Whitman Weekly Dec. 5

Friday October, 23 (that’s TOMORROW folks!)

This year’s Fall comedy is a hilarious look into the joys and hardships of middle school. The play was written by M.G. Davidson (published in special arrangement with Your Stage Partners).

Thank you to Kelly and all the volunteers who make this happen!!!

Off and Away Means Off and Away

Dear Whitman Families,

We've had a great start to the school year, and we need your help reinforcing one important expectation:

Seattle Public Schools is an "Off and Away for the Day" district for all students in grades 6-8. At Whitman, this means no cell phone or smartwatch use from the time students enter the building until they leave for the day.

Recently, we've noticed an increase in students using technology during the school day, particularly:

• Smartwatches being used for messaging, notifications, and communication.
• Smartwatches paired with earbuds during class.
• A growing number of students accessing cell phones immediately at dismissal while still in the building and hallways.

As a reminder, Whitman's Building Leadership Team reaffirmed our expectation:

There is no cell phone usage by students door-to-door, bell-to-bell.

This expectation includes:

• Cell phones
• Smartwatches
• Earbuds and headphones not being used as part of instruction
• Any personal device used for communication, messaging, social media, gaming, or entertainment

Our goal is simple: when students are at school, their focus should be on learning, building relationships, and engaging with the adults and peers around them.

Please take a moment to speak with your student about keeping phones and smartwatches off and away throughout the school day. Consistent support from both home and school helps us create the focused learning environment our students deserve.

Thank you for your partnership and support.

John Houston

· Sat 10/24

o Varsity vs. Madison, 11:30am @ Ballard High School

o JV vs Hamilton 1pm @ Jane Adams Middle School

· Sat 10/31

o Varsity vs. Hamilton, 11:30am @ Ballard High School

JV vs Denny 2:30pm @ Madison Middle School

• Retake Picture Day: November 3, 2026

Ordering Pictures Online

Parents can order Online at My Dorian

• Visit mydorian.com
• Search for Whitman Middle School
• Select the Green Order button or Yellow Help button

Here are some helpful tips to make picture day great!

Schedule haircuts 7-10 days prior to picture day! Wear simple clothing. Solid shirts or small patterns, along with sleeves, photograph best. A simple collared shirt is a timeless classic. Avoid logos and text on clothing. Graphics or wording may not photograph completely and can become partially cropped out of your picture.

Show your Wildcat pride with a new hoodie or t-shirt. Order your favorite Whitman Wildcats gear! Orders will be mailed to your home address.

2026/27 Whitman Spirit Wear Store

There is still time to sign up! Anytime is a good time to join!

Consider volunteering with Hall Crew this year – it’s a great way to contribute to our community, meet other parents and staff, and to see what’s going on in the school.

Hall Crew volunteers are a friendly adult presence in the hallways at lunchtime; they encourage our Wildcat students to Be Safe, Be Respectful and to Be Responsible. You pick which day of the week works best for you and whether you volunteer one time a month or every other week.

We need 80 volunteers with Hall Crew to help it run smoothly and allow for volunteer flexibility – more volunteers means an enjoyable experience for all.

The time commitment is 10:50-12:36 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday volunteers are at the school from 10:55–12:15 p.m..

Again, you can volunteer one time a month, so this is an easy one to fit into most schedules!

Please email us at WhitmanPTSAHallCrew@gmail.com to be added to our list of volunteers. Together we can be a positive and caring presence to all kids at Whitman!