Congratulations to our head field hockey coach, Eileen Donahue, for her 800th career win last week! She is now the 4th coach to reach 800 wins in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association and the 5th reported nationwide. She is the ONLY coach in Massachusetts history with this achievement!
Coach Donahue has led our field hockey team to countless victories since 1986 (33 seasons)! Her dedication to our student-athletes is truly inspiring. Congratulations again, Coach Donahue!
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Students gathered for an informal coffeehouse "open mic" this past Tuesday and enjoyed impressive performances from our student musicians. There were snacks, great conversations, and plenty of music. Thank you to all the performers and audience members who joined - stay tuned for information about the next open mic! |
Our new building features 12 small-group spaces for students to work together and utilize the innovative features of our smart boards. Recently, a few of our comprehensive chemistry students explored the new tech to map out their thoughts while designing an experiment to test if food coloring will spread faster in warm or cold water. We are so excited to see our students explore these new spaces and technology and discover new ways to collaborate, create, and bring their learning to life. |
This week, our student ambassadors met with students who are new to the Watertown District to check in and see how their transition to a new high school has been going. They talked about things such as work load, attendance, participation in clubs/activities, and anything else that our new students felt they needed a helping hand with. Our Student Ambassadors will continue to check in with their student partners throughout the year, offering support, encouragement, and a familiar face around the building. For more information about Student Ambassadors, please reach out to Amber Edwards (amber.edwards@watertown.k12.ma.us). |
HOMEcoming: new home, new memories is this Saturday, October 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM! Students can dance the night away with our DJ, take photos at the photo booth, enjoy snacks and drinks, play games, enter our raffle, and celebrate our new building!
Tickets are available on ParentSquare and are also being sold before and after school this week. Tickets are $10 before the dance and $12 at the door (cash only at the door).
We would be very grateful for any donations of snacks or drinks! If you'd like to donate, you can drop items off in the main office.
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Please take note of the following schedule changes in October:
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October 7: 1/2 Day - Students will be dismissed at 12:15 PM.
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October 12: No school
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October 15: PSAT/SAT Testing - Seniors who registered in advance for the SAT as well as all 10th and 11th grade students should arrive by 8:30 AM. All grade 9 students and grade 12 students that are not testing should arrive at 11:30 AM.
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Family-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner on Thursday, October 15 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM (in-person) and Tuesday, October 20, from 4:30 - 6:30 PM (virtually).
Sign-ups for conferences will be posted by each teacher this coming Monday, October 5, on ParentSquare.
The English Language Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) will be hosting an overview of the conferences and brainstorming questions to ask teachers via Zoom on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:00 PM.
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Photos from picture day are now available online! If you have the QR code your student received on picture day, you can scan the code to view their images. If you don't have the QR code, you can lookup your student's code using this link: https://legacyfindmycode.com/ with your student's ID number. Student ID numbers can be found on your ParentSquare dashboard under your student's "overview" tab.
Additionally, if you pre-ordered your photos, they have been delivered to the high school! They can be picked up in our main office.
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Senior Future Planning Night
If you were unable to attend Senior Future Planning Night or would like to review the presentation again, you can view the PowerPoint slides here.
Additionally, please visit our Guidance Department's website which includes more information about the future planning process and how to reach out to your student's counselor.
College and Career Fair
Please join us next Thursday, October 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM for our College and Career Fair! There will be 90+ colleges in attendance as well as military and other career field representatives.
Financial Aid Night
Financial Aid Night is from 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 14! Families will learn more about the FAFSA process and be able to ask any questions they have before the November 1 deadline.
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We are excited to offer the PSAT to all 10th- and 11th-grade students on October 15. Students in grades 10 and 11 will arrive at 8:30 to take the exam. Please remind your student to bring their fully charged Chromebook and a calculator. The PSATs are a practice version of the SAT test, one of two tests (the ACT being the other) that many colleges and universities in the United States accept as a college entrance exam during the admissions process.
The benefits for students taking the PSATs are many. Just a few are:
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Higher SAT Scores. According to CollegeBoard, students who take the PSATs get higher scores on the SAT, on average, than those who do not.
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FREE SAT Prep. CollegeBoard has partnered with Khan Academy to provide free online test prep for students. PSAT test takers have the added benefit of linking their CollegeBoard account with Khan Academy so they can take advantage of personalized test prep based on their PSAT scores - free test questions, practice exams, a schedule for studying, and more. According to CollegeBoard, students who spend 20 hours engaging in Khan Academy Test Prep gain 115 points from PSAT to SAT.
