The School District and all schools prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, immigration/citizenship status, religion, ancestry, family compositions, or physical characteristics. All individuals impacted by or who have witnessed acts of discrimination or harassment in the School District’s programs or activities are encouraged to promptly report the incident to an administrator or supervisor and/or by completing the District’s AC-E2 reporting form. (AC, AC-R)

Welcome to Whittier! We look forward to partnering with your family! 

Check out our website at whe.bvsd.org for more Whittier information!

Table of Contents 

ALL ABOUT WHITTIER................................................................................................................................. 3

Whittier’s Vision and Mission Statement......................................................................................................... 3

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB-PYP)...................................................................... 3 

SCHEDULES & CALENDARS...................................................................................................................... 5

SchoolHours................................................................................................................................................... 5

Attendance..................................................................................................................................................... 5

Tardies........................................................................................................................................................... 6

Drop off and Pick Up...................................................................................................................................... 6

School Closures............................................................................................................................................. 8

Whittier Calendar........................................................................................................................................... 8 

FOOD & TRANSPORTATION....................................................................................................................... 9

Bus Information.............................................................................................................................................. 9

Food Services................................................................................................................................................ 9

Snacks.......................................................................................................................................................... 10 

SAFETY & WELLBEING............................................................................................................................. 10

Schoolwide Norms........................................................................................................................................ 10

Conflict Resolution....................................................................................................................................... 10

Behavior Support.......................................................................................................................................... 11

Conduct and Discipline................................................................................................................................. 11

Health Room................................................................................................................................................. 11

Personal Items and School Supplies............................................................................................................ 11 

COMMUNICATION....................................................................................................................................... 12

Apptegy......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Communicating Concerns.............................................................................................................................12

Family Resources Schools Program (FRS)..................................................................................................12

School Counselor Services.......................................................................................................................... 13

Infinite Campus........................................................................................................................................... 13 

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT.............................................................................................................................. 13

HelpAtSchools.com..................................................................................................................................... 13

Directory Sign Up (optional)......................................................................................................................... 14

Visitor/Volunteer Policies.............................................................................................................................. 14

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)................................................................................................................ 15

Community Events....................................................................................................................................... 17 

ACADEMICS................................................................................................................................................ 19

Talented and Gifted Program (GT)............................................................................................................... 19

Homework Policy..........................................................................................................................................19

Miscellaneous............................................................................................................................................ 20

● Vision: Whittier International’s engaged community members improve the world through intercultural understanding, kindness and respect. We all cultivate our unique abilities to discover and pursue our dreams. 

● Mission: Our school provides an international perspective and a creative, inquiry-based approach to learning. Through collaborative partnerships, we inspire and empower reflective, action-oriented, lifelong learners

Whittier is committed to fostering an inclusive and caring community welcoming all families. Whittier’s 250+ students represent many countries from around the world, speak more than 20 languages, and are diverse in many ways: linguistically, culturally, socioeconomically, religiously, in gender expressions/identities, and in neurodiverse profiles.

The IB PYP is a world-renowned educational framework. It’s the first of four programs offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), aiming to develop internationally minded, inquisitive, and caring learners.

Key Features of the PYP:

Holistic Development

The PYP focuses on developing the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. It encourages students to be active participants in their learning and in the world around them.

International-Mindedness

A core goal is to help students become globally aware, respectful of diverse cultures, and able to see things from multiple perspectives.

Transdisciplinary Learning

Instead of teaching subjects in isolation, the PYP uses transdisciplinary themes that connect knowledge across different subject areas. Transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry spiral through six themes every year (four in kindergarten) through our school-wide Program of Inquiry (POI).  The themes include:

• Who we are
• Where we are in place and time
• How we express ourselves
• How the world works
• How we organize ourselves
• Sharing the planet

The goal is for students to develop deep conceptual understanding that transfers to other contexts versus rote memorization of facts.

