Dear Watertown Public School Families and Caregivers,
This past Monday, over 400 Watertown community members, including many of our students, came together to honor the legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Two of our students shared inspiring personal stories about how they live their lives in pursuit of justice and embody Dr. King’s principles.
The event featured meaningful community conversations led by our incredible student leaders, uplifting performances by the All-City Chorus, and captivating music from the WHS Jazz Band. It was a powerful celebration of unity, reflection, and the enduring impact of Dr. King’s vision.
Dr. King once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” His unwavering belief in the dignity and equality of all people reminds us that every child, regardless of their background or immigration status, deserves respect, protection, and opportunity. At Watertown Public Schools, we strive to honor his legacy by ensuring that our schools are safe, inclusive, and nurturing spaces where every student can learn, grow, and succeed. We are deeply committed to providing an excellent education to all children in our community, no matter where they come from or what challenges they face.
In recent days, the subject of immigration has been widely discussed in our community and across the country. We recognize the questions around immigration may raise serious concerns within our community. In Massachusetts, the law is clear that anyone residing in Watertown can attend our schools regardless of their immigration status. We will never ask you for your immigration status or require any documents to prove this. Equally, we will not retain any documents to that effect in our schools. We are here to assist students and families in any way we can, and we encourage you to reach out to your child’s principal, guidance counselor, or trusted adult at any time if you have questions or concerns. We are ready to help, whether through direct support or by connecting you with resources available in our community.
Schools are not the only places that understand and believe in the need to provide a safe community for all who reside here in Watertown. Chief of Police Justin Hanrahan stated at the 25th Annual Unity Breakfast, “...it’s not the role of the Watertown Police Department, or actually any local police department of Massachusetts, to enforce those [immigration] regulations. Our duty is to protect and serve everyone who lives, works, or visits our city, no matter where they were born or where they call home. Dr. King taught us the power of unity, empathy, and standing up for one another. In that spirit, the role of the Watertown Police Department is to keep our community safe.”
This commitment is shared by our school system. It is our role in our community to provide a safe place for the children of Watertown to learn every day, without disruption. U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents or officials are not allowed on school grounds, including bus stops or locations where school activities take place (i.e. Victory Field during a WHS sports event), unless they have a specific federal judicial warrant. Furthermore, please know that the Watertown Public Schools cannot and will not disclose protected student information to anyone, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, without the parent or caregiver’s explicit consent. The protection of a child and family’s privacy rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) has not changed.
As a community, we share the responsibility to ensure every child feels safe, valued, and supported. The Watertown Public School District remains dedicated to protecting the rights and dignity of all students. Thank you for trusting us with your children’s education and well-being.
Feel free to contact me or your child’s principal at any time if you have questions or individual concerns. Additionally, we are collecting resources and information in the linked Google Folder for your use.
With kind regards,
Dede Galdston
(617) 926-7708
Earlier this week, the WMS Principal Screening Committee met to examine the pool of applicants for the upcoming Watertown Middle School principal opening. Candidate packets were distributed to the working group, which then narrowed down a list of potential fits for WMS.
The screening committee will now conduct two days of initial interviews with candidates next week, before announcing finalists for the position. The finalists will then be interviewed again the first week of February as part of an afternoon visit to WMS, before the job is officially offered to our chosen candidate on February 14. More information will be shared about opportunities for public participation during the finalists' visits once the finalists are selected
We are very excited to announce the launch of our brand new school-to-family communications platform: ParentSquare
ParentSquare is an app and online portal that provides families with a new way to stay connected with your student’s school. This platform will contain all school-related information and notifications in one convenient location.
ParentSquare will be one of the primary forms of communication between your child’s school and you, so it is important that you complete this sign-up.
To sign-up for ParentSquare
Download the free ParentSquare app for iOS or Android (available in the App Store or Google Play)
Login with your email or phone number registered with Watertown Public Schools
Begin exploring the ParentSquare app!
Watertown High School field hockey coach Eileen Donahue has been named the field hockey Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations, adding another award to her Hall of Fame career.
Coach Donahue is fresh off her 22nd state championship as head coach of the Raiders and is the winningest field hockey coach in state history. She was recently honored as the MIAA field hockey Coach of the Year.
Congratulations, Eileen!
The Globe named senior Rachel Egan the Division 3 Athlete of the Year, while also naming senior Caroline Andrade to the All-Scholastic roster. Both Egan and Andrade picked up similar honors from the Herald, who also listed senior Adrianna Williams as an honorable mention.
Congratulations to Raiders wrestlers Tessa Master and Brady Gleason, who both placed 1st in their divisions at the Belmont Brandon Grant Memorial Tournament earlier this month.
The Raiders wrestling program continues to make incredible strides coming off one of the best seasons in program history last year. We know big things are on the way for wrestling in the coming weeks!
Lowell Elementary School third grader Naomi Ward is receiving regional recognition for her effort to fight food insecurity.
