Get ready for some delicious burgers during our October George Watts PTA Dine Out event!
Bull City Burger
Tuesday, October 27
4PM-Close
No code needed!
Also, mark your calendars for our November dine out! On Thursday, 11/19, we are partnering with Nuvotaco and you can preorder Quick Packs (family style meals) for pick up at George Watts! More info to come!
Our fall PTA Annual Fund Drive is our biggest fundraiser of the year for George Watts... and this year, our goal is to raise $40,000 by November 10!
Our goal this year is significantly larger than last year! Why? Watts is growing! Our student body has grown from about 350 to nearly 400, and Backpack Buddies went from sending home about 20 bags of weekend food a week to around 65 by the end of last year... and this year, we're expecting to grow to between 80-100 bags a week by the end of the school year.
Your support of the PTA will make possible crucial "extras" that DPS can't cover but mean so much to our school community — like Backpack Buddies (take home food bags for students facing food insecurity), teacher professional development, classroom supplies and technology, staff appreciation, field trips, and more!
If we hit $40,000 by Nov. 10, students get to paint their teachers' faces at Movie Night on Nov. 10. :)
When you give this week (Oct. 12-18), you'll get a fun George Watts-themed sticker pack.
Fall Family Night on Thursday!
Learn more about Odyssey of the Mind through a parent & child spontaneous challenge in the media center.
Outside, enjoy a fall-themed parent-and-child art project, learning activity, and snack.
Primary students and parents will begin in the media center at 5:15PM.
Lower and Upper El students will begin on the playground at 5:15PM.
Everyone will switch places at 5:45PM.
Hi Watts families,
**Español a continuación**
The Advocacy Committee is planning our priorities for the school year, and we want to hear from you.
We’ve created a (very) short survey to learn what matters most to you and your family when it comes to education at Watts.
We’ll collect responses throughout October and share what we hear from our community in November. From there, we’ll use your feedback to help guide our advocacy and priorities for the rest of the school year.
The survey is available in English and Spanish:
Take the survey here!
This is your chance to tell us what you care about, what your family needs, and what you want to see at Watts.
Your voice matters—and together, we can build a Watts community where every student has the support they need to thrive and every teacher has what they need to help them succeed.
Thank you for sharing your voice with us!
The Watts Advocacy Committee (Brigid, David, Paige, Jess, Jessica, Sarah)
Hola, familias de Watts,
El Comité de Defensa está definiendo nuestras prioridades para el año escolar y queremos saber su opinión.
Hemos creado una encuesta (muy) breve para saber qué es lo más importante para ustedes y sus familias en lo que respecta a la educación en Watts. Recopilaremos las respuestas durante todo el mes de octubre y compartiremos lo que nos diga nuestra comunidad en noviembre. A partir de ahí, utilizaremos sus comentarios para orientar nuestras acciones de defensa y nuestras prioridades durante el resto del año escolar.
La encuesta está disponible en inglés y español:
¡Responda la encuesta aquí!
Esta es su oportunidad de decirnos qué le importa, qué necesita su familia y qué le gustaría ver en Watts. Su opinión importa, y juntos podemos construir una comunidad en Watts donde cada estudiante cuente con el apoyo que necesita para prosperar y cada maestro tenga lo necesario para ayudarlos a alcanzar el éxito.
¡Gracias por compartir tu opinión con nosotros!
El Comité de Defensa de Watts (Brigid, David, Paige, Jess, Jessica, Sarah)
George Watts Elementary is excited to announce the second season of the George Watts Ultimate Club (GWUC) for 3rd-5th graders.
GWUC will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays in October, starting Tuesday, October 6 from 2:30-3:30pm.
No experience necessary! Sign up opens Wednesday, 9/23 at 6PM and priority will be given to new players in the fall.
Update! Sign-ups are now closed. If you think you registered but haven’t gotten a confirmation message, email the coaches.
Want to stay up to date on PTA events, school announcements, volunteer opportunities, and community fundraisers? Connect with us on social media!
