Are you missing something?

The Whittier Lost & Found is again

reaching maximum

capacity! Is your child

missing a coat, a

sweatshirt, water

bottle, lunch bag?

Please check out our Lost & Found.

We will clear it out on Friday,

December 14, 2018. Any items

remaining will be donated to charity.

Don’t be TARDY To the Party!

Do you want another chance to win a great prize? It’s easy – just come to school on time each day during the month of December! Students who arrive at school each day by 8am will have their name entered into the raffle. We will be tracking from December 3rd to December 21st.

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 December 21st.

WINTER SESSION Monday, January 7 to Thursday, March 21 for most classes

(Chicago Edge Soccer and both Multi-Sport Madness classes will start the week of February 4)

THE LINE UP

Day Time Class Grades Duration Price (Early Bird/Regular)

Monday No class: 1/21, 1/28, 2/18

3:15 – 4:15 Hip Hop Dance 1-5 8 classes $120/$130 Toyology 2-5 8 classes $130/$140 Science Lab K-2 8 classes $125/$135 Let’s Get Crafty 2-5 8 classes $130/$140 NEW! Clay with Miss Connell K-5 8 classes $105/$115

Chicago Edge Soccer* (first class 2/4) K-3 6 classes $70/$80 Tuesday No class: 1/29 3:15 – 4:15

Yoga Kids K-5 10 classes $140/$150 Kitchen Wizards K-5 10 classes $140/$150 Learn to Knit 3-5 10 classes $105/$115 Coding for Kids 3-5 10 classes $105/$115 Jr. Engineers K-2 10 classes $140/$150 Multi-Sport Madness (Younger Kids)* (first class 2/5)

K-2 7 classes $100/$110

Wednesday No class: 1/30

2:45 – 4:15 (note: 1.5 hour class)

BACK! Homesteading K-5 10 classes $160/$170 Actor’s Garden K-5 10 classes $150/$160 Multi-Sport Madness (Older Kids)* (first class 2/6)

3-5 7 classes $125/$135

Thursday No class: 1/31

3:15 – 4:15 Taekwondo K-5 10 classes $130/$140 Dynamic Chess K-5 10 classes $160/$170 Experiential Painting K-5 10 classes $185/$195 NEW! Wildcat Ensemble 3-5 10 classes $95/$105

* Chicago Edge Soccer and both Multi-Sport Madness classes will begin in February, due to space

restrictions in the gym in January.

CHANGES to WISE PROGRAM for WINTER 2019

• For the first time ever, registration will be online only. If you will have difficulty getting internet access during the registration period, please email wisewhittier@gmail.com or call the Whittier office at 708-524-3080 for special accommodations.

• Due to space restriction in the gym for the month of January, three classes will start the week of February 4: Chicago Edge Soccer, Multi-Sport Madness (Younger Kids) and Multi-Sport Madness (Older Kids).

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND DATES • Registration is ONLINE ONLY at http://whittierpto.org/index.php/wise/. • Registration opens Monday, December 3 and ends Friday, December 14. • All scholarship requests MUST be received by Wednesday, December 12. • Register by Wednesday, December 12 to save $10/class. • We are using a new streamlined registration system. • All classes are eligible for cancellation due to low registration.

SCHOLARSHIPS The PTO will continue to offer need-based scholarships to those who qualify (maximum one course per child). Check the box on the registration form to request. Scholarships, like all WISE classes, are first-come, first-served. No scholarship requests will be accepted after Wednesday, December 12.

REGISTRATION Registration begins Monday, December 3 and ends Friday, December 14. Classes are first-come, first-served. In the past, many classes have filled up the first day, so register early. Go to http://whittierpto.org/index.php/wise/ to register and pay online via PayPal.

Registration is online only. If you will have difficulty getting internet access during the registration period, please email wisewhittier@gmail.com or call the Whittier office at 708-524-3080 to make special accommodations.

You will receive registration confirmation by email the week before Winter Break. No registrations will be accepted after the session has begun, and no refunds will be issued after the second class. Registrations without payment will not be accepted unless you are requesting a scholarship.

LOGISTICS • After the dismissal bell, your child will report to the auditorium, where attendance will be taken and

children will receive a nut-free snack. • Instructors will escort your child to the front office of the school at the end of WISE.

Parents/guardians should pick up their children PROMPTLY at 4:15 pm. • If your child will be absent, please mention WISE when you call the school office, so that we are

alerted. We take your children's safety very seriously, and we must account for every child.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES! WISE needs volunteers for our program to run. If you are able to help take attendance and supervise students before classes start OR help dismiss them when classes end, please keep an eye out for an email to sign up. Attendance volunteers will receive $50 off of one class, to be given as a refund after registration ends. Email wisewhittier@gmail.com with questions. Thank you for your continued support.

QUESTIONS? Please email WISEwhittier@gmail.com or call the Whittier office at 708-524-3080. If you have suggestions on how to improve the WISE program, please email us at wisewhittier@gmail.com.

Course Descriptions Winter

MONDAYS 3:15 – 4:15 pm

Hip Hop Dance (1st – 5th Grade) Instructor: TranscenDance Studios Learn the most current hip hop moves and dance to today's most popular music hits! By the end of the session, students will learn a hip hop dance and perform it for family and friends at an informal showcase the last 10 minutes of class at Whittier. New choreography is presented each session! Dancers should wear comfortable clothing they can move in and gym shoes. (Min. 6, Max. 16 students)

Chicago Edge Soccer (K – 3rd Grade) Instructor: Chicago Edge Academy The class offers an ideal introduction to the game of soccer brought to you by Chicago Edge, Oak Park's travel soccer club. Players will be introduced to the fundamentals of the game using games and activities in a dynamic and FUN environment. NOTE: Due to space restrictions in the gym, the first class for Chicago Edge Soccer will be Monday, February 4. (Min. 8, Max. 18 students)

