Whittier PTA is developing a Family Directory for students and families to use this summer. The Family Directory is an opt-in paper directory providing family contact information and is intended to foster communication within the Whittier community (e.g., arranging playdates, childcare swaps, family get togethers, birthday party invitations, etc.).
The directory can only be compiled with information YOU PROVIDE; the PTA cannot access the contact information you’ve provided to the school.
If you would like your contact information included in the directory, please:
Complete the 2021-22 Family Directory form that will go home with your student in an upcoming Tuesday Kid Mail (a.k.a. your student’s backpack).
Students will also have an opportunity to submit artwork for the Family Directory cover (also in an upcoming Tuesday Kid Mail). Directory information and artwork submissions are due no later than Friday, May 27.
Kathleen motioned, Courtney seconded – Meeting minutes approved. (vote was at 8:46 pm)
Land Acknowledgement by Kristen Liang
7:05 Staff Update
7:15 Principal Update
Student Guest Speakers – Emma Kocher & Julia Liang
EMMA – 5th Grade Celebration
5th grade classes could take a day off to go to a park, have pizza & play games
Stay at school – all 3 classes could have different activities ie; movies, arts & crafts, games
Parks – salmon bay, carkeek, Kirke – going somewhere because then the other classes won’t be there
Emma is happy to be on an organizing committee
JULIA – Bathrooms, Library – non-fiction books, Food Quality at Lunch
Bathrooms – toilets should have seat covers to be more sanitary (flushable covers)
Library – Doesn’t have a lot of diversity, especially about people. For example, people who helped make our community the way it is now.
(Cindy posed question: How we could get more diverse books?) A: School families could donate books about certain topics
School Lunches – The food should be better quality.
Half of the pasta wasn’t cooked in one of the lunches. Food is soggy and they don’t want to touch it.
(Cindy Question: How could we make the food better?) A: Food is in a freezer and heated up in a microwave… they should check it to make sure it’s fully cooked
Julia agreed to be on a Food Service Committee
MASKING UPDATE
No update tonight, but she has a meeting tomorrow about masking. Her hunch/best guess is that SPS will probably follow what other schools in the general area are doing with masks.
Masks are included in the MOU (memorandum of understanding). Cindy doesn’t think it requires a vote, but she thinks that it is just agreement between leadership teams
BUDGET – not great, not horrible
Down 1 homeroom teacher
She’s working on getting universal intervention support… She thinks it’s inequitable to not have the same support available to Whittier as other schools in this department.
SCHOOL
Prides of March – loosely organized but hoping it’ll be better next year
Cindy wants to support “safe conversations” Kids are picking up on current events… Russia/Ukraine, LGTBQ issues
Spirit Days – low barrier to participation, no purchases for these days, something you don’t really have to plan for – No heavy lifts!
Door decorating at the end of the month! Parents will be able to help, but 80% of the door will be done by the kids. Doors will show who the classroom is as a community.
7:30 President’s Report – Kristen & Tina
3/15 Community Meeting (platform, presentation, member voting)
Spring Fling Update – Sandra
Great committee, about 15 volunteers who are rocking & rolling
5-9 pm, no kids – set-up/tear-down earlier/later than that window
We can use the blacktop and the gym – will be using it for
Food Truck – Dantes – hot dogs, Veraci – Pizza
There will be drinking – out on the street. No alcohol on school premises
Games – Corn Hole, other outdoor games
Sandra has a permit – WA State liquor & cannabis board, will also get block party permit
Planning to let neighbors know that the event will be happening
Expenses – Minimal – trying to use things from school.. ie; tables, canopies from family
Decor Team
Standing meeting 7-9 pm
Special Guest DJ might be a possibility…
Procurement – Elliott has been doing an amazing job. He’s contacted 88 businesses. Mix of printed emails, online forms too. 6 donations so far, but many more coming. 20 more in-person drops planned for this week.
Virtual School Tours Update – Megan, Sara, Tricia
Good turnout for the virtual tours
Room Rep Emails – Kate
Wants us to consolidate requests via her so we don’t overwhelm room reps
Funding various PTA initiatives priority in survey results
enrichment activities
academic enrichment
equity
field trips
community events
Budget Committee Update
budget numbers from district are not good
Staffing Grant Request for 2022/23
2.5 PCP funded next year (vs 3 for this year)
staffing 90K – this keeps it so we retain staffing levels of reading specialists and PCP
Reading Interventionist serves a larger group of students than any homeroom teachers
Kathleen asked what happens if we don’t make fundraising numbers. Renee said fundraising forecasts are pretty conservative and that people want to know what they need to give.
