Whitman Family Newsletter
October 13, 2022
Updates
Hello Families!
Hello Families!
It was great to see so many of you at Back to School Night recently! We hope you will continue to come by to see us here at school, whether it be at morning drop off, pick-up, or for a PTA meeting or other special event. Our next coffee with the Principal will be Thursday, October 27th from 8:45 - 9:15 or from 2:30 - 3:00, whichever works better for you. I would love to see you there! Please also check the calendar on our website for upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Ms. Thompson
Announcements about School Procedures
Pedestrian Safety: Please use marked crosswalks to cross the street when dropping off and picking up your child. Traffic moves quickly on Flavel Street, and we want to keep everyone in our community safe. Thank you!
Attendance: We are excited that our new Admin Assistant, Reggie Nock, will be making personalized attendance calls to families of children who are absent each day! This will help us better understand the reasons for your child’s absence and connect you to family support as needed.
Halloween: We do not celebrate Halloween as part of our school day at Whitman, so October 31st will be a regular school day. We ask that you please save costumes for celebrations after school at home. (Small amounts of holiday flair are fine as long as they do not distract from student learning. For example, a t-shirt with a pumpkin on it, cat ears, etc. ) Face paint, makeup, props, and costumes that would not generally be worn to school will not be allowed. Thank you for your support with maintaining a productive learning environment free of distractions on October 31st.
Drills: We will be having an earthquake drill later this month. This is also a good time for your family to work on your own emergency preparation plan! Here are some links to a template if you’d like one!
Meet our Staff!
Reggie Nock - School Secretary
Hello wildcats! This will be my first year working for PPS! I worked in ice cream for a long time before this and am excited to continue seeing awesome kids every day in a non-sample based scenario. In college I studied comics and literature and still read both frequently. At work, I like to answer the phone and unjam the copy machine; outside of work I like to screen my calls and dance with my friends.
Alisha Schwartz - Student Management Specialist
Hello Whitman community! This is my fifth school year in Portland Public Schools (PPS). My first three years, I was a staff member at Creative Science School. Last year I worked as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) with PPS’ Multi-Tiered System of Support Department and also served as the Interim AP at Richmond and Whitman Elementary Schools.
Both my husband and I are former PPS students and our 8th and 10th grade boys also attend PPS. Environmental and outdoor education was my pathway into schools beginning with working as a highschooler, college student and later, as a staff member, with Multnomah Education Service District’s Outdoor School program. Since 2002, I have worked in special and in general education - as a teacher/specialist, TOSA and AP - helping teams build supports to increase access for all students. When not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music, singing along with my boys as they strum their guitar and ukulele, cooking/baking, playing with our two cats, reading, gardening, hiking and swimming in rivers and lakes. (My 15 year old tells me I should add something more exciting like "skydiving" to my interests. Hmmm...I guess there's always time...) I look forward to getting to know this community and supporting our Whitman students and staff!
Events
Important Dates
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:
ZUMBA
For more information contact Tami at 360-953-9051.
Monday, Oct 17, 2022, 06:30 PM
Whitman Elementary School, Southeast Flavel Street, Portland, OR, USA
Programs
SUN
We have open spots in SUN growing gardens and theater improv classes hosted by Hand2Mouth theater! Please contact Nicole Williams (nwilliams@impactnw.org) or Dulce Lopez (dlopez@impactnw.org) if you would like your child to join!
We are looking for chess instructors for Winter/Spring SUN Sessions! This is a paid position. Please contact Anne (anne@chessforsuccess.org) or Nicole Williams (nwilliams@impactnw.org) if you are interested!
We have a special event for our Kindergarten families coming up on Thursday, October 27th! This movie night is a follow up from our Early Kindergarten Transition program, so it is only for Kindergarten families. We will be planning a movie night for students in all grade levels later in the year, so stay tuned for more information about that!
Join the PTA today!
Please join us at our next PTA Meeting Wednesday, October 19 from 6-7pm in
the library of Whitman Elementary.
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
Stay in touch!
Website: pps.net/whitman
Location: 7326 Southeast Flavel Street, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: 503-916-6370