Holiday Happenings at Watts

Thanks to our students and families, we raised $1,225 for Duke Children’s Season of Hope, supporting child life services, family assistance, and care for kids receiving treatment.  Thanks to everyone who donated art, baked goods, crafts, and jewelry. They were a HIT.  And a special shout out to our sellers at the booth - you rock!!!

Holiday Happenings Still to Come:

Teacher/Staff Appreciation: You should have received an email from your room parent organizing a class appreciation gift for your teachers.  Donations need to be sent to your room parent by Dec 12.

  • This year, each room has "adopted" 2-3 staff members as well, and your room parent will work with you and your teachers on that appreciation gift as well.

  • If you are part of the community and want to contribute to Teacher Appreciation:  Venmo: @Elena-Snavely (pin: 5977) - Watts Appreciation in the Memo

Afterschool Staff Appreciation: You should have received an email from Sarah Guidi

Annual "Dove" program: If you are interested in supporting one of our families with holiday gifts, you can sign up HERE. Share the sign-up with friends, family, and coworkers! 

  • There are ~66 slots that need to be filled still

  • Presents need to be wrapped and delivered to the front office by Dec 16

  • If you are part of the community and want to adopt a Dove but don't live in Durham - email us. You can have your packages shipped to the PTA, and we can wrap and deliver them to the school.

Organizing Watts School Based Care & Protection Teams

As you may have heard, US Border Patrol is suspected to be in Raleigh today (11/18/2025) with the potential for a presence in Durham and surrounding counties as well. Therefore we want to get prepared in case they do come to town. This provides information on how we are building a Watts Care and Protection Team, in coordination with efforts like Public School Strong and others for this week and potentially beyond. 

From tomorrow (Wed. Nov 18) to Friday (Nov 20), we will form welcome committees at drop off from 7-8am.

This will look like gathering near the front of the school, holding signs, leading chants and songs, verifying potential ICE sightings at schools, and collecting support request forms from other parents.

There are two ways to get more involved: 

  1. We are starting a Watts-specific signal thread to be in immediate relationship with each other and coordinate the welcome committee and ongoing efforts as needed (like making sure families' needs are met for the longer term).

  2. There is a Public School Strong form to sign-up for School based care and protection teams which will work across Durham’s schools.

If you’d like to be in be added to either, please fill out the form and a PTA member will reach out: https://forms.gle/GS1mGJpagTHc3z5N6

Additional resources and organizations in this moment:

  • We encourage you to follow Siembra NC for other ways to plug in and support efforts across the Triangle.

  • This is a resource guide from parents in Chicago about how they kept their kids, parents, teachers, and schools safe--it is a strong resource with links on how to talk to your kids about ICE and this moment. 

  • If you want to get more plugged into Durham Public School Strong, Durham for All, and other allied community organizers, you can reach out to them at publicschoolstrongdurham@gmail.com or info@durhamforall.org with any questions.

Celebration: You helped us exceed our fall fundraising goal 🎉

We are thrilled to share some exciting news: together, we exceeded the fundraising goal for our Annual Fund drive! 

Thanks to your generosity, we raised $27,731 to support our students, teachers, and school programs... exceeding our $25,000 goal! 

We are so deeply grateful for the ways you've shown up for all students at Watts. Your gifts will support teacher appreciation, community building activities (like last week's movie night!), field trips, classroom supplies, and more. 

Thank you so much, truly! We could not do this without you! 

2025 Fall Events

Our PTA has some exciting events coming up, and we can’t wait to share them with you! These gatherings are a wonderful way to bring families together, support our students, and strengthen our school community. Mark your calendars—here’s a look at what’s ahead!

September

  • Q1 Family Nights

  • Upper El on Tuesday, Sept 16, 5-6:30 PM

  • Lower El on Thursday, Sept 18, 5-6:30 PM

  • Primary on Thursday, Sept 25, 5-6:30 PM

  • Peace Parade on Friday, Sept 19, 8:10 AM

  • Dine-Out at Torero’s on Tuesday, Sept 23, 4:30-8:30 PM

October

  • Coffee with the Principal on Friday, Oct 3, 8-9 AM

  • Fall Picture Day on Friday, Oct 10

  • Dance and Parent Dry Tailgate on Thursday, Oct 16, 5:30-6:30 PM

  • Dine-Out at Bull City Solera on Tuesday, Oct 21

November

  • Family Movie Night on Monday, Nov 3, 6 PM

  • Parent-Teacher Conferences throughout the Week of Nov 3

  • Quarter 1 Showcase of Learning throughout the Week of Nov 3

December

  • Book Fair throughout the Week of Dec 1

  • Q2 Family Night on Thursday, Dec 4, 5-6:30 PM

  • Coffee with the Principal on Friday, Dec 12, 8-9 AM

Want to be sure you never miss a PTA event? Subscribe to our shared calendar (on website/iCal link). Upcoming activities will be added directly to your own calendar—no extra reminders needed. It’s the easiest way to stay connected and always have the latest news at your fingertips!

