Schools

Superintendent Given Four Year Extension Which Will Take Her to Over a Decade in Watertown

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston. The School Committee thanked Superintendent Dede Galdston for her efforts in Watertown this week when they approved an extension to her contract. On April 8, the School Committee unanimously approved a four-year extension for Galdston. Her salary increased by more than $26,000 to $220,000 in the first year of the contract, with future year’s salaries to be set by the School Committee after her annual review. Galdston said she looked forward to finishing some of the initiatives that have started in her time in the Watertown Public Schools.

Schools

Watertown Student Wins Several Awards for Her Poetry in National Competition

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Watertown High School sophomore Montserrat Llacuna won five Silver Keys from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. (Courtesy Photo)

A Watertown High School student’s poetry earned her several awards in a national scholastic writing and arts competition. WHS sophomore Montserrat Llacuna won five Silver Keys and two honorable mentions in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Llacuna, who is also an Advisory Council Member of the statewide student leadership program Project 351 submitted several of her social justice poems.

She was encouraged to submit her writing to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and got help editing her work from ELA teacher William MacLaughlin and Casey Andrews, the head of the English Department. Llacuna was not the only Watertown student to earn recognition.

Schools

A Couple of Late Evenings of Construction at Watertown High School

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The following announcement was provided by project management firm Vertex:

Progress continues at the site of the new Watertown High School Project with work ongoing both inside the new building structure and around the site. In the coming days please be aware that the site may require work to extend beyond 7 p.m. due to ongoing concrete slab placements. The construction team has several slab placements on the schedule for this week and potentially long shifts on the following dates:

Wednesday April 10th

Friday April 12th

These slab placements are beginning at 7 a.m. on each of the above dates. The duration required for the slabs to be finished is dependent on the outside air temperature and weather conditions on the day of placement. Therefore, it is likely that the effort to finish the slabs once placed will continue into the evening on each of the above listed dates and have the potential to extend past 7 p.m. into the evening.

Schools

Two Years of Foreign Language Added to WHS Graduation Requirements

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The School Committee approved the addition of taking a world language to the graduation requirements for Watertown High School students. The world language requirement was added to the Watertown High School Program of Studies. Beginning with Class of 2028 (current eigth graders), students will have to pass two years of the same world language (also known as foreign language). WHS Principal Joel Giacobozzi said that the change brings Watertown in line with MassCore, the state’s recommended program of study intended to align high school coursework with college and workforce expectations. “There are reasons for this, the least of which is Massachusetts has set the floor for graduation.

Schools

Watertown Students Earn Honors at Mass. Maritime, Champlain College

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The following students from Watertown earned academic honors at their institution of higher learning. The following information came from the insitutions:

Mass Maritime Academy

Massachusetts Maritime Academy announced that Sean Donohue of Watertown was named to the President’s List for the Fall semester of 2023, and Aidan Campbell of Watertown was named to the Dean’s List for the Fall semester of 2023. At the end of each academic term, full-time student grades are reviewed. For students with no incompletes or grades below C-, term grade point averages are calculated and academic proficiency is noted as follows:

President’s List 3.6 or higher

Dean’s List 3.3 — 3.59

A cadet who appears on the Dean’s List or the President’s List is entitled to wear the appropriatedevice on his or her uniform. All ribbons will be awarded by the Vice-President of Academic Affairs or designee at the appropriate time.

Schools

Work Moving Ahead on New High School, Likely to Extend Into the Evening Some Days

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The steel frame of the gymnasium at the new Watertown School before the slab is placed on the area in early April. (Courtesy of Vertex)

The following announcement was provided by Watertown’s project management firm, Vertex:

The new WHS Project Site remains busy as the site preparation and steel detailing continues. Above is a current view of the steel erection progress (view of the new gymnasium space) ahead of our upcoming slab on deck placement in this area next week. We have several slab placements on the schedule for next week proposed for the following dates:

Monday April 1st : Gymnasium

Wednesday April 3rd

Thursday April 4th

These slab placements are beginning at 7 a.m. on each of the above dates. The duration required for the slabs to be finished is dependent on the outside air temperate and weather conditions on the day of placement.

Schools

Familiar Face Returning to Watertown to Lead Effort to Create Universal PreK Program

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Theresa McGuinness has been appointed as Principal of Watertown’s Early Steps School. (Contributed Photo)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Public Schools:

Watertown Public Schools is pleased to announce that Dr. Theresa McGuinness will become the principal of the Early Steps School, starting this summer. Dr. McGuinness returns to the district as the City of Watertown and Watertown Public Schools open a free Pre-K program for 4-year-olds in the fall of 2024. Watertown will become one of the only municipalities in Massachusetts to offer no-cost Pre-K education when the program launches. “I’m very excited at this opportunity to return to WPS as Principal of Early Steps and to work closely with the fine educators and support staff there – particularly given the plan to provide free universal PreKindergarten beginning in the fall of 2024,” said Dr. McGuinness.

Schools

German International School Expanding into Watertown

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The following information was provided by the German International School Boston:

German International School Boston (GISB) is excited to announce the signing of long-term leases for two campuses, signaling a momentous leap forward in the school’s expansion and development trajectory. The first campus is the current 57 Holton Street location in Allston, a cornerstone of GISB’s educational history. The second location is situated at 46 Belmont Street in Watertown and represents an exciting new chapter for the educational institution. These lease agreements signify a crucial milestone for GISB, providing the much-needed space to accommodate its growing student body and enhance its educational offerings. The Belmont Street campus will serve as the future hub for GISB’s preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school programs. This strategic move consolidates younger students into a single campus.