Principal's Newsletter
June 1, 2023
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GRADUATION
LATEST WEATHER UPDATE
The Class of 2023's Graduation Ceremony is tomorrow, June 2nd, at 6pm. As of right now we plan to hold Graduation outside at Victory Field. Should there be a location change to the WHS gym due to weather, we will immediately notify families by tomorrow, June 2nd, at 10:30am. Rehearsal is going to take place at 10:00am at Victory field.
PAST GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT
The Class of 2023 Graduation will be held at Victory Field on June 2nd at 6pm! Tickets are not required as there is plenty of seating for all! If we are moving to the WHS gym due to rain, we advise you arrive early to ensure a seat. Here are some quick details:
- Graduation at 6pm, students should arrive no later than 5:30
- Parking at both Victory Field and WHS (rain location) is same as always, Watertown Police are aware of graduation and street parking is allowed. If you need a handicap parking location, please contact Linda Tracy
- Students will have rehearsal in the morning on June 2nd.
- Please direct any graduation related questions to Linda Tracy in our Guidance Department
- The all night party with commence at 11:00pm, after graduation.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
HARVARD-RADCLIFFE EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM
Five WHS sophomores (Natalie Tenekedzhyan, Yassemine Idelkanoun, Evelyn Rodriguez, Yasmine Silva, and Nabila Abenoue) from the Harvard-Radcliffe Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) traveled to Cambridge for Radcliffe Day on Friday, May 26th.
At this year's event, the Radcliffe Medal was awarded by Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin to co-founder of Partners-In-Health (PIH) Ophelia Dahl to honor her work advancing global access to healthcare and championing the rights of the poor.
During the event, Ms. Dahl, who is the daughter of the late renowned children's literature author Roald Dahl, engaged in a keynote conversation with the author John Green, whose best-selling books include The Fault in Our Stars and other titles that have been adapted for film and streaming.
HARVARD EMERGING LEADERS: WOMEN IN STEM
Our Harvard Emerging Leaders Program identified Women in Stem as part of their social justice initiative. Gabi Rogge, Marwa Bibi, Michaela Kemptom, and Katherine Schick researched books to fill elementary school libraries. They identified and purchased over 40 books which are being distributed to the schools this week. We are very proud of their hard work!
MODEL BRIDGE COMPETITION
WHS students Robert Fuller-Jimenez, Laura Biagiotti, and Max Burke (not pictured) receive their trophy for placing second in the 31st annual Model Bridge Competition held by the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES)! Reed Brockman, the presenter of the trophy, is vice president and senior structural engineer at AECOM in Boston. Also pictured are students Peter Eliopoulos and Alistair Burke (seventh-place finishers in the competition), CTE Coordinator Laura Alderson, Engineering teacher Daniel Birch, and WHS Principal Joel Giacobozzi.
Congratulations for all of your hard work!
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCIENCE MCAS & SCHEDULE CHANGE
The Science MCAS for all grade 9 students (and a select few of students in grades 10 and 11) will be Tuesday, June 6, and Wednesday, June 7.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday will be a delayed start for all students who are NOT taking the MCAS exam. Students taking the exam should arrive by 8:30a.m and students who are not taking the exam should arrive by 11:36AM.
Please see this newsletter with all important information regarding the exam.
GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER
The latest Guidance Newsletter is available here.
RADIO BROADCASTING CLASS RADIO STATION
The students of Mr. Robbins Advanced Radio/TV Capstone, Radio Broadcasting, and News Broadcasting courses this semester have been piloting the operation of a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week online streaming radio station thanks to a new partnership with the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association. The program known as the High School Radio Project is meant to empower students with the opportunity to experiment with radio as a potential career. Watertown High is one of just two high schools in the country serving as pilots for this program which partners the broadcast trade organizations from Massachusetts and Nebraska with hopes for additional high schools in states around the country to join the program in the next school year. WHS students are responsible for preparing and presenting a variety of programming including: Alternative and Top-40 music programming, daily newscasts, original student produced public service announcements, and talk shows on weekends. This pilot will continue in the Fall of 2023. Students interested in participating have the opportunity to elect Radio Broadcasting as a course for next school year, see your Guidance Counselor now.
You can listen to the High School Radio Project - Massachusetts on the LIVE365 app on your smart enabled device or by using this link.
ATHLETICS PLAYOFFS
Girls Lacrosse will play against Medway at Medway High School at 11:30AM.
Baseball will play against Arlington at Arlington Catholic at 3:30PM
JUNIOR CRUISE REMINDER
Our Junior Cruise is this coming Monday, June 5th. Pictures will be at the Commander's Mansion starting at 3:45PM and students will depart for the cruise at 5PM. We expect students to return to the Commander's Mansion around 10:30PM!
