Whittier WildChat
January 10, 2018
Whittier School photo
We show respect. We make good choices. We solve our problems. It's what Wildcats do!
Upcoming Events
No K-2nd Before School Recreation on Thurs., Jan. 11
Due to Mr. Pule's absence, before school recreation is cancelled on Thursday, Jan. 11th. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. 

No 2nd-5th After School Recreation on Thurs., Jan. 11
Due to Mr. Pule's absence, after school recreation is cancelled on Thursday, Jan. 11th. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. 

RULER Parenting Night
We would like to invite you to join us on Thursday, January 18th, for our Mood Meter RULER Parenting Night.  RULER is the social/emotional approach to learning that we teach at Whittier.  During this second Parenting Night, you will learn about the Mood Meter and how to use it in your home.  Please note that this is a parent-only event.   

Join us for an interactive workshop where you will learn to recognize your feelings and the feelings of those of your family. The Mood Meter is a RULER Anchor Tool that can help children and adults strengthen their emotional intelligence skills.

RULER Mood Meter Parenting Night
Thursday, January 18th
6:30pm-8:00pm
Whittier Elementary Library

We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions, please contact us at events.whittierpta@gmail.com

PTA Information
Catucky Derby
Procurement donations for the Auction are due January 18th!! Think not just "things" but also experiences! We're gearing up for an amazing event and the more items for the online and live auctions the better.  The auction will be held on Saturday, April 28th.  Mark your calendars now!  

The Whittier PTA auction takes place every other year, and provides necessary funding for important school-related programs such as outreach, safety patrol, extra nurse time for our children, school day enrichment programs, and scholarships for students.
 https://wildcats.schoolauction.net/derby2018/

For additional information or questions, please email  whittierauction@gmail.com
 
School News
Committee on Positive Behavioral Interventions
and Supports
Our school has a new committee this year working on PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) in which we will work on identifying what it means to be a Wildcat and how we teach into expected wildcat behaviors. This is a several year process we are involved in with central office support staff and are in the first phase. This is where we identify our current reality so that we can then get eventually design our desired state. It is important that all stakeholders share input in each part of the process.

P lease take a few minutes to complete this very short survey (only one question!) on what you identify as misbehaviors in your home. Your input is extremely important as we develop our school-wide values for next school year. The PBIS team will be grouping misbehaviors identified by both staff and families to find common themes. We will then select 4 values that target our school's specific needs. We are asking that you respond by January 24th so that we can begin this work. Thank you so much!

Principal Schweitzer

Playground Update
We appreciate everyone's enthusiasm and attention to voting in the lobby and signing in! Everyone is free to send comments/questions to our email,  whittierplayground@gmail.com  . This month the steering committee will prepare an RFP and work with Whittier staff and SPS on the playground design proposal. Brennan Buck and Demian Minjarez will be working together to get students involved in the permanent art installation for the perimeter fencing.

After-School Enrichment Classes
Enrichment Class- Chess 4 Life
Register at  https://chess4life.com/
Ages- ALL GRADES

This class is for any student interested in learning or increasing his or her knowledge of chess. They cover principles of chess, both basic and advanced for players of all levels. The classes are taught by experienced CHess4Life chess coaches. All of the coaches work closely with National Master Elliott Neff and follow the Chess4Life curriculum designed by Elliott.

Location: Whittier Elementary School
Wednesdays 1:15 to 2:15
Starts 1/10 to 3/10 (no classes on 1/31 or 2/21)
Cost $159 (10 classes)

Enrichment Class- Playwell TEKnologies

Intro to STEM with LEGO® Materials. Let your imagination run wild with tens of thousands of LEGO® parts! Build engineer-designed projects such as: Trains, Helicopters, Treehouses, and Beam Bridges. Design and build as never before, and explore your craziest ideas in a supportive environment. There are no prerequisites for this course. 

- Intro to STEM with LEGO® Materials
Winter ID: 64032
Grades: K to 1
Wednesdays, 1/17/18 - 3/28/18
No Class: Jan 31st, and  Feb 21st
9 Sessions 
1:10pm - 2:45pm
Cost: $153.00

STEM Challenge with LEGO® Materials. Level up your engineering skills with Play-Well TEKnologies and tens of thousands of LEGO® parts! Apply real-world concepts in physics, engineering, and architecture through engineer-designed projects such as: Gear Cars, Gondolas, Merry-Go-Rounds, and Scissor Lifts. Design and build as never before, and explore your craziest ideas in a supportive environment. There are no prerequisites for this course. 

