Attendance Zones

Watertown Elementary School Attendance Areas to be Examined by New Committee

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Charlie BreitroseThe public gathered outside the new Cunniff Elementary School. Elementary attendance zones will be studied by a new ad hoc committee. The attendance areas for Watertown’ three elementary schools may be redrawn by a new committee created to study the issue. Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee in December about the ad hoc committee to study the attendance zones. “As we complete (construction on) two elementary schools and are starting a third, it is the perfect time to look at attendance zones,” Galdston said.

Assistant Principal

Watertown Schools Welcome Two New Assistant Principals, Administrator Who Will Integrate Technology into Learning

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Superintendent Dede Galdston introduced the School Committee to two new assistant principals and an administrator who will focus on using technology in education. The new assistant principals will be working at Watertown Middle School and Lowell Elementary School, while the district also filled the administrative position is known as the Coordinator of Digital Learning and Libraries. The middle school’s new assistant principal, Susan Carle, is returning to the area after working in the Midwest. She has been the assistant principal at Northwest Middle School in Chicago since 2016, Galdston said. Prior to that she was an instructional support leader and resident principal.

COVID-19

LETTER: Lowell PTO Members Urge Watertown Schools to Move to In-Person Learning

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Lowell School in Watertown. Dear Dr. Galdston and Members of the Watertown School Committee,

As members of the J.R. Lowell School Parent Teacher Organization and the Cunniff School Parent Teacher Organization many of us have spent years volunteering our time to enrich the educational experience of Watertown Public School children. In March of 2020 we found ourselves in an unprecedented time and the unthinkable happened, all in person learning was suspended. Now, nearly a full year later, we are sincerely grateful for the many steps the school district has taken to keep our children and teachers safe. The thoughtful approach to return to the classroom, COVID testing for teachers and pooled COVID testing for students has in fact proven to keep our children safe.

Schools

Watertown Teachers Get Some Love With Car Parade

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Students and parents at Lowell Elementary School showed their love for the teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers at Lowell School got a special celebration during Teacher Appreciation Week, which was May 4-8. A car parade, escorted by the Watertown Police Department, visited the school. They even had a surprise appearance by the Lowell Leopard, the school’s mascot, and Watertown’s resident sousaphone player (also known as the Tuba Guy)! “I believe we had about 100 cars of families lined up all the way down York Ave and out into Belmont Street,” said Lowell PTO Co-President Lauren Coughlin Unsworth.

Schools

Progress Being Made on School Building Projects, But it May be Slowed by Social Distancing Orders

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Watertown School officials continue to work on the school building projects at the three elementary schools and the high school during the Coronavirus outbreak, but they may eventually hit a roadblock due to restrictions imposed during the outbreak. Town Council President Mark Sideris wrote an update to the School Building Committee about the progress of the School Building Projects. Progress could be slowed by the social distancing requirements, particularly limiting the number of people who can gather in one place. “Work on all projects is still continuing even though we are not meeting as a committee,” Sideris wrote in the letter. Work at Hosmer and Cunniff is planned to start in late June, right after the school year ends, but the School Building Committee had to postpone community meetings at both schools where they planned to update the communities on the projects.

Schools

Lowell PTO Walkathon Raises More Than $18,000

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Students at Lowell Elementary School took to the obstacle house in the school gym for the second annual PTO Walkathon. The Lowell Elementary School PTO’s fundraiser brought in tons of money to help the school, and provided fun and prizes for the kids. Students got active and raised more than $18,600 during the second annual Walkathon, said Lowell PTO Co-President Lauren Coughlin Unsworth

“We decided to hold it on February 14th and call it the Happy Hearts Walkathon,” Coughlin Unsworth said. “We chose this date because we thought it would give us the opportunity to celebrate and promote kindness and get the kids moving in the middle of winter.” 

Lowell physical education teachers, Eileen Donahue and Tina Loguidice, created an obstacle course in the gym. “So, the kids were all smiles that they were doing more than just walking!,” Coghlin Unsworth said.

Around Town

Watertown Students Make Art Inspired by MLK for Monday’s Unity Breakfast

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Artwork created by Lowell School students. Ms. Jaclyn Zywocinski & Ms. Christine Talamas and their kindergarten & 1st grade students at the J.R. Lowell Elementary School created the centerpiece art for the annual Unity Breakfast while learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Students talked about how it doesn’t matter what the color your skin is… we are all so special, different and kind.  And all hands, even small ones, can help the world! The Unity Breakfast will take place on Monday, Jan. 20.

Around Town

Cunniff Elementary Moving to Waltham Site Next Fall, Speeding Up New Building

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When Cunniff Elementary School students return to class in September, they will attend classes at a different campus, in a different city. The move will allow the current school to be torn down and replaced by a new building sooner and will save the district money. Cunniff’s temporary home will be the St. Jude’s School, a former parochial school in Waltham. Watertown school officials came to an agreement with the Boston Archdiocese to lease the school during Watertown’s school building project, known as Building for the Future.