December’s breakfast offerings are $2.25 and lunch offerings are $3.25. An a la carte menu is also available throughout the year. For more nutrition information and breakfast menus, please view menus at: https://family.titank12.com/menu/LPX5UV
Fall Fundraising Final Update: Great Job, Wildcats!
Congratulations, Wildcats! We’ve wrapped up our Fall Fundraising with an amazing $75,885.43 raised through Annual Give and Move-a-thon contributions, reaching 84% of our $90,000 fundraising goal. We’re optimistic that our upcoming Spring Fling Auction and Block Party fundraiser in May will help us reach this year’s total fundraising needs to support the PTA’s budget.
If you contributed and are eligible for Employer Matching–it’s not too late! Let us know if an Employer Match is coming our way so we can include it in our budget.
THANK YOU to our Whittier families and community for participating in our Fall fundraising this year. We’re also excited to congratulate Anne Miller (Mr. Keener’s class) for winning two Seahawks tickets thanks to their participation in Annual Give! For families expecting Annual Give thank you gifts, the Fundraising team is planning to distribute gifts (and donation receipts) the week of 12/12; please stay tuned for details.
Thank you again to our community for your support through our Fall Fundraising campaign; Wildcats are great because of YOU!
12/19-1/2/23: No School (Winter Break, New Years’ Day)
Responding to Last Week’s Local School Gun Violence Incident
After last week’s tragedy at Ingraham, many are reeling that gun violence can happen so close to home. The PTA is working to engage with a local non-profit to learn more about how we can support efforts to end gun violence. In the meantime, SPS Coordinated School Health and Staff Wellness (EAP) are available to help our community process this tragic incident. Below are some resources to help families.
Crisis Connections provides a 24-hour crisis line 866-427-4747 www.crisisconnections.org or Teen Link 866-833-6546
Upcoming Holiday Gifting
As we approach the upcoming holiday season, staff and teacher gifting plans generally come up. Participation is always voluntary. If you’d like to be sure you hear about gifting plans, here’s how they’re organized this year at Whittier:
Room Reps: Your class Room Rep is the primary way teacher gifts will be organized. Not sure how to hear from your Room Rep? Join your classroom on Konstella and you’ll see your “Room Lead” (Konstella for Room Rep). Click on your Room Lead’s name to message them and make sure they have your contact information.
Additional Staff List: Room Reps will provide a list of additional (non-homeroom) staff at Whittier. Families can choose to submit gifts for distribution by the front office.
Helping Hands Drive: Details will be distributed soon about how our PTA Outreach team will organize a gift card drive to support Whittier families in need.
Buddy Bench: What the EDI Committee is thinking about this week!
Why are there pronouns in our email signatures & in our zoom names? You may have noticed something new at the bottom of emails coming from us: Little notes listing our personal pronouns.
She/her/hers/ella
He/him/his/él
They/them/theirs/elle
Ze/Hir/Hirs
These are just a few examples; there are many different personal pronouns in use today. Whittier staff now list their personal pronouns in their email signatures. Why?
Whittier actively welcomes our transgender and non-binary co-workers, young people, volunteers, and community members. Sharing our personal pronouns affirms our belief that every individual has the right to define their own identity. Putting our personal pronouns in our email signatures is an easy way to let recipients know we honor those definitions—and want to know their personal pronouns, too!
This is another small step in Whittier ’s value of inclusivity. Using names our scholars choose for themselves is not new in Whittier or SPS. At Whittier, everyone is welcome.
Including your personal pronouns in introductions and emails is just one way we can make the world—and Whittier —a more friendly place for trans and non-binary people.
As you discuss Thanksgiving with your children, we hope you’ll reflect and use these resources to guide them to a more comprehensive understanding. It’s critical to address the truth and violence surrounding the day while also ensuring your students feel safe and prepared. It’s also critical to uplift the voices of Indigenous people, many of whom mourn the day and the pain that accompanies it.
