The Wildcat Word
November 2025
Whitney Families,
As we near our Thanksgiving break, I would like thank our students, staff, parents and community for working together as a team. Sometimes we are so busy with our day to day work that we miss the small things that are happening around us. The simple smile from a coworker, the sparkle in the eye of a student, the thank you of a parent, we may miss those things if we are always focused on the next item on our daily agenda. Gratitude helps us to shift from focusing on the negatives to appreciating what is positive in our lives. I encourage each of you to take time this month and in fact each and every day to focus on the positives and be grateful for the small things because the small things are what go together to make the BIG things important.
Mr. Hunt
Principal
November 26th-27th - Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
November 28th - Native American Heritage Day - No School
December 10th - Noon Release - Staff Professional Development
December 11th - Holiday Concert (K - 2) at 10:30 in the Gym
December 11th - Holiday Concert (3 - 5) at 1:30 in the Gym
December 22nd - January 2nd - Winter Break - No School
Please check out the Events section of ParentSquare to see the most updated information.
Overflow parking will be available off of 44th Ave in the field between Whitney and Wilson beginning at 10:00am for the K-2 performance and at 1:00pm for the 3-5 performance. The Wilson Parking Lot will also be available. Please be respectful by staying for the entire event. If you need to leave during short transitions between grade levels please park accordingly.
September K-2 STUDENT OF THE MONTH WINNERS
September 3-5 STUDENT OF THE MONTH WINNERS
September K-2 CHARACTER OF THE MONTH WINNERS
September 3-5 CHARACTER OF THE MONTH WINNERS
October K-2 STUDENT OF THE MONTH WINNERS
October 3-5 STUDENT OF THE MONTH WINNERS
October K-2 CHARACTER OF THE MONTH WINNERS
October 3-5 CHARACTER OF THE MONTH WINNERS
Bond Information 2026
YSD Community:
At the November 18, 2025 school board meeting, the Yakima School District Board of Directors approved Resolution No. 04.25.26, placing a bond measure on the April 28, 2026 Special Election ballot. Below are key details so that everyone has the same factual information. I've bolded the improvements that would potentially affect Whitney Elementary.
What is included in the April 2026 bond measure?
The resolution authorizes the district to ask voters to consider general obligation bonds, not to exceed $200,000,000. If approved by voters, the projects identified in the resolution are:
School replacements
- Rebuild Hoover Elementary School (built in 1947)
- Rebuild Garfield Elementary School (built in 1966)
District-wide capital improvements
- Title IX and ADA upgrades, including accessibility improvements
- Playground upgrades and replacements
- Roof repairs and replacements
- Sidewalk, courtyard, paving, and drainage work
- HVAC system replacements
- Turf replacement, track resurfacing, and court repairs
- Additional facility updates and modernizations
- Project management for all listed improvements
Estimated state funding
Based on current formulas, the district may be eligible for up to $20,439,870 in state funding.
Estimated tax information
- Average assessed home value in Yakima County: $311,600
- Estimated average homeowner cost: $20.50 per month
A bond information page is now available on our district website. www.ysd7.org/Bond2026
Attendance Matters!
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!
257 Students Qualified for the Month of October
Winner Last Month: Michael Deckard's Family!
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.
Whitney Attendance Goal
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.
Whitney Elementary School Apparel
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 and Volunteers
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.
Helpful Resources for Whitney Families
YSD Family Resources
Find useful District information for families on the Yakima School District family resources page. This includes the District Handbook, Translation Services, and Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying policies.
Character Education
Character education is our shared responsibility. It teaches the ways that we can live and work together as families, friends, neighbors, and communities. Each character word of the month aligns with our Profile of a Graduate (un graduado de Yakima).