Royal Report

Friday, September 4th, 2026

Important Dates:

9/7 - No School - Labor Day
9/10 - Lockdown Drill
9/14 - Picture Day
9/14-9/18 - HOMECOMING WEEK
9/16 - DQ Night - Royal Pride - Delano DQ 5pm-8pm

Message from our Principal - Ms. Hansen

Welcome to an Amazing New School Year!

Dear WMES Families,

What an incredible first week of school! As the new principal at Watertown-Mayer Elementary, it has been an absolute joy watching our school community come together. Our hallways are officially full of energy, smiles, and the wonderful sounds of learning.

Throughout these first few days, our students have done a fantastic job settling in and learning new classroom routines. Transitioning back to school takes practice, and I am so proud of how quickly our Royals have adjusted and supported one another. A big thank you to everyone who joined us for Royal Connections—it was wonderful meeting so many of you and starting our partnership on such a positive note. Thank you for choosing Watertown-Mayer and for entrusting us with your children every day.

This year, our school theme is "Watch Us Grow." Growth is at the heart of everything we do at WMES, and this theme carries deep connections for our school year:

Academic Continuous Improvement: We are committed to meeting every student where they are, challenging them, and celebrating their academic progress step-by-step.
Social-Emotional Development: Growing as individuals means building strong relationships, practicing empathy, learning resilience, and taking care of one another.

I am filled with optimism for all that lies ahead this school year. Together, as a school and community, we are going to accomplish great things.

Warmly,

Ms. Hansen

Principal, Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Welcome New Staff to WMES

Important Reminders, Please Read!

Smart Watch/Phone Policy: - Ideally, smart devices are kept safely at home. The school district is not responsible for lost or damaged property. In the case a child needs a device to stay connected to family, it should be powered off and kept in their backpack during the school hours. Smart devices may be used before or after school. In the event that a student uses a smart device during school hours, staff will ask students to place it in their backpack for the remainder of the day. If a student continues to use smart devices during school hours, staff will collect the device and hold it until the end of the day. After multiple instances, the watch or phone will be held in the office. It may be picked up at the end of the day. In some cases, a parent will be asked to pick up the device. Please refrain from texting or calling your child throughout the day; it is disruptive to student learning. Should you need to speak to your child, email their teacher or call the main office at 952-955-0300. In addition, students may not call or text home from their personal smart devices. Access to school phones is not limited--students may come to the office to call home as needed.

Drop Off/Pick Up Line: - DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR. Say your goodbyes ahead of time. This keeps the line running in a timely manner. If your child is unable to get out of the car on their own please pull into the parking lot, park, and walk your child to the office after 7:45am.

Attendance: If you child will be absent please call the attendance line at 952-955-0321 or email the attendance line at esattendance@wm.k12.mn.us. Please indicate the reason for absence in your message or email (illness, appointment, out of town, etc.)

Vacation: If you child will be gone for an extended period of time please fill out the Excused Absence for Family Activity/Vacation Form and turn into your teacher or the office. This form is linked below.

Snacks: Please make sure to pack a snack for your child everyday!

Volunteering/Chaperoning @ WMES

Please look at the graphic below. If your volunteer role requires a "Raptor Volunteer Background Check," you can initiate and pay for your annual background check HERE. This process includes reviewing, agreeing to, and signing Watertown-Mayer’s Confidentiality Agreement. Violating this agreement will result in revoked volunteer privileges.

Your volunteer status lasts for an entire year (365 days). If you have previously completed this process, you will be notified via email from Raptor when it is time to renew.

Volunteers are responsible for the $19 fee associated with processing the required background check. You'll be prompted to enter your payment information once you've completed the application.

Picture Day!

Picture Day is Monday, September 14th. Yes this is Homecoming Week The dress up day for us will be "Dressed to Bloom" Dress your best for picture day! To order pictures online visit www.z-schools.com. Use the school code WMEL2627

Royal Pride Artwork Wanted!

Our first DQ Art Night on Wednesday, September 16th will be a Royal Pride theme for Homecoming Week. Have your child draw a picture, create some art and drop it off in the office by Monday, September 14th. Go Royals!

Watertown-Mayer Education Foundation Back to School Grant Winners!

WMES PTO News & Notes

The first PTO meeting of the year is Monday, September 14th at 7:00pm in the WMES Media Center. All are welcome! Come to see what we do for our school.