We look forward to seeing you at the Whittier PTA Meeting at 7 PM TONIGHT at the Whittier LRC (Library). Babysitting available!
Language Labs
The Language Labs is back to help your child after school get a jump start on foreign language! In addition to offering Spanish and French LL is now offering *Mandarin! *Classes are held on Wednesdays and begin next month through April.
Language Labs is also in need of a *parent volunteer* to help monitor classes/attendance. Your time will be compensated with *free/reduced tuition* for one child.
For any questions or if interested in volunteering email Rachel Carrero at rachel.carrero@gmail.com
Save the date for the WHITTIER VARIETY SHOW: February 1st, 2020!
For those of you unfamiliar with the annual show, all students are invited to participate. There will be a school show (for Whittier staff and students only) as well as a show at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove that anyone can attend. Stay tuned for additional details! Another important date to save is the Tech Rehearsal (Tivoli) on Thursday 1/30/2020 @ 3-6PM.
Questions? Please feel free to ask any of the committee members directly (Ann Russell, Rita Brezina, Valerie Hardy, Sarah Bogaczyk, Briar Croft, Matt Croft) or email WhittierVarietyShow@gmail.com.
Family Fun Night @ Five Guys
For those that are new to this, the Whittier PTA partners with a local restaurant each month to encourage our families to come out to eat while the restaurant donates a percentage of sales back the PTA. Our next Family Fun Night is at Five Guys on Thursday, September 19, 4-8:00 PM at Five Guys at 340 Ogden Avenue (at Fairview). Mention the Whittier Elementary School when ordering and 20% of sales will be donated.
Last Call to Host a Whittier Experience!
We are currently looking for volunteers to host Whittier Experiences, which will ideally take place between October – February. Registration will open in late September, so please send Lindsay Monco your ideas by September 13!!!
New to Whittier and wondering what Experiences entail? Typically twice a year you are invited to host or sign up for Experiences, which are fun events funded and organized by Whittier families and/or staff. The hosts cover the cost of the event and then all registration fees collected from those signing up for the event go to the PTA. Past experiences have included student focused events (movie night, bingo, kickball, etc.), while other experiences have been geared towards families or adult only events (yoga, volleyball, cooking, etc.)
If you are interested in hosting and need an idea or want to know more, please contact Lindsay Monco at lindsay.x.monco@gmail.com
PTA Administrative Checklist
Below are some PTA Administrative Checklist items!
1) Register for the PTA Website: This site is only available to current Whittier families and faculty as it does include personal information and financials for our organization. The email address used here is also where the Whittier Weekly (weekly newsletter) will be sent. You do this once and don’t need to register every year. https://whittierschoolpta.org/register-ww/
2) Join the PTA 2019-2020*: This is where you can sign up to purchase a paper copy of the directory, advertise in the directory (paper and/or the Directory Spot mobile app), make an Angel Donation, and/or sign up to get more involved. If you’d like a paper form or if you have ANY questions, please let me know. https://whittierschoolpta.org/join/.
*Teachers/Staff, please register here (https://whittierschoolpta.org/teachers-join/).
3) Enter/Update your Directory information: If you were already in the directory, I have updated the student grades and teachers for 2019-2020. If you have no additional updates, you don’t need to do anything, although it couldn’t hurt to check over your information as we moved to a new format last year. If your contact info has changed, please update it here. To gain access to the online directory, you must first join the PTA (step #2 above). With your paid membership you will be set up with a DirectorySpot account. You will receive an email from DirectorySpot, but if you miss it you can go directly to https://www.directoryspot.net and create an account. Just be sure to use the same email that you used to register for the PTA. We are still offering the option to purchase a printed directory, available when you register for the PTA. You will need to do this step annually. The directory is used for Whittier families only, and can be used to contact classmates and parents. https://www.directoryspot.net
DEADLINE TO UPDATE FOR PRINTED DIRECTORY IS FRIDAY, 9/20/2019
4) Join our Facebook page: This is a great way to connect with other Whittier families and send quick messages and get updates. https://www.facebook.com/groups/127540600656517/
Please contact Ann Russell @ AnnKHRussell@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Chess Scholars
Chess Scholars will be on Thursdays, 3:00-4:00 PM this Fall. The Fall Session will consist of 9 classes, running October 10th – December 19th, no classes on 10/31 or 11/28. To sign up, visit https://www.learningmeansfun.com/signup, enter in class code WDG10.10.19. Register by 10/2 for the early bird price of $123.00. If you have difficulty, please contact Afterschool Enrichment Solutions at 847-482-9999 or registration@learningmeansfun.com
Whittier COLOR Run
We are mixing up our annual run (a/k/a the Jaguar Jog) and turning it into a COLOR RUN! Our inaugural “Color Me Whitter” color run will be held on Friday, October 4th, 2019 at Whittier Elementary School. If you are interested in getting a jump start, you can register your students by visiting secure.getactivefundraising.com/event/2019-color-me-whittier-run.
We are also looking for Sponsors, please see the attached flyer for more details!
Whittier Walking Club
Calling for Parent (or Grandparent) volunteers to help keep track of the students, hand out “Cat Cash”, and manage the Walking Club Store. It is a great way to see your kids in action! We are in need of five volunteers per week – starting September 17th, during the lunch hour. Visit the PTA’s Walking Club page for more information and to sign up to volunteer: https://whittierschoolpta.org/volun…/walking-club-volunteers/ . E-mail Tess Spector with questions at terisaspector@gmail.com
