WHS Weekly Principal's Update
May 18, 2020
Hello WHS Staff and Families!
I also made the time to go out and work in my gardens this past weekend and found great relaxation and appreciation in the effort. Hopefully, you all are finding ways to see the hope and beauty of spring as well! Take care of yourselves! We've got this!!
Shirley Lundberg, WHS Principal
Grades 9, 10 & 11: Please verify your course requests!
Dear students,
We have reached the next step in the course selection process - the verification of your course requests!
Please log in to PowerSchool (https://powerschl.watertown.k12.ma.us/) using the User Name and Password that were emailed to you by Mrs. Lundberg on April 28. You may need to search "schoolmessenger" in your email to find her note. Once you have logged in, click on "Class Registrations" on the left-hand side. You should see all of your course requests, including any that you entered on the Google Form a few weeks ago - with the exception of your "back-up" PE choice (for current 10th and 11th graders).
Once you have reviewed your requests, please complete this form by Wednesday, May 20. If you did not fill out your elective requests last time, you will be able to do so in this form.
Your guidance counselor will be reviewing your requests to ensure you have requested enough courses, but your response to this form ensures that you and your family have had a chance to review your requests as well.
As always, if you have questions or encounter problems, please let me know.
Be well,
Ms. Eaton
Adrienne Eaton
Lead Guidance Counselor
Watertown High School
50 Columbia Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Guidance News: https://sites.google.com/a/watertown.k12.ma.us/whs-guidance/
Calling all Musicians!!
Corona may be keeping us apart but it isn't keeping us silent. The music lives within us, bringing us laughter, joy, strength and solace. The Watertown Public Schools Fine, Applied and Performing Arts Department, in collaboration with Friends of Watertown Music, invites all Watertown musicians, students, teachers, families, and community members to join us in a musical celebration.
If you would like to be part of the first ever Virtual MusicFest, please use this form to submit a video of yourself performing:
Virtual MusicFest Submission Form
You will need a gmail email address to fill out this form. If you do not have one and are unable to acquire one, please contact magen.slesinger@watertown.k12.ma.us for an alternative way to be part of Virtual MusicFest. We will figure out how to include you if you want to be part of our celebration of music!
By submitting a video, you are giving permission for this video to be posted on the internet via our soon-to-be-created Virtual MusicFest website and various social media platforms.
Submission Deadline: May 27th
Let's spread the joy of music beyond our homes and share it throughout our community!
PD Survey for Instructional Assistants
WPS PreK-12 Professional Development Preferences Survey - Instructional Assistants
We are planning for professional development days and would like to offer sessions that best meet your SEL, curricular, and pedagogical needs. Please review and select topics of interest for the Opening of School/August PD Days. Please also complete this 2-question survey asap and we will review the results at our upcoming PDT meeting this week. Thanks, as always, for your valued input!
Updates for the Class of 2020
Google Form Request for Retrieval of Personal Belongings
Be on the lookout for another email from Mr. Brewer letting you know when you can pick up your caps and gowns, return your books and Chromebooks, pay any outstanding balances, and any return any other school materials you may have borrowed. The date will be May 29th, but you will be assigned a timeslot in order to maintain social distancing. Please wear a face covering!
It's not too late for seniors to order a yearbook. Here are the steps to do so:
1. Go to jostens.com
2. In the pop-up window, make sure you select the Watertown High School in MA and not the one in CT or NY
3. Select 2020 Yearbook
4. Select "Order now"
5. Fill out the info
Seniors: We want to celebrate everybody's plans for next year, be they the military, college, or career. Please send a picture of you to the class Instagram and visit the page for more details.
The Governor's plan for gradually re-opening Massachusetts was announced today and the graduation/EOY planning committee will consider them later today at their meeting. Stay tuned for more information about the Class of 2020 end of year events.
Important notice for seniors! You must move your documents from the WPS Google Drive to your personal Google account, in order to continue to have access to them. You might be surprised how many things you will continue to want to access! Here are instructions for downloading all your files from Google Drive for seniors. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Spillert, 6-12 Digital Learning Support Specialist at sarita.spillert@watertown.k12.ma.us. (Students should also have received this information in their school email accounts.)
This Week @ WHS Library
Wellness Wednesday and WHS Guidance Web Site
Hello students,
Here is this week's Wellness Wednesday.
Guidance News: https://sites.google.com/a/watertown.k12.ma.us/whs-guidance/
To find your Guidance Counselor's Office Hours, please check your school email!