Students MUST be in school for at least 1/2 of the day of the cruise in order to attend. No exceptions will be made.
WATERTOWN PRIDE EXTRAVAGANZA
Join us at Saltonstall Park this Saturday, June 3, between 11am and 4pm for the 2nd annual Watertown Pride Extravaganza! It's an inclusive, all-ages event that celebrates and advocates for our LGBTQ+ communities, free and open to everyone. By coming together, we will strengthen our ties and highlight the vibrant, diverse groups within our city, which contribute to the well-being of all.
PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCHEDULE CORRECTION
The last day of school for our grade 9, 10, and 11 students is June 16th and will be a 1/2 day.
SENIOR ALL NIGHT PARTY
After graduation on June 2nd, our seniors are invited to an all night party hosted by the PTSO. The PTSO is looking for anyone who wants to donate gift cards and raffle items, chaperones, and additional help. If you are interested in signing up, please fill out these forms!
Seniors must complete a permission form and pay $20 for a ticket. You can find the form here and in the main office.
WHS FAREWELL TOUR
After many requests from our Watertown community members, WHS will be holding a "Farewell Tour" to allow anyone and everyone to have one last tour of the school before construction begins. This building has been here since 1925 and created thousands of memories for thousands of people.
There will be student-led tours of the school, photo opportunities, a bake sale, and a surprise WHS gift. There is a suggested donation of $10/person which will be directly donated to the PTSO Scholarship Fund. We would greatly appreciate your RSVP but it is not required! RSVP HERE.
If any student is interested in volunteering, please sign up here! Students will be able to earn 2-3 hours of community service.
ACCESS SCORES
English Learners take the ACCESS test in January to measure students' proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in English. Students have their individual scores and will be bringing them home this week or next week. If you have any questions, please contact their ESL teacher or their English teacher.
If you would like further information about the scores, we can also provide you with an explanation of the scores in your native language or in English. Please reach out to Kate Phillipson with any other questions.
MESSAGE FROM NURSE JONES
If your student is a rising sophomore, please make note of this announcement:
As the new academic year approaches, we wanted to remind you of the importance of an up-to-date physical examination for your child. By state law, students must have a physical examination performed and documented by a licensed physician or nurse practitioner within one year prior to entering 10th grade. Physical examinations are important because they can detect any underlying medical conditions that may affect your child's school performance or physical activity. You can obtain a physical examination for your child from your family doctor's office or a local Minute Clinic. Any exam after September 2022, will be accepted for the 2023-2024 school year. Please make sure to submit the completed physical examination form to our school's health office no later than the first day of school. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
WATERTOWN RECREATION SPRING 2023 BROCHURE
Please visit this link to see the Spring 23' offerings from the wonderful Watertown Recreation Department.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CLASS OF 2023 GRADUATION
Friday, Jun 2, 2023, 06:00 PM
Victory Field, Orchard Street, Watertown, MA, USA
ALL NIGHT PARTY
The All Night Party for seniors will be held after graduation in the WHS gym. All seniors need to hand in a permission form if they have not already. You can find a copy of the form here and in the main office. Tickets are $20 and only sold before the event. The party will go from 11:00pm - 5:00am
Friday, Jun 2, 2023, 11:00 PM
WHS Gym
JUNIOR CRUISE
Pictures will be at the Commander's Mansion starting at 3:45PM and the students will depart for the cruise at 5PM. Students will return to the Mansion around 10:30PM!
Tickets are on sale now and junior students should have received and email with a ticket form to complete if they would like to attend. The cost of attendance is $85 and students must be in school for at least 1/2 of the day of the cruise in order to attend.
Monday, Jun 5, 2023, 03:45 PM
Commander's Mansion, Talcott Avenue, Watertown, MA, USA
WHS Farewell Tour
Join us for our farewell tour of the high school on June 22nd from 6:30-8:30. There will be student led tours, photos, a bake sale, and even a surprise WHS gift.
Thursday, Jun 22, 2023, 06:30 PM
Watertown High School, Columbia Street, Watertown, MA, USA
June's Schedule:
June 2: Graduation and All Night Party
June 5: Junior Cruise
June 6/7: Science MCAS
June 16: Last Day of School! 1/2 Day
ADDITIONAL SCHOOL INFORMATION
NEW BUILDING UPDATE
Modulars continue to be delivered. Swing by Moxley and take a look at our future home!
Please find the SBC's website here as it is a great resource to keep your finger on the pulse of these exciting new projects.
If you haven't already, please see our 9 minute animation of the new WHS building coming in 2026 below!