Toyology (2nd – 5th Grade) Instructor: MAPP Sports MAPP Sports is offering a STEM-inspired classroom opportunity to learn the science and business behind creating your own board game! Students will work from a workbook (included) and do hands-on study with plastics and slime (!), then move into creating their own board game. Students learn how to create appealing packaging and determine the cost of their game. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to begin shaping kids’ views of how integrity-driven businesses can succeed in the future economy of America. Equipment needed: calculator, pencil/pen. (Min. 4, Max. 10 students)

The Science Lab (K – 2nd Grade) Instructors: Caroline Baker and Kathy Villasin Discover and learn about science in the world around you in ways you never expected! With the classroom as our lab, each week you'll become the scientists and conduct exciting experiments. Together we will investigate topics from all disciplines of science. Our experiments will often include something gooey, strange, stinky, colorful, explosive, pretty, or surprising, and will always be fun! We'll take time to learn about what's happening in each lab. Students will be encouraged to generate and share their own ideas about the science behind what they observe. Participants will also finish the class with a lab book of experiments that can be conducted again at home. (Min. 7, Max. 16 students)

Let’s Get Crafty Basic Sewing & Crafts (2nd – 5th Grade) Instructors: Georgina Swanson and Nancy Hoehne Do you like to do different kinds of crafts or sew? Join Let's Get Crafty to make a variety of crafts with fabric, yarn and other supplies. It will be a chance to be creative while we make things together and learn new skills. (Min. 8, Max. 12 students)

Course Descriptions Winter

NEW! Clay with Miss Connell (K-5th Grade) Instructor: Hannah Connell Are you into slimy things? Do you love to get your hands dirty? Have you always wanted more opportunities to work with clay outside of art class? If "YES!" is the answer to all of these questions then sign up for Clay with Miss Connell! We will learn all sorts of clay building techniques while allowing freedom to have creative choice and experimentation. (Min. 4, Max. 20 students)

TUESDAYS 3:15 – 4:15 pm

YogaKids (K – 5th Grade) Instructor: Kim Vulinovic We’ll stretch like dogs and fly like eagles! YogaKids classes use yoga as a springboard for education. Each class explores a different theme through movement, storytelling and meditation. Poses strengthen and stretch muscles. Breathing naturally tunes kids into their energy levels. And books, toys and games make each class fun and educational. Yoga unites the body and mind to improve self-esteem, focus and fitness. To participate fully in the class, children should wear comfortable clothes (e.g., leggings/sweats, not dresses, tights or jeans). (Min. 6, Max. 16 students)

Kitchen Wizards (K – 5th Grade) Instructors: Kerri Druckmiller and Sondra Nelson Calling all chefs! Explore cooking in fun and interesting ways as we create recipes that you can make again at home. Each participant will receive a collection of recipes that we make during the class! NOTE: Be sure to note your child’s allergies on your registration for optimum class participation. (Min. 8, Max. 15 students)

Multi-Sport Madness (Younger Kids) (K – 2nd Grade) Instructor: Legacy Sports One of Legacy Sports’ most popular programs includes variations of traditional gym games like relay races, tag, capture the flag, dodgeball, and soccer, as well as our popular Legacy games like Hand Hockey, Illinois Jones and Battleship. You don’t want to miss out! NOTE: Due to space restrictions in the gym, the first class for Multi-Sport Madness will be Tuesday, February 5. (Min. 10, Max. 20 students) includes t-shirt

Learn to Knit (3rd – 5th Grade) Instructor: Georgina Swanson This beginner class will introduce students to the basic knitting stitch. We will practice knitting with the goal of making a small bag or pouch by the end of the session. (Min. 5, Max. 8 students)

Coding for Kids (3rd – 5th Grade) Instructors: Paula Spring and Rachel Kiferbaum Learn to code by exploring different programming sites, including Scratch, designed for younger programmers. Then create animations, games, and other fun projects. We will also use our coding skills to program robots, including the Sphero and Ozobot. All programming experience levels welcome; we will build up from wherever your skill level begins. (Min. 6, Max. 12 students)

Course Descriptions Winter

Jr. Engineers: Design and Discover (K-2nd Grade) Instructors: Caroline Baker and Kathy Villasin Plan and carry out your own investigations to solve a challenge! Students will be presented with an engineering challenge and work through the engineering process to plan, design, construct, test, and evaluate a solution. We’ll use a variety of building materials, many that you would have in your own home. Students will often work together in teams to ask questions, define problems, and explain solutions. Our focus will be as much on the process as the result. This exciting class is based on the Next Generation Science Standards, which have an emphasis on the integration of technology and engineering in science education. (Min. 7, Max. 16 students)

WEDNESDAYS 2:45 – 4:15 pm (note classes are an hour and a half)

Multi-Sport Madness (Older Kids) (3rd— 5th Grade) Instructor: Legacy Sports One of Legacy Sports’ most popular programs includes variations of traditional gym games like relay races, tag, capture the flag, dodgeball, and soccer, as well as our popular Legacy games like Hand Hockey, Illinois Jones and Battleship. You don’t want to miss out! NOTE: Due to space restrictions in the gym, the first class for Multi-Sport Madness will be Wednesday, February 6. (Min. 10, Max. 20 students) includes t-shirt

BACK! Homesteading (2nd – 5th Grade) Instructor: Sugar Beet Schoolhouse

Inspired by our popular Summer Homesteading Camp, we have pulled together the highlights for an after school program. From making dough to sewing to making beeswax candles, students will learn self reliance and “do it yourself” skills that cultivate resourcefulness and an appreciation for the hand made. Each class will have a “make and take” component as kids learn to make useful items for their home. Weavings, candles, paper, books, natural dyes and more! It’s so much fun to make a beautiful home and world together. (Min. 8, Max. 12 students)

