May Watts’ 30th Anniversary

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Thirty years of educating students in Naperville makes May Watts Elementary worthy of a special celebration.

“We actually didn’t turn 30 today. It happened in February. And that’s kind of a weird story too. Because they took the school and moved the entire school in February of 1989 when this actually opened up. So we decided to actually bump [this celebration] to May so that we could kind of incorporate May Watts in it,” explained Principal Brian LeCrone.

The Open House

Students and teachers, old and new, were invited to the school for a night to recognize 30 years of accomplishments and to reconnect with the May Watts community.

“It’s so wonderful. I saw one little girl who I had who had just gotten married and she was showing me her wedding pictures. And I had a student who was a teacher because she came in for observation in my class. So it’s been very fun,” said former teacher Sandy Sobin.

The Namesake

Aside from checking out old photos, awards, and artifacts, it was also a night to remember who the school stands for.

“I think we’ve done a pretty good job of keeping our namesake May Watts alive for the whole 30 years of existence of this school,” added LeCrone. “She’s played a big part in the Naperville area in terms of her conservation and environmentalism. So that part has been something that we kind of stay true to.”

About May Theilgaard Watts

On the May 1 celebration, May Theilgaard Watts would have celebrated her 126th birthday.

She was known as a teacher, author, and for her environmental work at The Morton Arboretum. She also helped establish the Illinois Prairie Path in the 1970s.

Naperville News 17’s Christine Lena reports.