January 2015 Presidents’ To Do

Presidents’ To Do

Presidents’ Report

Courtney Warren from Safe Place gave a presentation to the Board.  We will put her on the agenda of a future general meeting.  Safe Place is an outreach program that quickly connects youth in crisis ages 12-17 to help, through a network of local businesses designated as “Safe Places.” These resources help youth resolve their crises and remain in a stable environment. A youth in crisis can call 1 (800) 422-TEEN or ask for help at any Safe Place site to connect with a Safe Place staff member who will meet the youth, access their needs, and transport them to safety. Safe Place is a collaborative effort of Friends of Youth, YouthCare, and Auburn Youth Resources.

Region 2 Mid-Winter Conference is February 3rd at the Lake Washington Resource Center, 6:30-9pm.  Classes offered will be Roles and Responsibilities of the Board, Volunteers, and Managing Conflict.  These will count towards the training requirement.  There will be two workshop/roundtable sessions:  Top 5 Issues and Bylaws.  Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-2-mid-winter-conference-registration-15233546949

Nominating Committee training:  January 26th, 7-8:30pm, Lake Washington Resource Center; February 5th, 12-1:30pm, Lake Washington Resource Center (Board Room)

To Do

Ensure your memberships are paid for at the end of each month upon receipt of your invoice.

Applying for Membership Awards is simple.  Take advantage of the new Seedling and Sapling awards.  Information and forms are available at http://www.wastatepta.org/member/awards/membership_awards.html.

More awards information and forms at http://www.wastatepta.org/programs/significant_action/index.html.

Please include this reminder in your newsletters or enews.

Student Essay Contest – Male Role Model in My Life

The Washington State PTA (WSPTA) is once again offering the Men’s Essay Contest. This is an opportunity for students to write essays about an important man in their life. WSPTA acknowledges the importance of men in children’s lives, and offers an annual essay contest for students to showcase the important men who make positive impacts in their lives. There are categories for K-12, plus a special author category for students who receive services, as defined by the ADA.  Entry deadline is March 1, 2015. Find further details and entry form here:

http://www.wastatepta.org/programs/PTA_mens/index.html

Click on the following link to get the flyer and activity list for Grand Ridge’s Kindness Week.

December Presidents To Do

President’s To Do List

Wanted to get this out a week early with the short month and crazy schedules.  We will send any updates from the meeting

We will be doing another training session in March – if there is something you would like to have, please let us know

Thank you for letting us visit your Board meetings.  We have just a handful of schools left and will be visiting you in January

Secondary PTA & the Principal is January 6th 10:30-12pm

If you live in Sammamish, there will be a Community Conversation about Teens Drinking and Driving on December 10th for more information contact Barbara de Michelle at issaquahcommunitynetwork@mindspring.com

Keep working on getting your Board trained, we have less than 10 people left in the whole district.  We will be letting you know if you are missing any training.

Check out the new Mission Mental Blog at http://missionmental.org. Liberty students got this started as part of their work with the Healthy Youth Initiative

Committee sign up opportunities for Nominating Committee, Council Awards, Council Awards Reception, and  Run, Hide, and Fight training and procedures for PTA events outside the school day (at this Thursday’s meeting)

Betsy Cohen is coordinating services for families in crisis with PTA & ISF.  betsywcohen@gmail.com

All Communications Questions are directed to the Communication Director L Michelle at michellel@issaquah.wednet.edu

Standards of Excellence Check list – can be found on the Council Website, and at the end of this TO DO list

FACEBOOK – If you need additional information, you can contact Shelly Russell at vp-high@issaquahptsa.org

Please send any Parent Ed happenings at your school to Heidi or Judy at parent-ed@issaquahptsa.org

You should be recruiting your Nominating Committee, for approval at your next GM

We will have approved training in January for Nominating Committees, at least one person from the committee should attend

Please send all your GM dates, all school events, and Parent Ed dates to Cindy Kelm at kelmcindy@gmail.com

Washington State Leadership Handbook — http://www.wastatepta.org/leadership/leadership_packet/leadership_packet_14/Leadership_2014.pdf

