Greetings WHS families,

Thanks to our amazing students and staff for their hard work during our first full week of school in 2025!

This was an especially important week for our students in grades 9-11 as they began the course selection process for the 2025-26 school year. I commend our students and staff for the many thoughtful discussions around course options, programming, and future opportunities. This is an exciting process and a special shout out to the WHS counselors for their hard work preparing staff and students!

Families are encouraged to discuss the registration process with their students as they plan their course selections. A great resource to support these discussions can be found on the WHS Course Registration website.

Have a great weekend and GO PACK!

WHS will be hosting in person Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday, January 16 from 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm in WHS classrooms. Parents can register for Parent Teacher Conferences via Skyward Family Access until Wednesday, January 15 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!

We are excited to share that Madison College Watertown Campus will serve as a host site for the College Goal WI event on Thursday, January 16, 2025. This is a fantastic opportunity for high school seniors to get assistance with completing their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), an essential step for students planning to attend a two- or four-year college program.

Event Highlights:

• Free, customized FAFSA completion assistance with the support of financial aid experts.
• Get answers to your questions about paying for college.
• Scholarship opportunity: Students who attend could win a scholarship!
  
  

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025
• Time: 6pm-8pm
• Location: Madison College Watertown Campus-1300 West Main Street, Watertown, WI
  
  

We do encourage everyone to register:

Registration Link: https://lu.ma/jpsbsnp

The WHS local scholarship information was released to senior students this week during ELT. Please check out the WHS scholarship webpage as it is updated frequently with more offerings. If families have any questions, please contact Ms. Pirkel, WHS Scholarship Chairperson, at pirkelk@mywusd.org.

The community is invited to attend the next "Briefings" with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jarred Burke on Monday, January 20 at 6 p.m. at the Watertown Public Library. During this town hall-style meeting, attendees will learn about issues relevant today to the Watertown Unified School District, including the upcoming April 1, 2025 school referendum.

According to Dr. Burke, the need for the referendum stems from the continued rising cost of goods and services that support the district's daily operations. In addition, the district's budget shortfall has been intensified by inadequate funding from the State of Wisconsin over the last decade. "The district continues to strive toward a balanced budget, and has deferred maintenance, ongoing staff development, and needed advancement and changes in curriculum," he said.

If the referendum is approved by voters, the WUSD will use these operational funds to increase school safety, retain and attract top talent, protect our high-quality programs and services, and to expand learning opportunities for its students.

In addition to the referendum, topics that will be discussed at next Monday's meeting include the district's new Strategic Plan, long range facilities planning, the importance of partnerships with local businesses and civic groups, and district celebrations. Questions and feedback from attendees will be welcome.

For more information, contact Melissa Lampe, WUSD communications specialist, at lampem@mywusd.org or call (920) 262-1460. Additional referendum information is available on the district's website at bit.ly/wusdreferendum2025.

Students started the course selection process this week during homeroom. Course selection will be due by January 24, 2025. While WHS staff members have already begun conversations with students regarding post-secondary plans, please ask your child what interests they have and encourage them to seek out classes to help them achieve their goals. Not sure what classes connect with their plans? The WHS Coursebook is the place to go for course offerings and descriptions. As always, WHS counselors are happy to help clarify any questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to this collaboration every year :)

WHS will be offering ACT prep courses in the areas of Science, English and Math on Saturdays mornings. Students can sign up for an individual course for a fee of $12 per course OR students can sign up for all 3 courses for $30. Students interested in participating should sign up with the Bookkeeper, Mrs. Klinger, in the Front Entrance Office. The dates and times for each course are as follows:

• 1/25/25 - Science - 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

• 2/1/25 - ELA and Reading - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

• 3/8/25 - Math - 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Stacci Barganz, WUSD Advanced Learning Coordinator, will be offering a general test prep session for students on Tuesday, February 18 from 3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the WHS Lecture Hall.

WHS staff will continue to share important resources with students but want to also equip families with as much information as possible in preparation for the 2025 ACT exam. One helpful resource for understanding the value of the ACT can be found here. Note the article is written for educators, but it is more important than ever for our students and families to understand the value of the ACT test regardless of future career path.

An additional resource WHS staff will share with students is “What Can the ACT do for you?”.

As you are aware, Watertown High School is participating in the Direct Admit Wisconsin program for the Class of 2026. UW Direct Admit is an opportunity for 11th grade students to be automatically admitted to participating University of Wisconsin system schools free of charge. Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating Universities of Wisconsin for rising seniors at participating Wisconsin high schools.

In order to participate, 11th grade families must log into Skyward Family Access and “opt-in” by Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Directions are attached on how to locate the Direct Admit Wisconsin in Skyward Family Access. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. True, WHS counselor, at (920) 262-7500 x6825 or truea@mywusd.org

Junior students interested in government, leadership, and meeting other juniors from around the state, are encouraged to check out Badger State Boys and Badger State Girls! It is an all-expense paid week long opportunity at UW-Eau Claire for Boys and UW-Oshkosh for girls. It also looks great on a high school resume. If interested, see Ms. Pirkel in the Main Office.

Do you have a student who is currently in their junior or senior year and is interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement or related field? If so, the Wisconsin American Legion Law Enforcement Career Academy (WALLECA) is a great opportunity for these students. WALLECA is a 5 day camp that offers physical fitness training, class room instruction and hands on experiences.

The 2025 academy is scheduled for June 23- June 27, 2025 at the Wisconsin State Patrol Training Academy at Fort McCoy. The academy is totally free to the cadets as we are funded by generous sponsors. The cadets stay in the dorms at the academy, all meals and supplies are furnished. The graduation ceremony is held on the last day of the academy, friends and family can attend. The cadets receive a certificate of completion.

Some of the classes offered during the academy are: Ethics, Crash Investigation, Crime Scene Investigation, Tactical Response. Probation/Parole, Firearms Training, Confidence Team Building Exercises, Physical Fitness training, and many more.

The application process is now open until March 31 – see link below. The application must be printed out, completed to include all required signatures. It can be sent in the US mail or scanned and emailed to me at sheri@wilegion.org. Families that have any questions about the program can contact me directly. Applications will be reviewed in the month of April and all applicants will be notified if they are accepted into the program by May 1.

AVID 9 students chose five random letters and then used them to create acrostic poems about their AVID experience.

German 4 students learned about traditional foods in Germany, as well as snack stands, restaurants and ice cream shops. Groups then created skits where they made plans to go eat, ordered food, had a friendly conversation and paid the bill.

German 7 students researched the origins of German holiday traditions. Topics included: gingerbread, the Christ child as gift-bringer and Epiphany. In addition to using German sources, students wrote and presented the information in German. Each group also pre-taught necessary vocabulary, and prepared a hands-on activity for the class to reinforce learning.

• Parent Teacher Conferences: Thursday, January 16 (4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
• Freshman Preview Night (current 8th graders): Thursday, January 16
• No School - Staff Professional Development Day: Monday, January 20

WUSD Newsletter: The District Download

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WHS Student Handbook: English

WHS Student Handbook: Spanish

Gosling Flight Feather Nomination Form

Watertown Athletic Calendar

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Class of 2026 Updates

WHS Main Line: 920-262-7500

• Press 1 for Attendance Office
• Press 2 for Student Services/Requesting a Transcript
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WHS Attendance: 920-262-7537

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