ABOUT US

Watsontown Elementary School:
United Together in Learning

Our Community
The Warrior Run School District (population 12,000) is located in a rural-agricultural area of north central Pennsylvania.  The area is served by major highway routes 15 (north/south), I-180 (north/south), and I-80 (east/west).  It is a predominantly middle class, blue-collar community with a large variety of industries within a 20-mile radius.  Watsontown Elementary School is located at the north end of Watsontown, on route 405.  The building serves students from the Watsontown, Allenwood, and Dewart communities.

School Characteristics
Watsontown Elementary School supports office staff who are here to serve children, families, and the educational program.  Office staff should be contacted for registrations, withdrawals, and changes of student information.  All visitors to the school are asked to sign in at the office and collect a visitor’s pass.  The telephone number for the Main Office is 538-5561.  Messages may be left at the office for teaching staff during the day. Our FAX number is 538-2546.

The Watsontown Elementary School is a kindergarten through fourth grade building.  The current enrollment is approximately 340 students.  The average class size is slightly below twenty students per class.  Our school year runs from the end of August to the beginning of June.  Our staff includes 50 professional and support staff.  The grading schedule is four report cards per year, on a nine-week grading period.  Families are invited to parent-teacher conferences after the first marking period.  Art, music, physical education, and library programs and nursing and guidance services are provided to students.

The facility contains the following: a complete library with over 10,000 titles, plus computer/internet access; a networked computer lab with internet access, an indoor physical education area, a self-contained cafeteria with a stage for performances, and outdoor macadam and grass playground facilities with modern apparatus.  All classrooms are equipped with computers and Internet access.

Homework Tips for Parents

Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.  Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.

Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available.  Ask your child if special materials will be needed and get them in advance.

Help your child with time management.  Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime.  Think about using weekend time for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.

Be positive about homework.  Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.

When your child does homework, you do homework.  Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult.  If your child is reading, you read too.  If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.

When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.  Giving answers means your child will not learn the material.  Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.

When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.  Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team.

If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away.  Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects.  Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.

Stay informed.  Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.

Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.  Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.

Reward progress in homework.  If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.

The Call-In Program
Due to concerns about the safety of students as they travel to and from school, Warrior Run School District requires families to call the appropriate school to report the absence of their students.  This is designed to insure that students who leave home for school arrive at school.

Whenever students are absent from school, families should call the school at 538-5561 as soon as possible, but no later than 8:30 AM with the following information: student’s name, grade, reason for absence.  Students are not to report themselves absent nor should friends, neighbors, siblings, etc. make such calls.  If a parent has not called the school by 8:30 AM, school staff will be calling parents at home and/or work to verify the absence.

When students return to school, they must present written excuses from home.  This must be presented on the DAY OF RETURN.  The reason for the absence must be clearly stated with a parental signature.  Even though a call is made, an excuse is required.  Failure to present an excuse within three school days of return to school will result in the absences being permanently recorded as unexcused or illegal.

PTO
The Watsontown Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization meets the first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm in the art room.  Family Activity Nights are planned monthly.  All families are welcome to attend. 

School Age Child Care
The Watsontown Elementary School houses an after school program operated by Community Child Care.  You may contact them for further information at (570) 524-0926.