Inquiry-Based Learning

The program is rooted in student-led inquiry, where curiosity drives learning. Teachers act as facilitators, guiding students to ask questions, investigate topics, and reflect on what they learn.

Learner Profile

At the heart of the PYP is the IB Learner Profile, which includes 10 key attributes: inquirer, knowledgeable, thinker, communicator, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-taker, balanced, and reflective. Students regularly reflect on their growth in these traits, explore how they are demonstrated by individuals they encounter through literature, history, science, etc., and are recognized through our Caught You Card program by both peers and teachers. These recognitions are also celebrated by our principal in the weekly announcements.

Action

PYP students learn that action grows from learning—whether it's shifting perspectives, making choices, speaking out, creating solutions, or driving change. It's how they apply their learning to make a difference. The PYP Exhibition is a capstone where 5th graders explore real-world issues and take thoughtful and collaborative action.

Colorado law requires that children in grades 1-5 attend school for the full day. It is important to attend school every day and be on time. 

School hours are from 7:50 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/ Friday). On Wednesdays, we have Late Start, with our school day beginning later at 8:50 a.m. and going to our usual dismissal time of 2:50 p.m. 

Morning playground supervision is from 7:40 - 7:50 a.m. (Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri). School begins at 7:50 a.m. Please ensure that your child(ren) arrive(s) on time. When the 7:47 bell rings, students line up with their classes to enter the building with their teachers at 7:50.

On Wednesdays, the Whittier school playground will be open from 8:40-8:50 a.m. and school will start at 8:50. If you need your child to come to school Wednesdays from 7:40-8:40 a.m., we will have supervision available. An adult will need to sign the child in through the main office. Buses will run on schedules one hour later on Wednesdays so if you access our Wednesday morning care, you will have to drop off your child.

Afternoon playground supervision is from 2:50 - 3:00 p.m. Students are not to be left unattended on the playground/outside area outside of the supervised hours of 7:40-3:00. When the 3 pm bell rings, your child should briefly stop playing and stand next to their adult so that staff can ensure all students are supervised. If a student is unattended after 3:00, they will be escorted to the office and a parent/guardian will be called to pick them up.

When your child is absent, it is imperative to report the absence to the school. You can report the absence via

• the attendance line: 720-561-2465
• through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal which can be accessed through the quick link on the Whittier website: https://whe.bvsd.org/parent-information/report-an-absence

If you do not report the absence, you will receive an automatically generated phone call notifying you that your child is not at school. We appreciate your careful attention to this process so we know all children are safe. 

We discourage any absence other than significant illness, particularly if your child is struggling academically or socially. State law has a maximum of 10 days allowed absences per school year without formal documentation (medical or prearranged). For more information about the BVSD attendance policy click here: https://www.bvsd.org/about/news/news-article/~board/district-news/post/bvsds-new-attendance-policy-is-here-what-students-and-parents-need-to-know

Completion of a prearranged absence form (from the office or whe.bvsd.org) is required when you plan for your child to be out for an extended period of time, in excess of three school days. This absence must be approved and signed by the principal or designee for the absence to be considered excused. Upon approval, please discuss this absence with your child’s teacher so that arrangements may be made to assure that missed work can be completed in a timely manner.

Whittier follows the guidelines that are outlined in the BVSD document "How Sick is Too Sick". If you have questions about whether or not to keep your child home from school, please contact the Main Office.

All students arriving after 7:50 am must check in at the office and receive a pass before heading into class. If your child is tardy due to a doctor’s appointment, please submit a  doctor’s note to the office to have the absence excused. Please make every effort to get to school on time as late arrivals cause your child to miss important morning routines, community building, and academic learning. Students who have frequent tardiness (and absences) will become part of the district mandated attendance process. For more information, please refer to the BVSD attendance policy.

Students should not be on the playground when there is no supervision, including prior to 7:40 a.m. (8:40 a.m. on Wednesdays) and after 3:00 p.m. Adults should wait with children until staff are present.  As an additional safeguard, please tell children to go to the main office if they are ever on the playground and do not see a staff member present.

