Whittier WildChat
January 31, 2018
Whittier School photo
We show respect. We make good choices. We solve our problems. It's what Wildcats do!
 
Upcoming Events
School Tours and Information Sessions

Loyal Heights New Family Information Session,
February 1st
This session will take place in their current John Marshall building, from 1 :15-2pm
 
Whitman Middle School Open House, February 6th
Whitman MS cordially invites all potential students and their parents to its annual "Open House". This time devoted to introducing potential students to the Whitman family with a presentation by individual departments and  an overview of the classroom and the building

When: February 6th 
Where: starting the in Auditorium with department presentations and the opportunity for a self-guided tour of our building.
Time: 7p-8:30p

Note for students with IEPs: There will be an opportunity to meet teachers from the Special Education department here at Whitman BEFORE the Open House on February 6.  The Open House begins at 7pm for all parents & students, but our Special Ed team will meet specifically with incoming IEP students & parents at 6:30 to talk about the IEP programs here at Whitman.  It will only be a half hour meeting so students & parents can still attend the Open House at 7pm and hear about other opportunities.

Salmon Bay K-8 School Tour Dates:
Daytime Tours:
Tuesday February 13th, 2018
Middle School 9:15am-10:45am
Evening Tour:
Wednesday February 7th, 2018

Volunteers Needed for Whittier's 2018 School Tour Night
Do you remember when you were new to Whittier? Whittier is having its school tour night on February 8th from 6 to 8pm. We need about 3 more volunteers to help lead the groups. We have an amazing script to help you know what to say and you get to wear a cool yellow sash! Please consider volunteering so we can give our new families a warm  welcome to our school. Contact Jennifer Mannheim if you can help.

STEM Fair Planning Social at Barking Dog
Come to the Barking Dog to discuss how we can get our Wildcats and Wildcat parents excited and interested in participation in this year's STEM fair. This event is open to all parents who would like to learn more, get involved and bring Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to the forefront for the future.

WHERE: Barking Dog Alehouse - 705 NW 70th Street (Owned/operated by a Wildcat parent)

WHEN: February 7th, 5pm - 7pm

DETAILS: Light appetizers provided, great menu available for purchase; STEM Fair Co-Chairs to discuss details on the fair, how to get involved, ideas for projects; get Involved and sign-up for parent volunteers; ideas on getting STEM more ingrained into daily life at home; details on guest presenters coming to Whittier prior to winter break; STEM related trivia and socializing.

Call for volunteers for the STEM Fair 

We are looking for parents to support our STEM presenters (on Tuesday, 2/13/18 and Thursday, 2/15/18 in the afternoon). Also, we are looking for some food and beverage donations. Please use the following link to sign up:

The teachers are asking for help from the parents with creating their STEM Fair engineering projects. They would love help with coming up with ideas, acquiring materials, helping students on the day of the project, and/or helping put together the class display. Please sign up to help a teacher! Feel free to help out in any classroom. Please use the following link to sign up http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094ea4a72eaafe3-parent

We are also reaching out for help for the STEM Fair event on 3/22, 6-8 pm. We are looking for donations for the STEM activities and volunteers to help us with the activities, setting up the tables in the gym, and helping setting up the students' presentations in the gym. Please use the following link to sign up: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094ea4a72eaafe3-stem2

PTA Information
Catucky Derby
Calling all Whittier Families! The Holidays are officially over and our Auction team is in need of more items for our April 28th Auction. We've extended the deadline for donations to the end of the month to ensure we have the best and most items for this years auction. We are well short of our goal of 400+ items and we need everyone to dig deep and help us have the BEST auction ever!

Ask your friends and families to help donate items, experiences or gift cards. Some top items that we'd love to receive are:
  • Gift Card to your favourite restaurants
  • Gift Baskets (put one together or get your class to build one!)
  • Hand-Made items or experiences (do you want to host a mama-rita party? or a Daddio-brew-fest?)
  • Experiences such as tickets to shows, games, etc.
  • Nights away to cabins or Getaways
The Whittier PTA auction takes place every other year so it's essential that we make this event count. It provides necessary funding for important school-related programs such as safety patrol, nurse time, scholarships and enrichment programs. Every child deserves it's support!

When: Saturday, April 28, 2018
Where: Seattle Marriott Waterfront

For additional information or questions, please email  whittierauction@gmail.com

Charitable Deduction Letters
The Whittier PTA Fundraising Team has issued official receipt letters to everyone who donated $250 or more via the Annual Give in the 2017 calendar year. ($250 is the official IRS threshold for requiring written confirmation, but you can claim any donation amount as a deduction.) Many of you received your letter when you picked up your hoodie - and we've sent out the remainder in the last week. If you donated last year and still need a letter from us, let us know immediately at fundraising.whittierpta@gmail.com so we can respond prior to the January 31 filing deadline.

And of course, there's always time to donate for 2018 as a cash donation or by contributing to the upcoming Catucky Derby Whittier PTA Auction.

