Whittier Weekly News
October 11, 2019
Notes from the Administration
Conference Sign Ups
- Wednesday October 23rd- students attend from 12:30-3:30. Conferences are from 4:00-8:00 pm.
- Thursday October 24th - students attend from 12:30-3:30. Conferences are from 4:00-8:00 pm.
- Friday October 25th - students attend from 8:30-12:00. Conferences are from 1:00-4:00 pm.
At Whittier, we pride ourselves with parent conference attendance rate being 95% or better. This is great opportunity to hear about all the wonderful things that your child has been working on so far this school year.
With class sizes somewhat larger than our conference blocks, please sign up for one conference block per family. Teachers can not accommodate separate conferences for families.
Here is the link to sign up for conferences. https://signup.com/go/aKAdnHq
PTA Trunk or Treat- October 25th
WHEN: OCTOBER 25TH
WHERE: WHES
TIME: Car set up @ 5:30; Trunk or Treat @ 6:30.
Please plan to bring your own candy.
If you would like to donate a bag of candy for our teachers who are participating in Trunk or Treat, you may send it in to Ms. Black in the front office.
https://signup.com/go/aXcByUb- Click here to register your car and theme.
Teacher Appreciation Dinner- Wednesday October 23rd
The PTA is asking for your help to show our teachers how much we appreciate them.
Our theme is Soup and Salads. Show off your expert culinary skills.
Click here to sign up: https://signup.com/go/tbxwGnXFall Harvest Parties
Friday October 25th- Grades K, 4, 5 will have their Fall Harvest Party from 11-12.
Wednesday October 30th - Ms. K's 3 year old M/W will have their Party from 10:25-11:25.
Thursday October 31st- Ms. K's 3 year old T/TR will have their Party from 10:25-11:25.
Friday November 1st - Grades 1,2, 3 will have their Fall Harvest Party from 2:15-3:15.
Friday November 1st - AM PreK will have their Fall Harvest Party from 10:25-11:25.
Friday November 1st - PM PreK will have their Fall Harvest Party from 2:15-3:15.
Your child's teacher will be sending a SignUp for donations for the class party.
Parents must be volunteer trained to volunteer in the classrooms.
Younger siblings may not attend classroom parties or field trips, and you will be asked to take younger siblings home.
Drop Off
If your child is in a car, they are a car rider and should be dropped off in the car rider line.
The front parking lot is for buses only.
Thank you for your assistance.
WHES 1K FUN RUN and WHES HERO 5K
WHES 5k/1K Hero Run is just around the corner.
Sunday October 20th
7:30 Race Day Registration
8:30 1K Fun Run
9:00 5K Race begins
Questions, email us at WHESMD5K@gmail.com.
See attached to register and to purchase a Course Sign! Thanks in advance for supporting our school and our runners!
Join our Race
Registration: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O7j8RhZ1BE7ZKlPnd82UfEDpO8y_zsqMG405p3G9qw8/edit?usp=sharing
Cheer your runners on with a Course Sign
Course Sign:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U9B_pBZ6xylf4J4TM_j0NWVYexM0q3N68-WshCU-ZfU/edit?usp=sharing
T-shirt orders will be taken on the day of the race.
T-Shirts will be $15.
During the day of the race, we will take cash, check, or credit card.
Picture Day- October 16th
You may also pay online @ mylifetouch.com
Picture Day ID: MJ719126Q0
You do not need a picture form if you purchase online.
September Attendance Winner
99.17%. They will pick our next school-wide spirit day.
Following in a close second was Ms. Lang's 5th Grade with 99.16% attendance rating.
PreK
Barnhart AM 97.20%
Barnhart PM 97.05%
Brunner PM 98.81%
Kontantas AM 98.39%
Kontantas PM 98.37%
Kindergarten
Lawrence 96.84%
Pillsbury 97.58%
Rentschler 98.68%
Smith 98.42%
Wilcox 97.48%
1st Grade
Beaulieu/Lease 97.59%
Kint 96.32%
Miller 99.09%
Stansbury 97.15%
2nd Grade
Bouselli 98.56%
Little 96.77%
Schildt 99.17%
Wilson 98.34%
Young 98.25%
3rd Grade
Broomall 97.37%
Mills 97.02%
Murphy 95.02%
Kavanaugh 95.39%
4th Grade
Byrd 94.85%
Delawter 97.81%
Hohorst 98.25%
Krzysiak 98.05%
5th Grade
Canfield 96.7%
Doyle 96.6%
Lang 99.16%
Sikora 96.16%
Late Arrivals/Early Dismissals
Our instructional day begins at 8:55 and ends at 3:30.
Please plan to have your child at school on time and plan for them to be here all day. There is a significant impact to your child's ability to be prepared for the school day or for homework when they are missing parts of the day.
Attendance Matters
Notes are required- Every absence requires a written note from the parent/guardian within two days of the child's return from illness. The notes should contain the child's first and last name, teacher's name, dates of absence and reason for absences. You may send a note with your child or send an email to whittierattendance@fcps.org
Doctor's Notes are required after the 10th absence- any absence after the 10th day will require a doctor's note. Failure to provide a doctor's note will result in an unlawful absence for your child.
5 Vacation Days- Students are permitted to take 5 vacation days throughout the school year. Any days beyond 5 will be marked as unlawful.
Attendance Improvement Plan- Parents whose child has missed 17 or more days of school will require a meeting with the Principal and the Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW) to determine how we can improve attendance.