Actor's Garden: A Play a Day (K – 5th Grade) Instructor: Alex Frisch Students will take a quick bow as they put on a mini play every class. Each week each student will receive a script, be cast in a role, learn blocking and maybe even put on a costume piece or two. The only thing we will not have is an audience. This class is an opportunity to explore putting on production without the added pressure of getting it “performance ready.” Students will also engage in theatre games and acting exercises, making this class a perfect blend of process and product. This is all about FUN! (Min. 9, Max. 15 students)

Course Descriptions Winter

THURSDAYS 3:15 – 4:15 pm

Taekwondo (K – 5th Grade) Instructor: Flying V Martial Arts Our Taekwondo classes offers a total fitness program integrating mind, body and spirit. The program focuses on improving not only basic motor skills, but developing students’ confidence, self-esteem, discipline, respect and focus. Furthermore, our program consists of a balanced cardiovascular workout, including punching, kicking, and blocking skills while using self-control and the Taekwondo tradition. Participants will improve coordination, power of concentration, balance, and both physical and mental discipline. The program will encourage students’ sense of commitment and persistence in the face of challenges while helping them enter society with a more confident and enthusiastic outlook. (Min. 5, Max. 20 students)

Dynamic Chess (K – 5th Grade) Instructor: William Aramil Classes are intended to increase the chess knowledge of every child. In addition, children will be able to apply the overall thinking skills learned from the chess program to other areas within their education. Each student will begin as a Pawn (the first level) and progress their way up to a King (the 6th level) as they show their efficiency and mastery of topics within the curriculum. All playing levels are welcome, including absolute beginners! All children signed up for Dynamic Chess at Whittier will be given access to Chesskid.com for an entire calendar year ($50 value). Children will be able to play others in class and all over the world online, watch videos, and work on several exercises to unlock online achievements! (Min. 10, Max. 30 students)

Experiential Painting (K – 5th Grade) Instructor: Terry Mueller Children flourish when they have a creative outlet. Experiential Painting gives kids full freedom to express themselves through painting in a structured, non-judgmental environment. In this class, students will learn how to access creative flow and create paintings that come alive with their authentic nature spilling out onto the page. Skill develops naturally as the children learn, through experience, how to work with the materials and access their own inner muse. Participants should bring an old shirt or smock to class to protect clothing. (Min. 6, Max. 15 students)

NEW! Wildcat Ensemble (3rd-5th Grade) Instructor: Anjali Karia Do you want a chance to play and sing more music, using instruments you’ve begun to use in music class? Join Ms. Karia and the Wildcat Ensemble, which will incorporate West African drums, the Orff (xylophone), and singing. In our WISE class, we will be learning pieces we have not learned in class in varying styles (African folk, pop, etc.) By the end of the course we will have learned at least two songs to perform during the last class session. (Min. 8, Max. 15 students)

Instructors Winter

WILLIAM ARAMIL (Dynamic Chess) William Aramil is a U.S. National Master and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess Openings. William was the 2002 and 2003 Illinois High School Champion and also the 2003 Denker National High School Champion. In 2004, he won the collegiate section of the K-12/ Collegiate Championship. William is the trainer of the 2011 and 2013 Whitney Young Magnet High School State Champions. He has also coached the Kindergarten State Champion and several other top players at the elementary level in the state. William is the current Head Coach of the OPRF High School Chess Team. (www.dynamicchessinc.com)

CAROLINE BAKER (Jr. Engineers, The Science Lab) Mrs. Baker has taught kindergarten and first grade at Whittier for over ten years. She also taught first grade at Irving school in Oak Park before joining Whittier. Mrs. Baker has lived in Oak Park for more than 20 years and has three children. She is looking forward to another year of offering hands on learning at Whittier through the WISE program.

HANNAH CONNELL (Clay with Miss Connell) Miss Connell recently graduated from Michigan State, is a Whittier alum and coaches the OPRF girls swim team! She could not be happier to be back at the place where her love for art began. As an artist, she has worked with many art forms and is most passionate about passion, no matter what that passion may be. She hopes to help guide our awesome Whittier Wildcats in finding and expressing their own passion through art making.

KERRI DRUCKMILLER (Kitchen Wizards) Whittier's own Kerri Druckmiller, M.S., currently teaches second grade and is a former Whittier parent. Past recipient of the Illinois Golden Apple award for excellence in teaching, she looks forward to cooking up a storm!

ALEX FRISCH (Actor's Garden: A Play a Day) Alex Frisch has enjoyed working with the Actor's Garden for the last decade, first as a student, then as a counselor, and for past two summers as Summer Camp Assistant Director. She has a degree in Theatre from Northwestern University and is currently working as an Assistant Speech Team Coach at OPRFHS while completing a secondary concentration in History from Northwestern. Her career as a Chicago Actor and Teaching Artist has been, and will continue to be, driven by her passion for story-based, interactive learning and education.

JODY GERUT (Toyology (MAPP Sports - Director)) Jody Gerut retired from Major League Baseball in 2011 after 11 professional seasons. A Stanford University graduate, Jody is a Residential Mortgage Professional who lives with his wife Mary, sons Mario and Troy, and daughter Alessandra here in Oak Park. His company MAPP Sports works with teams, leagues, and individual players across the country on a variety of activities including team training, general skills clinics, and confidence building. His website is www.mappsports.com. Jody is the Director of this program and is responsible for ensuring a positive experience for every child.

NANCY HOEHNE (Let's Get Crafty Basic Sewing and Crafts) Nancy Hoehne is a third grade teacher at Whittier School. She minored in Art and knows that the importance of creating and making things teaches you about self-expression and finding your hidden talents. She is looking forward to teaching Let's Get Crafty and making projects with a group of enthusiastic Whittier kids!!

DAN KANE & LEGACY SPORTS (Floor Hockey/Dodgeball and Multi-Sport Madness) Dan is the owner of Legacy Sports Camp. Dan coached boys' and girls' junior high basketball for four years at St. Giles and has run basketball camps and programs for over 10 years.