Children’s Books for Decolonizing History and Sharing Indigenous Perspectives:
When the Shadbush Blooms—Written by Carla Messinger (Turtle Clan Lenape) and illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden (Wolf Clan Mohawk)
We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know and We Are Grateful Written by Traci Sorell (Cherokee)
A Day with Yayah—Written and illustrated by Julie Flett (Cree-Métis)
Native Americans in History: A History Book for Kids—Written by Jimmy Beason (Eagle Clan Osage) and Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids—Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muskogee Creek) (geared for older elementary students, but good for building background knowledge) Thanksgiving
Thanku: Poems of Gratitude, Edited by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Marlena Myles
The PTA budget for this event covers the facility and up to 45 Wildcat skate rentals (any caregiver, friend, family member, or Wildcat can join with an $11 skate rental). Please sign up to reserve a complimentary skate rental for your Wildcat by 11/21: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44A8A729A0FAC61-wildcats1
If you’re new to understanding the complex funding structure of education (and SPS and Washington State public schools in particular), you may be confused about the PTA’s role in “essential staff and services” at Whittier. Learn more about the role PTA funds play in Whittier’s annual operations and budgets:
Whittier is the 16th largest elementary school but its discrete budget is ranked 40th out of 63 SPS elementary schools. Whittier PTA helps cover funding gaps.
SPS reduced Whittier’s nurse allocation to 1.5 days per week this year (from 2 full days that we extended with additional funds last year). Whittier staff voted to use 32% of their school discretionary budget (intended for supplies like paper and activities like field trips) to increase Nurse Marissa’s time another .5 days. Whittier will ask the PTA to help cover discretionary needs this year when they run out of these funds.
Whittier PTA funds and organizes family events and resources, including community events, EDI work, family support services, scholarships, and safety equipment and activities.
SPS funds about 70% of our current Specialist (PE, Performing Arts, Art) schedule. Without additional PTA funding, Wildcats would see Specialists 3-4 days per week instead of daily. Whittier PTA’s flexible staffing grant covers .5 Specialist FTE to ensure this happens, regardless of SPS’ funding.
Whittier receives 25% of its total Reading Intervention budget from outside sources. As a Tier 4 school, we’re ineligible for most SPS or Seattle Levy funding for literacy support beyond our .5 Librarian FTE. PTA Funds allow our Wildcats to work with the incredible Ms. Trilby. Principal Watters uses the PTA’s flexible staffing grant to efficiently spread funding and add the remaining 75% of budget needed to ensure Wildcats receive the learning support they need.
Whittier is still missing crucial supports for our Wildcats. Our current .5 FTE Social Worker assignment means students don’t have social worker assistance available most school days. We are allocated but won’t be assigned a .5 Assistant Principal by SPS, leaving Whittier without a necessary staff member to support special education work, supervision, teacher and staff support needs, and more. PTA offers funding grants to solve year-specific needs to help support our school’s needs in-the-moment.
For an amazing overview from Principal Watters of how Whittier’s budgets and funding are structured, both year over year and in comparison to other SPS schools, we encourage you to watch this recording of last week’s Community Meeting (skip to 12:08 – 35:53). Want to support Whittier PTA’s fundraising efforts this year?
Give donations TODAY (you’ll receive a tax receipt for your tax deductible donation after the campaign ends)
If you’ve already donated, learn more about Employer Matching to see how you can amplify your donation. (If you’ve completed an Employer Match, please email us if you haven’t already so we can count it towards our fundraising goal!)
Want to go above and beyond? If you know a local business that may be interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please contact fundraising@whittierptaseattle.org
ANNUAL GIVE DRIVE EXTENDED: Help Us Reach our Fall Fundraising Goal!
Thank you, Wildcats for contributing to our Fall Fundraising campaign this year! With both Move-a-thon and Annual Give, we’ve raised over $70,000 towards our $90,000 Fall Fundraising goal. We’re extending our Annual Give Drive through 11/14 and hope to increase family participation to get closer to our goal.