We encourage walking and bike riding and have bike racks on the northwest corner of the school. All bikes/scooters or other wheeled apparatus should be dismounted and walked once on campus, which we consider the entire city block we occupy. Please use pedestrian crosswalks at the light on Pine and at the four-way stop on Spruce and avoid walking through the staff parking lot at these busy times. 

There are no dogs allowed on our playground in order to keep student play areas safe and sanitary. If you are walking your dog during drop-off or pick-up, we request that you keep your dog outside of all play areas. 

Bus drop off and pick up is on Spruce Street. 

Pine Street is reserved for families picking up and dropping off students in the Hug ‘n Go Lane. Do not pick up or drop off students in the staff parking lot, the bike lane, or beside another car.

For the safety of our kids, we need  full cooperation from each and every parent and student. Please read and carefully follow these rules for the block between 20th & 21st St. on Pine St. 

• Please arrive between  7:40 and 7:50 a.m. Please do not arrive before 7:40 am.
• Enter the Hug ‘N Go lane at the far west end (towards 20th street). 
• Exit the Hug ‘N Go lane at the far east end (towards 21st street). 
• If you are in the coned off Hug ‘n Go zone, please stay in your car. Allow your child to exit the vehicle themself.
• Please pull forward as cars in front of you pull out and drop your student off at the far (east) end by the entrance gate to the playground. 
• Do not make U-turns in the school zone
• Do not block the bicycle lane or stop at the intersection of 20th and Pine. If the Hug ‘N Go zone is full, proceed past and either find a parking spot in the neighborhood or go around the block for another pass at the Hug ‘n Go.
• Do not idle your car while waiting for your child.
• Do not park across the street and walk directly (jay walk) to the school. Always use the crosswalks during drop-off and pick-up. 

We need your help!! Volunteers are needed for both Hug ‘n Go shifts: morning drop-Off (7:40am - 8:05am) and afternoon pick-up (2:35 pm - 3:00 pm). Volunteers are only expected to do one shift per week. Please sign up online at HelpAtSchools.com

If your after school pick-up plans change, please email the teacher at least 24 hours in advance. Please try to avoid last minute changes to pick-up routines, but if they are unavoidable, contact the office at 720-561-5431. Students need to have written permission to go home with someone not on their Parent Portal contacts. Students who do not go home on the bus daily are not allowed to ride the bus to go home with a friend.  

Students must be signed out at the office if they need to leave the school grounds during the school day. The parent must  remain in the office while staff get the student from their classroom. Adults must also come into the office and sign students out if they are picking them up late (after the 2:50 pm dismissal).

BVSD will make and communicate decisions regarding bad weather or public health shutdowns. Please tune in to your local television station, radio, or the BVSD website for information. Depending on the School Messenger settings you set through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, you should receive a call, text or email if school is canceled or delayed 2 hours.

We invite you to join us at our many community events throughout the year. Here is a calendar of the events for your planning. For the most up-to-date information, see the school-wide calendar at whe.bvsd.org.

Did you know that you can add the Whittier calendar to your google calendar and all the school event dates will populate your calendar? 

• Go to the school website (when.bvsd.org). 
• Find the School Calendars section (left side of website)
• Click on the +GoogleCalendar button (bottom right corner). The events will be added to your phone or computer calendar.

• Students must follow the bus driver’s rules and not interfere with the safety of others. Bus riding is a privilege and may be revoked for inappropriate or unsafe behavior. 
• Students who do not go home on the bus daily are not allowed to ride the bus to go home with a friend. 
• Students should wait away from the curb until the bus is completely stopped and doors open. Then students should board in a single file line. 
• Unless boarding in single file, always walk 10 feet away from the bus edge so the driver can see you.
• No food or drink. No objects or trash of any kind should be left on the bus. 
• Use a neighbor voice when talking, not a loud, outside voice. 
• Stay seated and out of the aisle the whole time. This is the safest place to be. 
• Always keep your entire body and all objects inside the bus window. 
• Never try to get something from underneath the bus.

