semester. Of the students who made the Dean’s List, 1,714 are from Maine, 523 are from 31 other states and 61 are from 27 countries other than the U.S.

Among the students who received Dean’s List honors for fall 2016, completing 12 or more credit hours in the semester and earning a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, was Watertown’s Cody Orvik.