Principal's Letter


GOINGS ON AT WATERTOWN HIGH SCHOOL

01.31.2020 EDITION

RAIDER PRIDE~~~WATERTOWN STRONG

MAIN OFFICE: 617-926-7760

ATTENDANCE OR DISCIPLINE: 617-926-7730

GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT: 617-926-7736


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The first half of the school year is “in the books’! Midterm exams are complete, third quarter/second semester classes are running, and report cards from quarter 2 will be out soon.   Winter sports are in full force and the rehearsals for the Spring musical, Chicago, can be heard from the auditorium daily! Our progress with the Massachusetts School Building Authority continues to move forward and we are excited about the future possibilities. Please enjoy reading about recent and upcoming events, and join in!

ALL TICKET RECEIPTS FROM TONIGHT’S (JAN 31@ 5:15 & 7:00 PM) BASKETBALL HOME GAMES WILL BE DONATED TO SUPPORT THE VICTIMS OF THE RECENT FIRE IN WATERTOWN

NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Highlights of Upcoming Events

February 1 – Spring Sports Registration begins

February 5&6 – Biology MCAS retest

February 6 – Junior Future Planning Night, 6:30 – 8:00pm

February 6 – Anti-Bias Coalition Event, 6:00-8:00pm

February 8 – ACTs (WHS is not a test site)

February 10th – Report Cards distributed in Advisory/Homeroom

February 17-21 – No School – February Recess

Feb. 28, 29 & Mar 1 – High school musical “Chicago”; 7pm; 7pm; 2pm

March 2-4 – ELA MCAS retest

March 5 – Parent Conferences, 4:30-6:30pm

March 6 & 9 – Math MCAS retest

March 9 – Spring Sports Meeting

March 9 – Band-A-Rama Rehearsal, 3:15pm

March 10 – Spring Sports Registration closes

March 10 & 11 – Seal of Biliteracy testing

March 10 – Report Cards distributed in Advisory

March 10 – Parent Conferences 6:30-8:30pm

March 11 – Mr. WHS Dress Rehearsal

March 11 – Band-A-Rama, 7:00pm, WHS Gymnasium

March 12 – Mr. WHS, 6:00pm, Shaw Auditorium

March 14 – SATs (WHS is not a test site)

March 16 – Spring Sports season begins

March 16-20 – SPEAK Week

Mid-March – Scholarship Booklet distributed

March 24 & 25 – ELA MCAS

March 25 – Mandatory Pre-Cruise, Pre-Prom meeting for student and parent/guardian

April 1 – Art Show Opening Reception, 5:00-7:00 Watertown Mall

April 2 – Program of Studies Night, 6:30-8:30pm

April 4 – ACTs (WHS not a test site)

April 6 – Spring Sports Picture Day

April 10 – Early Release Day

April 20-24 – April Recess, No School

May 2 – SATs (WHS is a test site)

May 4-15 – AP Testing

May 6 – Early Release for students (Prof. Dev. for teachers)

May 19-20 – Math MCAS

May 20 – Senior Athletic Awards Banquet

May 21 – WHS Spring Music concert

May 25 – Memorial Day – No School

May 28 – Senior Awards Night

June 1 – Senior Prom

June 2-3 – STE MCAS

June 5 - ***Graduation!!!***

June 5-6 – Post Graduation All-Night Party

June 12 – Junior Cruise

June 13 – ACTs (WHS not a test site)

Student Class Advisors:

Class of 2020 – Ms. Mundy

Class of 2021 – Ms. Malone & Ms. McGovern

Class of 2022 – Mr. Mastro & Ms. Glencross

Class of 2023 – Mr. Nabel & Ms. Bloomer

KUDOS TO THE FOLLOWING FOLKS!

Eileen Donahue - inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame (on 1/16/2020)

Ryan Murphy – MSSADA Professional Development Award (on 3/25/2020)

Eileen Donahue – Massachusetts Women in Athletics Distinguished Service Award (on 2/7/2020)

LAST CALL FOR MR. WHS CONTESTANTS!

Gentlemen of WHS, do you have what it takes to be the next Mr. WHS? If you do and want to compete in the annual Mr. WHS show, see Mr. Mastro in Room 251 for an application.  THE DEADLINE IS TODAY, JANUARY 31ST!

MARK THE DATE NOW – JUNIORS AND SENIORS!!

In an effort to continue to promote a healthy and responsible lifestyle to our students, including making good decisions as it relates to drugs and alcohol, we will host our annual MANDATORY pre-prom/pre-cruise presentation on Wednesday March 25th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the WHS Shaw Auditorium. Any senior who plans to attend the prom and any junior that plans to attend the junior cruise must attend this presentation with a parent or a guardian. Students who do not attend this presentation with a parent or guardian will not be allowed to attend the prom or the cruise.

NEED A RAIDERS LANYARD?

The Varsity Softball team is selling Watertown Raiders lanyards during all three lunches.  If interested, bring $7 to your lunch period any day from now until Friday February 7th.