 If you have questions about transportation, please call 720-561-5125.

School breakfasts and lunches are free for all students. Families have the option to pay $2.50 for a second serving by putting funds into your child’s school lunch account at https://food.bvsd.org/meals-nutrition/meal-accounts. The school lunch menu can be found here: food.bvsd.org. Students are also welcome to pack lunch from home. 

You are encouraged to complete the Free and Reduced Lunch application for free seconds, as well. Other benefits (such as free summer school) may be available for those qualified. When families qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, the school receives additional funds to hire more teachers and paraeducators. If you need help  filling out the form, you can get assistance at  the BVSD Help Center in August. For more information visit the https://food.bvsd.org/meals-nutrition/free-reduced-meals

We are an allergy-aware school and many of our students have a variety of food allergies. In particular, our lunchroom does not serve peanut products. We ask that students do not share any of their food and are aware of allergies so they can take care of those around them. 

We do not allow families to send in birthday treats. Each grade and classroom has their own unique way of celebrating your child and their birthday that does not rely on food. For more information, please check with your child’s teacher.

Joining Your Child For Lunch at School 

If you want to join your child for lunch, you can bring lunch from home  or get school lunch. If you want to get a school lunch, it costs $5.50 and we  accept cash or checks made out to BVSD. 

Snacks 

Students will be given the opportunity to eat a healthy snack during the school day. In accordance with the BVSD Smart Snack Policy, if you send snacks or lunch with your child, please support them in making healthy choices. Smart Snacks include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, or protein with low levels of sodium, sugar, and fats. For example, popcorn, low-fat chips, pretzels, granola bars, fruit cups, vegetables, beef jerky, and water. Students will not be permitted to eat high salt or sugar foods, soda, or energy drinks at school. Please do not send these to school with your child.

Schoolwide Norms 

Your child may receive a “Caught You” card for showing IB Learner Profile traits. We celebrate these “Caught You” cards with our students as a sign that they are becoming the IB Learner they aspire to be. 

School-Wide Rules 

● Be safe.

● Be respectful. 

● Be responsible.

Conflict Resolution 

At Whittier we believe that students should gradually develop the ability to resolve typical, everyday conflicts using the Peace Place steps. 

Peace Place 

Peace Place protocols will be used on the playground and in the classroom for conflict resolution. 

Step 1 : We agree to solve the problem with respect and cooperation. 

Step 2 : What is the problem? 

Step 3 : What I think would make it better. 

Step 4 : Agree to solve the problem by: “___”, shake hands, say “thank you”. Ask an adult if you are unable to solve the problem on your own. 

Behavior Support 

At Whittier, we try to proactively support student learning around behavior. We use a variety of strategies and positive behavior support. We focus on creating meaningful classroom communities where students create positive connections with staff members and peers, develop regulation skills, reflect on the impact of their choices, and engage in restorative practices.

Conduct and Discipline 

Whittier follows the BVSD Student Conduct and Discipline code. In the case that a student commits an infraction that violates the BVSD student discipline code, the incident will be documented in the student’s record and a phone call to a parent/guardian will be made by a school staff member. For student privacy reasons and according to district policy, we are not able to disclose information related to other students involved in incidents. To learn more about BVSD Conduct & Discipline, please visit: https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/student-rights-and-responsibilities 

● Students will be sent to the health room for injuries or illness and must have a pass from the teacher. 

● All medications must be housed in the health room.Guardians must provide a BVSD medication form signed by the doctor and guardian on file in the health room in order to be given medications by school staff. 

● Students should stay home if they have any signs of illness (See the BVSD document "How Sick is Too Sick") If your child becomes ill at school, we will call their guardians. 

If you have a child with a significant health condition, please contact our District nurse, Danielle Timm, to set up an appropriate health plan for your child.