Whittier PTA’s planned expenses this year clock in at $166,118 (almost $20,000 more than the income we’ll raise this year through fundraising). Without the support of our community, we may not be able to fund things to the same levels we have in the past. Your dollars are CRUCIAL to helping support:
School assemblies – The PTA supports a number of these throughout the year (Black Lives Matter, Reptile Man, TapRoot Theater to name a few)
Curriculum supports – The PTA funds a number of applications used in the classroom including IXL Math, Razz Kids and various literacy materials etc
Staffing – A hot button for many, but the simple truth is that without PTA funding our kids would not have access to a specialist (PE, Music or Art) every single day or Ms. Trilby when they need her support
Equity, diversity and inclusion – All of our EDI efforts are 100% PTA funded- Community building events
Give donations TODAY (you’ll receive a tax receipt for your tax deductible donation after the campaign ends)
If you’ve already donated, learn more about Employer Matching to see how you can amplify your donation. (If you’ve completed an Employer Match, please email us if you haven’t already so we can count it towards our fundraising goal!)
Want to go above and beyond? If you know a local business that may be interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please contact fundraising@whittierptaseattle.org
Thank You for Joining us at Fall Festival! And THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers!
Thank you to our Whittier families, staff, teachers, and community for joining us to celebrate at our Fall Festival! We were so excited to see our Wildcats spending time together, showing off their creative costumes, and laughing with new and old friends.
An ENORMOUS THANK YOU to the incredible volunteers that made this event happen:
Chairs: Jess Twardzick, TIna Lilley, Melissa Ivancevich and Laura Zingg-Wadsack
Special thanks: Principal Waters and Ms. Leming, Custodian Austin, Mr. Pule, Ms. Steph and Ms. Julia
Day of volunteers: Isaac Osborn, Anjean Vanden Bosch, Jon Overman, Rachel Sidles, Ashley Sullivan, Matthew Sullivan, Katie Kreiger, Jared Cortes, Sandy Hawley, Angie Lundstedt, Jeannie Choi, Amber Campbell, Joni Larson, Claudia Gustafson, Lauren Carey, Maddie Tehrani, Kai Herndon-Farnam, Toby Ross, Emma and Avery Kocher, Devon Wiggins, Sijae Byun, Chad Robertson, Travis Elley, Ben Peterson, Courtney Sievers, Leah Lansberry Austin, Emily Schweiger, Lauren and Kyle Zerbey, Kate and WIll Scales, Larishna Catuncan, Matt Reeve, Malaika Hinshaw, Bree Callahan, Cole Herber, Joel Bendickso, Rebecca Grandi, Annika Hoogestraa, Katherine Roll, Kellie Pecoraro
Cake Walk donations: Melissa Ivancevich, Bryana Patmon, Kim Kocher, Brie Gardner, JoAnn McKimpson, Katherine Abraham, Anna Smith, Michelle Nemeth, Emily Geyer, Nina Rohlich, Leah Lansberry Austin, Tamara Cunitz, Megan Wildenradt, Annika Hoogestraat, Lori Tanzen-Hoy, Laura Zingg-Wadsack, Larishna Catuncan
Want to help with more PTA events and activities? We need volunteers! Please contact volunteers@whittierptaseattle.org to be added to our volunteer list and connected to PTA volunteer opportunities.
Reminder:
No School on Friday, 11/11 (Veteran’s Day)
Help Ms. Jo’s Fight for a Sensible, Low-Sugar Breakfast!
Ms. Jo, a part of SPS’ Culinary Services team, services Wildcats a la carte and entrees options established by the SPS Culinary Services central team. When she realized the chocolate milk included in this year’s breakfast included 11 grams of added sugar, she decided to discontinue offering the beverage during breakfast. Unfortunately, this sensible sentiment is not shared by the Culinary Services team; Ms. Jo has been advised she may face disciplinary action if she doesn’t continue serving chocolate milk during the breakfast meal service. She testified at last week’s school board meeting to raise awareness of this issue, but we need to help support both Ms. Jo and healthier breakfast food options for our Wildcats.