Naomi led the charge to establish Lowell Food for All, in support of the Watertown Community Fridge. Naomi and her family used a Go Fund Me page to raise money to purchase a refrigerator for the Lowell cafeteria, where students and staff can place unopened food items. The food is then taken to the Watertown Community Fridge, where it helps people in need of food assistance.
The plan required coordination between Naomi, her family, school officials, the WPS food services department, and various state and local officials, including the Watertown Board of Health, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and State Senator William Brownsberger.
Naomi’s efforts have now garnered media attention from multiple news outlets, including WBZ, 7 News, Watertown News, and WBUR. We are very proud of Naomi for making a difference in the lives of others!
Photo credit: Charlie Breitrose, Watertown News
The city will begin construction next week on the Lowell School playground project.
Over the coming months, new playground equipment will be installed along with a resurfaced basketball court. New walkways will also be included in the scope of the project.
Work should be completed the end of the summer. More information is available at the Watertown city website.
A group of Watertown High School students are participating in the Emerging Leaders Program at Harvard.
As part of the first session, students participated in a scavenger hunt around the Radcliffe campus. They also visited the archives to look at and reflect on unique, primary source documents such as civil rights icon Angela Davis' high school report card, letters written to and from her, and drafts of magazine articles about her.
Watertown High School is organizing a Polar Plunge Team to raise money for Special Olympics Massachusetts! WHS will join teams from all over the state to raise money for Massachusetts athletes so they can train, compete, and live healthier lives.
At 10am on Sunday, February 2nd, the team will be joined by groups from the Watertown Police Department, Cambridge Savings Bank and other local organizations at 130 Arsenal Yards to take the cold plunge!
To learn more and donate, click the link below.
Students from Mr. Riley's Digital Media Communications classes at Watertown High School took a field trip to the NESN studios earlier this month.
Bruins producer Brian Zechello and his team gave students a behind-the-scenes look at how Bruins broadcasts get on the air and offered up some hands-on learning experiences in the control room. Many NESN staffers took the time to talk with students and offered up college and career advice, shared their personal experiences, and discussed the importance of internships.
Thank you to everyone at NESN for this memorable experience!
Watertown High School chorus students took part in the Eastern District Concert earlier this month at Milton High School.
WHS students Maddox Caron, Nairi Davidian, Christopher Papazian, Avery MacDonald and Defne Liddle were selected for this ensemble after a competitive audition process. Their performance was truly high caliber.
Congratulations to our students and their amazing mentor, Mr. Wulf!
The Watertown Recreation Department has announced a number of activities and offerings for school-aged children beginning in February, including:
Chess Wizards, Saturdays 9am to 10am. Grades K-6
Kids Test Kitchen, Thursdays 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Grades 3-5
Kids Test Kitchen, Saturdays 11:00am - 12:00pm. Grades 1-3
Central Rock Climbing, Fridays 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Grades 5-8
Sky High Engineering, Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Grades 3-5
Destination Imagination, Wednesday's 2:30pm-3:30pm. Grades 3-5
For more information, please contact the Watertown Recreation Department.
We live in New England, and whether we love them or hate them, snow days may be just around the corner. In the case of inclement weather or school closure for emergency reasons, information about school closures will be:
- Posted on the District’s website (www.watertown.k12.ma.us), the WPS Facebook page (@watertownpublicschools) and the WPS Twitter/X feed (@watertownschool)
- Emailed to parents and staff from the Superintendent’s office via the District’s messaging service
- Broadcast by the following stations:
- WBZ Television (Channel 4)
- WCVB Television (Channel 5)
- WHDH Television (Channel 7)
- NBC Boston (Channel 10 and NECN)
- WFXT Television (Channel 25)
- WBZ Radio (AM 1030)
In most occurrences, the decision to open, delay, or close school is made between 5:30 and 6:00 AM.
Delayed Openings
A delayed opening may be announced to allow the District and/or Department of Public Works to adequately prepare streets, walkways, and parking lots for safe travel. Delayed openings will be for one (1) hour to two (2) hours after the schools’ regular scheduled start times. Before-school programs are canceled on days with delayed openings. Lunch will be served at the regular time and school will close at the regular time.
Preschool
Preschool classes are canceled on days of school closure. Delayed opening may impact some of the partial day programs. Please check the closure announcement for more details.
Extended Day
Extended Day programs are canceled on days of school closure. On days with delayed openings, before-school Extended Day programs are canceled and after-school Extended Day programs begin as usual.
On occasion, the District may call for an early release or cancel PM and evening activities including after-school Extended Day programs. Please check the aforementioned television and radio stations for notifications of PM closures.
Dr. Deanne Galdston
Email: deanne.galdston@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: www.watertown.k12.ma.us
Location: 30 Common Street, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7708
Facebook: www.facebook.com/watertownpublicschools
Twitter: @WatertownSupt