Instagram: @georgewattsmontessoripta
Follow along to see what’s happening around our school community, share posts with neighbors, and never miss an update.
We had a great work session last Thursday! Below are the minutes, but just a reminder that the minutes of every GWPTA meeting are posted on our website.
I've taken the liberty of highlighting some volunteer opportunities! You can sign up to volunteer for a committee here (if you want to know more about each committee, more information will appear if you click on it), and you can sign up to deliver pizza here.
September Work Session: September 10, 2026
Public Comment- none
Principal’s Update
Total enrollment 395 (+ 45 from last year), 356 (K-5, +49 from last year)
The school was projected at 360 over the summer, will probably need 1-2 more teachers (not necessarily classroom teachers, people who support teachers/classrooms)
Expect to grow more in the next 3-5 months
We have a lot of new staff!
2025-2026 Data Release: Letter Grade 71(B)
Summer Update
Teacher, Staff, & Parent Feedback- link to powerpoint presentation
Ended last year with a survey to parents and teachers
Teacher/staff survey:
Teachers/staff would like to be more engaged with PTA. This year we:
Changed work session times to 3PM and 5:30PM alternating
PTA executive board members met with teachers prior to school to go over what the PTA does, how to access funds, etc
Teachers were less satisfied with teacher/staff appreciation last year, Elena said we will talk about this later in the meeting
Community survey: slide of results of survey shared
Connections to the Community: most clicks to survey came from listserv and canvassing flyer
Canva and Signups
PTA has a free pro account on Canva to help make flyers
PTA paid for a Signup.com account
Room parents and teachers can use
Budget- we made it, we passed it at the Back to School Bash
Welcome Packet
Welcome from principal, welcome from PTA, how do you sign up for student supports, calendar
Dorothy’s ideas: more concrete info- when does school start/end/early release, drop off procedures, what to do when you kid is sick, what does Primary/Lower El/Upper El mean
Treasurer’s Review
Budget-to-Actual overview (high-level) 86K in, 92K out, 43K as of July 1
Increase in expenses is mainly due to backpack buddy needs
Fiscal year is July-June
Community has responded really well to backpack buddy need
Every year, the budget allots $250/classroom
Teachers/IA can buy items, then turn in receipts for reimbursement
IAs work with teacher if there is something that want to budget
New reimbursement process- reimbursement request on PTA website
SPNI requests:
Ultimate Frisbee Pennies
$750 requested for 25 pennies, $30 each
Ultimate Club (GWUC) wore borrowed reversible pennies last year, important to differentiate the club participants from aftercare participants. GWUC would like to buy their own pennies this once to use each year.
Discussion over whether a cheaper option can be found and if it can be discussed later since it is so early in the year
Tabled for next meeting
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Sept 15 Dine out Timber and Locoshop Ice Cream
Thursday Sept 17th & 24th: Family Curriculum Nights
PTA providing pizza
Need volunteers to pick up pizzas from Costco (2 each night)
Room parents are coordinating sides, treats, drinks, cutlery, plates, napkins (no cupcakes if going to be hot)
Not planning on providing dinner for teachers
Friday, September (9) 25: Watts St Baptist Church book giveaway
Friday, October 9: Q1 Coffee with the Principal
Thursday, October 15: TBD Family Event
Committees have started meeting, will be planning in the next week or 2
Need parent volunteers to be on the afterschool event committee
January is predetermined culture fair, other ones need parent input
Committees : Board voted on each committee chair.
*Note, each committee head is considered part of the PTA board and can vote on all decisions (including SPNI requests and budget changes) until the end of the year.
Equity & Advocacy: Brigid Flaherty voted as chair
Last year- started by doing a survey for parents/teachers top priorities to inform direction moving forward
Got 40 surveys last year, hoping to get more this year!
