Whittier WildChat
March 7, 2018
Whittier School photo
We show respect. We make good choices. We solve our problems. It's what Wildcats do!
 
Upcoming Events
NatureBridge 5th Grade Parent Information Night
Wednesday, March 14th at 5PM in Room 307
Information meeting for 5th grade parents about our May 7-9 trip to NatureBridge in Olympic National Park.
  • Come learn about what your student's experiences will be like!
  • Get a gear list!
  • Ask questions!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Whittier PTA Community Meeting & Staffing Grant Vote
Join us in the Whittier Library Thursday March 15th, 6:30-8:30pm. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 and the meeting begins at 7pm. Following is our planned agenda for this community meeting. We hope to see you there.

· President Welcome
· Approval of May, November, and December minutes
· Community Grief & Tribute to Tiffany Jones
· Treasurer Report
· Principal Update
· 2018-2019 Staffing Grant Proposal
· 2018 Catucky Derby Auction -- April 28th
· Playground Update
· SPS Gun Violence Resolution
· Staffing Grant Vote Results
· Getting Involved & Looking Ahead

Free babysitting is available. See below for more information.

Ruler Night: POSTPONED!
The event on Thursday, March 8th has been postponed. We will let you know when it has been rescheduled.

Whittier STEM Fair


Thursday, March 22nd 2018 6pm-8pm

Please come and share your projects with our Wildcat community! There will be many changes to this event and we hope to get the Whittier families more involved. 

Get challenged with your entire family by working together on different projects and experiments to earn popcorn, prizes, and also enter into the drawing for a family package to the Pacific Science Center. 

There also will be a bake sale to benefit Nature Bridge 2019!
Contact us at events.whittierpta@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Please consider volunteering at the event or donating supplies for the projects. Go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094ea4a72eaafe3-stem2 to sign up and make this STEM Fair a big success.


PTA Information
Catucky Derby Tickets Go On Sale Soon
And the race is on!!!! Get your horses picked and get ready to start putting down some money for the races! Tickets go on sale soon for this incredibly important event to raise money for our much needed programs at our school. 

Tickets are $65 each and included in your ticket purchase are dinner and one free drink. You can also upgrade to a VIP ticket for an additional $20. But get these quickly as there are limited ones available! VIP ticket holders receive: VIP ticket lines throughout the night, an extra drink ticket, reserved seating for the prime live auction bidding, a designated drink server during the live auction AND a special party favor!

New to Whittier? Afraid you won't know anyone? Make a request to sit at a table with adults from your child's class. Tables accommodate 10 so plenty of room for old friends and new!

Regular Tickets: $65 per person/ $130 per couple
VIP Tickets: $85pp/ $170 per couple
Saturday April 28th, 2018
Seattle Marriott Waterfront


Spring Book Drive for Bailey Gatzert 
This year's Book Drive starts March 19th and ends March 30th. Please donate new and gently-used books for students at Bailey Gatzert Elementary (Pre-K through 5th grade). Bailey Gatzert Elementary is our sister school in South Seattle. The goal of our Book Drive is inspire reading by supplying engaging elementary books for the students to read over Spring Break.  We are collecting gently used or new books as well as money (check made out to Whittier PTA) to purchase books for the drive. The books can be dropped off in the Book Drive Box located outside the front office. Please no outdated, holiday or religious themed books. For questions contact
outreach.whittierPTA@gmail.com


Childcare for next Whittier PTA Meeting

Girl Scout Troop #45301 is offering free childcare at the next Whittier PTA Meeting on March 15th. Our troop of 13 Cadettes will be in the midst of earning their Babysitter Badge. We will have all sorts of activities available for the kiddos. We can accept ages 3 through 5th grade. Snacks will not be provided, so please make sure your child is well-fed.

Troop parents will also be on hand for extra supervision. We as leaders, have had background checks (as have most of the parents that will be helping) and are CPR and First-Aid certified. We also have two Cadettes that have gone through both the Babysitting Class and the Child CPR/First Aid Class through Seattle Children's.
There are only 25 available slots, so sign up today!
 
 
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a49a9af2da64-childcare
 
Thank you!
Karen Gustafson and Stacy Tischler, Troop #45301 Co-Leaders

 
School News
Final Vote for Playground Upgrade Coming Soon
Heads up Whittier! We will be seeking your vote between the top 2 finalists of our playground equipment upgrades March 15-19th. Students will be given a chance to vote using a yellow ticket before/during/after school. Adults can vote using a blue ticket at the PTA meeting March 15th, before/after school or using an online survey monkey. Only 3 school days to vote so keep your eye out for the opportunity, and thanks!

