“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
–John F. Kennedy
Countless individuals do numerous little things to help our school, and it results in huge accomplishments every year. Any little way you find to help will be appreciated and welcomed. When you fill out the PTA Volunteer form (see directions below on how to do this online today), don’t be afraid to check as many boxes as you find interesting. Many of these “jobs” on committees are small yet critical. Checking the box doesn’t commit you—it just tells us what you might be interested in. You can always feel comfortable saying that it doesn’t actually work for you to help this time.
We are so fortunate to have a wonderful Whittier Community. Thank you!
Whittier School PTA Executive Board
info@whittierschoolpta.org
whittierschoolpta.org
Register NOW at Our New PTA Website
Don’t forget to check out the PTA’s new and improved website! Visit whittierschoolpta.org for all of the latest and greatest from the PTA front. Thank you to Andrea Knudsen for all of her hard work to get the website up and running.
Are you thinking, “Ah, I never even looked at the PTA website before, so this isn’t important to me.“? Well, stop right there!
Things will be running differently next school year, and many of our communications will be driven from the website, so
DO NOT IGNORE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
You should have received an email last week with information about three very important steps:
- registering for PTA emails and access to the password-protected portions of the website
- completing the online 2014-2015 PTA packet
- submitting your family’s information for next year’s school directory
If for some reason you didn’t receive this email or just haven’t taken these three easy yet critical steps yet, please do so NOW. For the rest of this school year, you will continue to receive Whittier Weekly emails…
HOWEVER, if you do not register using the steps above, next school year you will NOT be on the mailing list, so YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE WHITTIER WEEKLY.
Please note: After you register on the new site (pat yourself on the back for us), you will receive two email copies of Whittier Weekly for these last two weeks of school. This is not a glitch; this is to allow all to continue to receive the newsletter until we discontinue the old method of sending our weekly enewsletter.
If you have any questions, please contact Rita Brezina and/or Valerie Hardy.
PTA Meeting Recap
There’s plenty of time to relax AND help your students retain all the precious skills and knowledge they gained this year. IF you make it a priority. Our wonderful Whittier teachers have recommendations to help in the Summer Resources section of our PTA website. If you missed our May PTA meeting, be sure to start with the Goodbye Summer Slide presentation from Mrs. Gergits and Mrs. Krygeris.
Did you know there won’t be a split class at Whittier next year? Mr. Krugman announced that and other useful information at the meeting. If you’d like to read more about what was discussed and voted on, check out the PTA Minutes on our website. Please note: If the link to our meeting minutes doesn’t take you where you want to go, you may need to scroll up and follow the directions for registering on our site to access this private information!
2-Liter Bottles Needed for Field Day
Field Day is June 3, and like last year, we need at least 40 2 -liter pop bottles. Please send them with your child this week!
K & Play: Playdate in the Park
Do you have a soon-to-be-kindergartener or a neighbor or friend who does? The PTA is hosting a “K & Play” playdate in the park for all incoming Whittier kindergarteners and their families on June 4 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Randall Park. This “open house” event will give the 2014-2015 kindergarteners a chance to play with their future classmates and will be an opportunity for their parents to get to know each other better and to ask any questions they may have about Whittier and our PTA.
Summer Math Club
DG58 and Whittier School PTA offer a Summer Math Club to keep our students’ math skills sharp during the summer with grade level-appropriate review sheets. Folders and worksheets will come home in students’ backpacks next week.
Important: Location Change
This year Summer Math Club worksheets will be exchanged at Hillcrest School due to ongoing construction at the public library:
Hillcrest School
1435 Jefferson Ave.
(just north of 59th and Dunham)
Whittier has to provide 4 volunteers to help check math sheets and hand out new packets. If you would like to help and/or see the times and dates we need to fill, please sign up here. Please note: You’ll need to be a registered user of our PTA website to sign up.
Last Market Day of the Year
Stock up for summer now! This will be our last Market Day order for the school year! Orders are due by Monday, June 2. We will be raffling off a Mixed Grill Pack to one lucky winner who orders from Market Day this month. This is a $16.99 value that includes 4 -1/4 lb. Beef Patties, 4 ChicNSteaks, and 4 Boneless Pork Chops. You must order to be eligible! We will draw for the lucky winner at our next pick-up date, June 5.
