Today, St. Therese Catholic School serves students from preschool through eighth grade, continuing the rich traditions of St. Henry and St. Bernard Schools while preparing students to grow in faith, knowledge, and service. Rooted in Catholic values and dedicated to academic excellence, St. Therese Catholic School remains committed to forming the hearts and minds of the next generation.
Our School
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Principal's Welcome
Welcome to our school!
It is my joy and privilege to serve as principal of a community where faith, learning, and family come together each day. We are proud to be a place where every student is known, valued, and encouraged to grow academically, spiritually, and socially.
In our classrooms, students are challenged to act compassionately and strive for excellence in all they do. Rooted in our shared values, we work closely with families to create a supportive and nurturing environment where children can thrive and develop a lifelong love of learning.
As a smaller school community, we truly embrace the idea that we are one family. This allows us to build strong relationships, provide individualized attention, and celebrate each student's unique gifts.
Whether you are a current family or exploring our school for the first time, we invite you to learn more about what makes our St. Therese community so special. We would love to welcome you in person and share the spirit of our school with you.
Thank you for visiting our website...we are glad you are here!
God bless,
Sherry Harms
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What Makes Our School Special?
- Saint Families
- Pet Blessing
- Catholic Schools Week
- Music & Band Concerts
- Doughnuts with Grown-Ups
- Alumni Return
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Our students at St. Therese are organized into grade levels, but they also have Saint Families. These Saint Families are multi-grade level groupings, each led by one of our teachers and provide students with opportunities to build meaningful connections across different ages. Older students serve as mentors, modeling leadership and responsibility, while younger students gain confidence and support from their peers. These Saint Families foster a strong sense of community, encourage collaboration, and help students develop empathy, communication, and social skills. By learning and working together, students enjoy enriched experiences that strengthen both personal growth and the school’s caring, supportive environment.
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Every year at the beginning of October, in observance of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, our school families gather in the school yard bringing their furry four-legged friends (and a variety of other pets) to receive a blessing. St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated as the patron saint of animals and ecology. Celebrating his feast day with our Pet Blessing is a reminder of our responsibility to care for God's creation.
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Catholic Schools Week, observed each year at the end of January, is our time to celebrate the values that make our school community special—faith, academic excellence, service, and compassion. It is also a time for a bit of fun and camaraderie with an all-school field trip, activities with Saint Families, and celebrating mass with the parishioners. It is a time to appreciate the partnership between our families, parish, and school and to reflect on the important role Catholic education plays in building the foundation for future success.
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Doughnuts with Grown-Ups is an annual celebration of the important grown-ups in the lives of our students. Students invite their favorite grown-ups to join them for Mass and Adoration followed by enjoying doughnuts in the gymnasium afterward. This meaningful tradition strengthens the connection between home, school, and faith, giving students and their guests the opportunity to celebrate these relationships and create lasting memories.
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Each year, we are proud to welcome our alumni back to St. Therese School as high school students. During Homecoming week in the fall, they return to visit, reconnect, and spend time with our current students—sharing lunch, playing games, and enjoying the chance to be back where their journey began. In the spring, our graduating seniors come back once more for a special walk through the hallways, a meaningful tradition that celebrates how much they have grown. It is always a joy to see the young men and women they have become, and our students look up to them with excitement and inspiration.
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OUR HISTORY OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Our roots trace back to the parish schools of St. Henry Catholic Church and St. Bernard Catholic Church, where generations of families received a faith-filled education grounded in strong academics and Catholic values. Initially run by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, St. Henry School was opened in 1854 to serve the children of German Catholic immigrants. Three years later, in 1857 the St. Bernard School opened five blocks to the west to serve the growing Irish community.
For many years, St. Henry School and St. Bernard School served their parish communities independently, each building a strong reputation for academic excellence and spiritual formation. In 2015, the two schools joined together to form Watertown Catholic School, sharing leadership, faculty, and resources while continuing to serve students on two campuses.
As the Watertown Catholic community continued to grow together, the parishes in Watertown were united with parishes in Johnson Creek and Lake Mills as St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in October of 2024. The school was subsequently renamed St. Therese Catholic School, reflecting a shared mission and a unified vision for Catholic education in Watertown and the surrounding communities.
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