Schools

WHS Student Overcomes Learning Challenges to Graduate with Honors

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Rosdom Kaligian, center, overcame dyslexia and autism to graduate from Watertown High School with honors. When the seniors at Watertown High School graduated on Friday, there was one graduate who overcame some major challenges to not only finish high school but do so with honors. 

Rosdom Kaligian has severe dyslexia and also is autistic. His parents considered placing him in an out-of-district special education program, his mother Barbara Aghamianz said, but he convinced them to keep him at WHS. “I think people forget how hard it is for these kids to graduate, let alone be successful.” Barbara said.

Class of 2017

Congratulations to the 2017 Watertown High School Graduates!

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Inside a packed gymnasium, the 160 members of the Watertown High School Class of 2017 graduated on Friday evening. Here is the Class of 2017:

+ = Cum Laude Society

* = National Honor Society

Sajda Mohammad Abbas

Michelle Anahid Aftandilian

Rachel Armineh Aftandilian

Aaseia Ahmed

Sidar Akisik

Celeste Marie Alberico

Evamarie Anna Alessandroni +*

Mahdi Gawdat Alhady *

Brian John Amedio

Faryal Amin *

Elizabeth Kelly Arauz *

Andres Fernando Arenas *

Ani Rose Aroyian

Sarine Marie Ashjian *

Genrikh Eduard Askaryan *

Maria Athanasopoulos

Vangelis Athanasopoulos

Christopher John Baccari *

Natalia Balan

Christopher Samuel Eric Banks

Emma McLaughlin Bannon *

Marie Hugena Barolette

Ryan Everett Barry

Josemaria Terefenko Beagan

Catherine Ann Bedig

Robert Benjamin Belli

Muwonge Douglas Birigwa

Larissa Maria Bittencourt

Noah Anthony Brennan

Conor Francis Britton

Benjamin David Bunnell

Lauren Taylor Burns *

Anthony Daniel Camilli

Bryan Leonardo Canales-Alfaro

Cathrin Casandra Canales-Alfaro

Anthony Stephen Cardarelli

Daniel Joseph Carito *

Samuel Benjamin Carton +*

Alexis Rae Catsoulis +*

Thanapat Chanthon

Taylar Lynn Chase

Joe Abdo Chebli

Lara Ferreira Chiste *

Joseph Chomthakham

Dante Joseph Cimino

Alexan Cinar *

Fancesse Cledomin

David Oleg Conlon *

Eli Alex Cook

Christina Maria D’Agostino

Gabrielle Lynne Dalton

Julia Silva Dario

Jackson Faber DaSilva

James Thomas DeRocher

Kiran Din

Sofia Maria Teresa DiPace

Maksim Doe

Julia Noelle Dunoyer +*

Elias Dimitrios Fabrikarakis

Teal Fechtor-Pradines

Anthony Franciel Feliz

Aurora Jeanette Fidler

Nicole Lara Frisoli +*

Antonio Miguel Galang

Colin Patrick Gardiner *

Areg Andre-Bared Ghahraman

Isaac Blustein Gibbons *

Sarah Elizabeth Greim +*

John Frederick Griffin

Artem Vagifovich Grigoryan

Ian Michael Groh

Mayra Camila Guerra

Sara Gyulakian +*

Jayden Anthony Hairston *

Bailey Samantha Herrera Samayoa

Francis Edward Hession

Helene Emilio Hoxha +*

Isaac Preston Huff *

Sabir Hussain

Khadeen Natatia Inniss

Nareg Alex Kalaydjian

Rosdom Vrej Kaligian *

Dimitrios Nicholas Kalmanides

Leslie Merrill Kay

Congratulations to the #Watertown High School Class of 2017 on your graduation! pic.twitter.com/GPNkkSbcj4
— Watertown News (@WatertownMANews) June 3, 2017

