Parent Update 25-26

Bring the World to Your Doorstep!

Are you up for an adventure but want to stay close to home? Host a German exchange student! This October, 15 students from our partner school will arrive to experience American high school life for one week—and you could be their guide to the USA.

Join us to learn more:

When: Sunday, February 22 @ 6:00 PM
Where: Room S274

Don’t miss the chance to share your culture and make a global connection!

Chad Hayes - Dean of Students

We’re happy to share that we will have a Trimester 2 Attendance Reward Program and we’d love your partnership in helping students feel motivated and supported each day. Students who earn 95% attendance (no lates or unexcused attendance) for trimester 2 will have a chance to win a prize. Prizes include a parking pass for the 26-27 school year, two prom tickets, wireless headphones, and gift cards donated by local businesses!

We know that consistent attendance helps students feel connected, confident, and successful, and this is a wonderful opportunity to cheer them on together. Thank you for all you do to encourage your child—your support truly makes a difference.

Our school goals have been updated to include connections to assessment, survey, and attendance data measures to gauge the success of our work on the goals. As always, thank you for your support and partnership as we aim to improve our work together.

Believe it or not Thursday, March 5 marks the end of the second trimester at WHS! Thursday, March 5 will be a full day of school (different than previous end of trimesters) as Friday, March 6 is a no school day.

If you or your student have any concerns about academic progress in any course, now is the time to communicate with your student’s teacher(s) and/or your student’s WHS counselor to be sure your student finds success! Students and families may also contact the Student Services Office by phone at (920) 262-7550.

Students Last Name A-He:

Amy True, WHS Counselor

truea@mywusd.org

Students Last Name Hi-Ph:

Erikka Olson, WHS Counselor

olsone@mywusd.org

Students Last Name Pi-Z:

Matthew Dunn, WHS Counselor

dunnm@mywusd.org

Here are a few reminders as WHS quickly transitions from the end of the second trimester to the beginning of the third trimester:

Trimester 2 grades are due on Wednesday, March 11, so you should be able to view those "final" grades on Thursday afternoon. Of course, you can always view grades via Skyward for the most up to date information.

Trimester 3 starts Monday, March 9. Students should view and/or print their schedules via Skyward before Monday. Lunch periods with be shared with students on Monday, March 9.

Parents and students are reminded that students may drop a course during the first three days of the trimester with parent and Student Services approval.

Please mark your calendars for our upcoming state assessments. To ensure an optimal testing environment for our students, we will be implementing a modified attendance schedule on the following dates:

Wednesday, March 18: ACT Testing

Juniors: Will report to school to take the ACT (Appx. 8 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)
Freshmen, Sophomores, & Seniors: No school - This allows for a quiet, focused environment for our testers.

Wednesday, March 25: PreACT Secure Testing

Freshmen: Will report to school to take the PreACT Secure test (Appx. 8 a.m. - 11:05 a.m.)
Sophomores: Will report to school to take the PreACT Secure & WI Forward (Social Studies) test (Appx. 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Juniors & Seniors: No school - This allows for a quiet, focused environment for our testers.

The Junior Class is thrilled to begin planning the 2026 PROM! Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, from 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM. The fun doesn't stop there! Post Prom will immediately follow the dance from 11:30 PM to 2:00 AM at our long-time partner, the Elks Lodge (117 N 1st St, Watertown).

For over FIVE DECADES, the Elks Lodge has generously hosted Post Prom, providing a safe and exciting environment for our students to celebrate. We're committed to keeping this tradition alive, offering free games, delicious food, and awesome door prizes to all students who attend the formal Prom. Thanks to the incredible support from Watertown parents and businesses, Post Prom has been a huge success in the past, and we're aiming to make 2026 the BEST yet!

But we can't do it without you! We need your help to make this year's Post Prom truly amazing.

