Whittier Elementary School PTA

12/19/2025

✨ Sparkle Dance was a success! ✨
So much fun, amazing music, nonstop dancing, and all the sparkles made for a truly magical night. A special thank you to the PTA Event Committee and all of our wonderful volunteers—this night wouldn’t have been possible without your time, energy, and dedication. We’re so grateful for everything you do! 💃🕺✨

💬 We’d love to hear from you! Share your favorite Sparkle Dance moments in the comments below.

💖 Free events like this are only possible thanks to PTA donations and memberships. If you’d like to support future events, please consider donating or becoming a member using the link to our PTA Store:
👉 https://whittierespta.givebacks.com/shop

📸 Photo disclaimer: All parents/guardians have authorized the use of their children’s photos for this post.

12/16/2025

✨ Sparkle Dance Volunteers Needed! ✨

We are so excited for the upcoming Sparkle Dance and can’t wait to share a fun and memorable evening with our students!

To help the night run smoothly and safely, the PTA is looking for parents/caregivers who plan to attend and are willing to volunteer for a short shift during the event. Even a little help goes a long way, and we truly appreciate your support.

Volunteer opportunities include:
💫 Concessions – Handing out one drink and one snack per child (no money involved; we’ll have an easy system in place)
💫 Registration Table – Checking students in and out to ensure each child leaves with their assigned caregiver
💫 Set-Up – Helping decorate and prepare the space (around 4:00 PM)
💫 Tear-Down – Assisting with clean-up after the dance
💫 Monitoring – Standing near exits to help ensure students don’t leave without a caregiver

PTA members will be present throughout the event to guide volunteers and answer any questions. Feel free to sign up with a friend so you can help out together!

If you’re able to volunteer, please sign up using the volunteer link https://m.signupgenius.com/ #!/showSignUp/20F044BACAC2FABFA7-penny1

We’ll share more details as the event gets closer.

Thank you for supporting our school community and helping make the Sparkle Dance a success! ✨💃🕺

12/16/2025

✨ Sparkle Dance Decoration Prep – Volunteers Needed! ✨

Mrs. Texier and Mrs. Coats are looking for help getting snowflake decorations ready for the Sparkle Dance ❄️💃🕺

🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOym-qh-5Z3p7QWJWQjR8P346YZV_wT2IlvXrcC6Vle3bPtA/viewform

This involves hole-punching student-made snowflakes and adding ribbon or string so they’re ready to hang.

Materials can be picked up at school on Monday 12/15 and returned by Wednesday 12/17.

If you’re able to help, it would be greatly appreciated—thank you for supporting our students and school! 💙

Mrs. Texier and Mrs. Coats have requested help with preparing snowflakes for the sparkle dance. Help is needed with stringing up snowflakes made by students (hole punching, adding a strip of ribbon or string) so that they are ready to hang for the sparkle dance. Materials can be picked up from schoo...

12/15/2025

URGENT 🚨 URGENT ‼️
We need volunteers for to help with hearing and vision rescreens tomorrow, 12/16/2025.

Please complete this form if you’re able to help:

Please click the link to complete this form.

12/14/2025

FCPS Weather Update:
FCPS schools are opening 2 hours late tomorrow.
Offices open on time.

Visit www.fcps.org/message for details.

Important Message from FCPS

12/12/2025

Spirit Week – Inclusive Schools 💙💛

Tomorrow is ✨ Friday, December 12th: Team Day ✨

We have over 47,000 students and 6,700 staff, we are ONE system, one school where EVERYONE Belongs! Wear Team Shirts (sports, clubs, or school colors, etc.)

How do we instill the feeling of being ONE community despite being so many students, so many schools?

Let us know below 👇

12/11/2025

Spirit Week – Inclusive Schools 💙💛

Tomorrow is ✨ Thursday, December 11th: Be Comfortable, Be You✨

When someone belongs, they feel comfortable- so help others belong and wear your comfy clothes today!

Remember that everyone is human and all humans want to be comfortable as they are- how can we help others feel that?

Let us know below 👇

12/10/2025

🧣 Temporarily Lost Items 🧤

Staff have noticed many clothing items and water bottles left around the building. These belongings will be gathered and neatly arranged in the cafeteria at the end of the week so students can look for and reclaim their items.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to check with their children to see if anything is missing and remind them to stop by the cafeteria to retrieve it.

The items will remain available through the following week — so families attending the Sparkle Ball on the 18th can also take a moment to help their little ones locate any lost items.

12/10/2025

Spirit Week – Inclusive Schools 💙💛

Tomorrow is ✨ Wednesday, December 10th: Dress like a PE or Adapted PE Teacher✨

Build a Stronger Tomorrow by dressing just like a PE or APE Teacher who help students build strong bodies.

As we work on building strong bodies during PE class, how can we come together to build strong schools & communities who value Inclusion & Belonging?

Let us know below 👇

12/09/2025

🚧 Construction Update at Our School 🚧

As many of you know, our school is currently at 131% capacity and has continued to grow over the past several years. To support this growth, the facilities team is moving forward with a major improvement: replacing the portable classrooms on the Independence Street side with a new 10-classroom pod that will be directly connected to the main building.

Construction began last week with the removal of the awning outside the 2nd grade hallway and the blacktop in that area. The new pod will include classrooms and restrooms, along with an enclosed hallway that connects it to the rest of the school — a huge win for safety, comfort, and accessibility.

As construction continues, ✨please remind your children that while the equipment and activity may be exciting to watch, it’s important to stay outside the safety boundaries and avoid the construction zone at all times.✨

The good news: students will still have access to the remaining playground areas with very minimal disruption. 🎉

Thank you for your patience and support as we grow!

12/09/2025

Spirit Week – Inclusive Schools 💙💛

Tomorrow is ✨Tuesday, December 9th: Kaleidoscope Day✨

Show your colors, show your support of all individuals and all abilities. Every child is different. Many process information differently, speak different languages, eat different foods, celebrate different holidays.

What does it look like to respect those differences?

Let us know below 👇

12/08/2025

📚 Mid-Year Assessments Are Coming Up!

Over the next few weeks, students will be showing their academic growth through mid-year assessments. This includes iReady Reading and Math, as well as progress checks in foundational reading skills (DIBELS) and oral reading fluency/comprehension.

🌟 How Can You Support Your Child?
One of the biggest challenges for students is stamina and taking their time. You can help by:
• Encouraging them to slow down, read carefully, and think through their work
• Talking with them about what they’re learning and what they’ll be demonstrating
• Checking in with teachers about goals and progress

🏫 Attendance Matters!
Consistent attendance makes a huge difference. Students who are in school regularly tend to perform much stronger academically, while frequent absences can make it harder for them to keep up.

Thank you for partnering with us to help our students shine! 🌟