Schools

Elementary Foreign Language, Anti-Drug Program In Superintendent’s Goals

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Superintendent Jean Fitzpatrick revealed her proposed goals for the 2015-16 school year, and they include creating a foreign language program in Watertown’s elementary schools, starting an anti-drug program and get state money for a high school building project

Last week, Fitzgerald told the School Committee about her goals. The School Committee will wait until the Sept. 16 meeting to vote to improve them because they want to give parents time to comment on the goals. Among her draft goals, Fitzgerald proposed creating an implementation plan for a five-year comprehensive foreign language program at the elementary school (FLES). She said she plans to present the plan to the School Committee in February 2016, so that there will be time to include the program in the in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget process.

Around Town

Dozens Show Up for Reunion at a Watertown Preschool

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A Watertown preschool decided to hold a reunion and the turnout was well beyond what the founder and director had expected. Julie McMahon started Caterpillars to Butterflies Preschool 16 years ago, and she put out word about the reunion on Facebook just about a week before the event. “We probably had about 75 people in total. About 40 children. I was truly amazed by the number of high school graduates that attended,” McMahon said.

Schools

Superintendent Gets High Marks in School Committee Evaluation

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The School Committee submitted its evaluation of Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, and she got high marks. 

Fitzgerald received the one of the two highest marks from all seven School Committee members on the five district goals and several other categories required by the state to be included in the evaluation, said School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer at Monday’s School Committee meeting. Hsu-Balzer read out comments made by the School Committee, but did not attribute them. The full evaluation is available in the Watertown Public Schools Central Offices in the Phillips Building. “Under leadership of Dr. Fitzgerald, the Watertown Public Schools continue to move in a positive direction … It is a very exciting time for the Watertown Public Schools,” a School Committee wrote.

Around Town

Watertown High Grads Have Last Celebration Before Heading to College

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Summer is almost over, which means members of the Watertown High School Class of 2015 will soon go on their separate ways, but a core group had one more celebration. Last week, 20 2015 Watertown High graduates traveled to Puntacana, Dominican Republic as a last “hoorah” with their class before they all leave for college. The graduates were accompanied by some siblings and friends as well as their parents. The week was filled with laughs, sun, and dancing, according Gabriella Coppola, one of the attendees.  

Due to the success of this trip, the group hopes to plan another vacation in a different country next year.

Schools

Watertown Students Sample a Taste of Their School Gardens

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Students at Watertown’s three elementary schools planted gardens at their campuses, and last week they tasted some of the fruits – and vegetables – of their labors. 

This spring, Watertown students got their hands dirty and planted vegetables in garden plots set up at Lowell, Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools. On Thursday, a group of students gathered at Watertown Middle School to enjoy some simple and nutritious dishes – some of which used veggies grown in the school gardens. The dishes were prepared by Watertown Public Schools’ Food Service Director Guy Koppe and Sally Sampson, founder of ChopChop, a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and teach kids to cook real food with their families. The started with a Berry Bold Smoothie which contained blueberries, strawberries, orange juice and yoghurt. They put it all together in a blender and whipped it into a tasty drink.

Charity

Community Foundation Awards $74K in Grants to Local Groups

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On June 16, at a reception for its 25 spring grantees, the Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) celebrated by distributing checks totaling $74,050.  In the twelve years since WCF was founded, WCF has awarded over $600,000 in grants to organizations serving Watertown. WCF Grant Committee Co-Chair, Rob Kelly, stated, “The Foundation is extremely happy to be able to recognize and financially support the outstanding contributions that these programs and organizations make to our vibrant community.”

All of the grants are funded from WCF’s Arsenal Education Income Fund. 13 Educational Program Grants totaling $23,550 were given to:

Friends of Watertown Music to ensure that instruments are available for Watertown’s free instruction program that starts in fourth grade. Historical Society of Watertown to publish a Watertown self-guided bicycle tour booklet, “Wheels Along the River.”
Improbable Players to present six theater workshops about substance abuse prevention and healthy choices for Watertown Middle School eighth graders. Perkins School for the Blind for their Watertown newspaper accessibility project.

Charity

Local Foundation Awards Grant to Help Music in Watertown Schools

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The Watertown Community Foundation awarded a grant to help the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. The Friends of Watertown Music announced this week that they were awarded one of the Watertown Community Foundation’s 2015 Educational Program Grants. “Our $2,250 grant will be used to purchase musical instruments and repair existing instruments so that more children will be able to participate in the excellent instrument program which is offered for free to all students in Watertown’s public schools, starting in fourth grade,” the Friends said in an announcement. Find out more about Watertown Community Foundation on their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/WatertownCommunityFoundation – or visit the Watertown Community Foundation’s website www.watertownfoundation.org.