Schools

New Watertown School Grant Program Seeking Applications

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The Watertown Education Foundation and the Watertown Community Foundation announced they are teaming up to offer a new School Grants Program for the 2016-2017 academic year. We are excited to announce that $35,000 is available to seed innovative programming for Watertown’s public schools. Applications will be available on the Watertown Community Foundation website (WatertownFoundation.org) starting on November 1, 2016. Completed applications are due on December 16, 2016 and grants will be awarded by January 20, 2017. It is our hope that this new joint program will provide a more streamlined process for the teachers, administrators, and not-for- profit organizations working in our schools, giving them more time to focus on our students.

21st Century Schools

School Renovation Master Plan Includes Cost Estimates, Sequence Undecided

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Watertown’s master plan for renovating the town’s five public schools is almost complete, but school and town officials – and the community – must decide which order to do the work and what to what extent the renovations should go. The Watertown Schools Master Plan Steering Committee wrapped up months of work Wednesday night by giving their final thoughts about the draft of the master plan being put together by consultants from SMMA. “It has been a great group, with lots of perspectives,” said School Committee Chairman John Portz, who chaired the group that began meeting in June. The plan includes an estimate for renovating Watertown High School, Watertown Middle School, and the three elementary schools – Cunniff, Lowell and Hosmer. Basic renovations, just to fix current issues, would cost about $160 million at current construction costs, while improving them to meet 21st Century standards the cost would be $200 million in current costs, said Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli, who is on the Steering Committee.

Schools

School Committee: Interim Superintendent Has Experience to Lead Watertown for the Year

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The Watertown School Committee appointed a former superintendent, principal and teacher to lead the town’s Public Schools through the year while a permanent replacement is found. 

On Tuesday night, the School Committee chose Dr. John Brackett to fill the interim superintendent role through the rest of the school year, or until a new superintendent is found. When Brackett was interviewed by the School Committee Monday night, he said that he researched the Watertown Schools and saw the challenges, such as crowding and lack of a school business manager, but he also saw some positives. “I also found a lot of things appealing about the district,” Brackett said. “There are a lot of exciting things, such as diversity is celebrated and a strong commitment to high achievement.” Communication is a challenge in many districts, and Brackett said he would communicate often with the School Committee.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Opposes Ballot Question to Raise Cap on Charter Schools

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The “yes” on charter Schools – Question 2 campaign has provided specious and untrue statements in their literature and TV and radio commercials. I am very concerned from what I hear first hand as I have been canvassing to vote NO on Question #2. People are confused and misled by the Yes Charter School misinformation. I had lobbied the legislators to take the vote to keep the cap on charter schools. I believe it should not be a ballot question.

Alcohol

Watertown Middle, High School Students to be Screened for Drug Use Next Year

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Tuesday night, the School Committee approved a policy for screening middle and high school students to see if they are using drugs or alcohol. 

Known as SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment), the screening will be required for all schools in Massachusetts, said Donna Ruseckas, Director of Wellness and Extended Services for the Watertown Public Schools. She told the School Committee about the screenings during a special School Committee meeting Monday night (see the slide presentation here). The screenings will be verbal ones, and will be done in seventh and ninth grades, Ruseckas said. The purpose is to catch drug and alcohol use early, so that it does not become a further problem. National data shows that 32 percent of people who started drinking at age 15 went on to become alcoholics, Ruseckas said, compared to just 9 percent of those who started at age 21.

Letters

LETTER: Commentary on School Drug Screening, Interim Superintendent Search

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The Watertown Strong Schools group attended the School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee Meeting and added commentary at the end. 

Unofficial Minutes: Policy Subcommittee Meeting

10/20/16 – Key Points and Commentary

Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the end of the minutes. Written by: Kate Coyne

Subcommittee members: Guido Guidotti, Chair; Eileen Hsu-Balzer; Liz Yusem; Dr. Theresa McGuinness, Acting Superintendent; Others present: Donna Ruseckas, Director of Wellness & Extended Services; and Kate Coyne (WSS). Drug Screening and Intervention Policy

Donna Ruseckas presented on the new state mandated drug screening law. She presented what she would like to have changed in the policy.

Elections

LETTER: Time Not Right for CPA, Schools Should Take Priority

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The amicably-named Community Preservation Act sounds like a program nearly anyone would enthusiastically support. Many of us believe in the value of historical buildings in giving a town it’s character, maintaining affordable housing, and preserving green space. It conjures up the image of a well-cared-for and friendly town, and who wouldn’t want to live there? Unfortunately, Watertown has some significant needs. We love our community, but we are not yet the best that we can be.

Schools

Watertown SEPAC Hosts Workshop on Basics of Special Education

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The Watertown Special Education Parents Advisory Council will host a workshop about basic rights in special education, the group announced. The basic rights workshop provides families with an introduction to the rights and responsibilities under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Massachusetts Special Education Law. The workshop is designed to help parents learn to be effective partners with their child’s school to decide their child’s eligibility for special education and to plan, make decisions and monitor their child’s progress in school. The meeting is free and open to the public. Child care will be provided.