Entertainment

Revels Joining Perkins School for Free Celebration of Spring

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Celebrate the coming of spring with a free concert featuring the Revels and students from Perkins School for the Blind. The concert will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. in Dwight Hall at Perkins School for the Blind’s, 175 N. Beacon St., Watertown. Admission is FREE

This hour-long performance of seasonal music and dance will feature the Perkins School Secondary Program Chorus (Arnie Harris, director), The Revels Singers, song leader and musician David Coffin, guest soloists and a great band of musicians. And it wouldn’t be a Revels celebration of spring without morris dancing and a visit from the ancient and mysterious Padstow ‘Obby ‘Oss, all the way from Cornwall, England! “Revels’ partnership with Perkins School for the Blind these many years has been rewarding for all of us in so many ways.

Schools

Watertown’s PEP Grant Touches Far More than Gym Classes

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The Watertown Public Schools have got an influx of more than $500,000 into the schools to improve the fitness and wellness of children in town. The money came from the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant, and much of the focus has been on improving physical education classes (see details here). But that is not the only benefit of the three-year grant, Director of Wellness and Extended Services Donna Ruseckas told the School Committee. The Recreation Department and the Boys and Girls Club of Watertown have also received equipment as part of the grant. Ruseckas said she plans to put in fitness activities around Watertown’s schools for children and their families.

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.