Riverside STEM Academy -

Riverside Middle School STEM Academy Registration Deadline is Feb. 7! Attention parents and guardians of Watertown area fifth-graders – Riverside Middle School STEM Academy registration closes next Friday, Feb. 7 for the 2025-26 school year. If your child will be a sixth-grader at RMS this fall, please be sure to check out this unique program focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. To register, visit: https://sites.google.com/mywusd.org/rms-course-registration?usp=sharing.

Students at Riverside Middle School have been busy learning about woodworking through their technical education classes. Sixth-graders in Tech Ed Survey recently learned how to use the bandsaw, scroll saw, disc sander, and Dremel for their Animal Door Stop project. They also practiced hand sanding and staining. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Design and Modeling students learned 3D modeling by designing their own puzzle - learning tolerances between shapes and how they all fit together, and students in the 8th grade Advanced Woods class designed and built their own unique projects. It's great to see this hands-on learning happening everyday. #tradition_innovation_transformation

Several Watertown Unified School District 5th-8th graders participated in a Math Meet earlier this month at UW-Whitewater sponsored by the Southern Lakes Advanced Learners Network. Our students competed in five different math events, and then enjoyed a delicious lunch compliments of Pizza Ranch of Watertown.

WUSD CLASSES CANCELLED TOMORROW - NO AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES TODAY! Due to the extreme cold temperatures and wind chill, the Watertown Unified School District is cancelling school tomorrow, Tuesday, January 21, 2025. In addition, all after school activities are cancelled today, Monday, January, 20, 2025. Please stay safe and warm!

WUSD Parents & Guardians: Please watch for an email and/or text message this afternoon regarding signing on to Rooms - a new two-way secure messaging tool that will enable parents, teachers, coaches and students to stay better connected. Please note - upon registering, you will enter a virtual "waiting room" at your student's school. This is where all families will gather until Rooms opens district-wide later this spring. Rooms will go live at the start of the Third Trimester or Fourth Quarter depending on where your student(s) attend school.

Endeavor Charter School is now accepting new students for the 2025-26 school year! Endeavor Charter School is located within Watertown High School and provides a unique alternative to traditional learning environments. Current high school students and incoming freshmen interested in attending Endeavor are invited to apply today at endeavorcharterschool.org. Current Watertown 8th graders and their families will have an opportunity to tour the Endeavor classrooms during Freshman Preview Night next Thursday, Jan. 16.

Watertown High School will host Freshman Preview Night for all current area 8th graders on Thursday, Jan. 16. This event is an excellent way to learn more about the high school and its many academic and extracurricular offerings. No need to pre-register, just attend!

WUSD Nutrition Services moves to new hot lunch menu platform and app through My School Menus. Download the My School Menus app or access the new menu link for all WUSD schools on the district's homepage (https://myschoolmenus.com/organizations/2346) or on each individual WUSD school building website. Features of this new platform include: • Complete list of all food choices available to students • Nutrient data for menu items • Ability to Build-A-Meal and create customized meals • Ingredient information for certain menu items • Allergen identification by filtering menu items • Dietary preference identification showing symbols identifying foods • Translation to 180 languages using Google Translate Please contact the Nutrition Services office at (920) 262-7536 with any questions.

Our students and staff had so much fun during the month of December spreading holiday cheer for all to see and hear - Happy Holidays from the Watertown Unified School District! 🎄🎅⭐

Due to the wintry weather and potentially unsafe driving conditions that we are experiencing, all Watertown Unified School District after school activities are canceled today, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Please stay safe and warm. Jarred Burke Superintendent of Schools

Last week, the Watertown Unified School District hosted three Community Input Sessions to receive feedback on its preliminary Long Range Facilities Plan. The district has been working with Plunkett Raysich Architects (PRA) since early March to develop this plan that will shape the look and structure of district buildings into the future. This long range plan is being developed based on future enrollment projections, highest and best use of classroom and programming space, evolving teaching best practices, and economic feasibility. The feedback received last week from district staff members, parents/guardians and community members will play an important role in this planning process. Thank you to all who attended. A second round of Community Input Sessions will take place April 22-24, 2025. To learn more about the district's Long Range Facilities Plan, please visit https://www.watertown.k12.wi.us/page/long-range-facilities-planning-study.

Next Wednesday, Dec. 11, Watertown High School will proudly host the SkillsUSA District 4 Conference from 4-8 p.m. More than 350 student competitors from roughly 40 different schools will be in attendance, with 70 industry judges from local businesses and on hand to support the event. Students will have the opportunity to compete in 28 unique contests ranging from welding to photography to electronics and much more. The public is invited to view the competitions as they take place. Watertown High School Technology Education Teacher Jesse Domer and his team are organizing the event. He said it will be "an amazing night for students to test their skills and celebrate the trades!" #Tradition_Innovation_Transformation

The second of our three Community Input Sessions regarding the WUSD's Long Range Facilities Planning study will take place tonight at 6 p.m. at Riverside Middle School. We strongly encourage citizens to attend tonight's meeting or the third meeting tomorrow (Thursday) at Schurz Elementary School, also at 6 p.m. This planning study, coupled with community input, will shape the district's school building configurations into the future. If attending this evening, please enter RMS through the front doors by the flag pole. Pictured are WUSD staff members attending the Facilities Study presentation yesterday. Speaking are Superintendent Jarred Burke, Buildings & Grounds Supervisor Kevin Sukow and representatives from PRA, the architecture firm conducting the study. Also pictured are some fabulous National Honor Society students who volunteered to watch little ones so their parents could attend the meeting. Childcare will again be provided tonight and tomorrow evening.

