Whittier WildChat
March 6, 2019
|
|
|
PAWS UP WILDCATS!
Whittier is proud we're going to shout out loud…
Responsibility, Respect, and Safety!
|
|
|
 |
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO BUY SPRING FLING TICKETS!
Do you like waiting until the last minute? Then today is your day. Spring Fling tickets will not be sold at the door so you must BUY your tickets TODAY!!
If you want to get them in person, we’ll be on the playground after school today, Wednesday, 3/6. Prefer to buy online? Just click
HERE
. While you’re on the website, be sure to check out the spectacular auction items available in the catalog, including the classroom buckets.
The evening lasts from 7:00pm - 11:00pm, but you don’t need to stay the whole time to get in on the bidding action. The silent auction tables close at 8:30pm.
The THEME is BALLARD. So feel free to dress up in whatever clothing Ballard means to you – Nordic, Fishing, Good Beer, Hipsters, or Whittier.
We know that next year's budget will be challenging, and we need your help and support. Can't make it to the Fling? You can ALWAYS
make a donation online
.
|
|
|
|
Wed., March 6
Last Day to Buy Spring Fling Tickets
Thurs., March 7
PTA Board Meeting
6:30pm, Library
Sat., March 9
Spring Fling FUNraiser
7:00pm – 11:00pm
Thurs., March 14
PTA Community Meeting 7:00pm (6:30pm snacks & mingle), Library
Thurs., March 21
STEM fair
6-8.00 pm
|
|
|
|
Whittier Elementary STEM Fair 2019
Our STEM Fair will be held on March 21st from 6-8 pm at Whittier Elementary School. This event cannot happen without the help of our wonderful volunteers! Please help us make this a great STEM Fair by volunteering (setting up, cleaning up, helping in the classrooms with the activities, handing out our STEM Fair passports,...).
|
|
Congratulations go out to the Sick Thick Pickles...
...for representing Whittier at the Global Reading Challenge at the downtown library on Friday, March 1st. This team did a fantastic job preparing for and taking part in the semi-finals. We are so proud of you!
|
|
2018-19 YEARBOOK
It’s time to start thinking about the Whittier Wildcat yearbook!
We need to start collecting photos from the community.
If you have photos from events, please upload them here;
If you have photos from your student’s classroom, please upload them here;
Requests for yearbook cover art have been sent home via KidMail, please have your Wildcats submit their artwork to the office by March 29
th
.
Information for ordering YOUR yearbook will be advertised soon!
|
|
Latest Building Leadership Team (BLT) Meeting Minutes
Here
are the latest minutes from the BLT including budget/staffing discussions. The BLT includes the principal, teachers, PCP/library teachers/tutors/assistants, administrative staff, community representatives, and two parent representatives.
|
|
IMPORTANT Whittier Budget Update!
Whittier received its 2019-2020 school budget allocations from Seattle Public Schools (SPS) in late February and is
facing notable staffing cuts next year
:
- Our Specialist allocation (Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and PE) was reduced from 3.0 to 2.5 employees;
- We lost funding that supported 2.5 days of Literacy Specialist instruction; and
- We lost a ½ day of Nursing.
These cuts reflect expected lower enrollment at Whittier next year, and a shortfall in the SPS budget due in part to changes in state funding policies.
The Whittier PTA Board relies on family input
to help us assess our capacity to support the school budget, including staffing positions—we will have the opportunity to help mitigate these budget cuts next year.
The budget process is complicated. We hope you will take some time to
learn more here
. We also encourage all of our families to
complete our budget survey here
—share your values and priorities, thoughts and ideas about how we can best support families, students and staff next year.
Finally, please mark your calendars—
all community members are invited to attend
:
PTA Board Meeting, March 7, 6:30pm, Library
Join the Board discussion as Principal Clark presents the school's “ask” of Whittier PTA to support staff positions in 2019-2020.
PTA Community Meeting, March 14, 7:00pm (6:30pm snacks & mingle), Library
PTA members will vote on funding requests of the PTA to support 2019-2020 school staffing positions.
|
|
Love to read? Love to talk books with kids? Then we need you!
The fifth-grade lunchtime book club seeks
one or two parent volunteers from the Whittier Community to lead discussions with a group of voracious readers from Ms. Childers' class. Moderators must commit to reading the assigned books and leading a weekly 30-minute lunchtime discussion with six to eight students.
Volunteer commitment: 11-11:30am Fridays from March to June.
This is a pilot program with a goal to create a sustainable, PTA-sponsored book club in grades 3-5. The club aims to reinforce comprehension skills, enhance Whittier’s literacy curriculum, and encourage independent thought. It falls outside the scope of classroom instruction, and is open to all students regardless of reading level. The club now consists of about 16 students and two volunteers from Mr. Collin's class. An invitation will be extended to Ms. Childers' students once volunteers have been identified.
|
|
Calling All Volunteers!
Both Greenwood and Loyal Height Elementary are looking for parent volunteers for their school auctions on the evening of March 23rd. These are really fun events!! If you are interested, please email Jennifer Mannheim at
nurse_barker@hotmail.com
for details. Thanks for considering!
|
|
Contact Us
- Contact the WildChat Editor with questions about or submissions to this newsletter.
- WildChat content should be submitted via email no later than Tuesdays at12 PM for Wednesday publication.
- Please use the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this message if you do not wish to receive further issues of the WildChat.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