We’re asking our Wildcat families to email our school board director (Lisa Rivera Smith), SPS Culinary Services, and use the SPS Let’s Talk Form to ask they support Jo-Nell Simonian’s, Whittier Elementary Kitchen Manager, choice to eliminate chocolate milk from the a la carte breakfast meal this year.
Buddy Bench: What the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee is thinking about
Here are some links to content around Latinx Heritage Month and Dia De Los Muertos Events in the community!
NEW Advocacy Priorities for 2022-2024 – Let’s Make Our Voices Heard
Our PTA Advocacy Chairs, Megan Wildenradt and Emily Barbee, were able to attend the WSPTA Legislative Assembly this past weekend. After 9 house of debate, the top 5 WSPTA 2022-2024 Legislative Priorities are as follows:
From the school board, to city council, and the state legislature – work is happening that affects all of us and your voice is needed. We will continue to share information about what is happening that affects children, families, and the school community. View the details of the legislative priorities on the WSPTA website under Focus Areas/Advocacy.
In the meantime, here are two things you can do TODAY:
VOTE – drop or postmark your ballot by November 8th! Visit kingcounty.gov/elections for more information.
Preventing and reducing gun violence and suicide was voted on unanimously by delegates. Find out how candidates measure up for supporting legislation that reduces gun violence by entering your address here.
November Staff Appreciation – by 4th Grade Families
We are so THANKFUL for our staff! Each month a different grade provides goodies for Staff Appreciation. 4th Grade families are up for November – and we are setting up a hearty autumn lunch, to power the staff though conferences and fill their hearts (and stomachs) before break.
Please drop off items to the office by 12pm on Wednesday, Nov. 16th. Let the office know if your items need to be refrigerated. Please clearly label all items “Staff Appreciation for 11/17.” Email hospitality@whittierptaseattle.org if you have any questions. THANK YOU!
Does your Wildcat enjoy art, music and dance or have an interest in writing, producing films and taking photos? Then join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist with PTA Reflections, a national arts recognition program.
WHAT IS THE REFLECTIONS PROGRAM? Reflections is a national arts contest. All students are invited to reflect on this year’s theme, Show Your Voice. Students create an original piece of art to express themselves and the theme. The works will be judged for prizes and awards. At Whittier, pieces will be displayed in the spring.
HOW DOES A STUDENT PARTICIPATE? Students submit work in one of six areas. Each area has specific guidelines and a submission form. Forms can be found online at https://bit.ly/whittier-reflections. Look for flyers and announcements through all of Whittier’s communication channels. Turn in completed submissions to the front office or upload to https://bit.ly/whittier-reflections-entries by Thursday, November 10th.
More from the National PTA Reflections Council The Reflections Program is a National PTA and Washington State PTA cultural arts competition. The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works. Six art areas:
Literature – works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, drama, short stories and lyrics
Music Composition – original musical composition, with or without words
Photography — color or black and white, including techniques: photo-gram, retouched, montage, sandwich and multiple exposure
Visual Arts — drawing, painting in tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor, and t-shirt paints, computer generated art, two-dimensional collage, printmaking, needlework, and leather tooling
Film/Video — original works, with or without sound, of animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or music video/film
Choreography/Dance — originally choreographed dance composition
Participation is organized by student age and grade levels. Student works are critiqued against others in the same grade division. This allows recognition and judging of artworks by appropriate developmental age and skill levels. Grade divisions:
Primary: Preschool – Grade 2
Intermediate: Grades 3 – 5
Middle/Junior: Grades 6 – 8
Senior: Grades 9 – 12
AWARDS & PRIZES
Each year, 1,000 student submissions are reviewed at the national level by arts and education experts. Our judges look for personal interpretations on the program theme that best exemplify creativity and technical skill.
