Can you believe that we are officially halfway through the school year? Students have learned so much this year already, and we will keep working hard for the 2nd half of the school year! Report cards will be going home in blue folders on Monday, 2/6. Please contact your child’s teacher or the front office if you need an additional copy or if you have any questions.

We are also now starting our planning for the 23-24 school year! Over the next few months, we will be thinking about how to best meet the needs of each student. We would love to have your input on this! Here are two ways you can participate:

• Fill out the Successful Schools Survey! (see the link below). This gives us important information about how you and your child are feeling about our school. We would love to get 100% participation from all families on this survey!

• Come to our Coffee with the Principal on 2/2 to share your ideas! We will be talking about how things are going for your child socially and academically, and what you would like to see at Whitman next year. Spanish interpretation will be provided!

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Thompson

The new PPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook goes into effect on Monday, 1/30. You can access the new handbook on our website!

We have also posted videos of Wildcats in Action on our website! Take a look to see some of our schoolwide procedures!

Our art teacher Ms. Meyer is looking for donations of house paint that she and students could use for refreshing out outdoor artwork! Partially used cans of interior or exterior paint are welcome! Please email Ms. Meyer at elmeyer@pps.net if you have any paint you would like to donate.

Parking reminders: Please do not park in parking spots reserved for community members with disabilities unless you have a disability placard! These spots are reserved for those in our community who have valid disability placards and need to be able to park there in order to easily access our building. Thank you!

Sadly, there have been several more incidents of gun violence in the news recently. Our hearts go out to all of the families and communities who have been impacted by this violence, especially the Asian and Latinx communities in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California. As adults, we may not know how to process this news for ourselves, or how to explain it to our children–there is no good way to explain such senseless violence and loss of life. Here is a resource from the National Association of School Psychologists that may be a support to you as you talk to your children. If you or your child would like additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our counselor, Jenny Locarno, our Social Worker Nicole Costello, or any other member of our staff.

We would like to welcome a few new staff members to the Whitman Community! Please give them a big Whitman welcome next time you see them!

• Maricela Pedro is our new SUN Family Resource Navigator! She will be on site two days a week to provide support for Whitman families. Please use this link to request support!

• Alex Bennett will be moving from part time to full time in our Learning Center supporting our students with Individual Education Plans.

• Colin Darnall will be teaching 2nd grade for the rest of the year while Mrs. Einarsson is on maternity leave!

• Phil McDuffie is our new Nutrition Services Assistant!

We are working to keep the calendar on our website up to date, so please check https://www.pps.net/whitman for a full list of upcoming events!

Here are some dates to keep in mind:

• Friday, January 27: NO SCHOOL

• Thursday, February 2: Coffee with the Principal, 8:45-9:15AM

• Friday, February 3: Spirit Day; Excessive Accessories/Hat Day

• Thursday, February 16: Black History Month Movie Night: The Wiz, 5-7PM
• Friday, February 17: NO SCHOOL
• Monday, February 20: NO SCHOOL

1. Families Benefit — We use our funds for

events for students and families to take part

in shared experiences together.

2. The School Benefits — We also provide

Teacher Grants and donate to SUN.

3. Make Connections — Let your voice be

heard as we decide how to best provide

resources for the Whitman Community!

You can find this information and more about the

organization at http://facebook.com/ftwpta or email

us at: president@ptawhitman.org