Leg Update and What is coming in 2015–  Brown Bag Lunch

Panelists will preview the legislative session, advise our PTA members on effective advocacy strategies, and take questions from the audience.
When: Thursday, December 18, noon to 1 p.m.
Where: Lake Wash SD Resource Center (at Redmond Town Center) 16250 NE 74th St, Redmond
Who:
Sherry Krainick, WSPTSA Legislative Director
Frank Ordway, Gov Relations Director, LEV
Kevin Teeley, President, Lake Wash Education Association
Cary Evans, Gov Relations Director, Stand for Children

District Reflections Gallery Walk Reception: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015, 6:30-8:00pm. Gallery Walk (come and go anytime during this time)  at  Issaquah High School Commons area

Focus Day – January 19thbring your kids, have a fun day.  For more details watch for an email from Dea Barnett

Nominating Committee Training coming in January

March 1st – 100% Teacher Membership, All membership awards

March 1st All state PTA awards

March 31st – Golden Acorn Reception

April 17th-19thState PTA Convention I Bellevue

Presidents’ To Do List – UPDATED for the October 2014 List

An update to the PTD that went out in October.
 
PTA & Principal ElementaryNovember 20th at the ISD from 10-12
 

PTA & Principal Secondary November 13th  at the ISD from 8:30-9:15 (this is the money portion and doesn’t actually involve you principal — please make sure if you can not attend someone from your board does)  

 
January 6th from 10-12, there will be round table discussion with all the middles at one table and all the high schools at the other.  Please come to the session with 2 things PTA does a great job partnering with your school and 2 things you wished they did.

 
Council Coming to You:  Thank you for opening your meetings to a visit from Council representative if we have not been there yet, we are on the way.  Hopefully it has been as valuable to you as it has to us.  Thanks, you are all doing great things.
 
Remember to take a few minutes to complete the Bylaws Survey (is there a rule that you think is ridiculous, now is your time to speak up!!).  The link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wsptabylaws.
 
PTA Best Practices — Meeting TidBits:
  • Make sure when guests come to your meeting, whether it is the President of the US, your principal, committee chair, you get the point — that you take the time to introduce them.
  • This even goes if you are having a discussion within your board and people might not know of a special expertise that a person on the board has on the topic.
  • As a board do you know how line items of your budget are spent.  Take the time to invite program chairs to your meetings as they kick off their work.  Have them share, what they are doing and how they are using the resources for the project
  • Help yourself out, make sure the top of your minutes states the date, time, location, attendees and quorum present.
  • Do your committee chairs know the goals of your PTA?
  • Does your standing rules reflected what you do?  Check them out compared to how you conduct business.
If you need help or clarification, please let your VP or anyone on the board know.

President’s To Do List – October 2014

President’s To Do List – October 2014

Elementary PTA & the Principal is November 20th 10-12pm

Keep working on getting your Board trained, the goal is to have everyone done in 2014

Friends of Youth Breakfast http://www.friendsofyouth.org/yfsbreakfasts.aspx

Link to the 2014 Healthy Youth Survey www.issaquah.wednet.edu/family/health/HYS.aspx

Students in 6th/8th/10th/12th will take the Healthy Youth Survey the week of the October 13, 2014

Work with your Principal on how PTA will partner with the school to provide Run, Hide Fight training for parents

Last PTA and the Law – Nov. 13th, 6:00-9:00pm, PCMS, register by Nov. 11th. Register here. 

2 Training Options Next Month:

  • Both options will run from 11:45-12:45
  • Will count as training
  • 2 options are Facebook 101 for your PTA OR Website Update 101

Register Now for the WSPTA Legislative Assembly! The 2014 WSPTA Legislative Assembly will be held on October 24-25, 2014 at the Vancouver Hilton, Vancouver Washington Register Now at https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1616816 

Betsy Cohen is coordinating services for families in crisis with PTA & ISF.  betsywcohen@gmail.com

If you have collected Voice Mentors names please pass them on to, weldonm@issaquah.wednet.edu

All Communications Questions are directed to the Communication Director L Michelle at michellel@issaquah.wednet.edu

ISF Updates —  October 21st & October 28th Calling Nights, ISF Honk n Wave in November will be looking for volunteers, and please send in All in for Kids donation if your PTA is making one

