The Wildcat Word

Whitney Families,

We at Whitney are continuing to work to ensure student safety and engaging learning. We want to remind our families that a strong partnership between school and home is the best way to ensure every student succeeds. Communication is an essential part of any successful team. ParentSquare enables back and forth communication that allows you to set up your notification preferences.

If you're looking for opportunities to support the students at Whitney and haven't cleaned out your child's dresser or closet in awhile, now may be a great time. With it beginning to warm up outside, we are hoping that you can help us refill our school closet. These clothes and shoes are given to students on an as needed basis. So, if your children have any shirts, pants, or shoes that no longer fit them and are still in good condition please send them to school with your child to support another child in need.

We hope you had a wonderful President’s Day, Valentines, and Black History Month.

Thank you for being a part of the Whitney Dream Team!

Mr. Hunt

Principal

February 24th - Spring Portraits

February 25th - Noon Release - Staff Professional Development

March 3rd - PBIS Family Night 6:00 - 7:30

March 25th - Noon Release - Staff Professional Development

March 30th - April 3rd - Conference Week - Noon Release

April 6 - 10 - Spring Break

Please check out the Events section of ParentSquare to see the most updated information.

We currently have $16,052.14 reminaing in our booster club accounts.

• We made a profit of $407 from movie night.

Please consider and vote on the following proposals which will close on March 3rd:

Coffee Proposal for Classified Staff

Classified Appreciation Week is March 9 - 13. Each day of classified appreciation week we are honoring the work that our classified staff do to support our students. Included in our classified staff appreciation are our Cooks, Custodians, ASL interpretors, Vision Pro Techs, and Paraeducators (30 in all). In the past our booster club has purchased coffee for our classifed staff for one of the appreciation days. If approved we would allocate $275 to purchase coffee for our classified staff.

March 3rd is PBIS Family Night from 6:00 - 7:30. Come play games like BINGO, Fishing Pond, Bean Bag Toss, and Candy Walk to earn fun prizes! You’ll also have a chance to make yourself a wildcat bracelet, get a temporary tattoo, and more all while getting fun ideas for taking good care of yourself and making responsible choices. Entry, Pizza, and Games are FREE!

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Hyundai of Yakima to support and encourage strong student attendance. For the remainder of the school year, Hyundai of Yakima will generously donate one bicycle each month. All students who earn perfect attendance during a given month will be entered into that month’s raffle for a chance to win the bike. Perfect attendance means coming to school every day, on time, and not checking out early!

Dear Families,

Our Kids Heart Challenge was a success! THANK YOU for your incredible generosity and support in making our community heart healthy while helping others. Click the image below to hear a BIG Thank You from Heart Heroes across the US!

YOU made a difference! 26 students joined our team, 4 families completed Finn’s Mission, and we raised $2,471 for the American Heart Association to help people with special hearts! THANK YOU!

Whitney's top fundraiser was Loren Scott-Metz in Mrs. Ortiz's classroom! He got to be the PE teacher for his class on Friday February 20. 2026.

We know how important it is to take care of our hearts year-round, so for additional tips and resources, visit the Parent Corner to keep your family healthy. If you haven’t completed Finn’s Mission yet, you can still log in at http://www2.heart.org/goto/Whitney or download the AHA Schools app to learn Hands-Only CPR, the warning signs of a stroke and more! Thank you again for your support!

Positively stating expectations to children is crucial for fostering a supportive and conducive environment for their growth and development. Clear expectations serve as guidelines that help children understand what is required of them, leading to a sense of structure and stability in their lives. When parents communicate their expectations in a positive manner, it instills a sense of confidence and motivation in children, as they feel valued and capable of meeting those expectations. This positive reinforcement cultivates a healthy parent-child relationship built on trust and mutual respect.

Moreover, positively stated expectations set a constructive tone for communication and interaction within the family. By emphasizing what children are encouraged to do rather than focusing solely on what they shouldn't do, parents create an environment that promotes learning and personal growth. When children know what behaviors are expected of them, they are more likely to exhibit those behaviors consistently. This proactive approach to parenting not only helps children develop essential life skills such as responsibility and accountability but also contributes to their overall emotional well-being, as they feel supported and guided by their parents' positive expectations.

Here are examples of positively stated expectations for various scenarios:

• Homework: "I know you're capable of doing a great job on your homework. Let's set aside some time after dinner to work on it together, and if you need any help, I'm here for you."

• Cleaning up: "Our home feels so much better when everything is in its place. Let's work together to tidy up your toys before bedtime. It'll make it easier to find everything tomorrow!"

• Speaking kindly to others: "Kind words can brighten someone's day. Remember to use your gentle words when talking to your siblings or friends. How about we practice saying something nice to each other right now?"

