Calling All Artists!

Calling all artists! Watertown High School and TOWN are looking for art submissions from WHS alumni to showcase in the WHS Art Show Wednesday, April 4, 2018. We want your art! Not only will it be viewed by the community at Watertown High School, it will be on display during our Townies Talk event and on our website. 

Please sign up to submit artwork by submitting your name and e-mail address below and we will follow up with details on how to submit your art. If you are not located in Watertown, you can send us the files/photographs of your art and we will send it to be printed at the high school. We're looking for all forms of art submissions from photography, paintings, mixed media, sculpture, to video submissions. We're excited to see what you've created since your days in high school!

Deadline to submit: Friday, March 23, 2018

While you are at it, share your story too!

Townies Talk 2018

On Friday April 13, 2018 TOWN and WHS will be hosting Townies Talk. We’re excited to announce that we are partnering with WHS to host a Townies Talk Panel at Watertown High School and an Alumni Networking Dinner at Fino Wood Fired Pizza. Alumni Story Tellers are invited to return to the high school to share their stories, answer questions, and inspire current WHS students. We’re excited to be off-line and in real-life, to share ideas, and inspire the community!

Itinerary

8:30am - 11:00am - Townies Talk Breakfast Panel

Alumni are invited to Watertown High School for breakfast, coffee, and storytelling. Story tellers will share their stories with WHS students. The first portion of the morning will be devoted to sharing stories and answering student questions. We will then break up into smaller groups based upon career/interest to answer questions and talk personally with students. Confirmed speakers are: Chelsea Kyle, Nathaniel Habegger Matthew O'Meara, Emily O'Connor, Matthew Dwyer and Lauren Vail.  *Note: Townies Talk Breakfast Panel is not open to the public; this event is specificly for WHS students, staff, speakers, and volunteers only.

Free Afternoon

Story tellers and volunteers will have the rest of the afternoon free. We recommend setting up shop at the local Starbucks or heading out to Hawk Ridge Winery for the views and a taste-testing. Of course, we also recommend getting together with old friends or visiting family first!

5:00pm - 8:00pm - Townies Talk After Hours

Story tellers, volunteers, sponsors, students and WHS alumni, join us for pizza and networking at Fino Wood Fired Pizza on Friday, April 13 2018. We are so grateful for our storytellers who have taken the time to share with the community, we wanted to say thank you and what better way than with pizza! 

All Watertown High School alumni are encouraged to stop by for a slice on us. We also encourage current WHS students to attend. 

You can find the Facebook event to RSVP here: Townies Talk After Hours *Note: Townies Talk After hours is open to the public.

Note: Participating in Townies Talk and sharing your story is considered community service; if you need a confirmation letter that you are donating your time for the good of the community to send to your boss or company to get time off please let us know.

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Are you interested in sharing your story? Share it today and attend Townies Talk in April. 

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Like what we are doing? We need funds to keep things like this going! Donate today and help us create the best experience for Townies Talk. 

Happy New Year Townies!

Happy New Year Townies! 2017 was a brilliant year for TOWN. We are excited for what 2018 has in store for us. We've got a few things in the works (think TED Talks but Watertown-style) and we are very excited to get working on it. Thanks for following along with us. Keep supporting us in 2018, find us on social media and spread the word to friends. 

The Good Life: Paul Frohn

Paul Frohn, Class of 1979, Portsmouth, NH

What are you up to? Retired Air Force and currently in the FEMA Reserves

 How'd you get here? Stationed at Pease AFB 1981. Since I left Watertown/Oakville, I have had a lot of adventures. I completed the last item on my bucket list in September when I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on a bike. February 23rd, my grandson was born, so all I have left to do in life is to enjoy life itself. I hope my fellow graduates were able to find their life adventures like I have. My military goals started when I was going to Swift Junior High and it is still going in retirement. 

What are your goals? Happiness.

What has been your biggest challenge? Don't have any.

What has been your happiest moment? Family.