ANJALI KARIA (Wildcat Ensemble) Anjali Karia is the K-5 music teacher at Whittier. She has been in the district since 2004 and has also taught music at Holmes and Beye. Previous to teaching, Ms. Karia was a professional actress, performing in musicals and plays in the Chicago and New York areas.

RACHEL KIFERBAUM (Coding for Kids) Rachel Kiferbaum (formerly Molnar) is the 2nd grade co-teacher here at Whittier. She is a University of Iowa alumnus. She has been teaching coding for several years, and she is very excited to be teaching the Coding for Kids class this winter.

Instructors Winter

TERRY MUELLER (Experiential Painting) Terry Mueller has been teaching Experiential Painting with kids since 2009, when she opened her studio, Creative Changes. She has taught kids' summer camps sponsored by the Oak Park Arts District and the Oak Park Art League for several years. She's been offering her creative painting class in after school programs in Oak Park since 2013 and is continually fascinated by the creative nature of children. Since 2001, Terry has painted with Michele Cassou, who is the developer of Process Painting (aka Experiential and/or Point Zero Painting).

SONDRA NELSON (Kitchen Wizards) Sondra Nelson, M.A., is a former Whittier parent, a Whittier first grade teacher and a veteran WISE instructor. She is excited, once again, to share her enthusiasm for cooking with a great group of kids.

CESAR RAMIREZ (Chicago Edge Soccer) Cesar holds a National D License coaching license from US Soccer and has been a professional soccer coach with the Chicago Edge for three years. Cesar has also been coaching bilingual soccer classes with Montessori schools in the community for a number of years.

PAULA SPRING (Coding for Kids) Paula Spring is the Instructional Coach at Whittier. A former classroom teacher, she loves computer science and has taught many programming classes for kids. She is very excited to be teaching the Coding for Kids class this winter.

SUGAR BEET SCHOOLHOUSE (Homesteading) Sugar Beet Schoolhouse is a non profit that provides positive, hands-on learning experiences that connect people with good food. Started by Whittier mom Cheryl Munoz, Sugar Beet Schoolhouse offers cooking, gardening and wellness workshops out of their kitchen and greenhouse in River Forest. The Schoolhouse also partners with area schools and community organizations to ensure that everyone has access to fun and engaging experience that inspire a new generation of Good Food Advocates.

GEORGINA SWANSON (Let's Get Crafty Basic Sewing and Crafts, Learn to Knit) Georgina Swanson is a third grade teacher at Whittier School. She loves sewing, quilting and making many different kinds of things. She is looking forward to teaching Let's Get Crafty and Learn to Knit and making projects with enthusiastic Whittier kids!!

TRANSCENDANCE STUDIOS (Hip Hop Dance) TranscenDance Studios is a bold, fresh dance studio in Oak Park offering dance and tumbling classes for boys and girls ages 3 through adult. TranscenDance Studios strives to offer the highest quality dance education in a supportive and individualized manner, providing its students with cutting-edge tools to succeed in the realm of dance, as well as in life’s other expeditions. TranscenDance Studios also houses multiple award-winning competitive teams for dancers ages 5 to 19 who are interested in additional performance opportunities, taking their technique to the next level, and having lots of fun in a supportive team atmosphere. Auditions for the competitive team Company Program are held each September. Please check out www.TranscenDanceStudios.com for more information about classes and competitive teams. We look forward to seeing you in our WISE Hip Hop class!

KATHY VILLASIN (Jr. Engineers, The Science Lab) Kathy Villasin is a kindergarten teacher and former Whittier parent. She has degrees in Teaching, Child Development, and Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Villasin is excited to explore and experiment with the students in the Science Lab class.

VINSON VILLENA (Flying V Martial Arts) Master Vinson Villena has over twenty-five years of experience practicing the martial art of Taekwondo and has taught across Asia and the United States. Some of his accomplishments in this sport include being a Sixth Degree Black Belt, an NCAA Taekwondo MVP, a Certified International Instructor, and former Philippine Taekwondo Team Player. Additionally, he has competed and won in several local and international tournaments. He opened Flying V Martial Arts in 2013 in Oak Park because he loved what he was doing and wanted to share the true meaning of marital arts - respect, discipline, focus, confidence, self-esteem - with his students. Focusing on the true meaning along with character development helps his students reach their full potential. Classes are taught with genuine care to enhance students’ spirit and life through training their body and mind.

KIM VULINOVIC (YogaKids) Kim Vulinovic is a Whittier alum and the director and teacher of the YogaKids classes at Oak Park Yoga. She has studied a variety of yoga styles for over 20 years. She is a Certified YogaKids Teacher (CYKT) and a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). Kim has found that both boys and girls enjoy the active, calming and fun parts that comprise each YogaKids

OPEF has been delivering free, hands-on STEAM enrichment programs to Oak Park schools for over 25 years. In 2017-18 OPEF served more than 4,100 D97 students.

Architecture Adventure — Architects design, build and explore the human-made world with 3rd-8th graders.

Art Start — Artists animate the curriculum through visual and performing arts residencies with K-2nd graders.

Geared Up — 3rd-grade students engineer simple machines using specialized LEGOs; also used in the 7th grade science curriculum.

Science Alliance — Working scientists conduct experiments and lead field trips with 4th and 5th graders.

VEX Robotics — Tech experts work with teams of middle schoolers to design, build, program and compete with robots.

Spoken Word — Middle schoolers find and cultivate their unique voices by reading, writing and performing poetry.

Our experts enrichedthe lessons of

Whittier students in 2017-18. Enjoy a few highlights from this

past year.

Whittier ELEMENTARY

1 Crime, Grime, and Inclines In Science Alliance, Forensic scientist Dr. Brent Friesen worked with

students on solving a crime by identifying unknown white powders based on how they reacted with known solutions. Meanwhile, Dr. Brian Mitchell of Northwestern University investigated whose hands were the dirtiest and Dr. David Kupperman of Argonne National Labs gave 4th graders some hands-on experiences with gravity and its effects on objects in free-fall and on an inclined plane.

