News from Principal Watters

Dear Whittier Community,

Today we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Our school community lives, learns, and works on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples. We honor the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot peoples, and we are grateful for their stewardship of this land and their ongoing presence in our community. This week and throughout the year, our classrooms will learn more about the Indigenous peoples of this region and their stories.

We are now in our sixth full week of school. During the first six weeks, our focus is on making sure every student can access and participate in classroom instruction. Teachers have also been gathering reading and math data for their whole class. They are now meeting with colleagues to identify which students need support (intervention), which need more practice (nearly at mastery), and which need challenge (ready for the next step). We are also beginning the MAP Assessment in grades 1-5 this week.

Next, we will begin forming small groups for reading and math. This year, in partnership with the Whittier PTA, we have brought on TIPS Tutors to work with students in grades 2–5 who need more challenge. Tutors will work under the guidance of classroom teachers, which allows teachers to focus on students who need additional support and practice.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 13, several of our teachers will join me at the PTA meeting to talk about how we meet the needs of every student in our classrooms. We’ll share the joys and some of the challenges we see, and we’ll answer your questions. Please join us in the Whittier Library at 7:00 p.m.

If you can't make the PTA meeting tomorrow evening, join me and PTA leaders in the Library Wednesday morning after drop off (7:45 a.m.) for a casual conversation and re-cap of the meeting. Bring your coffee and questions!

Finally, thank you to the 72 additional caregivers who responded to our Community Check-In Survey! That brings us to 133 responses. I’ll share what we learned next week, and there’s still time to tell us about your experience: Whittier Community Check-In

With gratitude,

Cindy

October PTA Meeting: Tuesday, October 13th (7-8:30pm) @ the Whittier Library & over Zoom

Please join us for this month's PTA meeting! It’s a great way to learn about all the awesome things our PTA does, and connect with our wonderful community. And there will be snacks!

In addition to hosting a panel of our amazing Teachers, we will be voting on our budget for this year as well as membership in The Central & North Seattle Schools PTA Alliance (CANSSPA).

Read more about CANSSPA here https://www.cansspa.org. Make sure to join or renew your PTA membership for this year so you can vote! https://whittierptaseattle.org/membership/

Haven't made it to a meeting in a while due to childcare troubles? We got you! Sign up to send your kid/kids (for free) to Whittier Kids, our onsite childcare partners, for pizza and play! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44A8A729A0FAC61-65571575-whittier

Save the date for this year's Fall Festival, hosted by the Whittier PTA! This year's festival will include a costume parade, games, food trucks, cake walk, monster mash dance party, treats and more! This year's Whittier PTA provided snacks will be free (as is admission).

Volunteer to help out! https://forms.gle/aLB1KrxtbitF5cbh6

Please note:

• For this event, please no dogs (leave your furry friends at home).
• Caregivers are expected to accompany and supervise their Wildcats during Fall Festival.

Join us for some fun on the ice with our family ice skating event at the Kraken Community Iceplex during Thanksgiving break! To reserve your spot, payment will be available 3 weeks before the event. Please plan to arrive about 30 minutes early to check in, receive your bracelet, and get your skates before hitting the ice. The Iceplex will provide some skate aids for our group.

Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2026
Time: 2:45–3:45 p.m.
Cost: $12 per skater, which includes skate rental
Payment: Payment instructions and the PayPal link will be added 3 weeks before the event.
What to bring: Helmet

We are also looking for volunteers to help sign in skaters at the beginning of the event.
Can’t wait to see everyone on the ice! If you have any questions, please contact Bonnie Smith at bonnie1pang@gmail.com.

Families received a flier at Curriculum Night about field trips.

This year, every grade level will take at least two off-campus field trips and enjoy in-school enrichment activities as well.

To keep costs down and make things simpler for families, we're asking for a single payment for the whole year instead of separate payments for each trip. This also reduces the transaction fees SPS now charges for SchoolPay.

We're asking Kindergarten through Grade 4 families to contribute $50 for the year. This covers all entrance fees, transportation, and in-school assemblies. Every student will participate in field trips, whether or not their family is able to contribute.

Payment Information

You're welcome to pay:

• Online through SchoolPay - https://bit.ly/4ADj9xa
• By check or cash at the main office

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Twice a year, students in grades K–8 take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test in reading and math. MAP is an adaptive test, which means the questions adjust to each student's answers. It helps us measure your child's developing skills and growth over time.

When is testing?

Grades 1–5 test in the fall and spring. Kindergarteners test in the winter and spring.

• Fall: October 12–23 (grades 1–5 only)
• Winter: January 11–23 (Kindergarten only)
• Spring: April 19–30 (grades K–5)

Your child's homeroom teacher will let you know which days the class will take the reading and math tests. If your child is absent or doesn't finish on the first day, they will have more time on other days within the testing window.

What does the test look like?

• Kindergarten and 1st grade take the K–2 Growth test. Each test has about 43 questions and takes about 30–60 minutes.
• 2nd–5th grade take the 2–5 Growth test. Each test has 40–43 questions and takes about 45–90 minutes.

The test is not timed. Students can take as much time as they need.

How can I help my child prepare?

A good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast on testing days always help. Beyond that, we don't want students or families to feel stressed or anxious about this test. MAP is just one of many pieces of information we use to guide our teaching and understand what students need. All we ask is that students do their best and then move on.

Understanding the scores

Scores are reported in two ways: a RIT score (a scale unique to MAP) and a percentile.

A percentile does not show what percentage of grade-level material your child has mastered. Instead, it compares your child's performance to other students in the same grade at the same time of year. For example, a student at the 50th percentile scored right in the middle.

• 90th–99th: far above average
• 76th–89th: slightly above average
• 25th–75th: average
• 11th–24th: slightly below average
• 1st–10th: far below average

A few cautions

Please keep these points in mind when looking at or comparing scores:

• Every test has a margin of error, so your child's "true" score could be a little higher or lower.
• MAP percentiles are recalibrated every 3–5 years, so scores may not compare directly from one year to the next.
• Students take different versions of the test depending on their grade.
• Many things can affect how a student does on a given day, such as being tired, hungry, or sick, rushing, having low stamina, or not understanding how to enter answers.

In short, MAP doesn't necessarily show your child's true skill level. It shows how well they were able to show their skills on this test, on that day.

Want to learn more?

• SPS website: Measures of Academic Progress
• NWEA (the MAP test company): Visit studentresources.nwea.org for more information and practice tests.

If you have any questions, please contact Elisa McCulloch at emmcculloch@seattleschools.org.