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Waterford Elementary School
Waterford Elementary School
We are committed to meeting the academic needs of every child that walks through the doors of Waterford! Through weekly staff professional development, teachers continue to grow their instructional capacity to provide quality instruction to every student. Waterford students experience academic growth through a variety of hands-on and content-rich opportunities. Our curriculum is anchored to the Indiana State Standards and essential learnings of all content areas (language arts, math, science, and social studies.) We provide balanced and enriching activities that build intellect, foster curiosity, demonstrate mastery, and are applicable in real-world situations.
Waterford Elementary School
65560 IN-15
Goshen, IN 46526
Phone: 574-533-6811
Christina Peña, Principal
Gretchen Martin, Counselor – Ext. 56005
Sarah Russell, Administrative Assistant – Ext. 56000
Itzel Avila, Parent Liaison – Ext. 56004
Jeff Vardaman, Nurse – Ext. 56006
Message from the Principal
My name is Christina Peña and I am the Principal of Waterford Elementary School. I am very passionate about education and ensuring that your students are provided with high-quality and engaging classroom instruction. I look forward to partnering with you and the teachers at Waterford to prepare our students for their future.
Great things are happening at Waterford Elementary, and I want to continue the commitment to the academic achievement and personal growth of ALL students. I am excited to champion the students, teachers, and staff, to be an encouragement where needed, and to share in the successes of everyone at Waterford.
Family engagement is something I am passionate about, and I look forward to meeting and partnering with all families to further strengthen the relationship between school and home in order to provide the best education possible for our students. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead Waterford and serve our community! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Christina Peña, Waterford Principal
Elementary Informational Video
Please see our other videos, including videos in other languages, below under the “Helpful Videos” tab!
More Information
Waterford Elementary is proud to offer a Dual Language Two-Way Immersion (DLI) Program in English and Spanish. Through this program, students begin an exciting journey toward becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural—skills that open doors to global opportunities and deeper cultural understanding.
In our DLI classrooms, students receive instruction half of the day in English and half of the day in Spanish, following the Indiana State Standards. This balanced approach builds strong academic foundations in both languages while promoting confidence, communication, and cross-cultural awareness.
The program is open to both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking students, allowing them to learn from and with one another in a supportive and engaging environment.
Families interested in enrolling their child in the Dual Language Immersion Program must register and apply for participation at Waterford Elementary.
At Waterford, we believe that learning in two languages is a powerful way to prepare students for a bright, connected future.
At Waterford Elementary, student life is full of learning, leadership, and fun! Our Wildcats take pride in showing our five core character traits—Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Gratitude, and Citizenship—in all that they do.
Wildcat Leaders
Our Wildcat Leaders are role models within the school community, exemplifying our Waterford Traits each day. Fourth-grade students can also apply to be part of our Student Leadership Team, a group of leaders selected through teacher recommendations and student applications. These students help with morning announcements, welcome new classmates, assist with recycling, and support school-wide events alongside our counselor and office staff.
School Spirit and Celebrations
We love to celebrate our students! Each quarter, we recognize students with excellent attendance—those who have missed three or fewer days—with fun attendance celebrations. Our Spirit Days and Spirit Weeks throughout the year let students show their Wildcat pride by dressing up and spreading school spirit.
At the end of the school year, everyone comes together for our Field Day and End-of-Year Celebration, including a school-wide dance party and outdoor games—a Waterford favorite!
Arts, Athletics, and Community Involvement
Waterford students can participate in select elementary sports, encouraging teamwork and school pride. Each spring, our Related Arts Night showcases every student’s creativity. All students have a piece of artwork on display, and our third and fourth graders perform a lively music and physical education program for families.
We also believe in giving back. Through Major Saver, our annual spring fundraiser, students help raise money for the Goshen Community Schools Foundation, with all profits reinvested into Goshen Schools. Additionally, our PTO fundraisers and Jump Rope for Heart events strengthen our community connections.
At Waterford, we work hard, lead with character, and have a lot of fun along the way. Every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and celebrate being a Wildcat!
We are blessed with a staff that creates positive relationships with students in order to meet their social and emotional needs. It is very evident that this staff truly cares about its students! The staff works closely with each other to provide the necessary care to ensure that learning can take place in the classroom.
