Superintendent's Newsletter
December 31, 2024
Welcome!
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A Message from the Superintendent
Dear Watertown Public Schools Community,
Happy New Year's Eve! I hope you all had a restful and joyous holiday season filled with moments of connection and renewal, ready to start back on Thursday, January 2.
As we head into 2025, I am excited about the opportunities and milestones that lie ahead for our district. This year, we will see significant progress on the construction of the new Watertown High School, which is on track for completion in the Spring of 2026, and we will also begin exploring possibilities for the future of Watertown Middle School. Together, we will ensure that our facilities continue to support innovative, high-quality education for every student, every day.
Additionally, we are starting the year with the important and exciting task of identifying the next principal of Watertown Middle School. This search process will involve collaboration, engagement, and input from our school community, and I look forward to working with many of you to find the best leader to guide the school into its next chapter.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and commitment to making Watertown Public Schools a place where all learners can be successful. Let’s make 2025 a year to remember!
Best,
Dede Galdston, Superintendent of Schools
Watertown Middle School Building Project Update
Another key step towards a Watertown Middle School building project was taken as the School Building Committee selected Vertex Engineering as the Owner's Project Manager at its most recent meeting.
The Owner's Project Manager is charged with overseeing the project on behalf of the city. Vertex currently serves as the OPM for the Watertown High School construction project.
The next step will be to select an architectural firm to conduct the WMS Feasibility Study. This study will analyze the options that are possible for rebuilding/renovating WMS, as well as the financial factors at play. The City has set a target budget of $84.4 million for the project. This amount will be funded through borrowing while ensuring it remains within the 2.5% property tax levy limit.
You can read much more about the project in my letter to the community last month.
WHS Construction Update
Construction continues at Watertown High School. The building is expected to be weathertight in the coming weeks. The roof is completed and all windows should be installed in short order.
Work continues inside the building and as you can see, amazing progress has been made. Every day brings us one step closer to opening in April of 2026.
Photos taken by Joel Thuman on December 18, 2024
Winter Concerts
Students K-12 took part in celebrations of music, culture, and community and put on memorable band, string, and chorus performances for family, friends, and staff.
Thank you to our amazing Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts staff for their tireless efforts to bring music into our schools, and congratulations to all our musicians!
It's Raining Maps! WMS GeoBee Returns
In one of the great traditions of the school year, Watertown Middle School held the annual GeoBee on the Friday before winter break.
Students put on an amazing display of geographical knowledge and crushed questions that would've stumped many people twice their age. This year's event had a 70's theme and was filled with 70's music, costumes, and puns.
Congratulations to the 2024 GeoBee champion, Ty! He outlasted his outstanding co-finalist, Abram, as the two traded correct answer after correct answer in the final round. Congratulations to all our excellent competitors and a big thank you to the staff who put on a memorable edition of this yearly event.
Eileen Donahue Honored at MIAA Banquet
Congratulations to Eileen Donahue, who was honored at last week's MIAA banquet as field hockey Coach of the Year in Massachusetts!
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 honored alongside her fellow coach of the year recipients across all sports offered at the high school level in Massachusetts.
Winter Sports Begin
The winter sports season is officially underway and we're wishing all our Raiders teams good luck as they begin a push for the playoffs!
Last week, Watertown Cable News caught up with the coaches and captains of the WHS boys and girls basketball teams for a season preview. We hope big things are in store for this Raiders this winter!
Riding to School in Style
This week, winners of the Watertown Fire Department's fire prevention week art contest got to cash in their big prize: a ride to school in a Watertown fire truck.
Thanks to WFD for being great partners and for always keeping us safe!
A Gift For Family
WHS sophomore Robert Malone continues a major project in his Construction Technology II class: building a one-of-a-kind, handmade coffee table with storage for his family.
After successfully harvesting the raw material from pallets, Robert has been busy milling, cutting, laying out and cutting mortise and tenon joinery for the legs and rails of his coffee table. The mortise and tenons were cut using hand tools including a dovetail saw, chisels and router plane with the precise layout being facilitated by using several marking gauges set at predetermined dimensions to ensure proper fitting mortise and tenon joints for a well-crafted solid coffee table.
Robert is dry fitting the joinery and has completed the assembly of the tables side panels integrating the pallet material into the project. The base and storage portion of the coffee table is complete, and Robert is now milling and cutting the material for the table top and completion of the table.
We'll keep you posted on his progress!
Lowell Goes To The Dogs
We had some very special furry friends drop by the Lowell school this week!
Golden Opportunities for Independence, a non-profit organization that trains service dogs, brought in a few of their trainees to spend some quality time with students and staff. Nothing brings a smile to our faces quite like a dog!
Upcoming Events
School Committee Meeting
Monday, Jan 6, 2025, 07:00 PM
J R Lowell Elementary School, Orchard Street, Watertown, MA, USA
Conversations with the Superintendent
Zoom Link for the Conversations with the Superintendent. Each month, the superintendent hosts a virtual information sharing and Q and A session for any members of the community who are interested in learning more about our schools or have questions they would like to ask. Everyone is welcome to attend!
Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025, 09:00 AM
Zoom
Feel free to reach out any time!
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