- STEM Challenge with LEGO® Materials
Winter ID: 64033
Grades: 2 to 5
Fridays, 1/19/18 - 3/30/18 
No Class: Feb 23rd
10 Sessions
2:25pm - 4:00pm
Cost: $170.00

Enrichment Class- Machine Sewing
Register on SPARC,
Ages 7-12
Students are invited to learn a skill they will use for a lifetime
and a hobby they will forever enjoy, sewing! No experience
necessary for boys and girls to learn the basics and beyond.
Beginning students will learn machine safety and beginner
sewing techniques, while the more experienced students
can expand on skills they already have. Student will advance
at their own pace to more exciting and challenging projects
throughout the session. Projects, which are constantly rotating
during the quarter, include backpacks, phone cases, clothing,
accessories, bags, games, stuffed animal and more! All sewing
classes are supervised by Chelsea Cook, owner of Little Hands
Creations. 

-Mondays, 1/8/18 to 2/26/18
No Class- 1/15/18 and 2/19/18
2:30pm-4:00pm
Cost- $180
Location- Whittier Elementary School
Instructor- Little Hands Sewing

-Mondays, 3/5/18 to 4/2/18
2:30pm-4:00pm
Cost- $150
Location- Whittier Elementary School
Instructor- Little Hands Sewing

Enrichment Class- Hip Hop
Ages 5-12
Learn the creative and energetic dance steps of Hip Hop for fun or
fitness. Hip Hop classes are designed for students to learn all facets,
foundations and fundamentals of hip hop. Students will leave class
refreshed, with confidence and ready to strut their stuff.

Tuesdays, 1/9/18 to 3/20/18
2:30pm-4:00pm
Cost- $180
Location- Whittier Elementary School
Instructor: Anna Nagy

Enrichment Class- Coding
**Due to low enrollment the 1/8 to 2/26 session is cancelled**

For the session on Mondays, started 3/5/18 to 4/2/18
2:30pm-4:30pm
3rd to 5th grade students only
Register on SPARC, https://class.seattle.gov/parks/Start/Start.asp

Creative Coding teaches your child to code by helping them
make their own custom video games! Our project based,
multilevel classes are amazingly fun yet very effective in
teaching creative problem solving AND emotional resilience.
As your creative girl or boy has fun bringing their ideas to
life, they iterate through the emotional cycle of Coding
(idea>excitement> effort>frustration>more effort>triumph!)
With our support and positive encouragement. Repeating
this cycle not only builds great coders, but more importantly,
develops emotional persistence that will help students enjoy
taking on new challenges in all aspects of their lives. Students
new to coding will participate in the Creative Coding core
curriculum, learning the fundamental elements of coding using
MIT's Scratch to create their very own computer games!

Mondays, 3/5/18 to 4/2/18
2:30pm-4:30pm
Cost- $275
Location- Whittier Elementary School
Instructor- Creative Coding for Kids

Sign Up Now for After School Programs with Mr. Buck!
*See Mr. Buck for a sign-up form or you may also email him at BCBuck@seattleschools.org. Space in each program is limited.

Tuesday Comic Club, All Ages- 10 sessions. Come and develop skills in comic design and illustration and learn how to create characters, scenes and comic strips.
WHEN: Every Tuesday, January 23 - April 3 (No Mid-Winter session Feb. 20)
WHERE: Room 103 (Art) *Students will meet in the gym after school and walk down with Mr. Buck at 2:45.
TIME: 2:45-3:45
COST: $35 Please contact Mr. Buck directly to inquire about scholarships. BCBuck@seattleschools.org

Thursday Gamers Group, Grade 3-5- 10 sessions. Bring your favorite board, tabletop, card games to share and play with friends or learn and play new games with Mr. Buck.
WHEN: Every Thursday, January 25 - April 5 (No Mid-Winter session Feb. 22)
WHERE: Room 103 (Art) *Students will meet in the gym after school and walk down with Mr. Buck at 2:45.
TIME: 2:45-3:45
COST: $40 Please contact Mr. Buck directly to inquire about scholarships. BCBuck@seattleschools.org

Brennan Buck
Whittier Elementary School, Visual Arts (K-5)
bcbuck@seattleschools.org

Girls on the Run
The program will run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30pm to 4pm
Please contact Julie Childers by email or phone (206.252.1684) for more information!
District News
High School Boundaries Update!!!!
The Seattle School Board discussed high school boundary changes for 2019-20 again at the School Board meeting last week, January 3, 2018. The discussion provided additional direction for Board Introduction of the high school boundary changes which is now anticipated to take place on January 17.

Central Office Staff have created additional boundary scenarios to be taken into consideration. These additional scenarios respond to feedback r eceived from families and show the impact of potential Highly Capable pathway changes on different boundary options.. You can view these scenarios on our task force webpage.

No recommendation is being proposed at this time. The School Board will discuss potential options for highly capable pathways at the high school level and boundary changes with the opening of Lincoln High School on January 3.

Timeline-
The High School Boundary Task Force met on December 14 and will be meeting again on January 5 to review the guidance from the School Board meeting on January 3.

There will be a Board work session on January 10 to discuss high school boundaries and further narrow down a recommendation for the anticipated School Board vote on January 31.

