Entertainment

Artwork Made by Watertown Students to be Displayed at Mall

By |

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Mall:

The Watertown Mall is proud to once again play host to the Watertown Public Schools’ Annual Student Art Exhibit. This fantastic event will begin displaying art on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 and will be up until April 11, 2019. Hundreds of pieces of artwork will be on display from students in Kindergarten through 12th grade in the Watertown Public Schools and will inspire you with their talented work. There will be many mediums displayed here, which include but not limited to: watercolor, crayon, pencils, cray pas, computer art, and so much more. This is a free event to the general public, so come down and support young artists of Watertown Public Schools from Wednesday, March 27, 2019 to Thursday, April 11, 2019.

Schools

Watertown Youth Sports Groups Concerned About Being Charged to Use School Gyms

By |

The School Committee is examining its policy for charging groups to use school facilities, such as the gyms. Watertown youth sports groups oppose any fees, saying it could prevent some kids from participating in their programs.

A proposal to charge town youth groups to use the gyms at the Watertown Public Schools has parents and youth sports groups concerned. The subject came up last year because School officials had heard that Watertown youth groups were getting squeezed out of the gyms by for-profit renters. A policy was created to create a priority list for users of the school facilities, and fees were examined and increased on for-profit users. At a joint meeting of the School Committee’s Budget & Finance and Buildings & Grounds subcommittees, School officials found that the fees had not always been charged. “As the fees were implemented, it became clear that past practice had not followed the past fee policy and there were significant inconsistencies regarding who was charged and at what level,” said School Committee Vice Chair Kendra Foley.

Around Town

Watertown Youth Coalition Holding Town Hall Meeting, Giving Dramatic Performance

By |

Learn about the issues facing the youth of Watertown and see a performance by local teens and the Improbable Players theater troupe at an event on March 20. The following information was provided by the Watertown Youth Coalition:

The Watertown Youth Coalition will host a Town Hall Meeting to present the results of the Well Being of Watertown Youth survey, and a theatrical presentation:

Along with the presentation of the survey results of the Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders will make their theatrical debut with the Improbable Players. The event will be on Wednesday, March 20, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown. To register go to http://bit.ly/wyctownhall. The Town Hall is sponsored by: Wayside Multi-Service Center, Watertown Public Schools, Watertown Police Department, Watertown Health Department, Donohue’s, Demos, Miller’s Ale House, Ixtapa Cantina, SAMHSA, and the MDPH Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.

Charity

See Who is Competing in Watertown’s Dancing With the Stars, How to Get Tickets

By |

The 2016 Dancing with the Stars winner Georgia (Butler) Mulgrew, the Hosmer School guidance counselor holds the trophy. Tickets are now available for the 2019 event. The Watertown Rotary Club will host Dancing With the Stars charity event featuring local celebrities teaming with professional dancers on May 10, 2019. This year’s competitors are Town Councilor Lisa Feltner, Watertown Savings Bank’s Bill Burgess, Rhode Moise from the Watertown Boys & Girls Club, Watertown Firefighter Mary Piotrowski, Watertown Police Officer Kerilyn Amedio, Jae Smith from the Watertown Public Schools, Watertown Realtor Ari Koufos, Watertown Firefighter Andrew Vega, and Chad Foster from Watertown Middle School. The event will be emceed by Watertown Town Council President Mark Sideris.

Around Town

Watertown Schools Getting 5% Budget Increase; Most Will Go to Staff, Minuteman

By |

Once again, the Town will include a 5 percent increase in education funding in Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget — a $2.4 million increase — but much of that will be required to maintain the current education program and services, along with meeting an increase in the cost of sending students to Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School. Last week, the School Committee heard a budget presentation from Superintendent Dede Galdston, who said that all but about $173,000 of the increase would be used on maintaining the level services budget and paying for the increase in Minuteman tuition. Some staff additions are still planned with the remaining money. New Staff

Among the additions in the Fiscal 2020 budget are two curriculum coaches at Watertown Middle School: one for literacy and the other for math. Similar positions have been successful in other schools, Galdston said.

Entertainment

UPDATED: Catch the Watertown High Musical, “Urinetown,” This Weekend

By |

Watertown High School will present the musical “Urinetown” three times this weekend. (The time of the Sunday production of Urinetown has been updated.)

Watertown High School will present three productions of the musical, Urinetown, this weekend. The WHS spring musical will be performed at the Watertown High School on Friday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m.

Musical Theatre International had the following description of the show:

Urinetown, is in fact, a satire of almost every musical you can think of. More than this it parodies the traditions of musicals as a whole in terms of style, structure and story. It also jabs at the legal system, capitalism, corrupt corporation, waste in terms of the environment and our sense of entitlement (amongst other things).

Schools

First Images Released of What Watertown’s New Schools Could Look Like

By |

A look at what the inside of Hosmer School could look like. The view is from the top of the stadium seats in the learning commons, and looks down the atrium to the main entrance. The architects designing Watertown’s new elementary schools gave the School Building Committee a peek at what Hosmer, Cunniff and Lowell could look like after construction is complete. Scott Dunlap of Ai3 Architects showed what designers have come up with for what the outsides of the new buildings could look like. They have also laid out where the classrooms, gyms, cafeterias and other spaces would be located, even started to show where sinks and other fixtures could go in the rooms.

Some of the layouts have changed since the proposals first came before the School Building Committee.