Advice for WHS Students? Follow your dreams and complete your bucket list ASAP.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Do not worry about what others think. Follow your dreams ASAP and don't be afraid to ask. If you don't ask, you are stuck with a no.

Accepting the Unexpected: Nathaniel Habegger

Nathaniel Habegger, Class of 2009, Manhattan, New York

What are you up to? I currently work as a Creative Coordinator for a marketing firm in downtown Manhattan. I manage social media and in-house photography. I also help with ideation of events/marketing plans and I contract talent. In addition to my full-time job, I run my own menswear blog and manage social media channels daily. On top of it all, I shoot photos professionally for clients and for my own blog.

How'd you get here? Well, before moving to New York, I wanted to be an actor. I acted in all of the high school shows, loved music, and was incredibly passionate about that career path. Six terrible auditions and college rejection letters later, I realized that acting was too much rejection for me to handle. At this point in my life, I had put all of my eggs in one basket and assured myself that being on Broadway was the ultimate goal. Also, at this point in my life, I had taken advantage of a teacher-student relationship to change my grades in the school computer system. This act of tom-foolery lead me into an emotional downward spiral (as I was almost expelled months before graduating high school.. terrifying). I fell from the pedestal I had put myself on and didn't know who I was anymore or what I was going to do. I felt like a delinquent and that I would never recover from this mistake. So after graduating in 2009, I took the summer to figure out what I wanted to do. I always loved fashion and I loved art. I went to Western Connecticut State University for a year to gain credits before transferring to a private school in Manhattan called The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising. I wish someone had told me that none of my credits from Western would transfer to LIM, but that’s ok. What’s another loan to pay off right? 

I moved to New York and thought I was the best. Come to find out, everyone in New York is the best and I was the worst of the best (or maybe a little better than the worst, but still.. small fish big pond situation). I worked for Coach as a Visual Merchandiser for about 4 years. A Visual Merchandiser is a term used in the fashion/retail industry for someone who creates window displays. I left that job to start working as a Creative Coordinator, which is what I do now. In the process of all of this, I started my own menswear blog and made insane connections with people all over the city through Instagram.

What are your goals? I want to write a book, open a restaurant, take beautiful photographs, open a ceramics studio and start a fashion company. It’d be really cool if I could do all of that, but we’ll see.

What has been your biggest challenge? Self acceptance. I think the hardest part of this journey (which by the way is still JUST starting) has been accepting myself for who I am and not who I think people want me to be. After high school, I left the comfort of home, family, and friends. I had such a strong sense of self and was incredibly confident. Moving to New York really knocked me down a few pegs. It made me see life on a much larger scale. Figuring out who you are is an ever going project that seems endless, and it kind of is. Figuring out how to love the part of yourself that has flaws and that part of yourself that you don’t like is the biggest challenge. It’s the most rewarding when you overcome all of that; when you can sit with yourself and appreciate who you are through and through. By the way - I’m still working on that…it ain’t easy kids.

What has been your happiest moment? There are a couple happy moments I've had recently. One being the day I started my current job. Another would be being featured in a digital campaign for Uniqlo. Both really made me feel like I had made it even though I’m still fighting to make it!

Advice for WHS Students? Start to look outside yourself. Start to be curious about what else is out there in the world. Watertown is an amazing town to grow up in, but I think it’s incredibly beneficial to look beyond the horizon to see what other opportunities are out there. How can you appreciate something if you never lose it? Another tidbit of advice: If your dreams don’t come true immediately, that doesn’t mean they never will. Some dreams don’t come true (like me being on Broadway because I’m not a knock out actor, but was passionate about it!) but your dreams can morph. Allow yourself to accept the ebb and flow that is life. You won’t win them all, but if you do something that makes you feel fulfilled, you’ll be happy. You can reinvent yourself everyday, and should. ALSO: You’ll realize how lovely being in high school is the second you step into the real world.. so enjoy it while it lasts.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? I would tell my high school self to shut up and sit down. I was so cocky in high school. I thought no one could touch me and that I was the best. Turns out, I was really lazy and kind of a jerk. Don’t get me wrong, I think most people who knew me would agree I was a good kid, but I was definitely not interested in working hard in class. I’d also tell my high school self that I can do anything I put my mind to and then to actually put my mind to it instead of sitting waiting for life to happen.

