Whittier PTA Board Meeting
May 15, 2025
7:00pm Whittier Library & Zoom
Meeting ID: 817 3911 8250
Passcode: wildcats

BOARD MEMBERS / CHAIRS IN ATTENDANCE
Kate Lindsay Scher – Co-President
Allie DeLong Thomas – Co-President
Renee Hartnett – Vice President / Spirit Gear
Melissa Ivancevich – Co-Secretary
Emily Robertson – Co-Secretary
Michelle Nemeth – Treasurer
Meg Herscher – Communications Chair
Ashley Schiavone – Fundraising Co-Chair
Kathleen (Erin) Donahoe – Hospitality Co-Chair
Jess Twardzik – Hospitality Co-Chair
Meg Pietz – Events Chair
Emily Schweiger – Family and Community Engagement – Outreach Chair
Laura Zingg – Programs Co-Chair; Student Directory
Jen Foreman – Programs Co-Chair
Jon Overman – Legislative Representative
Anjean Vanden Bosch – Membership Chair
Kristin Laughlin – Volunteer Coordinator
Kiana Swearingen – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair
Jill Muscatel – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Co-Chair
Elan Simonson – Spring Fling Chair
Sara Lukas – Room Parent Coordinator
Nicole Kaczmarek – Member at Large

Courtney Sievers – Member at Large
COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
● Principal Watters
● Mary Ann Rozance (PTA member)
● Brianna Mercker (PTA member)
● Yifat Gortler (PTA member)
● Haydee Wali (PTA member)
● Kyle Hiatt (PTA member)
● Dafna Amster Kahn (PTA member)
● Natalie Gromoff-Hiatt (PTA member)
● Aisling McCarron (PTA member)
● Therese Miranda-Blackney (PTA member)
● Brian Wold (PTA member)
Meeting Called to Order at 7:04 PM
Welcome & Call To Order
● Call to Order
● Table & Zoom Chat Informal Introductions
● Agenda
● Presentation

President Update
● Goals and Meetings Review
● Dashboard Review
● Board of Directors Vote and Work Session Updates
● Secret Celebration Update
● STEAM Lab Update
● School Board Director election update
● Upcoming Meetings & Summer Opportunities
○ 5/14 school board meeting
○ 6/3 good day for transitions
○ 6/7 work party moving classrooms
○ 6/10 end of year celebration

○ 8/26 – first PTA board meeting of the 2025-2026 school year

Principal Watters’ Report

● Question: asked parents to pay at the beginning of the year one price for field trips – was that a
good method?
○ General consensus in the room is yes
● 5th Grade Promotion
● Testing season
● Playground closed this summer and next – roof replacement project
● STEAM Lab
● Islandwood
○ Outdoor education grant no longer exists
○ Cost to families will be $600 (4 days, 3 nights – includes all costs, including teacher
stipends)
○ Looking for input from 4th grade families
● Math Agency
○ Not continuing partnership
○ Proposing to hire a FTE intervention & enrichment coordinator (Library Assistant) $70k
salary – would support intervention and extension for the 2025-2026 school year

● Classroom numbers:
○ 3 kinder, 3 first grade, 2 2nd grade, 2 3rd grade, 3 4th grade, and 2 5th grade classrooms

Chair & Lead Updates

● VP
○ 2024-2025 Current Executive Board
■ Co-President: Kate Scher
■ Co-President: Allie DeLong Thomas
■ VP: Renee Hartnett
■ Treasurer Michelle Nemeth
■ Co-Secretary: Emily Robertson

■ Co-Secretary: Melissa Ivancevich
■ Communications: Meg Herscher
○ 2025-2026 Proposed Executive Board Slate
■ President: Kate Scher
■ Vice President: Anika Anand
■ Treasurer: OPEN
■ Secretaries: Brian Wold & Mary Ann Rozance
■ Communications: OPEN
○ Golden Acorn Award: Kate Scher
● Treasurer
○ April report
■ Income: $33,130.49
● Big ticket items: $17,989 annual give; $14,682 Move-a-Thon
■ Expenses: $21,756.66
● Big ticket items: $1,397 Outreach; $3,659 staff discretionary fund

○ Financial Review committee volunteers
○ 2025-2026 Proposed Budget
■ Sent to all PTA members
■ Committee looked at budgets from 3 previous years
■ Adjusted line items, mostly small changes
■ Biggest changes related to staffing grant $118k to $130k
■ Added snack pantry of $4000
■ Moving from the Math Agency ($60,000) to STEAM Lab ($75,000)
■ Net projected budget is -$52,241 (typically -$18k to -20k projected during
budgeting)
● Totals are typically planned to be negative and end up on average $82k
higher due to fundraising success