Outstanding Interpretation Awards — 1 per arts category and special artist division
An expense-paid trip for student honoree and one adult to showcase work at the National Reflections Celebration
$800 Young Artist Scholarship
Gold medal and certificate
Recognition in the traveling art exhibit and online gallery
$200 Outstanding Local PTA Award
Awards of Excellence — 3 per division of each arts category and 1 special artist of each arts area
$200 Young Artist Scholarship
Silver medal and certificate
Recognition in the traveling art exhibit and online gallery
We’ve just closed Annual Give’s second week–and we’ve raised over $16,000 so far, bringing our Fall Fundraising total to $39,000 (or 43% of our $90,000 goal). We’re aiming to raise $250 per student through direct donations before 10/28 (and to amplify those donations through Employer Matching when possible). As a 501(c)3 donation, all Annual Give Drive donations are tax-deductible.
And as a thank you, our Fundraising team has coordinated a collection of eco-friendly and, when possible, locally sourced thank you gifts at four donation tiers:
A pair of swedish dish cloths, Wildcat MIIR tumbler, Kavu fleece-lined outdoor blanket are part of our thank you gift collection!
Have you donated in the past and set-up recurring donations? Please contact fundraising@whittierptaseattle.org and we’ll help transition you to our new payment platform.
Thank You for Making Move-a-thon a Success, Wildcats!
A HUGE thank you to our Move-a-thon Chair, Katie Lyden, and all our Move-a-thon volunteers who helped make Move-a-thon happen this year. We are thrilled our Whittier community was able to participate in so many ways:
As volunteers
As scholars running, skipping, and hopping down the track
As supportive students, cheering others classes on
As donors pledging funds
Thanks to our amazing community, we were able to raise over $22,000 towards our $90,000 Fall Fundraising goal, or almost 25% of our total goal! Didn’t get a chance to donate? Please join our fundraising effort with our Annual Give.
Reminder: Volunteers Needed!
We’re seeking volunteers for two important upcoming events:
Want to help the Vaccine Clinic but aren’t free to volunteer? Help us gather supplies by purchasing items from our Wish List and, if your student is participating, please submit insurance information here.
Tips for selecting culturally sensitive Halloween costumes
Whether you’re putting the finishing touches on an epic homemade creation or scouring the aisles of Target for ideas, Halloween season brings up important questions and discussion around costumes that could be offensive. Check out these helpful tips for selecting costumes this year.
Are you Registered to Vote?
The midterms are coming up on November 8th! YOUR voice matters. Visit the link below by 10/31 to register online!
Does your Wildcat enjoy art, music and dance or have an interest in writing, producing films and taking photos? Then join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist with PTA Reflections! Find more information and submissions guidelines here. Contact Laura Zingg-Wadsack at elzingg@gmail.com for any questions/more info. Submissions are due 11/4.
Interested in volunteering to judge final submissions? Sign up here!
Update: Revised SPS ’22-23 School Year Calendar Finalized
On Wednesday, October 12, the School Board approved the following additions to the current school calendar:
February 2: Regular School Day (formerly “Day Between Semesters,” No School)
June 26: Regular School Day (formerly one-hour early dismissal, last day of school)
June 27 – 29: Regular School Day
June 30: Last Day of School (One-hour early dismissal)
July 3, 5, and 6: Potential Snow Make-up Dates
Principal Watters has confirmed that planned events, like 5th Grade graduation celebrations and field day, will not be changed to reflect this change. If you have a question about this revised calendar, please contact Principal Watters.
Taproot Theatre Comes to Whittier!
Whittier welcomed Taproot Theatre to present “Allies from Outer Space” on Thursday, October 13. Across two assemblies, Taproot was able to share a message of acceptance with our Wildcats. Special thanks to the PTA for helping make this experience happen.
Fall is in the air on Friday, October 28 from 4:30-7pm on the Whittier blacktop. We’re calling this “Fall Festival” because it’s taking a bit of a departure from Fall Carnivals in the past. Like past years, all community members (including graduated Wildcats) are welcomed. Unlike past years, there will be less emphasis on traditional, carnival-style games. Instead, the focus will be on activities, spending time with friends, music, food, and dancing.
