Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/watertown-schools/page/15/)
This is the account of the most recent School Committee meeting provided by the Watertown Strong Schools parents group. Look at the end for commentary. Unofficial Minutes: School Committee Meeting 7/18/16 – Key Points and Commentary
Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the bottom of the minutes. Written by: Kate Coyne, Alyson Morales, and David Stokes.
The Watertown schools started an effort to not only include students learning English as their second tongue in school, but to celebrate their first language and their culture. And the Bilingualism is a Gift campaign has been a hit. Two instructors have spearheaded the effort: Hosmer English Language Learner teacher Lauren Harrison and Maryann MacDougall, team leader of the Speech and Language program the Watertown Public Schools preschool program. The pair told the School Committee Tuesday nigh that they have received high marks not just from people in Watertown, but from educators across the United States and around the globe. In the fall, the Bilingualism is a Gift (or BiG) campaign started with a poster put up around the Watertown Schools.
Dear Watertown,
I want to encourage Watertown citizens to consider the 2015/2016 Superintendent’s goals and the learning goals discussed at the August 10th School Committee meeting. Goal setting is a powerful tool that school districts use to achieve purposeful results. Goals help schools focus energy, attention, resources, and motivation. They inspire commitment and action or, in their absence, inaction. Watertown Public Schools (WPS) is a ~$45 million per year education system, serving 2700+ diverse students with a staff of approximately 550 people.
Superintendent Jean Fitzpatrick revealed her proposed goals for the 2015-16 school year, and they include creating a foreign language program in Watertown’s elementary schools, starting an anti-drug program and get state money for a high school building project
Last week, Fitzgerald told the School Committee about her goals. The School Committee will wait until the Sept. 16 meeting to vote to improve them because they want to give parents time to comment on the goals. Among her draft goals, Fitzgerald proposed creating an implementation plan for a five-year comprehensive foreign language program at the elementary school (FLES). She said she plans to present the plan to the School Committee in February 2016, so that there will be time to include the program in the in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget process.
The Watertown Public Schools have got an influx of more than $500,000 into the schools to improve the fitness and wellness of children in town. The money came from the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant, and much of the focus has been on improving physical education classes (see details here). But that is not the only benefit of the three-year grant, Director of Wellness and Extended Services Donna Ruseckas told the School Committee. The Recreation Department and the Boys and Girls Club of Watertown have also received equipment as part of the grant. Ruseckas said she plans to put in fitness activities around Watertown’s schools for children and their families.
In an effort to boost sales of school lunches, Watertown’s new Director of Food Services will be introducing some new, hopefully more enticing meals for students. Guy Koppe, the new director, told the School Committee he has already started testing new dishes. “We have done taste testing with students where they can sample the new items and fill out surveys,” Koppe said. “They can also say what they would call it if they had a chance to name it.” The dishes that are popular in the taste testing will slowly be introduced to the menu. Among the dishes Koppe will test are broccoli with garlic and parmesan, shepherd’s pie and lemon oregano chicken.
The Watertown Public Schools open on Thursday, Sept. 4, and here are some announcements from school officials. Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald sent out the following information:
STUDENT REGISTRATION
For registration at the appropriate school, new students should bring their birth certificate, school records or report cards (if records from their previous school were not already transferred), proof of residency (e.g. lease or utility bill) and complete health records indicating all required immunizations were received. These immunizations are a requirement of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and must be received before the student may attend school or be enrolled. A parent or guardian should accompany the child to school.
The School Committee will request an additional $1 million in funding from the town to cover special education costs and hire teachers to reduce class sizes. Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said the schools need $653,000 to raise the funds for special education in Fiscal 2015 up to the amount spent this year in Fiscal 2014. The money is needed along with the $750,000 the Town Council has approved for the Special Education Stabilization Fund. “We need the additional $653,000 to get to the base, and then if we go above that we can go to the stabilization fund because we will be in extraordinary times,” Fitzgerald said. “If we don’t do that, then we are already in extraordinary times.”