Schools

Congratulations to the Watertown High School Class of 2014!

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After four years of hard work Watertown High School’s seniors celebrated their graduation Friday evening at Victory Field. The grads, their parents, friends and others heard from Valedictorian Edward McCormick, Salutatorian Alice Elbakian and class president Erik Antonellis. The senior class paid tribute to teacher of the year Joanna Honig, the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty winning teacher Dan Wulf, and retiring teachers Phillip Henry and Mike Ferullo. The Watertown High School Class of 2014:
James Walter Aguilar
Adam James Albano
Alexander Wiliam Alcindor
Hussein Gawdat Alhady
Vitaly Allakhverdov
Lara Georges Al Massih
Nicholas Anthony Amedio
Nisarg Amin
Syed Danyal Amin
Erik Michael Antonellis
Rubens Carvalho Araujo
Kaitlin Jeanne Arsenault
Kevin Thomas Arsenault
Katerina Athanasopoulos
Daniel Austin-Manning
Anna Avram
Matthew William Henry Banks
Joseph McLaughlin Bannon
Ida Silva Barsoumian
Julia Marie Basile
Stephen Aram Bedrosian
Marva Begum
Francesca Rae Belli
Alistair Connell Bennie-Underwood
Mary Patricia Breen
Alexander Matthew Bresnee
Zachary Mason Buchanan
Shannon Marie Cafua
Anet Tiffany Calisir
Catherine Anne Camelio
Issabella Nina Carton
Santos Ariel Castillo
Ramon de Oliveira Castro
Angela Marie Chase
Issa Habib Chehab
Arlin Cimen
Lisdeivy Clavijo
Jamie Peter Collette
Gabriella Noel Coppola
Edgar Josue Cosajay
Calvin Whittier Cox
Connor Ryan Crowley
Kaylee Marie Cruz

Daniel Tyler D’Amico
Lauren Ashley Daley
Patrick Owen Dawson
Tiana Marie Delulio
Brandon Roberto Delgado
James Stephen DePamphilis
Anthony Joseph DiFonte
Kevin Joseph DiPietrantonio 
Trace Ace Dodge
Matthew Samuel Donnell
Gregory Harry Dorian
Alan Yervant Doumanian
Rafael Dutra
Alice Elbakian
Stephen Robert Emerton
Shawna Theresa England
Natalie Vartuhi Eskici
Mana Farhani-Monfared
Vanessa Nicolle Fernandez
Mayquai Jhonnatan Ferreira 
    Bueno Fiuza
Dante Antonio Flori
Khayden Elijah Fontaine
Michelle Foun
Cesar Fulcar
Sarah Ann Gallant
James Edward Garbier
Andrew Daniel Gellerman
Angelika Mkrtchi Gevorgyan
Tiffany Rose Ghazarian
Nicholas John Giunta
Jessica Nicole Godfrey

Timothy James Hairston
Casey Rose Halle
Adrine Harutunyan
Brianna Elizabeth Hayes
Kenneth James Sabin Hecht
Kelly Gallagher Horan
Caillie Young Hughes
Monica Amanda Iarossi
Danilo Sales Ibner
Arpine Israelyan
Marianna Janikian
Meri Kalashyan
Anthony Michael Kapotsis
James Gregory Kapotsis
Andrew Thomas Kay
Talar Maria Kaya
Joseph Frederick Kelland
Danielle Antoinette Keuchkarian
Sophia Georgia-Mary Keuchkarian
Omar Amer Khudari
Francesca Mary Korte
Gregory John Koutroukas
Rebecca Shir Krieger
Rajat Kumar
Youki Filf Kuwahara
Jessica Rose Lampasona
Leonardo Leitner
Luke Andrew Leitner
Dennis Men-Chi Li
Melissa Loumi
David Anthony Lucas
Danielle Alice MacDonald
Kars Ann Macri
Hagop Majarian
Kavita Mannan
Christina Francesca Mazzeo
Edward McCormick
Mira Grace McElroy-Howard
Nsan Melkonyan
Kaylean Elizabeth Mendez
Ryan Blair Morrissey
Edgar Dundu Mutebi

