Schools

School Committee Concerned About Watertown’s MCAS Scores

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Fewer than half of Watertown elementary school students scored in “meet expectations” or higher on the state’s standardized test in 2017, and in many cases scores in the Watertown Public Schools lagged behind the state average. The results concerned members of the School Committee, who heard a presentation on the scores on Monday night. Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Assessment Theresa McGuinness noted that elementary school students took the “next generation” MCAS last spring. The year before they took the PARCC Test and before that they took the original MCAS. Watertown’s results followed a similar trend as the state average.

Math

Children Learning and Loving Math in After School Program

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A nearby after-school math program has different strategies to teach children math, and even get them to enjoy the subject that so many dislike. 

The Russian School of Math has locations around the nation, including one in Belmont that started this fall. Principal Sona Antonoyan said her teachers try to “break the fear of math,” show students strategies to tackle math. “We want them to understand concepts, rather than memorization,” Antonoyan said. The school serves students in grades K-12 and attracts students from many towns including Watertown. The strategies allow them to start complex problem solving at a young age.