Conservation Commmision

Watertown High School Students Use Town Forest as a Living Laboratory

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When the Conservation Commission wanted to find out exactly what trees, plants and animals can be found in the town’s largest forested area, Commissioner Patick Fairbairn decided to enlist the help of students from Watertown High School. Last week, two honors biology classes spent the morning walking around Whitney Hill, the area overlooking Victory Field, detailing which species are located in 31 plots being studied on the hill. After coming up with the idea to enlist the help of students, Fairbairn approached School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer to ask if a combined effort with the schools could be possible. After speaking with a number of people, he found a WHS teacher who was interested. “Erik Hiltunen was a teacher who saw the value of observation over a long period of time,” Fairbairn said.

Around Town

Celebration Held for New Mural Inspired by Coolidge Square

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A brightly colored mural now adorns a wall on Mt. Auburn Street. Called “Seeds of Change,” it features fruit, vegetables, flowers and other items that can be found in markets and stores around Coolidge Square. On Saturday, members of the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee hosted a celebration for the mural, which was painted on a wall next to Uncommon Grounds, at the corner of Melendy Avenue and Mt. Auburn Street. Artist Gregg Bernstein, who designed the mural and mentored the students’ work on the project, said the artists faced tough conditions, with temperatures in the 90s many days.

Schools

Watertown Athletes Honored, League Champ Recognized

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Playing a high school sport requires a lot of effort, dedication and time, so playing three sports a year for four years is a feat that deserves being honored, which is what Watertown High School Athletic Director Michael Lahiff did this week. A dozen Raiders received the Athletic Director’s Award for participating in sports every season for their whole career at Monday’s School Committee meeting. Lahiff created the award to encourage more participation in a small high school. This year’s award winners are:

Brendan Berkeley – golf, hockey and baseball

Anthony Busconi – golf, hockey and lacrosse

Angel Carrion – football, basketball and lacrosse

Brian DallaCosta – football, basketball and indoor and outdoor track

Molly Day – soccer, indoor and outdoor track

Keegan Duguay – field hockey, indoor and outdoor track

Nick Giordano – football, hockey and lacrosse

Najmul Sahar Kahn – field hockey, indoor and outdoor track

Emily Loprete – field hockey, hockey and lacrosse

Austin Farry – football, hockey and baseball

Prosper Lubega – cross country, soccer, indoor and outdoor track

James McDonald – golf, basketball, indoor track and baseball
Girls’ Lacrosse
Watertown’s latest Middlesex League champions also received their due from the School Committee. The girls’ lacrosse team won its third straight title this year, and made it to the State Tournament where it won its first ever tournament game.

Schools

WHS Athletic Hall of Fame Announces Inductees for 2015!

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The Watertown High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s class of 2015 includes a pair of teams and half a dozen athletes – including four sisters! Inductees for this year’s celebration to be held at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Saturday Oct. 17, include six athletes and two teams.

For the first time in its distinguished history, the HOF will induct four talented sisters from the same family, including Bethany Rogers, ’95, Jane Rogers, ’98, Catherine Rogers, ’00, and Mary Rogers, ’03. As players and coaches, the fantastic foursome in field hockey contributed multiple All-Scholastic and MVP awards, 25 Middlesex League titles, 21 Div. II North Section titles, and 12 State Championships.

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.

Schools

Congratulations to the Watertown High School Class of 2015!