ANTI-BIAS COALITION EVENT

February 6th, 2020 flyer

This year Watertown Public Schools has partnered with Facing History & Ourselves to provide our faculty with new opportunities for important learning and dialogue around equity. We would now like to invite our families and town to join us on this journey. Through interactive exercises, facilitated dialogue and small group discussions we will explore the range of assumptions and identities that make up our community. This event, "Fostering an Inclusive & Welcoming Watertown: A Facing History & Ourselves Conversation", will take place on Thursday, February 6th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Watertown High School Cafeteria on 50 Columbia St. Dinner is 6:00 - 6:30; session is 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. 

Dinner, childcare, and interpretation services are available if registered. Please register at bit.ly/abcfiww. 

FRESHMAN PHYSICS

There is a freshman physics study group every Monday morning in the Math Lab at 7:45 am, run by 2 upper level physics students.  Anybody in any freshman physics class is invited, no matter the level, from honors to fundamentals. Also anyone in AP Physics C or AP Physics I is invited if they would like to help tutor. 

ATTENTION ALL WRITERS!

The second issue of the combined Raider Times/Word Painter is still accepting submissions!  If you have any great essays, reviews, editorials, reflections, travel writing, interviews or other sparkling non-fiction, send them to Mr. Vitti.  If you have any great poetry or short stories, send them to Mr. Cooke or see him in Room 351. We will be accepting submissions through Friday February 7th.

WHS SITE COUNCIL

The WHS Site Council is comprised of the principal, parents, staff, students and community members.  It is charged with creating and implementing the WHS School Improvement Plan, reviewing the budget and budget process in an advisory capacity to the school principal.   Our next meeting will be on Wednesday February 26th at 6:30 in the WHS Library. All are welcome!

GUIDANCE NEWS!

Check out the latest Guidance Newsletter here: https://www.smore.com/ntx7w Note to seniors!  Fisher College is visiting Watertown High School on February 6th at 9:00 am for an “On-the-Spot” Decision Day, where an admissions counselor will review application and give you an admissions decision right away! Stop by Guidance to pick up a FREE application.  They also want to meet with students who have already been accepted for Fall 2020 and make sure everything is all set for enrollment. Sign up on Naviance under the “What’s New” tab. If you have questions, come and talk with your guidance counselor.

PTSO NEWS

The WHS PTSO is a vibrant group of parents who work hard to support the work of the high school.  They provide classroom grants, informational events and also fund and run the All-Night Party following Graduation each year.  Please consider getting involved. Support the PTSO so they can help fund programs for students and teachers at the High School.

  • The Watertown High School PTSO is currently collecting gift cards to be distributed among the families who were displaced by the recent fire on Robert Ford Road. You can drop off your donations to the Watertown High School main office, during school hours.

  • Email the PTSO to be added to their mailing list and receive updates for events and programs: [email protected]

WHS ROBOTICS – BUILD SEASON WEEKS 2 AND 3!

While we were on hold during midterms, the students are continuing to make progress on creating a robot.  For more on our activities over the last two weeks, see our newsletter which includes a link to the video of this year’s challenge!  

Mary-Benham Nygren

Coach, Robotics Team

[email protected]

If a student, parent, mentor, family member or community member would like to be added to our newsletter distribution list, please send an email to [email protected].  If you no longer wish to receive our newsletters, please send an email to [email protected] with unsubscribe in the subject line.

If you have trouble accessing the link, please email [email protected] for a pdf version.

FREE STUDENT TICKETS TO NPR EVENT AT THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY

From the Top is taping its popular NPR weekly music show on Saturday, February 8 at 2PM at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston. Tickets are free for students and only $20 for adults (select student seat in the ticketing app for free tix)

NPR’s From the Top: Live

New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall

Saturday, February 8 at 2PM

Featuring:

Pianist Peter Dugan and 15-time Grammy award-winning Latin Jazz Master Paquito D’Rivera will co-host and perform alongside and chat with 5 amazing young musicians:

 TICKETS and INFOhttps://www.fromthetop.org/show/nprs-from-the-top-boston-ma-show-383/

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

The National Honor Society at WHS is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS)! NHS will be conducting a spare change drive from Monday, February 3rd until Friday February 14th, Each grade (plus staff) will be competing to see who can raise the most money for this important cause. Whichever grade raises the most money by the end of the collection period, gets to keep half in their Class Account to help defray the cost of future class activities (prom, all-night party, junior cruise, Kimball’s, etc.). Donation bins will be in the cafeteria during all three lunches every day during the two-week collection period.  Come and support LLS! Donations of all amounts are welcome!

WATERTOWN HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY & WAYSHAK FAB LAB

Click the link to see the latest newsletter about events and projects in the WHS Library and Fab Lab!   Fall 2019 Library/Fab Lab Newsletter

LIVE WELL WATERTOWN NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Live Well Watertown needs volunteers to help with some community wellness projects suh as Google forms and data input and some websie/social media work.  If you are interested, please contact Stephanie Venizelos, Community Wellness Pogram Manager at (617) 972-6448 ext.8 or email her at [email protected]

COMIC, GRAPHIC NOVEL AND ANIMATION CLUB

The next meeting of the Comic, Graphic Novel and Animation Club will take place on Friday February 7th, from 3:05-4:35 pm in the Lecture Hall.  Any questions, see Mr. Boyd.

