In the days leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students in our Connections program explored Dr. King’s legacy and shared ideas about how we can be more accepting and supportive of one another. They brought those ideas to life by creating a "Peace Tree" in our hallway, featuring leaves from students and staff that describe ways they can help make the world a better place.
This activity encouraged reflection, empathy, and meaningful conversation, while serving as a visual reminder that even small actions can have a positive impact on our school community.
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Each year, students in our AP and Honors Art classes participate in the Memory Project, a global initiative that began by delivering handmade portraits to children in orphanages and has since expanded to support youth facing a wide range of challenges. Student artwork is sent to a different country each year, and this year our portraits were delivered to children in Armenia. Pictured here is an Armenian student holding her portrait, beautifully painted by our art teacher, Ms. Fitzpatrick! |
Last week, the Social Justice Learning Program interns welcomed Noble Williams to share his short film, Making of a Mask, with our student leaders. Following the screening, students organized a Q&A and restorative justice circle for all participants. Thank you to Ms. Andrews, Ms. Kiwanuka Woernle, and Mr. Okaka for helping our students experience this great opportunity! |
For their semester 1 final project, students in Mr. Riley’s Digital Video Editing class produced and broadcast an episode of Raider Feud - a WHS spin on Family Feud - showcasing their creativity and technical skills. This episode's guest stars were Assistant Superintendent Emilys Peña and Principal Giacobozzi! Watch the episode and test your knowledge! |
Licensed architect Mr. John Poillucci visited several CTE classes last Friday to share insights into careers in architecture, engineering, and construction. He walked students through the design and construction process for single-family residential projects, with a focus on energy-efficient Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), a topic that connects directly to our recent Massachusetts grant in partnership with MIT. Thank you for visiting Mr. Poillucci! |
Due to the snow last week, we had to postpone our CTE presentation. Please join us TONIGHT Monday, February 2, at 7:00 PM in the WMS auditorium for our Career and Technical Education (CTE) program presentation! We'll be discussing how students can access career-focused/technical education at WHS, at other high schools, and after graduating from WHS. |
As a reminder, students will be dismissed at 12:15 PM this Wednesday, February 4! Additionally, though it's hard to forget, February break is right around the corner - school will not be in session February 16 to 20!
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In our last newsletter, we shared that we are beginning the process of developing our own Profile of a Graduate. This is a shared vision that defines the skills, knowledge, and qualities every Watertown High School graduate should possess.
Over the coming months, we will be working with the Watertown community to ensure the profile reflects our shared values and aspirations. We are currently seeking participants (current and recently graduated students, parent/guardians, teachers and staff, and other community members) to help guide us in our development.
There are three ways you can participate:
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Complete this Stakeholder Survey! This is a comprehensive survey to gather input on what skills, qualities, and values should be defined by a Watertown graduate. It will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
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Participate in a virtual focus group session! We will be hosting two virtual focus groups in February (date TBD) - one for faculty and staff and another for students and families. They will meet for one hour and focus on community visioning and discovery, as well as defining the “Watertown Voice”. Please use the Stakeholder Survey to submit your interest.
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Become a Working Group member! We are seeking dedicated community members to serve on our Profile of a Graduate Working Group. This group will participate in three 2-hour virtual sessions (February, March, April), with between-session work, and help guide the development process. We are looking for diverse perspectives, including: current and recently graduated WHS students, parents and guardians, teachers and staff, community members and local employers, and School Committee members.
- Your name and relationship to Watertown High School
- Why you are interested in participating
- Any relevant experience or perspective you bring
We want to ensure that every Watertown graduate leaves our school prepared with not only academic knowledge, but also with the skills, dispositions, and character to thrive. We are excited to build this together, thank you for your commitment to Watertown students!
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11th grade students and families are invited to our Junior Future Planning Night this Wednesday, February 4, at 6:00 PM in the WMS auditorium! This is an opportunity to discuss the future planning process, learn about the different types of schools and programs offered after high school, and hear directly from college representatives, including UMass Amherst, Tufts University, Mass Bay Community College, and Assumption University. See you there! |
This month, we are piloting a new ELA and Math diagnostic tool, the Renaissance STAR Assessment, in select ELA classes and all Math classes. This brief, online assessment helps teachers better understand students’ academic strengths and areas for growth, allowing them to tailor instruction and better support learning.
Students will complete the assessment during their regularly scheduled class time and are not graded.
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This Friday in Advisory, students will receive their Quarter 2 report cards along with their Attendance Wellness Reports, which provide an overview of each student’s attendance this year.
Being in school every day is vital to students' success, and those with high attendance rates are more likely to graduate. We ask students and families to review the Attendance Wellness report and take time to evaluate if and where changes need to be made. Translated versions of the report will be available in this folder on Friday.
