COVID-19

Musicians Gather Virtually to Put on 2020 Watertown MusicFest

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A shot from the Watertown High School Orchestra’s video from the Virtual MusicFest 2020 website. The organizers of the annual Watertown MusicFest were not going to let COVID-19 stand in the way of putting on their 2020 event. They put together a virtual musical jamboree featuring more than 100 performances by Watertown students and others from the community. The event was created by the Friends of Watertown Music, a group of volunteer parents and friends of the music program that formed in 2011 to support and advocate for the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. The organizers wrote the following introduction for the Watertown Music Fest website (Click here to go to the website):

“Corona may be keeping us apart but it isn’t keeping us silent.

COVID-19

Watertown Preschoolers Get to Say Goodbye to Their Teachers in Drive By Event

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A staff member from the Early Steps Integrated Preschool attended the preschool parade where the staff could say goodbye to their students. Children in the Watertown Early Steps Integrated Preschool got a special treat last week, and got to see some old friends — their teachers! The Watertown Public School’s preschool program, located at the Phillips Building, closed along with the other schools in March. As the school year wound down, the preschool staff wanted to see the kids one more time, and they organized a parade to come by the school, said Karen Feeney, Watertown’s Director of Early Childhood. Cars full of preschoolers and their parents drive through the lot behind the Phillips Building during the drive through goodbye event on June 1.

Schools

Governor, Sports Stars & Celebrities Taking Part in Televised Class of 2020 Celebration

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The following piece was provided by WGBH:

In partnership with WGBH, Governor Charlie Baker will deliver a commencement address to the Class of 2020 as part of a celebration for graduating seniors from 668 public and private schools across the Commonwealth, to be aired in a special broadcast at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. 

Massachusetts Commencement 2020 will feature congratulatory remarks from Jason and Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots, members of the Red Sox and the Boston Celtics, and a number of celebrities with Massachusetts ties, including singer Rachel Platten, actor Steve Carell and more. In a special premiere performance, members of the legendary Boston Pops Orchestra, with Keith Lockhart conducting, will provide the traditional graduation march ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ for the ceremony. Students from around the Commonwealth will give valedictorian-type speeches to their classmates. WGBH will broadcast the program, Massachusetts Commencement 2020, across the Commonwealth, on WGBH 2 in Greater Boston, and on its partner station WGBY/New England Public Media in western Massachusetts. Both stations will stream the program on their website and social media platforms. WGBH also will make the program available to other television stations in Massachusetts, including community access channels.

Government

Town Manager Presenting Budget Monday, Council Voting on School Project Funding Tuesday

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The Town Council will consider approving the funds to build the new Hosmer and Cunniff elementary schools Tuesday night. Here is a rendering of what the new Hosmer will look like. The Watertown Town Council will have back-to-back meetings this week, beginning with the presentation of next year’s Town Budget on Monday, and then councilors will hear a presentation about and are expected to vote on the funding for the construction of the new Hosmer and Cunniff elementary schools. Budget Presentation

Town Manager Michael Driscoll will present the Fiscal Year 2021 Town Budget Monday at a special Town Council meeting that will begin at 6 p.m.

The budget had been scheduled to be presented in April, but was delayed due to the uncertainty of some of the Town’s revenue due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget meeting will be conducted online, and the public watch and participate in a number of ways:

Join the virtual meeting online at: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91777824276Join in audio-only mode on the phone — 877 853 5257 (TollFree) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) and enter Webinar ID: 917 7782 4276#Watch the meeting on WCATV (Watertown Cable AccessTelevision) on the air at Comcast Channel 99 or RCN Channel 13, and online at https://wcatv.org/government-channel/

Council Discusses School Projects

The $103.45 million in funding for to construct new schools at Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools will be the main agenda item at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

Schools

Minuteman Seniors Get Diplomas at Drive-In Graduation, Watertown Student is Valedictorian

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A Minuteman High School students attends the drive-in graduation, Friday, held due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The following piece came from Minuteman High School:

On Friday, June 5, 121 students in the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School’s graduating Class of 2020 received their diplomas in a historic drive-in graduation ceremony. The first-ever drive-in ceremony was held to honor seniors in a timely fashion while also ensuring social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Each student was permitted to attend in one vehicle with family or loved ones. They each parked in assigned parking spaces that were grouped by their career majors. One by one, as their names were announced over a live stream on YouTube, students drove to the front of the building where they exited their vehicles to receive their diplomas and posed for photographs. 

In his remarks during the ceremony, Superintendent-Director Edward A. Bouquillon addressed the ongoing pandemic, economic turmoil, and racial unrest that the nation – and our families and communities – are grappling with. 

“I have confidence that you, the class of 2020, who have lost so much this senior year… you have gained an appreciation for the relationship and connection that only this crisis can teach,” Bouquillon said.

Around Town

See What was in the Gift Bags Given to Watertown High School Seniors

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The gift bags put together by the PTSO for the Watertown High School seniors. The Watertown High School Class of 2020’s big celebrations have been muted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but the PTSO tried to lift their spirits by giving each senior a bag full of gifts. The grads received the gift bags this week when they picked up their caps and gowns. Graduation was originally scheduled for Friday, June 5, but the pandemic prevented that from taking place. Instead, the school will hold a drive-up graduation ceremony on June 20.

Schools

Architects Show Design Ideas for New Watertown High School

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A rendering of what a new high school could look like if it’s built on the current site and the Phillips School site. In this option, a bridge would link the buildings on the third floor. The current site, on the right, would be the location of the auditorium, gym, school administrative offices and Senior Center. The School Building Committee saw what a new Watertown High School could look like, including 3-D renderings of buildings that could be built on the two proposed locations for the school. On Wednesday night, Scott Dunlap from Ai3 Architects presented the latest renderings for the high school project during an online meeting.

School Budget

School Officials Cut Back Budget Request, But Maintain Staff

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With the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the economy, Watertown School officials reduced their request to the Town for Fiscal Year 2021 by more than $1 million. In March, when administrators of Watertown Public Schools first proposed a budget they built it on receiving a 5 percent increase, as was planned by the Town Manager in the fall. The Town budget is uncertain after the pandemic hit, but it is expected to be negatively impacted by both lower state aid and local option taxes on restaurants and hotels. On Monday, Superintendent Dede Galdston presented the School Committee some reductions from the $52.96 million budget presented in March — a 5 percent increase. The new proposed budget is $51.93 million, up 2.9 percent from the last budget.