Schools

School Committee Member Wants System for Electives at WHS More Fair

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Getting into elective classes at Watertown High School can be challenging, and some freshmen do not get any of their choices, but one School Committee member wants to change that. 

During a discussion of the Watertown High School handbook, School Committee member Julie McMahon said students can list their top five choices for elective classes, but some unlucky WHS students don’t get any of their classes. She who has a freshman at the high school. “Electives are the things that children are attracted to,” McMahon said. “They may be interested in video, but it might be filled.” The “luck of the draw” freshman year has a snowballing effect later, she said.

Schools

Dancing With the Stars Brings in $20,000 for the Watertown Education Foundation

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The Watertown Education Foundation (WEF) raised $20,000 at its second annual, “Dancing with the Stars” event held on Friday, May 1 at the Hellenic Cultural Center. This year, Kendra Foley, a Hosmer School parent, took home the trophy for her upbeat Bollywood number, performed with her partner, Harrison Wright of Arthur Murray Dance Studio, Boston. They received a perfect score of 30 from the judges. Armand Keuchkarian, Watertown Middle and High School parent was awarded the Fan Favorite trophy, for his performance with Avalon Dance & Fitness’ Beth Canuel. “More than 400 people attended the event this year; that is almost double the number of last year’s attendees,” said Amy Donohue, WEF co-president.

Schools

What Should be Watertown High Schools’ New Mascot?

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Watertown High School students will soon choose a new mascot, and perhaps even a new nickname. 

For years the WHS teams have been called the Red Raiders or just Raiders, but since around 2007 the school has not had a mascot or logo on its uniforms and other places. Before that the school used a cartoon-like image of an American Indian. “There hasn’t been a mascot since I got here,” said Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. “There is a ‘W’ on any clothing I have. The kids miss having a mascot.”

Environment

Watertown School Welcomes a New Tree for Arbor Day

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Students at Cunniff School returned from Spring Break to find a new addition to the school – a dwarf apple tree. 

The tree was planted as part of Watertown Tree Warden Chris Hayward’s Arbor Day program. Trees have been planted at schools around town for the past several years, Hayward said. “The tree will get about 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide,” Hayward said. “And it will bear fruit.” On Friday, the whole school came out to the courtyard to see the new tree and get an Arbor Day gift of their own.

Schools

Education Speaker Talking About ‘Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up’

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Watertown SEPAC will host a talk by an education expert titled “Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up.” Dr. Ellen Braaten, PhD, associate director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy
Minds, director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP)
at Massachusetts General Hospital. She will speak on May 14 about her new book, Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Succeed in a Fast-Paced World. This presentation is free and open to the public. presented by Watertown Special Education Parent Advisory Committee. The announcement asks: Do you find yourself constantly asking your child to “pick up the pace?”

Schools

Watertown High School Senior Earns College Scholarship

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Watertown High School senior Eric Furtado got a financial boost for college from a local bank. To support members investing in their education, and in honor of former staff and volunteers, MIT Federal Credit Union awarded $1,000 Memorial Scholarships to accomplished students at their recent 75th Anniversary Celebration, held in conjunction with the Annual Business Meeting on April 21, 2015, according to the announcement from the bank. Recipients were selected based on essay content, grades, financial need and extracurricular & community activities. “We take pride in supporting a variety of communities at MIT, including young people investing in their education,” said MITFCU President/CEO Brian Ducharme. “In its ninth year it continues to be an honor to learn of these students’ accomplishments and present them with their awards at our Annual Meeting.”

One of the Memorial Scholarship recipients is Eric Furtado from Watertown.

Entertainment

11-Year-Old Watertown Boy Will Play at NYC’s Carnegie Hall

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Watertown’s Joe MacDonald, a 11-year-old student at Cambridge Montessori School, has been selected for the 2015 Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. He will perform as a violinist at Carnegie Hall in June 2015 with the Honors Junior Orchestra. Participation in one of the three Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest rated middle school performers from across North America and select schools internationally, according to the announcement from The Honors Performance Series. Joe auditioned this fall for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in his application and audition recording.

Schools

Taste Some Beer and Raise Money for Watertown Middle School

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Celebrate the kids return to school and benefit the Watertown Middle School at this adults-only PTO sponsored beer-tasting and fundraiser! 

The fundraiser will be held Tuesday, April 28 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Miller’s Ale House, 617 Arsenal St, Watertown

Your ticket includes:

• complimentary appetizers

• 4-flight beer-tasting (first flight starts at 7 p.m.)

• 50/50 raffle

• select batch of silent auction items ( 4 Red Sox Tickets behind home plate, 6 pack of passes to Patriots Place Hall, Local Restaurant Gift Cards, Golf Foursome at the Miller Tracy Golf Tourney June 11, Tupperware chip and dip set, and more!)

Buy tickets in advance for $18 or at the door for $20

https://tapintothewms-pto.eventbrite.com

This fun, community building event will raise funds to support WMS classrooms, students and teachers.