Students, Parents Get a Look Inside the Temporary Watertown High School After Ribbon Cutting

The temporary campus for Watertown High School at PFC Richard Moxley Field opened after a ribbon cutting on Aug. 31 by, from left, Superintendent Dede Galdston, Principal Joel Giacobozzi, Assistant Superintendent Steve Magoon, and City Council President Mark Sideris. (Photo by Maya Shwayder)

The huge, empty hallways smelled like the wood aisle at Home Depot. Large boxes – empty and not – lined most corridors, and all the computers and monitors in the media room were still wrapped in plastic. But nonetheless the modular Watertown High School at PFC Richard Moxley Field held its grand opening five days before the first day of school, complete with a red ribbon and giant scissors to cut it.

Public Invited to Ribbon Cutting & Tour of Temporary High School at Moxley Field

A view of the temporary Watertown High School at Moxley Field from a presentation to the School Building Committee. (Courtesy of the Watertown Schools)

The public can get an inside look at the place where Watertown High School students will call home for the next three years. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the Watertown High School at Pvt. First Class Moxley Field on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m.

“The public is welcome and invited to see what beautiful work has been done there for our temporary high school,” City Council President Mark Sideris said.

Watertown High School Prepping for Life at Temporary Campus at Moxley, Other Locations

A view of the temporary Watertown High School at Moxley Field from a presentation to the School Building Committee. (Courtesy of the Watertown Schools)

The final touches are being made on the temporary campus in preparation for Watertown High School students to return to class on Sept. 5, and the students and staff alike will have to adapt to their new digs, which include sites outside the modular campus at Moxley Field. Principal Joel Giacobozzi told the WHS community that they will have to adjust to a new way of “doing school,” in the introduction in the student handbook (see below). Meanwhile, construction crews continue to work to get the two-story school made from prefabricated modules ready for class.

Summer of Upgrades at Multiple Watertown Fields & Parks

The artificial turf has been removed from Victory Field, and will be replaced over the summer. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

This summer some of Watertown’s fields and recreation facilities have been filled with construction crews and equipment, instead of residents and athletic equipment. The football and baseball fields at Victory Field, the courts at Moxley Field, and the spray pad at Filippello Park all have ongoing construction projects. Recreation Director Peter Centola thanked City Manager George Proakis for placing a priority on completing some delayed park and field projects. “One thing I am very appreciative of Mr. Proakis and leadership and the City Council is for really just understanding that you can’t continue to have projects on the backlog and not do it,” Centola said.

Traffic Commission to Discuss Changes Around Temporary High School

A map of the temporary high school site at Moxley Field showing the proposed changes to deal with traffic in the area. (Courtesy of the Watertown Public Schools). The Watertown High School Project team invites you to attend a scheduled Traffic Commission meeting on Wednesday June 28, at 7 p.m. at the Administration Building (149 Main Street) in the Philip Pane Meeting Room to finalize the traffic provisions that will be in effect for the duration of occupancy of the temporary high school located at Moxley Playground. This is an opportunity for community members to review the final version of the previously presented traffic plans that will result in an overall increase in safety for all surrounding residents and students. The below changes have been added to the final proposed plans after careful consideration by Watertown Public Schools and Watertown Police, as well as incorporating discussions from past meetings with the Community,:

• One (1) dedicated SRO [School Resource Officer] Parking space for each school (WMS and Moxley HS)• No through traffic on Bemis St.

Tour of Temporary High School Wows School & City Officials

Charlie BreitroseParker Helwig of J&J Contractors shows City and School officials around a classroom at the modular high school at Moxley Field. Ooos, aahs, and genuine surprise were the reactions of the Watertown School and City officials this week when they got a look inside the temporary high school going up at Moxley Field. Right now, the area between Main Street and Watertown Middle School has a bit of a barren feel, with the grey modulars in a large U on top of bare earth. Inside, the building feels much more like a typical school. The walls and ceilings are complete, except for the seams between the modules and the ceilings, which will be installed after the lights, electrical wires, fire sprinkler system and other systems are installed.

Court Renovation & Multi-Sport Rink at Moxley Field Approved

CDM SmithA drawing of the approved project to resurface the basketball and tennis courts at Moxley Field and add a multi-sport rink with boards. The area of Moxley Field which now has two tennis courts and a basketball court will be renovated, and one of the tennis courts will be replaced by a multi-sport rink. On March 16, the City Council approved the project, which had been in the queue for capital projects since Fiscal Year 2016, said City Manager George Proakis. The $1.38 million project includes the demolition and removal of the current courts, and the creation of the new courts and the rink. The grassy area of Moxley Field will be the temporary home of Watertown High School while the new building is constructed.