Our first nine days of school have been very successful! I walked around all of our schools last week and spent my morning today at the Lowell Elementary School, and I must say that the future is bright for our Watertown students. Your children have settled in nicely to the routines of school and are well on their way to a successful year.
I will begin holding my Superintendent’s Coffees this Monday, September 17. The Coffees are held twice on the same day- first at 9:00 am and again at 7:00 pm. The purpose of the Coffee is to provide parents and community members with the opportunity to learn about the District, to ask questions, and to provide feedback to me about your experiences in our schools. Throughout the year, different members of the Central Office Leadership Team will also attend the Coffees. This team is comprised of Dr. Theresa McGuinness, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment; Ms. Kathleen Desmarais, Director of Student Services; Ms. Heidi Perkins, Director of Finance and Operations; and Mr. Kenneth Storlazzi, Director of Human Resources. School Committee members also regularly attend.
Future Dates for the Coffees: (9:00 am and 7:00 pm)
Monday, October 29
Monday, November 26
Monday, December 17
Monday, January 28
Monday, February 25
Monday, March 25
Monday, April 29
Tuesday, May 28
Monday, June 24
One topic that we will be discussing for sure this Monday at the coffee will be the schematic design process for our three elementary buildings. The Watertown School Building Committee has been meeting regularly since March, and at every meeting, we continue to make progress towards determining what the future of our elementary schools will be. While no final decisions have been made, the current plan calls for renovation/additions at the Lowell Elementary School and the Cunniff Elementary School, with substantial new construction and renovation at the Hosmer Elementary School. If you are interested in following the progress of the elementary school building project, please check out the following link on our website: http://watertownschoolsproject.com/. All of the agendas and presentations from the past School Building Committee meetings can be found at this website, along with upcoming meeting dates.
Over the next two weeks, all of our schools will be holding Back to School Nights. This event provides you with the opportunity to meet with teachers, visit classrooms, and learn more about the excellent programs that your children are immersed in every day. I strongly encourage you to attend these important events.
One other upcoming event in our community is the showing of the documentary “Heroin(e)” which is being held at the Watertown Free Public Library at 7:00 on Wednesday, September 26. Heroin(e), a Netflix original film, depicts a rarely seen side of the national opioid epidemic: Hope. The 39-minute documentary follows three dedicated women—a fire chief, a judge, and a street minister—as they work to support residents of a Virginia town who are struggling with substance use. The W.A.T.E.R.T.O.W.N Task Force for Substance Use Disorder is sponsoring this powerful event for all members of the Watertown community.
Thank you for being partners with us on this educational journey,
Dede Galdston, Ed.D., Superintendent