District to Hold Virtual Town Hall Meeting about High School Mascot
Watertown Public Schools will hold a virtual town hall meeting about the use of the current high school mascot on Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 pm. The virtual town hall meeting is occurring as part of the district’s continuing conversations about the use of the high school’s mascot, which have been taking place in response to a public request to change the Watertown High School mascot. Since October, the Watertown Public Schools Mascot Committee, which was established by the Board of Education in September, has been meeting to engage in a community discussion, with the assistance of experts in the field, on the subjects of race, culture, as well as the use of a Native American school mascot and name. Mascot Committee members include Watertown Board of Education members, community members, parents, Watertown High School students, staff members, and administrators. The committee’s goal is to inform the Board of Education of their findings on the matter of the mascot’s use and to present to the Board recommendations about the current name and mascot in January.
Interested participants should register to speak at the town hall and/or submit testimony to mascot@watertownps.org. The town hall will be livestreamed for public viewing on the Watertown Public Schools YouTube channel and participants can log into a Google Meet in order to speak during the Town Hall at meet.google.com/qgu-ngyf-mqt, or by phone at 1 443-574-7607 PIN: 357 769 343#.
Comments made during the Town Hall will be limited to three minutes per speaker. Interim Superintendent Dr. John Ramos will serve as the Town Hall’s facilitator.
Janet P. Parlato, Ed.D.
Principal
Watertown High School