Gregory Shant Kazanjian

Vasken Sarkis Kebabjian

Jenna Destiny Kelly

Kourtney Rose Kennedy

Saqib Kahn

Seema Naz Khan

Yasir Khan *

Stefanos Alkiviadis Kiorpes +*

Zelal Kort

Fatima ez Zahra Kouchaoui

Hajar Kouchaoui

Eli Moshe Krieger *

Lance Christopher Kuo

Catherine Dawn LeBlanc

Tatum Ngoke Ting Lee

Sammy Jay Leitner

Benjamin Siring Lowry +*

Gautam Mannan

Thayna Caetano Marcos

Hovig Sarkis Margosian

Melissa Cunha Martins

Miriam Victoria Matevosian

Karina Louise McAdam *

Samantha Camryn McFarland *

Hanna Lee McMahon

Jenna Rose McMahon

Parsa Medhati

Carlos Rodrigues Menezes

Lily Mills *

Juan Carlos Morales-Gonzalez

Rodrigo Andre Moscoso

Shannon Mae Murphy +*

Lisa Elizabeth Nantongo

Paula Guimaraes Nascimento

Emerson Shaye O’Connor

Ryan Kinsale O’Reilly +*

Marina Osipova

Annie Mariam Pepanyan

Ava Bryce Peters

James Stephen Piccirilli *

Gabriel Alejandro Pino

Cassidy Lee Pirozzi

Vasiliki Vana Pistoftzian *

Talene Marie Pogharian +*

Max Vitaliy Potseluev

Elsie Jenny Prespolis

Sanan Khan Rafiq

Destiney Valentine Reardon

Cythia Evelis Rentas

Ahmed Abdulkader Rifai

Zachary Sarkis Rimsa

Andrea Stephanie Rios

Kaitlyn Nicole Robbins

Fatima Hassan Roda *

Ruby Xiao Rosenwasser *

Jillian Marie Russo

Elizabeth Santourian

Berk Sezgin

Yuri Arkadavich Shakhverdov

Reid Ignacio Shanabrook *

Brendan Sean Shanahan

Lori Dikranuhi Shirinian *

Alex Henry Smith

Jake Scot Soares

Kelvin Martins Soares

Garen Harout Soukiasian

Nicholas Joseph Stanizzi

Joshua Barry Stewart

Aidan Brown Sullivan

Nathalia Alejandra Tapia

Joseph Erik Tardif

Dora E. Tejada

Janaki Thangaraj +*

Emmanuel James Theodore

Stella Nicole Varnum +*

Olivia Nicole Venezia +*

Schools

Watertown Students Among the Minuteman High School Graduates

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Commencement exercises were held for the Class of 2016 from Minuteman High School in Lexington on June 3 at the Tsongas Center at UMass-Lowell. See the Watertown grads below.The occasion featured memorable speeches filled with farewells to dedicated teachers, sage advice for the future, expressions of appreciation to Minuteman for the valuable education it provided and heartfelt final words for the young men and women who have shared the excitement and challenges of the past four years, the school announced. Valedictorian Rachel Toups of Boxborough gave an address that imaginatively compared the function and movement of each finger to each student’s own distinctive history and destiny. “No matter the path we choose, be it a career, continued education, or undecided as of yet, I encourage you to see your hand as a symbol of your life,” she told her peers. “Just as our hands are all unique, so too will be the paths we take from here.”

“This school has been our wonderland, because we have done the impossible,” said salutatorian Tristin O’Connor of Bolton, making a reference to Alice in Wonderland.

Schools

See Photos from the Watertown High School Class of 2016 Graduation

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The Class of 2016 bid farewell to Watertown High School in a way that seemed to fit their class, and the school in general – with some humor, good spirit and kindness. Principal Shirley Lundberg noted that the school had been examined thoroughly by a team of accreditors this spring, who looked at all parts of the school, the classes, the teachers, along with the students and their work. Many of the accreditor team’s tours were lead by WHS students, and afterward they told Lundberg one thing that stood out about Watertown High. “They said their entire team had one large impression. They found community of Watertown High School to be extraordinarily kind,” Lunberg said.

Class of 2016

Congrats to the Watertown High School Class of 2016!

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Congratulations to the 162 members of the Class of 2016 who graduated at Victory Field Friday evening. 

Valeria Alejandra Aedo

 

