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! ☀🌷
Earlier this month, 12 Watertown High School students attended the HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) State Leadership Conference and Competition at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. The students showcased their competitive skills in the areas of Forensic Science, Emergency Medical Technician, Public Service Announcement, Medical Spelling, and Pharmacology Science. The students also attended a variety of breakout sessions to grow their healthcare knowledge and leadership training.
The students attending the conference were Owen Sjoberg, Jackson Medina, Addie Meintzer, Kieston Keel, Lydia Meyers, Emily Bardenwerper, Hannah Cookson, Sophia Nieto, Kylie Tripp, Ashley Almendarez, Eleyna Stadler and Taija Garcia.
Noah Gibson, WHS teacher and advisor to HOSA, said the program is made possible through student-led fundraising efforts and support from local community partners including Watertown Regional Medical Center; Spero Heritage Homes; Area Dental Clinic of Watertown, WI; Harry E. Gibson, D.D.S.; Deb Kind-Hall, R.N.; and Emily Stoddard, M.D.
We have much to celebrate in the Watertown Unified School District across all grade levels. We also send our best wishes to our student musicians competing at State Solo & Ensemble this Saturday! 🎶
The Watertown High School Visual Arts Classic team participated in the State VAC Competition at Edgewood College on April 11 along with 63 other teams. Watertown brought home 6 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 1 bronze medal.
WHS students and coaches who attended the competition are pictured below. They are:
Back row, from left - Coach Jana Strobel, Alternates Annie Van der Linden and Inky Roberts, Design Artist Ze Zietlow, Alternate Evan Rodriguez, Digital Artist Isaac VanBuren, and Coach Dave Pawl.
Front row, from left - Printmaking Artist Charlie Pliska, Art History Artist Dani Krahn, Photographer Oli Holz, and Functional Artist Mack Christian.
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.
Webster Elementary School held its Cool, Awesome and Terrific Students (CATS) lunch on Friday, April 11. Each month, Webster Principal Brad Clark eats lunch with a group of Cool, Awesome and Terrific Students. These students are selected by teachers in grades 5K-5 for making great gains in an academic area or by working super hard.
Picture 1 - Grades K, 1 & 2
Top Row (left to right): Stella Seibert, Logan Mills, Savannah Trapp
Middle Row (left to right): Zoey Bahn, Magnus Meyer, Quinn Nienow
Bottom Row (left to right): Khloe Winkelman, Jordan Fletcher, Colsin Sterner
Picture 2 - Grades 3, 4 & 5
Top Row (left to right): Trinity Rosek, Brayleigh Wallace
Third Row (left to right): Elijah Knuth, Kyle Joslyn
Second Row (left to right): Aliyah Fox, Hazel Mechelke, Corianna Laviola
Bottom Row (left to right): Alddon Saugstad, Parker Kopecky, Laina Contes
Come join the WUSD team - now hiring for part-time and full-time positions.
There are several WUSD Board of Education special meetings and regular committee meetings taking place this week. View meeting agendas and past meeting minutes through our BoardDocs link at: https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/watertown/Board.nsf/vpublic?open.
