Around Town

SPEAK Week Returns to Watertown High School, 2022’s Theme: Strive to Thrive

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Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders and Wayside staff with Wes from Minding Your Mind. The 12th annual SPEAK Week was back at Watertown High School (WHS) March 14-18 !! SPEAK(Sharing Personal Experiences and Knowledge) Week is organized by Wayside Multi Service Center’s Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC) Peer Leaders from WHS. Every year, in collaboration with Watertown High School, WYC Peer Leaders organize a fun-filled and educational week with special guest speakers, activities, and knowledge building that relate to helping youth make positive healthy choices. For this year’s SPEAK Week; themed “Strive to Thrive,” students engaged in assemblies, workshops, and activities throughout the week that addressed Mental Health and Wellness, LGBTQIA Safe Spaces, Mindfulness and Stress Reduction, Therapeutic Music, Speak Up Art Sessions and a visit from Lydia the Comfort Dog.

Entertainment

Watertown High School Presenting Musical Take on Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

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Watertown High School will present “Into the Woods,” this weekend. The production is a modern, musical twist on the Brothers Grimm Fairy tales. There will be three performances in the Watertown High School Centennial Auditorium, 50 Columbia St., Watertown. The musical includes the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. These tales are tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife on whom a witch has placed a curse.

Building for the Future

Watertown High School Project Gets Approval from State

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Ai3 ArchitectsAn illustration of what the outside of the new Watertown High School will look like. The plan to build new Watertown High School passed the last major hurdle when the state approved the project on Wednesday. The Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to approve the project on March 2. The new school will be built on the same location as the current school, and architects projected the cost at $201 million at the Dec. 15, 2021 School Building Committee meeting.

Homepage Featured

State Board Approves Design of New Watertown High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The view is from Common Street. The design of the new Watertown High School got the endorsement of the Massachusetts School Building Authority on Wednesday. Superintendent Dede Galdston sent out a letter saying that the MSBA Board of Directors unanimously supported moving the WHS project to the schematic design phase. “At this time, the design team, the OPM, and the School Building Committee will prepare for the next big milestone, the Board approval of participation in our project,” Galdston said in a letter to school and town officials.

Schools

Residents Appointed to New Architecture Committee, Will Advise on New High School

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The view is from Common Street. A group of Watertown residents has been appointed to advise designers of the new Watertown High School. Town Council President Mark Sideris announced the creation of the new Architecture Committee of the School Building Committee, which will be chaired by Leo Patterson, an architect and member of the School Building Committee. Sideris, who chairs the School Building Committee, sent out the following announcement:

I am pleased to say that we had a number of residents apply to be on this committee.

Schools

Find Out the Latest About the Watertown High School Project at Upcoming Community Forum

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Ai3 ArchitectsA view from Columbia Street of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The progress of the Watertown High School project will be updated during a Community Forum on Aug. 25, 2021. The School Building Committee, which is overseeing the project design and construction, will host the virtual meeting, which begins at 6 p.m on Wednesday. The presentation will include design updates, the latest about the swing space at Moxley Field, and progress toward making the school zero net energy.

Schools

Watertown High School Class of 2021 Celebrates Graduation After a Very Challenging Year

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Charlie BreitroseA Watertown High School senior celebrates after receiving his diploma at the 2021 graduation ceremony. A celebration for the 2021 Watertown High School senior class was a long time coming, having endured the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning and wearing masks in class. The grads had to wait an extra day due to weather concerns, but the delay did not dampen their spirits during Saturday morning’s graduation ceremony at Victory Field. WHS Class of 2021 Valedictorian Caiden Kiani, who also served as senior class president, said he has seen a lot of what goes on behind the scenes to make WHS run. He thanked a variety of people, including administrators, parents, counselors and others, but wanted to give some special thanks: the nursing staff, “who have helped us feel safe during the pandemic,” and the custodial staff, “who has worked extra hard to keep every room COVID free.”

Letters

LETTER: Group of Parents Support Using Moxley Field as Site for Temporary High School

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As WPS parents, We are writing in support of the proposal to build a new WHS on its current site and to use a section of Moxley Park as swing space during construction. There are many important reasons for this choice: this proposal will provide the best possible educational experience for students during construction; it will minimize the construction timeline; it will create the space needed to build a state-of-the-art, 21st Century high school for Watertown; and, it will reduce overall project costs. This investment requires temporary sacrifices from abutters, students and families. We are all sharing this burden, but the benefits far outweigh the temporary inconveniences. This project will benefit the entire Watertown community for generations to come.