Calling all Artists and Writers!

We are looking for WHS alumni writers and artists to contribute to TOWN Mag. We have some goals to exemplify the character of Watertown, help to preserve it's history, and throw a bit of new knowledge out there to WHS students.

Get in touch with us to be a featured photographer, videographer or writer in 2018.

I'm Interested

Contributors

Compassionate and Courageous: Anthony Salerno

Anthony Salerno, Class of 2009, Northern Virginia

What are you up to? I am coming up on my 6th year anniversary of serving in the United States Army. I hold the rank of Sergeant and I am Military Police, but I currently work as a Protective Agent for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, so I travel constantly, and never know where I am going to be next.

How'd you get here? Well, when I graduated in 2009 I started working right away for Naugatuck Ambulance as an EMT. After a few years ( in 2011) I decided it was time for a change and applied to the Savannah, GA Fire Department. When that did not work out (they were put on a hiring freeze) I decided to join the military. I knew that I wanted to continue to help people in whatever way I could, and I felt that being a MP would give me more opportunities than being a medic. 

On January 9, 2012 I went to Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. After 5 months, I graduated and went off to my first unit (512th MP Co) which was also on Fort Leonard Wood. Right around July 2012 my company started to ask for volunteers to deploy to Afghanistan with a sister company (13th MP Co) and I volunteered. I went through the process and in mid August 2012 went to Fort Bliss Texas for deployment training with my new company. On Halloween night in 2012, I got on a plane in Missouri headed for Afghanistan. 

I returned home from my first deployment in July 2013 and went on my second deployment about 18 months later in January 2015. That deployment really helped me to get to where I am today. I returned home to Fort Leonard Wood in October 2015 and was on orders to change duty stations to Fort Belvoir Virginia in February 2016. I have been stationed here at Fort Belvoir since, and have spent most days making sure a high level Department Of Defense officials or Army Officials are safe. For all of those who may not know, Protective Services is basically what the Secret Service does for the President.

What are your goals? Currently my goals are a little different than most who I graduated with. My main goal is to finish a degree, any degree. The military does not require a degree so I never went to traditional brick and mortar college. This in’t a bad thing because I have a lot of real world experience that many of my classmates may not have had. 

My secondary goal is to successfully transition out of the military into a Federal Law Enforcement position. This has, at times, proved to be a little difficult but I know that with enough work and the proper drive anything is possible.

What has been your biggest challenge? That is a tough question. I’ve had many challenges. I have a few that I’m embarrassed by that would be right at the top of my list, but two that I’m not embarrassed by are:

On December 8, 2012 while I was deployed, a US Navy SEAL was killed in action (KIA) in Afghanistan. That Navy SEAL's name was Nicolas Checque and he was one of the best people I have ever had the chance to talk to in my life. Nick was such a humble person and an all around good guy. Losing him was a very difficult moment and it remains difficult. Luckily, as of right now, I am very close to where Nick is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery and for the past 3 years I have gotten the chance to visit him multiple times. 

The second challenge that I can say I've faced is much like the first. On October 11, 2015 while getting ready to leave Afghanistan for the second time, a British Puma Mk2 helicopter crashed on our base. As I had numerous years of medical experience under my belt I responded to the crash site to help tend to the wounded. About 3 1/2 hours later, after all of those who were in the helicopter had been successfully extricated from the wreckage, I was able to leave. 

Those two days stick with me to this day. They remind me daily of how precious life is. They also remind me to help someone anytime I can help. If I can spare change for someone, I will. If someone needs a shoulder to cry on or to punch, I'll do my best to help. There is no way of knowing how long you will be here, but there is a way of knowing what you will leave behind once you're gone.