Students only need a water bottle, a backpack and good shoes for running. We have backpacks available through the main office if your family is unable to purchase one. School supplies are all purchased by the classroom teacher and we ask families to donate a suggested amount of $100/student for the supplies. Supply donations can be made at the beginning of each year through cash or check to the classroom teacher or a link from our Whittier website: https://bvsd.revtrak.net/elementary-schools/elementary-schools-g-z/whe/#/list. 

Also note: 

• Toys and personal items should not come to school as they can be easily lost or go missing. 
• You may ride bikes or scooters to school. These are to stay locked up and unused during the school day, and, for the safety of others, may not be ridden on school property. 
• Please label your children’s clothing and check the Lost & Found regularly. We frequently donate the Lost & Found items to a local charity. We will communicate with families when we are preparing to clear out the Lost & Found to make those donations.

Apptegy

In 26-27 BVSD is adopting a new communication application called Apptegy. All school and district communication will be delivered  through that app. You can adjust your settings to receive email or text notifications. Download the app for free on Google Play or Apple App Store.

• Download for iPhone

• Download for Android

Learn more about how to sign in on the BVSD.org/app webpage.

Communicating Concerns 

If you have a concern to raise, please follow these guidelines: 

• Please contact the person that you have a concern with directly. Assume positive intent - we assure you that every staff member at Whittier wants to support you and your child! 
• Use email/Apptegy to schedule a best method/time to connect if it is a topic requiring conversation (e.g. phone call, Google Meet, meeting) 
• Consider including positives alongside any concerns. 

If a conversation is too emotionally charged, the teacher or parent is welcome to stop and reschedule the meeting for when emotions have calmed, and/or to invite another staff member to help with problem-solving.

We are lucky at Whittier to receive extra funds from a City of Boulder partnership for a Family Resources School program. This program provides assistance to families in need in a wide variety of ways. If your family or a Whittier family you know needs assistance of any kind, contact our FRS Coordinator, Alexis Batko at 720-561-2422. Alexis can also connect you with our in-building Family Resources Schools Therapist if needed.

We have a full-time school counselor available to all students' social, emotional and academic needs. As a family member, if you are looking for support for your child, feel free to talk with the classroom teacher and/or contact the school counselor directly at 720-561-2464. She may be able to provide direct support to your child individually or in a small group or she can help you find the right resources.

BVSD uses https://bvsd.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/boulder.jsp for all emergency contact information and communication setting preferences (email, text and/or phone calls) as well as for important processes such as Free and Reduced Lunch applications. Parents/guardians can also report absences, view bus route information, and access report cards and state assessment results in the IC Parent Portal.

We encourage all of our families to embrace the IB Learner Profile and take action as a citizen of our wonderful community via volunteering, giving to our PTA, or otherwise finding ways to proactively build this amazing school. Since we are uniquely international, we ask all families to reach outside their cultural norms to try to get to know others around them. Our families are amazingly active in creating so much of the Whittier experience and are always open to hearing more ideas about how we can promote further connections for our diverse families!

HelpAtSchools.com

Sign up to volunteer at Whittier at https://helpatschools.com/. 

• View all the ways you can help, via a “catalog” of opportunities 
• Sign up for the jobs/time slots that work for you 
• Easily view all your Whittier sign-ups in one place 
• Receive automated notifications & reminders 
• Access the secure online parent/student directory (must opt in)

Directory Sign Up (optional)

If you sign up for the directory, BVSD partners with https://helpatschools.com/ to allow family contact information to be pulled directly from your Infinite Campus account and shared the following with other families: 

• Student name and grade 
• Parent names
• Parent phone numbers 
• Parent email addresses
• The Whittier Directory is a great resource for families to contact one another! The Directory is used by room parents and PTA to communicate with families for events and volunteer opportunities. If families choose to opt out of the Directory, they will not receive these important messages.

Visitors can enter our building during school hours as needed and to visit for lunch and recess if desired. To visit in any other capacity, to talk with a teacher or visit a class, visitors must schedule in advance.