All Things Transportation

A message from Principal Jenn

Our first priority is always student safety, and morning arrival and afternoon dismissal are a critical component of student safety! I would ask that you take a few minutes to carefully review this next session in order to do your part! During the first couple of weeks, we ask for a lot of grace & courtesy, and especially patience, as everyone learns our routines and processes.

Being on time and ready to learn is essential for our students and classrooms. We begin instruction daily at 7:45, so it is important for your student to arrive on-time. The car rider circle and walker/biker doors will close promptly at 7:45 each morning. If you arrive after the doors are closed, a parent will need to bring the child in and sign them in at the front office.

  • Bus Transportation: DPS has worked diligently over the summer to make this year’s bus transportation kick-off the best yet! We know the first couple of weeks come with delays and shifts in bus stop times as our drivers and families adjust to their stops and routes–please be patient and know that it gets better.

    • Bus stop locations and times can be found in Edulog. Edulog is also how you will receive the most up-to-date notifications and daily updates, as well as track the bus while en route. During the first few weeks of school, bus stop times change frequently, so make sure to check often. If you need assistance signing up for a bus, please email Christine Bertson. New bus stops can take up to 2 weeks once school starts.

    • Meet your child at the bus stop–be ready 15 minutes before the stop time! Students in preK through grade 3 must have an adult at the stop to be dropped off, unless it is a group stop (such as an apartment complex). If no one is at the stop, the student will be returned to the school and need to be picked up.

    • Our school office closes daily at 3:15PM. Save the contact information for transportation in your phone, now, in case you need after-hours information in an urgent situation: 919-560-BUSS(2877). Our team at transportation will have the ability to contact drivers directly while on the road with emergency radios.

  • Car riders, walkers, and bikers: please see THIS GRAPHIC of our traffic flow–maintaining a clear traffic flow ensures safety for those walking and crossing at the intersections. Our doors open for car, foot, and bike arrivals at 7:25AM. 

    • Walker specifics: 

      • Walkers will enter through the door off Urban Ave, adjacent to the playground. 

      • Please utilize crosswalks–crossing Urban Ave. without a crosswalk has caused significant safety concerns. 

      • In the afternoon, please line up towards Urban Ave. in order for our staff to take student names. 

    • Car rider specifics: 

      • Please be alert to directions from our crossing attendant, Mr. Charles. He will provide clear signals to ensure students and families can cross safely while maintaining the flow of traffic for car riders.

      • During afternoon pickup, please do not get in line before 2:10PM. Our line can cause traffic congestion since our line is on local streets. 

      • Please write your child’s name clearly on the provided card (available during meet-the-teacher) and display it in the windshield to support a quick pick-up process.

    • Bike rider specifics:

      • Bike riders will enter through the door facing Watts St. next to the bike racks. 

      • Please walk your bikes when going through the carpool or the bus sidewalk.

      • Please lock your bike up during the school day–we have had instances of bike theft in the past. 

    • Self-Dismissal: Many of our students arrive and depart school independently. In order for a student to be dismissed without an adult, we must have a “self-dismissal form” on file. A new form is required each year. Forms can be printed HERE, or a paper copy is available in the main office. Students should return completed forms to their teacher.

GWM Transportation Graphic

Solar array coming to Watts

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.

Hispanic Heritage Potluck dinner and musical celebration, Monday October 14th 5:30-7pm

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!

Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-off! Sunday, Sep 15th, 3-6pm at George Watts Playground

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

Watts summer playdate - Sat, Aug 17 9:30-11:30 am

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) 

Libertad - an initiative to offer Spanish language instruction to Watts students

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!

Please contribute 

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.

Monday, May 13th, 2019: PTA Meeting

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!

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - Film Screening & Discussion

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.