The Wildcat Word
December 2022
Whitney Families,
We strongly recommend that all students read over break. Reading stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word. We cannot stress enough the importance of reading for the developmental growth of our kids!
Our teachers are doing an amazing job of building our kids' stamina to engage in becoming resilient readers. But, just like exercising our muscles, we need to exercise our brain. If we skip 10 days of working out, then working out for the first time in 11 days will be very challenging! Please help your child over break with daily brain exercises by reading with and/or having them read over break. Reading is a great workout!!
We will begin benchmark testing as soon as we return from break. This will be an opportunity to see the growth in our students from fall to winter. Watch for information to come home toward the end of January.
Mr. Hunt
Principal
December 12th - Disney Day (Spirit Day)
December 13th - Crazy Sock Day (Spirit Day)
December 14th - Sports Day (Spirit Day)
December 15th - Christmas / Winter Sweater Day (Spirit Day)
December 15th - K/1st Winter Program at 1:00 in the gym (All Parents Welcome!)
December 16th - Pajama Day (Spirit Day)
December 19th - January 2nd - No School (Winter Break)
January 3rd - Classes Resume
January 11th - Booster Club Meeting in the Cafeteria at 5:30 pm
January 16th - Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday - No School
K-2 Student of the Month Winners
K-2 Character of the Month Winners
K-2 Minute to Win it!
3-5 Student of the Month Winners
3-5 Character of the Month Winners
3-5 Minute to Win it!
Winter Holiday Program
No Peanuts Allowed
When students’ health is at stake, we all want to work together to provide a safe environment for all children. After all, that’s what we would want for our own child.
Our school district policy states that we will “take precautions to reduce the risk of a student having an anaphylactic reaction by ...minimizing the presence of allergens in schools.” We can’t do this without your help. At Whitney, we have many children with lifethreatening peanut allergies--even if they only come into contact with residue from peanuts.
As a result, we are asking all families to follow these safety guidelines:
- Please do not send peanuts, peanut butter or foods containing peanuts or peanut butter to school.
- If you bring birthday or holiday treats, please read the ingredient list and avoid peanuts. Also, please let your child’s teacher know ahead of time so any children with allergies can bring safe treats.
- If your child eats peanut butter for breakfast, please make sure that he/she washes hands with soap and water before school. This is a learning process for all of us, but I trust that you understand how important it is to support and protect our children with food allergies. Your child’s teacher may contact your family with additional guidelines. If you have any questions about food-allergy issues, please contact our school nurse, Angelica Alcala at 573-1914.
Internet Safety Tips
As we head into Winter Break and find ourselves indoors more often, I thought it would be a good time to share some tips and recommendations for internet safety. Most school aged children can navigate the internet and technology better than many adults, however it is still important to teach them the dangers that lurk in the virtual world:
- As a parent, educate yourself on the websites that your child is visiting. Set-up privacy settings on their accounts. Most social media websites have an age limit, as parents we need to enforce those rules at home.
- Teach your child about posting on sites or through online messaging. Remind them that deleting a post does not mean it is permanently gone. All their online posts, comments, likes, and shares are a part of their digital footprint.
- Know who your child is talking to online. Advise your child never to approve friend requests or add people that they don’t know in real life. Be sure they know never to meet anyone in person that they have met online.
- Look into setting parental controls on your child devices or gaming systems that may alert you to their online activity.
- As a parent, please know there are research studies that have observed a relationship between social media use and anxiety in kids. Please see this article for more information: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/what-parents-need-to-know-about-social-media-and-anxiety
- Set up rules with your child and inform them of your expectations when they are using the internet or social media. Some basic rules are; setting time limits, do not share passwords with friends, do not participate in bullying behavior, remind them to alert you to any questionable online behavior, etc.
-Mrs. Padilla
Hey, WHITNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FAN!
Go WHITNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!
http://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/washington/yakima/whitney-elementary
WAPC Seasonal Health Alert: Holiday Hazards
The holidays are a wonderful time of year. But, they also create opportunities for poisonings and toxic exposures—especially in children. The Washington Poison Center offers these helpful tips to keep your days merry, bright, and healthy.
* Make sure all gifts, even if wrapped, are safe for children. Watch for button batteries, the small cylindrical batteries found in watches, hearing aids, and keychain flashlights. If swallowed, button batteries can cause burns, internal bleeding, swelling of the airway, and even death.
* Monitor holiday lights when children are present. Children are drawn towards sparkling lights, and have a tendency to put lights in their mouths. Be extra careful with bubble lights, as the liquid can cause burns, irritation, and carbon monoxide exposure.
* Place mistletoe and holly berries up high and out of reach. The toxins in mistletoe and holly berries may lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Call the poison center at 1(800) 222-1222 if holly berries or mistletoe are ingested.
* Keep open alcoholic beverages and cannabis (marijuana) out of the reach of children. Alcohol and cannabis can have strong effects on a child, even in small amounts. Clean up leftover alcoholic beverages immediately. Always store alcohol and cannabis out of sight and reach of children, preferably locked up.
* If you are traveling, keep prescription and over-the-counter medicines in child-resistant containers, not plastic zip lock bags or pill keepers. Keep these containers out of sight and out of reach of children.
* Contrary to popular folklore, poinsettias are not poisonous. Ingestion may irritate the mouth, stomach, or skin, but will likely not cause severe symptoms.
* Wash hands and sanitize often, but keep cleaners and sanitizing products (including hand sanitizer) out of reach and out of sight of any small children.
* Keep pets safe from holiday hazards, as well. If you think a pet has ingested something potentially toxic, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
When to Keep Your Child Home
When to Keep Your Child Home English
When to Keep Your Child Home Spanish
Is it Covid-19 or is it the Flu? English
Whitney Booster Club
Visitors and Volunteers
Visitors
Please check in at the office if you would like to join your child for lunch.
Volunteers