Watertown High School Newsletter
Watertown Unified School District
Parent Weekly Update 4.19.24
It was another great week at WHS with so much to celebrate!
On Sunday, our Badger Conference Top Ten Scholars were recognized at Oregon High School along with other students from across the Badger Conference. Congratulations to those individuals!
On Tuesday morning, we had the opportunity to celebrate our Senior students who completed Youth Apprenticeships with families as well as local participating businesses. A huge thanks to our wonderful CTE department at WHS for their support of students pursuing career opportunities through School to Career. If you need more information about School to Career opportunities or Youth Apprenticeships be sure to reach out to one of the WHS counselors!
As we approach the halfway point of the 3rd trimester families are encouraged to continue checking Skyward and reach out to WHS teachers if there are any concerns about your student’s progress. We are here to support in any way we can!
Have a great weekend!
Parent Teacher Conferences
Monday, April 22 (4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.)
WHS will be hosting in person Spring Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday, April 22 from 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in WHS classrooms. Parents can register for Parent Teacher Conferences via Skyward Family Access until Sunday, April 21 at 11:59 p.m.
US Senator Ron Johnson Presentation 4.23.24
The Watertown Unified School District is excited to share that United States Senator Ron Johnson will be visiting Watertown High School on Tuesday, April 23rd during an extended ELT to speak to 11th and 12th grade students about College and Career Ready Skills for the 21st century workforce.
WHS-WTS Exchange Program
There is still time to join the WHS-WTS exchange program! Letters from German students introducing themselves will be arriving before the end of the school year. Open your home to a German student and enjoy the unique experience of international friendship! WHS students get to choose their exchange partners; submit your paperwork soon to secure your place. Have questions? Come to the next informational meeting on Sunday, April 21st at 6 pm in Frau Schneider’s room (S274), where you will learn about both hosting and traveling.
Panorama Learning Survey
On Thursday, May 2nd, students will be again taking our district-wide social-emotional learning survey. We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the students at Watertown High School. In order to learn more about students’ experiences at WUSD, your student is asked to provide feedback via an online survey administered three times a year. The spring survey will be administered at school on Thursday, May 2nd during homeroom. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will ask students to self-reflect on the following topics:
● Self-Management
● Social Awareness
● Self-Efficacy
● Learning Strategies
● Emotion Regulation
If you would prefer your student opt out of taking the survey, please notify Student Services or email Mrs. True at truea@mywusd.org by April 29, 2024. We thank you, in advance, for your role in improving the learning experiences of our students at Watertown Unified School District.
Prom 2024
Saturday, May 4
Prom tickets are on sale at the front office. Tickets are $30 each and that price gets each student into both prom and post prom. Overall, the WHS Junior Prom is held in the Commons from 8:00-11:30 with presentation of prom court at 9:30. All students must be in prom by 9:30, and once you leave, you cannot re-enter. Post prom is held from 11:30-2:00 am at the Elks Lodge where everything is free, including a huge buffet of food, games with prizes, and loads of amazing door prizes. You must be present to win the door prizes. You must be in post prom at 12:15 and once you leave, you cannot re-enter.
Tickets will be $30 each until April 29, when the price changes to $35 each, so don't delay—buy your tickets soon!
AP Testing Schedule
2023-2024 Yearbooks
The deadline to order a 2023-2024 yearbook is Friday, May 10. No extra yearbooks are purchased so don't delay in ordering yours!
You can order a yearbook by clicking here.
UW Direct Admit
Current Junior Students/Parents
The Watertown Unified School District is participating in a new state program called Direct Admit Wisconsin. Direct Admit Wisconsin is designed to provide a place for all Wisconsin high school students to access a world-class public education by proactively offering them admission to the Universities of Wisconsin.
Based on a review of your student’s 11th grade transcript (grade point average, math coursework, progression towards graduation), you and your student will receive an email in July indicating which UWs are providing them direct admission, and the next steps they are to take in order to learn more about enrolling within the Universities of Wisconsin. Juniors will be presented with Direct Admit Wisconsin information on May 2, 2024 during homeroom time.
There are 10 UWs participating in Direct Admit Wisconsin for Fall 2025. They are UW-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater. For further information on Direct Admit Wisconsin please see the attached document and click on the QR code.
Senior Graduation Information
Graduation Ceremony
The Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 10 a.m. in the WHS Fieldhouse. Arrangements are being made to live-stream the ceremony for additional family members.
Graduation Practice
Graduation practice will take place on Friday, June 7 at 10 a.m. Attendance is required if students plan on participating in the Graduation Ceremony on June 8.
Graduation Tickets
The Graduation Ceremony will be a ticketed event for guests, with each graduate being allocated 12 tickets. Unused tickets will be made available to families who may want additional tickets at a later time. Tickets will NOT be released to students until the beginning of June.
Click here to request your tickets!
Graduation Video
The Graduation Committee is looking for childhood (baby/elementary age) pictures for the senior slideshow. Pictures can be submitted to whsgradpics@gmail.com. The deadline to submit pictures is Friday, May 3.