Liana Aleksanyan *

Kareem Kamel Alhady #*

Jaime Marie Amedio

Mark Gregory Amirbekyan

Michaela Elizabeth Antonellis *

Marvin Aramthip

Shant Ara Arouyan

Nelli Balian

Tina Anahid Barsoumian

Tristan MacPherson Bennie Underwood

Tawhid Bibi

Zoie Star Bleau

Hallie Xiuyan Jaffe Blitzman

Dominika Sylvia Bondaryk *

Kerikor Boyajian

Jeremy Alvaro Breen *

Thomas Joseph Brennan *

Abiral Bhushan Budhathoki

Taylor Venezia Bunnell

Matthew Joseph Busconi

Demba Jake Kamborian Camara

Amanda Cardoso

Niko Daniel Carvajal Janke *

Gabriel Peregrino Cezario

Ryan Daniel Clancy

Abbie Leigh Cleveland

Hannah Grace Cook *

Michael Robert Corvini

Ethan Ernest Cox

Christian Andre D’Amico

Roman Pavlovich Davis

Erin Caitlyn Delong

Joseph Antoine Der Torossian

Ali Mohamad Dia

Derek Jordan DiPietrantonio

Marissa Mae DiVito

Falena Motta Dos Santos

Allison Rose Dowling *

Grace Catherine Duguay

Barry Joseph Dunn *

Mohammed Ahmed Ali El-Sherbini

Karl Elbakian #*

Brian Richard Ellis

Sofia Gloria Farhadi #*

Daniel James Farrar

Shelby Gwen Farrell

Taylor Alexis Ferrante

Santino Fierimonte

Gabriella Holden Fiorentino #*

Kelly Ann Flynn *

Kyle John Foley #*

Evan Tsiu Foun *

Karina Pereira Franca #*

Dylan James Fulton *

Sara Anne Fulton #*

Tyler John Gardiner #*

Antonia Maria Gardner

Arpy Shake Gavlakian

Gabriel Gerhske

Soleen Tamara Ghahraman *

Natalia Maria Gieza

Paige Riley Gilbeau

Michael John Giordano

Jaslyn Elexa Gomez-Jobson

Michael Gorman

Zoe Rosenthal Grodsky #*

Rebecca Annie Grossman *

Briana Rene Guillory

Brianna Jeanne Rose Hache *

Kristine Shake Hagopian

Mackenzie Nicole Hand

Garabed Krikor Haroutounian

Julia Rose Harrington #*

Emily Rose Hart *

Sasha Blu Helfner #*

Jeremy Edward Holt #*

Eric James Hopkins

Jason Richard Hughes

Nazely Ann Iknaian

Vrej Hagop Jamsakian

Kolbey Lee Jumper

Dorothy Kaoma

Abboud Roger Kaouk

Allyson Tamar Kazanjian

Robert Francis Kennedy #*

Olivia DeCarlo Keuchkarian

Sabiha Khalid *

Christa Rose Knell #*

Felicia Marnie Korte *

Joel Andrew Krislov

Anthony James Lacerra

Andrew Christopher Lamarche

Sarah Ann Lampasona

Nicole Maria Lanzo *

Peter Arthur Laskaris

Jake Kenneth Leitner

Samantha Naomi Lewis

Erika Libertini *

Austin Jei Lin #*

Joanna Nataly Lopez Ordonez

Nicholas Peter Martino

Farid Abdallah Mawanda

Ally Kathleen McCall *

Hannah Vaughn McCall #*

Daniel Thomas McCurley

Kelly Breanna McCusker-Brown

Hermes Teixeira Melo

Ivana Michelle Mendez Juliao

Steven Patrick Mey

Riyan Moore

Luis Enrique Moradel

Molly Jeanne Munger

Taylor Rose Nalbandian

Nathan Nebiye *

Patrick Ryan O’Donnell

Olivia Taylor Oakley

Mikayla Gianna Paone

Christopher Gor Patvakanian #*

Lillian Grace Pennington *

Erica Pepe

Keith William Perrin

Sean Cameron Peschier

Kira Elizabeth Peterson #*

Hillary Ximena Ponce

Tyler Thomas Poulin

Noah David Prior

Rachel Margaret Quinlivan #*

Anna Reyes

Kiana Marcela Reyes

Christopher John Rohlicek #*

Romina Romei *

Melissa Marie Rose #*

Katelyn Jean Rourke

Nathan Turner Ryan

Thomas Park Scudder

Ekta Sharma

Arshdeep Singh #*

Samantha Janet Smith

Deanna Rose Solari

Eve Nichole Souliotis

Layza Chalita Souza

Stephen Joseph Strangio *

Leah Nicole Sutherland

Samantha W.S. Tat

Parkev Terzian

Katherine Beach Tolman

Yesayi Tolmoyan

Emmanuel Lagene Torres

Amin Touri *

Ani Vehapetian

Abigail Jean Vershbow *

Edmundo Vangjel Villa-Perrez

Christopher Paul Vincent

Angelik Wannes

Lana Nasser Wehbe

Jason Taylor Wilkins

Erick David Yax-Vidal

Grigor Yeghishyan

 

# Cum Laude Society

*National Honor Society

Schools

See Which Teachers Were Honored at the Watertown High School Graduation

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Several teachers received awards and recognition during the graduation ceremony for the Watertown High School Class of 2015 on Friday. Honorees included teachers at the high school and other schools around the district. The big award – Teacher of the Year – went to WHS music teacher Daniel Jordan, who was nominated by the faculty and staff at the high school. He has been a teacher at the high school for more than 20 years, and leads the band in concerts at the school, at athletic events, and special ceremonies such as the WHS Memorial Day Ceremony, said WHS Principal Shirley Lundberg

Jordan is always happy to collaborate with other teachers at the school. “I am really speechless,” Jordan said.

Schools

See Photos from Watertown High School Graduation 2015

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Watertown High School’s Class of 2015 celebrated completing their school career, and said good bye during Friday’s graduation ceremony. In front of packed stands at at Victory Field, 181 students received their diplomas. (See the list of graduates here). Valedictorian Molly Day noted that students spent more than 4,500 hours on campus during their four years at WHS. The school provided them with some perspectives that not every high schooler gets.