Whittier WildChat
March 28, 2018
Whittier School photo
We show respect. We make good choices. We solve our problems. It's what Wildcats do!
 
Upcoming Events
Whittier PTA Auction Tickets are on Sale
The race is on!!!! Get your horses picked and get ready to start putting down some money for the races! Tickets are on sale NOW for this incredibly important event to raise money for our much needed programs at our school. 

Please head to www.whittierauction.org to purchase your tickets
Don't miss this amazing event. A night of fun, cheer and amazing auction items! 

New to Whittier? Afraid you won't know anyone? Make a request to sit at a table with adults from your child's class. 
Tables accommodate 10 so plenty of room for old friends and new!

Regular Tickets: $65 per person/ $130 per couple 
VIP Tickets: $85pp/ $170 per couple 

Saturday April 28th, 2018 
Seattle Marriott Waterfront

Please support your school! Go Wildcats!

We will be in the school lobby on Friday the 30th in the morning and after school with donation forms and our computers to help you get your donations IN. Last chance!

Dine Out and Raise Money for the 5th Grade Trip 
to NatureBridge


Mariners Game on April 15th
We have a large group of seats to the April 15th Mariners vs. Oakland game! Tickets will be $13 and the game starts at 1:10. It's a great opportunity to cheer on our Mariners while hanging out with your fellow Whittier friends and families.
Watch your kid mail and wildchat next week for more details.
Any questions? Email events.whittierpta@gmail.com

PTA Information
Whitter PTA Community Meeting Minutes
and Vote Results
Thanks to everyone who attended our March PTA community meeting to discuss and cast votes on several important issues. Thanks also to Girl Scout Troop #45301 and their Co-Leaders Karen Gustafson and Stacy Tischler, for providing childcare during this meeting. If you were unable to attend the March 15 meeting and would like to read the minutes you can find them here.

Following is the executive summary of our March PTA Community vote results:

Motion 1: Funding request for staffing grants and instructional supports for 2018-2019 totaling: $93,735. Approved

Motion 2: Funding additional .1 Instrumental Music totaling: $12,364. Rejected

Motion 3: Whittier PTA adopts the resolution presented regarding guns and school safety. Approved

We hope to see you for our final PTA community meeting of the year on Thursday, May 10th where we will vote on the full PTA budget for the 2018-2019 school year.

Sascha Demerjian & James Goldsmith
Whittier PTA Co-Presidents
president.whittierpta@gmail.com

Spring Book Drive for Bailey Gatzert
This year's Book Drive starts March 19th and ends March 30th. Please donate new and gently-used books for students at Bailey Gatzert Elementary (Pre-K through 5th grade). Bailey Gatzert Elementary is our sister school in South Seattle. The goal of our Book Drive is inspire reading by supplying engaging elementary books for the students to read over Spring Break. We are collecting gently used or new books as well as money (check made out to Whittier PTA) to purchase books for the drive. The books can be dropped off in the Book Drive Box located outside the front office. Please no outdated, holiday or religious themed books. For questions contact
outreach.whittierPTA@gmail.com

Another Great STEM Fair
Thanks to all our wonderful volunteers that made this year's STEM Fair a success. And thank you to all the families that came out to work on the projects. Congratulations to Fischer Witt for winning the raffle and winning a family package for the Pacific Science Center!
School News
It's Yearbook Photo Time!
We need your photos to make our yearbook great! Please be on the lookout for an email from your class room rep with details on how to upload the photos to our private Whittier Photo website. We need the photos uploaded by Tuesday, 3/20 to give our Yearbook editor ample time to include them. If you have questions, please contact Kellie Pecoraro at photos.whittierpta@gmail.com. Thank you for your help!

Volunteers Needed for Student Tapestry Project
The PTA's Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DANDI) is about halfway through our Student Tapestry Project. We need parent volunteers to help each student sew a small square onto the tapestry to create a beautiful piece of artwork that represents acceptance and inclusion for all our Wildcats. This student art project will be displayed in our school.  Here is the updated link for the SignUp: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e4baba92caa8-tapestry 
DANDI has been working in partnership with school leadership and Mr. Buck to bring this project to fruition. Supplies have been provided through the PTA. Please contact parent volunteer Kate Avneri  with any questions. We are grateful to Kate, all the parent volunteers, and school leadership and Mr. Buck who are helping with this creative project.

