Fall 2025 Program Dates

• Programs start: 10/6
• Programs end: 12/5 (Tuesday programs will run through 12/9 due to two skip dates)
• Skip dates:
  • 11/11 (Veterans Day)
  • 11/24 – 11/28 (Conference Week, Thanksgiving)

Weekly Schedule

Monday

Chess Wizards (Grades 1-5) 

10/6 – 12/1
2:25-3:30 pm

Classes are geared to suit children of all skill levels—from chessling to checkmate artists. Students will build upon their knowledge through lessons, tournaments, variation games, and more!

CraftLab – Fall into Art (Grades 1-5)

10/6 – 12/1
2:25-3:30 pm

Fall into Art with CraftLab Seattle! Celebrate the magic of autumn with hands-on art projects inspired by colorful leaves, cozy vibes, and harvest fun! Kids will use a mix of natural and upcycled materials to create seasonal crafts like leafy collages, pumpkin prints, woodland creatures, and more. We’ll explore texture, color, and shape while learning about the changing seasons. Perfect for young artists who love to get creative with nature and enjoy the cozy charm of fall!

1ON1 After School Hoops (Grades 2-5)

10/6 – 12/1
2:25-3:30 pm

Join One on One Basketball this session for After School Hoops®, a fun, active and developmental enrichment activity. Our instructors will not only teach your child athletic fundamentals through progressive drills, engaging cardio, fun competitions and scrimmages, but we will use these fundamentals as a platform to teach life-skill lessons that reinforce positive attitudes about effort, respect, cooperation and self-control. After School Hoops makes three guarantees: your child will learn, sweat and have fun!

First Lego League – Lego Robotics (Grades 4-5)

10/6 – 12/1
2:25-4:00 pm

Students will engage in teamwork and problem-solving as they work together to design and program a robot to complete specific tasks related to archaeology. Students will also conduct research and prepare a presentation on a problem they’d like to solve in the archaeology field. Each week the team will work toward being ready to participate alongside fellow elementary schools in the First LEGO League robotics competition, held in mid-December. 

Tuesday

Gamer Group with Mr. Buck (Grades K-2)

10/7 – 12/9
2:25-4:00 pm

Students will learn to play new board games, make new friends, and have tons of fun!

Kong Academy – Movement Games (Grades K-2)

10/7 – 12/9
2:25-3:30 pm

Students will engage in social-emotional learning while playing fun games that get them moving. Students will learn team building, communication, managing emotions, and making responsible decisions. It’s our goal for kids to come together, play together, grow together, and build important life skills in a fun and relevant way.

Little Hands Creations – Machine Sewing (Grades 2-5)

10/7 – 12/9
2:25-4:00 pm

Whether you are brand new to machine sewing or already have experience, this camp is designed to cater to all skill levels.

All students will have a full safety overview of essential machine safety protocols, after which new students will complete our beginner sewing curriculum, while the more experienced students can build of their existing skills, taking their sewing abilities to the next level.

This class is student-led, and they advance at their own pace with autonomy over the projects they choose to create. Projects include backpacks, phone cases, clothing, accessories, bags, games, stuffed animals and more! This is our most popular and most inclusive class where creativity knows no bounds!

Video Game Design with BEAM Experiences (Grades 3-5)

10/7 – 12/9
2:25-4:00 pm

Design and build your very own video game!

Students will use Stencyl, a kid-friendly game creation engine to make 2-D video games on the computer. Each day, students will receive a short lesson, followed by guided creative building time. Lessons focus on designing fun and challenging platformer levels. This is not a programming-focused class, but students will have the opportunity to customize their games using block-based programming similar to Scratch. At the end of the course, students will have a game they can play and share with friends and family!

Thursday

Gamer Group with Mr. Buck (Grades 3-5)

10/9 – 12/4
2:25-4:00 pm

Students will learn to play new board games, make new friends, and have tons of fun!

Bricks 4 Kidz – Under the Sea (Grades K-2) 

10/9 – 12/4
2:25-3:30 pm

Explore the oceans with Bricks 4 Kidz! Construct a submarine with motorized LEGO® bricks and discover all the wildlife that’s hidden under the sea. We will build jumping dolphins, chomping sharks, majestic sea turtles and more. Let’s dive right in!

Spanish with Jump on Languages (Grades 1-5) 

10/9 – 12/4
2:25-3:30 pm

Students will learn Spanish words and culture while developing motor skills and creativity. Teachers will mostly speak Spanish and guide them through fun activities.

 

We Need Volunteers!

After-school programs at Whittier depend on the support of our awesome parent volunteers who provide supervision and help ensure every day runs smoothly. It’s a great opportunity to get to know our students and deepen your connection to the Whittier community.

We’re looking for volunteers who can commit to one day/week for either a 90-min or 2-hour shift. Reduced tuition opportunities are available for families who volunteer. Please contact programs@whittierptaseattle.org for more info.

Volunteer Responsibilities Include:

• Ensuring all students are safe and accounted for. This includes helping students line up, supporting instructors with attendance, and communicating with families as needed if a student is absent. Bonus points for being handy with band-aids!
• Being on-call if instructors need support. Volunteers carry walkie-talkies and help if instructors have questions. 
• Ensuring Whittier’s classrooms and spaces remain clean and tidy. This can include moving equipment to prepare the classroom, returning desks and equipment to their original places, removing any trash and belongings left behind, and helping to clean up any messes.
• Staying at school until all students are picked up by their parent or guardian. Life happens! Occasionally volunteers will stay with students and contact parents if they are late for pick up.

Scholarships & Additional Support

We strive for equitable opportunities for all students. For scholarship information, please contact programs@whittierptaseattle.org.

If you want to sign your child up for an activity and they need extra support in the classroom, please contact programs@whittierptaseattle.org.

 

Other Considerations

Waitlist

Spots are limited, though families can join the waitlist if classes are full. Waitlisted families get priority enrollment if they are on the waitlist for a class offered the following term. Please email the enrichment providers directly with questions concerning the waitlist, schedule, or class policies.

Fees

A $10 registration fee is included in tuition to support Whittier Elementary PTA after-school enrichment. Registration fees are used to fund scholarships and pay for volunteer background checks.

Behavior Policy

If a student is behaving in a way that is disrupting the class and the teacher(s) is unable to control such behavior, the vendor will reach out to the parent of the student and inform the parent and the Programs Chair of the behavior concern as well as the vendor’s policy regarding next steps.

Roles & Responsibilities

Whittier Elementary and Seattle Public Schools are not affiliated with or connected to the Whittier PTA Programs offerings or individual program vendors. Whittier PTA coordinates building reservations and hosts registration links for independent enrichment providers. Enrichment providers manage registrations and schedules through the 6crickets platform.

Please direct all of your questions to programs@whittierptaseattle.org or the appropriate enrichment provider.