Good Saturday morning, Watertown families and staff,

What a week we have had. On Wednesday, we cut the ribbon on the new Watertown High School, a building twelve years and four Statements of Interest in the making. It started back in 2014, when district and community members before me had the courage to say the old building could no longer serve our students, and they refused to stop until that changed. 

What stands at 50 Columbia Street now is the result of years of persistence and a community willing to keep refining the plan until we got it right, along with a shared commitment to build not just for today's students, but for the ones who will walk these halls decades from now. Every part of the new WHS building, from its net-zero energy systems to the sustainable materials throughout, was chosen with our students' future in mind, and we hope that learning in a building this thoughtful about its impact will help our students see themselves as the climate stewards this world needs.

It is LEED Platinum, net-zero energy, and by every account we can confirm, the first high school of its kind in the nation.  And equally, if not more important, it is an incredible learning environment, one built to inspire students to think creatively, learn collaboratively, and shape the world around them, exactly the kind of equitable, challenging, and innovative environment our mission calls us to create for every student.

This new high school is the fourth major building project we have completed together in my time here, and each one has told the same story: a community that keeps choosing to invest in its kids. That work is not finished. Conversations about and plans for a new middle school are already happening, and that is exactly the kind of long-term thinking this community has shown it can carry out, even when the path is not simple. That is the kind of foundation I want to leave behind, one where the next big idea always has a home in Watertown.

With that said, I  want to make sure every family and staff member hears something directly from me, not secondhand. At our faculty convening on Thursday, I shared that this coming year will be my last as your superintendent. Nine years in is already a long tenure for this role, and this tenth year will complete a full decade. I have always believed that knowing when a chapter is complete is its own kind of leadership. I wanted our staff, and now all of you, to hear it from me directly and early, so we can spend this year focused on what matters most: our students.

I want to be clear about what this means in practice.  Nothing changes about how hard I am working for Watertown's students. If anything, I am more determined than ever to make this year the best it can be. My focus for the next ten months is simple. I want every student, every family, and every staff member to feel the strength of this district in every interaction, every decision, and every day of learning. And I want to leave Watertown Public Schools in the strongest possible position for whoever carries this work forward next, with solid systems, real momentum, and a community that knows exactly what it stands for.

I believe in this district more than I ever have, and that belief only grows as I watch all of our students, our youngest learners and our seniors alike, begin this Tuesday with a year full of learning and joy ahead. There is so much still to come, and I intend to make the most of every day of it. Thank you for trusting me with this work. Let's make this year one to remember.

With gratitude and pride,

Dr. Dede Galdston

Superintendent, Watertown Public Schools

Thank you to the thousands of people who attended the grand opening of the new Watertown High School. It was a truly monumental moment for our schools and our community, and we were thrilled to finally open the doors to this long-awaited and revolutionary building.

Generations of community members toured the new building, strolling through common spaces, hallways, and classrooms, soaking in everything the $219 million building has to offer. City and state officials joined us for a ribbon cutting ceremony before the doors were opened.

If you weren't able to attend, you can enjoy the photos and videos below. We can't wait to welcome students into the new building on Tuesday.

On Monday, we held new teacher orientation at the Cunniff School. Please join me in welcoming the many new people who have joined WPS this year. We are so fortunate to welcome 29 new staff members this year, including two familiar faces returning to us; 12 new instructional assistants; 11 new support staff across administrative, custodial, nutrition, and family engagement roles; and one new administrator, Kristen Beaupre, our Interim Director of Student Services. 

To all of our new colleagues, welcome to Watertown. We are glad you are here, and we know our students and schools will be better for it. To everyone who will help them find their footing in the weeks ahead, thank you in advance.