Whittier Elementary

Welcome

Whittier Elementary School is situated at the western end of Teaneck with approximately 400 students in grades one to four. The school was built in 1923 and is named after the poet John Greenleaf Whittier and is located in the West Englewood area of Teaneck.

Headlines

  • The Amazing Race and Sticks and Stones

    The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office & Chase Wilson's film deals with the dangers of cyber bullying. Time: 11am to 1 pm 11 am-The Amazing Race, Family Edition 12 pm- Sticks and Stones Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012 Snow Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012 Location: Teaneck High School, Cheryl Miller-Porter Student Center Please contact Ann Chon, Family Support Counselor, at (201) 862-1200 x. 6715 or achon@teaneckschools.org to register for The Amazing Race, Family Edition. Gift cards will be awarded to the top 3 winners. All parents are welcome to view Sticks and Stones. Due to the content of this movie, only children 13 years old and older will be permitted to view it. A trailer of the movie can be seen at www.chasewilson.com/sticksandstones. Refreshments and babysitting will be provided. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, through the Elementary Counseling Grant and New Jersey State Parent Information and Resource Center.

    Comments (-1)

  • Whittier School Library Receives Books In Honor Of Reading Buddy Bonnie Berman

    Ms. Bonnie Berman, beloved friend of Dr. greenfield was a devoted reading buddy at Whittier School through Bergen Reads for more than twenty years. her friend Dr. Greenfield spearheaded, with Dr. Berman's family campaign, to annually donate books to the school library as a loving memorial to the devoted reading volunteer who was a devoted reader, an advocate for the importance of education for all children and a champion of the neighborhood. In addition, to her close friend Dr. Greenfield her husband Dr. Berman spoke of the couples love of books and how their family life was centered around the celebration of learning. We, the Whittier School, are touched and grateful for the donation. Mr. Daniels, the school's fine music teacher teacher led Mr. Henry's class in a perfomrance of Lean On Me. Additionally, several students from Ms. Lionetti's class sang The Readers' Oath.

    Comments (-1)

  • Whittier School Goals

    Comments (-1)

Something New on the Menu

Beginning Monday, December 19, 2011 Physical Education Specialist Randi Badras and Art Teacher Donnie Thurmond will be reading five to ten minutes of a chapter book to the first and second grade students during lunchtime. We will post the name of the book next week—along with vocabulary words that will provide clues for guessing what is coming next in the book.
 
First and second grade classes are enjoying the experience of hearing Louis Sachar's Sidewise Stories From Wayside School.  Parents who interested in discussing this book with their children make ask about the importance of the following vocabulary words in context of the bookto date:
 
flabbergasted
accidentally
chimpanzee 
 
(Parent tip:  the more specifically one asks a question the etter the answer one is likely to receive.  Although open-ended questions, those questions that can be answered with opinions and different answers are my favorites, when they are more carefully crafted--they often result in more satisfying answers.  I have found that the question--Why is the word discipline important in the beginning chapters of this book and who uses the word? will often help me engage a child in conversation more easily than Is the word discipline used in the book?)

Whittier Wellness Wednesday

Do you know the difference between what an occupational therapist does and what a physical therapist does?  Try asking your Whittier school student--he or she might surpirse you by being able to tell you how the two roles vary.  This week Nurse Farrell's Whittier Wellness Wednesday Lesson focused on the roles of different workers in the school building.  I bet you can guess which two she started with.
 
Vocabulary words:
 
occupational
physical
therapist
occupational therapist
physical therapist
 
Every Wednesday morning the entire Whittier School Family is greeted by Nurse Farrell on the loudspeaker system. She delivers a brief health lesson which is almost like a public service announcement. This lesson is reviewed by the classroom teachers. In some classrooms the vocabulary included in the lesson has become part of the weekly spelling tests.

Every month a timely an important health issue is presented during these brief Wednesday morning lessons. September’s lessons reviewed hygiene and hand washing routines. October is devoted to the study of bones. November is American diabetes Month and we focus on diabetes. December is flu—how to prevent it and what to do if you think you have it.

This curriculum is aligned to Core Curriculum Health Standards. Some classrooms have incorporated the medical vocabulary into their work, post the words and sometimes test them. As of January we will post the words on this site so that parents can speak with their children about these topics.

Announcements

  • MAP Testing Grades Three and Four
    January 20-January 31 
    Comments (-1)
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute
    First and Second Grade Performance
    February 3, 2012
    9:00-10:00 AM 
    Third and Fourth Grade Performance
    1:00-2:00 PM
    Comments (-1)
  •  
     
     
     

    Joint PTO Meeting For Whittier, Lowell and Bryant Schools
    Date changed to February 28, 2012
    7:00-8:30 
    The meeting will be held in the Whittier School Multi-Purpose Room
    Dinner will be served. 
     Learn how technology can enhance your child's education.
     
    Comments (-1)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute

View Calendar