News from Principal Watters

Dear Whittier Community,

I know many of us were thrilled, relieved or surprised to wake up to message that school is starting today!

It's been an amazing day - the building is full of joy, new or renewed friendships, learning, laughter (lots of laughter), smiles, hugs and JOY! Our Wildcat students and staff have jumped fully into this great new year. There is nothing better than the joyful sounds of a first day of school at Whittier!

Today is my 50th consecutive First Day of School. Let's just say I've been doing this before Air Jordans were- well - Air Jordans.

From my first day as a five-year-old kindergartner to this morning walking into Whittier, my life has had one constant rhythm: a fall first day of school. That's a lot of new backpacks, new sneakers, nerv-citment, and new beginnings.

One of my favorite traditions started in 1993, my very first year of teaching (yes, I'm aware of how that math works). A close friend, who was also starting her first year, and I went out for what we called "First Day of School Dinner." Honestly, it began for two reasons: it felt important to celebrate surviving that first first day as a teacher, and I was simply too exhausted to cook. We went to East-West Cafe in Tacoma that night, and we kept that tradition going for 15 years, until I moved to Shanghai.

But the tradition didn't end there. Through new schools, new districts, and new countries, I've kept finding a way to mark the day with a First Day of School Dinner. Sometimes it's a solo dinner — this introvert genuinely loves a quiet meal out after a big day. Sometimes it's with old friends who know the tradition, and sometimes with new ones who are hearing about it for the first time.

One of my favorite memories of this tradition happened after I shared this story during my first leadership meeting at Singapore American School. A few weeks later, on the actual first day of school, a new colleague stopped by my office to ask what I wanted to do for my First Day of School Dinner. I was surprised and quietly thrilled (where should we mark this occasion?) — here I was, brand new to a school and a country, and someone had already made the tradition their own way of welcoming me in.

So today, I'm curious: how does your family mark the First Day of School?

I know there are grown-ups out there quietly celebrating this Wednesday morning too. And I know our Wildcats will come home with so much to share — new teachers, new friends, new classrooms, and stories only a first day can bring.

Here's to the rhythm of fall, and to another wonderful year ahead - and a quiet celebratory dinner tonight.

Go Wildcats!
Cindy

Help us get all our students safely on and off campus.

• Remind students to look for cars, bikes and buses BEFORE crossing the street.
• Be aware of school buses on 13th Ave. Don't block the street before and after school. If you are going to stop and have conversations or longer farewells in the morning - please move (people & bikes) to the sidewalk so our school buses can get through safely.
• All student cyclists need to dismount and walk their bikes onto the playground before parking at the bike racks.
• Don't block our neighbors driveways. Even just for a minute - please help us be respectful, responsible and KIND neighbors.

Walking, biking, and rolling to school help reduce traffic congestion around schools and support cleaner air. These active transportation options also help students build connections in their community and arrive at school alert and ready to learn. About 30% of Seattle Public Schools students already walk or bike to school each day.

We encourage families to walk, bike, scooter, or park a few blocks away and walk the rest of the way to school. For resources, including information about starting a walking school bus or bike bus, visit the Safe Routes to School webpage

Driver Safety Tips

• Slow down and watch for students crossing. The speed limit in school zones is 20 mph whenever children are present. Follow crossing guard directions and put away phones and other distractions while driving.
• Do not block or park within 20 feet of a crosswalk. Parking too close to intersections or crosswalks blocks visibility and makes it harder for drivers and people walking to see each other.
• Consider parking a block or two away and walking the rest of the way. If using the school pick-up and drop-off area, stay with your vehicle at all times. Do not park in load zones or use designated bus loading areas.

Lunchroom volunteers are a friendly adult presence in the cafeteria at lunchtime, encouraging our Wildcats to Be Respectful, Responsible & Safe! You'll help students open snacks, navigate the lunchroom safely, sort trash, and more — no experience necessary. It's an easy way to get involved that makes a huge impact!

The time commitment is one hour a week, 10:30–11:30, on a day you choose. The schedule is set for the entire school year, so you'll work with the same team on the same day all year long.

Please fill out this form if you're interested in volunteering:
Whittier Lunch Crew

• Parents can go through The Source to update their household and student information online. This form includes the important student health information, emergency and family contact information and much more. To access, log in to your Source account and select Student Data Verification form from the navigation menu.

  • Before you setup your account:
  • You must be on record as the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in SPS.
  • Your email address must be on record at each student’s school.
  • Confirm you provided the same email address for each SPS student in your family.
  • To set up a parent or guardian Source account:
  • Visit the Source and then click Sign Up!
  • Type the email address on record in all lower case letters, then click Enter
  • Check your email for a message from sourcesupport@seattleschools.org. If you don’t receive this email: check your Spam or Trash folders, contact the school(s) to confirm your email address is on record with no typos and the Parent/Guardian box is selected.
  • Open the email and click the link.
  • Enter your Username (email address) and create a Password (please do not use an apostrophe ‘ in your password)
  • Click Enter to begin exploring the Source!
  • If you have questions or need help please email sourcesupport@seattleschools.org.

Welcome back, Wildcats!

Now that you've received your teacher assignment, please add your child to their new classroom! Here's how:

• Go to the Gear icon (on the app) or your name (on a browser)
• Click on "Your Children"
• Click on your child's name and select their classroom

As a reminder, we can't add your child to your class for you. Konstella classrooms are used for class- and grade-specific messages, so be sure to join!

If you haven's joined Konstella yet use this invite link to get started: https://www.konstella.com/?action=request-to-join&schoolId=5d4339cee4b01aeb06e39472

Paws up!