Summer Playdates at the George Watts playground. (Note: we will not have access to the building or the bathroom, so please plan accordingly.)
Saturday, June 17 at 9-11 am
Saturday, July 29 at 9-11 am
Popsicles with the principal! Join Principal Aguilar on the Watts playground, Monday, August 14 at 5PM for a sweet treat to kick off the back-to-school season!
The last summer playdate is scheduled for Saturday, Aug.6th from 9-11am. The location has been moved to Trinity Park. Come have some fun and meet Principal Aguilar!
** Note: the Watts playground is closed until further notice due to a bee infestation around a dead tree. The playground should reopen sometime next week. **
Join Principal Aguilar and the PTA for a morning of connection on the Watts playground! We welcome new and returning students and their families to come enjoy the playground and make some new friends.
Note: we will not have access to the building (or the bathroom), so please plan accordingly.
Come join the Watts Community for FREE POPSICLES at Trinity Park. There will be LocoPops for everyone and some fun jams for the kids (and kids at heart) to dance. Come anytime between 4:30 - 6:30pm this Friday, March 11. (Raindate: next Friday, March 18.)
George Watts' parents and community members donated over $13,500 this summer to fund a 5kW photovoltaic solar array to be installed on school grounds in 2022. The solar array project is partially funded by the NC Greenpower Solar + Schools program, and includes a weather monitoring station, a data link to the school, and renewable energy curriculum — altogether valued at $42,000. Thanks to those who donated funds for the effort and parents, Thibault Worth and Karthik Sundaramoorthy, who spearheaded the fundraising effort.
The George Watts community will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a potluck dinner and musical celebration on Monday, Oct. 14th from 5:30-7:00. Bring the family, bring a dish to share, and join in the fun!
La comunidad de George Watts celebrará el mes de herencia hispana con una cena y música el lunes 14 de octubre entre las 5:30 y 7:00 pm. Venga con su familia, traiga un plato de comida tradicional a compartir, y únase a la diversión!
Come together with Watts families for an afternoon of soccer and celebration.
Bring the family, bring a snack to share, and a picnic blanket or chair.
Parents and kids of all ages are welcome to play. Beginning at 3:30pm, games will run for 15 minutes at a time. If you would like to participate:
• Wear sneakers - not cleats
• Bring 2 t-shirts - one light, one dark
This is a great opportunity for:
• Family fun
• Community building
• Celebrating Mexican Independence Day
Please join on us Monday, September 9th, for the first PTA membership meeting of the school year. Pizza will be provided in the school lobby at 5:30pm and meeting will take place in the Media Center from 6-7pm. Spanish translation and childcare for school-age children will be provided.
The PTA sponsors these informal play dates for families to meet and re-connect. We'll have water, snacks, and a book exchange for the kids. But we won't have a bathroom, so please plan accordingly! If you are able to bring your own reusable container for water, the earth and I thank you.
We especially welcome new students and their families to come and check out the playground and make some new friends. Bring a book or two to swap if you'd like. Hope to see you there!
Please see http://www.georgewattspta.org/read-me/ to start preparing for a great year! Students can meet their teachers at the Open house: Sunday, August 25th, from 2-4 p.m.
-Saskia Ziolkowski, PTA Family Involvement Chair & mother of Nola (rising 4th grader)
Help us get ready for a great start of the school year at Watts!
Come help us spruce up our school grounds on Saturday August 24th, from 2-5pm. We will be weeding, clearing dead vegetation, picking up trash, and more. Come for the whole time or drop by for an hour if you can.
For questions contact Esteban Bortiri. 919-564-6468. ebortiri (at) gmail.com
Watts parents are collecting funds for Libertad, an initiative to offer Spanish language instruction to Watts students. We are gathering funds for a part time teacher, who will immerse our Pre-K and Kindergarten students in a 30-minute class twice a week this fall. This teacher will also lead a Spanish club for 1st-5th grade students, within school hours. Our school does not have the funds to cover this initiative, but we can still make it happen if we all chip in!
This initiative will increase intercultural opportunities for students and families. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in Durham and the US; students can put it to good use all day, every day. Bringing Spanish to Watts will show our support to the Hispanic community in Durham. This initiative will be a first step to push for inclusion of foreign language education in all public schools.
The last PTA general membership meeting is on Monday, May 13th in the Watts Media Center. Come for pizza at 5:30 (to reduce waste, please bring your own water bottle / drink!). Stay for the meeting from 6:00 - 7:00. Childcare is available in the gym for school-aged children from 5:30-7:00pm.
