Letters

LETTER: Parents Ask Questions About Short Term Plan for School Overcrowding

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The Watertown Strong Schools produced this account of the two June 1 meetings held by Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald about short term plan for classroom space and overcrowding. At the end the authors provided their commentary. Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the bottom of the minutes. Written by: Alyson Morales

School Administration, School Committee Members, and Town Council Members in attendance at one or both meetings include: Dr. Fitzgerald, Superintendent; Bob LaRoche, Hosmer Principal; Mena Ciarlone, Cunniff Principal; John Portz, School Committee Chair; Guido Guidotti, School Committee; Kendra Foley, School Committee Vice Chair; Eileen Hsu-Balzer, School Committee; Candace Miller, School Committee; Elizabeth Yusem, School Committee; Mark Sideris, Town Council President; Vincent Picirilli, Town Council Vice President; and Lisa Felter, Town Councilor.

Around Town

Boys & Girls Club Congratulates Watertown High School Graduates

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Watertown Boys & Girls Club would like to congratulate Watertown High School’s Class of 2016 on their graduation! We wish you the best of luck wherever life may take you. While you venture out into the world, we hope you remember where it all began and stay connected with the Club! To learn more about how to stay connected and register as a Club Alum, please contact Club Marketing & Development Coordinator, Kristina Norris at 617-926- 0968.

Schools

Town Council Likes Direction Which Watertown Schools are Heading

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Town Councilors liked what they heard from Watertown School officials, who discussed plans to teach foreign language in the elementary schools, giving all students laptops and other initiatives during the school budget hearing. The town’s portion of the Fiscal 2017 school budget is $43.57 million, plus the schools will receive $375,000 in money for one-time curriculum initiatives, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said. The schools will add 34 positions which will add up to the equivalent of 20.25 full-time employees, according to Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. Among the positions are a district Elementary Math & Science Coordinator, two music teachers, a high school engineering teacher, an hourly garden coordinator, a maker space assistant for the middle school and a journalism instructor at the high school. After years of cutting positions, and restoring these jobs, Fitzgerald said the district can now look at adding programs.

“I think we are turning the corner from reinstatement to growth, and I think that is great,” Fitzgerald said.

Letters

LETTER: School Start Times, Changing Athletic Subcommittee to One on Student Wellness

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These are the “Unofficial Minutes” of the Policy Subcommittee Meeting on May 19 provided by Watertown Strong Schools, a parents group that follows the Watertown Public School. These Minutes were written by Rebecca Grow and David Stokes. Unofficial Minutes: Policy Subcommittee Meeting on 05/19/2016 – Key Points and Commentary

Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the end of the minutes. Subcommittee members: Guido Guidotti, Chair; Eileen Hsu-Balzer; Liz Yusem; Jean Fitzgerald, Superintendent

Attendees in the audience: John Portz (SC), Candace Miller (SC), Rebecca Grow (WSS), David Stokes (WSS), Donna Rusekas (and 2 other WPS Administration folks), Stephanie Venizelos (Live Well Watertown and WPS Wellness Committee), Erica Dorenkamp, Charlie Breitrose (Watertown News).

Jean Fitzgerald

See the First Issue of the Watertown Public Schools Bulletin

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The first ever Watertown Public Schools Bulletin was released by Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald this week, with news, information and updates about the schools. 

Here is the “The Superintendent’s Word,” by Fitzgerald, which is part of the WPS Bulletin. You can see more stories and view the complete WPS Bulletin by clicking here. The Superintendent’s Word
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read the first issue of the WPS Bulletin. My address in this Bulletin will focus on the learning environment in our schools. We are in a new world that requires diverse, flexible, and highly technological environments that can be customized for the different ways in which students learn.

Schools

School Committee Looking at Changing School Start Times in Fall 2017

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Watertown Public Schools officials will investigate starting the day for the high school and middle school later each day in the fall of 2017, however a change could be coming for middle schoolers in the fall of 2016. The School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee took up the issue Thursday morning and gave their OK for Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald to look at moving the school day later. The move has been looked at because research has shown that teenagers’ body clock has them staying up later and they need more than eight hours sleep. The current start time for high school (7:55 a.m.) and middle school (7:40 a.m.) are earlier than the research recommends. A survey of Watertown parents found them more supportive moving school start time back 15 minutes than 30 minutes, or more, to get to the 8:30 a.m. start time school officials are looking at.

Schools

Watertown Student Wins Award for Excelling on National Latin Exam

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Watertown’s Christopher Hornbuckle, an 11th grade student at The Newman School in Boston, was just honored with the National Latin Exam’s Silver Maxima Cum Laude award. The award is based on his strong performance on the test. Sponsored by the American Classical League and National Junior Classic League, the National Latin Exam tests students in the areas of grammar, comprehension, mythology, history and geography, with the goal of encouraging them to pursue studying the Latin language and culture.

Letters

LETTER: Parents Group Reacts to District’s Plans to Stop Overcrowding

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These are the “Unofficial Minutes” of the Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee Meeting on May 16 provided by Watertown Strong Schools, a parents group that follows the Watertown Public School. These Minutes were written by Alyson Morales. Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the end of the minutes. Committee members: Liz Yusem, Chair; Kendra Foley; Eileen Hsu-Balzer; Dr. Fitzgerald; Charles Kellner, Director of Business Services; Stephen Romanelli, Director of Facilities & Transportation. Audience members: John Portz (SC), Guido Guidotti (SC), Candace Miller (SC), Mena Ciarlone (Cunniff Principal), Elizabeth Kaplan (Lowell Principal), Robert LaRoche (Hosmer Principal), Aaron Dushku (TC), Lisa Feltner (TC), Vinnie Piccirili (TC), Steve Magoon (Assistant Town Manager/Director of Community Development & Planning), Brandt Brisson (WSS), James Cairns (WSS), Peter Caron (WSS), Kate Coyne (WSS), Rebecca Grow (WSS), Margo Guernsey (WSS), Mohammad Sibai (WSS), David Stokes (WSS), Alyson Morales (WSS), Mike Shepard, and others.