Hello Early Steps Preschool and Pre-K Families,
We look forward to welcoming you this evening for family conferences!
Family conferences provide a valuable opportunity for caregivers and teachers to connect, celebrate your child's growth, discuss their progress, and identify ways we can continue to support their learning and development together.
To help create an opportunity for open and meaningful conversations, we encourage caregivers to make arrangements for their children during conference times, whenever possible.
If you have not yet scheduled a conference and would like to do so, please reach out to your child's teacher.
Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to connecting with you this evening or during one of our upcoming conference days!
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Project Overview
Watertown Public Schools’ (WPS) leadership is listening, learning, and rebuilding trust with caregivers, community members, and staff. Following leadership transitions in special education and a recent external audit, WPS is committed to transparent communication, honoring lived experiences, and co-creating a collaborative path forward centered on care, respect, and equity.
To support this effort, WPS has partnered with Dr. Charmain F. Jackman, Ph.D., and Innovative Psychological Services, Inc. ( InnoPsych). Grounded in predictability, collaboration, empowerment, and transparency, InnoPsych will help establish a welcoming, supportive environment for caregivers, staff, and leaders to engage in shared healing. Beginning with comprehensive input from caregivers and stakeholders, the project will use a range of approaches to repair harm and build trust, including community care practices, structured dialogue, mindfulness, and restorative principles, to foster reflection, strengthen communication, and support lasting positive change across our school system.
Key elements of the project include:
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Healing-Centered Framework: Prioritizing caregiver psychological safety, trust, predictability, and mutual dignity across the community.
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Assessment Phase (Oct – Nov 2026): Gathering caregiver insights through listening circles, surveys, staff sessions, and leadership meetings to inform custom interventions.
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Intervention Phase (Dec 2026 – Jan 2027): Facilitating caregiver healing circles, community care practices, and targeted staff workshops.
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Core Practices: Integrating mindfulness, structured dialogue, and restorative practices to rebuild trust and elevate engagement.
Assessment Phase Schedule
(October 21, 2026 – November 30, 2026)
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2026 Fall Meet & Greet for Caregivers of neurodivergent children & Children with disabilities: Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm (Hybrid at Watertown Free Public Library) (Zoom Link)
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SEPAC General Meeting: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 6:30pm– 8:00pm - Remote Only (Zoom Link)
Special Education Team
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Assessment Meetings: Between October 29, 2026 and November 13, 2026 (To be scheduled)
District Leadership Team
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Kick-off Meeting: Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 11:00am – 12:30pm
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Report Out & Intervention Strategy Review: Tuesday, November 24, 2026 | 11:00am – 12:30pm
Intervention Phase Schedule
(December 9, 2026 – January 25, 2027)
Caregivers & Community
Caregiver Healing Sessions
(In-person only) (Location to be determined)
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Session 1: Wednesday, December 9, 2026 | 8:15am– 9:45am
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Session 2: Thursday, December 10, 2026 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Special Education Team
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Workshop: January 2027 (To be scheduled)
District Leadership Team
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Workshop: Tuesday, January 5, 2027 (12:00pm – 2:00pm) OR Tuesday, January 12, 2027 (11:00am – 1:00pm)
Dr. Charmain Jackman’s Bio:
Dr. Charmain Jackman is a licensed psychologist with over 25 years of experience in child and adolescent mental health. She served as Dean of Health & We
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Dear Watertown Parents and Caregivers,
I am writing to personally invite parents and caregivers of students with disabilities who have an IEP or a 504 Plan to join me for a series of listening sessions this fall.
Last year, many of you shared your experiences, your hopes for your children, and your concerns about how our district serves students with disabilities. Your voices directly shaped our Special Education Improvement Strategy, the multi-year plan guiding our work to strengthen special education and student support services across Watertown. These sessions are the next step in that partnership.
I want to hear how things are going now. I hope we can celebrate the progress and successes we have seen so far, and I want to listen carefully to the concerns that remain. I will be repeating these listening sessions in the Spring of 2027 as well. What you share will help us measure whether the strategy is making a real difference for your children and guide where we focus next.
Superintendent Listening Sessions
Sessions will be held at each school. You are welcome to attend the session at your child's school or whichever date works best for you:
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Hosmer Elementary School: Thursday, October 29, 8:00 to 9:00 AM
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Lowell Elementary School: Wednesday, November 4, 8:00 to 9:00 AM
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Cunniff Elementary School: Thursday, November 5, 8:00 to 9:00 AM
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Watertown Middle School: Thursday, November 12, 7:45 to 8:45 AM
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Watertown High School: Wednesday, November 18, 8:00 to 9:00 AM
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Early Steps Preschool: Friday, November 20, 8:00 to 9:00 AM
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Dr. Ceronne Daly, our Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, will host a Meet and Greet for caregivers of neurodivergent children & children with disabilities Thursday, October 29, at 5:30 at the Watertown Free Public Library.
We are also partnering with Dr. Charmain Jackman, who will join Dr. Daly's session on October 29. Dr. Jackman is a distinguished psychologist and the founder of InnoPsych, and she spent 17 years as a school-based clinician. She will hold a family focus group on Tuesday, November 17 via zoom (link to follow), and will facilitate two sessions in December to support families as part of our community healing project.
And the School Committee will hold a Listening Session during the evening of November 30. Additional details about the Community Healing Project and the School Committee Listening Session will be shared soon.
No preparation is needed for any of these sessions. Come as you are, share as much or as little as you would like, and know that your voice matters in this process.
If you would like an interpreter or any other accommodation to participate in any of these offerings, please contact me at 617-926-7708 or at deanne.galdston@watertown.k12.ma.us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements. If you are unable to attend but would still like to share your thoughts, you are always welcome to reach out to me directly by email or in person.
Thank you for your continued partnership. I look forward to listening and learning together.
Warm regards,
Dr. Deanne Galdston
Superintendent of Schools
Watertown Public Schools
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Are you looking to better understand the special education process and your rights as a parent/guardian? Join the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) for an informative presentation: Basic Rights: Referral, Evaluation, and Eligibility.
This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of special education laws and procedures, covering:
- The special education referral and evaluation process
- Understanding eligibility, services, and placement
- Parents’ rights and dispute resolution options
- Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
- Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: Online via Zoom (Handouts & Zoom links sent prior to the presentation)
- Cost: Free
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Upcoming Events
Upcoming Dates:
- Wednesday, October 28, 2026 - evening conferences
- Friday, October 30, 2026 - Early Release - afternoon conferences
- Sunday, November 1, 2026 - Fall Back - Daylight Savings
- Thursday, November 5, 2026 - evening conferences
- Friday, November 6, 2026 - afternoon conferences
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Early Steps Early Childhood Center
1 Concord St.
Watertown, Ma 02472
Phone: 1-617-926-7765
Principal - Christine M. Gibelli
Administrative Assistant - Kanika Chambers
Special Education Team Chair- Shauna Vyner
Nurse - Madison Sullender
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