After School Enrichment
Outdoor Wilderness at Whittier
Spring Quarter Details:
Grades K-3: Fridays from 2:25 to 4:10
Classes April 6- June 15 (no classes 4/13)
Cost: $257.50
Registration:  https://seattleadventuresports.com/program_calendar/whittier-k3-spring-18/
Welcome to spring quarter at Outdoor Wilderness. Spring quarter is focused on developing skills that will help with camping or hiking trips you have planned with the family- navigation, what to do if you get lost, and how to survive the wild. As the weather can still be fickle, we'll practice good outdoor living skills to stay warm and dry- some days in our lavvu- a Scandinavian tipi- and some days in shelters we build ourselves.
Topics we'll be covering this quarter include: animal tracking & identification, leave no trace wilderness ethics, rope-making, and of course lots and lots of games and fun activities! Every quarter we do different activities, so whether this is your first quarter with us or your 5th, we'll all be outside having fun together!
*If anyone needs assistance with warm/weatherproof clothes, Seattle Adventure Sports does have loaners- please ask!*

District News
2017-18 District Calendar 
Notes From the Front Office
Report Cards Coming Home Wednesday
Look for report cards, coming home today!

Massive Monkees Dance Off, March 30th
The Massive Monkees Dance Off is around the corner! The kids have been practicing their moves and in an effort for every parent to see their child perform we are going to ask you to move too!

This is how it will work: there will be an area designated with tape on the floor for parents of the kids performing to stand right behind the viewing students (who are seated). Once your kid(s) have finished performing please move back to allow the next group of parents to step in and view their kids. The dance off will start with kindergartners and move up through the grades.

Doors open at 1:15pm. Parents are asked to wait outside the school until all classrooms have cleared the hallways and have been seated.

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
Whittier Kids Summer Camps 
Open to all kids entering Kindergarten-5
th grade
*More info & Register Online Now*
Join us for a summer full of engaging weekly themes, activities and interesting field trips! Learn new skills, explore new friendships and provide your child a chance to grow and learn in a safe, fun environment.
Questions? Email whittierkids@phinneycenter.org

A Savvy Parents Safe Kids Workshop with Jill Goetz
Monday, April 23rd, 7-8:30 pm at Ballard Church
PNW Parent Education is putting on their next event:

She will be sharing information with us about how we can keep our kids safe, with topics such as:
  • Talking about safety at home
  • The Fab 5 questions parents need to be asking
  • Teaching children about body safety
  • What safety tools work and which ones don't?
  • Teaching safety when out and about
  • The Super 10 Rules for Safety
  • Red Flags and Warning Signs
  • Prevention tips to keep kids safe
Please register on the Eventbrite event page here.

Thank You!!
Thank you to all the wonderful parents that made donations for the STEM Fair projects, that helped with set-up, running the projects, cleaning up, and everything else! We could not have done it without your help!

Phuong Le, Kris Gilmore, Asimina Kubaitis, Marlen Iniguez, Jodi Salenski, Karen Gustafson, Jamie Wood, Victoria Peterson, Johnny and Sarah Hartsfield, Kelsey Toppenberg, Catherine Mutti-Driscoll, Tracy Yetter, Sara Nagel, Emily Pearce, Ann Ilgen, Emily Clark, Shelley Curtis, Jen Ingram, Josh Lang, Scott Fogle, Sara Fischer, Kate Scales, Hilarie Sander, Beth Loots, Marty Herbert, Joanne Marone, Marie Bentsen, Kathleen Durham, Michael Welke, Andrea Landis, Spencer Visick, Kimberly Harms, Kristin Ford, Krissie Dillin, Jennie Helman, Justin Fenton, Sascha Demerjian, Jill Cooper, Kate Avneri, Amy Bryan, Cathy Wolkow, and Matt Axling.
Also a big thank you for all the support before, during and after the event to Monica Gaynard, Rebecca Adamson, Melissa Schweitzert, Julie Childers, Nina O'Leary, Bryan Pule, Heidi Hanson, Margret Newton, Olivia Capobianco and the janitorial staff. 

Thank you to the lovely ladies Karen Gustafson, Angel Castona, Belen Hart and Gena Frank for volunteering for the Loyal Heights Auction on Saturday for 6 long hours!!!

Lunch Menu
View the March lunch menu here.
Calendar
Friday, March 30th
Wildcat Dance Off- 1:15 pm

Monday, April 2nd,
Dine out for NatureBridge at the HighLife

Sunday, April 15th
Whittier Wildcats at the Mariners Game

Saturday, April 28th
Whittier PTA Dinner/Auction

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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Delete the old Hotmail address! whittierwildchat@gmail.com

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