The Wildchat: 1/15/2025
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
What's Happening This Month:
- 1/13: Registration for After School Programs Opened
- 1/20: NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
- 1/21: PTA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Meeting
- 1/23 – Staff Appreciation (Hosted by 3rd Grade)
- 1/24: Registration for After School Programs Closes
- 1/27: Winter After School Programs Begin
No More Manual Entry of Events!
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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee Meeting - January 21st!
Interested in learning about what the EDI Committee does?
Have some ideas, concerns, questions to share?
Want to eat snacks and talk about how to make Whittier an even more inclusive and welcoming community?
Come check out our January meeting!
When: January 21st
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Where: Ballard
(Please email edi@whittierptaseattle.org for meeting location.)
Here is some of what the EDI Committee works on throughout the year:
- Researches and arranges student, parent, and/or staff education opportunities around diversity/race/inclusion
- Maintains relationships and mutual support with EDI PTA chairs across the district
- Shares relevant community events with the Whittier community
- Works with school leadership to support activities in conjunction with Black Lives Matter at school week, Pride, etc.
- Annually reviews and provides recommended updates to relevant PTA EDI guidance such as the EDI Communication Rubric, Land Acknowledgement guidance and the Anti-Harassment policy (in standing rules)
Registration for Winter After-School Programs is Open!
Whittier PTA is excited to continue offering after-school enrichment this winter! We’ve got arts and crafts, LEGOS, parkour, dance, and more! View the full schedule and class info here.
Save These Dates!
- Registration closes on January 24 or until classes fill
- Classes are held weekly after school from January 27 – March 27
Set up your 6crickets account. We are using the 6crickets platform to make registration easier for families. Families MUST set up an account prior to registering. Set up only takes five minutes.
Scholarships are available! Please reach out to programs@whittierptaseattle.org for more info.
Volunteers needed! After-school programs at Whittier can’t happen without your help.
Volunteers commit to one hour a week for eight weeks. Volunteers help unlock classrooms, take attendance, and hang out in the school building during club time. It’s one of the easiest jobs, and you get to know so many amazing Wildcats!
Tuition discounts are available for volunteers. Please contact programs@whittierptaseattle.org for more info.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame!
Seeking Volunteers for 4th - 5th Grade Lunch Clubs
Community Camps and Activities
Join the Whittier Ultimate Frisbee Team!
The Whittier Ultimate Frisbee Team is seeking active, team-oriented 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to join the “WUF Gang” for the Spring 2025 season. No experience is necessary to play. The all-gender, non-contact sport prioritizes mutual respect, fair play, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
3rd and 4th grade Wildcats are especially encouraged to participate so we will be able to field at least one gender-balanced team for this age group.
The team will practice on Wednesday afternoons at Loyal Heights Playfield beginning February 26.
Coaches will organize a “walking bus” from the Whittier courtyard (with an option for pick up and drop off at Whittier Kids). The season runs from March 8 through May 10, with an optional three-game tournament on May 17.
Youth Lacrosse (Pssst…. Mr. Buck is One of the Coaches!)
Field-Trip Based Spanish Language Exposure Summer Camp
Our K- 5 Summer Camp is field trip-based, meaning each day will be an adventure! Campers will explore exciting new destinations around Seattle, including a variety of parks, museums, playgrounds, pools, indoor play zones, interactive activity spaces, and more.
Each day brings a new adventure, offering opportunities for fun, exploration, and Spanish exposure in a wide range of engaging environments!
Seattle Young Engineers Lego-Themed Camps
Summer Camp 2025 Registration opens January 20th, 2025 at 9:00 AM PST
This years camp will be run at Daniel Bagley Elementary School
We will have 3 Programs to choose from. In addition to our flagship Lego Engineering program, on popular demand we are introducing Lego Robotics program for Students of Grades 4-7.
Gymnastics Camp on 2/1
The Ballard High School Gymnastics team will host an afternoon gymnastics camp for elementary school-age kids on Saturday, February 1st from Noon – 3 p.m. The proceeds from the camp will help support the Gymnastics program at BHS. Find more details and purchase tickets here.
Summer Camp Planning Resource
Looking for summer camps or other extracurricular activities? OneStopCamp.com is a free tool created by fellow Seattle-area parents to help you find relevant camps in your area. Check it out today: www.onestopcamp.com.
Age-appropriate strength and conditioning classes in Phinney Ridge
The 12-week Winter series runs Jan. 15 – April 9 (no class Feb. 19), every Wednesday (Seattle Public Schools’ early-dismissal day) at CFPR Functional Fitness, 7601 Greenwood Ave. N., Suite 100:
Kids class (ages 7-11): 2:30-3:05 p.m.
Teens class (ages 12-15): 3:15-4 p.m.
Pricing for the Kids series is $165+tax for 12 weeks, $100+tax for 6 weeks, or $20+tax for single classes. The Teens series is $210+tax for 12 weeks, $120+tax for 6 weeks, or single classes for $25+tax.
CFPR’s Youth classes teach kids functional fitness movements, but with a focus on form and fun!
Our age-appropriate strength and conditioning classes can help your already sporty child be stronger, faster and more agile. And it can help build confidence and body awareness in children who just want to have fun moving their bodies.
We’ll work on bodyweight movements like squats, planks, burpees, pull-ups, and handstands, plus cardio with rowers, scooters and more. Older children will begin weighted movements like deadlifts and overhead presses (starting extremely light and moving up in weight as they establish good form). Every movement will be scaled to each person’s ability, and we’ll play games that will be fun but also fitness-oriented!
Email info@crossfitphinneyridge.com to learn more or sign up!
Download the 2024-25 Whittier Student Directory
The 2024-25 Whittier Student Directory is now available for download! Many thanks to all the families and Wildcat artists who participated. We recommend bookmarking this link to access the most current version, as the PTA makes updates throughout the year.
To protect families’ privacy, we will only share the directory through internal channels (i.e. Konstella).
The PTA compiles the student directory each school year in coordination with families who wish to opt in. Families can use the directory to plan playdates, birthdays, and other fun! Opting in is voluntary. We only share the information you provide.
If you need to add or update your student’s contact info, it’s not too late! Please contact elzingg@gmail.com.
Submit Your Photos to Whittier's Yearbook Committee
We’re looking for high-resolution photos that capture our community learning and having fun together!
Submit photos for Whittier’s 2024-2025 yearbook to yearbook@whittierptaseattle.org.