Whitman Weekly Newsletter |
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- Feb. 1, Open Enrollment for High School Began
- Feb. 8, Ballots Due for School Levy Vote
- Feb. 8, 6:30pm - PTSA Board Meeting
- Feb. 10, 7pm - BHS PTSA Presents: "Consent Etc." discussion with Jo Langford
- Feb. 13, 7pm - PTSA Special Membership Meeting
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Open Enrollment for High School
8th Graders: High School choice forms will be available online at SPS, Feb. 1. More information about high school open houses/tours will be posted as it becomes available. Additional details are below in the Counselor's Corner section.
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Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for the School Store during lunchtimes for these Tuesdays and Thursdays in February:
Feb 8, 10, 15, 17
The schedule for both Tuesdays and Thursdays is:
A lunch: 11:30 - 12:00
B lunch: 12:25 - 12:55
Contact Elaine Way if you are able to volunteer. All volunteers must be approved by SPS. See below for more details on volunteering.
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SPS School Beat
Be sure to check out the latest news from SPS in the district's weekly School Beat newsletter including:
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Suggestions or Feedback?
Have ideas on how to make Whitman better? Share your ideas, feedback, or concerns with the PTSA and we will help you to get your idea off the ground, route your question to the right person, or help you with your issue.
Share feedback & Ideas with PTSA
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What to do if your child is sick (Updated Jan. 2022): Click here to visit the district's page with information
2021-22 Health and Safety Protocols: Click here to visit the district's page with information
Contact Tracing and Quarantine Protocols: Click here to visit the district's page with information
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Ballots have arrived - Don't forget to vote by Feb. 8th! |
Seattle students are counting on us to renew these education levies.
Here is a video from Schools First encouraging us all to vote yes.
Proposition 1 & Proposition 2 on the ballot this February constitute 15% of the operating budget for Seattle schools. Among other things, these levies fund the majority of the district’s technology and nurse budget, which have both been critical resources over the course of the pandemic. It is important that we support these levies so that our students can have the resources that will help them excel.
Did you know...
- Whitman's school nurse is levy funded
- Half of special education funding at Whitman comes from these levies
- Student laptops and technology training for our teachers is funded by these levies
Ballots have arrived. Don't forget to vote!
The levies campaign can use your support! Schools First is a volunteer-run organization that is looking for help in their campaign to pass Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 next month. They are looking for people willing to put out a yard sign, participate in text banking, and repost social media graphics! If you’d like to get involved please email Liv from Schools First at liv.butler715@gmail.com.
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Subscribe to School Calendars
Families can now subscribe to the school or district website calendars.
Personal calendars update automatically when a change is made or when a new event is added.
To subscribe, scroll to the bottom of the calendar page, select Subscribe to calendar and select an option. If using Outlook, we recommend the iCalendar.
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Jo Langford Talks Consent at Ballard HS PTSA General Meeting |
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The Whitman community is invited to the BHS Winter PTSA General Meeting, featuring a presentation by author and international speaker Jo Langford, M.A. The meeting is 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10 via Teams.
He will present his latest talk, Consent Etc.: "With our evolution, both culturally and technologically, a new awareness about why and how we need to speak to our young people about consent is emerging ..."
Langford's talk will include a comparison of passive and affirmative consent; primers on adolescent brain development; plenty of tips for parents -- and time for a healthy dose of Q&A.
We look forward to seeing you at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10
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Teen Trends - Mental Health and Stress Management |
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Here are links to resources we hope you find helpful:
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The Jed Foundation is a nonprofit that protects mental health and prevents suicide for our nation's teens and young adults, giving them skills and support they need to thrive today. Jed’s Mental Health Resource Center provides essential information about common emotional health issues and shows teens how they can support one another and overcome challenges.
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Stress Management and Teens: This article from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry discusses sources of stress for teenagers, ways parents can help, and techniques for teens to decrease their stress.