Language Stars Early Enrollment
Enrollment is under way for Foreign Language next year. Sign up now and receive 10% off! View the Language Stars early enrollment 2014-15.
30-week season, beginning September 8, 2014
Spanish for K-2nd Mondays, 7:40-8:20
Spanish for 3rd-5th Mondays, 7:40-8:20
Any questions, please contact Jen Watts.
Family Fun End-of-Year Picnic
Save the date and mark your calendars! The Family Fun committee is hosting an end-of-the-year picnic at McCollum Park on Sunday, June 8, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. There will be snacks provided, as well as bouncy houses, a magician, and private use of the sand volley ball court! Fun for all!
An Evite with details has been sent. If you have any questions or did not receive the Evite, please contact Shannon Quinn. Be sure to RSVP on the Evite ASAP so we know how many to expect.
Retirement Celebration
Please join us in the Jaguar Jungle on Monday, June 9, from 3:00 – 3:45 to wish the following teachers/staff well as they transition into retirement and thank them for their years in education.
Goodbye and Good Luck to…
- Elaine Crawford: Grade 4
- Chris Gregoire: LRC Librarian
- Kathy Hebert: Specials
- Ginny Lauterbach: TSP/Extend
- Jeanne Smith: PE
LRC Books Due NOW
All Whittier LRC books are due IMMEDIATELY. The LRC is getting new carpeting this summer, and we need to have everything boxed up before the school year ends. We appreciate your support in returning things early.
Jaguar Jog 2014
Save the date and mark your calendars now! The 2014 Jaguar Jog will be held Sunday, September 28!
Would you like to help plan this fun community event? Please join us for the first committee meeting on Wednesday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. at Corinne Potter’s house. All are welcome!
Questions? Please contact Chie Nicholson and Corinne Potter, whittierjaguarjog@gmail.com.
Variety Show Date Set for Next Year
Mark your calendars, the 2014 -2015 Whittier Variety Show will be Saturday, November 15, at the Tivoli Theater. Don’t worry, more details will come with plenty of time to get the little stars ready!
Green News
Remember that Waste Free Wednesdays will continue for the rest of the school year (two weeks to go!). Please pack lunches with reusable containers and nothing to throw away. (Yogurt tubes and string cheese are NOT waste-free.)
Are your children missing jackets, gloves, or other items? Don’t spend money and resources replacing them until you check out the Lost and Found bin inside the front doors of school. There are countless items in there! Unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the year.
Spring Walking Club – Last Store of Year
The last Walking Club Store will be open TOMORROW, May 28, so make sure your students bring those Jaguar Bucks!
Thank You LRC Volunteers
In honor of the many volunteers who have helped in the Whittier School LRC over the years, a donation has been made to the Downers Grove Public Library. A brick inscribed, Thank you Whittier LRC Volunteers, will be added to the Downers Grove Library Garden Walk. Look for the brick by summer’s end. Thank you from Mary Sustar & Chris Gregoire.
Mark Your Calendars
- Wednesday, May 28: Last Walking Club Store
- Monday, June 2: Market Day orders due
- Tuesday, June 3: Field Day (pizza Fun Lunch)
- Wednesday, June 4: K & Play playdate in the park
- Wednesday, June 4: Jaguar Jog Committee Meeting
- Thursday, June 5: Market Day pick up
- Sunday, June 8: Family Fun End-of-Year Picnic
- Monday, June 9: Retirement Celebration
- Tuesday, June 10: Last Fun Lunch of the year
- Tuesday, June 10: Kindergarteners’ Last Day of School
- Tuesday, June 10: Awards Day
- Wednesday, June 11: Last Day of School – dismissal at 11:40
- Friday, August 22: tentative date for Back to School Social at 3:00 p.m.
- Monday, August 25: First Day of School
- Sunday, September 28: Jaguar Jog
- Saturday, November 15: Whittier Variety Show at the Tivoli Theater
Submissions for Whittier Weekly are due Mondays by 6:00 p.m. Email info@whittierschoolpta.org.
