Whittier WildChat
Special Edition - A HUGE Thank You!
Whittier School photo
We show respect. We make good choices. We solve our problems. It's what Wildcats do!
Sending a HUGE THANK YOU!
Ms. Barrett's Class Cuddling the Wildcat Stuffie

 








The Whittier Annual Give is complete and you have truly helped make our school - and our community - awesome!!


Thanks to you, we have surpassed our $65,000 goal. And so...thanks to you, we are able to fund the essential services, programs, and staff positions that benefit every student at Whittier. ( Learn more about the many, many ways your support makes a huge difference .)

You have the thanks of everyone on the Whittier PTA Board, but we also wanted to share the thoughts of some of our amazing teachers who you are supporting...

Thanks from Alicia Nygard, Teacher Librarian:
Wow! The generosity within the Wildcat community never ceases to amaze me, and it has happened once again. The unity and spirit behind this type of support for our school is incredible - not only to student learning and school experiences, but also to teacher best practices, opportunities and morale. Thank you for supporting us in such a meaningful way!

Thanks from Shannon Mayo, 1st and 2nd Grade Teacher *and* Whittier Parent:
Dear Whittier Families, your contributions to the school are so valuable and appreciated! It warms my heart as a teacher and now as a Whittier parent myself that we can work together to enhance the caliber of excellence our community strives for. Your efforts strengthen me as a member of our Wildcat community. Every school should be so fortunate to have such a collaborative venture. Bravo for all that you do!

Thanks from Jessica Alberico, Literacy Specialist:
Whittier Families, we are so appreciative of your generous donations. The Annual Give
has truly made a difference in the lives of Whittier students.
Thank you so much for all you do for our students!

Congratulations to our students who helped us boost participation in the Annual Give to almost 70% schoolwide. Three happy classrooms hosted the giant Wildcat Stuffie - and thanks to the families of Ms. Free, Ms. Barrett (pictured), and Ms. O'Leary's students for helping them win the weekly Stuffie Challenge. And.... drumroll, please... the Kindergarteners will be the hosts of the school-wide Popcorn Party with the highest participation level of all the grades.

Hoodie Donors! We are working to restock all of the sizes and we will schedule pick-up times in the next few days.

Although the Annual Give is over, your ongoing support benefits our community. There's always time to make a donation . Learn more about the everyday ways you can fuel our school through shopping at Fred Meyer, Ballard Market, and Amazon. Look for news on upcoming PTA events like the biennial Auction and Jog-a-thon later this year!

Finally, we want to share special thanks to the folks who tirelessly worked so hard to make this Annual Give a success. You, too, fuel our school. We could not have done it without you.

  • Our communications hub: April Musick, Jessica Carr (web content) and Christie Summers and Lori Tanzen-Hoy (WildChat editors extraordinaire)  
  • Jen Sullivan (our Spirit Gear and Hoodie expert)
  • Kellie Pecoraro (Stuffie Challenge inspiration and photography)
  • Krissie Depew (design and maintenance of the Annual Give scoreboard in the lobby)
  • Leslie Pierson (poster printing)
  • Adriane Berman (Paypal form support)
  • All of our amazing Room Rep parents
  • Principal Schweitzer and Alicia Nygard (for their support and advocacy)
  • Whittier's amazing teachers and staff
  • Miss Monica and Miss Rebecca in the office
  • Kelly Geubtner and the whole staff at The Dane (our Annual Give celebration hosts)

--Justin Fenton and Mark Butler
Whittier PTA Fundraising Co-Chairs

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In addition to setting a fundraising goal in support of essential services at Whittier, we also asked our families and community to provide the gift of time in support of Whittier's biggest community event of the year - the Fall Carnival. More than 150 volunteers contributed their energy and creativity, either over a couple of months as they helped plan and execute a wonderful evening for our community, or over several hours as they hosted games and activities during the Carnival on Friday night. In addition, more than 50 parents contributed an incredible selection of cakes and cupcakes that kept the Cake Walk stations busy all night long.

We want to recognize the wonderful support we received from middle school and high school students from Whitman, Ballard High School, Ingraham High School, and more, including many alumni who enjoy returning for this annual event.

The Whittier community is a gift that keeps on giving, and we can't say THANK YOU enough!
We'd like to recognize the following parents in particular for their tremendous contributions to this Whittier tradition:
  • Kristin Ford and Kate Avneri, the creative geniuses behind the Hogwarts Experience
  • Hilarie Sander and Sandy Hawley, for transforming the hallways with beautiful decor
  • Emily Clark, for managing the prize / Light Up Store / candy inventory
  • Hugh MacMillan and Katrina Hoch, for managing the carnival game rental
  • Catherine Mutti-Driscoll and Helen King-Desai, for managing volunteer efforts
  • Ashley Martin, for managing food truck relationships
We look forward to more fun with Whittier families throughout the year!

Regards (and THANK YOU again!),
Amy Bryan and Vanessa Knudson
Whittier Fall Carnival Co-Chairs