Gift Card and Snack Donations
We have many students who are need of snacks throughout the day. Our teachers are donating to our supplies of snacks for students. If you are willing to donate a box of Cheez-Its, Nutri Grain bars, Granola bars, applesauce pouches- we would be appreciative as well!
Chess, Coding, and Robotics
At this time, our enrollments are VERY low. Rather than cancel the clubs outright, we are going to push the start dates out two weeks and extend registration in the hopes of getting a few more students. You will still be receiving the 8 club dates you paid for, but they will just be shifted out a bit.
The club dates are as follows:
Chess: October 15 through December 3. No skip days.
Coding: October 17 through December 19. Club does not meet on 10/24 and 11/28.
Robotics: October 16 through December 18. Club does not meet on October 23 and November 27.
Character Counts Week @ WHES
Character Counts/Red Ribbon Week -SPIRIT WEEK!
Monday October 21- Make Character Count Day- Wear Something with a Number on it!
Tuesday October 22- Peaceful Tuesday- Wear Tie Dye!
Wednesday, October 23- Unity Day- Unite to Stomp out Bullying---Wear Orange
Thursday, October 24- Thankful Thursday- Mind your P’s Q’s Don’t wait until November to show your thanks. Take Time to show someone that you are thankful for them.
Wear your PJs!
Friday October 25th - Hero Day- Be A Hero- show your spirit by wearing a hero costume. Heroes have Character!!!
Tuesday October 29 - Wear Red for Red Ribbon Day!
Reading Groups at WHES
Every parent wants their child to learn how to read efficiently and so does the teacher when it comes to their students. It begins with oral language, the system in which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas and feelings. The components of oral language are necessary to communicate and learn through conversation and spoken interaction, which have implications for learning to read and write. Children learn phonics sounds and become automatic with these sounds. They will be able to see letters in a word and be able to say the sounds straight away. Once your child knows all of the phonic sounds they will be able to read proficiently. If you want your child to be a fluent reader then learning phonics is the best way to do this. Not only do you want to encourage your child to read quickly but you want them to be able to read accurately. As the phonics skills of your child develop so will their reading comprehension. The improvement in comprehension comes from the ability of your child to be able to pronounce all of the words that they see correctly. They will increase their understanding of these words and their vocabulary will also increase.
Teaching each and every student to read at Whittier Elementary is shifting with increased instructional time spent on phonics through structured literacy that is multi sensory. Reading groups will focus on two-three days of specific phonemic awareness and phonics skills that are applied in a short decodable text. All students will have access to grade level text and beyond throughout the week. Students will also work in reading groups two-three days a week with an emphasis on comprehension skills. We will continue to implement the Common Core Standards through FCPS reading and writing curriculum. Whittier Elementary along with FCPS is responsive to students needs to increase the instructional time spent on phonics in order for all students to read and spell accurately.
Birthday Celebrations, Goody Bags
We do not celebrate birthdays or holidays with goody bags or food. The exception is our Fall Harvest Party and Valentine's Party- where we do have food that is monitored by the classroom teacher.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday October 14th
3:45 Girls on the Run (Must be pre-registered)
Tuesday October 15th
7:45 Boomshakers (Must be pre-registered)
3:45 Chess Club (Must be pre-registered)
3:45 Whittier Music Makers (Must be pre-registered)
Wednesday October 16th
School Pictures
7:45 Just Dance (Must be pre-registered)
3:45 Robotics (Must be pre-registered)
3:45 Girls on the Run(Must be pre-registered)
Thursday October 17th
3:45 Coding Club (Must be pre-registered)
4pm Young Rembrandts (Must be pre-registered)
Friday October 18th
7:45 Just Dance (Must be pre-registered)
Sunday October 20th
8:30 1K Fun Run
9:00 WHES 5K
Monday October 21st
Character Counts Spirit Week- Make your Character Count- Wear something with a # on it
3:45 Girls on the Run
4pm Leadership Meeting
Tuesday October 22nd
PTA Pizza Blitz Dinner Fundraiser 4-8pm
Character Counts Spirit Week- Peaceful Tuesday- Wear Tie Dye
Kindergarten Field Trip to Gaver Farms
7:45 Boomshakers
3:45 Chess Club
3:45 Whittier Music Makers
Wednesday October 23rd
Character Counts Spirit Week- Unity Day(Unite against Bullying) ---Wear Orange
11:45 Just Dance
Fall Conferences 4-8pm
Students attend school @ 12:30- Dismiss @ 3:30
3:45 Girls on the Run
PTA Teacher Appreciation Dinner
Thursday October 24th
Character Counts Spirit Week- Thankful Thursday- Mind your P’s Q’s Don’t wait until November to show your thanks. Take Time to show someone that you are thankful for them. Wear your PJs!
Fall Conferences 4-8pm
Students attend school @ 12:30- Dismiss @ 3:30
4pm Young Rembrandts
Friday October 25th
Character Counts Spirit Week- HERO Day
Fall Conferences 1-4pm
Student attend school from 8:30-12:00
Fall Harvest Parties for Grades K, 4, 5 @ 11:00 am
6:30 Trunk or Treat Begins
Whittier Elementary
Thank you for supporting our school's success!
Email: whittier.es@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/whes/
Location: 2400 Whittier Drive, Frederick, MD, United States
Phone: 240-236-3100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Whittier-Elementary-School-PTA-147186718711529/
Twitter: @WhittierES