Another comment was made that we need to continue/increase advocacy efforts to change the way things are funded… “BOTH/AND” re: Fundraising and Advocacy
VOTE – Courtney motioned to put a $90K staffing grant up for approval at the Community Meeting; Kathleen seconded
8:10 Nominating Committee Update – Leah
Received responses from half of the board
Still need more people to get involved
Talked about bringing FACE (Family and Community Engagement) committee efforts back
Washington State PTA Recognizes Whittier PTA with the Gold Membership Growth Award Whittier PTA has recently been recognized by Washington State PTA as a Gold Membership Growth Award recipient! PTAs are presented with this award for enrolling at least 10% more members this year than all of last year. That means our PTA is growing! Thank you to everyone who has become a member so far this year: YOU are the reason our PTA achieved this award! If you haven’t yet signed up for a 2021-2022 PTA membership, please consider joining today! By doing so, you are demonstrating your support for our PTA and all it does for Whittier. Join the Whittier PTA
Cindy Watters pointed out that some schools get more LAP (discretionary) dollars per student than others and lots of PTA funding is making up for that to help students whose families might be less financially stable than their “wealthy” neighborhoods.
Tricia Schalekamp added via chat: Cindy’s comment (data from SPS site) 2021-2022 Lap Funding is $24,492 for Northgate & $12,816 for Whittier
PTA/PTO Revenue per student (‘18-’19)
North $323
Central $282
West $286
Southeast $67
Most fundraising happens in the North and West areas of SPS. Strong correlation between those areas and the historic redlining activities that happened.
SCPTSA looking for people who want to have a conversation with the Seattle Public Schools in the Take Back conversation & school funding policies.
Most fundraising happens in the North and West areas of SPS. Strong correlation between those areas and the historic redlining activities that happened.
SE Coalition is still seeking funds… they may do an equal distribution of funds this year, or they may do more of a equity based distribution (ie; free/reduced lunch #s)
PTA Community Meeting 3/15 – critical staffing budget requests and vote
Nominating Committee Update (Leah) – 1st mtg this week, more updates next month
7:50 Principal & Staff Updates (Cindy)
Budget Preview
Schools never have enough money
Enrollment projections – we think we will be down about 38 students – 80 – 5th graders moving on, 72 Kindergarteners projected to come, plus attrition
Megan asked if legislation passes to use 2019 enrollment numbers, if that will help us. Cindy said maybe because it might be used to cover for this year
We expect to get budget from the district on 2/28
COVID $ from government is paying for playground supervision, Katie Dahlen
We are paying Nurse Marissa extra to help with contact tracing
Cindy offered to have a bigger conversation about budgeting if anyone is interested
Kathleen asked if we’ll get more COVID relief money next year. Cindy said we don’t know
Kate S added via chat: “ESSER III dollars currently end on 9/30/22 and there’s no public discussion of it renewing again that I’ve found”
Tina asked about BLT meeting… meeting just happened. Starting to discuss who is staying/leaving. Teachers are torn about PTA funding… they LOVE having a reading specialist (Ms Trilby)
Black Lives Matter Recap
Great week
Cindy complimented the teachers – thoughtful & intentional, especially about BLM. They cultivate curiosity daily and are doing a great job!
Another bulletin board made by Ms Mayo to highlight BLM.
BLM week started in Seattle.
Lays the foundation for kids to be thinkers and future leaders/activists/voters/disrupters
Prides of March Drive
Partner with Tent City 3 at Phinney Lutheran Church, sanctioned tent city –
Starting 6th/7th of March
Each week is different theme with different grades helping to organize what we’re collecting and why
Student ambassadors to collect items
She’d like to partner with PTA to collect items
Tying to virtues of compassion and kindness
She plans to build in some spirit days too
Kristen brought up the book drive to diversify our library books – Cindy would like to still do it.
Kathleen asked for COVID update
LESS covid! Enough of a drop that we can resume vision/hearing screening
District says 2/7 in-person audiences for secondary schools will be ok, so maybe in March we can resume singing indoors (with masks)
Susan thanked Cindy for getting the IA positions at Whittier