District News
2017-18 District Calendar 
Notes From the Front Office
Pennies For Patients
Whittier is participating in Pennies for Patients March 5th-23rd.
Pennies for Patients is a program through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Student Series campaign that works with thousands of schools across the country to raise funds for blood cancer research.

You may have seen a small box come home with your child. If you would like to participate, it's simple. Just collect any spare change laying around and send it to school with your child to deposit in the box in the office. The office will be making weekly donations through Coin-Star and will be tracking our progress. You can also track our progress by following the link below:
 
Spirit Day
Our next spirit day is March 15th, Book Character Day. We can't wait to see what you come dressed up as!
Love, Elephant & Piggy



Help Wanted: Lunch & Recess Volunteers
Lunch and recess times provide important social, emotional and physical breaks for our students. We are at lunch and on the playground with your children everyday but can always use extra help to:

·  Monitor play to ensure safety
·  Help students with playground equipment
·  Assist students who are learning new games and social settings
·  Referee sports games on the playground
·  Encourage kids to eat
·  Remind students to stay in their seats
·  Open food containers
·  Assist students with cleaning up and putting away their lunches
·  Grant bathroom permissions

Volunteering at lunch and/or recess is a fun way to help out, and a great way to be involved in your child's school day!

~~~~~IT'S GREAT TO BE A WILDCAT~~~~~

-Miss Monica & Miss Rebecca
 
Community News & Events
Talking to Your Kids about Race with Sharon Chang
Tuesday, March 20, 7:30-9:00 pm at Greenlake Elementary

According to research, 75% of white parents almost never talk to their kids about race. When left to themselves they make misinformed generalizations about groups of people. Considering the things we learn as children are the hardest to unlearn, these early years are critical in setting the stage for who our children become.
The Green Lake PTA is pleased to welcome the Seattle based author and activist Sharon Chang to speak at our PTA meeting in March. We are also opening up this meeting to everyone in the community.
Sharon's presentation "Talking With Our Children About Race" will break down basic racial justice concepts and then delve into a discussion of deeper racial identity understanding. The ultimate goal will be to equip us as parents to keep learning about race and gaining more perspectives to keep talking to our children.
This is a free event for not only the families at Green Lake Elementary but for all parents and community members who would like to join us.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1635921716502647/

Need Math Help?
Whittier Heights parent, Andrew Tempest, recently opened Mathnasium of NW Seattle - a new math learning center located on NW Market St. and 14th Ave. NW in Ballard. Mathnasium helps students in grades 2 - 12 catch up, keep up and get ahead in math. The unique curriculum and teaching methods are designed to strengthen math foundations and boost confidence by making math make sense. Contact Andrew to learn more about Mathnasium: 206/588-0460; northwestseattle@mathnasium.com. You can also learn more at http://www.mathnasium.com/northwestseattle

Thank You!!
A big thank you to Ann Illgen for initiating and organizing the Parenting Education Night on Positive Discipline. And thank you to all the interested and engaged parents that came ready to learn and share their experiences and struggles.
Lunch Menu
View the March lunch menu here.
Calendar
Wednesday, March 14th
NatureBridge Info Night- 5 pm

Thursday, March 15h
Spirit Day- Book Character

Thursday, March 15th
PTA Community Meeting

Saturday, March 17th
St. Patrick's Day Parade Unicycle Performance

Thursday, March 22nd
STEM Fair

Saturday, April 28th
Whittier PTA Dinner/Auction

Email us  with upcoming event details.
Shopping for Whittier
Support our Wildcats by shopping! (Really!) These retailers donate a % of your purchases to Whittier...
 

-AmazonSmile - Select "Whittier PTA Seattle Council" during the easy set-up at smile.amazon.com. Bookmark it and click it every time you shop! (Tech support tip: Amazon Smile only works on browsers, not the Amazon app.)


-Fred Meyer - 
Link your Fred Meyer Rewards card to Whittier PTA (NPO# 85919). You keep your Rewards points!


-Ballard Market - 
Look for the jar labeled Ballard Market receipts on the table in the lobby and stuff your collected receipts inside.

Get Involved

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Delete the old Hotmail address! whittierwildchat@gmail.com

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