Welcome Back Families!

 Thank you all for a strong first week back! We missed your kids are enjoying having everyone back in the building.  

• Thank you, Ms. Haslam, for sharing your engagement strategy example during the faculty meeting.  
• Thank you to our Team Leads for the thoughtful organization and leadership in PLCs.  
• Thank you to 6th grade for your work with the Humane Society—and the pet chinchilla!  
• Thank you, Ms. Montejo, for your highly engaging SHRIMP lesson. 
• Great work to all teams for reflecting on their within PLCs to work on developing meaningful instruction.   
• Thank you reading intervention team for all of the hard work.

Wheel Shoes:  

 Although the Whittier floors are super fun for wheel shoes, students are not permitted to use wheel shoes at school. Wheel shoes may not be used during school hours for safety reasons.    

After-School Tutoring  

• Resumes January 20 through April 30   

Acadience reading testing 

Thank you for your support with the Acadience reading testing that was administered this Tuesday. The students were well rested and calm, which helped the testing go smoothly.

End of Term is this Friday Jan 9th  

Wednesday, January 21 – 8:15 a.m.  

• Hearing screenings at Whittier Elementary  

Thursday, January 22 – 9:00 a.m.  

• Science Fair  

📍 6th Grade Science Room (We would love to have support with judging) 

Friday, January 23 – 1:00–1:30 p.m.  

• Ice Cream Celebration for 75 students who participated in the Science Fair  

📍 Cafeteria  

Hosted by the PTA   

Friday, January 23 – 10:30 a.m.  

• Maturation Program (5th Grade Only) 

( Permission slips needed if you would like your child to attend) 

Tuesday, March 31  

• Whittier Choir Performance (5th and 6th Grade)  

📍 Hillside Middle School  

(Students will miss part of the school day — more details coming soon)  

📅 Weekly Schedule  

Monday, January 12  

• District CogAT ELP Testing  

Tuesday, January 13  

• ELP 3rd Grade Testing    

Wednesday, January 14  

• No scheduled events  

Thursday, January 15  

• No scheduled events  

Friday, January 16  

• Short Day  

Thank you all for your continued commitment to our students and community.  

Ms. Caroline's Counseling Corner:  

Happy New Year! As we begin the new year, here’s a quick look at what’s happening in school counseling this month. 

Classroom Counseling & Word of the Month 

Our Word of the Month for January is Growth Mindset — learning from mistakes, trying again, and believing we can grow with effort and practice. 

• Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Students are learning about confidence through the SPOT curriculum — believing in themselves and trying hard things even when they feel challenging. 
• Grades 2–6: Students are working on growth mindset and goal setting, learning how effort, practice, and mistakes help us grow. 

Thank You, Whittier Community! 

We also want to extend a huge thank you to our families and community for your generosity through the Gift Card Giving Tree. Together, we raised over $5,000 in gift cards to support Whittier families with groceries, necessities, and holiday gifts. Your kindness made a meaningful difference and was deeply appreciated.