George Watts Montessori Elementary

George Watts Montessori Elementary

 

This Week's Update

Week of March 2, 2026

 

Good Evening Families,

What a busy week we had last week! Evening to Shine, family night, five full days of school–it was fantastic!

On Tuesday, we have a teacher workday. Tuesday is the primary election for several important races, as well as the school board race for each of the four districts. We encourage everyone to make sure their voice is heard–get out and vote!

Wednesday, Luna is hosting our PTA dine-out for March. If you haven’t eaten at Luna, it is delicious. Come out and have dinner and support the PTA!

As news is shared regarding measles outbreaks throughout North Carolina and the country, please know that there is no confirmed case in Durham Public Schools, and that we are continuously working with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Durham County Department of Public Health to remain proactive. 

If we do not have a record of your student’s measles vaccination or documented exemption, please submit it to the school as soon as possible. If your child has not received the measles vaccination, please contact your health provider as soon as possible. The Durham County Department of Public Health can also provide vaccinations. They may be reached at (919) 560-7645. Should you have any questions about this respiratory virus, please consult your physician or the district’s Lead Nurse Regina Blackmon at regina_blackmon@dpsnc.net.

Have a great week and we hope to see you around George Watts Montessori soon!

Principal Jenn Signature
 

The George Watts Montessori School Spring Carnival and Ga-Ga Ball Tournament will take place on Saturday, April 25, from 11am - 2pm on the George Watts playground.

Please mark your calendar, and spread the word to friends and family!  All are welcome to this wonderful event that supports our school, deepens connections, and promises smiles. 

There will be games and prizes, activity stations, food, The Mad Popper popcorn, music, touch-a-truck, and more!

It's a team effort to make the carnival a success. As you are able, here's how you can help:

Volunteer! 

Many hands make for light work, and there is a task and timeframe for everyone who is able to help. Click here to raise your hand; thank you!

Prize Donations!

Watts has an Earth-friendly tradition of collecting pre-owned toys, books, and games that are in sufficient shape to be 'recycled' as prizes for the carnival games. If you're willing to do a little 'spring cleaning' to set aside items that have run their course with your children but may bring joy to others, that would be wonderful!  Past treasures include such things as matchbox cars, small figurines, dolls, books, gently used stuffies, art kits, board games, toys, and balls. Details about where and when to deliver items will be shared in the season ahead. 

Props for the Photo Booth!  

If you have props, costumes, accessories, shiny or silly dress-up clothes like feather boas, hats, mustaches, etc., please consider donating them for the photo booth (no heirloom items please, as they won't be returned, but used in carnivals to come).

Business Sponsor Leads!

As you have local businesses in your life who you'd be willing to invite to serve as a carnival sponsor, we'd love to hear from you. This is a great way for businesses to gain exposure and spread their community spirit!

Thank you for saving the date for our Spring Carnival, and enlarging the joy of the community with the gift of your presence!

Please feel free to reach out if I can answer any questions.

 
Picture of music teacher, Keli Burke with 5 students from Evening to Shine

Our amazing Evening to Shine crew! Great performance!

Happening this week:

  • Tuesday, March 3: teacher workday, get out and vote! 
  • Wednesday, March 4: dine out at LUNA (5-9PM), support the PTA and eat a great dinner!
  • Friday, March 6: coffee with the principal, 7:50AM
 

Specials Rotation:

  • Monday: D
  • Tuesday: no school
  • Wednesday: E
  • Thursday: A
  • Friday: B
 

PTA Workday coming soon:  please join the PTA Grounds Committee on Sunday, March 15th, anytime from 1pm-3pm for a GW grounds tidy up.  Bring the whole family! Kids are welcome to hang out and play while parents work and socialize. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

We will be cleaning up debris on the playground, fixing up the gardens ahead of spring, and churning the fossil pit. If you have a wheelbarrow, cart, or wagon of some kind, they are always useful when hauling things to Urban Ave. 

Neighbors and student helpers (past and present) are always welcome!

 

Why chronic absenteeism matters (even when excused): 

From Attendance Works: 

While chronic absence presents academic challenges for students not in class, when it reaches high levels in a classroom or school, all students may suffer because the resulting classroom churn hampers teachers’ ability to engage all students and meet their learning needs.

The good news is that our work throughout the country shows us that chronic absence is a solvable problem. What works is taking a data-driven, comprehensive approach that begins with engaging students and families as well as preventing absences from adding up before they fall behind academically. 

In the past 3 weeks, we have moved the needle–starting at 27% of students with chronic absenteeism down to 25%! Our goal is 20% or less, let’s keep up the strong attendance and help us reach our goal!

 

Enjoy 20% off everything at Minted using our exclusive code and they'll donate 10% of sales back to us! https://www.minted.com/ OUR CODE IS: FUNDRAISEGWATTS

Search through previous issues at https://www.georgewattspta.org/watts-weekly