Watertown 4 Kids

Today we celebrate our very special Nutrition Services staff during National School Lunch Hero day. We appreciate the great work the Nutrition Services Department does in keeping our students well-fed and for the kindness they share throughout the WUSD.

Thursday, May 1, is National School Principals' Day! Today we are celebrating our incredible Watertown Unified School District building principals Brad Clark, Mark Getz, Emily Lessner, Casey Rusch-Weiland, Jason Widiker and Josh Kerr. We thank them for all they do to support our staff, students and families. 💙

Earth Day was Tuesday, April 22 and students across the WUSD spent time last week helping to make our community a cleaner and "greener" place. Thank you to the Watertown Park and Rec Dept. for partnering with our schools in this effort. A new Black Gum tree was planted this year by City Forester Ryan Thurow and fifth-grade students from Douglas Elementary School. The tree can be viewed from the Watertown Aquatic Center parking lot at Riverside Park. 🌳

We’re proud to honor our incredible WUSD Library Media Specialist team who support over 3,200 students with dedication, heart, and a passion for learning. From fostering a love of reading to coordinating state testing, fixing Chromebooks, and meeting students' individual needs - they do it all. Their work makes a difference every single day. Thank you to Michelle Bergman, Conchetta Braatz, Jennifer Devers, Darianne Keuler-Nelson, Jamie Klubertanz, Jackie LaDew, Patricia Long, Kristen Roberts and Kelly Surdick for being the quiet heroes of our schools. We appreciate you!

Celebrating Advanced Learning Achievements On Monday, April 21, students from across the district were honored for their achievement in programs sponsored by the Advanced Learning Department. Students who achieved at certain levels through the Newbury Reading Program (grades 3-5, open to all students), Challenge by Choice (grades 2-5, open to all students), and the Southern Lakes Anthology (grades 3-8, open to all students) were presented with awards from Program Coordinator Mrs. Barganz, Mrs. Pochop and Mrs. Jensen. Students were also honored for their achievement in the Advanced Learning Department's competitive programs: Math Meet (grades 5-8), Academic Bowl (grades 6-8), and WordMasters (grades 2-5). Awards from the last two academic years were given out for these programs. A few awards of note: ⭐ Connor Young tied for third place in the nation on the fall WordMasters contest (3rd grade) ⭐ Bennett Kowalski tied for third place in the nation on the winter WordMasters contest (5th grade) ⭐ Kaylie Merriett tied for second place in the nation on the spring WordMasters contest (4th grade) ⭐ Audrey Arnett, MVP for Academic Bowl 2025 (Language Arts category) ⭐ Briar Wegner, MVP for Math Meet 2024 (7th/8th grades) and Academic Bowl 2024 (overall top scorer) ⭐ Parker Wheeler, MVP for Math Meet 2025 (5th/6th grades) ⭐ Elianna Keddington, MVP for Math Meet 2024 (5th/6th grades) ⭐ Elise Hensler, MVP for Math Meet 2025 (7th/8th grades) ⭐ WUSD Anthology Choice Award Winners: Zander Ness, Mikayla Freeson, Elliana Walter (also cover art) ⭐ WUSD Anthology read-alouds: Zander Ness, Lena Wiedenfeld ⭐ WUSD Anthology cover art: Elliana Walter, Ellie Krueger Congratulations to all students who participated in any AL program, and especially those who showed task commitment and earned enough points for an award!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day to this amazing group of WUSD employees - thank you so much for all you do to support our staff, students and families. We extend our sincere appreciation to Vian Abdulrahman, Terri Danner, Cory Dittmann, Jaime Fischer, Jill Geske, Danielle Hansen, Jennifer Harris, Jean Heiden, Cheryl Hollatz, Diane Klemm, Kathryn Klinger, Kelly Kwapil, Amy Liesch, Lynn Linskens, Sherrie Loeffler-Tietz, Dawn McBride, Jennifer McCrory, Sarah Miller, Kelley Piasecki, Katie Pirkel, Amanda Ristow, Jaclyne Rocole, Sara Schmitz, Katie Schroeder, Crystal Stalker, Angel Vander Steeg, Jean Vesper, Amy Wesemann, Jennifer Willis, Michelle Yelk and Laura Zautner. 💙

Registration for the WUSD Summer School program is now open through Friday, May 2. There is no cost for students to attend Summer School and lunch is free. (Please note, there is a $9 T-shirt fee for Rising Stars participants.) Summer School runs June 18-July 18 with no classes on July 3, 4 or 7. Register through Skyward Arena Scheduling.

🐰 Students in the WUSD's 4K program enjoyed an Easter egg hunt last week.