This timeline allows affected families to know what the 2019-20 boundaries will be prior to Open Enrollment for School Choice, which begins on February 5, 2018 and ends on February 16, 2018. Read more about Open Enrollment for School Choice.

Registration for 2018-19 Began January 8th
Enrollment for the 2018-19 school year is just around the corner! If your child will be five by August 31, it is time to get ready to enroll for kindergarten.

For more information, please visit the  District Website .

Snow and Winter Weather Notification Information
Snowflake graphic
From time to time, winter weather may change the normal schedule at your student's school.
As winter approaches, now is a good time to review how you will receive urgent weather information from Seattle Public Schools and how to manage your communication preferences.

For more information, please visit the  District Website .

2017-18 District Calendar 
Notes From the Front Office
  • MAP Testing for K-2nd graders is back this week and will continue through the end of the month. Please check with your child's teacher to find out when your student's test day is.
  • Just a heads up that there will be a Fire Drill first thing in the morning on 1/11/18, if you are planning on dropping your student off late, please know that we may be out on the playground.
  • There will be an assembly on Friday, Jan. 12th from 1:45-2:15 to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. If you and your student haven't yet, please participate in our bulletin board project, "I Have a Dream, Do You?" by picking up a dream bubble and turning it into the office.
  • There is no school on Monday, 1/15/18.
  • Wacky Hair Day is coming up..... SAVE THE DATE for 1/18/18.!

  In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, please take a 'dream bubble' and write in your dream. Make sure to sign your name and turn it into the office so it can be added to our bulletin board!

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
Northwest Little League
Attention all Baseball, Softball, and Tee-Ball players!   Northwest Seattle Little League ("NWSLL") opened for registration on December 1st!

Whittier kids who live north of 85th and east of 8th avenue, and north of 90th and east of 8th avenue live in the NWSLL boundary.  You have the option of using your home address to play in NWSLL or using the Whittier Elementary address to play in Ballard Little League.   
 
NWSLL serves our local NW Seattle neighborhoods and is chartered through Little League Baseball, offering a variety of divisions for baseball and softball as well as numerous volunteer opportunities.
 
On-time registration runs from December 1st to January 15th.
Please visit  http://nwsll.org/ to learn more and register online.
Questions? Please send email to  info@nwsll.org 

PLAY BALL!

Ballard Little League
2018 Ballard Little League Registration Now Open!
Spring Baseball & Softball registration is now open. Sign up your player today and get a free T shirt while they last.

Click here to register!!

NC Little League
Serving Whittier families who live between 6th ave. and 8th ave.  Our own Whittier parent, Hugh MacMillian, is a coach for his son's team....The Cheetahs!!  

Click here to register and mention MacMillion to get on a Whittier team!

Join Cub Scouts NOW!
Ballard Elks Lodge 
6411 Seaview Ave.  

Do you have a son or daughter in the first through fifth grades, 7-10 years of age, or friends with kids? Get the adventure started. Whittier's First Grade Parent, Alex Osenar, is our Tiger (1st Grade Level) parent leader. Contact Alex at: 206-313-6948 or email  alexosenar@gmail.com  for more information. 

Monthly Pack meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of the Month.
Visit the BSA Website for more information:  https://beascout.scouting.org

BHS Gymnastics Kids Camps 
Due to popular demand, the Ballard High School Gymnastics team is hosting 1 more Kids Camps!! 

BHS Gymnastics Kids Camps for Grades K-5 will be held on the following dates at the Ballard High School gym. Tickets are $45 per date, per camper (additional campers from the same family are $40 per date). No gymnastics experience is needed!
  • Camp 2: Saturday, January 27th from 1pm to 4pm
Please follow this link to make registration and payment easy:
Feel free to contact Kimball Mullins (Kids Camp coordinator) at  kimball_mullins@yahoo.com  with questions.

Thanks,
Stephanie Gundel
Ballard High School Gymnastics Head Coach

Seattle Celtic Soccer Club
Spring Season registration is now open for Seattle Celtic Soccer Club 

"Seattle Celtic will be holding Spring  season tryouts the week  of  January 8. Celtic have teams at all levels for players born between 2002 and 2011 and a coaching staff with the perfect mix  of energy, passion and expertise to help players develop and excel in a fun environment. 

Tryouts are free to attend and details can be found at  www.seattleceltic.com  

Questions? Contact us at 
i nfo@seattleceltic.com

 for further information."
Thank You!!

   
Lunch Menu
View the January lunch menu here.
Calendar

Fri., Jan. 12th, 1:45-2:15
-Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly, Whittier Cafeteria 

Mon., Jan. 15th
-Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School

Thurs., Jan. 18th
-Wacky Hair Day!

Thurs., Jan. 18th, 6:30-8pm
-RULER Night, Whittier Library

Sat., Jan. 20th, 10am-2pm
-Option School Choice Fair, Mercer International Middle School cafeteria

Wed., Jan. 31st
-Day between semesters, No School

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

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

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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