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This weekend offers many exciting events for our WPS community, including our talented high school performing artists and musicians performing in Anastasia; our Boy's Hockey Team playing in the State Tournament Semi-Finals; and our WHS Cheerleaders competing in the state championship! I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our students in these endeavors and I am grateful for the support of the fans, the coaches, the administrators, and the support staff- all of whom make our extracurriculars so successful.

Over the past several months, the District has been considering its next District Strategy for Success, and have finalized our Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Theory of Action. Much of this work was completed by the District's Strategy 2.0 Team, comprised of parents, students, teachers, support staff, School Committee Members, and administrators. We are currently working on our Priorities, Objectives, and Initiatives. The final draft of the District Strategy for Success will be presented in early May to the School Committee. To view the current draft that was recently presented to the School Committee, it can be found here.

Did you know that 465 Watertown students are English Learners or former English Learners? One of our goals this year is to provide innovative ways to provide English as a Supplemental Language for our English Learners. Both our Hosmer and WMS principals recently provided an overview of these successes at School Committee meetings. If you would like to learn more, you can view the presentations at the following links: Hosmer Teaching and Learning Showcase WMS Teaching and Learning Showcase.

We are currently in the process of developing our Fiscal Year 2024 budget and will present it to the School Committee at the March 27th meeting, with the final budget hearing being held on April 11. This year, the budget represents challenges that are related to the current economic context, as well as the continued impacts of COVID-19, creating a budget deficit at this time. We are confident that we will be able to close the gap, and will work diligently to not impact our core instructional program.

So far, we are tracking the last day of school to be on Friday, June 16. Please note that the final day cannot be set until June 1 if less than five snow days have been used. If we were to close school for any reason before June 1, those days will need to be made up in June. As such please hold off on any travel plans at the end of June until we get closer to June 1.

As seems to always be the case, it is certainly busy in the Watertown Public Schools, all in the service of providing Watertown's children with the best education possible!

Best,

Dede Galdston, Superintendent of Schools

The Watertown School Committee and the Watertown Educators Association have reached an agreement on a new three-year contract that is both fair and competitive for our amazing educators.

Our negotiating teams worked tirelessly and we are deeply appreciative of their hard work and dedication. We believe their efforts have led to a deal that serves our teachers, our city, and our students and families.

Looking for your next professional opportunity? Watertown Public Schools has a variety of openings available now, including administrative roles, teaching jobs, and support staff positions.

Click below to learn more about a potential career with our school district.