Conservation Commmision

Watertown High School Students Use Town Forest as a Living Laboratory

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When the Conservation Commission wanted to find out exactly what trees, plants and animals can be found in the town’s largest forested area, Commissioner Patick Fairbairn decided to enlist the help of students from Watertown High School. Last week, two honors biology classes spent the morning walking around Whitney Hill, the area overlooking Victory Field, detailing which species are located in 31 plots being studied on the hill. After coming up with the idea to enlist the help of students, Fairbairn approached School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer to ask if a combined effort with the schools could be possible. After speaking with a number of people, he found a WHS teacher who was interested. “Erik Hiltunen was a teacher who saw the value of observation over a long period of time,” Fairbairn said.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Interns Gain Valuable Experience

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How do high schoolers get that critical first work experience? Last summer, the Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) and the Watertown High School Guidance Department piloted an internship program for local teens. For meaningful summer work experience at a business or organization of their choice, students earned a modest stipend. The pilot was intended to cover four students, but the number of outstanding applications led WCF to increase funding and five were selected. “I learned so much from participating….

Around Town

UPDATED: Celebration Planned for Debut of New Multi-Fitness Trainer at Moxley Field

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Watertown will soon have a modern multi-fitness trainer at Moxley Field, and a celebration is planned for the debut, featuring area college athletes. When the new equipment is delivered, a ribbon cutting and demonstration of the new Multi Fitness Stair Trainer will be held. The equipment was purchased with funds from a federal grant the Watertown Public Schools received called the Carol White Physical Education Program Grant, or PEP Grant. The program created by the Watertown Public School using the grant is called “Wellness the Watertown Way.” Director of Wellness & Extended Services Donna Ruseckas said the equipment has a stair climbing element, so instead of having to go back down on the stairs, which reduces strain on knees and other joints, they can use a slide.

MassBay Community College

MassBay Community College Hosting Open House for Prospective Students

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Massachusetts Bay Community College will hold its annual Fall Open House on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 at 10 a.m. Interim President Yves Salomon-Fernandez along staff and students will be on hand to greet and welcome prospective students and their families to the Wellesley Hills campus, the college announced. The Fall Open House is an opportunity for prospective students to meet and talk with current students and staff to learn about the 80 degree and certificate programs that are available at MassBay Community College. The Open House will include a tour of campus, mock classes, student panel discussions, information table for veterans, financial aid session, on-the-spot admissions, and more. MassBay Community College is located at 50 Oakland St., Wellesley Hills, MA.

Government

Council Grudgingly Supports School Project After Price Tag Soars

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The Town Council will consider adding millions to the price of the window replacement project at Watertown Middle School after the scope of the project was changed. 

The proposed project calls for replacing 207 plexiglass windows in the old section of the middle school. The estimate for the cost of replacing plexiglass windows at the middle school was $302,642 but after the owner’s project manager appointed by the state studied the project the cost of the project jumped to between $2.6 million and $2.9 million. The change in price was due to a change in the scope of the project, said Councilor Vincent Piccirilli, chair of the Budget and Fiscal Oversight subcommittee – the committee which voted to recommend the council endorse the project with the new budget. The project has been submitted to and accepted by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). This means the state will reimburse Watertown for 48.47 percent of the cost of the project, and that the town must follow the MSBA’s rules and even what will be included in the project. Council Vice President Steve Corbett said he was shocked to see such a miscalculation.

Schools

Google Laptops a Big Hit with Watertown Middle School Students

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This year, each eighth-grader at Watertown Middle School has his or her own laptop to use at school, and the reviews have been very positive from both students and teachers. 

As part of the pilot project known as the 1:1 Chormebook Initiative, the students get to use a Google Chromebook while they are at school. They also have access to the Google Drive to look up assignments, organize their papers and keep track of the assignments, a group of students told the School Committee Monday night. WMS Student Council President Susie Howard said the students save about 15 minutes per class by not having to pick up, turn on the Chromebooks at the start of class, and then put away and make sure the wires are plugged in at the end of class. A feature called Google Classroom allows student to look up homework assignments so that they do not lose them or forget about them. Students said as long as they have internet access, they can use the Chromebooks anywhere, anytime.

Charity

Cunniff Hosting Event at Boston Basketball Raising Money for 5th Grade Class

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A fundraiser will be held at Boston Basketball on Saturday, Nov. 14 to raise money for the fifth-grade class at the Cunniff School . Come out to have some fun playing corn hole at Boston Basketball, Boston Basketball, 411 Waverley Oaks Road in Waltham, while raising money for the Cunniff School fifth grade class. Doors open at 6 p.m. and games begin at 7 p.m.

This is a 21+ only event with a cash bar, DJ and raffles. First place winner receives a prize!

Schools

Watertown Teaming with Boston College to Encourage Parent Participation

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In an effort to encourage more participation among families in their children’s schools, Watertown Public Schools is forming a pilot-program partnership with faculty at the Boston College Lynch School of Education to identify how to attract more diversity among families who actively participate in school programs and events, according to an announcement from BC. The first research collaboration of its kind between the town and the Lynch School is made possible through a grant by the Collaborative Fellows Program of the Lynch School. “I’m delighted to be partnering with the Boston College Lynch School on this important initiative,” said Dr. Jean Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Watertown Public Schools. “I believe that a strong school community is built through the positive connections we make with the families of our students.  The collaboration between the Lynch School and the Watertown Public Schools will shine a light on the strengths and opportunities for increasing those connections and expanding family engagement here in Watertown.”

“Administrators in the school district have noticed that some families, often those more established in the community, are very engaged in schools – they come to all the parent-teacher conferences and are active members in parent-teacher organizations, the school-site council, that kind of thing,” said Lynch School Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Rebecca Lowenhaupt, Ph.D., lead researcher in this project. “But other community members are much less likely to become involved.”

Dr. Lowenhaupt said her team, which includes middle school assistant principal Jason Del Porto, school district administrators, and researchers from the Lynch School, will undertake a system-wide needs assessment of family engagement using focus groups, data analysis, and conversations.