As a reminder, all visitors/volunteers will need to use our new check-in system, Raptor, for security purposes. Here are the details on how the Raptor system works: 

Visitor Procedures - RAPTOR 

Visitors entering the building will be asked to provide an ID. If they do not have an ID, they can simply share their name and date of birth. 

The RAPTOR system will: 

• Electronically log visitors at check-in 
• Print visitor badges 
• Screen all visitors against a national sex offender database 
• Provide school personnel and BVSD Security with real-time offender alerts 

The RAPTOR system will Not:

• Share data with outside agencies* 
• Store the information you share

 *BVSD’s practice is to never ask for a student or guardian’s citizenship or immigration status. If we learn of a student’s immigration status we would never share this with immigration officials. 

Volunteer Procedures - RAPTOR and CBI Fingerprint Check

In order to chaperone a field trip, you must complete a background check from RAPTOR or a CBI Fingerprint Check. The RAPTOR screening is valid for one year and allows you to volunteer under the supervision of school staff. The CBI Fingerprint Check is valid for five years and allows you to volunteer without staff supervision. Please fill out an application here: https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/get-involved/volunteers. 

If the volunteer application fee presents a financial hardship for you, please contact the Whittier office, as we have scholarships available. Please allow at least 48 hours for your application to be approved. When you register to get fingerprinted, you will select the location to go to. The closest location to Whittier is Wiz Quiz Boulder - 737 29th St. #101, Boulder 80303.

We appreciate families helping to keep our students safe, so if you are volunteering in the building, please close any propped doors.

The Whittier PTA works to enrich each student’s experience at Whittier. This includes planning community building events, recruiting volunteers and raising funds.  The fundraising efforts support additional faculty members, helping to reduce staff/student ratios, classroom enrichment, faculty professional development, the IB program, and various student support programs, among many others. Whittier PTA can be reached at whittierintpta@gmail.com and additional details about the PTA can be found at: https://whe.bvsd.org/parent-information. All are welcome to attend PTA meetings and events!

We budget for an average tax-deductible donation of at least $300 per child. We believe that 100% participation is crucial and encourage you to give what feels comfortable to your family, whether that’s $1 or thousands! You can donate to the PTA any time of year at: https://whittier-donation-general.cheddarup.com 

Below are the different ways you can contribute throughout the year. 

● Pledge Drive 

The annual pledge drive is the direct-ask for money and Whittier’s largest fundraiser that pays for resources instrumental to keeping Whittier International Elementary the school it is. You can donate by: 

1. Bringing a check (made out to Whittier International PTA) or cash (in an envelope with your name and “Whittier PTA Pledge Drive” on it). 
2. Online through our secure payment system; this link will be communicated throughout the school year.

Whittier International School PTA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Many companies match an employee’s charitable contributions up to 100% - does yours? Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. Please be sure to check with your company to see if this is a benefit you can take advantage of, increasing your support to Whittier. Please contact Whittier PTA with any questions about employer matching. 

● Auction

The Whittier Auction is a fun night of music, a live and silent auction, food and beverages, and plenty of entertainment. We need volunteers to help solicit donations and items to be auctioned. All members of the Whittier community are invited to purchase tickets to join the festivities, bid on audition items, and raise money for our school!

● Read-a-thon 

Watch for more information about the schoolwide Read-a-thon fundraiser in the spring. Students can track their reading minutes for individual and class prizes, and can also opt to get pledges and donations to support Whittier PTA.

While the fundraising events listed above comprise our main efforts, we also offer other opportunities for families that we hope make it easy to give back, including: 

Whittier Family Nights Out Several local restaurants partner with Whittier PTA for these fun evenings out. You will receive communication about a “night out” at a local restaurant (we have several of these each year). Simply purchase food/beverage from the restaurant, mention Whittier Elementary and the restaurant will donate a portion (donations range from 15-50% of profits from the event)  of what you spend to Whittier., At these events, you are: 

● Having a fun time out with your family 

● Not having to cook or clean up 

● Socializing and building community with other Whittier families/friends 

● Giving back to our school

Grocery Cards 

Thanks to the King Soopers and Safeway Neighborhood Reward Program, for every dollar you load onto your grocery card, 5% will be contributed to Whittier and be used toward improving your children's education. 

