Superintendent's Newsletter
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Happy Thanksgiving! November is a month when we intentionally focus on gratitude and appreciation and I am filled with both as I write this message.
Today was a day of joy across the district. Our middle school students played a spirited game of human Pac-Man, while our high school students enjoyed friendly competitions at the annual Pep Rally, including musical chairs, live bands, and other crowd favorites. The Pep Rally is also a time to celebrate our fall athletes. This season, both Field Hockey and Boys Soccer earned spots in Tournament play, our cheerleaders impressed in their state competitions, and on Thursday our Football Team will compete in the 103rd Annual Thanksgiving Day game against Belmont. City Council President Mark Sideris will be the Honorary Team Captain!
Across our schools, our students, faculty, and staff have shown their Thanksgiving spirit through food drives for the Watertown Food Pantry, coat drives, community service projects, and more. Our community is built on the belief that we take care of one another throughout the year, especially during the holidays and the colder months. If you or your family has any needs or concerns, please reach out to your school’s support staff or principal. We are here to help all of our families.
It has been some time since I last provided an update on the potential WMS project. In the fall of 2024, the Watertown City Council voted to proceed with a feasibility study to explore potential options for the middle school. Over the summer, the study results were shared with the School Building Committee. The projected costs were higher than anticipated, and the Committee asked the architects to explore cost-saving options—which they did. While the final estimate remains substantial, the project team continues to explore ways to make a new middle school possible. Productive conversations are ongoing, and the School Building Committee will take up the next steps in December. I will keep you updated as decisions are made.
We are also in the early stages of developing our Fiscal Year 2027 budget. Last night, the City Council adopted its budget guidelines, recommending a 4% increase to the school budget. We are deeply grateful for the City Council’s continued support of our schools, and we will ensure that we maximize our financial resources to maintain our strong teaching and support staff positions and enhance our outstanding educational program.
We will be seeking your input through our annual 5Es survey, a survey designed to understand your experience with and satisfaction in the Watertown Public Schools. The survey window will open on Tuesday, December 2, and will close on Friday, December 19.
I am very grateful to be part of the Watertown Public Schools. We are a special place, and it is all of us to make our community what it is. Thank you for everything you do to make our schools the best they can be.
Wishing you the best for a wonderful holiday tomorrow!
Dede Galdston
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The half day before Thanksgiving always proves to be one of the most energetic and fun days of the school year.
Watertown Middle School put on their annual game of Pac-Man in the gym. The modified game of tag confines students to the lines of the basketball court while they are chased down by teachers in Pac-Man shirts. The goal of the game is to outlast fellow competitors before getting tagged.
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The annual Watertown High School pep rally was held a short time later. Students welcomed in the Thanksgiving break with a series of fun activities, including musical chairs, a band performance, a wheelbarrow race, and everybody's favorite event: a shaving cream pie to the face of a chosen teacher.
This year, the stakes were doubled for the senior class. After students selected Mr. Mayer to be the pie recipient, Mr. Broque offered to also take a pie to the face if the senior class could raise $100 in 60 seconds. The goal was met and double the pies were handed out.
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Thank you to the Watertown Middle School community for donating items to help support our annual WMS Thanksgiving Baskets. We were able to provide food and grocery store gift cards for over 30 Watertown families! We appreciate everyone's help and support, especially the 8th graders who helped put together the baskets with Ms. Aine and Ms. Braese! Great job WMS community! |
In an effort to support neighbors facing food insecurity, Watertown Public Schools has stepped up its efforts to collect food donations.
At the Phillips school, we launched a donation initiative utilizing the district’s new Freight Farm, a converted shipping container designed to grow food year-round.
Growing operations began in October and the first harvests of lettuce were donated to the Watertown Community Fridge. In short order, the farm will be producing 1,000 heads of lettuce per week, helping to feed both families in need in Watertown and students in Watertown’s school cafeterias.
The 40-foot container enables the cultivation of food and crops in a controlled, self-contained environment, utilizing vertical farming techniques and a closed-loop system. Watertown Public Schools received the Freight Farm over the summer and is preparing the farm for student use starting in January.
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As a reminder, the city-wide food drive continues through December 2025.
The event is organized by the Watertown Human Services Department, alongside the Watertown Community Foundation. Those who are able are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items at one of the several food donation locations found around Watertown. All food donations will support the food pantries in Watertown and families who are in need.
Food drop-off locations include:
- Watertown City Hall (149 Main Street)
- Watertown Police Department (552 Main Street)
- Watertown Free Public Library (123 Main Street)
- Watertown Fire Station (564 Mt. Auburn Street)
- All Watertown Public Schools and the Phillips School
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The lead up to the holidays always marks one of the busiest times of year for our Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts department.
