Alison Villanueva, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Friday, June 25, 2021
Dear Watertown Families and Students,
I hope this first full week of summer vacation brought some rest and a great summer read into view!
This week kicked off with the start of WPS’ Academic Summer Program and WHS Summer School registration - along with scholarship banquets and luncheons peppered throughout, it has been lovely to continue celebrating our graduating seniors.
We also had two special students from Judson Elementary school win awards at the National Invention Convention. This year there were 6,000 total Invention Convention participants and of those, 64 students made Nationals. Of the 64 national level participants, only 15 students won awards….and 2 of those national level winners were from Judson Elementary!
Congratulations to Hanalei Cocchiola who won 3rd place and Lily Roberts who won a Patent Application Award!
Sincerely,
Dr. V
Happenings and Useful Information
Reopening Plan 2021-2022 Draft #1
The first draft of the WPS 2021-2022 Reopening Plan can be found by clicking here. All local school districts in Connecticut were required to create a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (the Plan) and post it publicly by Wednesday, June 23, 2021.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the first draft of this plan please contact: reopening@watertownps.org We look forward to sharing additional adjustments to this document throughout this summer as additional information is provided to all school districts.
CSDE: Affordable Summer Enrichment Programs Available Across CT
The CTState Department of Education used a portion of their ARP ESSER set-aside to expand access to low-cost summer experiences intended to help students reengage and get caught up for the fall. Click the link below to learn more about these enrichment programs. Families can search a variety of affordable options in the area by visiting: https://summerct.org. Watch a video here: https://vimeo.com/563431003/d7547ffce5
Ongoing Summer Communications
Throughout the summer, the Watertown Public Schools district website will be the main hub of information for our district.
Check out the 2021 Summer Learning Website for resources and summer activities
Any updates and news will be clearly posted on the site and all families are encouraged to check back regularly. https://www.watertownps.org/
Quote of the Week
“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.” — Jeannette Walls, author