What has been your happiest moment? I have had so many happy moments it is hard to pick just one. I would have to say that my most recent happiest moment would be December 1, 2016. That is the day I was promoted to Sergeant. I had worked so hard and had been studying my butt off to get promoted, and on that day it happened. My mom flew down from Watertown to come put the new rank on my chest, and I couldn't have been happier.

Advice for WHS Students? Don't worry that life doesn't go as you plan it. There is no way to plan the next 2, 3, 5, 10, 15 years of your life and say, “This is what I am going to do.” In my line of work we always say to new people that you need to remain rigidly fluid in that you need to be set on your current path; you need to be giving your all at all times, but you better be prepared when the schedule changes 14 times in one day. Look at the goals that are within your reach and dedicate yourself to them, they will help you achieve the bigger picture goal someday.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Be honest in everything you do, don't rush in unless it is needed, help everyone you have the chance to help.

Food for Thought: Chelsea Kyle

Chelsea Kyle, 2009, Manhattan, NY

What are you up to? I work as Senior Visual Editor, Photographer for Condé Nast, specifically working with sister brands Epicurious and Bon Appetit. I direct, shoot, and produce all the photography for www.epicurious.com. Basically, a food story or recipe idea gets pitched to me from our Food Editors and I help facilitate how that gets represented visually. When we are working on big projects that require a larger team, I’m helping organize a team of freelance artists including additional Photographers, Food Stylists and Prop stylists. My time is split between being in the studio shooting and desk work editing, retouching, coordinating, etc. I occasionally shoot professional freelance gigs on my time off photographing restaurants, architecture, interiors design, and fashion.

I’m constantly surrounded by a lot of very passionate people who love food. Naturally, I have developed a deep love for the food world and I’ve picked up cooking myself. I live with one of my childhood friends (and fellow WHS alumni) who is also a photographer. My third roommate is a food stylist and a chef. My boyfriend is a pastry chef and food stylist. We love what we do so much that most of the time you’ll catch us on weekends in the kitchen with cameras.

How'd you get here? I was raised by my very old fashioned grandmother and my very forward thinking, modern mother. Both passionate as hell, especially when it came to me. I’d like to think I had a nice balance of both their ideals but the reality of it made it very difficult to choose between a traditional path pursuing a “reliable” career in science or break the norm and go to a trade school for photography.

After getting accepted to my dream school, Savannah College of Art and Design, I declined and chose to attend University of New Hampshire to study Nutrition. It didn’t take long for the little voice in my head to start screaming, “You’re in the wrong place.” So I went home to Connecticut and attended classes at Central Connecticut State University until I figured out my next step. I was accepted to University of Hartford for photography but the summer before my first fall semester, I was sitting in my mom’s kitchen expressing how I didn’t want to spend 2 of 4 years taking general art classes before I could focus solely on photography. I wanted a trade school that got me hands on experience with photo equipment and shooting right away. She encouraged me to follow my heart and we started looking at trade schools.

I finally found a home at New England School of Photography (NESOP) in Boston where I graduated with a focus in Advertising and Commercial photography and minored in Creative Imaging. During my studies at NESOP, I was interning at Boston Magazine and tutoring students in classes below me. Soon I started getting freelance photography gigs. By the time I graduated, I was shooting freelance full-time. I had clients all over Boston, small businesses, publications, etc. Three years later, through connections and recommendations, I got a call from Condé Nast and a month later I dropped everything to move to New York to start my current job.

What are your goals? I want to inspire people to follow their dreams like I have. I want to continue to bring people joy through the world of art, showing people a different side of life, and filling people up with beautiful representations of other people’s thoughts and ideas. I want to encourage people to fight for themselves and what they love.

My grandmother grew up in a time when she wasn’t allowed to pursue her dreams. She was a woman held back by society and an abusive father. She didn't stop; even when her mother killed herself, her sister died from a poorly treated infection and her marriage failed leaving her with 4 kids. She set out on her own and successfully raised four children and then three grandchildren (me!). She was a Girl Scout Leader growing up and countlessly told us girls that we could be whoever we wanted to be. She and my mother gave me a childhood of wonderful experiences and taught me to always say yes to opportunity. 