This past weekend, WHS students put on an excellent production of Little Women. The stage adaption of Louisa May Alcott's classic was this year's fall drama performance for WHS. In total, three shows were performed over the weekend. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a job well done!
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Winter concerts are just around the corner, and the WPS music department invites you to their WMS and WHS shows.
All concerts will be held in the Watertown Middle School auditorium.
Orchestra: 12/4 at 7 pm.
Band: 12/11 at 7 pm
Chous: 12/18 at 7 pm
Good luck to all our musicians!
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The 4th annual Watertown High School Vvisual Arts Show is returning to the Watertown Free Public Library for the month of December.
Student work will be on display throughout the month on the second floor of the library.
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Watertown Middle School fielded their very own Unified Bowling Team this fall. Students competed in matches against local middle schools for three consecutive weeks. This past week, WMS took on squads from two different middle schools in Lexington. Everyone had a great time and did their best - making us all very proud. Thank you to our head coaches, WMS staff members Melissa Butler and Pat Dayton. Thank you also to the 6 student buddies that accompanied the team and to the Watertown Public Schools Athletic Department for making the team a reality. Go Eagles!!! |
Watertown and Belmont are preparing for the annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
The game begins at 10 a.m. at Victory Field on Thanksgiving morning. Tickets purchased before Wednesday, November 26 at 3 p.m. at $7 for adults and $5 for students. Any tickets purchased after 3 p.m. on the 26th, or on the morning of the game, are $10.
Please note that cash is not accepted at the gate. Tickets can be purchased at gofan.com.
Go Raiders!
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Steve Harrington, the longtime Watertown boys basketball coach, was inducted into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this weekend.
Coach Harrington has led the Raiders since 1994, amassing 466 wins over his 31 year career. Under Harrington, the Raiders have won three state championships (2007. 2009, and 2018), along with two additional trips to the state championship game. The Raiders have reached the Final Four nine times since 1994.
Harrington came to Watertown shortly after graduating from Brandeis University, where he finished second all-time in scoring in program history. He was a two-sport star at Brandeis (basketball and baseball) and was a three-sport captain at Wakefield High School (basketball, baseball, and soccer).
Congratulations, Coach Harrington!
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Fall sports have come to an end. We are very proud of Raiders field hockey and boys soccer for their playoff performances. Boys soccer advanced to the Round of 16, while field hockey saw their state championship defense come to an end in the state semifinal against eventual champion Uxbridge.
We wish all our Raiders teams good luck as winter sports begin!
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Last week, Mr. Riley’s video, television, and radio/podcasting production classes visited Gillette Stadium, where they learned about the in-stadium and television production elements needed for Patriots and Revolution games. Students toured the video/scoreboard operations center, the press box, the master control room, and even got to walk on the field. Mr. Riley also serves as the public address announcer at Gillette Stadium and was able to give students a tour of the PA room.
Thank you to the Patriots and Revolution for making this amazing field trip possible!
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On Friday, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center announced a $250,000 Student and Young Adult Career Awareness and Exploration Grant awarded to Watertown High School. This funding will support the Career and Technical Education programs at WHS and comes in partnership with the Lemelson Center at MIT.
The grant will create opportunities to access new and/or expand technical and job readiness training opportunities to provide the foundational skills necessary to make career choices about climate-critical priority occupations. Additionally, the funding will support efforts to develop and nurture new relationships with employers in climate-critical sectors to create project based learning experiences, career opportunities, and identify career pathways.
The money will also help establish and grow wraparound and retention support services to address social and economic barriers, and increase the likelihood of long-term career success.
Look for exciting things happening in WHS Construction Technology and Pre-Engineering classes, as well as the newly launched High-Performance Building Innovators Club. The first of our Careers in the Clean Energy Industry in-house field trip for students is scheduled for December 9.
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The Application for Vocational/Technical Pathways for School Year 2026-2027 is now available on the WHS website. Watertown High School is proud to offer four Chapter 74 programs: Digital Media Communication (Radio/TV), Medical Assisting, Pre-Engineering, and Early Childhood Education & Care (new next year). Our programs will be well supported in the new Watertown High School with state of the art facilities and amazing opportunities.
WHS Applications can be submitted through March 15, 2026. Applicants will be notified of their admission status by April 1, 2026. This is the same timeline for anyone who wishes to apply to a regional vocational technical high school.
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Monday, December 8, 7 p.m. at Lowell Elementary School. |
Dr. Dede Galdston
Superintendent, Watertown Public Schools
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