Property and income tax caps
Statewide effort to get votes to vote “no”
Canvases, window signs, ways to join the Watts team
Family Involvement (Room Parents): Katie Olinger voted as chair
Room parents are going well- created new materials that will be evolved throughout the year
For teachers/staff- if you have feedback, talk to Katie
We do have fewer rooms with multiple room parents this year
“If there is push back on giving more to room parents, it’s to make sure room parents aren’t spread too thin” - Katie
EC classrooms do not have room parents yet
Teacher & Staff Appreciation: Nicole Varnado voted as chair
Will collaborate closely with Katie
Principal Jenn, Mrs. Musawwir, Mrs. Watson, Elena, Nicole, and Katie O met to come up with a draft for ideas for teacher/staff appreciation
Some kind of appreciation each month - link to slide
Trying to appreciate everyone in the school, not as much differentiation
“Every staff is an educator” – Principal Jenn
The PTA got feedback that some wanted more differentiation during appreciation last year, but that is not the direction that the committee has decided to go this year -Elena
Last year push to make gifts more equitable; this year we want to make sure it is personal - Elena
Idea for restaurants/businesses to donate to help with teacher/staff appreciation
Fundraising: Katherine Woodell and Mark Wooddell voted as co chairs
Fall PTA Annual Fund
Trying to not do as many separate campaigns
Oct 5: 6 weeks long
Spirit week leading up to family event in October
Last year over 100 giving units, ½ were first time donors
Average gift size of $270
Want to take a look at how business are involved with our fundraising
Get more business involved other than just dineouts
Potentially as donors to backpack buddies versus all of PTA, including monetary and food donations
Backpack buddy update: current 25 enrolled, but more enrollees every day
Current budget ($40K) plan for 100 kids
Communications: Laura Zasoski voted as chair
2 other parents have indicated interest in helping
Audit: Zachary Ezor, Lara Ezor, Ashley McKinstry all voted in
At Large Members: Diana, Fabiola, and Ivana voted as at large members
Duties: try to come to all PTA meetings, are not expected to run committees
Discussion Topics
Clubs
Girls on the Run- has a relationship with DPS, so they just need to talk with Principal Jenn
Not addressed at this meeting due to time:
Carnival: TBD – 4 people indicated interest
Grounds: Spencer McKinstry – are you going to have a co-chair?
See separate email – 4 people indicated interest in helping
Are we doing a grounds day in September? With Watts St Baptist church?
Clubs process discussion
Our first PTA Working Session will be this Thursday in the Media Center at 3pm. Everyone is invited to attend - especially if you see something on the agenda that interests you!
Public Comment
Principal’s Update
Summer Update
Treasurer’s Review
Budget-to-Actual overview (high-level)
SPNI requests:
Ultimate Frisbee Pennies
Upcoming Events
Tuesday Sept 15: Dine-Out at Timber w/ Special Guest Locopops!
Thursday Sept 17th & 24th: Family Curriculum Nights
Friday, September (9) 25: Watts St Baptist Church book giveaway
Friday, October 9: Q1 Coffee with the Principal
Thursday, October 15: Family Event
Discussion: getting parents to help plan afterschool events
Committees : We need to vote in our committee heads this year. Note, each committee head is considered part of the PTA board and can vote on all decisions until the end of the year. After he vote, each committee will give a brief update on their upcoming work
Equity & Advocacy: Brigid Flaherty (See separate email of 3 other interested parties)
Family Involvement (Room Parents): Katie Olinger
Teacher & Staff Appreciation: Nicole Varnado
Fundraising: Co-Chairs Katherine Woodell and Mark Wooddell (Last year we decided dine-out and T-Shirt Sales are subcommittees of these. Is Dorothy OK being dine-out coordinator?)
Grounds: Spencer McKinstry – are you going to have a co-chair? (See separate email – 4 people indicated interest in helping. Are we doing a grounds day in September? With Watts St Baptist church?)
Communications: Laura Zasoski (See separate email – 2 other parents have indicated interest in helping)
Audit: Zachary Ezor, Lara Ezor, Ashley McKinstry
Carnival: TBD – 4 people indicated interest
At Large Members: TBD – will have names by Thursday
Discussion Topics
Clubs process this year
Girls on the Run
Established vs. new clubs
Skip cooking and support our school at the same time! Join us at Timber Pizza Co. on Tuesday, September 15 from 4-9 pm for a special Give Back Night with Timber Pizza Co. and LocoPops.
