Whittier Wildcat News

• 10/8 PICTURE DAY
• 10/9 NO SCHOOL...TEACHER WORK DAY
• 10/16 FAVORITE BOOK CHARACTER SPIRIT DAY
• 10/19 OCTOBER PTA MEETING IN LIBRARY @ 7 PM
• 10/29 PTA TRUNK OR TREAT 5:30-7:30 PM
• 11/2 PARENT CONFERENCE DESIGNATED NIGHT 5-7:00 PM
• 11/2-11/3 PARENT CONFERENCE DAYS-NO SCHOOL
• 11/11 VETERAN'S DAY-NO SCHOOL
• 11/12 VETERAN'S DAY ASSEMBLIES IN AM
• 11/17 DENTAL SCREENING DAY
• 11/25-11/27 THANKSGIVING BREAK
• 12/4 PTA BOARD GAME NIGHT 6-7:30 PM
• 12/10 NATURAL LEADERS WORLD POTLUCK 6-7:30 PM

Welcome to October! It has been a great first month to kick-off the 2026-27 school year, and your children have been hard working, engaged, and passionate learners. Thank you for your support in helping to ensure that your child has a successful start to the new school year. Thank you for attending our PTA meeting, Open House, and Book Fair Family Night. Your support always matters!

Whittier’s fall parent conference week will take place Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3. You will have the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher to find out about their individual progress, learn about the great things happening in your child’s classroom, and find out how to support your child at home while working in partnership with your child’s teacher. You will receive more information from your child’s teacher later this month to set up a specific conference time meeting.

I want to communicate a requested adjustment for student pick-up at the end of the day at our 2:50 pm dismissal. This year we have had more students picked up in the office than in past years. We also have more small buses picking up more students in the main parking lot this year as well. As a result, the parking lot has become even more congested at our afternoon dismissal at 2:50 pm.

To help alleviate the traffic congestion in the parking lot, I have a request for parents of older students. My request is for families with 4th and 5th grade students to be picked up at the back ramp. This will help to reduce the traffic congestion in the parking lot, and it will also ensure our office waiting area is more manageable in the afternoon. If we are able to reduce the number of students being picked up in the office, we will also be more likely to answer parent phone calls after 2:45 pm. Currently with the higher number of students being picked up in the office, we often are not able to answer the phone after 2:45 pm as our entire office staff is helping to supervise students waiting to be picked up at the end of the day in the office. Please contact me if you have any questions about this request for 4th and 5th grade students to be picked up at the back ramp. Thank you for your help with this matter.

Finally, I wanted to emphasize to parents that student safety is the highest priority at Whittier. Please remember that the Whittier campus doors are locked until 8:15 a.m. Please do not drop your child off by themselves before 8:15 a.m. as we do not have supervision for students outside of the entrance or outside of the playground fence area in the morning. And for parents dropping their child off in the parking lot in the morning, please make sure the student drop-off point is at the entrance of the building in front of the office so students can immediately step onto the sidewalk at the office entrance. Please do not drop your child off in the parking lot loop. Thank you for your support.

Our students are off to a great start in demonstrating “The Whittier Way” expectations to Be Safe,

to Be Respectful, and to Be Your Best. Parents, thank you for your continued support in making Whittier a great place to learn. Let’s make it an outstanding October!

Hello Whittier Wildcats,

Autumn is off to a great start! Thank you to our Whittier students, families, teachers, staff, and administrators. Our first PTA meeting brought together many new and returning members ready to support Whittier this school year. Join us at our next meeting Monday, October 21st @ 7 pm in the Whittier Library. Kids are always welcome! Join us for Whittier Night Out at Coastal Realm on Thursday October 15th from 7:30-8:30 PM. Cost is $10 per student or free for the whole family with a PTA membership. BONUS! Join the Whittier PTA and ENTER TO WIN 5 TICKETS to our next Whittier Night Out: Silvertips Hockey OR AquaSox Baseball.⚾🏒🐾See link below.

Thank you to our wonderful PTA volunteers! Thank you to Meagan Semore, PTA Secretary and Uniform Sale Chair, and everyone who helped make Curriculum Night and Meet the Teacher uniform sales a success. We appreciate the time it takes to wash, sort, and set up the sale. Thank you to Carly McGinn, Garden Club Chair, landscape architect, and to the Garden Club for planting beautiful native perennials outside the front of the school. The April Ford Memorial Library also continues to grow through generous community donations. We’ve noticed lots of books, along with creations and small gifts. Stop by to take a book or leave something to share. The Popcorn Fridays Committee, led by Katie Vaught, is popping fresh popcorn during lunch once a month! The Art Docent Program is up and running! Thank you to our amazing volunteers for achieving 100% classroom coverage this year! We’re excited to share that Whittier has been selected to display student art at the Schack Art Center’s Emerging Young Artists Gallery from October 20th through December 30th. Check it out!

It’s a reading October! Our fall fundraiser, the Read-A-Thon, launched this week and runs through October 16th. Thank you to Committee Chair Emily Bott! The Scholastic Book Fair is October 6th to 7th, with evening sales and Curriculum Night on Tuesday, October 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thank you to Committee Chair Meredith Lowe Prather, Whittier Librarian Mrs. Heininger, and all our volunteers. This fundraiser helps provide new library books and resources for students. Dress like Book Character Spirit Day is Friday October 16th to close out the Read-A-Thon. See the Spirit Day Calendar Below, along with our Year-at-a-Glance Calendar!

New Business: The Responsible Technology Committee was created at our first meeting, led by Liz Lindsley. Want to get involved? The Whittier PTA has many clubs and committees to join throughout the year. Use the Google Form to join a committee, learn more about current opportunities, or suggest a new club or committee. We would love to collaborate!

Upcoming: Trunk-or-Treat October 29th 5:30-7:30 PM, and Deck-the-Halls Wreath Sale Fundraiser later this month.

Fun fact: In the 1990s, Whittier PTA voted to adopt school uniforms with access to learning in mind. Uniforms can help reduce clothing barriers while building belonging and school pride. The PTA has new and gently used uniforms available. Reach out to the front office or email us if you’re looking for anything. This is what the PTA is for!

Become a PTA Member Here! Free entrance to Coastal Realm Gymnastics and ENTER TO WIN 5 TICKETS to Silvertips Hockey OR AquaSox Baseball https://wspta-00023315.givebacks.com/shop

⭐Teachers! Become a PTA Member and you’ll be reimbursed $100 for classroom resources!

Whittier Night Out at Coastal Realm Gymnastics: https://www.coastalrealmgym.com/

Join PTA Clubs & Committees 2026–2027, Sign-Up Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RBy0O3qi7DxE8m9ffLiU1ZTsAGsovCWVFwgG2S8QAf4/edit

Have photos from a Whittier school event? Upload them here for use in school slideshows, the yearbook, assemblies, and other Whittier school and PTA purposes: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lCP42-W_uXjBK6LhewPILt2D2x3F1CRiWP5jLBSWr2k/edit

Check out the attached Spirit Day Calendar and our Year-at-a-Glance Calendar!

The Whittier Elementary PTA

Madlyn Navlet - President

Rebecca Ryan - Vice President

Meagan Semore - Secretary

Holly Dietrich- Treasurer

Contact us: ptawhittierelementary@gmail.com

Get you limited edition 2026-27 Whittier Spirit Shirt! We have youth and adult sizes available for sale. Each shirt is $20 and ALL of the proceeds go toward 5th Grade Camp Fund. Check with the office if you are interested in one of these fantastic t-shirts! You can wear spirit shirts to school on Fridays!