2 Artful Gratitude Second graders in Ms. Druckmiller’s class worked with teaching artist

Guillermo Delgado on a project that allowed them to explore the ideas of thankfulness and gratitude. Each of the artist’s visits began with a short walking or stretching meditation. Students then created a series of colored tin milagros working with themes of gratitude and thankfulness in the shapes of hands, hearts and stars. The finished pieces became part of an installation in the Whittier garden.

Science Alliance

Art Start

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3 Batteries Not Included (or needed) Third graders used LEGOs to build on their understanding of simple machines such as pulleys and levers and how these machines operate in our daily lives.

4 Space, Shape + Form Second grade students in Ms. Williams’ and Ms. Wright’s class visited the

Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio and learned how space, shape and form can affect the way you live in a given space. Students created a floor plan for a client and then built a 3-D model of their design.

Oak Park Education Foundation

B • A • S • E C A M P

f i t yOak Park Education Foundation is a privately funded nonprofit organization that brings artists, architects, scientists, and technology experts into K-8th grade classrooms at every District 97 school. Learn more at opef.org.

Geared Up

Architecture Adventure

BASE Camp is a fee-based summer enrichment program that helps support OPEF. More than 900 students enrolled in BASE Camp in 2018. More than 120 Oak Park students attended camps on scholarship.

Beye School and Beye PTO Inclusion and Diversity Committee present

2019 Parent Empowerment Workshop

Saturday, January 12, 2019Beye School Auditorium

230 North Cuyler Oak Park, IL 60302

9:30AM-11:15AM Session 1: Be a Prepared Parent: How to Navigate the Special Education World

Jackie Ross, an attorney for Equip for Equality will provide an overview of special Education law and how it applies to our students, help us know what to expect during the referral and evaluation process and during IEP meetings, give us tips to understanding school evaluations and provide suggestions on how to best organize materials so that we can be prepared, effective advocates for our kids and partners with our schools.

11:15AM-12PM Lunch (Pizza is provided)

12-2:30 Session 2: Utilizing the Collaborative Problem Solving Approach at home or in a classroom

Would you describe your child’s behavior as “explosive” or “challenging?” Bring peace toyour home or classroom by learning Ross Greene’s process for identifying your child’s lagging skills, how to help your child improve those skills, and how to work with your child toward collaborative and proactive solutions. Katie Trathen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds a Professional Educator’s License in School Social Work. Katie is currently working at a public school district in the Western Suburbs, where she is a Behavior Specialist – training and consulting with educators regarding students with behavioral challenges and/or mental health concerns. An Adjunct Instructor at Dominican University’s Graduate School of Social Work, Katie is passionate about adult learning and professional development.

Parents/caregivers are welcome to attend either or both sessions. Advance registration is kindly requested here or email trfisher@gmail.com. Please let us know if any accommodations or supports would help you fully participate.

PTO Update Page 2

Student Ref lect ions Page 3

Whit t ier Winners Page 6

PALMS Page 7

Super Flex Page 12

WHITTIER ELEMENTARY715 NORTH HARVEY

OAK PARK, ILLINOIS 60302 708.524.3080

www.op97.org/whit t ier

In This IssueDecember 2018

 

Warmest wishes as we head into the winter season and celebrations!

We are definitely grateful for a much needed, extended break for our teachers, staff , and students to spend time with family. Hope your Thanksgiving was the best yet!

It was a great start to the 2018/2019 school year, now on to our second trimester. Pretty soon we will planning for the summer!

Our PTO Team has been hard at work fundraising and putting programs in place.

Last month, at our PTO meeting the board enthusiastically voted to fund a grant for the Whittier ?I Belong? init iative. Be on the lookout for Mr. Robinson?s new school-wide positivity plan.

We have exceeded our fundraising goals, and we have our Whittier parents to thank for that.

Whether you chaired an event, volunteered, attended or donated money (or a combination), we could not accomplish what we do without you. You are what makes Whittier the community we are all so proud to be a part of.

Thank you to Kristina Ryan for our successful second annual restaurant fundraiser with Thai Oak Park Express. Our families turned out by the dozens which was great to see.

And, thank you to the Girl Scouts and Carolyn Fitzpatrick for hosting another successful Harvest Dance! The Great Outdoors was such a fun reminder that we can appreciate nature even while jamming to tunes on a cold fall day.

Mark Your Calendars for the Upcoming Events:

Thursday, December 6th

Our next PTO meeting is our holiday gathering, which will be hosted at the home of PTO Secretary Robert Hickock at 7PM. As always, all are invited, but please note this time NO childcare will be provided. This is a BYOB, catered event. Find RSVP details in the Digital Backpack.

If you miss a meeting, you can always catch the minutes on the Whittier PTO website.

Saturday, February 9th

4th Annual Trivia night! This is a great date night and a chance to match wits with your fellow Wildcat parents. Also for those less competit ive types, it 's simply a great t ime to socialize and unwind. Or volunteer! Please be on the lookout for the volunteer sign up. If you volunteer during the event, you get in for free!

Happy Holidays!Brigitte Brostrom and Sofia Villafuerte PTO Co-Presidents

2

Seasons Greet ings Whit t ier Famil ies!

SHOP YOUR SUPPORT

Did you know that you can support the Whittier PTO just by shopping at Amazon?

Using Amazon Smile, shop as you normally would, but now a percentage of the money you spend

gets donated back to the Whittier PTO!

To sign up, visit smile.amazon.com and search for ?Whittier School Parent Teacher Organization

PTO? as the organization.

Then, when you shop at Amazon, just be sure to go back through smile.amazon.com.

Anything you purchase will help the PTO earn money to support our school!

33

Camp Edwards? Ref lect ions

A life changing experience.

