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The Viking Voice Whittier Elementary

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The Viking Village Volunteers are here to help!

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork and information you received at orientation? There’s a lot to sift through, and it’s easy to feel lost and not really know what’s going on.

We totally understand the confusion, and we’re here to help.

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide resources that will help you stay organized this school year, keep you in the loop with current and upcoming events, and provide opportunities to support your Whittier community.

Viking Volunteers provide a delicious morning boost during staff appreciation week.

Not your average PTO

We are the Viking Village Volunteers, but you might have known us in a past life as the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Why’d we change our name? Because we are way more than a parent-teacher organization–we are a Viking Village! We’re here to support the education and engagement of our students at Whittier Elementary by fostering relationships among the school, parents, caregivers, and teachers.

Here’s a glance at our high-level goals:

  • Provide Support to our Whittier Community
  • Enhance Academic Achievement
  • Coordinate and Recruit Volunteers to support Community Enrichment Activities
  • Plan for Future Fundraising Events
The Viking Village is thrilled to collaborate with Principal Flock and Vice Principal Avila to support Whittier students, parents, and staff.

Become a Volunteer

Are you interested in making a positive impact? It truly takes a village to support our Whittier community, and we need more help. Whether you have intermittent chunks of time to spare or you have time to donate on a regular basis, we need you! Fill out our Viking Village Volunteer Form (it’ll only take a minute!), and we’ll get you plugged into something you’re sure to thrive in (while also helping out Whittier and its amazing students!).

Community partnership

Part of our mission is enthusiastically supporting our community. If you own a business, we want to help you thrive! Email us at PTOWhittierElementary@gmail.com with the name of your business and student’s name, and we’ll reach out for ways we can support you!

Upcoming events

We have some fun stuff planned and hope to see you there!

  • STEAM Night: September 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Come learn and experience all things Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math! Volunteers needed! Sign up to volunteer at Fall 2023 Whittier STEAM Night.
  • Soccer Jamboree: September 30, 9-3 p.m.
  • Book Fair: October 16-19. Students can preview Book Fair books early in the week during their library time (no purchases). Parents may preview the Book Fair items after school beginning Oct 15th. Purchases can be made after school on Oct 16th and 17th from 3:45pm-4:45pm, Oct 18th from 3:45- 7:30pm, and on Oct 19th during Parent Teacher Conferences from 8:30am-7:30pm. Register to volunteer
  • Parent Teacher Conferences: October 18-19 (No school October 19). Your teacher will send out a schedule for family sign up.
  • Whittier Trunk-o-Treat: October 31, 5-6:30 p.m. Visit the staff and Whittier families as they park their cars in the parking lot and give out candy.
  • "Bee the Change" Inspirational Fundraiser: November 6-16. Students from each grade level can bring in their spare change to win an opportunity to do something silly to our principal, Regina Flock (spray paint her hair, take a pie to the face, or even be duct taped to the wall!). Students will also fill out inspirational notes to create a cohesive beehive throughout the school!

Go to Fall 23-24 Calendar of Events for more information.

What’s new around school?

We have a new playground sensory path! Students can jump the planets, walk the lines, or use their out of this world imaginations to play with it. The sensory path is a great way for our kids to develop and refine their gross motor skills and get out extra energy–all while having fun and learning about planets too! Thank you, Lowell Elementary PTSA, for brightening our Whittier Community and allowing us to use your stencils! And thank you to the volunteers who came out to support the project on a Saturday afternoon. This is an amazing addition to the playground that will continue to get lots of use during recess!

Viking Volunteers assist with the installation of a new sensory path on the playground.

Whittier community garden

The Garden Club needs your help! Even if you’ve never gardened a day in your life, we want to train and share the beauty of community gardening with you! We have several volunteer positions open:

  • Garden coordinator: Help organize events, work days, maintenance, and volunteers
  • Lunchtime volunteers: Lead small student groups during lunch recess to help in the garden
  • After-hours volunteers: volunteer in the summer

Fill out the Whittier Community Garden Survey, or reach out to whittiercommunitygarden@gmail.com to learn more.

Students plant seeds and pick produce in the garden during their lunch break.

This is amazing! How can I get involved and stay in the know?