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High School Information: Tours and Open Houses |
Open Enrollment for high school begins on Feb. 1
8th Graders: High School choice forms will be available online at SPS, February 1, 2022. More information about high school open houses/tours will be posted as it becomes available. Please note, tours and open houses will continue to be virtual. However, students are encouraged to check the websites of high schools they will be assigned to or high schools they may wish to attend.
Click here for information on High School choice.
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Social Emotional Supports for Students |
The Whitman counseling team will be offering emotional support groups for students beginning 2nd semester. They are working to launch additional support groups, but will begin with a 6th grade support group for students who identify as female. The focus of this first group will be on cultivating healthy friendships. Cheryl Fraley will be in communication with families whose students are interested or have been referred by one of their teachers.
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Mental Health and Violence Prevention Support |
If you, your student, or someone your student cares about is struggling with mental health, substance abuse, or suicidal ideation, there are resources available.
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YMCA Violence Prevention Program: Learn more here.
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NAMI Crisis Line: Text NAMI to 741-741. Connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.
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NAMI HelpLine: Volunteers answer questions, offer support and provide practical next steps. Chat, call or Email the NAMI HelpLine Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org
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Mental Health Support: List of resources
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Whitman Counselors are trained and skilled at helping students with these issues - students can walk into the Counseling office or email the counselors. Families can contact the counselors directly: Michael Murphy and Cheryl Fraley
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6th Graders (last names K - Z) & All 8th Graders
Contact Info: 206.252.1211
Schedule: T-F 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
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6th Graders (last names A - J) & All 7th Graders
Contact Info: 206-252-1213
Schedule: M-F 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
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Protect Your Community - Get your annual flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine
Other options for receiving vaccines/immunizations:
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Whitman's school nurse is, Darci Wiebke, and she has posted links to many resources here.
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There are multiple areas where you can get involved as a volunteer. Before signing up for opportunities, please apply through SPS to become an approved district volunteer.
Lunchroom Volunteers Needed
The school has an urgent need for lunchroom volunteers who can make a consistent commitment each week.
Times needed are:
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri:
Lunch A: 11:30 - 12:00
Lunch B: 12:25 - 12:55
Weds:
Lunch A: 11:25 - 11:55
Lunch B: 12:15 - 12:45
Backpack Brigade: The Backpack Brigade is responsible for ensuring supplies are picked up and distributed to students every Thursday. Please sign up directly here. [Contact: Elaine Way]
Hall Parents: We need help to make sure students are following rules and health and safety standards. Please sign up directly here. [Contact: Elaine Way]
New Volunteer Requirements
If you volunteered in prior years and want to be approved for the 2021-2022 volunteer program there are two new things that need to be added to your application here:
- Vaccination status - In-School volunteers must be vaccinated
- Health & Safety video training
We would love to have you back!
Your participation will be confirmed prior to your volunteer date. If you have not received confirmation, please reach out to the Contact above via email.
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Next week is the start of Black History Month and Black Lives Matter at Schools week. Seattle Public Schools is working to build a community where Black youth can see their brilliance reflected every day, not just for one week or a month.
In addition to the BLM at School Week of Action (January 31 – February 4), educators, students, and families are encouraged to participate in ongoing activities and reflection to create a Year of Purpose throughout the school year.
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Addressing Instances of Hate and Bias
SPS stands against all forms of intolerance, bullying, and harassment. Seattle Public Schools believes that having a school community where your child feels safe and respected, regardless of race, religion, gender, immigration status, language, sexual orientation, political view, social economic standing, or ability, is an important foundation to their academic success. Find how to report incidents of hate or bias, and more resources here.
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Want a fast and easy way to help WSPTA advocate for children and youth? Sign up for WSPTA Action Alerts! During the Washington state legislative session, WSPTA will send action alerts to members who have signed up to help. These action alerts take only a couple of minutes and have a message you can easily customize before the system sends the emails to your legislators. It couldn't get any easier! #WSPTAOneVoice
Click here to subscribe To the WSPTA Action Network Group.