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Student Attendance Updates
Families will now receive student attendance updates via ParentSquare! These automated emails will be sent to students and families when students meet certain thresholds for absences. As a reminder, students with more than five unexcused absences in a course will lose credit in that course, putting them at risk of being credit deficient and potentially delaying their graduation. Often, the number of days a student misses can add up quickly, sometimes without families even realizing just how many days have been missed. These notifications are part of Watertown High School's ongoing efforts to emphasize the importance of daily school attendance and foster continued communication among students, families, and the school regarding attendance patterns. Please contact Ms. Adrienne Eaton (adrienne.eaton@watertown.k12.ma.us), Assistant Principal, if you have questions regarding these notifications.
Attendance Challenge!
The second semester Attendance Challenge has officially begun! Students who are on time and in school (no absences or tardies in daily and class attendance) every day between January 30 and February 13 will be invited to attend a hot chocolate celebration on the 13th! December's hot chocolate celebration was a blast - don't miss out on this one!
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The deadline to register for the in-school SAT on March 25 is this Friday, February 6. Students must complete this registration form and pay the $60 fee by February 13.
Students can pay with a check, made out to the City of Watertown, or through the payment form on ParentSquare. Checks can be brought to Ms. Quibaka in the main office or to their guidance counselors. Students who receive a fee waiver have a reduced registration fee of $8 and may only pay by check.
Please direct any questions to Mr. Dowd (ryan.dowd@watertown.k12.ma.us).
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This month, we will be hosting three workshops for families focused on sharing information, answering questions, and building community.
Immigrant Family Zoom
This Zoom session will provide a space for immigrant families to share concerns and receive important information. Interpretation will be available for all languages. Please join us using this Zoom link on Tuesday, February 10, at 7:00 PM.
Family Conferences Information Sessions
The English Language Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) is offering two workshops to help families better understand our upcoming family-teacher conferences.
Families who prefer to participate in Spanish are invited to join the workshop using this Zoom Link on Tuesday, February 24, at 7:00 PM.
Families who prefer English or other languages are invited to join the workshop using this Zoom Link on Wednesday, February 25, at 7:00 PM.
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Last week, the School Committee approved the school year calendar for next year! The first day of school is September 8, with the last day of school on June 21 (June 28 if all five snow days are used). |
Have great photos that capture your memories from this year? Upload them into this photo drive and they might be featured in the yearbook!
And, don't forget, the yearbook is on sale for $65 until February 13! After February 13, the price will increase to $75. The final deadline to purchase the yearbook is April 14. Grab yours now using this link: WHS Yearbook Sale.
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Building on last year’s splash-tastic success, WHS students and teachers will once again jump into a (very cold!) portable pool at Arsenal Yards on Saturday, February 7, at 11:00 AM as part of the Watertown Polar Plunge!
Alongside teams from the Watertown Police Department and Arsenal Yards, we’ll be raising money for Special Olympics Massachusetts, helping athletes across the state train, compete, and thrive.
Join the team (families invited!), make a donation, or come cheer us on - it’s guaranteed fun for an incredible cause! Please reach out to Malcolm Cooke (malcolm.cooke@watertown.k12.ma.us) if you're interested!
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Mandated state health screenings for 9th and 10th graders will begin over the next month. Nurse coordinator Jennifer Thermenos sent out a notice regarding these screenings and how to opt in/out.
For 9th graders, the following screenings will be performed:
- Vision
- Hearing
- SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment)
- Postural
For 10th graders, the following screenings will be performed:
This year, postural screening is opt-in. If you would like your student to be screened for scoliosis, please reach out to Nurse Healy.
All other screenings are opt out. If you do not want your student screened, please reach out to Nurse Healy as soon as possible. You can fill out the form sent by Jennifer Thermenos or email Nurse Healy with your preference.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to Nurse Healy with any questions.
Nurse Healy: courtney.healy@watertown.k12.ma.us
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JUNIORS
Our guidance counselors have visited all 11th grade English classes to begin the "future planning" process. This includes introducing students to post-secondary college/career exploration and application processes, reviewing transcripts, learning about SCOIR and post-secondary opportunities, and discussing tasks to complete in the next several months. Students and families can review these slides that were shared during class.
SOPHOMORES
FYI! Guidance counselors will be holding 10th-grade classes in February to discuss healthy relationships and begin the course selection process for next year.
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Students in our ESL programming will begin annual ACCESS testing next week. Tests will continue throughout the month and students should remember to bring their Chromebooks, fully charged. |
- February 4, 12:15 PM dismissal
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- February 4, 6:00 - 7:30 PM, WMS Auditorium
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- February 6, distributed during Advisory
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- February 7, 11:00 AM, Arsenal Yards
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- February 16 to 20 (offices closed on 2/16)
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