RAIDER TIMES Get all the latest news on Watertown High School from our

 award winning student journalists! Students interested in working on the Raider Times as editors, designers, reporters, writers or photographers, see Mr. Vitti in Room 345A.   http://raidertimes.com/  

SPORTS: HOME GAMES IN THE NEAR FUTURE

https://watertownraiders.org/

Friday, Jan. 31

~4:00pm – Girls JV Basketball v. Burlington @ WMS

~5:15pm – Boys JV Basketball v. Burlington @ WMS

~5:15pm – Girls Varsity Basketball v. Burlington

~7:00pm - Boys Varsity Basketball v. Burlington

Saturday, Feb. 1

~2:00pm - Boys Varsity Basketball v. Roxbury Prep Charter

~2:20pm – Girls Varsity Hockey v. Stoneham

Sunday, Feb. 2

~2:00 - Girls Varsity Basketball v. Triton Regional HS

Tuesday, Feb. 4

~5:30pm - Girls JV Basketball v. Woburn

~7:00pm - Girls Varsity Basketball v. Woburn 

Thursday, Feb. 6

~7:00pm – Coed Varsity Wrestling – Senior Night

Friday, Feb. 7 

~4:00pm - Girls JV Basketball v. Wilmington

~5:15pm - Boys JV Basketball v. Wilmington @ WMS

~5:30pm - Girls Varsity Basketball v. Wilmington

~7:00pm – Boys Varsity Basketball v. Wilmington

Saturday, Feb. 8

~10:00am - Coed Varsity Wrestling v. Multiple

~4:00pm – Boys JV Basketball v. Brighton

~5:30pm – Boys Varsity Basketball v.Brighton

Monday, Feb. 10

~5:10pm - Girls Varsity Hockey v. Cambridge Public

Tuesday, Feb. 11

~5:15pm - Boys JV Basketball v. Reading

~5:30pm – Boys Freshman Basketball v. Reading @ WMS

~7:00pm - Boys Varsity Basketball v. Reading – Senior Night

Wednesday, Feb. 12

~6:00pm – Boys Varsity Hockey v. Newton South – Senior Night

~8:00pm – Girls Varsity Hockey v. Burlington

Thursday, Feb. 13

~4:30pm - Boys Freshman Basketball v. Stoneham

Saturday, Feb. 15

~12:20pm - Girls Varsity Hockey v. Wilmington

Monday, Feb. 17

~1:00pm - Girls Varsity Hockey v. Waltham

Wednesday, Feb. 19

~5:30pm – Girls JV Basketball v. Winchester

~7:00pm - Girls Varsity Basketball v. Winchester – Senior Night

SESSIONS, SESSIONS, SESSIONS

Sessions may now only be served after school for one hour on Tuesdays Wednesdays & Thursdays in the following locations:

  • Tuesdays in Room 346 (Mr. MacLaughlin)

  • Wednesdays in the Library (Ms. Maguire)

  • Thursdays in Room 321 (Ms. Pearlman)

Sessions may also be served before school by appointment at 7:20 am in Room 222.

FLU ADVISORY

Flu is most contagious in the first 3-4 days after becoming sick.  It takes 1-2 days after exposure to the flue virus before the illness becomes evident, and it may be contagious up to 7 days after becoming sick. The best two practices to prevent fl from spreading are proper and frequent handwashing and appropriate quarantine (e.g. coughing etiquette, wearing a mask, staying away when sick).  If you have a fever, please stay home for at least 24 hours after your last elevated temperature. If diagnoses with th fu, please stay home for 3-4 days from the time the illness began. 

MEDICATIONS – PRESCRIPTION AND OVER THE COUNTER

As mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, students are not allowed to bring any medication, either prescription or over-the-counter, to school.  With proper documents, students may carry insulin and enzymes, epinephrine, and inhalers with them. With signed parent/guardian consent, students may take Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin), and/or Calcium Carbonate (Tums) in the nurse’s presence, as deemed appropriate by the nurse. Please see the nurse if a student needs to take any medications and to find out what appropriate documents are needed.

REMINDER ABOUT THE DRESS CODE

No bare midriffs and no exposed underwear are allowed.  Thanks for your cooperation.

HOURS FOR THE FITNESS CENTER (subject to change):

Monday      3:10 – 6:00

Tuesday     3:10 – 6:00

Wednesday 4:30 – 6:00

Thursday    3:10 – 6:00

Friday         3:10 – 6:00

No student should be in the fitness center without supervision.

DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS are sent to first period teachers every morning and displayed on the Lobby TV.  You can also find them in your student email, on Twitter: watertownhighschool@watertownhigh or at this link: WHS Morning Announcements

Please sign in with the Door Monitor or the main office any time that you have a meeting at, or are visiting WHS.  All visitors must provide a picture ID and wear a Visitors Badge during their visit.

Students entering the building must use the front door at all times during the school day. Please do not enter through side doors, do not open a side door to let a student in and do not prop or peg a door open.

Shirley J. Lundberg

Principal, Watertown High School