News
Whittier’s Black Lives Matter: Week of Action – Jan 31 – Feb 4, 2022
This year’s Black Lives Matter: Week of Action will include in-school activities, discussions, and books focused on the these themes:
Monday 1/31 – restorative justice, empathy and loving engagement
Additional Resources
- Sesame Street special: Standing Up to Racism
- A Kids Book About Racism
- Jason Reynolds: Honesty, Joy and Anti-Racism
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi & Jason Reynolds
- The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
Tuesday 2/1 – Diversity and globalism
Additional Resources
- Using Media to Talk with Children About Race – from PBS KIDS, resources for diversifying your family’s media consumption.
- The Colors of Us
- Nick News Presents: Kids, Race, & Unity
- Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
Wednesday 2/2 – Trans-affirming, queer affirming, collective value
Additional Resources
Thursday 2/3 – Intergenerational, Black Families and Black Villages
Additional Resources
Friday 2/4 – Centering Black Women and Femmes, Unapologetically Black
Additional Resources
- Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
- Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
- Mae Jemison (Rookie Biography)
- Hair Love by Matthew Cherry
- For Black Girls Like Me
To learn more about how you can continue this conversation and action at home, here are some great resources for Whittier families:
- Anti-Racism Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VWPy1J7IC6VHa2ZmesaD_4ZR7bsjMAoD/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107074575687255870804&rtpof=true&sd=true
- Diverse Books & Learning Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10noXy7sshypkw6ejJxCGG9g5gNowepjSITjtDa-y1LE/edit?usp=sharing
- Week of Information and Action in Support of Black Lives: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GNEim9qudD6xB9rdOR56WaQPS4_UKw8B/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107074575687255870804&rtpof=true&sd=true
Winter Giving Drives 2021
Please join us in donating gift cards and socks to help provide a boost to members in our community this winter.
What: Whittier PTA Helping Hands Gift Card Drive and Illumination Learning Studios Sock Drive
When: Monday, November 29 – Friday, December 10
Where: At school, drop boxes in our community, or online (see “how” below for more)
Why: Donate gift cards (e.g., Fred Meyer, Target, etc.) to help provide winter gear, groceries, holiday gifts, home essentials and more to families in our community; and donate new men’s L and XL socks that will be distributed by FamilyWorks.
How: Return one of three ways…
1. Drop boxes available 8am – 5pm everyday.
- 645 NW 83rd St
- 7530 13th Ave NW
2. Return to the front entrance of the school.
- Place gift cards (in an envelope labeled “Whittier PTA – Helping Hands”) in the mail slot at the front entrance of the school.
- Place socks in the labeled bin near the front door.
3. Gift Cards ONLY: Donate to a volunteer’s PayPal account (5th grade parent Amy Bryan, @AmyBBryan) to support the purchase of gift cards and add the message “Whittier PTA – Helping Hands”. Donations will be acknowledged via email upon receipt, and a follow-up email will be sent to all donors when gift cards are purchased.
Whittier Book Fair: Nov 19 – Dec 10
Whittier Book Fair: Nov 19 – Dec 10
Whittier Families!
Again this year we are partnering with our local bookstore, Phinney Books, for the Whittier Bookfair! The virtual and in-store fair will run from November 19 to December 10, and the Whittier library will receive a credit of 25% of all sales to spend on books for the school library.
Bookshop.org features some popular categories that you can browse, but you can also search for most books in publication by clicking on the magnifying glass at the top of the page.
If you prefer to shop in person at Phinney Books, you can let the person at the checkout counter know that you are with Whittier Elementary and we will get a percentage of the sale.
Looking for a gift idea for your classroom teacher? Phinney Books has you covered with gift cards (only available in the store, not online). Feel free to share the Bookshop.org website with your family members as everything is shipped directly to a home address.
If you have any questions, please send Ms. Newcomb (shnewcomb@seattleschools.org) an email. Thank you so much for supporting the Whittier Library!