• Listening to parents: "I have some important things to share with you, and it's really helpful when you listen carefully. When I'm talking, could you try to look at me and nod so I know you're paying attention? It makes me feel respected and heard."

These examples focus on encouraging positive behavior and cooperation rather than simply issuing commands or reprimands. By framing expectations in this way, children are more likely to feel motivated and empowered to meet them.

-Mrs. Padilla

On November 18, 2025, the Yakima School District Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 04.25.26, placing a bond measure on the April 28, 2026 Special Election ballot.

Click here for more factual information contained in the Board-adopted resolution and supporting financial documents.

Proposition No. 1 – Yakima School District No. 7
General Obligation Bonds – $200,000,000

The Board of Directors of Yakima School District No. 7 adopted Resolution No. 04.25.26 approving a proposition for bonds. This proposition would authorize the District to rebuild and refurnish Hoover and Garfield Elementary Schools; modernize buildings, upgrade District facilities for energy efficiency and replace roofs and, make improvements and additions to athletic facilities and playgrounds throughout the District, and make other capital improvements; to issue $200,000,000 of general obligation bonds maturing within a maximum of 20 years, and to collect excess property taxes annually to repay the bonds, as provided in Resolution No. 04.25.26.

PARENT - TEACHER CONFERENCES MARCH 30TH - April 3RD

Parents are a child's first and most important teacher. As partners in the educational process, both you and your child's school have something in common: For your child to learn! When you meet with the teacher, you can each share important information about the talents and needs of your student, as well as have meaningful discussion on how your child can continue to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for lifelong success.

What to Expect

As you prepare for your parent-teacher conference, here is what you can expect:

A Two-Way Conversation

Like all good conversations, parent-teacher conferences are best when both people talk and listen. The conference is time to learn about your child's progress in school:

• Ask to see data about your child's attendance, grades, and test scores.
• Find out if your child is meeting school expectations and academic standards.
• Talk with your child's teacher about what your child is like at home.
• Share information about your child's skills, interests, needs, and goals, so you and the teacher can work together to help your student succeed.

Emphasis on Learning

Parent-teacher conferences focus on how well your child is doing in school. They also emphasize how your student can do even better. To prepare for this dialogue:

• Look over your student's homework, tests and notices.
• Bring a list of questions to ask the teacher.

Opportunities and Challenges

Teachers want your child to succeed. It is important to hear positive feedback about your child's progress, as well as be receptive to discussion for areas of improvement.

• Think about your child's strengths and challenges before the conference.
• Be ready to ask questions about ways you and the teacher can help your child with some of his or her challenges.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

We will be having our Book Fair this year during conference week in the STEAM Room.

Check out additional information on getting an eWallet set up and preview books from the fair here.

Be Here, Win Big!

Whitney is celebrating families of students who show up and shine with raffle prizes the whole family can enjoy - gift cards to your favorite restaurants and shops, board games/family activities, and other cool surprises.

Why:

• Every day that a student is in class means more learning more friends, and more fun!

• Win cool prizes for the whole family.

How to enter:

• Come to school on time everyday

• Miss no more than 1 school day per month

When is the raffle drawing?

• Winners will be drawn on the last school day of every month.

Parents and families:

Help your child get to school on time every day - attendance adds up to success!

Good attendance = better grades + strong habits + more opportunities + more smiles + prizes!

As a PBIS school, we honor our students' great behaviors with PBIS points which they can then cash in for prizes from our Wildcat Store. Students have reported that the store is a big motivator. We would love your support to keep our store stocked with items our students are excited to earn. Please review our Amazon wishlist if you would like to make a donation.

Our Attendance Goal this year is that 85% of Whitney students have less than 18 abscences. Please help us make this goal a reality by bringing your child to school every day! Below is a report of our current attendance data which shows that we are not trending towards our goal of 85%. Please help us make attendance a priority by bringing your students to school every day unless they have a fever of over 100 degrees, vomiting, or diarrhea. Last year we had 69% of our students had less than 18 absences.

From sorting games to chess strategies, these age-based strategies offer practical ways families can nurture logic skills in their child at home. Share this Beyond the Bell: Family and Caregiver Resource that features age-appropriate strategies families can use to get started.

• Click HERE for English

• Click HERE for Spanish

Click here to check out Whitney Wildcat custom tees, hoodies, and accessories. Don’t forget to use the discount code at checkout. New discount codes are displayed across the top of our apparel page.

Visitors

Please check in at the office if you would like to join your child for lunch.

Volunteers

If you would like to volunteer in your child's class you must have an application on file with the Yakima School District. The application requires a background check. You can pick up a Volunteer applications from the office or attached below.