Dear Watertown Public Schools Community,
As we head into spring break, I want to take a moment to wish all of our students, staff, and families a restful and rejuvenating week. Spring break brings not only a sense of renewal but also an opportunity to reflect on our community’s deep historical roots. This year, April 19 marks the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord—a pivotal moment in American history that resonates strongly in our region. We are reminded of the courage and determination of those who came before us, and we are proud to continue fostering those same values of resilience, civic engagement, and a commitment to building a better future.
This spring has been full of incredible accomplishments by our students. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the talented performers who brought energy and joy to the stage in our school musicals and to those who competed in the MICCA Concert Festival, showcasing their dedication to musical excellence. A special shoutout to the students who recently performed in New York City—what an unforgettable experience! We also celebrate our budding visual artists whose beautiful work is currently on display at the Watertown Mall. These achievements are a testament to the creativity, hard work, and passion of our students and educators alike.
Our Personal Electronic Device Task Force is also underway, having already met three times. This group is examining potential changes to our existing policies, working to establish community norms around personal device use in schools, and exploring how we teach students digital literacy and digital citizenship. The Task Force aims to present policy recommendations to the School Committee in June, establish community norms by September, and focus on digital literacy efforts throughout the fall. In the coming weeks, the Task Force will be sending out a survey to parents/guardians, students, and staff to gather feedback on device use and related topics.
There is also an exciting update on the Watertown Middle School Feasibility Study. We have completed the Visioning process, which included invaluable input from over 50 educators, students, families, and community members. This important phase will lay the foundation for a thoughtful and forward-looking design proposal that reflects the values and aspirations of our district. We look forward to the next steps in the process and will continue to keep you informed and engaged.
Wishing you all a joyful and well-deserved spring break!
Dede Galdston
Superintendent
I am excited to share that Brandon Rabbitt, our Director of School Nutrition, has been named the Massachusetts Director of the Year by the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts.
Brandon was recognized for his "leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to the world of school nutrition." Additionally, he was honored for his commitment to student wellness, his ability to inspire those around him, and his efforts to increase access to school meals.
Shortly before the start of the 2023-2024 school year, Massachusetts became the 8th state in the country to make universal free breakfast and lunch permanent for all students. As a result, and under Brandon's leadership, breakfast participation in Watertown has increased by nearly 40 percent and lunch participation has increased by nearly 30 percent.
Congratulations, Brandon! This is a very well deserved honor.
I am excited to introduce Ms. Christine Gibelli as the new principal of the Early Steps School! I am confident that she will be a great fit for Early Steps and will continue the exceptional work happening in our program.
Ms. Gibelli is a strong and compassionate leader with deep expertise in special education, inclusion, and behavioral interventions. Ms. Gibelli joins us from Billerica, where she has served as Principal of Parker Elementary School since 2019, overseeing PreK-4 students and their Access Program, which supports children with autism, related developmental disabilities, and/or multiple disabilities. Previously, she led Vining Elementary School, home to their behavioral support program. Prior to these roles, Ms. Gibelli served as an Assistant Principal, and a Grade 1 and Grade 5 teacher. Additionally, she serves as a crisis prevention and de-escalation trainer, a skillset that will greatly benefit our community. I have no doubt that she will be an outstanding leader for Early Steps.
I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Theresa McGuinness for her leadership during this important year of transition to Universal PreK. Her experience and dedication have been invaluable to our community throughout this process.
Please join me in warmly welcoming Ms. Gibelli to the Early Steps family!
Over the last few months, we have been putting the finishing touches on the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget.
This year’s budget presented some challenges as we were facing a shortfall of nearly $500,000 at the beginning of the budget process. Through a line-by-line review of all expenditures, that gap was closed, and the School Committee voted to approve the budget in March. No currently-filled positions were eliminated as part of the budget process, and we are able to fund a level services budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
Construction remains on schedule at Watertown High School with the interior and exterior of the building taking shape at a rapid pace. The building should be fully weathertight shortly after April break with permanent power expected to be in place by the end of June.
