Schools

Ready for the Start of School – Here’s Some Important Info

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The Watertown Public Schools open on Thursday, Sept. 4, and here are some announcements from school officials. Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald sent out the following information:

STUDENT REGISTRATION

For registration at the appropriate school, new students should bring their birth certificate, school records or report cards (if records from their previous school were not already transferred), proof of residency (e.g. lease or utility bill) and complete health records indicating all required immunizations were received. These immunizations are a requirement of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and must be received before the student may attend school or be enrolled. A parent or guardian should accompany the child to school.

Environment

Watertown Student Studying Abroad in Denmark

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Watertown’s Sam Allen will be headed overseas to take part in implementing a sustainable energy system. Allen, a third-year student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, will be heading to Denmark with a class taught by COA faculty and led by COA students in a collaboration with the Rockland-based Island Institute under the auspices of a new philanthropic arm called The Fund for Maine Islands, according to the announcement from the college. During the student trip Sept. 22 through Oct. 4, to Samsø Energy Academy on Samsø Island, Denmark, Allen will study firsthand how Samsø, a farming and tourist community, became carbon negative through efficiency upgrades, wind and solar power production, biomass heating and other elements of a renewable energy portfolio, the announcement said.

Around Town

Primary Source Celebrating 25 Years of Teaching Teachers About the World

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Teachers spread their knowledge to their students but someone has to teach the educators, and for areas such as global issues and cultural understanding Watertown-based Primary Source steps in to provide the professional development . The group celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014, and the Primary Source seeks to expand its influence beyond the Boston area and New England to teachers across the country. The non-profit group started in Cambridge when the founders Anna Roelofs and Anne Watt saw something missing from the curriculum, said Primary Source Executive Director Julia de la Torre. “From our founding we have noticed a real gap in the curriculum for global understanding,” said Executive Director Julia de la Torre. The group puts on seminars and courses lead by college professors and other experts to educators in grades K-12 at its offices on Walnut Street or other spots around the Boston area.

Around Town

Check Out the Winner in the Historical Society Essay Contest

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A panel of Historical Society members judges the best history essays each year, and here is the winning essay. 

Students had their choice of four themes: an individual, ethnic group, landmark or historical event in Watertown and its significance to the town and region. The first place winner received $300; the second and third place winners received $100 each. The winners of the Historical Society Awards were chosen by a panel of Historical Society Council members. The awards were presented in June in the high school lecture hall. See the second place essay, “Perkins School for the Blind” by clicking here, and the third place essay can be seen here: “Watertown and WW2.” Here is the first place essay:
AMERICA’S ARSENAL
Arshdeep Singh Grade 10
The centerpiece of the American Revolution is the struggle for personal independence.

Around Town

Read the Second Place Essay in the Historical Society’s Contest

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Today, the Watertown News features the second place essay in the Historical Society of Watertown’s essay contest. The Historical Society looks for the best history essays each year, and students had their choice of four themes: an individual, ethnic group, landmark or historical event in Watertown and its significance to the town and region. The 1st place winner received $300; the 2nd and 3rd place winners received $100 each. The winners of the Historical Society Awards were chosen by a panel of Historical Society Council members. The awards were presented in June in the high school lecture hall. See the third place essay, “Watertown and WW2” by clicking here.

Around Town

See One of the Top Entries in the Historical Society’s Essay Contest

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Each year, the Historical Society of Watertown sponsors an award for the best history essay submitted by a high school student, and Watertown News will feature the winning essays. Students had their choice of four themes: an individual, ethnic group, landmark or historical event in Watertown and its significance to the town and region. The 1st place winner received $300; the 2nd and 3rd place winners received $100 each. The winners of the Historical Society Awards were chosen by a panel of Historical Society Council members. The awards were presented in June in the high school lecture hall. The Historical Society said it appreciates the effort taken by Social Studies Coordinator Kraig Gustafson and the high school staff to encourage students to develop an interest in the history of their town.

Around Town

See Winners of the Watertown Savings Bank High School Photo Contest

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A dozen high school students from high schools in and around Watertown were selected as winners in the Watertown Savings Bank 2014 High School Photo Contest. The winners were honored at an awards night held in June at the Watertown Free Public Library. The 12 winning photos will make up the 2015 Watertown Savings Bank calendar. “The Bank received 105 terrific submissions from high school students; it truly was a task to narrow it down to just 12,” according to the announcement from the bank. The winners were: First Place Winner Chris Owens, Belmont High School; Second Place Winner Jay Sullivan, The Arlington School, Belmont; Third Place Winner Paulina Romero, Newton North Hight School; Katie Goodwin, Lexington High School; Jen Mitchell, Lexington High School; Nicole Acero, Waltham High School; Emma Taylor, Belmont High School;  Aaron Schwartz, Newton North High School; Betsey Donham, Arlington High School; Bimini Horstmann, Newton South High School; Mackey Howe, Newton North High School; and Liam Shanny, Newton South High School.