Whittier WildChat
January 3, 2018
Whittier School photo
We show respect. We make good choices. We solve our problems. It's what Wildcats do!
Upcoming Events
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
Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DANDI)
The next DANDI meetings will take place on Tuesday, January 9th and Tuesday, February 6th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Whittier Library.

Please contact co-chairs Kristin Wiggins and Donna Chavis at  dandi.whittierpta@gmail.com to join (so we can ensure you're on the email list) or if you have any questions.

There are many opportunities and challenges to address and we welcome your participation. Generally, our work will be about supporting, creating, and promoting a respectful culture of inclusivity so that members of our community (e.g. students, families, and staff) feel welcome and able to engage.

We're called DANDI (pronounced "dandy"). All are welcome!

Catucky Derby
Procurement donations for the Auction are due January 18th!! The auction will be held on Saturday, April 28th.  Mark your calendars now!  

For additional information or questions, please email  whittierauction@gmail.com
 
School News
School Start Time Update
Happy New Year Wildcats!

It was so great to reconnect with all our students yesterday and hear their stories on how they spent the last two weeks.  Thank you as always for sharing the gift of your children with us.  Although we were ready for a much needed break, we miss them and look forward to coming back to school.

I'm writing to inform you of a small change to our start of school routine on the playground. Due to a recent contract agreement regarding morning prep time for teachers, we will shift from a 7:50 AM teacher pickup to 7:55 AM. We will keep the 7:50 bell because it gives students a reminder that it's time to start gathering in line and 7:55 AM is when they will expect to see their teacher ready for pickup. We recognize it might take a few days to get the hang of it but hopefully you'll appreciate the little extra "buffer" in the morning to be on time for school.  

Thank you!

Principal Schweitzer

News From the Library
  • For 4th & 5th graders who signed up before break to join the Global Reading Challenge: Global Reading Challenge practices begin this week! Every Wednesday of January, during 4th/5th grade lunch, students will eat lunch in the library, in their Global Reading teams (teams will be announced TODAY at our first practice), where they will make team names, discuss books, choose "experts" on certain titles, and make friends! Then, our Global Reading in-school Challenge is set for February 8th here in the library - exact time will be announced soon and families are welcome to come and watch!
  • Kindergarten and 1st Grade: We will continue to read through the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award Nominees list during lessons - there are 20 books on the list, and of those we've read so far, students have really loved them! More information on this list of books can be found here: 
  • 2nd Grade: Has been learning how to use different online resources for research tools and we've had a lot of fun researching spiders and snowflakes. We will be practicing this even more in the coming months.
  • 3rd-5th Grade: Lessons for the next few months will have a major focus on research skills (both online and using books) and how to be a responsible online citizen (ethics, plagiarism, safety, etc.)
Any questions, comments concerns?   Always feel free to stop by the library Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday... or email Mrs. Nygard at  adnygard@seattleschools.org .
 
Happy New Year!
Alicia Nygard
Teacher-Librarian

In PE This Week
"C" classes will finish up our skate unit on Wednesday/Thursday.  Helmets are needed!  Skate unit ends after 126 class skating sessions. It has been a fun and adventurous journey.

Both After School Recreation Programs are full and closed.

Malama pono a hui hou,
Bryan Pule
Whittier Physical Education 
206.252.1706

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.

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
Ages 7-12
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, 1/8/18 to 2/26/18
No Class- 1/15/18 or 2/9/18
2:30pm-4:30pm
Cost- $330
Location- Whittier Elementary School
Instructor- Creative Coding for Kids

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

After School Programs with Mr. Buck
Sign-ups for Mr. Buck's winter after school programs will begin January 5th.  If interested please email Mr. Buck at bcbuck@seattleschools.org. You will receive a printable sign-up form Friday, January 5 as well as help gauge cost and interest. Space will be 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 on Feb. 20)
WHERE: Room 103 (Art) *Students will meet in the gym after school and walk down with Mr. Buck at 2:45.
TIME: 2:45-3:45pm
COST: TBD ($30-$50) Please contact Mr. Buck directly to inquire about scholarships. (email above)

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 on Feb. 22)
WHERE: Room 103 (Art) *Students will meet in the gym after school and walk down with Mr. Buck at 2:45.
TIME: 2:45-3:45pm
COST: TBD ($40-$60) Please contact Mr. Buck directly to inquire about scholarships. (email above)

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 will discuss high school boundary changes for 2019-20 again at the School Board meeting TODAY, January 3, 2018. The discussion will provide 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 Begins 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
Welcome back Wildcats! Happy 2018!
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!!

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!!
Helping Hands is wrapped up! 
A HUGE thank you for an extremely successful Helping Hands Campaign!

Thanks to  your generous donations, we were able to supply 13 Whittier families and 23 Bailey Gatzert Families with gifts, AND nearly $3000 in grocery gift cards were donated.  I always feel so proud to be part of this generous community!

A special thanks to our volunteers this year: Kristin Ford created the beautiful new display, Karen Gustafson, Amy Bryan, Sarah English, Rachel Knecht (mittens AND wrapping!), Tracy Yetter (mittens AND wrapping!), Emily Grosse, Kerry Dahlen, Kate Matthews (mittens AND wrapping!), Femeke Cabernard , Jen Sullivan, Kirsten Blair, Hannah Notess, Sarah Okun, Dawn Eggerts, and Katie Dahlen and all of the amazing kids who helped wrap the gifts. We are grateful for all of your donated time, it takes a village to make this giving campaign a success.
   
Lunch Menu
View the January lunch menu here.
Calendar
Mon., Jan. 8th
-2018/2019 School Registration Begins

Tues., Jan. 9th, 6:30-8:00pm
-DANDI Mtg., Whittier Library

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

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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