On Tuesday evening, student ambassadors from the WUSD's Endeavor Charter School hosted a special presentation at the Watertown Public Library with Q&A to follow. The students talked about their positive learning experiences at Endeavor, and how the student-guided programming is preparing them for their future post-high school.
Endeavor Charter School is still accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year. To learn more, visit https://www.watertown.k12.wi.us/o/endeavor.
Last Friday, Watertown Police Department Detective Jacob Reitz was a guest speaker in Emmie Carpenter's Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Innovation classes at Watertown High School. The students are completing a Forensic Autopsy Project and Detective Reitz provided information regarding crime scene investigations and autopsies.
Thank you, Detective Reitz, for sharing your expertise with our students!
Douglas Elementary School third graders recently competed in the Battle of the Books! More than half of the third graders participated on a team, reading books and competing by answering questions. Pictured are the three teams who finished in the top 3 places – The Rock Squad (left), The Epic March Boys (middle), and The Sports Stars (right). Students pictured include (back row, left to right) Natalie Kreuser, Corbin Biasi, Kane Briscoe, Owen Craft, Michael Tokarski, and Patrick McCarthy; (front row, left to right) Makenzie Collins, Connor Klock, and Hawkens Stratman. Congratulations to all participants!
Lily Sisulak, an art student at Watertown High School, has a mixed media painting currently featured in the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend. The piece is part of a show entitled, "When One Door Closes: A Teen Perspective on Change." The exhibit runs through July 13th. Sisulak is pictured here with her work entitled, "A Sprawl of Nature."
On Monday, April 28, students attending the Watertown Unified School District's REACH Beyond Age 18-21 Transition Program volunteered their time to pot 100 trees for the Watertown Park and Rec Dept. The trees were purchased from Dodge County and will be planted in our local parks at a later date. 🌳
Happy School Nurses Day to our dedicated and caring school nurse, Lynn Gilbert, and to her equally dedicated and caring health room assistants - Alex Stankey (Watertown High School), Lisa Dominguez (Riverside Middle School), Tracey Rein (Webster Elementary School), Betty Richardson (Schurz Elementary School) and Theresa Kempf (Douglas Elementary School). Thank to you these special staff members for all they do for our schools! 💗
This past Saturday, Watertown High School was the site of "A Grand Affair" - the 2025 WHS Junior Prom. This special event was decorated to the nines in Art Deco styling with a Great Gatsby flair. More than 400 students were in attendance at the dance, with many also attending the Post Prom at the Watertown Elks Lodge. Thank you to the many local businesses that generously donated gifts for door prizes, and to the many WHS staff members and parent volunteers who help make Prom and Post Prom possible each year.
Congratulations to Jack Sullivan and Lydia Meyers for being crowned Prom King and Queen! Members of the 2025 Junior Prom Court include (fourth/back row, from left) Ava Novotny escorted by Garett Harris and Taija Garcia escorted by Drew Schauer, (third row) Sophia Page escorted by Davis Cashin and Allison Howlett escorted by Brady Lessner, (second row) Tessa Schwager escorted by Eli Clark and Gillian Mihalko escorted by Brady Crane, and (front row) Queen Lydia Meyers escorted by King Jack Sullivan.
Tradition. Innovation. Transformation. #WatertownWay!
The Watertown Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to interview and appoint a candidate to fill a vacant board seat at its next regular meeting, Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at the Educational Service Center.
Five candidates filed paperwork by the April 30 deadline to apply for the vacant seat. The candidates (listed in alphabetical order) are Steve Good, Laurie Hoffmann, Michael Kujawski, David Morstad and Michael Peacy. Each candidate will have the opportunity to provide a 3-minute introduction and then may be asked questions by board members at the May 19 meeting.
An agenda for the board meeting with a link to attend remotely will be posted the week prior at https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/watertown/Board.nsf/vpublic?open.
There are several WUSD Board of Education committee meetings taking place this week. View the agenda for all Board of Education meetings at https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/watertown/Board.nsf/vpublic?open.
This week, May 5-9, is Teacher Appreciation Week. We are grateful for all our caring and dedicated teachers not only during this special week, but the whole year through.
Thank you to our WUSD teachers for all they do to support our students and their families. 💙
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.
The 54th Massed Band concert carries on a tradition started in Watertown in the late 1960s, and features all of the WUSD's band musicians, 6th through 12th grade. This year's event will feature music from the Broadway musical and smash hit movie, Wicked! Join us on Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m. for this wonderful celebration of our students' growth this year. Tickets are sold at the door; $3.00 for adults, and $2.00 for students and seniors.
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. 💙
🎉 Huge congratulations to the 36 sophomores and juniors who were inducted into the National Honor Society at Watertown High School on Monday, April 14th! We're so proud to welcome these new members.
The National Honor Society is built upon four pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. These qualities represent the dedication and commitment of our outstanding students.
Let's all celebrate their achievements! 👏
On Tuesday, May 6, Endeavor Charter School is hosting a Community Information Night from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Watertown Public Library Community Room.
This event is organized by students and will be hosted by students! Everyone in the Watertown community is welcome to attend - individuals, families, businesses and organizations. The event will feature a raffle (tickets are free), trivia, student presentation about Endeavor Charter School, and honest conversation with students.
We hope to see you there!
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!
Thank you to the City of Watertown Street Division for stopping by Webster Elementary School yesterday - our 4K students had a blast learning about the big trucks, watching a garbage truck in action, and being able to sit in the cab of a dump truck.
The Douglas Elementary School third grade team spent their collaborative time working outside Wednesday afternoon to enjoy the beautiful day! ☀🌷
