May 17, 2024
Dear Watertown Public Schools Faculty, Families, and Students,
Please see below for a number of very important updates. This is also a friendly reminder that the FY 25 Budget Referendum will take place on Tuesday.
Budget Referendum Next Week, May 21, 6AM-8PM
Click here to read the Frequently Asked Questions about this year’s Budget
ARE YOU 18 YEARS OLD & VOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME?
Are you 18 years old and ready to vote for the first time but not sure how to register? You can register in person at your local polling place up to and including on Voting Day in Watertown
What do I need to bring with me? a Connecticut driver's license or DMV-issued non-driver ID, utility bill, bank statement, or government document
Where do I go ro register to vote on the day of the Referendum? Watertown has 4 voting districts with different polling locations
District 1: Watertown High School, 324 French St.
District 2: Judson School, 124 Hamilton Lane
District 3: Swift Middle School, 250 Colonial St., Oakville
District 4: Polk School, 437 Buckingham St., Oakville
APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT!
Are you a voter 18 years of age or older who will be absent on the day of the vote for one of these reasons?
Where do I go? Come to Town Hall at 61 Echo Lake Road and go to the Town Clerk’s office to get your ballot application. Offices are open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For further information please call 860-945-5230.
Accepted Reasons for Absence:
Active service in the Armed Forces of the United States
Absence from town in which one is eligible to vote
Sickness
Physical disability
Tenets of religion which forbid secular activity on the day of the election, primary, or referendum
Serving as an election official at a polling place other than their own
Free Summer Counseling for Students
This summer our Regional Educational Service Center (RESC) EdAdvance is offering free counseling services for students during the summer months. Click below to learn more about how to sign up and register.
Free - No Cost Counseling for Students Over the Summer
Asian American Heritage Month
The month of May gives us an opportunity to recognize Asian American Pacific Islander (APPI) and Jewish American Heritages. The Watertown Public Schools acknowledges the many contributions and history of both AAPI and Jewish Americans living in the US. Historically, for the AAPI community, May commemorates the completion of the transcontinental railroad by many Chinese immigrants back in 1869 and the first time people from Japan were able to immigrate to the United States.
In concert, the month of May was recognized by the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History. The anniversary commemorated the 350th anniversary of the first Jewish settlement in the US and was highly successful. We acknowledge and celebrate our AAPI and Jewish American Families and students this month.
Update: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Grant
The Watertown Public Schools is happy to share that John Trumbull Primary, Swift Middle, and Watertown High School were awarded HVAC Grants by the Department of Administrative Services this past week! It has been a long road in advocating for upgrading, replacing, and installing HVAC in our schools. We are so pleased that we will be able to move forward with the next step of facilities improvement in our district.
If you are interested in learning more about District Capital Projects as they move forward, you can visit our website for frequent updates: https://sites.google.com/watertownps.org/wpscapitalimprovementprojects/home Or attend the monthly Building Capital Project Meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at 7PM at Town Hall.
Be on the lookout for additional email from each of your PTOs and schools as end of year events continue to
Dr. V
Important Dates and Happenings
May 16 - 6 pm, Swift Grade 6-8 Choral Concert, Swift Auditorium
May 16 - Science of Reading Conference for Elementary Team
May 21 - BUDGET REFERENDUM VOTING DAY, Polls open 6AM-8PM
May 23 - Early Release Day for Students, PD for Faculty
May 23 - WHS Prom
May 27 - Memorial Day Parade, Schools and Office Closed for Holiday
May 28 - Swift Quassy field trip, 9:00-2:00
May 28 - Regularly Scheduled BOE Meeting, 7PM WHS Lecture Hall
May 29 - Judson Grade 5 Field Trip to Sturbridge Village
May 30 - Fantastic Festival (select music students)
May 30 - WHS Senior Picnic
May 30 - CASBO Award Dinner - Congratulations Ms. Kashuba!
May 31- Judson Glow Dance, 5:30PM
May 31 - Grade 5 Polk Celebration at Camp Mataucha
May 31 - JTPS visit to Beardsley Zoo
June 7 - WHS Senior Sunset
June 8 - Invention Convention State Finals at UCONN - Good Luck State Finalists!
June 10 - Grade 8 Dinner Dance at Grand Oak Villa
June 13 - Last day of school, Swift and WHS Graduation, John Mills Complex
June 19 - Juneteenth!
June 19 - School Capital Projects Meeting, 7PM
Summer School and Hours in the Watertown Public Schools
Central Office Open All Summer from 7AM-2PM,
All Offices will be closed on July 4 for Independence Day
School Building Offices Open on Select Days - Schedules will be posted at each building
I. Special Education Summer School
Location: Judson Elementary School
Hours: 9AM - 11:30AM or 9AM- 1PM (Select Groups)
June 24 - July 18 (Mon.-Thurs.)
July 29 - August 8 (Mon.-Thurs. for Select Groups)
II. Summer Scholars Summer School (Students Entering Grades 1-8)
*Candidates have already been notified of their eligibility
Location: Swift Middle School
Option 1: Academic Sessions: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
June 24-July 25
8:30 AM-11:15 AM
Option 2: Academic Sessions and Camp Extension: Monday-Friday
June 24-July 26
8:30 AM-3:00 PM
III. WHS Tuition Based Summer School (Students Grades 9-12)
Location: Swift Middle School
Monday-Friday
Session 1 - 8:00 AM-9:30 AM
Session 2 - 9:40 AM-11:10 AM
June 24-July 12
Student Registration Dates: Tuesday, June 18, and Thursday, June 20, 2024
7:30 AM - 2:30 PM, Registration will take place in the Swift Middle School Library
Classes will take place from Monday, June 24 through Friday, July 12
No classes on Tues., July 4 in observance of Independence Day
Program Time(s) for Students: Session 1: 8:00-9:30 AM & Session 2: 9:40-11:10 AM
Events In and Around Town Over the Summer
Check out the Backyard Sports and Fitness camp!
WAYS registration is open for the Fall!