The WUSD fourth and fifth grade show choir, Pizzazz, had the incredible opportunity to sing and dance with the Watertown High School Show Choir on Friday as the high schoolers performed at our middle school and elementary schools. Here the students are pictured performing at Webster Elementary School. 🎶

Registration is now open for the WUSD Little Goslings Peer Model Program. Would your child be a good peer model for the program? If yes, enroll now! For the 2025-2026 School Year, please apply here: https://forms.gle/boEwoi1uZ67WE1oe9 *Children must be turning 4 after September 1, 2025. *Applications due: April 30, 2025 *Screening date: May 7, 2025 Questions? Please contact Kayla Wendt (WUSD Early Learning Systems Coordinator) at wendtk@mywusd.org or 920-262-1495 ext. 3221.

The annual Watertown Children's Day Community Fair was held Saturday, April 12 at Watertown High School. Organized by the Watertown Unified School District, the Community Fair is designed to connect young families in Watertown to daycare and preschool providers and to organizations that offer youth sports, learning and recreational opportunities. Thank you to all the vendors and the many community members who attended this special event!

What a fun Friday for our students - the Watertown High School Show Choir performed at Riverside Middle School and several elementary schools today and they were fantastic! The community is invited to see the Show Choir perform this evening at WHS starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are sold at the door - admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for students.

Our 4K students at Webster Elementary School were treated on Friday to a tailgate lunch and special visit from Louie B. Sluggin – the official mascot of the Lake Country DockHounds baseball team. Louie was escorted by WHS Class of 2019 graduate Tristan Kaufmann, who also represents the DockHounds organization. The students gave Louis lots of hugs and high fives. Thank you to Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Roth for coordinating this fun visit. ⚾🌭🐾

🎈 Watertown Children's Day Fair 🎈 The annual Watertown Children's Day Fair will take place Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m.-Noon at Watertown High School. This is a free, fun-filled event for young children (ages birth-8) and their families. Organized by the Watertown Unified School District, the Children's Day Fair provides an opportunity for parents and caregivers to learn more about the school district, area preschool and daycare providers, and other local agencies that support young children and families. Children will have a blast enjoying activities and snacks throughout the morning. For more information, call (920) 262-1460.

Save the Date! Registration for the Watertown Unified School District's Summer School program opens Monday, April 7 at 4 p.m.

Webster Elementary School staff and students wore fun, crazy and mismatched socks on March 21 to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day.

Since Jan. 20, the Watertown Unified School District has hosted more than 40 referendum pop-up discussions and formal presentations throughout the community to provide factual information regarding why the referendum is needed and to answer questions. Pictured below are two slides from our presentation - the first image illustrates the potential property tax impact of an approved referendum on homes at various price points in Watertown. The second image charts Watertown's current mill rate in relation to our neighboring communities. An approved referendum would add 70 cents to Watertown's current $5.99 mill rate.

The Watertown Unified School District is currently taking nomination forms for the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award was formed in purpose of providing our current students and community with a vision of the outstanding legacies of Watertown High School. The eligibility and criteria for nomination for the award are as follows: *Nominees shall be graduates of the Watertown Unified School District, that is, alumni who have received diplomas from the Watertown Unified School District *The nominee as gone on after high school to serve their communities and world through their careers, vocations or service dedication, and/or through a variety of endeavors, including: professional, athletic/entertainment, science/technology, community/governmental service, and/or entrepreneur/industrial, and/or *The nominee has made an outstanding contribution to society, and/or *The nominee has displayed outstanding leadership, and/or *The nominee is a person of historical significance, and/or *The nominee has been a prominent local, state, national and/or world figure. Nomination forms can be found on the Watertown Unified School District’s website at: https://www.watertown.k12.wi.us/page/distinguished-alumni-award. Nominators may also pick up a packet at the Educational Service Center (ESC) – 111 Dodge Street, or request the forms be mailed to their residence by contacting Lynn Linskens at (920)262-1460 Ext. 3202 or linskensl@mywusd.org. Nomination forms must be received by May 1st, 2025 to be considered for the 2025 award.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday, March 19), from 6:30-7:30 p.m. join us for a LIVE VIRTUAL Road to the Referendum presentation right here on Facebook and also streaming live on the Watertown Unified School District's YouTube channel. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jarred Burke will lead a brief presentation and then respond to questions regarding the referendum. A form to submit questions will be made available on the WUSD's Facebook page and on its website (https://www.watertown.k12.wi.us/page/spring-referendum) starting at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. Here are the links to tune in live: YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/lCb-UMUZKuo?feature=share Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1381462432846595/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

The Watertown Unified School District will host a VIRTUAL Road to the Referendum presentation with Q&A this Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on this Facebook page and the WUSD's YouTube channel. During this live virtual presentation, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jarred Burke will provide an overview of the referendum and then answer questions submitted by viewers during the presentation. A link to a Google form will be made available to submit questions starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Watch for more information to follow!