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Experience. Taking the PSAT provides students with a similar experience to that which they will get on SAT test day. They will get a feel for the timing of the test, the format, and the expectations.
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Access to Scholarships. CollegeBoard has partnered with a number of national scholarship organizations that will reach out to PSAT test takers with resources and information about scholarships.
Additionally, seniors who registered in advance for the SAT will sit for the test on the same day, Thursday, October 15. Seniors must arrive by 8:30 AM. All grade 9 students and grade 12 students that are not testing should arrive at 11:30 AM.
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Quarter 1 progress reports will be distributed to students during advisory next Thursday, October 8!
Additionally, families will receive their student's progress report through ParentSquare! If you do not receive your student's report or have additional questions, please reach out to Hope Sulzman (hope.sulzman@watertown.k12.ma.us).
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Our first School Site Council meeting is next Thursday, October 8, at 6:00 PM via Zoom. If you would like to join, please complete our sign up form. All students, staff, parents/guardians, and community members are welcome to join! |
Soccer Night is next Saturday, October 10! Girls varsity will be playing at 4:00 PM and boys varsity at 6:00 PM at Victory Field. Come support our teams and join the fun by wearing Watertown colors! |
All students are invited to sign up for the Watertown Recreation's Ski and Snowboard program this winter! The program runs for six weeks, January 2nd to February 6th, on Saturdays. Students can ski/snowboard on their own, take lessons, and rent gear if needed. Sign up using this link now! |
WPS offers both the unlimited pass and pay-as-you-go cards for the MBTA buses and subways.
Pay-As-You-Go cards work like a prepaid charge card. Money can be loaded onto the card at any MBTA kiosk. Students receive a discounted rate of 85¢ per bus ride and $1.10 per subway ride. Families need to first complete this form to request a card, as required by the MBTA. Once submitted, students can pick up their card in our main office. Supply is very limited right now. More cards will be available soon.
The Unlimited Pass offers students unlimited access to the MBTA bus and subway for $30/month. It must be paid in two yearly installments of $150. Please contact wps_busing@watertown.k12.ma.us to request this card.
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There is no student parking at the high school. Students can walk, bike, or use the MBTA bus to get to school (see above information).
The City of Watertown enforces a two-hour street parking limit between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. In addition, the streets surrounding the school have no-parking restrictions from 7:00 to 9:00 AM, as indicated by posted signs.
Please remember that vehicles may not block driveways and must be parked at least 20 feet from intersections and street corners.
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Our Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (PTSO) works hard to create opportunities for our students and support our teachers. This year, they hope to expand their areas of support to more programs, activities, and student enrichment opportunities. In order to do so, there is a suggested donation of $25 per student. This is not required. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so online through their GiveButter page or by bringing a a check, made payable to the WHS PTSO, to our main office.
If you are interested in volunteering, donating, or staying up-to-date on what's going on, join their ParentSquare group or subscribe to their email list!
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Class dues are collected every year from every student. Dues are $15 with a $5 late fee collected after the deadline (announced by advisors). Payments can be made with cash, check, or online through ParentSquare (available soon). These dues go towards all class events, gifts, scholarships, and more. Students who have not paid their yearly dues will, unfortunately, be turned away from class events. If for any reason your family needs assistance with these dues, please connect with your student's class advisor. All information will remain confidential.
Grade 9: Ms. Edwards & Ms. Antonellis
- amber.edwards@watertown.k12.ma.us // michaela.antonellis@watertown.k12.ma.us
Grade 10: Ms. DePamphilis & Ms. Barker
- jessica.depamphilis@watertown.k12.ma.us // stephanie.barker@watertown.k12.ma.us
Grade 11: Ms. Beall & Ms. Davis
- bannon.beall@watertown.k12.ma.us // caitlin.davis@watertown.k12.ma.us
Grade 12: Ms. Ollero & Mr. Marston
- emily.ollero@watertown.k12.ma.us // kevin.marston@watertown.k12.ma.us
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- October 3, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, Gym
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- October 7, 12:15 PM dismissal
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- October 8, 4:30 - 6:00 PM, Gym
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- October 14, 6:30 - 8:00 PM, Auditorium
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- October 15
- Registered seniors, grade 10, and grade 11 students: arrive by 8:30 AM
- Non-testing seniors and all grade 9 students: arrive at 11:30 AM
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- In-Person: October 15, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Virtual: October 20, 4:30 - 6:30 PM
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