Schools

Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald Announces Her Retirement

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Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald announced she will retire from her position in October. Fitzgerald made the announcement at the beginning of Monday night’s School Committee meeting. Many in the audience were taken by surprise by the announcement. She arrived in Watertown in 2009 as assistant superintendent before being named interim superintendent and finally superintendent. In August a group of parents called for a vote of no confidence because of their frustrations with overcrowding and other issues.

Dr. Bernard Lafayette

Teachers, Students & Police Team Up to Teach Nonviolence to Watertown Staff

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Crammed into a small conference room at the Westin Hotel in Waltham Thursday, a group of teachers took part in the first of its kind professional training where students joined other teachers and police officers to demonstrate the principles of Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violence approach to conflict resolution. The Kingian Nonviolence Training was one of the sessions teachers and staff of the Watertown Public Schools could select as part of their professional training during the first two days back at work this year. The first of three trainings on Thursday was attended by teachers from all levels, special education and English Language Learner (formerly ESL) teachers, a dean of students and a reading specialist. Many said they hoped to find ways to resolve conflicts in their classes, both between students and with themselves and students. When conflict arises sometimes people have to resist their first reaction, said Harold Physic, a Watertown Police officer who helped lead the professional training.

School Facilities Master Plan

Consultants Wrap Up School Master Plans, Some Want More Discussion

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The School District’s consultants wrapped up the third and final community forum looking at the future of Watertown Public Schools facilities Wednesday night, but some at the meeting said they think the master plan has been rushed and needs more work. Michael van Hamel, an architect with SMMA, presented the costs for three options for upgrading Watertown’s schools: 1) a basic renovation, 2) a renovation with reconfigured layouts designed for 21st century teaching and learning, or 3) a brand new school. In new construction, state official have more say over what can be included, and for instance van Hamel said usually they do not allow auditoriums in elementary school. This is a feature at each of the Watertown elementary schools. At the Hosmer School, the district is considering moving all the Pre-K classes in the district into a wing of the school, or possibly adding a universal Pre-K program, which would need space for an estimated 400 students in the Universal Early Learning Center.

Entertainment

Free Showing of Documentary on at Perkins School on Blind Sailing

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Perkins School for the Blind presents a free showing of the moving “Sense the Wind,” a documentary about a blind sailing competition. 

Perkins sent out the following information:

Join Perkins class of ’72 alumnus Matt Chao for a FREE preview screening of Sense the Wind on Sept. 14, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Grousbeck Center. All are welcome to the audio described showing of this documentary. Highlighting ability, not disability, this documentary tell the remarkable story of Matt and three other individuals who share a unique bond — each is vision impaired and striving to race in Japan’s 2013 Blind Sailing world Championship while navigating all the other challenges in life. Following the film there will be a Q&A with the producer/director Christine Knowlton and Matt Chao.

School Building Program

Final Community Forum on Future of School Buildings on Wednesday

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The Watertown Public Schools and the Town of Watertown announced the final community forum in the School Facilities Master Plan process. They sent out the following announcement:

This summer the Watertown Public Schools and the Watertown community are working with the Cambridge architectural firm SMMA (Symmes Maini & McKee Associates) to develop a School Facilities Master Plan. This is the first important step to review and assess the capacity of our school buildings to support the teaching and learning needs of the district. The limitations of the school district’s current buildings have become increasingly apparent with the need for special program spaces, pressure from increasing enrollments, and a goal of maintaining appropriate class sizes. Watertown’s current school buildings are at least sixty years old and were designed for a time with very different educational needs than the present.

Schools

District Opens New Central Registration Office & New Enrollment Procedure

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The new centralized registration office for the Watertown Public Schools opened this week, and already had dozens of new students enrolling. 

In the past students and parents would go to the school to register, but the Central Registration Office was created in part to make sure that classes in Watertown’s elementary schools do not become overcrowded. Along with the new office, located in the Phillips Building, 30 Common St., the School Committee heard about the flow chart to decide where students will be placed. Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said the goal is to keep classes between 18-20 students for Pre-K through first grade, 20-22 for grades 2 and 3 and 22-24 for fourth and fifth grades. The placements will be made by the Central Office Team and elementary school principals based on location, siblings and class size, said the District’s Data Manager Lauren Harwood. “The goal is to keep children in their neighborhood schools,” Harwood said.

Jean Fitzgerald

Supporters Come Out to Praise Superintendent, But Some Parents Still Dissatisfied

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Two messages came through loud and clear at Wednesday’s School Committee meeting: there is a lot of love in Watertown and its schools for Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, and that there is a sizable group of parents frustrated by the state of the schools – and they aren’t going away. Dozens of people came out to express their trust, admiration and love for Fitzgerald, who has been the target of a petition organized by a group of Watertown parents asking for the School Committee to take a vote of no-confidence for the superintendent. Many who work in the Watertown Public Schools praised Fitzgerald’s work, her commitment to the schools and her character. Watertown High School English teacher Vivienne Mulhall said she has been the best superintendent in her time. “It wold be disingenuous of me to say I always agree with Dr. Fitzgerald, I haven’t.

Schools

UPDATED: Parents Bringing Petition Calling for Vote on Superintendent to Wednesday’s Meeting

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The beginning of school is around the corner, but the Superintendent is facing an uprising of parents upset with the way she has handled some major decisions over the past year. 

Wednesday night, a group of parents will deliver a petition signed by parents asking for the School Committee to take a vote of confidence for Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. School Committee Chairman John Portz said there will not be a vote on the Superintendent at Wednesday’s meeting. That would have to be put on the agenda. That can be done by Portz, as chairman, or by other members of the School Committee, he said. Fitzgerald responded to the petition with a letter on the Watertown Public Schools website, saying “I take the concerns of my community very seriously and work hard to ensure their voices are heard.”