No tickets necessary–just show up and join in on the fun! All children must be supervised by their grown-up during the event.
Games and activities including pumpkin decorating, apple toss, face painting, candy corn toss, pumpkin run, cake walk, and photo booth.
Move inside after dark for the Monster Mash DJ’d by our very own Ms. Steph!
Food available for sale: Corn dog combo meals, popcorn, and cotton candy.
Costumes are welcome (but not required!). Wear weather appropriate gear! Most of the event is outdoors.
The clinic will be held on Wednesday, October 19 between 8:30am – 1pm. We will be giving flu shots and hopefully the new, pediatric bivalent COVID booster (as long as it is released in time). Children are eligible for the booster as long as it has been 2 months since their last booster and they have had both of their initial doses of the vaccine. (We may be able to provide more adult COVID vaccines depending on demand. Individuals who are interested should reach out to Nurse Marissa for more info).
This week we start racing down the runway to reach our $90,000 Fall Fundraising goal! If you feel like you’re encountering turbulence with the details, here’s what you need to know:
Pints for Purpose (10/5): Chat with friends (and make some new ones) at this social event with a fundraising bent at Wheelie Pop Brewing. Pop by anytime between 3-10pm and Wheelie Pop will donate $1 per pint to the Whittier PTA.
Annual Give (10/5-10/28): Traditionally our biggest fundraiser of the year, this fundraiser acts family and community members to directly donate funds to support the Whittier PTA’s annual budget. Receive thank you gifts at certain donation levels and don’t forget to accelerate your donation by using any employer match opportunities. Look for a flyer in your scholar’s Takehome folder with more information!
Move-a-thon (10/7): This fun event during the school day asks Wildcat scholars to walk, jog, run, unicycle, or move any way they’d like around the school blacktop. Family, friends, and community can sponsor Wildcat scholars with per lap or flat donations to help the Whittier PTA fund essential staff and services this year. All students participate, regardless of donation, and we’re seeking volunteers to help make the event a success. Be sure to set-up your Wildcat’s donation page and share it today! Donations can be collected through 10/14. If you’d like to submit a cash or check donation, grab an envelope from the Front Office. (Psst – Want to add your Wildcat’s photo to their donation page? Check your email for a confirmation from 99 Pledges–a link to edit your page is included.)
We’re aiming to raise $250 per student through Annual Give and Move-a-thon to reach our Fall Fundraising goals and ensure our operating budget for this year. Learn more about the PTA and what we fund.
Embrace and Engage in Diversity Learning at Home
Are your children ready to be part of the global community? Want to help the kids in your life embrace diversity and learn to welcome everyone? True inclusion is a lifelong process. Here’s how to get started.
Investigate your own biases and privileges. Getting acquainted with our personal blind spots is the first step to helping the kids in our lives grow up with wider eyes. If you catch yourself acting out of ignorance, fear, prejudice or unacknowledged privilege in front of younger people (or they point it out for you!), apologize and talk about what you’re can do to learn and change.
Get curious! Create opportunities for kids to interact with many different kinds of people. Intentionally cultivate friends from different cultures. Offer to share one of your own traditions; ask if they can share one with you. Visit museums, galleries and restaurants with cross-cultural perspectives. Seek out diverse neighborhoods, schools, organizations and youth programs. We will help publicize family friendly events around Seattle.
Keep it simple! Tailor conversations to kids’ age and ability. Listen to what the child is actually asking and give simple, straight-forward answers. You may have a whole presentation on cerebral palsy ready, but they may only want to know how their friend is going to get her wheelchair up your front steps for their play date. If they need more detail than you can give, you can offer to help them find more complex answers from books, experts or knowledgable friends. Which brings us to…
Be open to not knowing. Kids can ask hard (and blunt) questions! It’s ok to say you don’t know an answer and offer to find out together. Or to ask for some time to think before answering. Or to come back later and say you didn’t like how you answered a question and you want to try again. Model an open mind and a growth mindset, which leads to…
Seek out multicultural media. Want the kids in your life to more about other people, cultures, and ways of living? Check your media influences: Whose stories are you seeking out? If you put your playlist on shuffle, are there tracks from lots of different perspectives or only people with backgrounds similar to yours? Diversify the books, movies, podcasts, shows, and music you share with kids so they are exposed to different stories, artists and ways of viewing the world.
