Schools

Schools Rolling Out Student COVID-19 Testing Week After Thanksgiving

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Watertown students will be able to be tested for COVID-19 for free starting the week after Thanksgiving, in an effort to keep schools open for in-person learning and to stop the spread of the virus in the school and broader community. Galdston told the School Committee about the district’s testing program on Monday, the same night that a piece on the Watertown Public Schools’ COVID-19 testing program (for which she was interviewed) aired on the NBC Nightly News. “In the 45 minute interview, that was cut to 30 seconds, we spent a lot of time talking about how Watertown has really gone above and beyond to keep our students and our staff safe,” Galdston said. “Here is just another safety net we have for all of our people within our community.” School Committee member Lily Rayman-Read, who teaches in the Cambridge Public Schools, said the NBC story caught the interest of educators in other communities.

Schools

Forum Planned After Racist Incidents Reported by Watertown Middle School Student

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A Watertown Middle School student reported being harassed online and by phone after putting up posts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. The incidents were reported by a Boston news station, and the Watertown Public Schools response includes a virtual public forum to address the issue. A 13-year-old African-American girl told her experiences to Boston Fox 25 last week, including being harassed online and receiving threatening phone calls after she put up some BLM messages on her social media accounts. She also reported being called the “N-word” by another student at school after giving a speech about racism in February. The student reported the incidents to Watertown Middle School officials, but said that she is not aware of anything being done about it.

Schools

Watertown Students Can Get COVID-19 Tests as Schools Move into Hybrid

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Watertown Middle School

With Watertown elementary school students already attending hybrid, and the middle school starting some in person learning this week, the Watertown Public Schools are offering COVID-19 testing for students. Watertown School staff have already had access to the testing, but Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee that she just recently learned the student testing could begin. “It is a very late thing. … Last week didn’t know we would be able to start student testing,” Galston said.

COVID-19

Watertown Middle School Moving to Hybrid Next Week

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Watertown Middle School

Students at Watertown Middle School will start to attend classes in-person two days a week next week with the beginning of hybrid learning. Superintendent Dede Galdston sent out an announcement Friday evening saying that hybrid learning would start at WMS on Thursday, Nov. 12 for half the students and Friday, Nov. 13 for the other half. The school has been teaching remotely since school started in late September.

Letters

LETTER: Watertown Schools Have Asbestos, Air Flow Problems

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Letter to Editor,

This past week, the Massachusetts Department of Education & Secondary Education (DESE) conducted an audit on the Watertown Public Schools and the District’s decision to delay opening the buildings for in-school/hybrid learning. At this moment, no details have been provided to Town residents as to what the audit yielded. Information requests to the DESE have been unanswered. All the details residents know (via a ZOOM call), is that Superintendent Galdston spoke to DESE Commissioner Riley (or an associate) and that the conversation was short with few questions (according to Galdston). So what were the DESE findings and why haven’t the Middle School and High School opened yet?

Hybrid Learning

Parents Advocate for Earlier Start for Hybrid Learning at Watertown Schools

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Watertown Middle School

The following letter is part of a petition asking the Watertown Public Schools to move the start of hybrid learning at Watertown Middle School from Nov. 30 to the week of Nov. 9. Last week, the School Committee discussed making that change in the district’s plan to move into hybrid learning, but did not vote on that. They left it up to Superintendent Dede Galdston and the School Administration.

Elections

Council Moves Polling Place from Senior Housing to Middle School

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After hearing from many people worried about having voters coming into a senior apartment building during the 2020 elections, the Town Council voted to move the polling location to Watertown Middle School. A temporary location for Precincts 11 and 12 is needed because the normal voting location, Cunniff Elementary School, is under construction. School construction at Hosmer Elementary School also impacted Precinct 2, which will move to the Hellenic Cultural Center. The locations will be used for the Sept. 1 State Primary and the Nov.

Around Town

Banners in Watertown Square Feature Student Artwork, Tell Tales of Migration

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One of the banners now hanging in Watertown Square. This one features the artwork of Hosmer School students and show their families’ migration story. The following information was provided by the creators of the Watertown Square Banners Project:

The next time you travel through Watertown Square take a few minutesto admire the colorful new banners hanging on poles throughout the square. They were the brainstorm of local graphic designer Carole Katz and feature works developed by students from the Hosmer School and the Watertown Middle School. Driving through the square one day Katz decided the square needed some colorful banners to replace the current historical banners (that she designed) that have been hanging for several years now.