Senior Fees
We would like to remind parents that all school fees must be paid in full in order for your child to participate in the Graduation Ceremony. Fees can be paid by cash or credit card and are due no later than Friday, May 17, 2024. Additionally, any fees paid after May 1, 2024, must be paid by cash or credit card - no checks will be accepted.
Caps & Gowns
Seniors who missed the pick up of Jostens senior items, should stop in the Main Office to pick up their items ASAP. Students who didn't order their cap and gown yet, are encouraged to do so ASAP, by calling the Jostens Office at 262-899-8334 or ordering on their website: jostens.com.
WHS Counselor Update
So you are aware, WHS Counselor Matthew Dunn will be out of the building for the remainder of the school year. Mr. Dunn will be returning to the WHS Counseling Team during the 24-25 school year.
Amy True, Erikka Olson, and the rest of the WHS Student Services team have been working closely with Mr. Dunn to ensure there is as smooth of a transition as possible as we navigate the remaining weeks of the school year. Mrs. True and Mrs. Olson will divide Mr. Dunn’s alphabet to support students on Mr. Dunn’s caseload as follows:
Amy True: Students with the Last Names A-He, V-Z
Erikka Olson: Students with the Last Names Hi-Pe, Pi-U
We know the end of the school year is a critical time for students as they finish their Third Trimester classes so please be sure to reach out directly to Mrs. True or Mrs. Olson if you have any questions or your student needs any support during the remaining weeks of the school year. Thank you for your flexibility as we have a fantastic end to the school year!
Great Things Happening Around WHS!
Twelve Watertown High School students took part in the 2024 National German Exam, with over half winning awards. Achievement Awards for better than average performance went to Elisabeth Huhn (Level 2), Kenny Pettitt, Sara Rodriguez Machado, and Brad Vick (Level 3) and Alex Chamberlin (Level 4). Silver medals for scoring above the 80th percentile nationwide went to Emily Page (Level 4) and Jack Zoellick (Level 3). Connor Hawes earned a gold medal for scoring above the 90th percentile nationwide in the Level 4 exam.
Last weekend the Badger Conference recognized the top ten students from each conference school at Oregon High School. Pictured is: Rae Heier, Jacob Johnson, Catherine Kaczmarek, Hayden Leonard, Ava Roberts, Addison Schuch, Sophia Sullivan, Ryley Wolfe and Principal, Josh Kerr.
Missing: Lucie Hickey and Angela Tietz
Photo Credit: Eddie Brognano Photos
Earth Day
On Monday, April 15th, Endeavor students participated in a virtual meeting with Tia Nelson, environmentalist, public servant, and daughter of Gaylord Nelson–former U.S. Senator, Wisconsin Governor, and founder of Earth Day. She spoke about her father’s environmental legacy, and how a seemingly small act can have a big impact. Gaylord Nelson did not foresee how encouraging educators to talk about the environment on the first Earth Day would grow into a social movement that prompted such important, bipartisan legislation as the Clean Air and Water Acts and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Gaylord Nelson passed his passion for ecology down to his daughter, Tia, who started her career with the Wisconsin Department of Fisheries, worked as a legislative liaison with the Nature Conservancy, and served as the executive secretary to the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. During our virtual meeting, Tia Nelson shared stories and resources with students and answered their questions. She explained that people can get involved with environmentalism in various ways–through small acts like planting a tree, volunteering with an organization, or as a career. In closing, Nelson described her feelings about the current state of the environment as a “complicated dance between hope and despair” and said that caring for our planet is a “forever endeavor.”
This experience was part of a series of Endeavor Earth Day "teach-ins," where students learned about the history of Earth Day, its impacts on the modern environmental movement, the effects of plastics on our planet and our bodies, and how spending time in nature can inspire creativity, including works of poetry. We will conclude this project by planting trees in our outdoor classroom and cleaning up around the WHS campus on Earth Day, Monday, April 22nd.
Community Event
Badger Talk: Leading the Band
Tuesday, May 28 @ 6:00 pm
Community Room at Watertown Public Library
Dr. Pompey talks about his experiences leading the famed UW-Marching Band, as well as what it is like to succeed the legendary Mike Leckrone. Dr. Pompey gives an inside look into the beloved organization that has been sharing music with the people of Wisconsin since 1885. This event is part of the Badger Talks program, which extends the resources of UW-Madison to citizens throughout the state.
Important Upcoming Dates
- Parent Teacher Conference: Monday, April 22 (4:30 - 7:00)
- No School - Staff Development: Friday, April 26
- Prom: Saturday, May 4
- Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6 - 10
- AP Testing: May 6-10 & 13 - 17
- Yearbook Orders Due: Friday, May 10
- Senior Fees Due: Friday, May 17
- No School - Memorial Day: Monday, May 27
- Art Walk Downtown: Tuesday, May 28
WHS Phone Numbers
Watertown High School: 920-262-7500
Attendance Line: 920-262-7537
Student Services: 920-262-7550
Watertown High School Fax: 920-262-7545
Attendance Fax: 920-262-7538
Student Services Fax: 920-262-7589