August Bart ley

My favorite thing about camp was archery because is was fun and hard.

Kevin Cabrera

I loved camp. It was heartbreaking to leave and my life changed a lot.

Vayda Cooper

I conquered my fear of the woods at night. It felt really good.

Rose Kaegi

One of the most fun things at camp was the night walk. It changed me a lot.

Nora Kayzak

The coolest thing at camp was the trust walk and the arm wrestling.

Max Koschmann

The most fun thing I did at camp was the G.I.C. class. Zeke Limberg

Camp was very fun because I conquered my fear of walking in the woods by myself .

Angie McCracken

The scariest thing I did at camp was the tube slides. Yikes!

Preet i Mirmira

I l iked camp because I had never spent a night away from home before and I l iked it!

Madison Ponder

When you go to camp, don?t miss the nightwalk. It was amazing. I l iked the skits best.

Isha Ritchie

Bonding with friends was amazing. I never knew how much I could appreciate them.

Anika Sherman

The most fun thing was getting muddy on the tube slides.

Kaiden Taylor

The coolest thing was wilderness survival class.

Bailey Tif fen

I l iked how the camp chaperones were nice and let us stay up at night.

Noah Turner

The most fun activity at camp was the tube slides.

Gabriel Wasson-Farran

When you go to camp, do not miss the tube slides.

Carol ine Webb

Mrs. Madsen's Homeroom

The most exciting thing about camp was wilderness survival!

Jayden Jones

I am not as afraid of walking in the dark by myself .

A.J. Noyes

The most fun thing at camp was the night walk.

Ysa Zawadowski

I conquered my fear of being alone in the woods.

Violet Schnizlein

The tastiest thing was the pasta.

Jacinda Fitzpatrick

I loved the tube slides!

Kai Ghosh-Johnson

The best thing at camp was that I got to learn a lot about nature!

Natal ia Aguilar-Ripley

I loved the tube slides!

Gabi Barriuso

My advice to next year?s campers is to bring a f itted sheet.

Johnny Decker

I learned how to shoot a bow and arrow!

Sean Hargrove

The most surprising thing was the food being good.

Jake Lapat

The scariest thing at camp was the night walk!

Colby McGee

The most fun thing at camp was the wilderness survival class.

Susan Ost ler-St i l l

The most exciting thing about camp was the wilderness survival class.

Bobby Pointdujour

I?m not as afraid of bugs as I was before I went to camp.

Vaughn Sekul ich

I learned how to do archery!

Jalen Mart in

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Camp Edwards? Ref lect ions4

Mrs. Heide's Homeroom

Praise the moose god Gerald!Nicholas Col igan

After camp I?m not afraid of sleeping somewhere new!Stel la Smith

My favorite thing about Camp was the moose god, Gerald. Sophia Fickenscher

Camp Edwards is a path to change. Jacob Marks

I loved hanging out with the boys in my cabin at Camp Edwards.Sorabh Gandhi

Praise lord god Gerald!Matty McBroom

My favorite thing about Camp Edwards was being able to bond with everyone. Natal ie Green

The best thing at Camp Edwards was the low ropes course.Rosie Ramirez

One thing I l iked at Camp Edwards was the marshwalk.

Crystalyn Smith

The carpet ball game is amazing!Joshua Lloyd

Next year when you go to Camp use the bathroom as quickly as possible! Nathaniel Lopez

Camp taught me to always be prepared and expect anything to happen.El la Stef fen

Camp Edwards was a great place to learn more about the people in 5th grade. Mora Schigelone

Next year?s campers, be prepared to make a lot of new friends! Carol ine McGinnis

Moose Gerald is not a god. Kingston Petersen

I l ike Camp Edwards a lot because I got to do things I had never done before and there were always surprises!Grace Zoloto

My favorite part of Camp Edwards was the food!David Yurick

I loved hanging out in the lodge with my friends and the moose Gerald.Ja?Vonte Pit tman

My favorite part of Camp Edwards was the night hike.

Kinzie Mackey

5Camp Edwards? Ref lect ions5

Mrs. McDaniels's Homeroom

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Hooray 74t h Annual Pum pk in Fest ival Winners!

Early Childhood, Kindergarten & 1st Grade3rd place: ?The Wizard? Will Engebretson- Mrs. Weiss2nd place: ?The Princess? Jocelyn Swaine- Mrs. Neslon/Ms. Hussey1st place: ?Elmo? Nico Robert - Mrs. Baker

2nd and 3rd Grade3rd place: ?Peacock? Nico Lopez- Mrs. Hoehne2nd place: ?The Unicorn? Anna Kaegi ? Mrs. Druckmiller1st place: ?Popcorn? Madison Hart- Mrs. Johnson/Ms. Jacobson

4th and 5th Grade3rd place: ?Up House? Nathaniel Lopez- Mrs. McDaniels/ Mrs. Gawne2nd place: ?Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie? Finley Higgins-Urban - Ms. Darley/ Mrs. Mason1st place: ?Birds Nest? Mallory McConville- Ms. Darley/ Mrs. Mason

Family3rd place: ?Enchanted forest house? Finley Higgins-Urban- Ms. Darley/ Mrs. Mason2nd place: ?Mount Rushmore? Sorabh and Milan Gandhi- Mrs. McDaniels/Mrs. Gawne, Mrs. Druckmiller1st place: ?I'm So Shiny? Loie Burwell- Mrs. Druckmiller

Congratulat ions Turkey Trot Winners!

3rd GradeIan Hollinden & Alessandra Gerut

4th GradeTroy Gerut & Juliette Azizi

5th GradeKingston Petersen & Natalia Aguilar-Ripley

Raf f le WinnerAlex Petratis

Now with Library news!

Physical education classes through December continue to participate in f itness related activit ies including some sport lead up games. Older grade levels will be working on f loor hockey skills.