November 6, 2014 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm  Everyone is invited to hear Kelly Munn, of the League of Education Voters, speak about the upcoming Legislative session. In addition to having an insider’s view of legislative happenings, Kelly is one of our own, a former Issaquah PTSA Council Advocacy chair, and has lots of insight as to how our Issaquah PTSA powerhouse can influence what happens in Olympia for the benefit of public education in Washington State. Guaranteed to be enlightening and entertaining. LOCATIONJody Mull’s House  6061 167th Ave SE Bellevue, WA 98006

Standards of Excellence Check list – can be found on the Council Website

Please send any Parent Ed happenings at your school to Judy Babb at wjbms@aol.com

You should be recruiting your Nominating Committee, for approval at your next GM

Please send all your GM dates, all school events, and Parent Ed dates to Cindy Kelm at kelmcindy@gmail.com

Washington State Bylaws Survey — https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wsptabylaws

Washington State PTA Uniform Bylaws can be found at http://www.wastatepta.org/resources/bylaws/Bylaws_2014.pdf

Washington State Leadership Handbook — http://www.wastatepta.org/leadership/leadership_packet/leadership_packet_14/Leadership_2014.pdf

Literacy Speaker – Matt Glover November 17th at the ISD Admin Bldg 6:30-8:30pm

Dates to Remember –

  • Council Dues Due – October 31
  • District Reflections deadline to submit student work:   Thursday, November 20th, 11:30am-1:30pm – Location Issaquah Library Meeting Room
  • District Reflections Gallery Walk Reception: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015, 6:30-8:00pm. Gallery Walk (come and go anytime during this time)  at  Issaquah High School Commons area

State Due Dates –

  • October 25 — Initial Payment of Membership Service Fees
  • November 10 — Liability Insurance Payment to AIM
  • November 15 — IRS Form 990 / 990EZ / 990-N (e-postcard) To Internal Revenue Service
  • March 1st – 100% Teacher Membership

Reflections 2014-2015

“The world would be a better place if…”

RefLogo2014-2015

Reflections ImageAbout Reflections

All children deserve opportunities to explore and be involved in the arts.

What will you create? The Arts–and the National PTA Reflection program can be a valuable tool for fostering strong partnerships in your school community. Participate in PTA’s Arts Reflections Program themed– “The world would be a better place if…” The National PTA Reflections program is PTA’s cornerstone arts program. It was developed in 1969 by Colorado’s PTA President Mary Lou Anderson to encourage students to explore their talents and express themselves. Since then, the Reflections Program has inspired millions of students to reflect on a specific theme and create original artwork. Each year, students in Grades Pre-K through 12 are recognized for bringing the theme to life through dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.

In 2012, the Special Artist Division emerged as an optional division for students whose physical, cognitive, or mental health challenges meet ADA guidelines. More information regarding guidelines and rules will be in your Reflections Guide.

Are you a new Reflections Chair or would like some info on how to implement Reflections in your school? Follow along with your WSPTA Reflections Guide for Local PTAs (you will receive the Fall from your PTA President).

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Issaquah Reflections Orientation for Chairs: Thursday, September 18, 10:30am-12:00pm at Issaquah Library Meeting Room
  • District Reflections deadline to submit student work:   Thursday, November 20th, 11:30am-1:30pm – Location Issaquah Library Meeting Room
  • District Reflections Gallery Walk Reception: Tuesday, January 13th, 2015, 6:30-8:00pm. Gallery Walk (come and go anytime during this time)  at  Issaquah High School Commons area
Want to know more?

Volunteers Needed!

Please feel free to jump on board. With so many details, many hands make the work load light. Volunteers needed to help with the District Reception in January. Please contact the Council Reflections Chair for more information.

Issaquah PTSA Council Reflections Chair:

Dawn Peschek,
reflections@issaquahptsa.org
425-277-2770

 

Click HERE to visit the WSPTA Reflections Website


2014-2015 WSPTA Reflections Award Winners

2014-2015 District Reflections Finalists Congratulations to all!
2014-2015 Issaquah School District Reflections Reception and Gallery Program.

2013-2014 District Reflection Finalists
2013-2014 WASTATE PTA  Reflection Finalists

2012-2013 National PTA Reflections Awards Recipients by State   Way to go Washington State PTSA!