Hey Watertown – we need your help to make sure local students are warm and fed this winter! ❄️ On Saturday, Dec. 14 & Sunday, Dec. 15, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., help us Stuff the Bus full of warm clothing, non-perishable food, and holiday gifts for area youth in grades 4K-12 at the Bentzin Family Town Square. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Dousman Transport Co., a school bus will be parked at the Square both days and we are determined to FILL IT! Please see the list of suggested items to donate in the flyer below. This will be a fun, festive, two-day experience you won’t want to miss – be a part of giving something special this holiday season. 🎁 Stuff the Bus is organized in partnership by the Watertown Unified School District, the City of Watertown, WI - Government, and the Watertown Park and Rec Dept.

The Watertown Unified School District (WUSD) would like to announce that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has released the State Report Cards for the 2023-2024 school year. These report cards provide valuable insights into the academic performance and growth of our district and schools, serving as a reflection of our commitment to educational excellence. At WUSD, tradition, innovation, and transformation are at the heart of our mission. We are dedicated to serving our students by providing educational opportunities that promote academic excellence and a lifelong love of learning. This focus drives our efforts to honor our community’s traditions, embrace innovative practices, and transform educational experiences to meet the needs of every learner. We encourage families to review the State Report Cards and celebrate the successes outlined within them, while also joining us in identifying opportunities for growth as we work together to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Our district and individual school State Report Cards are now available to the public. Please take time to access this information via a link to the Wisconsin Department of Public on the WUSD website at https://www.watertown.k12.wi.us/o/wusd/page/district-accountability-reports . Teams of Watertown Unified School District staff members have already begun digging into this data to understand areas for improvement and identify components to celebrate. This continuous improvement work coupled with the efforts currently underway in classrooms across our district will lead to improved learning experiences for each of our students. Our district remains proud of the work that all staff members continue to do for and with students as we collaboratively prepare every learner for community, career and college readiness.

Riverside Middle School recently hosted Courage Day for its 7th graders – a special event designed to help students step out of their comfort zone, build resilience, bond with their classmates over fun activities (like silly-walking across the gym), and to gain confidence in standing up for themselves and others. This is the fifth time Courage Day has taken place at RMS. It is run by Minneapolis-based Youth Frontiers (youthfrontiers.org/courage-retreat) who were assisted by Watertown High School juniors and seniors involved in leadership activities. The high schoolers set a great example for the younger students that day. 💙 Students participated in large group activities and small group discussions which encouraged them to face their fears, be respectful, stand up against bullying, and to be kind to others. The 7th graders were challenged to choose an “Act of Courage” to do as an individual that would have a positive effect on themselves and their school as a whole. It was a great day to be an RMS Panther and Future Gosling. #WatertownWay

The WUSD Nutrition Services Department was recently visited by past members of its leadership team. Sheila Price, supervisor of Nutrition Services, said it was a delight to have the former colleagues visit and to see the many changes the department has undergone – especially in terms of staffing. Pictured are (from left) Nancy Kopplin, current WHS production manager; Michelle Yelk, current administrative assistant for Nutrition Services; Joan Jaeckel, former supervisor of Nutrition Services; Joan Loomis, former production manager; Sheila Price, current Supervisor; and Jackie Walsch-McCabe, former supervisor. #WatertownWay

Let's congratulate Ms. Moulton’s 7th and 8th grade Riverside Middle School Healthy Living students who are now officially certified in Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED! Thank you to RMS for providing the funds for the students' Red Cross certifications, and to the RMS PTO for granting funds for portable CPR breathing barriers. These students are now equipped with the skills and knowledge to someday save a life!

Riverside Middle School hosted wonderful and heartwarming Veterans Day ceremony this morning. Please enjoy these photos of our RMS Panthers honoring our local veterans.

Last Thursday, while classes were not in session, Watertown Unified School District staff participated in a variety of professional development learning opportunities at locations all across the community. In addition to meeting in our public school buildings, staff training and collaboration also took place at Watertown Regional Medical Center, Madison College, and at The Collective. Staff development focused on Literacy training, Keys to Literacy Module Work, Data Review, aimswebPlus training, ASCA training, NVCI training, FERPA training for certified and paraprofessional staff, and more. In addition, CTE (Career to Technical Education) staff received a behind-the-scenes tour of WRMC’s Harvest Market and district clerical staff received training in Canva, a graphic design program. It was a great day for team building all throughout our school district! #WatertownWay