As we move into January, Whitt ier will begin its gymnastics unit. All grade levels participate in gymnastics where the emphasis is to safely try new and challenging things. All students are

introduced to some basic and introductory level stunts and tumbling skil ls.

As always there is a strong emphasis on showing a good effort and being a good sport. It is impressive to see the progress all students are making in their physical education class.

Keep up the great effort Wildcats!Mr. Coglianese

Physical Educat ion

Ar tThis past month has been full of art making to f il l the Whittier Halls!

Kindergarten classes have begun a series focusing on shapes.

They have learned both circles and triangles this month: practicing how to fold, cut, glue, draw and paint these amazing shapes. Next up will be squares!

1st graders have been getting messy and working hard on their Starry Night inspired projects this month.

Students used their f ingers to paint a Starry Night sky using ?cool? colors. Then they added cut paper buildings and windows using primary colors. To top off this awesome artist inspired project, students added glitter stars to their skies.

2nd graders just f inished up another amazing artist inspired project looking at Fauvism and Landscapes.

All classes learned foreground, middleground, background and horizon line. They learned how having these dif ferent spaces in an image can create ?depth;" drawn large in the front and small in the back. To add a creative twist students painted these landscapes with a Fauvist twist, taking something real and turning it ?fake or sil ly."

3rd graders have been working very hard on creating realistic self portraits using colored pencil.

Students learned how proportional the human face is and how they can map it out in a drawing. After learning proportions students all looked in mirrors to make the portrait into themselves. When it came time for color students learned new techniques for how to make colored pencils ?pop? off the page. We discussed layering multiple colors to create depth along with using dif ferent pressures on the pencil to get dif ferent degrees of color. Next up for 3rd graders will be creating a personal expressive painting to glue their portrait on.

4th graders f inished up their color theory project this month and started their f irst artist inspired project.

Students looked at George Seurat?s Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte and practiced their f irst Visual Think Strategy session using their visual l iteracy from visual cues and background knowledge. Taking inspiration from Seurat, students are creating their own pointil l ist paintings.

5th grade classes have also f inished their study on color theory and went on an inspiring Art/Spanish f ield trip to the National Museum of Mexican Fine Art.

At the museum, students were guided around the Dia de los Muertos exhibits. They got to practice their visual l iteracy using visual cues and background knowledge along with using their vocabulary and history they have learned in Spanish. From here, students will be beginning a museum inspired project!

Miss Connell

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Hello families,

Happy winter! We?ve been keeping busy in the library with lots of new books, lessons and fun resources.

This month, all grades are participating in the Hour of Code! The Hour of Code is designed to demystify coding, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the f ield of computer science.

In our Whittier celebration of computer science, our older students participated in 1-hour coding activit ies such as Flappy Bird, Minecraft and Frozen, while our younger students learned to code using robots. We borrowed Beebots from the Oak Park Public Library and practiced coding them to spell letters, get into and out of a maze and run races! We?ve been coding up a storm in the library!

Fif th graders are also working with robots? they are building their own LEGO MINDSTORMS robots and then coding them through a series of challenges.

We?ve partnered with Oak Park Education Foundation to make this happen and the kids are loving the challenge of working with these incredibly complex robots! Ask your f if th grader to tell you about this!

Younger classes are continuing to read the Monarch Books. Students read nominated tit les in order to become eligible to vote.

In March, we conduct voting and count the votes for each award category to identify a Whittier winner; f inally, we submit our voting totals to the state to help choose the state-wide award winners.

Winning authors are thril led to be selected for the Il l inois Readers? Choice awards as they know the selection was made by their readers: the kids!

Kindergarten, f irst, second and third grade classes read Monarch nominees during library classes? so far, Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds has been an early favorite. Stay tuned to see which book is chosen!

Our birthday books program is also up and running? in honor of your child's birthday or other special event, you may adopt a book for our library. Please feel free to contact me if you?re interested in participating and, as always, visit our l ibrary website at www.op97.org/whitt ier/mediacenter/ .

I am expecting my third child in late December and will be on maternity leave for a few months. In my place will be a wonderful long-term substitute librarian who will begin after winter break! I will stil l be around the Whittier area and will spend my leave catching up on kids? books (among diaper changes, of course) so I?ll be ready to go when I return!

Have a wonderful winter and holiday season!

Happy Reading!Laurie Conleylconley@op97.org

Library8

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Keep up with music week to week

- Following on Twitter @kariamusic

- Checking in on the music website mrskaria.blogspot.com

November highlights

- Singing assessments for K-5th graders on solfege (for K-3) or on a specif ic song (for 4-5)

- Exploring with rhythmic composition using colors (K), Spanish words (1), and rhythmic tiles (2-5)

- Exploring the dif ferent sounds of percussion instruments (K)

- Music Share Day

To come in December

- Nutcracker listening/ movement pieces

- Finishing our compositions- Preparing for our in school sing

along!

5th Graders learning Orff (xylophone) playing technique to the song ?Simple Simon? 2nd-5th grade students compose using fraction tiles

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Are you an adult who likes to sing?

Email Mrs. Karia (akaria@op97.org ) if you would like more details on being a part of a fun, no-pressure choir singing holiday songs at A Colorful Holiday, Saturday December 15th!

Members of the Whittier Chorus will also be singing some selections of their own.

Music

1st graders compose using cards with Spanish phrases related to sleep.

Kindergarten

We focused on the family unit during the month of October and we continued in November. Furthermore, we learned vocabulary related to the fall season including El Día de Acción de Gracias~Thanksgiving holiday.

We practiced foods such as turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, fruits, vegetables, I l ike and I don?t l ike. We sang songs about the months of the year and weather using www.Rockalingua.com Everyday we continue to reinforce greetings, daily routines, days of the week, colors and numbers.

Spanish10

1st grade

We learned important facts about El Día de los Muertos~The Day of the Dead and we also incorporated vocabulary about El Día de Acción de Gracias~Thanksgiving holiday. One activity the kids enjoyed very much was writ ing words in Spanish about the

things they were thankful for however they use playdough instead of paper and pencil. Students were highly motivated to practice reading, they read each word in Español while doing this fun activity!