Stop by or call in an order from Timber (501 Washington St) anytime between 4-9 pm, and 15% of sales will be donated back to our school! LocoPops will also be on-site selling discounted pints of ice cream, with 15% of pint sales donated as well.
No preorder or special code is needed, and you don't have to mention the school when ordering. Come grab pizza, stock up on ice cream, and enjoy!
Noche solidaria «Pizza & Pints»:
¡Olvídate de cocinar y apoya a nuestra escuela al mismo tiempo! Acompáñanos en Timber Pizza Co. el martes 15 de septiembre, de 16:00 a 21:00 horas, en una noche solidaria especial junto a Timber Pizza Co. y LocoPops.
Pásate por el local o haz tu pedido a Timber (501 Washington St) en cualquier momento entre las 16:00 y las 21:00 horas, ¡y el 15 % de las ventas se donará a nuestra escuela! LocoPops también estará presente vendiendo envases de helado a precio reducido, y también donará el 15 % de esas ventas.
No hace falta hacer pedidos por adelantado ni usar códigos especiales, y tampoco es necesario mencionar a la escuela al hacer el pedido. ¡Ven a disfrutar de una pizza, compra helado y pásalo bien!
We are excited to kick off another year of our Backpack Buddies program!
Backpack Buddies, a program of the George Watts PTA, provides shelf-safe, nutritional weekend food packages to current Watts students facing food insecurity at home. Entirely donation-driven and volunteer-run, Backpack Buddies ensures Watts students have consistent access to food over the weekend and holiday breaks.
Every donation to Backpack Buddies goes directly toward food costs — each weekend bag costs about $6 to fill.
$250 Sponsor: A gift of $250 fully covers one child for all of their weekend bags for the entire school year!
Set Up a Monthly Gift: Set up a small monthly recurring donation to provide steady, reliable support for our students all year long. $25/month will fully cover a child for a year.
Celebrate for a Cause: Turn a birthday, anniversary, or special event into a fundraiser! Ask friends and family to donate to Backpack Buddies instead of giving gifts.
Spread the Word: Share this campaign with family, neighbors, friends, and local businesses who want to make a tangible impact on food insecurity here in Durham.
We are so grateful for your big hearts, your generosity, and your commitment to our students. Together, we can bridge the weekend hunger gap and make sure every kid at George Watts has the fuel they need to thrive this year! You can find the link to our givebacks page HERE.
We made it to September! (Though it still feels like July)
We have our Family Curriculum Nights coming up on Sept 17 and 24. Historically, these have been planned by teachers & staff - but this year we are adding parent input. Have you thought about joining the after school events committee?
Please fill out this form if you are interested in helping our teachers and staff plan fun events throughout the year: https://tally.so/r/obZgoM
There are lots of other exciting ways you can help the school with an hour or two of your time this year, so please check it out and sign up today!
Here's the sign up again: https://tally.so/r/obZgoM Feel free to put "Other" if you are happy to help wherever.
Being back on Watts campus has felt SO GOOD. The energy of the teachers, staff, and students has been contagious these past few days.
Volunteer Interest Form (more information on each role in the form)
Areas we still need help:
Communication: Help create a social presence for Watts and/or manage our community communications
Carnival Planning: Follow the playbook (and add your own style!) to help organize the annual carnival (2-4 people needed to organize)
Teacher and Staff Appreciation: Organize various appreciation events for teachers and staff
Afterschool Events: Work with our teachers to plan family afterschool events (Culture Night? A Dance? Movie Night? Roller Skating? Help decide and plan!)
T-Shirt Sales Coordinator: Manage our annual T-shirt sale
Many hands make light work. Sign up now, give a few hours of your time this year, and be part of what makes this community so great!
Mark your calendars, Watts families—our Back-to-School Bash is happening Wednesday, August 19, from 5:30-7 PM at the George Watts Playground! Whether you're a returning family or brand new to our school, this night has something for everyone. Here are three reasons you won't want to miss it.
