No School on Friday

Reminder – Friday, Feb. 15, will be a non-

attendance day for students and school-based

faculty and staff. The district's schools will be closed

on this day, but the administration building will be

open. The district's schools and administration

building will also be closed on Monday, Feb. 18, in

observance of Presidents Day.

Letter from Principal Robinson:

Students celebrated spirit week with twin day. Nurse Winkelhake joined in on the fun!

Upcoming Events February 12th: PTO meeting @ 7:00 PM

February 9th: PTO Trivia Night @ 7-11 PM

February 15th: SCHOOL CLOSED

February 18th: President’s Day, SCHOOL CLOSED

February 27th: End of 2nd Trimester

Hello Whittier Family and Friends, I cannot believe we are in the month of February! I am incredibly excited that this week starts the 1st week of Black History Month. A wise man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” During this month, we plan to celebrate those individuals that paved the foundation for us to continue to build on. I want to encourage our young scholars that their voices and words have power and when positively put to use can bring significant change. The Black History Month Committee and teachers have planned many engaging activities for our young scholars to learn about a mixture of historical and current African American figures making a positive impact on society. A huge shout out to our staff and parents that braved the frigid weather to conduct Parent/Teacher Conferences. I hope that each family walked away with valuable information and data about their child(ren)'s academic, behavioral, and social growth from fall to winter trimester. I am always excited to witness the collaboration between home and school to ensure the academic success of all our scholars. Please be on the outlook for a brief survey about your P/T Conference experience as we continue to improve our practices at Whittier. We thank you for spending the evening with us! Happy Reading! Principal Robinson

Second Step’s Bully Prevention Units

Whittier has implemented Second Step’s Bullying Prevention Units (K-5) to support students’ social-emotional well-being and academic success. The Bullying Prevention lessons are based on the latest field research and teaches students to recognize, report and refuse bullying. It aligns with common anti-bullying law, including those pertaining to school policies, professional development, and parent and student education. The curriculum also utilizes an integrated approach, engaging lessons and videos, and educational materials intended to be reviewed at home with families.

The Bullying Prevention lessons help students identify bullying behaviors, consequences of bullying behaviors, and a system to report bullying. It also sets a positive school culture, supports adults in their efforts to reduce bullying, and encourages students to use assertiveness and self-advocacy skills. Moreover, the lessons teach explicit skills for including others to join in activities, which can reduce the social isolation that contributes to bullying.

We are excited to be providing these lessons! We want to ensure all students are respectful, responsible, and safe while at Whittier- where we belong!

University of Chicago 5Essentials Survey

The 5Essentials Survey is focused on our educational practices and school climate. The parent survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The survey closes on Wednesday, February 15th. You can access this survey at http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/. It is the goal of Whitter to have a 90% parent participation rate, as of now we have 54% parent participation. Help use reach our goal by completing the 5E survey as soon as possible.

Black History Month 2019 “Because of them we can…..”

The month of February marks the beginning of Black History month. Whittier School’s students, staff, and parent volunteers are working together to create a month dedicated to remembering influential African American figures in history and current, young African Americans who have either made or are currently making a mark on today’s society.

During the month of February, there will be a morning spotlight that will be highlighting one of these individuals each day. The morning spotlights will allow students to understand that they too are capable of making a positive mark on the world.

In our front entrance display case, these current and historical African American individuals will be on display with more information about how they have paved the way for fighting for equality for all. Some of the individuals being highlighted include Ruby Bridges, Little Rock 9, Mari Copney, Essynce Moore and AJ Carr. Whittier is excited to partake in the morning spotlights as well as other events centered around celebrating African American History.

Cold Weather Reminders

The forecast for the next several weeks is predicted to bring frigid temperatures to the Chicago land area. Cold weather means students should be dressed appropriately to prevent illness and to ensure comfort. Jackets, gloves, hats, and warm footwear should be worn outdoors. Our school policy is that if the “feels like” temperature is in the single digits, all outdoor activities will be canceled. Students will have indoor recess when this occurs.

BLACK HISTORY LITERACY NIGHT

Come Celebrate Black History Month with your Whittier FamilyWednesday, Feb. 27th

6:00 – 7:30pm

Story time, family read, crafts, activism, snacks and more! All Whittier families are welcome and encouraged to attend.

happening at the fun fair

THERE ARE 2 THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW!

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 2ND

Mark your calendar

and plan to come

have fun!

Plan to host a party

with your friends to

benefit the PTO.

Take a moment to get

inspired by the fun

party ideas included

with this sheet and fill

out the attached Party

Donation Form. At the

auction, Whittier

families will sign up

and make a donation

to attend.

1Forms are due by February 26th. Contact Edith Gomero, edith_jason143@yahoo.com with questions.