Waterford has one school counselor that provides whole group instruction to all students, as well as small group or individual services based on student needs. She teach our students the Waterford Traits of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Gratitude, and Citizenship and she supports our students in many ways!
Waterford is blessed to have a PTO that works to support Waterford teachers and students throughout the year. This organization conducts several fundraisers to provide financial support for classroom resources, field trips, end-of-the-year celebrations, equipment, and much more! These fundraisers include mum sales, spirit wear, read-a-thon, and book fairs. They often ask for volunteers to help with these fundraisers through Parent Square. Thank you to ALL parents who support Waterford!
Meetings are held at Waterford Elementary School and information is posted on social media and/ or Parent Square in advance. All parents are welcome!
Facebook: @waterfordpto
Officers:
- President- Jackie Carowan
- Vice President- Katie Culp
- Secretary/Treasurer- Dianne Martin
-
Waterford Elementary is proud to offer a Dual Language Two-Way Immersion (DLI) Program in English and Spanish. Through this program, students begin an exciting journey toward becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural—skills that open doors to global opportunities and deeper cultural understanding.
In our DLI classrooms, students receive instruction half of the day in English and half of the day in Spanish, following the Indiana State Standards. This balanced approach builds strong academic foundations in both languages while promoting confidence, communication, and cross-cultural awareness.
The program is open to both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking students, allowing them to learn from and with one another in a supportive and engaging environment.
Families interested in enrolling their child in the Dual Language Immersion Program must register and apply for participation at Waterford Elementary.
At Waterford, we believe that learning in two languages is a powerful way to prepare students for a bright, connected future.
-
At Waterford Elementary, student life is full of learning, leadership, and fun! Our Wildcats take pride in showing our five core character traits—Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Gratitude, and Citizenship—in all that they do.
Wildcat Leaders
Our Wildcat Leaders are role models within the school community, exemplifying our Waterford Traits each day. Fourth-grade students can also apply to be part of our Student Leadership Team, a group of leaders selected through teacher recommendations and student applications. These students help with morning announcements, welcome new classmates, assist with recycling, and support school-wide events alongside our counselor and office staff.
School Spirit and Celebrations
We love to celebrate our students! Each quarter, we recognize students with excellent attendance—those who have missed three or fewer days—with fun attendance celebrations. Our Spirit Days and Spirit Weeks throughout the year let students show their Wildcat pride by dressing up and spreading school spirit.
At the end of the school year, everyone comes together for our Field Day and End-of-Year Celebration, including a school-wide dance party and outdoor games—a Waterford favorite!
Arts, Athletics, and Community Involvement
Waterford students can participate in select elementary sports, encouraging teamwork and school pride. Each spring, our Related Arts Night showcases every student’s creativity. All students have a piece of artwork on display, and our third and fourth graders perform a lively music and physical education program for families.
We also believe in giving back. Through Major Saver, our annual spring fundraiser, students help raise money for the Goshen Community Schools Foundation, with all profits reinvested into Goshen Schools. Additionally, our PTO fundraisers and Jump Rope for Heart events strengthen our community connections.
At Waterford, we work hard, lead with character, and have a lot of fun along the way. Every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and celebrate being a Wildcat!
-
We are blessed with a staff that creates positive relationships with students in order to meet their social and emotional needs. It is very evident that this staff truly cares about its students! The staff works closely with each other to provide the necessary care to ensure that learning can take place in the classroom.
Waterford has one school counselor that provides whole group instruction to all students, as well as small group or individual services based on student needs. She teach our students the Waterford Traits of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Gratitude, and Citizenship and she supports our students in many ways!
-
Waterford is blessed to have a PTO that works to support Waterford teachers and students throughout the year. This organization conducts several fundraisers to provide financial support for classroom resources, field trips, end-of-the-year celebrations, equipment, and much more! These fundraisers include mum sales, spirit wear, read-a-thon, and book fairs. They often ask for volunteers to help with these fundraisers through Parent Square. Thank you to ALL parents who support Waterford!
Meetings are held at Waterford Elementary School and information is posted on social media and/ or Parent Square in advance. All parents are welcome!
Facebook: @waterfordpto
Officers:
- President- Jackie Carowan
- Vice President- Katie Culp
- Secretary/Treasurer- Dianne Martin
-