As autumn settles in, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the unique beauty this season brings to our schools. From the crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and falling leaves, there’s an undeniable energy in the air. Students and staff alike are back in full swing, bringing enthusiasm to classrooms, sports, and clubs. The change of seasons is not only a time to enjoy the beauty around us but also to focus on new initiatives that help our district move forward and thrive.
One of our most exciting initiatives this year is the rollout of a new K-5 content-based literacy program, Wit and Wisdom, designed to strengthen foundational reading and comprehension skills from an early age. This program focuses on learning literacy through content to encourage a love of reading and writing, while also improving overall literacy. It’s an important step toward ensuring all our students build the literacy skills needed for future academic success. Our K-5 teachers are working hard to implement this new curriculum, and we appreciate their dedication to the successful launch of this engaging program.
In terms of our building projects, we continue our work on the new Watertown High School, which has been progressing smoothly and on time. We’re also grateful for the City's opening discussions about possible renovations to the middle school, recognizing the need to provide an updated, accessible, and modern facility for our middle school students.
Additionally, MCAS and accountability updates have been shared with our School Committee. These results allow us to celebrate areas of achievement while focusing on areas needing improvement. And congratulations to our Cunniff Elementary School who were named a school of recognition by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for their 2024 performance.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and let’s make this fall a season of growth, learning, and community.
Best,
Dede Galdston, Superintendent of Schools
The Cunniff Elementary School has been recognized as one of the top performing schools in Massachusetts following the release of MCAS results and 2024 accountability data.
The Cunniff School was one of only 57 schools in the state to earn a “School of Recognition” honor from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Cunniff School met or exceeded all but one target set by the state, bringing its total target attainment score to an impressive 89%.
This is the second year in a row that a Watertown school has been named a School of Recognition by state education officials. The Hosmer Elementary School picked up the same award last year with a 93% target attainment score. School of Recognition is the highest designation a school can achieve from DESE upon the release of accountability data.
While there is always room for improvement, we are proud of our districtwide MCAS and accountability data results. Some of the highlights include:
Construction is almost 50% complete at the new Watertown High School. With that milestone upon us, school and city officials recently toured the new structure and were wowed by the progress that has been made in less than a year.
When Watertown High School opens in 2026, it will be the first high school in the United States to achieve both net-zero energy and LEED Platinum 4.1 status.
Looking for a family-friendly event this weekend? You are invited to the planting festival for Watertown's first Miyawaki Forest, otherwise known as a micro-forest.
More than 700 tree and shrub seedings will be planted in a 3,000 square-foot portion of the Lowell School lawn. This will eventually grow into an outdoor classroom and public green space.
Tools will be provided, along with refreshments and science activities for kids. See you tomorrow (10/26) from 10-3! To register for participation, click here.
You can learn more about the goal of this project and how this mini-forest will benefit Watertown by clicking this link, or by watching this story from Watertown Cable News.
Reducing Idling to Protect Student Health and Our Environment
Watertown Public Schools is committed to reducing unnecessary vehicle idling during drop-off and pick-up times. Idling is wasteful, polluting, and harmful to children’s health. In fact, Massachusetts law prohibits idling for more than five minutes when a vehicle is stopped.
Idling vehicles release exhaust that contaminates the air, posing health and environmental risks. Children are especially vulnerable to these effects due to their developing lungs. Asthma—the most common chronic illness among children—is aggravated by exhaust fumes from cars and buses, which contain fine particles that can trigger asthma attacks. Massachusetts has one of the highest asthma rates in the country, affecting over 250,000 adults and 110,000 children, or about 6% of the population.
Please help us protect our children’s health and improve air quality by turning off your engine if you’ll be waiting for more than 10 seconds. This small change can make a big difference in providing a cleaner, healthier environment for our school community. Thank you for helping make our schools safer and our air cleaner!
Link to School Committee Policy "Motor Vehicle Idling on School Grounds."
The Watertown Anti-Bias Coalition has announced its meeting dates for the 2024-2025 school year.
Gatherings will kick off with a meet and greet on Monday, October 28. The coalition will meet once month after that for the rest of the school year. All meetings are held in the Lowell Elementary School Learning Commons.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The Anti-Bias Coalition meets in group settings and is tasked with determining how to best support all Watertown students and ensure our schools remain inclusive and celebrate diversity.
For more information, to provide feedback to the ABC, or to sign-up for the ABC mailing list, scan the QR code or click this link.
Raiders field hockey coach Eileen Donahue has been named the MIAA's Field Hockey Coach of the Year, the latest honor in a long and storied 39-year career.
Coach Donahue led the Raiders to their third-straight state championship last season, and the 21st title during her tenure as head coach Along the way, she recorded her 750th career win. The Raiders set the national record for consecutive shutouts (41) en route to last year's championship.
Congratulations to Coach Donahue and good luck as the Raiders go for four in a row this fall!
The Watertown High School boys and girls soccer programs are putting on Soccer Night tomorrow (10/26), a community-wide celebration of the world's most popular sport.
The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with a senior night celebration with players and their families. The boys varsity team will then square off with Reading at 6 p.m. under the Victory Field lights. Players from Watertown Youth Soccer will join the WHS team on the field for the national anthem and will take part in mini-games at halftime on the field with the girls varsity team.
Admission is free and fans are encouraged to wear Watertown colors to promote community spirit. High school students will be running a snack shack and temporary soccer tattoos will be available for fans of all ages.
Go Raiders!
Robert Malone, a sophomore at WHS, has developed an ambitious, creative and environmentally sensitive idea for his first project in Construction Technology II.
Robert’s project will use wood that he has salvaged from two palettes that were heading to the dumpster. He will combine the palette material with Eastern White Pine for the legs and frame to create a one of a kind coffee table with storage for his family.
Robert’s next task is to build the legs and rails that will accept the slats reclaimed from the palette. Keep an eye on the next newsletter to see how the project is coming along!
Raider made an appearance at a recent School Committee meeting, where school resource officers Anna Margaryan and Kerry Kelley detailed the role Raider is playing in our schools and the benefits of having a resource dog in Watertown.
Raider will serve students and staff in many ways, offering comfort, listening to read-alouds, and helping with conflict mitigation. Above all else, Raider will be a friend to everyone in our schools.
In the picture to the right, Raider is spotted attending a meeting at the Hosmer.
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