There's no better way to feel at home at George Watts than to jump right in! At the Bash, you can:
Enjoy Popsicles with the Principal and say hi to Principal Jenn
Blow some bubbles and let the kids loose on the playground
Swing by the New Student Welcome table if you're joining our community for the first time
Support a great cause at the George Watts T-Shirt Swap—donate your gently loved, too-small classic Watts tees, or grab a "new-to-you" shirt for free! (Can't make it? No worries—shirts will also be available at Meet the Teacher.)
It's the perfect low-key evening to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and remember why we love this school.
This isn't just a party—it's also the first General Meeting of the George Watts PTA! Come find out how the PTA supports our school and how you can be part of it:
Visit the PTA Info Station to learn about upcoming events and programs
Help us finalize our budget for the year as we kick things off together
Share your feedback and priorities so the PTA can best serve our students and families
Discover simple, fun ways to get involved—every bit of help makes a difference
Your voice matters, and this is the easiest way to make sure it's heard right from the start of the year.
New year, new pencils, new energy! Get in the spirit by checking your teacher's school supply list and consider grabbing an extra item or two to donate at the Bash. We're collecting:
Full-size backpacks (big enough for a full-size folder)
Pencils (not mechanical)
Wide-ruled composition notebooks
Skinny dry erase markers
2-pocket folders with prongs (plastic preferred)
Glue sticks
Boxes of crayons
Boxes of markers
Spiral notebooks
Scissors
Headphones
Every donated item helps make sure every Watts student starts the year ready to learn.
So bring the whole family, wear your walking shoes (there's a playground calling your name!), and come celebrate the start of an amazing year. We can't wait to celebrate with you!
We have our first dine out event in just a few weeks:
Monday, August 31 @ 2:30-5:30PM
Jeni's Ice Creams
908 W. Main Street, Durham
For those new to the community, dine out events occur about once a month as a way to fundraise for the George Watts PTA. Jeni's is donating 25% of ALL sales from 2:30-5:30PM on Monday, August 31 to the PTA. The more of the community we get in to buy ice cream, the more funds we get to support our school! So invite a friend and maybe say yes when your kid begs for 3 scoops.
Save the Date: September 15 is dine-out with Timber and LocoPops
Do you have any suggestions for restaurants we should reach out to this year? Email dorothykimelscott@gmail.com with ideas!
As we get ready for the new school year with an expanding need for Backpack Buddy support in our student population, we wanted to share a few ways to help the program other than donating money.
Water bottles: we are hoping to provide free, reusable water bottles to every kid that needs one this year. Does your company have extra marketing water bottles lying around that they would be willing to donate? We have a goal of 100 water bottles, and getting 10 donations of 10 bottles would get us there. Do you have a contact at a company or local university? Let dorothykimelscott@gmail.com know!
Storage: in order to make the small storage room at school work for the growing needs of the students, we are in need of some organizational help. Do you have a clothing rack or set of counter shelves you'd be willing to donate? Let emiliemariemorgan@gmail.com know!
Clothing: we are going to have a clothing drive in the fall, so consider keeping your kids clothes (and jackets and shoes) that they've grown out of and donating to the school. We are especially hopeful for donations of larger sizes of children's clothes!
Thanks!
The Backpack Buddy Team
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback to the PTA last month! Through an End-of-Year Community Feedback Survey, Teacher and Staff Survey, Room-Parent Survey, and Teacher and Staff Focus Group, the PTA gathered feedback to learn, improve, and plan for next year. The results are in — and they’re helping the PTA’s executive board shape plans for 2026-27.
Across all groups, the top priorities for the PTA are clear: direct support for students and families and appreciation for teachers and staff. Community respondents highlighted the value of enrichment activities like field trips and clubs, while teachers and staff prioritized supporting family engagement in the Watts Community.
These findings are shaping concrete changes for next year:
More ways to get involved: We are proposing alternating monthly PTA work sessions between 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM to accommodate more teachers and parents. We are also working to have childcare available during sessions.
