Principal's Paw Print - Whittier Elementary School

The Principal's Paw Print is the Whittier principal's monthly newsletter sent to all families via KidMail.

May, 2017

Hello Wildcats!

We have several events to look forward to as the year comes to a close as well as many preparations for the year-end: field day, our end of the year assembly, class field trips, parties, and getting yearbooks.

Now we are closely watching enrollment numbers to create the best scenario for class configurations, given that fluctuations happen between now and the fall. We currently have 499 students enrolled, which would likely initiate a 21st classroom. In this case, we will convert the computer lab into a classroom and switch to portable laptop carts for computer use.
Register new students NOW: If you or someone you know has a student that will be with us next year, please get them registered as soon as possible. The more accurate enrollment information we have, the better we can plan for next year.

Staff Updates: Welcome to our two new Kindergarten hires: Krista Walquist and Julia Brady. We are so excited for them to become Wildcats! Ms. Walquist is coming from Bryant Elementary and Ms. Brady from Southshore PreK-8. Thanks to your generosity once again, we are able to hire a 1.0 Assistant Principal. We plan to interview on June 13th. If you have an interest in serving on the interview team and have taken the interview training, please let us know.

Willy Wonka: What a treat it was to see Whittier Wildcat Players perform at this year’s musical! This is a tradition I look forward to, particularly watching the connections kids make through the process, and the bonding of new and familiar friendships. Thank you Miss Steph, Tiffany, and all the volunteers that made this production a huge success.

Deloitte’s Impact Day: As a reminder, June 9th is a big day on the playground. Volunteers will be painting our playground, and doing some work around school grounds, such as weeding and adding wood chips. Recesses may look a bit different given the amount of work that will be happening on the playground. We will do our best to not let it interfere too much with the school day, but we appreciate you being willing to be flexible throughout this exciting day!!
Field Day & BBQ: This year Whittier is celebrating COLORS on Field Day (June 16th) - every class has chosen a color to wear. Field Day is a wonderful end-of-year tradition at Whittier and it takes many volunteers to make it happen. We need 75 volunteers to make the day happen! All volunteers are encouraged to wear the color of their Wildcat(s) classroom. Everyone is welcome to share in the fun.

End of year Celebration: Save the date for our special end of year celebration! This year it will be held in the morning of Friday June 23rd. We will start with some special awards, then recognize our 5th Graders, and end it with the grand finale slideshow! Afterward, the 5th grade families are invit-ed to gather in the library for light refreshments.

Volunteer Tea: Please join us on June 12th as we’d like to recognize all the amazing volunteers we have at Whittier! Our community is stronger because of all that YOU do.

Spring Sing & Art Walk: Creative Crossroads, USA! We have had quite an adventure in Ms. Steph & Mr. Buck’s classrooms this year. During our travels from New England to New Mexico, we have explored the rich musical history of our great country. As we end our Cross County road-trip and our year, we'll celebrate our homecoming with our Art Walk and Spring Sing on June 14 at 6:30. All 2nd, 3rd 4th and 5th graders will perform a dance and two songs to celebrate our year in song, and every student will have artwork represented in the school.

School Supplies: We are coming up with a new model for school supplies next school year. We would like families to just write a check for classroom supplies and leave the shopping to us. No shopping, no hassle! It will streamline the types of supplies that go into the classroom, make it more equitable for all students, and take the stress out of shopping for those ‘hard to find’ items away from families.

Playground Upgrades: Whittier parent Demian Minjarez has been working with the Seattle Depart-ment of Neighborhoods and SPS to map out a grant process in support of Whittier playground up-grades including play structure replacement, entry gates, picnic table(s), landscaping and more. With enough community support (i.e., your volunteer hours!), the cash obligation for this project will be minimal. The grant application is due (September 26); prior to that date, we need to form a Steering Committee and secure volunteer pledges from Whittier families and community members. Volunteer pledges simply indicate your willingness to help in 2018. lease email Demian (demian.minjarez@gmail.com), subject line “Whittier Playground”, to express interest in the com-mittee or to add your name to the volunteer pledge list. He will be in touch with more details.

"Diversity and Inclusion" Committee: A new committee was announced at last week’s final PTA Community Meeting of the year. The committee is seeking a Co-Chair and members to identify op-portunities to make sure all Whittier families feel welcome and included. This committee will work in partnership with Principal Schweitzer and the PTA Board. A short-term goal is to hold a casual meeting over the summer to brainstorm goals, scope of work, and potential actions for next school year. Contact Co-Chair Kristin Wiggins at dandi.whittierpta@gmail.com to express interest or ask any questions.

Principal Schweitzer

May, 2017

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