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Watertown High School welcomed its newest graduates on Friday at Victory Field. Congratulations to all the 181 members of the Class of 2015! Kashif Ahmad
Mark Nicholas Almasian
Maurice Mwayila Ambila
Olivia Alexander Ames
Araz Joseph Ashjian
Jody Annette Askaryan
Abdel-Halim Mazen Atiyyat
Jonathan Lopes Azevedo
Sam Babayan
Raffi Garo Badrikian
Asya Baghdasaryan
Erik Baghdasaryan
Andrea Gloria Barbato
Elizabeth Grace Bedig
Brendan Joseph Berkeley
David John Bielawski
Angelica Abigail Brutus
Anthony John Busconi
Taquina Cachimuel
Rachel Ann Campbell
Lisa Marie Carcerano
Jordan Arthur Carey
Emily Rose Carito
Angel Dejesus Carrion
Gemma Ruth Carroll
Pluksaa Mint Chueayoonan
Siran Cinar
Brandon Michael Clancy
Samuel Lev Cohen
Tessa Deneige Collins
Jeffrey Michael Comeau
Rebecca Marie Connors
Greylib Sophia Contreras
Gianna Cristina Coppola
Ghislaine MabelRose Coulter-de Wit
Caitlyn Marie D’Amico
Daniel John D’Amico
Molly Rose Day
Brian Richard DallaCosta
Rafael Nunes Carvalho De Souza
Steven Rafael Delgado
Daniel Haynes DeMatos
Alec Gregory Deyermenjian
Reem B Dia
Alexandra Elizabeth Doggett
Katherine Josephine Dolan
Matthew David Dolan
Demetri Andrew Dorceus
Keegan Brennan Duguay
Angel David Dume
Francesca Eden Egea
Andrew Tatios Eskici
Muhammad Fahad
Parsa Farhani-Monfared
Maya Hassan Farhat
Shayna Rose Farmelant
Austin Louis Farry
Christopher Sumners Fidler
Savannah Figueroa-Gomez
Isaac Richard Fitts-Sprague
Shannon Marie Foley
Samuel Aidan Ford
Kayla Evelyn Furbish
Eric William Furtado
Semiah Narece Gant
Quichea Deanne Gilbeau
Nicholas Richard Giordano
Kyle Abel Gonzalez
Jared Joseph Grillo
Sergio Alejandro Guzman
Isabelle Sara Gyulakian
Michael Hagopian
Nahum Demsash Hagos
Dana Terese Hammerle
Rebecca Cohen Hellman
Erin Caroline Hickey
Anahit Hovhannisyan
Abid Hussain
Arianna Lillie Johnson
Kayla Elizabeth Johnson
Andrew Joseph Jones
Yvef Jorge Almonte
Shayene Joseph
Melanie Julen Kahn
Sedra Katerji
Joseph Missak Keikian
Devon Breau Kelleher
Raffi Keshishyan
Irum Khan
Najmul Sahar Khan
Noreen Khan
Justin Kasozi Kibuuka
Gleb Kryvoberets
John Alexander Kupelian
Matthew David Laffey
Jessica Jiayu Lai
Michael Anthony Lanzo IV
Yianni Athanasios Laskaris
Kayla Nicole Lawlor
Jared Knox LeClair
Douglas Hansberry Leon
Serina Elizabeth Leonard
Crista Valantines Logakis
Emily Rose Loprete
Prosper Alexander Lubega
Madeline Rose Luciano
Palavi Mannan
Anna Margaryan
Jennifer Magdalena Marroquin
Alexander Martin Martinos
Andrew Christian Massarotti
Catherine Beatrice McCusker-Brown
James Riley McDonald
Cody Allen McMahon
Lucas John McNamara
Tamara Melkonyan
Kristina Nicole Mey
Bishal Mishra
Alain Mondesir
Jamilah Monroe
Sebastian Andres Morales Gutierrez
Meghan Aisleen Moran
Rachel Helen Morris
Jillian Rita Mungenast
Nathaniel Robin Munson-Palomba
Kaitlyn Joy Murphy
Matthew Henry Murphy
Tatiana Bour Nalbandian
Arthur Sena Navarro
Angella Ndibalekera
Tyler Sam Ngan
William Benjamin O’Brien
Sara Joan O’Connell
Anhar Habis Obyat
Nicholas Harry Ohannesian
Michael Alfonso Orellana
Samuel Armando Orellana
Mark Michael Pacious
John Thomas Pease
Emily Pena
Julia Taft Perry
Thomas Willard Perry
Naneh Mikhail Petrosyan
Marisa Louise Pettiglio
Clarissa Miranda Phillips
Evan Peter Raftes
Sarah Rahim
Mariana Angel Rocha Reed
Elest Rene Sylvain Reve
Rebecka Kimberly Marthina Riendeau
Jake Paul Roche
Madeline Sarah Rocklin-Waltch
Jessica Lynn Russo
Carlos Alberto Salaverria
Christopher Elias Saroufim
Molly Rose Smith
Gina Patricia Stanizzi
Christopher Ryan Starnes
Michael David Stewart
Aashma Sunuwar
Tercy Tamighang
Madeline Jo Teeven
Veronica Lagene Torres
Tinhinan Touri
Julia Lauren Thompson
Stephanie Uribe
Michaela Joy Vick
Charlotte Martha Vitti
Nina Susan Vosbigian
Catherine Nora-Anne Walsh
Jake William Walsh
Jeffrey Alexander Wertheim
Lorraine Hoi Ying Wu
Vanessa Yee
Arooj Zahid
Austin Michael Zaino
Ulises Zamora Zacarias
Nina Belle Zeytoonian
Terry Zhu
Orbell Simon Zirakian
Jo Ssebugwawo Zizinga