● Spring Fling:
○ Venue change: Sunset Hill Community Hall
○ Time change: 6-9pm
○ Food change: Charcuterie, Crudite, and Pizza

○ Music: DJ Pool Party is spinning an all-vinyl yacht rock set
○ Tickets: About 40 tickets left!
○ Activities: Music, dancing, Golden Ticket, photo booth, 2 bars
○ Auction
■ You can still access the online auction to bid on buckets, buy hosted party
tickets, and more even if you don’t attend!
■ We’re still collecting silent auction donations! Submit yours before Silent Auction
catalog preview
■ Sign up for hosted parties! Talk to anyone you know that is considering!
Grade-level happy hours are in specific need!
■ Class Art Preview on 5/23 on the blacktop
■ Volunteers: Sign-up for a volunteer shift! There are 68 shifts to fill!! Many are
just 1-1.5 hours!!

● Hospitality
○ April Kindercat-1st Grade report
○ May Staff Appreciation Week report
○ 5th Grade promotion plan
● Outreach
○ KinderCat Welcome (6/11)
○ Popsicle Playdates,
■ Parks around the neighborhood
■ Two weekdays, one weekend
○ Kinder Mentor Program (Whittier family connections) – incoming kinder families can
connect with current families
● EDI Belonging Practice Journey
● Secretary: April Meeting Minutes
● Events:
○ Mariner’s report
● Volunteers (all open positions)
○ Spring Fling Day-of Help (68 volunteers): We need volunteers to make Spring Fling
happen on 5/31! Most shifts are 1-1.5 hours long and still allow lots of time to enjoy the
event. Learn more and sign-up >>

○ Pule’s Secret 25th Day-of Help (29 volunteers): We are seeking volunteers to help us
make this awesome event happen! Most shifts are 1-hour long. Alumni student and
family volunteers are welcome! Learn more and sign-up >>
○ Embroidery Volunteer (1): We are seeking one volunteer to help us embroider three
graphics onto a button down shirt as a gift for Mr. Pule! Reach out if you’re interested
and want to learn more >>
○ Popsicle Czar (1): We need one volunteer to help us coordinate popsicles for two events
(Pule’s Secret 25th on 6/6 and Field Day on 6/13). This volunteer will buy popsicles
(reimbursed by Whittier PTA), work with Whittier to store them, coordinate/borrow
coolers, and, day-of, buy ice and fill coolers with popsicles for other volunteers to pass
out. To learn more, contact: president@whittierptaseattle.org.
○ Whittier Work Party Volunteers (15): Join a crew of volunteers to help our Whittier staff!
On 6/7 from 9am-12pm, help us prepare classroom spaces for teachers to move into
next year. Please bring gloves, cleaning products, and rags to help make the work as fast
as possible. Learn more and sign-up >>
○ Whittier STEAM Lab Program Team (5+): Are you excited about shaping a brand-new
educational space? Whittier Elementary and the Whittier PTA are looking for community
members to join a STEAM Lab task force this summer! This group of leaders will
collaborate on designing the new STEAM Lab space, plan how teachers and volunteers
will use it, and help prepare the space and program for launch. Volunteers will attend a
kickoff meeting in May, meet periodically over the summer, and participate in hands-on
work sessions in late August and early September. No science background is
required—just a passion for creating a valuable resource for the Wildcat community! To
learn more, contact: president@whittierptaseattle.org.
○ Whittier STEAM Lab Experience Volunteers (6-12): Do you enjoy brainstorming creative
ideas and helping shape educational experiences? Whittier Elementary and the Whittier
PTA are seeking community volunteers to help develop a yearlong set of science-focused
activities—including demonstrations, invention projects, and games—that will support
classroom instruction and engage K–5 students in hands-on learning. Volunteers will
work independently and remotely from mid-May through June 2025 to design these
activities, with opportunities in early September to finalize plans and collaborate with
fellow community members who will bring the ideas to life in the school’s new STEAM

Lab. No teaching or science background is needed—we’ll support you every step of the
way! To learn more, contact: president@whittierptaseattle.org.
● Communications: Reminder for remaining comms for the year
● After School Programs update
● Support: Transition instructions

