Around Town

High School Students Spend Summer as Watertown Community Foundation Interns

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What did you do this summer? For eight Watertown high schoolers, the dreaded first assignment is a little easier this fall. Together they completed over a thousand hours of work as interns for which each received a $1,000 stipend under the Watertown Community Foundation’s high school internship program, WCF announced. The program, open to Watertown residents in grades 9-12 attending any school, required at least 20 hours of voluntary work per week for at least six weeks. This was the second year WCF has offered the program, which grew from five students in 2015 to eight in 2016.

Elections

LETTER: Watertown Schools Parent Group Says Fund Schools, Not CPA

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Fund Schools First, Vote No On The CPA

Watertown Strong Schools (WSS) is urging Watertown voters to vote no on ballot question #5 regarding the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Here’s why:

The funding needs of our schools should be Watertown’s highest priority at this time. • All 5 of our schools are in urgent need of renovations and physical upgrades so that our buildings can support the overcrowding issues facing our Elementary schools and the high-quality 21 st Century education that all our children deserve. • The Watertown Public Schools (WPS) Facilities Master Plan study is almost complete, and initial cost estimates are that we will need at least $200 million to upgrade our school buildings. • We believe that the passage of the CPA in November could jeopardize the willingness of Watertown residents to vote in favor of a debt exclusion override that will be necessary in the next 1-2 years to fund these essential school renovations.

Schools

See the Qualities the School Committee Wants the Interim Superintendent to Have

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Experience, good communicator and someone who learns fast are some of the qualities the School Committee is looking for in an interim superintendent. Monday night, the School Committee discussed finding a temporary head of schools until a permanent replacement can be found for retiring Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. School Committee Vice Chair Kendra Foley said she would like to find someone with experience and is a good leader. “I do not just want the person to play a role of superintendent, but guide the community through the process of finding a new superintendent,” Foley said. School Committee Chairman John Portz agreed with the need for experience, because there is always a learning curve when a superintendent comes to a new community.

Schools

Watertown Elementary Schools Host 3rd Annual Crazy Color Fun Run

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The third annual Crazy Color Fun Run is sponsored by the PTO organizations of the Hosmer, Cunniff and Lowell Schools in Watertown to raise money for our schools. All donations go toward academic and cultural enrichment activities at the elementary schools. This fun run features the addition of color four times throughout the race, with a color celebration at the finish line! All color is non-toxic and edible (although I wouldn’t recommend it!)

Participants will start at the Hosmer Elementary School at 1 Concord Road in Watertown. They’ll turn right onto Mt.

Schools

Watertown’s New Special Education Director Speaking at SEPAC Meeting

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The Watertown Special Education Parent Advisory Council will host the district’s new special education director during a public meeting on Sept. 28. Watertown SEPAC sent out the following information:

The Watertown SEPAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Phillips School Conference Room, 30 Common St., from 6-8 p.m.

This meeting will be an informal coffee with our new Director of Special Education, Kathleen Desmarais. Bring your kids – child care, beverages and fresh baked goods will be provided.

Schools

School Committee to Embark on 2 Superintendent Searches This School Year

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The Watertown Public Schools will go through two superintendent searches this school year – an interim and a permanent replacement – but the timeline for the searches remains up in the air. 

Monday night, the School Committee discussed their game plan for replacing Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, who is retiring in the beginning of October. The search for an interim superintendent will start immediately, while process of finding a permanent replacement will begin in late November or early December, said School Committee Chairman John Portz. The School Committee came close to just having one search for the permanent superintendent. Member Eileen Hsu-Balzer said she would feel more comfortable focusing on that search and have the current administrators run the district rather than someone brought in for the school year. “I question the idea of even having an interim.”

Schools

School Committee to Discuss Hiring of Superintendent, Business Manager

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Monday night, the School Committee will hold a special meeting to discuss the hiring process for two top positions in the Watertown Public Schools Administration. Last week, Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald announced her retirement beginning in October. On Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. the School Committee will discuss the process of hiring an interim superintendent and a permanent replacement for Fitzgerald. That night, the School Committee will also discuss hiring a new school business manager after Charles Kellner also announced his retirement.