PTSA
Whitman Middle School PTSA
WMS Parent Teacher Student Association
The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports Whitman’s students, families, and staff. We are here to make sure you have the opportunity to stay connected to your student’s middle school experience. Many research studies have shown that when parents/guardians are involved in their child’s education, these students achieve more regardless of socio-economic status/ethnic background or even their own parent’s education level and we look forward to the new School Year!
Announcements
The Whitman PTSA Board Needs You
The currently elected 6th Grade BLT member is unable to attend the scheduled Building Leadership Team (BLT) meetings – occurring on the first Monday of the month at 4-5 p.m. at WMS. In the interest of having 6th grade well-represented in BLT, we are now accepting self-nominations for the role and would like to announce and vote on this position soon. To find out more about this role, please contact Jan at whitmanptsapresident@gmail.com.
The Board could also use a volunteer for Social Media content and a Technical lead to help us keep up with the changing digital needs of our nonprofit. We are happy to work with you to develop these roles and work collaboratively with each other to make decisions, so you won’t be left on your own. If you are interested in helping us with either of these positions, please contact Jan at whitmanptsapresident@gmail.com.
Spirit Wear Orders Have Arrived!
Orders are available for pickup by your student at the ASB Pride Store. The orders will be available under your name, but if possible please email me the name of your student(s) and their grade(s) to aid with pickup. Thanks! Matthew Dresden at matthew.dresden@gmail.com Whitman PTSA Spirit Wear Lead 2023-24.
WMS PTSA Board & General Meetings
PTSA Board Meetings
The WMS PTSA Board meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted and promoted.
PTSA General Meetings
- Posted soon!
If you would like more information and links to the virtual meetings, please contact the WMS PTSA Secretary at WhitmanPTSASecretary@gmail.com
WMS PTSA President Welcome 23-24!
Dear Students and Families: On behalf of your Whitman Middle School Parent-Teacher-Student Association (WMS PTSA), I am happy to welcome you to the 2023-24 school year at Whitman. The new WMS PTSA Board is honored to serve our incredible student body, dedicated teachers, and supportive parents. WMS PTSA works closely with the school administration and staff as well as the Associated Student Body (ASB) and Whitman families to promote a vibrant and enriching school community and a place where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We want to encourage you to be actively involved at Whitman. Volunteer your time and skills to benefit our Whitman community! We can make a significant impact and create a school environment that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of our student body if we act together.
I assure you that our Whitman PTSA team is committed to supporting you every step of the way. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to listen, advocate, and collaborate to ensure your experience at Whitman Middle School is a healthy and happy one! I hope you all have a rewarding and fun 2023-24 school year. Let’s work together to create a vibrant and inclusive community where every student can thrive. Let’s go Wildcats! Jan Johnson, WMS PTSA President; whitmanptsapresident@gmail.com
Join the PTSA Board, Become a Member and/or Volunteer!
We Need You On the PTSA For for 2023 – 2024!
WMS PTSA Board Roles
- Advocacy Liaison
- Events Co-Lead
- Communications/Social Media Co-Lead
- Nomination Committee (Requires 3 people)
Please contact Jan Johnson at WhitmanPTSAPresident@gmail.com and let me know what role you’re interested in, or we can talk about your strengths and find a good fit for you.
Become a Member of the PTSA
Please take this opportunity to join our group of motivated parents and teachers with one goal in mind—helping to create the best school experience possible for all Whitman students. Membership in the Whitman PTSA benefits your child, their school community, and you!
Volunteer Opportunities
We are always looking for new volunteers. You can find volunteer opportunities on our Volunteer and Current Volunteer Opportunities pages.
Stay Informed and Get Involved
WMS PTSA Weekly Newsletter
Get connected and stay informed of school events and activities is to sign up and read the Whitman Weekly PTSA Newsletter! The newsletter is emailed to subscribed families on Thursdays of each week. If you have any questions or have news to share please email the PTSA Newsletter Volunteer Jennifer Wilcox at whitmanptsanews@gmail.com. Read current and previous editions on the PTSA Newsletter Archive.
You don’t have to be a PTSA membership to sign up, so sign-up today and get your email added to the Whitman weekly newsletter mailing list.
School Year 22-23 Resources
Special Education Guide Resource
Thank you to the Seattle Special Education Education PTSA for sharing their Guide to Special Education in Seattle Public Schools.
Annual Giving Fundraising Campaign (AGC) 2022 Recap
Can We Do It? Yes We Can!
A huge THANK YOU to our Wildcat community for supporting the 2022 Annual Giving Campaign in a big way. We had set an ambitious goal again this year, and the community really came through.
These funds will help turn Whitman teachers’ great ideas into reality, provide curriculum enhancements, support student families in need, and much more. We welcome more PTSA families to get involved with our efforts. Your voice can impact how we budget for next year. Please reach out to us at whitman-ptsa-communications@googlegroups.com if you have any questions or comments.
Annual Giving Campaign (AGC)
Every dollar raised in the Whitman PTSA Annual Giving Campaign (AGC) makes a difference! AGC donations fully fund our budget, the PTSA will be listening to Whitman parents, teachers, and administration to understand how we can help meet critical needs.
Our AGC goal is to raise $60,000. The AGC is our single fundraiser for the year. This means we need families to give big if possible this fall! Previous years gifts ranged from $15 – $250 and above, but we will need even greater participation to reach our goal. Recurring donations are a great way to spread giving over time, and corporate matching can make donations go further.
All donations are 100% tax deductible. Your donation will go even further if your employer participates in company matching. Whitman Middle School PTSA is a non-profit 501c3. Tax ID: 91-1170778.
Or mail a check payable to “Whitman Middle School PTSA” to Whitman Middle School, 9201-15th Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98117-2336 or drop off in the Front Office.
Thank you! Christina Bailey, WMS PTSA Fundraising Annual Giving Campaign Chair; whitmanptsafundraising@gmail.com
Welcome Event Recap
The Welcome Event for Incoming Grade 6 and New Students was so much fun! We met new families and some familiar faces and hope that you all felt at home at Whitman. We really appreciated your enthusiasm! We especially want to recognize the following staff members and teachers who helped plan and/or attended this event even after a long, long day of training: John Houston, Principal, Janice Runner, Front Office, Elaine Way, Front Office, Melanie Gunn, Music and Orchestra Teacher, Beth Hardy, English Language Arts Gr 6 & 8, William Harris, Mathematics Gr 6 & 7, Keith Welch, Student Teacher, and Leticia Bravo, Counselor.
Big thanks to our PTSA Events Coordinator Christina Bailey and our PTSA President Erika Goodmanson for the planning and execution of the event.
Thank you to those who volunteered for set up/clean up and participated in this event!! These people were willing to jump in where needed and get things done: Katherine Diers, Nichole Barba, Tracy Yetter, Karin LaBelle, Tonia Galindo, Melissa Fuller, Zanna Satterwhite, Jan Johnson, Alisa Yamamoto, and Kelly Germann (Performing Arts of Whitman Director). Finally, the janitorial staff who were already cleaning up were so helpful to our volunteers! We hope you grabbed a cupcake and a soft drink! We appreciate you all!
Video from June 2022 General Membership Meeting
Watch the video from the General Meeting and meet Principal Houston.