8:15-8:25pm – Voting
● 2025-2026 Whittier PTA Exec Board
○ Motion: Jen Foreman
○ Second: Ashley Schiavone
○ Ballots and zoom poll
○ Approved
● 2025-2026 Whittier PTA Budget
○ Motion: Anjean Bosch
○ Second: Kianna Swearingen
○ Approved
● April meeting minutes
○ Motion: Sara Lukas
○ Second: Allie DeLong Thomas
○ Approved
● Funding Proposal #1 – Secret Celebration
○ Motion: Jen Foreman
○ Second: Kate Scher
○ Approved
● Funding Proposal #2 – Sweatbands
○ Motion: Hanni Pichel
○ Second: Allie DeLong Thomas
○ Approved
8:25-8:30pm – Kudos & Thank You’s
8:31pm – Adjourned
Post-Meeting Gathering at Phinney Station

Whittier PTA Board Meeting
April 8, 2025
7:00pm Whittier Library & Zoom
Meeting ID: 817 3911 8250
Passcode: wildcats

Board Members/Chairs in Attendance

• Kate Lindsay Scher – Co-President
• Allie DeLong Thomas – Co-President
• Melissa Ivancevich – Co-Secretary
• Emily Robertson – Co-Secretary
• Jess Twardzik – Hospitality Co-Chair
• Emily Schweiger – Family and Community Engagement – Outreach Chair
• Laura Zingg – Programs Co-Chair; Student Directory
• Jon Overman – Legislative Representative
• Anjean Vanden Bosch – Membership Chair
• Kristin Laughlin – Volunteer Coordinator
• Kiana Swearingen – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair
• Jill Muscatel – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Co-Chair
• John Shaw – Tech Support
• Anika Anand – Yearbook Co-Chair
• David Peabody – Move-a-thon
• Rena Giannoulakis – Spring Fling Co-Chair

COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
● Principal Watters
● Hagay Amster Kahn
● Haydee Wali
● Rachel Wold
● Brian Wold
● Therese Miranda-Blackney
● Hanni Pichel
● Dafna Amster Kaha

Meeting Called to Order at 7:04 PM

Welcome & Call To Order
● Call to Order
● Table & Zoom Chat Informal Introductions
● Agenda
● Presentation

President Update
● Goals and Meetings Review
● Dashboard Review
● Budget Update
○ Three budget options to consider for voting on in May
■ Will pursue option 1 for the budget
■ Proposal: should we consider option 2 or 3 and embark in fund sharing?
■ Don’t want to fundraise more – we fundraise more than we spend

● Secret Celebration Update
● Work Session Update
○ K/New Family Mentor Program – owned by outreach?
■ “Assigned” to a 2nd or 3rd grade family (volunteer)
○ Going to explore Whittier Kids to provide childcare for some of the PTA meetings
○ Revise Volunteer & Event Chair roles

○ Evolve book fair
○ Evolve Family Dance & Game Night
○ Unified snack pantry
■ Would need to add a budget line item

● Math Agency Update
○ Program temporary suspended – waiting to hear invoice adjustment for service gap
○ Alternative to Math Agency
■ Currently $60k investment, will still request a $60k investment in math
intervention

○ Math Agency to provide a 2025-2026 service plan proposal
○ Admin team to make recommendation on continued partnership or a new model
● District update
● Upcoming Meetings

Principal Watters’ Report
● Could ask for 5th grade volunteers to help with PTA closet inventory
● Snorkel will be moved to front of building, Whittier will get a new roof
● Math Agency – it’s a new site director this year here at Whittier

Chair & Lead Updates
● Treasurer
○ March Income: $16,813.75
■ Annual Give corporate match AG: $1780
■ Move-a-thon $14777
○ March Expenses: $46,542.57
■ Schoolauction.net fee $1500
■ Speaker system for assemblies $1211
■ EDI speaker fee + books $1923
■ Q2 staffing grant $33,868
■ Massive Monkeys + 1st grade in-school $6422

○ Budget Committee update (4/21 at 5pm)
● Membership: Dues Increase recommendation
○ Vote: Option 4 to include in the budget (see vote)
● Hospitality
○ March “Gift of Time” report
○ April: K & 1st – “self-care”
○ May Staff Appreciation Week plan
■ Monday: words of appreciation
■ Tuesday: lunch from Barking Dog
■ Wednesday: gift
■ Thursday: coffee & donuts
■ Friday: dress like your teacher