FAMILY AND TEACHER HOSTED PARTIES AND EXPERIENCES

happening at the fun fair

Family Game Night Karaoke Party

Mother/Daughter Craft

and Tea Party Parents Night Out Dinner Party

Spring Training – Private baseball

lessons by Whittier Parent

End of School Year Primpfest

for K-2 girls

Parties hosted by student

groups, such as the girl scouts,

chess club, or other Legacy Sports and Pizza party

If you have any questions or would like to explore a party idea, please contact Edith Gomero, edith_jason143@yahoo.com

1 2

3 4

Find a Co-Host (or two or

three) – Planning a party is

a great way to spend extra

time with your friends.

Pick a theme, venue,

date (between March 15

and September 30)

and time for your party.

Determine who the party

is for (adults only, whole

families, or just kids – the

choice is yours) and decide

how many spaces to offer.

Fill out the attached

Party Donation Form

and return it to the office

by Feb 26th, or email it to

edith_jason143@yahoo.com.

Here are some examples from previous years to get you thinking:

HOST A PARTY TO BENEFIT THE PTO!

2

happening at the fun fair

Completed forms are due Tuesday February 26th. Forms can be submitted to the Whittier office

or emailed to Edith Gomero at edith_jason143@yahoo.com

The Whittier PTO is a non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Our tax ID# is 36-3767228

PARTY DONATION FORM

YES, I am interested in donating an experience or hosting a party for the

Whittier Spring Auction.

Host Name(s)

Street Address (for tax letter)

City, State and Zip Code

Phone Email

Title of Event

Date Location

Detailed Description of Event

Who is invited to attend? (Families, adults only,

kids only, 2nd and 3rd Graders only, etc.)

Number of people/families who can attend the event

Suggested price per person/family

If the party sells out can we offer more spaces?

Y / N How many?

Winner should contact

3

Buy your tickets early and SAVE!!! FUN FAIR

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 11a-3p

(games close at 2:30p) Cake Walk: Please bake or buy for the MOST POPULAR EVENT AT THE FUN FAIR…….THE CAKE WALK!!! Baked goods may be dropped off in the school office on Friday, 3/1 by 3pm or you

may bring them to the mini gym by 10:30am on Saturday 3/2.

Silent Auction: Details to follow!

Volunteers: Please see SignUp email coming soon!

Ticket discount! Ticket Deal! Purchase your tickets in advance and

SAVE MONEY!!! …and time! Please fill out the order form below and return it with payment to the office or your child’s teacher BY WEDNESDAY 2/27 or purchase tickets online on the PTO page of the Whittier

website. $1 service fee per package applies.

******************************************************************* FUN FAIR ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE

Name:___________________________ Phone:_________________________

Email:___________________________

Indicate how many of each package you would like to purchase. Your tickets may be picked up at WILL CALL on Fun Fair Day 3/2.

___ 20 tickets – $9.00 (45 cents per ticket)

___ 40 tickets - $16.00 (40 cents per ticket)

(Tickets may be purchased for 50 cents each on Fun Fair day.)

Payment may be made by cash or by check made out to WHITTIER PTO

Amount enclosed: $_____ Check #_____ (if applicable)

Questions? Contact Amy Soumar at asoumar@earthlink.net or Robert Hickok at rhickok123@gmail.com

Don’t be TARDY To the Party!

Here’s another chance to win a great prize! It’s easy – just come to school on time each day during the month of February! Students who arrive at school each day by 8am will have their name entered into the raffle. We will be tracking from February 1st to February 28th.

We will choose 6 names, one from each grade level, and those students will be called down to the office to receive a prize. Prizes have been donated by our wonderful Whittier PTO.

The next drawing will take place on January 31st.

Please join Girl Scout Troop #45556 in our efforts to collect requested items for the Oak 

Park River Forest Food Pantry now through February 14th in the Whittier Lobby! 

Requested donations include: 

At the request of the OPRF Food Pantry, only items in their original packaging can be accepted. Medication, homemade, 

expired, or open items cannot be accepted.  

Thank you for your support! For questions or arrangements for last minute pickup of items, please contact Destinie Brannigan (destiniebrannigan@gmail.com), Sofia Villafuerte (sofiavillafuerte@gmail.com), or Megan Galeener (mebrubak@gmail.com). 

Distribution of information by a community group in accordance with District97 policy does not imply, directly or indirectly, that the group's program(s), event(s) and/or service(s) is sanctioned, sponsored or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education or the superintendent.

What is the Whittier

approach to school

discipline?

How do we promote

positive behavior in

difficult classroom

situations?

What is PBIS?

Presented by

Patrick RobinsonWhittier Principal

Sideeka Ryan, LCSWWhittier School Social Worker

Chasity McComb-WilliamsWhittier Student Support Specialist

A series of discussions that will take place

throughout the course of the school year to

inform parents and caregivers about certain

aspects of their child’s life at Whittier.

Tuesday, February 19, 2018

6:00–8:00pm

Childcare will be provided

Sponsored by the