Thank you for your tremendous support. You fuel our school!
--Justin Fenton and Mark Butler, Fundraising Co-Chairs

 
School News
Building Leadership Team 

The Building Leadership Team (BLT) is a group of representatives from different areas of the Whittier community, including teachers, principal, administrative staff, parents, and community members (like the director of Whittier Kids) who meet monthly to provide input on how decisions are made at the building level. The BLT is currently revising its bylaws after attending an SPS workshop with other local schools this fall. Upcoming discussions include classroom assignments and how input from educators and parents is used in this process, including the annual parent enrollment survey.
Meetings held in February and March will be devoted to the budget process. All meetings are open and guests are welcome.
This is a good time for parents to attend a meeting to see if this group is something you would be interested in joining in the fall for a two year term. The next meeting is scheduled for February 5th from 2:45 to 5pm.

Please feel free to contact the current reps with questions or feedback: Kathleen Durham    khdurham@hotmail.com or Sara Schmidt saranschmidt@gmail.com 

The Language Link- Spanish- Spring Sessions

Spanish Novice K-2nd: This class is for students in their first or second year of Spanish study. Session 2 will focus on new themes and activities to build on what students have already learned. By the end of this school year, these students will, at minimum, be able to understand familiar words, basic phrases, and commands. They will also be able to use short, practiced phrases to speak about themselves, their families, and their surroundings. New and returning students are welcome!
Class Length: 60 minutes
Registration: www.thelanguagelinkllc.com
Grades: K-2nd
Dates: Mondays and Fridays 2:30-3:30 PM, begins 3/9 and ends 6/18 (27 classes)
Cost: $315 through February 2nd, then $330

Spanish Novice 3rd-5th: This class is for students in their first or second year of Spanish study. Session 2 will focus on new themes and activities to build on what students have already learned. By the end of this school year, these students will, at minimum, be able to understand familiar words, basic phrases, and commands. They will also be able to use short, practiced phrases to speak about themselves, their families, and their surroundings. New and returning students are welcome!
Class Length: 60 minutes
Registration: www.thelanguagelinkllc.com
Grades: 3rd-5th
Dates: Mondays and Fridays 2:30-3:30 PM, begins 3/9 and ends 6/18 (27 classes)
Cost: $315 through February 2nd, then $330



District News
2017-18 District Calendar 

K-12 Education Funding & the Effects on Seattle Public Schools 
When: Tuesday, 2/6/18, 7-9pm
Where: Ballard High School Auditorium, 1418 NW 65th St, Seattle.
Join an in-depth panel discussion on the new Basic Ed funding bills, school funding shortfalls, levy restrictions, capacity issues, boundaries, Lincoln High School and other issues facing our schools and city.
Forum Panelists
  • JoLynn Berge, Seattle Public Schools Asst. Superintendent Business and Finance: "SPS Budget Implications"
  • Eden Mack, Seattle Public Schools Director District 4,
  • Scott Pinkham, Seattle Public Schools Director District 1
  • Mike O'Brien, Seattle City Councilmember District 6 
  • Heidi Bennett, Seattle Council PTSA & WA State PTA Region 6 Leg. Chair, "Update on McCleary and the Basic Ed Bills"
To request childcare email: Northeast@scptsa.org
Sponsored by Seattle Council PTSA. All are welcome to attend.
Entrance/parking is east of 15th Ave NW on NW 67th Street.
Invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/857444181101371/

High School Science Curriculum Alignment
SPS is hosting four regional community meetings in late January and early February to introduce new high school science requirements that have taken effect this year for the current freshman class (class of 2021). These requirements include three credits (three years) in science instead of the current two; and a new required exam at the end of junior year, the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science, which is now a graduation requirement.

Of note in the Ballard High School attendance area is some concern by district teaching staff that the new requirements will make it impossible to maintain/operate some of the existing science academies (e.g., the Biotech Academy at BHS).

For more information regarding course sequencing and the work of the alignment task force, visit the SPS Science Curriculum Alignment webpage  https://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=17533 or attend one of the four regional community meetings:

Jan. 25, 7:00pm - 8:30pm, Chief Sealth High School (2600 SW Thistle St., 98126), Library
Jan. 30, 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Cleveland High School (5511 15th Ave S., 98108), Room 1201
Feb. 1, 7:00pm - 8:30pm, Ingraham High School (1819 N 135th St., 98133), Library
Feb. 8, 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Garfield High School (400 23rd Ave., 98122), Commons


Notes From the Front Office
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
We are Game Changers: A Workshop to Prepare Women to Coach Youth Sports - Urban Horticulture Center, University of Washington - February 3, 2018, 9am - 12:30pm PST
The workshop is for women who have a couple years or no experience coaching. The aim is to help address the gap-- 78% of you sport coaches are men, which means there is a lot of space for women to bridge that gap. It's Saturday, 2/3, 9am-12:30pm at Urban Horticulture Center at the University of Washington. Here is the link to more information.

Thank You!!
A big shout out to the students and teachers of Safety Patrol! Rain or shine they are at the ready to help other students arrive at school safely.
Learn more about what it takes to be part of safety patrol.

Want to thank someone at Whittier? Send your submissions.
   
Lunch Menu
View the January lunch menu here.
Calendar
Wednesday, Jan. 31st
-Day between semesters, No School 

Monday, February 5th,  2:45 to 5pm
-BLT Meeting

Tuesday, Feb. 6th, 6:30-8:00pm
-DANDI Mtg., Whittier Library

Thursday, Feb. 8th
-Global Reading In-School Challenge (4th and 5th grade), Whittier Library

Thursday, Feb.8th, 6:30-7:30pm
Whittier Elementary Tour for Prospective Families

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

Contact Us
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