Schools

Minuteman Student from Watertown Earns SkillsUSA Medal

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Minuteman High School vocational technical school in Lexington. The following announcement was provided by Minuteman High School:

Seven Minuteman High School students recently received gold medals at the 2022 SkillsUSA Massachusetts Awards Ceremony and will head to the national competition in Atlanta this fall. In total, 16 students from Minuteman received medals at the state competition. SkillsUSA is a national organization that strives to teach workplace, personal, and technical skills to high school and post-secondary students. Minuteman and numerous other career technical education high schools participate in the statewide competition each year. Students often present projects they have completed that demonstrate the core SkillsUSA framework, which includes workplace skills, personal skills, and technical skills that are grounded in academics.

Life Science

Hundreds of Watertown Students Inspired by Local Innovators

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Watertown CoLabNisha Patel of Arranta Bio addressed a class at Watertown High School about a career in science. The following piece was provided by Watertown’s Innovation Career Collaboration:

In this first year of CoLAB, Watertown’s Innovation Career Collaboration, 10 young scientists from five Watertown companies led 49 career exploration sessions at Watertown High School. These real-world discussions kicked off an effort to create a career development community for Watertown students to access the resources they need to build satisfying careers in the innovation economy. Hoping to open the eyes of students to the wealth of careers available to them here in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), a few volunteers from Watertown life science companies and Watertown High School started talking in mid-2021. By June 2022, we had reached virtually every biology, chemistry, and math class at the school – over 750 student-hours.

Around Town

Paid Summer Internships Available for High Schoolers

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The Watertown Community Foundation sent out the following information:

About High School Internship Program

Eligibility 

Since 2015, WCF  has offered stipends to high school students living in Watertown, attending any school, to do a summer internship for at least 20 hours of voluntary work per week for at least six weeks.  Students gain valuable professional experience, learn more about an area of interest, all while earning an income.  Applications are due in the spring, and all students can contact Adrienne Eaton at Watertown High School to learn more.  

Stipend Amount 

Students gain valuable professional experience, learn more about an area of interest, all while being paid a $1,000 stipend.    

Internship Types 

Grant recipients have been interns in summer education programs, doctor’s offices, veterinary clinics, theater programs, a makerspace, and non-profit organizations working to alleviate poverty among others. Students are encouraged to talk with their high school guidance counselor to learn more. Submission Instructions 

Students (regardless of where they attend high school) should email Watertown High School guidance councilor Adrienne Eaton adrienne.eaton@watertown.k12.ma.us

Timeline 

Applications being accepted now for summer internships. See contact information above to receive information about application process. Questions? Email info@watertownfoundation.org 

Schools

LETTER: The Right Place for Solar Panels at Schools

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We as a city are moving forward in many ways. However, the use of our land is not one of them. There is a place for everything. But do we put solar panels on the ground using up valuable acreage in our four-square mile city? Apparently, we did so at the new Cunniff School, installing an array adjacent to the parking lot on the north side of the hill. 

Solar panels belong on roof tops and on parking lot canopies; using valuable ground space is not a favorable location.

Lt. Paul J. Sullivan

Record Amount of Money Awarded by Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship Committee

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Eleanor DonatoThe 2022 Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship winners. Back Row – Claire Fabian, Eoin Morrissey, Aidan Flanigan, Catherine Fabian, Paul Leonelli, Martin Mont, Keefer Glenshaw. Front Row -Maeve Walsh, Isabella Mecuri Hanna, Delanie Lombard, Kristen Coleman, Meredith Greene. Not Pictured-Elyanna Bell and Warren Stevens II

The following announcement was provided by the Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship Committee:

Congratulations to the 54th Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship recipients. A total of $34,500 was presented to these fifteen wonderful young men and women. Awards were presented on Sunday, May 22nd. 

The Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 54th Scholarship Awards.

High Stakes Standardized Tests

OP-ED: The Hidden Cost of MCAS – Why We Shouldn’t Let the Test Dictate the Future

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By Brendan Bean, a Watertown resident who has taught in the Boston Public Schools for nearly 10 years. 

Standing outside my school in the morning, the brightly shining sun and chirping birds signal the start of that anxiously anticipated season here in Massachusetts. No, not spring; MCAS season. For many across the state, it feels like we have been building towards this for several months, if not all year. For teachers, this is understandable, as standardized tests like the MCAS have a direct impact on federal funds for schools. For students, however, the MCAS seems to loom over everything like Heartbreak Hill for marathoners.

College

LETTER: Third Grader Writes Why College Should be More Affordable

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(The following letter was originally written as an assignment where students were asked to write about a subject that is important to them, according to Hosmer Elementary School teacher Christine Fletcher. It is the unedited version of the essay.)

Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor or an architect? If you want to be one of these jobs when you’re grown up you have to go to college. 

College is a school you can go to after high school. Some people go there to learn more things. And how you can do a job and to learn skills.