● For King Soopers 

1. Create a digital account. If you already have a digital account, skip to step 2. 

2. Link your Card to an organization by signing in to your digital account and searching for your organization https://bit.ly/4j5vQI6

3. Then click “Save.” Your selected organization will display in the King Soopers Community Rewards section of your account. If you need to review or revisit your organization, you can always do so under your Account details. 

● For Safeway Program 

1. Purchase a $10 grocery card for Safeway from the PTA. 

2. At the checkout counter, BEFORE GROCERY SCANNING BEGINS, ask the cashier to RELOAD (add value) to your card (using cash/check/credit card) for up to $500. 3. Use the loaded gift card to pay for your groceries. 

Grandrabbit’s Toy Store

Grandrabbit’s Toy Store, a local Boulder business located 2525 Arapahoe Ave. offers a Grandrabbit’s Bunny Bucks program which donates 5% of your purchase to the school of your choice. Just be sure to mention Whittier School at the register. In January, a gift card is issued which can be redeemed by teachers for toys, books and enrichment materials for their classrooms. 

Longmont Dairy Milk Tops for Moola

If you purchase milk from the Longmont Dairy, bring clean, dry milk tops to Whittier and put them in the blue bin in the front foyer. You can also collect milk tops from your friends and neighbors. Whittier receives $0.05 per top!

Givebacks Shop to Give

Whittier International PTA is a registered non-profit organization with Givebacks’ Shop to Give program. When you shop online or in person at participating merchants, such as Chewy, CVS, Sephora, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart, Verizon, up to 5% can automatically be donated to the PTA, at no cost to you. Find out how to participate here: https://supporters.givebacks.com/how-it-works

These are some of the community events we host each year. For the most up to date information, see the school-wide calendar at whe.bvsd.org.

• Meet Your Teacher for K-5th Grades - Families are invited to this open house- style event to meet their classroom teachers, learn about ways to get involved, and complete important paperwork. 
• Grade Level Playground Parties – A common event early in the year put on by Room Parents and a great opportunity to meet or reconnect with friends and meet families with kids in your child’s grade! 
• Catch The Culture - Families are invited to join their child(ren) at the start of the school day to experience a typical morning routine and beginning to the instructional day.
• Student-Led Parent Teacher Conferences - These happen twice a year, once in fall and once in winter. Each family gets at least 20 minutes to meet with the classroom teacher. As an IB school, we believe in students owning their learning and their goals, therefore students typically lead the conferences sharing their accomplishments and goals. Report cards are also a good source of information that comes around conference time. 
• FET Meetings (Familias y educadores juntos): Este grupo se reúne mensualmente para continuar profundizando las formas en que las familias de color y los educadores pueden conectarse a través de una mayor comunicación y relación. Las juntas toman lugar en espanol con traduccion en ingles. Son buena oportunidad para estar conectado y informado.
• Heritage Night – This fantastic potluck event truly highlights the many cultures represented at Whittier. We ask students to dress in (or bring to display) traditional clothing from their family’s country of origin and bring a dish to share from that country as well. We want to celebrate all heritages at Whittier, so even if you aren’t a direct descendant or first generation, we encourage you to bring food to share with others! There is also a schoolwide musical performance at this event.
• Giving Tree - Around the holidays, Whittier families have the opportunity to give and receive gifts and clothing items for their school-aged children. This school tradition is another indicator of our generous & supportive community.
• Book Fair - During the winter Parent Teacher conferences, the library is transformed into a bookstore. A portion of all proceeds go to the school library program.
• Variety Show - This is an opportunity for students in all grades to get up on stage and perform. We welcome a variety of acts, including music, jokes, magic, dance, acrobatics, trivia, and others.
• Around the World - An annual event to celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions within our Whittier community. The evening features crafts, activities, music, performances, food trucks, and more for the whole family to enjoy!  
• IB Fair & Exhibition - As a culmination of their IB career, Whittier 5th graders share the Unit of Inquiry they self-created including the actions they took as a result of learning and their reflections on themselves and who they have become at Whittier. While this is a 5th grade event, all of the community is welcome to share in the celebration of IB learning! 
• Wellness Day - Our version of field day, this event encourages students to engage in all forms of wellness from physical to emotional to social wellness. 
• 5th grade Graduation - 5th graders and their families come together to celebrate the end of their time at Whittier. 4th grade families traditionally host the party afterwards serving cake and drinks. 
• Book Giveaway - This event is meant for students to donate their gently used books in order to get new ones for summer reading. Even if students do not bring donations, everyone gets to choose something new to read!