● EDI
○ Parenting at the Intersections
○ Launching Caregivers of Gender-Diverse kids belonging group
● Move-a-thon: Post-event report
○ $27,108 (doesn’t include matching)
● VP:
○ Nominating Committee update
○ Spirit Gear update
■ Going to add a pride shirt and a BLM shirt

● Spring Fling:
○ Ticket sales update: sold 69 tickets to date
○ Childcare secured with Illumination Learning Studio
○ Staff experiences update
○ Hosted party update
○ Entertainment update
○ Volunteer update
● Programs
○ Spring session kicked off – 139 enrolled
○ Budget will be spent, mostly on scholarships
● Events:

○ Family Dance & Game Night report
○ Mariner’s update
○ Caregiver happy hour update
● Volunteers (all open positions)
● Advocacy: Legislative session update
● Communications: Reminder for remaining comms for the year

Voting
● Membership Dues change
○ Motion: Jillian Muscatel
○ Second: Kristin Laughlin
○ Approved
● March Meeting Minutes
○ Motion: Rachel Wold
○ Second: Jillian Muscatel
○ Approved
Belonging Practice
Caregivers of Gender Diverse Kids Belonging Group
Kudos & Thank Yous

Open Floor for Community

Whittier PTA Board Meeting
March 11, 2025
7:00pm Whittier Library & Zoom
Meeting ID: 817 3911 8250
Passcode: wildcats

Board Members/Chairs in Attendance

• Kate Lindsay Scher – Co-President
• Allie DeLong Thomas – Co-President
• Renee Hartnett – Vice President / Spirit Gear
• Melissa Ivancevich – Co-Secretary
• Meg Herscher – Communications Chair
• Ashley Schiavone – Fundraising Co-Chair
• Jess Templeton – Fundraising Co-Chair
• Kathleen Donahoe – Hospitality Co-Chair
• Meg Pietz – Events Chair
• Emily Schweiger – Family and Community Engagement – Outreach Chair
• Laura Zingg – Programs Co-Chair; Student Directory
• Jon Overman – Legislative Representative
• Anjean Vanden Bosch – Membership Chair
• Kristin Laughlin – Volunteer Coordinator
• Kiana Swearingen – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair
• John Shaw – Tech Support
• Brie Gardner – Back To Business Co-Chair
• Leah Lansberry-Austin – Back To Business Co-Chair; Yearbook Co-Chair
• David Peabody – Move-a-thon
• Elan Simonson – Spring Fling Chair
• Rena Giannoulakis – Spring Fling Co-Chair
• Sara Lukas – Room Parent Coordinator
• Nicole Kaczmarek – Member at Large

Community Members in Attendance

• Principal Watters
• Hanni Pichel (PTA member)
• Aisling McCarron (PTA member)
• Rachel Wold (PTA member)
• Haydee Wali
• Katie Stiver (PTA member)
• Gustavo Franco
• Natalie Gromoff-Hiatt
• Melissa Caviezel
• Dafna Amster Kahn
• Therese Miranda-Blackney

Meeting Called to Order at 7:05 PM

Welcome & Call To Order
● Table & Zoom Chat Informal Introductions
● Agenda
● Presentation

President Update
● Goals and Meetings Review
● Dashboard Review
○ 3/17 – after school programs registration opens
● Highly Capable Cohort (HCC) Update
○ Email sent 3/11/25
○ Cohort schools (Cascadia, Decatur, Thurgood Marshall) will serve HCC-only students
(grades 2-5) for the next three years
○ No changes at neighborhood schools right now (staff are not allowed to serve
accelerated curriculum, no SPS-provided resources or funding)
○ No current Director of Advanced Learning
● Budget updates
○ Staffing grant request: $135,355

■ 0.5 Specialist FTE: $72,210 (was $56,000 for 2024/25)
● Change is actual cost of staff compensation at new professional
development band
● Not approving increased funding means Mr. Buch cannot stay
● Capping funding at $56k does not mean keeping 1.0 FTE Art
○ Likely shift to 0.5 or 0.7 FTE (not daily)

■ 0.4 Reading Intervention: $45,840 (same)
■ 0.1 Nurse) same
○ Continuing math agency: $60,000
○ Instructional Supports and Curriculum Enrichments
■ District could now take this budget
■ PTA impact: Pull unspent 2024-25 expenses and add to 2025-26 budget
● 2025-26 Instructional Supports Total: $9,205 (same as 2024-25 + $4,555
in unspent from 2024-25 budget)
● 2025-26 Curriculum Enrichment Total: $11,900.01 (same as 2024-25 +
$5,900.01 in unspent from 2024-25 budget)
○ This will be voted on as part of the overall budget
○ 2026 and beyond: To maintain a similar net balance in the future, we will need to
increase fundraising goals by about $16,000