Talk about differences and similarities. And celebrate both! Make it a game to brainstorm a connection for every distinction.
Get cultured! Encourage the kids in your life to learn about their own heritage(s). Ask questions, aid their explorations, support their journeys of self-discovery. Respecting their own cultures can lead to respecting others’. Kids who are confident of themselves and their stories don’t need to exclude or put down others.
Stop it! Intervene when you see prejudice, discrimination and unkindness happening. It sends a clear message to kids: Intolerance will not be tolerated.
It’s Walk & Wheel Month!
Don’t forget to join Mr. Pule in our Walk & Wheel Month-long Challenge! Be sure to fill out your calendar for every day you choose to avoid your car and walk, bike, bus, unicycle, park/walk to school! Be sure to turn in your calendar by 11/4/22!
Fall Carnival is back!
Get your Wildcats ready for the return of FALL CARNIVAL!
A dedicated group of volunteers has been working since this summer to help make this year’s Fall Carnival a fun, community gathering event. And we need YOUR help to make this event a reality!
Let’s thank the Whittier staff with a fall-themed breakfast spread. Each month a different grade will provide goodies for Staff Appreciation. 5th Grade families are up first this year.
Please drop off items to the office by 12pm on Wednesday, Oct. 19th. – look for a Staff Appreciation collection box. Let the office know if your items need to be refrigerated. Email hospitality@whittierptaseattle.org if you have any questions. THANK YOU!
From the Community: Ballard’s Oldest Cub Scout Pack Now Recruiting
Cub Scout Pack 100, operating since 1938 and chartered by Ballard’s Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, is now recruiting K-5 boys, girls, and parents for 2022-2023. Become a Cub Scout now!
All boys and girls from K-5 are invited to join Pack 100 and begin their quest to build the world’s fastest Pinewood Derby car, to have fun outside, to participate in service opportunities, and to earn special recognitions and awards.
Cub Scouting means “doing.” Everything in Cub Scouting is designed to have the Cub Scouts participating in fun activities used to achieve the aims of Scouting—character development, leadership development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. When asked what she enjoys about scouting, one of our 1st grade Cub Scouts said “I love to go on adventures and be in nature!”
Classes visit the same Specialist class two days in a row before rotating to the next. Holidays are skipped over (resuming wherever classes left off in the rotation) so no classroom misses specialist instruction. Classes start the school year rotation with the Specialists below. If you’re looking for more specific direction on where your classroom is in their rotation, teachers often provide Specialist schedules to their classroom families.
When preparing for your rotations, please be sure students have gym shoes for their PE rotation. Pro tip: Waterproof gym shoes are often best as our Wildcats are often outside in wet weather for both PE and recess!
TIME
A (PE)
B (Art)
C (Performing Arts)
8-8:40am (Wed: 8-8:35am)
Childers (5th)
PCP
Provence (5th)
8:45-9:25am (Wed: 8:40-9:15am)
Baldi (3rd)
Parekh (3rd)
Peterson (3rd)
9:30-10:10am (Wed: 9:20-9:55am)
PCP
Ogle (4th)
Richmond (4th)
12:10-12:50pm (Wed: 10-10:35am)
DiTullio (K)
Keener (K)
O’Rourke (K)
12:55-1:35pm (Wed: 11:50am-12:25pm)
Leming (2nd)
Mayo (2nd)
PCP
1:40-2:20pm (Wed: 12:30-1:05pm)
Shellenberger (1st)
Hansen (1st)
Worotikan (1st)
(This rotation began on Monday, September 9, 2024).
