Watson officially opens new wing

Watson Principal Joan Waldman happily cut the ribbon on the school’s new extension. (Tim Baker/Herald)

Tim Baker/Herald

Artist Jonathan Bartlett next to one of the many works of art that he created for the school’s new wing.

Tim Baker/Herald

School and district officials gathered for the ribbon cutting. Pictured in the back row were, from left, Board Secretary Gregg Spaulding, Assistant Superintendent Robert Bartels and Board Trustee John O’Shea. In front, from left, were Superintendent Dr. William Johnson, Watson PTA Co-President Susan McNulty, Principal Joan Waldman, PTA Co-President Marybeth Stines, Board Vice President Mayda Kramer and Board President Liz Dion.

Tim Baker/Herald

Board of Education President Liz Dion addressed the gathered crowd and thanked the students and staff of Watson for enduring the construction work last year.

Tim Baker/Herald

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Watson School celebrated its new addition with a ribbon cutting on Sept. 10.

Built over what used to be an interior courtyard, the 5,300 square-foot addition has three brightly-colored classrooms, a nurse’s office, a half-classroom, and two smaller academic support rooms. The classrooms have been in use since the school year started — one for second grade and two for third grade. Teacher Jonathan Bartlett made acrylic paintings for the hallway. Each shows a different natural landmark from around the world.

“This was the space that we didn’t have in recent years,” said Watson Principal Joan Waldman, after she cut the ribbon. “And now this will afford us such great opportunity for the children. For small group instruction, adequate classroom space. It’s really wonderful.” She said that before the addition, art and music spaces had to be used for classrooms.

The nurse’s office is much larger than it used to be, with a bigger bathroom and wider entryway, which makes it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“It’s been in the minds of the people of Watson School for at least four or five years,” Superintendent William Johnson said of the addition. “As we’ve seen the population grow here...we need space.”

According to Board of Education President Liz Dion, Watson had swelled from 240 students to more than 300 in the past few years.

“I especially want to thank Watson parents,” Dion said at the ribbon cutting. “For living through the last year and all the tumults that we caused with the shaking of the noise and the construction back there — it was worth it.” She also thanked custodians Christian Dellamorte and Rodney Mitchell for their help.

The new wing cost $2.5 million, and was paid by the bond that was passed in March 2013, according to Robert Bartels, the assistant Superintendent for Business.

“We were really busting at the seams, so to have these extra classrooms and extra resource rooms and storage space — it’s just phenomenal,” said PTA co-president Marybeth Stines. “The kids are thrilled and so are the parents."