Why Playdough?

When students use playdough they also gain st rength and improve dexterity in their hands and f ingers, crit ical areas of physical development for writ ing, drawing, and other purposes.

¡Adiós noviembre y hola diciembre! We had a short but super busy November!

2nd Grade

Second graders also learned important facts, vocabulary about El Día de los Muertos, and the Mexican culture. We reinforced vocabulary using Rockalingua games on the iPads. We will soon began our unit on professions using TPR Storytell ing. TPRS is a method of teaching world languages. TPRS lessons use a mixture of reading and storytell ing to help students learn the target language in the classroom setting.

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4th Grade

We continue reading Brandon Brown quiere un perro. We started acting out specif ic details to summarize the chapters. Students will continue using quizlet.com to help them recognize important vocabulary for each chapter. Soon we will do more reading for comprehension activit ies such as draw for comprehension activit ies and listening activit ies using the application on their iPads called Showbie.

5th Grade

Fifth graders took a f ield trip to the National Museum of Mexican Fine Arts in Pilsen on November 29. Stay tuned for pictures! We continued to read Tumba by Mira Canion and students have been identifying key details about the story by drawing pictures for comprehension.

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Ever get dist racted?Do you ever feel l ike you may need help staying focused?

If so, Ms. Ryan, Whitt ier?s K-5 Social Worker, would like to introduce you to Brain Eater and Focus Tron f rom the Superflex®: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum.

Focus Tron can help you stay focused and on task by:

- Helping you create schedule checklists

- Helping you use Distractor Shields on anything that is taking away your attention from what you should be doing. For example: a favored book, your computer or tablet, your LEGOs, etc.

- Helping you use positive self-talk to keep you

motivated

- Reminding you to keep your body and brain in the

group

- Breaking down bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks

Brain Eater makes it chal lenging to stay focused and on task.

This Unthinkable makes it hard for you to focus on what you are doing or focus on others during interactions (rolls your brain away). You may get easily distracted with your own thoughts or things around you.

Use one of your Superf lex Strategies to solve the problem and defeat the Unthinkable!

- Turn your body and eyes away from what is distracting you and think about the person talking.

- Use a f idget so that it keeps your body busy but your brain focused on the group.

- Try to notice when your brain is thinking about something else and get it to refocus on the group.

SAVE THE DATE

2019 Parent Empowerment Workshop presented by Beye School and Beye PTO Inclusion and Diversity Committee

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Beye School Auditorium

230 North Cuyler Oak Park, IL 60302

Session 1 / 9:30AM-11:15AM Be a Prepared Parent : How to Navigate the Special Educat ion WorldJackie Ross, an attorney for Equip for Equality will provide an overview of Special Education law and how it applies to our students, help us know what to expect during the referral and evaluation process and during IEP meetings, give us tips to understanding school evaluations and provide suggestions on how to best organize materials so that we can be prepared, effective advocates for our kids and partners with our schools.

11:15AM-12PM Lunch (Pizza is provided)

Session 2 / 12-2:30 Util izing the Col laborat ive Problem Solving Approach at Home or in a Classroom

Would you describe your child?s behavior as ?explosive? or ?challenging?? Bring peace to your home or classroom by learning Ross Greene?s process for identifying your child?s lagging skills, how to help your child improve those skills, and how to work with your child toward collaborative and proactive solutions.

Katie Trathen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds a Professional Educator?s License in School Social Work. Katie is currently working at a public school district in the Western Suburbs, where she is a Behavior Specialist ? training and consulting with educators regarding students with behavioral challenges and/or mental health concerns. An Adjunct Instructor at Dominican University?s Graduate School of Social Work, Katie is passionate about adult learning and professional development.

Parents/ caregivers are welcome to attend either or both sessions.

Advance regist rat ion is kindly requested at ht tps:/ / t inyurl .com/empoweredparent or email t rf isher@gmail .com.

Please let us know if any accommodations or supports would help you fully participate.

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PTO HOLIDAY GATHERINGTHURSDAY DECEMBER 6

COMMON GROUNDFRIDAY DECEMBER 7

REPORT CARDSFRIDAY DECEMBER 7

WINTER BREAK STARTSSATURDAY DECEMBER 22

SCHOOL RESUMESMONDAY JANUARY 7

PTO MEETINGTUESDAY JANUARY 8

COMMON GROUNDFRIDAY JANUARY 11

MLK DAY - NO SCHOOLMONDAY JANUARY 21

PTO BOOK FAIRJANUARY 30- FEBRUARY 1

PARENT CONFERENCES / HALF DAYJANUARY 31 & FEBRUARY 1

COMMON GROUNDFRIDAY FEBRUARY 1

PTO MEETINGTUESDAY FEBRUARY 5

TRIVIA NIGHTSATURDAY FEBRUARY 9

Whit t ier Diversity Commit teeWho are we? We are Whittier parents and staff devoted to creating a strong and supportive community at Whitt ier

What do we do?

General Meet ings Meet every other monthOur last general meeting was Nov. 14th at Dole Library Meeting Room. It was a very productive meeting and we look forward to the next general meeting in February 2019

Podcast Club Meets every other month Come join us as we watch a 20-30 minute TED talk together, then have a discussion in a safe space. We are looking for dif ferent topics to discuss, that include race, culture, gender, socioeconomics, or disability. Join the chat, share your thoughts! All are welcome.The next Podcast Club discussion will be Wednesday, January 16th at 7 pm.

Whit t ier 101 SeriesThese are very informative presentations by our Whittier principal Mr. Robinson and other staff regarding issues that deal with behavioral support systems in place at Whitt ier, as well as academic support systems. February 2019 will deal with behavioral supports available to our Whittier students. Childcare will be provided.

Stay tuned for more information!