If you missed the latest School Building Committee update, you can find the latest information on the WHS construction project here. As you will see in the pictures below, significant progress has been made!
Watertown High School put on an outstanding production of Anything Goes, this year's spring musical.
More than 100 members of the WHS community, including students, staff, and family members, contributed to the production. The WHS woodshop was used to build the set and more than 2,000 hours went into building, transporting, rigging, assembling, striking, and storing the set, which will now be used for future productions. The Mosesian Center for the Arts was once again a gracious host with construction ongoing at the new Watertown High School.
We are so proud of all our cast and crew members and congratulate our amazing Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts department on such a successful spring season on stage.
The WHS band finished in second with a gold rating and was invited to participate in next year's Festival of Gold. Chorus and Orchestra brought home silver. The WHS Chorus also performed at the beautiful Riverside Church in New York.
Watertown Middle School celebrated Diversity Night on Thursday. The event included music, raffle prizes, free pizza, and an opportunity for students to learn about different clubs at WMS.
Above all else, this event celebrated who we are and what makes the Watertown community special. Thank you to everyone who made this night possible!
Nearly 200 students and family members attended Math Night at the Cunniff. Some of the fun activities included measurements, cup stacking, and determining how far students could jump.
Additionally, students took their best guesses at how much everybody's favorite friend Raider (the Watertown police community resource dog) weighs. Christina from Mrs. Lacy's class took home the crown with her guess of 55 pounds, just 0.4 over Raider's actual weight.
Across Watertown, we were proud to celebrate Rock Your Socks Day in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day.
Students, staff, and families celebrated by wearing their wackiest pairs of socks in honor of the things that make us unique, but also in recognition of our shared experiences.
This was a great day of unity in our schools and it undeniably will become a WPS tradition. As you will see below, many members of our community rocked their socks.
The annual Watertown Public Schools K-12 Art Show has once again returned to the Watertown Mall.
An opening reception was held last week as our artists were celebrated by friends, family, students, staff, and the Watertown community. Student work will be on display through May 1.
Below, you'll just see how talented our artists are. Congratulations to all our students and a big thank you to our outstanding art staff!
Watertown wrestler Tessa Master capped off a remarkable Raiders career with a second-place finish at the New England championships. Tessa claimed her second-straight state championship en route to New Englands, becoming the first wrestler in program history to accomplish the feat.
This was a strong season for Raiders wrestling, with Brady Gleason also qualifying for the All-New England meet. Congratulations!
The Middlesex League has announced its All-Star rosters for the 2024-2025 winter sports season, with 9 Raiders athletes taking home All-Star or All-Conference honors across 5 sports. Congratulations!
Boys Basketball:
Will Carty (Freedom Division MVP and Middlesex League All-Conference)
Aiden Didovic
Olivier Labossiere
Girls basketball:
Caroline Andrade
Adrianna Williams
Boys Ice Hockey:
Domenic Moynihan
Boys Wrestling:
Brady Gleason (Middlesex League All-Conference)
Jimmy Strestha
Girls Wrestling:
Tessa Master (Middlesex League All-Conference)
Students from Mr. Riley's Digital Media Communications classes at Watertown High School took a field trip to Polar Park, the home of the Worcester Red Sox, to learn about in-stadium and television production.
WooSox staff gave students a tour of the ballpark, including the broadcast booths and audio-video control room facilities, where some students even ran the video board in a hands-on learning experience.
Thank you to the WooSox for making a memorable field trip possible!
Watertown Public Schools and the Watertown Business Coalition are teaming up to host the first ever STEM Night on April 29 from 5:30-8 pm at Watertown Middle School.
Take advantage of a unique opportunity to learn about STEM offerings for students, including math and science curriculum, science clubs, career and technical pathways, robotics, and more. Highlights will also include student ambassadors, presentations, local life science companies, and an in-depth look at the new Watertown High School.
This interactive, drop-in event celebrates STEM in Watertown and all members of the WPS community are invited to attend.
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