You're invited to join the Post Prom Committee and help us organize this fantastic event! Our first meeting will be Tuesday, February 24th, at 6:00 PM at the Elks Lodge (117 N 1st St, Watertown). We're looking for volunteers to chair committees, provide food and refreshments, chaperone, and/or donate money or prizes. Every contribution, big or small, will help make a difference!

Please take a moment to complete the Google Form attached here:

https://forms.gle/kfTvUiixKGdRqycK8

Donations can be sent to Pam Suski, Prom Advisor, at WHS, 825 Endeavour Dr, Watertown, WI 53098 (checks payable to “WHS Prom”) OR by Venmo to Jennifer Harris @Jennifer-Harris-289

Thank you in advance for your willingness to help make PROM 2026 a great success!

Jennifer Harris - Post Prom Chairperson

harrisj@mywusd.org or 608-214-5453

All 9th-grade students will participate in vision screenings on Thursday, February 26 at WHS.

Important Details:

Glasses: If your student wears glasses, please remind them to bring them to school. We screen students both with and without corrective lenses.
eCampus Students: 9th-grade students enrolled in eCampus should contact the Health Room Assistant to schedule an appointment for their screening.
Opting Out: If you wish to opt your student out of this screening, please contact Ashley Fuchs, WHS Health Room Assistant at 920-262-7500 ext. 6807 by Tuesday, February 24.

Monday, March 2, 2026

The deadline for the WHS senior scholarship application is Monday, March 2 to the WHS Main Office. The office will be open until 3:45 p.m. for students to drop off their application. Students can find more scholarship opportunities on the scholarship website.

On March 10, all WHS students will dive into their future during the annual Gosling Career Fair from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. To ensure our students make a great impression, they will spend two homeroom sessions (February 26 & 27) preparing their questions and resumes.

When: March 10 | 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Who: All WHS Students
Prep Days: Feb 26 & 27 (during Homeroom)

Click here to visit the Gosling Career Fair Website to see the full list of attending organizations and event details. Ask your student about their career interests after their prep sessions on the 26th!

Jostens will be at WHS to deliver senior graduation items on Tuesday, March 17 during lunch. Please bring any payments that are needed.

If you have not placed an order for a cap and gown, please reach out to Jostens at 262-899-8334.

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YAM REGIONALS

Nine Watertown High School Art Students have art currently on display in Madison’s Commonwealth Gallery. Works were submitted by art teachers Jana Strobel and David Pawl. The pieces are part of the Youth Art Month South West Regional. Featured artists Include:

Front Row L to R: Izabella Knieff, Charlie Pliska, Ruby Repp

Back Row L to R: Brogan Schwegel, Wyatt Cahoon, Isaac Van Buren and Ava Marasch

Not pictured: Carter Pliska & Nathan Anderson

Visual Arts Classic Quiz Bowl

Out of the 14 teams in our Region.... Watertown Visual Arts Classic team came home with the 2nd place trophy in Quiz Bowl, 3rd place Overall Team and 9 individual First Place State Qualifiers!

Back Row Lto R: Annie Van Der Linden, Siobhan Connolly, Isaac VanBuren, Sophia Anderson, Brooklyn Wegner, Kailee Thao, Oli Holz

Middle Row L to R: Charlie Pliska, Payton West

Front Row L to R: Kaitlyn Schuch, Lyle VanGundy, Gabriella Emmrich-Cardozo, Saige Fekete,

Not pictured: Mack Christian

Song of the Day

WHS held it's Song of the Day Contest today! First hour classrooms who meet their goal for the week were eligible to call in. Mrs. Carpenter's 1st hour class was the 20th caller with the correct song title and artist, which was "Dynamite" by BTS. The class was treated to muffins! Congratulations!

State Swimming Send Off

Today we sent off our state qualifiers to the State Swim Meet! Pictured from left, Coach Else, Josh Brown, Willem Heier, Kylar McCrory, Ezra Smith, and Coach Calliari. Go Goslings!