● Event Planning Worksheet in-progress
● Upcoming Meetings
● Secretary Update
○ February Meeting Minutes
○ The Creative Advantage
■ Staff/Caregiver Committee led by Mr. Buch to connect community art partners
with art in school
■ Project-based program
■ Team also works on other arts-related projects

Voting
● 2025-2026 Staffing Grant
○ Motion: Kathleen Donahoe

○ Second: Sara Lukas
○ Approved
● February Meeting Minutes
○ Motion: Rachel Would
○ Second: Ashley Schiavone
○ Approved
Principal Watters’ Report

● Budget updates–looking good but could change in the future–stay tuned!
● Field trips in many grades: Seattle Children’s Theater, MOHAI
● Class pictures 3/13, spirit week next week
● Wildcats Wonder–communication this week from Cindy
● Questions:
○ Have there been changes in headcount and teacher allocation?
■ Classroom headcount is the same but updated 25-26 teacher allocation
● 10 Kindergarten-3rd grade teachers (down one from this school year)
● 5 4th and 5th grade teachers (up one from this school year)

○ What could budget cuts result in next year?
■ Sports Fees
■ Larger class sizes in 4th-12th
■ Cutting Librarian hours
■ Cutting Elementary Assistant Principals
■ Cutting National Board Certified teacher stipends
■ Cutting Office Staff
■ Chris Reykdal (OSPI) has pointed to WA state protections already in place for
students

○ Is there conversation about bell times again?
■ Yes! It could happen!
■ Please email Sarah Clark, school board member

● Kids are happy and doing cool and good things!

Chair & Lead Updates
● Membership: Anjean Vanden Bosch
○ Dues Increase
■ Members of the WA State PTA voting body during the 2024 National PTA Virtual
Convention adopted a $1 increase to the National PTA dues rate. The new
National PTA dues rate of $3.25 will go into effect on July 1, 2025. This includes
any membership sold for FY2026 before July 1, 2025.
■ Current Breakdown:
● $2.25 for National PTA
● $3.50 for the SCPTA
● $5.75 WSPTA
● Move-a-thon: David Peabody
○ Planning is going great!
○ Flyer went home today
○ Create student pages on Givebacks, not 99Pledges as in past years
● Spring Fling: Elan and Rena
○ Class Bucket and Art volunteers needed!
○ Marketing and Comms schedule coming together
○ Stay tuned for weekly updates
○ Tickets on sale Tuesday, April 1st
○ Opening Teacher staff experiences early (Sara Lukas)
● VP: Nominating Committee: Renee Hartnett
○ Openings: Co-president, Communications, Events, Membership, Volunteer, Back to
Business, Book Fair, Spring Fling, Fall Festival, Move-a-Thon, Student Directory
○ Create a transition checklist?
● Hospitality–Kathleen Donahoe
○ February: 2nd Grade Bagel Bar was great!
○ March: Gift of Time
○ May: Bagels, “Message in a Bottle”
● Treasurer
○ February Report

■ Income: $2,807.15
■ Expenses: $2,077.17
■ Account total a of 2/28/25: $331,872.95
○ Budget Committee needs volunteers
● Events: Meg and Katie
○ Dance Night Planning is moving forward; lots of indoor activities planned
○ Happy Hours in May after busy months
○ Mariners’ signups are huge! Big increase over last year 300+ attendees
● Communications: Kate Scher
○ 10 day window for submitting content
○ Only 11 Wildchat newsletters left for the school year!
● After School Programs
○ Still in need of volunteers for Spring session: Mon, Tues, Thurs afternoons
● EDI: Kiana Sweiringen
○ Parenting at the Intersection
■ Really well attended, had a big powerful, beautiful impact
■ Purchased book from the author for all in attendance
■ Follow up Zoom event for attendees and anyone else
■ Extra books available–ask for a copy!
○ Drag Queen Bingo coming up April 3rd
■ Open to community
○ Be ready and thinking about K-12 trans students attacks
■ Use your voice!

Belonging Practice: KIana
● Dissent
● Contributory dissent

Kudos & Thank Yous
Open Floor for Community
Adjourned at 8:55 pm

Post-Meeting Gathering at Phinney Station