We’d love to have you involved in the PTA. Everyone is welcome.
We hope to see you there!
We will be screening Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope on Tuesday, April 23 from 6-7:45 p.m. in the Watts Media Center. We’ll view the film in English with Spanish subtitles. Two facilitators, including Watts parent Lindsey Bickers Bock, will help contextualize the film and then lead a post-film discussion. Translation services, childcare, and snacks will be provided.
The film highlights how childhood experiences can impact long-term health outcomes. We hope the conversation will build empathy, understanding, and connections in our community.
George Watts Montessori Spring Carnival
Saturday, April 13, 2019 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The carnival is our annual school community celebration, with games, crafts, prizes, food, music and much more! It is also a large fundraiser for the PTA.
It’s a ton of fun and a great tradition. You won’t want to miss it!
The next PTA general membership meeting is on Monday, March 11th in the Watts Media Center. Come for pizza at 5:30 (to reduce waste, please bring your own water bottle / drink!). Stay for the meeting from 6:00 - 7:15. Childcare is available in the gym for school-aged children from 5:30-7:15pm.
At this meeting, teachers and staff will provide a parent education session on Montessori methods. They’re happy to prepare answers to your questions. Please email your questions to emily.daly <at> duke <dot> edu or submit them anonymously via this form.
Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there!
Please join us for our annual Black History Night Celebration on Monday, February 25th, from 5:30-7 PM! It will a potluck celebration that will showcase everything that students have learned this month, from displays to songs to presentations.
If possible, please bring your favorite dish to the potluck dinner at 5:30 PM in the gym. Suggestions: Primary–side dishes; Lower El–desserts; Upper El–appetizers. Thank you!
Also, please consider helping out that night - we need as many hands on deck to make this event successful! You can sign up here.
George Watts Montessori Spring Carnival
Saturday, April 13, 2019 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The carnival is our annual school community celebration, with games, crafts, prizes, food, music and much more! It is also a large fundraiser for the PTA.
Volunteers are needed to help with planning and on the day of the carnival. Please consider joining our team of volunteers to help make this year's event a success. There are jobs big and small!
For more information about the carnival or to volunteer, contact Kristin Heery (kristinheery@gmail.com) or Amy Heit (amybowersheit@gmail.com) Carnival Co-chairs.
Save the date (and schedule a babysitter!) for this year's Evening Silent Auction which will be held on Sunday March 17, 2019 from 5-8pm. Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas (Watts family owned restaurant) will graciously host again this year.
The evening Silent Auction is a Watts PTA fundraiser where local businesses and families generously donate really great items for us to auction off to support our excellent PTA programming. We begin with an online auction that culminates with an adult gathering that is festive, fun, and all for a great cause. So, mark your calendar and plan on joining us!
In response to staff and parent interest in the November PTA membership meeting on mental health support and mindfulness practices at Watts, the PTA is pleased to sponsor a follow-up session. This seminar will be led by Dr. Jennifer Franklin, psychologist and Watts parent, and will focus on becoming trauma-informed. Learn essential information about the way your Autonomic Nervous System works, the impact that stress, trauma, and anxiety have on the whole body, and how to use this knowledge to better address your children’s (and your own) needs. Attendees will learn about polyvagal theory, regulation/dysregulation, and strategies like mindfulness that promote healthier psychological and physiological development. This session will be open to all Watts staff and parents, and childcare and snacks will be provided for school-aged students. You can learn more about Jennifer’s work at www.opendoortherapy.com and her niche specialty area at www.donthateyourguts.com.
We look forward to seeing you at what is sure to be an engaging and informative session on Tuesday, Feb 5, from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. in the Watts Media Center.
The next PTA general membership meeting is on Monday, January 14th in the Watts Media Center. Come for pizza at 5:30 (to reduce waste, please bring your own water bottle / drink!). Stay for the meeting from 6:00 - 7:15. Childcare is available in the gym for school-aged children from 5:30-7:15pm.
Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock, director of we are (working to extend anti-racist education), will lead a parent/staff workshop and discussion from 6-7:15 p.m. You can read more about ‘we are’ at their website. We are pleased we’ll have this opportunity to learn from Dr. Bullock and build on the Watts staff book study, Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools.
We’d love to have you involved in the PTA. Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there on Monday, January 14th at 5:30pm!