Take care, WHS Counselors
Digital Learning & Technology
Greetings WHS Faculty, Staff, and Families:
Rashmi and George shared the following link to the 05/14/2020 Digital Learning/Technology Weekly Newsletter, which includes application updates, Famly and Educator Tech collaboration session information, and other helpful resources. This information is also posted on our WPS Extended Learning Website.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Please use Applications that are “in progress or approved” in the WPS Online Applications Database
Recently Approved: Tumblebooks, Quaver Music, SoundTrap and Peardeck
Link to WPS April 3, 2020, Remote Learning Professional Development Sessions & Resources
Link to May 8, 2020, Remote Learning Professional Development Session Sessions and Resources
Link to WPS Online PD Opportunities for WPS Educators
Link to 1:1 WPS Educator Technology Collaboration Sessions (May 14 - May 21)
**Link to Weekly WPS Family Technology Support Sessions (May 14 - May 21). Please check for upcoming sessions.
Links to Few Resources from Family Technology Support Sessions:
Link to Portuguese Zoom Screencast | Spanish Zoom Screencast | Portuguese Google Classroom | Spanish Google Classroom
IMP: Please review the WPS Tech Apps/Services Guidelines and the Online Resources Database for apps/services and use the Digital Resource Request form to request applications and services.
Join us for WHS Bi-weekly Family Technology Support Sessions
Upcoming Dates: May 21 and June 4
Time: 5:30 - 6
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/96322103140?pwd=anR4QXR4OWNSMXRjR0REcTBucTJhdz09 Meeting ID: 963 2210 3140 Password: 985579
Questions? Please email Library Media Specialists & Digital Learning Specialists at your school & CC District Digital Learning Coordinator Rashmi Pimprikar (rashmi.pimprikar@watertown.k12.ma.us). Please contact ‘Computer Repairs’ if a Chromebook is broken and needs repair.
Thank you so much for all that you do!
-Rashmi Pimprikar & George Skuse
WPS Website | WPS DLLCS Website | WPS Extended Learning
Excellence | Equity | Community
Community Service Opportunities!
The Watertown Boys and Girls Club needs volunteers to tutor students through Zoom. Please contact Rhode Moise at moise@watertownbgc.org for additional information.
The Class of 2022 has created a great opportunity to gain community service hours, as well as put a smile on the faces of the young children of Watertown. We ask that you film a video of yourself reading a picture book and send it to Carly MacCormack, Emma Fallon, or Ms. Glencross to be uploaded on a website that has been made. It is not mandatory, but this is a great way to get community service hours from home! Feel free to read more than one story, as this will be shared with all of the elementary school teachers and families once we have started compiling videos. You will be granted an hour of community service for every two books you read (please make them separate videos). The Class of 2022 officers will be happy to answer any questions that you have. We can’t wait to see your videos!
Attention seniors:
The Watertown Senior Center is looking for students to work remotely with senior citizens to give them technical assistance with Zoom, Facebook, and other online sites. Please contact the program director, Marina Kirsanova by email at mkirsanova@watertown-ma.gov or by phone at 617-972-6490.
Need any school work assistance?
The Freshmen Physics Tutor Group is back! If you are looking for some help with your physics work stop by on Zoom, Wednesdays 3:30pm-4:15pm. See your physics teachers for the Zoom link or email Caiden cakian120@watertown.k12.ma.us and
Eli: licher843@watertown.k12.ma.usAttention students: Do you need help with a writing assignment or paper? You're in luck! The WHS Writing Lab is now available virtually. If you'd like some help, reach out to Ms. Adkanian (aryana.adkanian@watertown.k12.ma.us) and join her Google Classroom (join code: twgiol2). The Writing Lab's Classroom has a place for students to virtually submit a paper for feedback, a general discussion questions forum, and instructional materials on the writing process.
The Math Lab is OPEN for business. Mr. Nazarchuk is ready to help. Send him an email at stanislav.nazarchuk@watertown.k12.ma.us and he'll set up a time with you. Just like at school, you can ask him a quick question or meet with him regularly to get help.
Clubs are still meeting! See times and information here!
The Hope Squad is a club focused on mental health education, student support, and reducing stigma in accessing mental health services. Hope Squad has been meeting weekly on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. For more information contact rebecca.rhodes@watertown.k12.ma.us or teresa.malone@watertown.k12.ma.us
The Deep and Meaningful Conversation Club will be meeting every Tuesday from 4-5 pm! If you are interested, contact Caiden Kiani at cakian120@watertown.k12.ma.us
No Place for Hate Club meets every Friday at 3:00. Contact Ms. Bouhafs for more information at mona.bouhafs@watertown.k12.ma.us
Art Club will meet weekly on Wednesdays from 4-5 pm on Zoom. Feel free to drop in, even if you've never come to our in-person meetings! We will do fun and different activities. Please email Ms.Mann, angela.mann@watertown.k12.ma.us before the next meeting so I can let you know what materials we will be working with. Thanks! Hope to see you there.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91254665089?pwd=ZVA1dHp5RXlHT2VLdzJJNmVGaGQwQT09 Meeting ID: 912 5466 5089 Password: 045365
The Puzzle Club will have its weekly Zoom meeting on Thursday at 4 PM. The link to the Zoom Meeting is posted on the Puzzle Club Google Classroom.
The Comic Graphic Novel and Animation Club will meet virtually once a week. The club will meet on Thursdays at 2:30PM. https://zoom.us/j/97056742778?pwd=a1dqSGd5elBRdjVWOGFUalFhVzI5dz09 Meeting ID: 970 5674 2778 Password: 5zKfvV