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Message from our Whitman Librarian, Ms. Macer:
Happy New Year! I hope your student(s) finished their 2021 reading journey with excellent books! They checked out 737 books before break (hurrah!) and they are all due back.
A few items to note:
- there are no late fees
- place one or two books in a backpack a day to relieve some back pressure
- students can self-renew once if they sign into Destiny
- students can view their library account by signing into the Source and click on the library tab OR Destiny Discover with their SPS username and password.
- Destiny Discover & Learning Links
More news:
Did you know that ALL SPS students have Seattle Public Library accounts to access electronic resources such as graphic novels, audiobooks, music, and eBooks? See the Library Link page and poster for information.
If your student is struggling to find a great book that is just right for them, I am happy to create a personal booklist for them. Have them stop by the library or email me at ssmacer@seattleschools.org.
Happy Reading!
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Please join the Friends of Whitman Music (FOWM) in helping to support our music students and music program.
We meet monthly to get updates on the music program and discuss ways to help with volunteer efforts and fundraising.
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Meeting Dates
- Feb 28 at 6 PM
- Mar 21 at 6 PM
- Apr 18 at 6 PM
- May 16 at 6 PM
- Jun 13 at 6 PM
Meeting Link
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Whitman PTSA General Meetings
Whitman PTSA Board Meetings
- Feb 8, 2022 06:30 PM
- Mar 8, 2022 06:30 PM
- Apr 12, 2022 06:30 PM
- May 10, 2022 06:30 PM
- Jun 14, 2022 06:30 PM
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Dial-In Information
It's the same every month. Here is the link and dial in information to join the Zoom meeting:
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Join Zoom Meeting, Meeting ID: 830 8523 2272, Passcode: 709978
- Dial by your location: 253-215-8782, Meeting ID: 830 8523 2272, Passcode: 709978
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YMCA Environmental Symposium
Registration is happening now for the YMCA Environmental Symposium presented by the YMCA Earth Services Corps.
Click here to learn more.
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J Camp at Stroum JCC
Build your own experience with Summer J Camp! With more than 60 camps to choose from, Summer J Camp is 10 weeks of fun. Running from June 21 - Aug. 26 with options for kids in pre-K through 10th grades (and job opportunities for anyone older). Bus transportation is available, along with an extended care program and swim lessons. Sign up by March 11 to get our Early Bird Discount and save 10%. Registration open Feb. 2. Click here to learn more!
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Boys Lacrosse Registration is OPEN |
Spring Boys Lacrosse Registration is now open! Props Lax is recruiting all boys for recreational lacrosse, grades K-8. All new and returning players are welcome. No prior experience necessary, regardless of age. They have financial aid for the program which includes loaner equipment. Registration is open until practices begin in early February, games start in early March!
Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in America, and Seattle. Lax is great at a young age. They work on hand eye coordination and do lots of running (practice starts with a 400m) and strength building. Practices start in February and are twice a week at Loyal Heights Playfield or Whitman Middle School. Games begin in March on Saturdays.
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The Whitman PTSA offers Community Resources for informational purposes & does not necessarily support activities or views presented therein.
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Do You Have an Announcement for the Whitman PTSA Newsletter?
Submit content (appropriate and relevant to Whitman or Community) by 5 p.m. Thursday (1 or 2 weeks before your event) to the Whitman Newsletter Editor email at whitmannews@gmail.com.
Please submit posts with no more than 100 words and include relevant URLs, contact info and a small graphic (if available). Editor has full discretion over what is published. The Whitman PTSA provides Community News for purely informational purposes and does not necessarily support the activities or views presented therein.
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Becoming a member not only supports Whitman Middle School, but PTSA dues sustain the state and national organizations that support local chapters and lobby for public education issues at the state and national government levels. It's $16 for an individual or $26 for two people in the same household. We also provide sponsorship for those who need them - email us at whitmanmembership@gmail.com to request a sponsorship! Join here.
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Sign up for the Whitman Newsletter
Text WHITMAN to 42828 to receive
this weekly newsletter.
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