Sadly, my mother battled with a vicious eating disorder, depression, and addiction and died as a result little over three years ago. She was an incredible person; she tried so hard to be her best and it took a toll on her mentally. My mom studied many religions seeking solace. She could recite scripture, religious readings, and spiritual anecdotes that she had memorized but through her many pursuits she couldn’t find faith in herself. It was difficult to comprehend how someone so smart, beautiful, and strong could be so saddened by their own mind. I wanted desperately to give her courage and support the way she did for me. 

Both of these wonderful women in my life gave me the strength and confidence to achieve whatever I set my mind to when they couldn’t do it themselves. I hope to encourage others to do the same.

Advice for WHS Students? Success means more than just employment and executing your job well. Understand and appreciate the jobs of those who work around you and be inspiring and present. Small acts of consideration and kindness go a long way to making your work and personal life better for you, as well as for those around you. Your work ethic is important, but the attitude you bring to work and the way you treat others is just as important, if not more.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? You'll change your mind a lot. That's okay. Nobody except you can tell you what makes you happy.

Website offers way for alumni to share stories of their lives

WATERTOWN — Watertown High School alumni Colleen Murphy wants to share the stories of her fellow graduates. To that end, she has created the website Town, found at www.townmag.co.

“I started thinking about it in college,” Mr. Murphy said. “I was doing a lot of cool things, travelling, doing internships; in high school, I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”

Ms. Murphy, a 2009 WHS graduate, noted that Watertown didn’t have an alumni network for graduates to share their stories and experiences. She wanted to tell the stories of the little guy, not just the “heroes” that other alumni groups seem to focus on. She wanted to tell the stories of teachers and people who fix the roads.

Town collaborators include Miranda Weidemier, Chelsea Kyle, Julian Focareta, Chad Boulier, Mike Garceau and Demosthenes Gakidis.

According to townmag.co, “We are out to connect and strengthen Watertown High School. Through creativity, honesty, and empathy, we are determined to create a more informed WHS class. Our mission is to tell real and raw stories of success and failure to bridge the gap between alumni and current students. This is a new kind of alumni network where we value ‘success’ with an open mind.”....... Read More

Read more from Town Times

UConn Alumni: We Need Your Help

The current proposed state budget will cut $200 million to $300 million dollars from UConn over two years and will affect funding for research programs, Division I athletic teams, financial aid and scholarship funds.

This can directly impact our WHS community. 20% of TOWN Mag's alumni who submitted stories went to University of Connecticut. On top of that, around 50% went to state schools including Central Connecticut State University and Eastern Connecticut State University. As Watertown is a middle class community, these cuts will directly affect students who do not have enough resources to attend UConn; cuts will affect financial aid and scholarship funds.

Our very own WHS townie and UConn MD Candidate, Adam Bartholomeo, spoke out last week against these budget cuts. 

"The level of cuts proposed could make UConn School of Medicine and Dental Medicine and Urban Scholars unaffordable for many students/families, potentially shut down programs like UST, and drive excellent students and our future workforce away from the state, perhaps permanently. Connecticut needs knowledgeable doctors, and an investment in UConn SoM/DM is an investment in CT’s own workforce."

Read more of Adam's statement here.

Want to get involved? Reach out now to your local state legislators. Call, write, or e-mail that you are against the budget cuts to UConn. One of our representatives is also a WHS alumni and may agree that these budget cuts to UConn directly affect our Watertown community.

Joe Polletta, joe.polletta@housegop.ct.gov , 860.240.8700

Eric Berthel Eric.Berthel@cga.ct.gov, 860.240.8800

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We are curious to see just how many WHS Alumni went to UConn for their education. We're waiting to hear back from the high school from their data, but in the meanwhile, let us know if you attended UConn.

Redefining Success

Our mission is to tell real and raw stories of success and failure to bridge the gap between alumni and current students. This is a new kind of alumni network where we value "success" with an open mind. 

This means including everyone at the table to share their story. Success can have a variety of different meanings to a group of diverse people and to limit ourselves to one definition could quite possibly change the decisions we make in our lives.

