Dear Watertown Team AWESOME and Community,

This marks the start of year three for me with the Watertown City School District. Time has flown by. We are hoping that this year brings even more positive growth for students. Here are a few highlights of what you and your children can look forward to for 2019-2020:

• New ELA programs in grades K-6. The district has adopted American Reading Company Core for students in grades K-4 and Wit & Wisdom for students in grades 5-6. Both programs use authentic texts to teach reading and writing.
• A focus on professional skills. Each month brings a new focus for the entire district. For example, September’s is Greeting. All staff will model and instruct on how greetings affect our interactions, and, ultimately, our relationships with others.
• Year 2 of 1:1 Initiative (Grades 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 will all have personal Chromebooks)
• Purposeful Play and Soft Landings for grades K-8 – a renewed focus on social interactions and learning through doing as well as student choice
• Student-Centered Learning – approaches to instruction that emphasize action, reflection, and authenticity
• Food 4 Families – over 100 families are served each week
• STEM/STEAM programming with opportunities for students to engage both in school and after school

As always, we are very appreciate that you, as parents and guardians, entrust your child(ren) to our care and guidance as they pursue their potential. Together, with an amazing team of staff members, we are fostering a learning environment that supports not only academic growth, but also social and emotional growth. We strive to create problem solvers who take initiative to be productive citizens who are community-minded and curious about the world around them. Hence, our mission statement (adopted in 2018):

Watertown City School District is committed to building caring culture

that fosters lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Whether we focus on the caring culture, the lifelong learners, or the responsible citizens part of that statement, we truly believe we are emphasizing the true components of success with those three aspects. We have asked all staff members to take ownership of and pride in this statement, and I challenge each of you to do the same. What will you do to help us continue this mission in 2019-2020?

Resources and updates will posted periodically on the Curriculum & Instruction pages, but please feel free to contact the office if you have questions or concerns. We welcome your voices.

As the 2019-2020 school year opens, I look forward to working with you as part of Watertown TEAM AWESOME and supporting each student as he/she works to reach their potential.

Stacey