Wildcat Weekly

Dates:

• August 29th - Kindergarten House Sorting Ceremony @1:15 - 1:45

Parents, look for a letter to go home Monday with your child!

• September 1st - NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)
• September 4th - Picture Day (Uniforms REQUIRED)

We will have another Picture Day later in the year where students can be out of uniform

• September 4th - Blue and White Night @5:00-7:00pm

This is our biggest event of the year! Come out to our Parking Lot to enjoy Food Trucks, Raffles, Games, and a chance to throw a water balloon at your principals! Raffle tickets are cash only as well as water balloon sales. Food trucks will accept cash or card as per their business rules.

• September 11th - PTO @4:30 (Please enter through Door A)

Come on out for our first PTO meeting where we will plan all the fun we'll have this year!

• September 17th - Wildcat Night Out at Baskin Robbins

Bring the flyer that will be sent home to help Whitehead earn proceeds!

**All Spirit Wear orders are being processed in September!**

It's time to learn a little more about our Dean, Mrs. Karina Valdez:

Hello Whitehead Families! My name is Karina Valdez, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Dean at Whitehead Elementary for the 2025–2026 school year. I come with a background in bilingual and special education, along with experience in building administration. I’m passionate about creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where every student can thrive. I look forward to working closely with our families and staff to ensure that all students have a positive and successful learning experience at Whitehead!

¡Hola familias de Whitehead! Mi nombre es Karina Valdez y estoy muy emocionada de presentarme como la nueva Decana de Whitehead Elementary para el año escolar 2025–2026. Mi experiencia está en la educación bilingüe y educación especial, además de tener experiencia en la administración escolar. Me apasiona crear un ambiente seguro, solidario e inclusivo donde todos los estudiantes puedan prosperar. Espero trabajar de cerca con nuestras familias y el personal para asegurar que todos los estudiantes tengan una experiencia escolar positiva y exitosa en Whitehead.

Have you heard your kiddos talking about the Wildcat House System? Well we are pretty excited about it! All students at Whitehead elementary will be sorted into one of four houses: Isibinidi (Green), Reveur (Blue), Altruismo (Black), or Amistad (Red).

Why are we doing this??

The house system was developed by a gentleman named, Ron Clark. He developed this system to create a sense of community within his school. The house system combines students and staff across grade levels and languages allowing a school to foster a sense of community and belonging. Students get to know other students and staff they might otherwise never know. Everyone participates in various assemblies, games, and event nights all while learning about comradery and good sportsmanship.

What do I need to do?

Please reiterate the message at home, "4 Houses, 1 Family"! Though we all have spirit for our individual houses, we are all one big Wildcat Family! Also, join in the fun! Encourage your kiddo to wear their house colors on Fridays and if you'd like, visit the Ron Clark store to order merch! (Please note this site is not affiliated or ran by Whitehead elementary).

Kindergarten Families!

We will be sorting our kindergarteners into houses on Friday, August 29th at 1:15! Families are welcome to join in this celebration! If you are interested in joining us, please come in through Door D at 1:15. We will not be able to open the doors early as we do have a PE class going on prior to our ceremony.

Jeans with Spirit Wear can be worn any day of the week!

Any solid color pants are allowed!

Hoodies with logos smaller than Mrs. Randall's hand, that are solid color are allowed!

Hi! I’m Kari Szeto, and this is my 5th year as the nurse at Whitehead Elementary. My goal is to keep all our students healthy and safe at school.

Here are a few reminders as we start a new school year:

• Due to severe food allergies, no birthday treats are allowed—please send non-food items like stickers or pencils.

• Keep kids home if sick. They must be fever- or vomit-free for 24 hours before returning.

• New “When to Visit the Nurse” and “Do You Need Ice?” charts are posted in all classrooms.

• Our goal is to keep students in class—if you sent them to school, we’re working to keep them here.

• Contact me anytime with questions, concerns, or new medical updates.

Just a friendly reminder:

Please make sure you are going 10 MPH or less in our parking lot and remember, you can only turn RIGHT out of the parking lot. This is for the safety of all our children, to help decrease traffic at our crosswalk, and to help with the flow of traffic. We really appreciate your attention to these details!