Have you overcome mental illness? Have you preserved through addiction? Have you raised three kids and sent them to college when all of the odds were against you? Have you faced racial or social injustices? Have you lost someone close to you and you’re getting through? Are you on a journey right now but you don’t know where you’re headed? We want to be able to show the reality of success and that life has so many different paths to choose from.

Success has 2 definitions within the dictionary:

1) the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame

2) the correct or desired result of an attempt

We place a ton weight on definition number one, “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame”. These are superficial measurements put in place to rate people and put some on higher pedestals than others. To devalue many other contributions to society can be negative effect on our community. Wealth, respect, or fame - how can these be the only adjectives that correlate to success? Look at our teachers who help shape future generations - fame and wealth is hard to come by while working in education - and yet these are some of the most successful people who contribute to our society. They should also be celebrated. Their story matters too.

Definition number two, “the correct or desired result of an attempt”, is an open-minded definition of success. Many alumni magazines or publications glorify a person’s path to triumph. They choose the success stories they see fit into our societal definition and leave out many details about the journey. We are determined to do the opposite, to share all stories to the community and to focus on the adventure alumni took to get there.

We are out to connect and strengthen Watertown High School. Through creativity, honesty, and empathy, we are determined to create a more informed WHS class by sharing the multi-faceted, multi-leveled stories of success and failure. Can our small town start changing the definition of success?

How do you view success? Do you have a story to share? Share your story today! 

We Love Summer

Riding into that summer sun. Townies, we’re taking a little break for the summer months, but we’re always accepting story submissions. If you’ve got a moment this summer, make sure to write and share your story so we can start sharing when August comes around!

TOWN - Survey

Finally, our last survey. We asked students what they thought of TOWN mag, and we won’t lie, we LOVED the responses. We think we'll keep on doing what we're doing. Are you an alumni and interested in inspiring WHS students? Share your story today. #townmag #whs 

5 Classes That Should be Taught at WHS

We came up with a list of 5 classes that we think would be beneficial for all students to take in high school. Many of these classes are offered at universities throughout the country, but what if all students were exposed to them in high school? We focused on classes that would help broaden the mind, benefit a community, and give students a upper hand when it comes to the world outside of school.

1. Philosophy

Philosophy teaches you to think, question, and wonder about this complex world. It invites conversation, debate, and serious questioning of our perception of reality and morals. It also allows students to learn humility and vulnerability. Just how big and important are we? What is justice? What is truth? What is virtue?

In Italy, history and theories of philosophy are taught throughout Italian high schools. The result is a culture that allows it’s people to really engage in their feelings without being ashamed. They are not alone in their quest for truth; many countries throughout the world make teaching philosophy a priority.

Teaching philosophy to our students could lead to a more empathetic and understanding community. It would give students a tool to use for better self-awareness, which can result in better decision-making and a happier society. Let’s give our students the opportunity to learn about deeper thought and understanding, something that would make Plato and Socrates proud.

2. Personal Finance

Personal finance classes should be mandatory for all students. Great money habits are critical, especially right now. The reality of student loans, taxes, credit cards, and credit score can really become overwhelming if you don’t understand the system. Additionally, it would be great to teach high school students to have simple saving skills. We can expose some financial secrets that Wall Street bankers don’t want you to know, and it would allow students to get ahead of the game to understand the big picture. Although high school students may not be thinking that far in the future just yet, having access to that knowledge is critical when big decisions on personal finance do come up. 

3. Culture and Religion

Understanding, appreciating and respecting each other’s thoughts and beliefs teaches empathy and tolerance, which is vital for a growing and diverse community. There are many different beliefs systems and cultures throughout the world, and it would be beneficial for high school students to gain more exposure to each. Though some of this is covered in world history, it may be more interesting and beneficial to learn about current cultural events and religious traditions in this global society to give students a more solid outlook on how the world works. To be clear, there is a difference between teaching religion and teaching about religion. Read more here.