Thansuda Namsena
Sabrina Nebiye
Laura Fearn Nieske
Juan David Nieto-Lopez
Toriana Shanice O’Brien
Abdulraheem Habis Obyat
Kevin Robert Ohnemus
Lucas Gontijo Oliveira
Natalia Gabriela Ortega
Cody Orvik
Haig Ozcan
Grammatiki Christina Papadopoulos
Peter Gregory Patsios
Arsen Aram Patvakanian
Danielle Violet Perez
Michael Vincent Petrillo
Kevin Scott Ponce
Amanda Sarah Porter-Collins
Elisa Margaret Portz
Hamad Rehman
John Junior Richard
Morgan Lee Robinson
Thomas Paul Robinson
Ayah Hassan Roda
Jessica Lyn Rodriguez
Kathryn Joanna Rooney
Kyle Robert Rooney
Evan Michael Rose
Heidi Jaqueline Rush
Jacqueline Hope Russo
Marisa Amber Russo
Liana Marguerte Sandell
John Arlo Sudder
Zachary Leon Williams Seek
Fawad Ali Shah
Deidre Alice Shanahan
Camille St. Lot Sheehan
Il Chul Shin
Ari Garo Shirinian
Anja Skelic
Ashley Anne Smith
Hayley Nancy Smith
Nicholas Lawrence Soares
Dennis Alexander Solis
Michael Thomas Stinehart
Stefania Iordanova Stoyanova
Lea Marie Strangio
Bryan Francis Sturtevant
James Francis Swinchoski
Ahmad Moustapha Taha
Christian Guillermo Tapia
Samuel Christopher Tenkerian
Eric Patrick Tirrell
David Vahe Vehapetian
Ashlee Rose Wisniewski
Skylier James Wright
Vardin Yeghiyan
Chloe Gales Zeytoonian

Sports

Watertown Baseball Team Picked for Post Season

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The Watertown High School baseball team hits road for its first state tournament game. The Raiders look to continue a season that the players dedicated to fall Boston Firefighter Ed Walsh, a WHS alum and former baseball standout (click here for more details). Watertown plays on Thursday, May 29 at 3:30 p.m. at Bishop Fenwick. Watertown (10-10) got the 18th seed in the Div. 3 North Section tournament.

Schools

Watertown Teens Will Debut Video on Healthy Decision Making

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For the past two years, students at Watertown High School have worked on the “I Am” campaign in an effort to avoid drinking and drugs, and to make healthy decisions. They will culminate their effort with a video which will be shown on May 19. More than 20 Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders worked on the short film which promotes healthy decision making, and giving alternatives to risky behaviors such as underage drinking and other substance abuse. Through the “I Am” campaign these students have shared ways to maintain that identity both in real life and in the online. The Watertown Youth Coalition will show the film on Monday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Watertown Police Department Community Room, 552 Main St.

Around Town

Arabic Classes in Watertown Schools Returning for a Second Year

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Watertown middle and high school students have a rare opportunity to learn the Arabic language, and they will be able to for at least another year. The grant that brought a teacher from Egypt to Watertown has been renewed for a second year, said Watertown Middle School Principal Kimo Carter. The grant program is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and targets languages believed to be important for the future, including Arabic and Mandarin Chinese. “We got another grant from the Teachers of Critical Language Program,” Carter said. “Another teacher from Egypt will teach Arabic at the middle school and high school next year. The reason why we got it is because of the success of the program.”

Police/Fire

See How the Watertown Boy’s Lacrosse Team Paid Tribute to Lt. Ed Walsh

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Members of the Watertown High School boy’s lacrosse team took the field last week with a special honor for fallen Boston Firefighter and Watertown native Edward Walsh. The team all put the message “LT. EW 33” on a piece of athletic tape and put it on their helmets during the game against Belmont. Lt. Walsh graduated from Watertown High School in 1989 and worked on Boston Engine 33 when he died fighting a fire in the Back Bay. Click here to see a video about the tribute on NESN’s website.

Police/Fire

New Watertown Strong Flag Flying Over Watertown High School

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A new bright red flag with the words “Watertown Strong” now flies on the flag pole at Watertown High School in honor of the work of the first responders on April 19, 2013.Thursday morning, the high school held a ceremony to honor the first responders and to celebrate the new flag. The idea for the new banner came from students in the Transitions to Success class at WHS. The students wanted to thank the Watertown Police and Watertown Fire departments for their work last April when they helped stop and capture the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, said Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. The class raised money for the flag, made by Lubin’s Trophy of Newton, by selling wrist bands. They also received a donation from the Watertown Fire and Police Memorial Golf Tournament.

Government

Watertown School Budget, High School Renovation on Tap Monday

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The Watertown school budget will be on tap Monday night for the School Committee, and y0u can have your voice heard. The public hearing on the Fiscal 2015 school budget will be held Monday night at 7:15 p.m. in Town Hall. The School Committee must decide how much to request from the Town Council and Town Manager Michael Driscoll. Last week, Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said she believes the district needs to add $6 million to this year’s budget to “move the district forward the way we would like it to go.” That would be an increase of more than 16 percent.