Curriculum & Assessment

For more information about BVSD’s reading and math curriculum and assessments, including how you can support at home, click here.

Native Language Literacy

Reading in your child's home language supports their overall literacy development. Encourage reading, storytelling, and conversation in your family's native language — this strengthens the same skills that transfer to reading in English.

Talented and Gifted Program (GT) 

Whittier supports talented and gifted learners through the development of an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) which identifies yearly goals for a student’s strength areas with input from teachers and guardians and the student (generally at fall conferences). Students are identified for GT through a testing process conducted by the GT coordinator. All students are screened in second grade but other requests for testing can come through a classroom teacher.

Homework Policy 

In our community, some families want more homework and the others want less. As a staff, we value two main priorities of homework: 

1) Creating a daily reading habit for all students of 20-30 minutes (or more) per night. This includes family members reading aloud in any language and all forms of reading for fun!

2) Students learn the executive functioning habits of studying, organization and being responsible for taking home and returning work by the time they head off to middle school. Often this looks like math games or worksheets since math facts and fluency are so foundational to student learning.

Please know that we also want to value families in their unique situations. If, at any time, any homework expectation is not working for your family, please just sign the homework and have the student hand it in incomplete.

● Whittier Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Guidelines: The Whittier staff regularly reviews these ICT Guidelines that outline our philosophy and practices around technology.

● Devices at School 

Whittier follows the BVSD Cell Phone and Personal Technology Devices Policy that requires students to keep their cell phones and PTD’s turned off and away during school hours. Whittier is not responsible for electronic equipment brought to school. If students are engaging with cell phones or PTD’s during the school day, they will be asked to put the device away or have it locked in the office until the end of the school day.

● Usage of Internet Resources 

We use a variety of district-approved web-based resources, a list of which can be found on this website: https://www.bvsd.org/departments/information-technology/software. If we use additional resources, we will seek appropriate district approval and notify you in our classroom newsletters. We are well-aware of the need for student data to be kept private and our district approval process is specifically meant to protect students. If you would like more information on data privacy, here is our district data privacy website: https://www.bvsd.org/departments/information-technology/student-data-privacy-in-bvsd . 

● Photography and Videography 

We do not put full student names on pictures posted publicly but we do post student pictures in various forms on Apptegy (our private learning platform), in our hallways, on social media, and in district publications. Parents/guardians have the right to opt out during the beginning of the year ADU process so that no photo or video of their child is published.

Additionally, we have noticed more and more family members taking photos or videos at school activities. Obviously, we cannot control the use of this content but we will generally allow families to take photos and videos unless it becomes disruptive to the students. We kindly request that families use the same standard as we and not to post full student names if they share photos or videos of Whittier students online.

Where do I find it? What link do I use?

Whittier International Elementary PTA

For more detailed information on everything linked above: 

Whittier Family Student Handbook

(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_hXODTquchyZVtf5BzI3gh3_hJjKS2IO/view)

(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c9sZjrYdiuJUFIyIgLDr0GVlywo7PJ9l/view?usp=drive_link)