4. Logic and Mathematical Thinking

It seems like Logic and Mathematical Thinking would be covered in your conventional algebra class, but surprisingly, it’s not. Logic and Mathematical Thinking covers how to think like a mathematician, versus how to actually do the math. In these studies, only variables are used (no numbers) and it lays a base for a mathematical thinking process. This class could be beneficial in many aspects of a high school student’s life; it would be helpful for students struggling with basic algebra to students preparing for SATs. Read more about logic and mathematical thinking here and here. 

5. Environmental Studies/Science

The impact humans have on the environment is very real, and yet we don’t learn about it until we are in college. Creating ecologically literate students would benefit our future and our children’s futures. Environmental education is not only facts and figures about the natural world, it’s a deeper understanding of how dependent we are on nature, and how dependent nature is to us. By exposing students to environmental studies when they are in high school, they could pursue a degree in that field, and eventually could help reduce waste or curb CO2 emissions or change the world! Whether we like it or not, climate change is happening and we need to arm the next generation with the knowledge to help combat it. Read more about  AP Environmental Science here.

We also asked Juniors at WHS what classes they would like to see added to their curriculum. The results somewhat crossed paths with ours; some students said they wanted to see environmental studies and personal finance classes. The most popular class they wanted to see in the cirriculum: Cooking. 

What classes would you like to see taught and why? We’d love to hear from you!

Life In Watertown Survey

We had a little fun asking Juniors at Watertown High School about life in Watertown. The results were pretty hilarious to read and brought us back to our high school days. Some were really positive responses, but a lot were negative outlooks on Watertown (we asked students to make a hashtag for Watertown and one response was #dontcomeheretohavefun).

Of course, the negative responses make us question how the town and community can step up it's game. We are all for adding a skate park (one request from the survey), which has been something townie teenagers have dreamed of for years. We guess the town budget would have to pass first before we think the town will get a skate park, but hey, a townie can dream. On a serious note, we think that more things for teenage townies to do would really be a benefit the community overall and we're all for supporting these type of community initiatives.

The responses really brought us back to the days when we used to say, “I can’t wait to get out of this town.” Now that we are out.. well.. we love going back.

Real World Survey

We asked students about the crazy, scary, amazing Real World. They told us about their dream jobs and if they are ready for world outside of the classroom. We’re excited to report students feel very ready for the Real World and have high hopes and dreams!  

After High School - Money Survey

We asked students about money and their understanding of loans, interest, and finances. We won’t lie, these results weren’t exactly straight A’s. We found that many students feel confused or unconfident when it comes to finances. We’re now wondering how the community can help make information about money, finances, and loans more accessible and understandable to all students so that they can make solid financial decisions. Let's get to 100% of students who understand loans, interest, and feel confident in their finances. 

After High School Survey

In January of 2017, Juniors at WHS took a survey from TOWN Mag in their SSP class. Our goal was to get a picture of who students are, what they want to be, and where they are going. The answers we received were positive and inspiring. We can tell from their interests they are a diverse set of students, but many share the same hopes and dreams for a bright future. They are a confident, determined group of students and we are excited that they’ll soon join us in being WHS alumni.

Watertown Ancestry: A Look at Our Diversity

We think diversity can serve a community and allow it to be more prosperous, interesting and empathetic. Also, who wouldn't want ten delicious pizza shops to choose from? At some point in time, our ancestry leads us back to immigration (for most of us in the US). Ancestry is one's family or ethnic descent (the evolutionary or genetic line of descent of an animal or plant). A few weeks ago we asked Juniors at Watertown High School about their ancestry and ethnicities. We were curious to hear about the diverse set of students that walked the halls and the families that have helped shape our community.

We asked how many generations of family have lived in Watertown. Exactly 50% of students surveyed said they are second or third generation living in town. The chart to the right represents our findings. We also asked students about their ancestry and an overwhelming amount of students come from Italy, Ireland, and Albania. Also, around 33% of students reported having multiple ethnicities. Now we are wondering, are you a WHS alumni and where do you come from?