Clearer, more transparent budgeting and fundraising: The PTA will vote on its budget at the beginning of the year and plan on raising money on a preannounced schedule, letting you know exactly where your donations are going.
Expanded student support: As our student population changes after Growing Together, so do our students’ needs. We are planning to expand the Backpack Buddy program and have already begun brainstorming more efficient ways to run it with help from the broader community. If you have ideas or want to get involved, email Emilie (emiliemariemorgan@gmail.com).
Meaningful teacher and staff appreciation: We want appreciation to feel personal—for every teacher and every staff member. We are returning ownership of teacher appreciation gifts back to room parents.
Clear Room Parent Expectations: We are working on a Room Parent Expectation guide and will have it finalized by Meet the Teacher.
More of what you love: You asked for the Carnival, Wheels, Movie Night, and more clubs— Yes! These events are community favorites, and we’d love to see them grow. However, we do need your help to make that happen!
Want to dig in deeper? Here’s everything we heard — and how the PTA is considering it.
As the school year wraps up, please share your feedback on the PTA end of the year survey! It's super short, I promise!
I hope you are planning on coming out to the Watts playground on June 4th from 530-630 where we will celebrate the past year at George Watts with popsicles, bubbles, and lots of fun.
We will also be electing a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer for next year. Per NCPTA members must be notified of the election and the nominating committee's slate before the election takes place. So here is who is running:
President
Elena Snavely: My name is Elena Snavely. I have two kids at Watts - Leila (2nd) and Isabel (K). I have been the PTA president for the past year where my focus has been making sure that all of our students have what they need to be successful and keeping our amazing teachers and staff at Watts happy. I love this community and believe that schools are one of the most important places where we can come together to make each other's lives better. I would be honored to continue working alongside our families, teachers, and staff to help Watts thrive.
Vice President
Emilie Morgan: Emilie Morgan is a proud mom of two children at George Watts Elementary—Ezme in 1st grade and Jacob in Pre-K. For the past two years, she has had the privilege of serving as the PTA Secretary and facilitating the school’s Backpack Buddies program. In addition to her involvement at George Watts, Emilie serves on the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association (TPNA) board, driven by a deep commitment to fostering a close, beneficial relationship between our school and the surrounding community. As she looks ahead, Emilie’s core priorities are focused on supporting our dedicated teachers, further advocating for the students in our school who experience food insecurity, and expanding on the PTA's efforts to encourage more George Watts families to get involved with our organization.
Secretary (CO-chairs are allowed!)
Amanda Watson: I have been a Public School Teacher for 23 years and have spent 19 of those at Watts. I have served in many roles within the PTA and on SIT and was at one time a Watts parent as well. I look forward to bringing the Teacher voice as well as the Parent perspective to the decisions made by PTA.
Dorothy Kimel-Scott: I'm a Durham native and proud DPS graduate. We've been members of the George Watts community since 2021 and I am excited to become more involved in the PTA next year, working to support all students. As a physical therapist, I think my daily health care documentation has prepared me for taking great minutes at work sessions!
Treasurer
Sam Kimball: A proud father, Carolina fan, and CPA, Sam's oldest daughter is in Pre-K at Watts. He is excited to bring his experience in finance, consulting, and nonprofit leadership to the PTA.
Hello Watts community,
Please join us for our annual Rainbow Party on Saturday, June 6, 10:00-12:00 on the GWM playground (see below). All are welcome!
In peace,
Rainbow Club
On June 4th from 530-630 we will have our final PTA General meeting to elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer for next year.
ALSO POPSICLES for kids and adults - and some celebrating the amazing year we had at George Watts.
Thursday June 4th from 530-630
Can you come to a monthly PTA meeting, take notes, and put them on our website?
(would you also like to get to know our teachers and staff better, support our school, and be a voice in decisions?)
Email me! elena.snavely@gmail.com and run for Secretary!
We can't have a PTA without one!
You read that right - June 10th is both the last day of school, a field day, and a full day (NOT early release)
