Parent Update

Watertown High School

Parent Update 10.18.24

Happy Friday! A special thank you to our students and staff for a fantastic pep rally today! As families are aware, WHS is meeting as a learning community once a month for a pep rally to celebrate the many positive things happening at our school. There is so much positive energy and I am grateful for such a supportive school community filled with #goslingpride at WHS!

Gratitude and kindness are major priorities to recognize this school year with our community, and I am thrilled to share we have a record number of Gosling Flight Feathers given to our students and staff. We are proud of the many ways our community makes WHS an incredible place to be! A friendly reminder that parents/guardians can get in on the action by nominating a staff member who has been extremely helpful (always linked at the bottom of the parent update). Thanks to those families who have already recognized great things taking place at WHS and completed a Gosling Flight Feather Nomination Form!

Have a great weekend and be sure to review the updates below for important information!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, October 22 (4:30 pm - 7:30 pm)

WHS will be hosting in person Parent Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, October 22 from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm in WHS classrooms. Parents can register for Parent Teacher Conferences via Skyward Family Access until Monday, October 21 at 11:59 pm.

With that in mind, families are welcome to call or email WHS teachers at any time. If parents or guardians would like to have a face to face meeting with teachers, but can't attend conferences, be sure to schedule an appointment with the teacher for a different time. Teacher contact information can be found on the WHS website staff directory.

If you have any questions, please contact the WHS Administration at any time. We look forward to partnering with families to ensure all of our students find success at WHS!

Dean of Students Update

It was my privilege to accompany these awesome student leaders to the Badger Conference Leadership Summit this week at Oregon High School. They represented Gosling Nation well! My big takeaway from one of the speakers was four ways to be happy. It is hard to not be happy when you practice these four things consistently. Here they are:

Smile
Have good posture
Be Grateful
Compliment Others

This list reminded me of something I read this week that I would encourage all of you to try. It is the 10-5 rule.

When you are 10 feet away from somebody in the hallway, smile.
When you are 5 feet away from somebody in the hallway, say hello.

Two student reminders for this week.

When emailing a teacher, please make sure the email address ends in @mywusd.org, not @watertown.k12.wi.us
When the class bell rings, cell phones should not leave the classroom. Please leave cell phones in the classroom while in the hallways during class times to use the restroom, etc.

Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. As a school community, we want to encourage everyone to stay informed about the signs of bullying, the impact it can have, and what to do if you see it happening.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines bullying as behavior that is:

Unwanted: The behavior is not wanted by the victim.
Aggressive: The behavior involves some form of aggression, such as physical force, threats, or intimidation.
Repeated: The behavior happens more than once or has the potential to happen again.

Acts of bullying may involve physical contact, words or gestures, or social exclusion. Bullying can happen in person or online.

The signs of bullying include:

Physical signs: bruises, cuts, torn clothing, missing items
Emotional signs: changes in mood, withdrawal from friends and activities, anxiety, depression
Behavioral signs: aggressive behavior, changes in eating or sleeping habits, truancy
Social signs: being excluded from activities, being made fun of or called names

If you see bullying happening, it's important to do something. Here are some things you can do:

Talk to the bully and tell them to stop.
Talk to the victim and offer your support.
Report the bullying to a trusted adult, such as a teacher, counselor, or parent.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are resources available to help:

Together, we can create a safe and supportive school community for all students!

Sincerely,

Watertown Unified School District

Bus Expectations Update

For those families utilizing bus transportation for their students please see the attached document sharing updated behavioral expectations across WUSD on the bus. Thank you for your ongoing support!

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2024.10.9 Revised Final WATERTOWN Bus Behavior Protocols.pdf

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Senior Pictures

Senior yearbook photos will need to be uploaded directly to the Herff-Jones website: www.hjeshare.com and the school code is 825. The senior photo should be a headshot with no hands in the photo. The deadline to upload your senior picture is Friday, November 1, 2024. Hard copy photos and emailed senior photos will not be accepted.

eShare by Varsity Yearbook

hjeshare.com

Goslings Blankets

Are you looking for a special gift for your WHS student for the holidays, their birthday or even graduation? Or even for yourself to support your Watertown Goslings on the upcoming chilly nights?Our specially designed Gosling NubaySoft blankets make a GREAT gift and are super soft, durable and very large!

Don't delay as there are only 20 blankets available for purchase! Blankets can be purchased for $70 by paying the Watertown High School bookkeeper, located at the front entrance of the high school. Check, Cash, and Credit Card accepted (small service fee applies). Or pay online here: https://watertownusd.revtrak.net/whs-gosling-blankets/

NHS Trunk or Treat

Staff Spotlight: Avery Harris

Ms. Avery Harris is joining the WHS Student Services team this year as a school counselor. Ms. Harris is a 2016 WHS alumni so we are excited to welcome her back home!

Ms. Harris is a graduate from UW-La Crosse (undergrad) and UW-Whitewater (graduate). She worked at River Bluff Middle School in Stoughton last year. You may also recognize Ms. Harris as she has taught summer school classes in the past, but also has been an assistant coach for the Watertown Blue Revue Varsity Dance Team for the past five years.

Ms. Harris chose a career in education because of the experiences she had throughout her career as a WUSD student as it shaped her into who she is today. She is excited to build relationships with staff and students as well as learn alongside the Student Services staff this year.

Great Things Happening at WHS!

Students in Ms. Else's Government class are pictured having simulated congressional sessions.

REACH students had the opportunity to be part of the Mayor Meet Up on Thursday. Each of them had a chance to ask a question regarding our community and learn more about the different happenings within our community. It was such a great experience for them all.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Narkis (left) and Lauren Kwapil (right)

as they represented WHS yesterday at the State Tennis Tournament!

Student and Staff Gosling Flight Feather Winners

We had a record number of Gosling Flight Feathers turned in over the past four weeks! This month five students and five teachers were chosen to receive a prize!