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.
How cute is this - students in Mrs. Christine Peters' 4K class at Webster Elementary School were treated to a Thanksgiving Feast where they tasted various Thanksgiving Day fare and rated which dishes were their favorites. The tastings consisted of turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes and of course, pumpkin pie. 🦃
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.
Watertown High School was the setting last night for a phenomenal showcase of student art from all across the Watertown Unified School District. In addition, the Student Art Showcase featured the presentation of more than a dozen life-sized goose decoys that were hand-painted and decorated by local artists. They were truly a sight to behold - so much talent and creativity flows through Watertown.
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
Riverside Middle School hosted wonderful and heartwarming Veterans Day ceremony this morning. Please enjoy these photos of our RMS Panthers honoring our local veterans.
Please see the links below for two volunteer opportunities to help out the Webster PTO.
Volunteer at the Webster PTO Pottery Night on Friday, November 15th:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BADA72EAAF4C25-52010029-webster
Volunteer at the Webster PTO Scholastic Book Fair on Wednesday, November 20 and Thursday, November 21: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BADA72EAAF4C25-52011505-fall
Thank you.
Elementary schools across the Watertown Unified School District participated in elections of their own on Tuesday by casting votes to determine favorite cookie flavor and even to elect a school president, which was the case at Lebanon LEAP Elementary School. It was a close race at LEAP between resident hen, Henny Penny, and resident snake, Jack Tater. Jack Tater was the top-vote getter in the end. 🐍
Fourth-grade students at Webster Elementary School recently participated in their very own version of the TV game show Fear Factor for Halloween 🎃. Without being able to see what was in a variety of boxes, the students put their hands into witches eyeballs (grapes), goblin ears (dried apricots), monster tongues (banana peels) and more! The students had to guess what items they were feeling and the students who guessed the most items correctly won a prize. Pictured are the students who guessed at least four out of the six items correctly.
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
