Category Archives: Presidents’ To-Do

2020-2021 Slate Announced

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The Nominating Committee has announced their slate for the executive board of the Issaquah PTSA Council for 2020-2021.

The election will take place at our General Membership Meeting on 6/18/2020.

PresidentErin Eaton
Vice President Elementary Schools *SouthNicole Morgan
TreasurerPauline Tamblyn
SecretaryCindy Kelm
Vice President Elementary Schools *CentralLauren Bartholomew
Vice President Elementary Schools *NorthOPEN
Vice President Middle and High Schools**Carla Geraci

October 2018 Best Practices

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  • Make sure all of your elected officers are trained, and at least one of your elected officers has attended PTA and the Law.
  • Print these documents from the WSPTA website and become familiar with them. They will help remind you of the items you need to gather and complete to keep your PTA in good standing, and will help you keep your timeline on track.
  • Standards of Affiliation – This sheet should be filled in and complete by the end of November, with the possible exception of your PTA’s corporate renewal, which will be filed during the month that your PTA was first incorporated.
  • Standards of Excellence – Show your membership that your PTA is following best practices by applying for the Standards of Excellence Award (due March 1st). Refer to the timeline checklist each month to see what your PTA should be doing during this time, and gather/create documents as you go. If you put your notebook together a bit at a time over the course of the year, it’s quick and EASY!
  • Make sure your voting delegates have been turned in to the Council secretary, and that you or one of your delegates is planning to attend each Council membership meeting.
  • Register for Legislative Assembly here: https://www.pt-avenue.com/conference/  (October 21-22, Green River College, Auburn). Encourage your board members to attend. Make sure you have submitted the names of your PTA’s voting delegates to WSPTA (due Oct. 12).
  • Send the Legislative Principles, Issues and Resolutions Survey to your membership. Share the data with your Legislative Assembly delegate(s), so their vote will properly represent your membership at Leg. Assembly.
  • Brand and Market your PTA! Educate EVERYONE in your school community (not only your membership) about each and every program and event that your PTA supports. Show them how your PTA benefits your students. If you sponsored it, put a sticker on it! If you have an event, hang a banner! This is how you attract members and encourage donations. 🙂

Region 2 Back to School Fall Conference Training – August 22

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PTSA leaders from across Region 2 are invited to join us for training and networking to start your PTSA year off on the best note!  Come meet other PTSA leaders from across the Eastside and fulfill your training requirement in one evening.

REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/2vJiIUN

August 22, 2017
Eastlake High School in Sammamish, WA.
Check-in – 5:00 pm
Evening Begins – 5:30 pm

PTA & The Law will be offered from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm — this is a class that is required for at least one elected member of every PTSA Board.

A variety of classes will be offered in two sessions if you are not attending PTA & the Law so select the training that is most useful to you and your Board. (Class availability subject to change due to teacher and facility availability)

Class Session 1 (6:00 pm – 7:15 pm):

  • Ready, Set, Go!
  • Treasurer Basics
  • Foundations of Outreach
  • Intro to Membership
  • Advocacy and Legsilative Basics

Class Session 2 (7:30 pm – 8:45 pm)

  • Branding & Marketing your PTA for Membership Success
  • Managing your Non-Profit PTA
  • Face, Advocacy, and Membership
  • Effective Meetings
  • Programs to Engage your Community

Have questions about Region 2 Back to School Fall Conference Training? Contact Region 2

Advocacy Updates – Advocacy and Public Policy Briefing

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Advocacy and Public Policy Briefing

Prepared by Susan D. Baird-Joshi, Region 2 Legislative Chair, Washington State PTA * July 29, 2017

1. Ballots Due August 1, 2017

Mail your Washington State ballots or drop them off by Tuesday, August 1, 2017, 8 p.m. Issues in this summer ballot

include taxes and preliminary votes for elected officials:

• King County Proposition 1 Sales Tax for Cultural Access Program

• Elected positions with more than two candidates (school district boards, city councils, port commissioners, and

county executive)

The ballot mailer includes a list of drop-off locations in King County. For more election information, visit the King

County Elections home page, http://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx. For news and reminders, visit the KC Elections

Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/kcelections/ .

WA State PTA has not taken a position on Prop. 1. PTAs cannot endorse candidates.

2. Washington State Legislative Session Includes Benefits for Children and Families

Extending into multiple special sessions during the summer, the Washington State Legislature and Governor approved a

budget that includes funding provisions to address the McCleary decision, requiring the state to “amply fund” K-12 basic

education. The bill included $7.3 billion in new funding for K-12 education to satisfy McCleary.

Other actions that could benefit children and families include the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program,

increased funding for the State Need Grant and a new Department of Children, Youth and Families.

The House proposed a Capital Budget with construction projects throughout the state totaling $4.17 billion, including new

schools. However, the Legislature adjourned before passing the legislation. The Senate Republicans wanted a long-term

solution to the State Supreme Court’s decision affecting property owners’ water rights and abilities to drill wells, known

as the Hirst decision. For more information, see the Governor’s session round-up. https://medium.com/wagovernor/2017-legislative-session-produces-major-achievements-for-washington-74d6d557e3b4

3. Affordable Care Act Proposed Changes Would Have Impacted Washington’s Children

On June 28 Washington State’s Governor Jay Inslee and Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler sent a joint letter to

Washington State’s Congressional delegation—two senators and 10 representatives—urging them to vote no on the

Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). The act did not pass. More children would have lost coverage due to

their parents’ loss of coverage. The governor’s web site has the letter and facts about health insurance in Washington.

http://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Inslee-Kreidler%20ltr%20to%20Delegation%20re%20BCRA.pdf

Region 2 covers eastern King County and consists of the Bellevue, Issaquah, Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Riverview, and Snoqualmie Valley school districts. https://www.wastatepta.org/pta-leaders/pta-regions/region-2/

May 2017 Agenda Notes

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May Agenda
April Draft Minutes
April Treasurer Report
Draft Budget 2017-2018

REMINDERS

LOCATION REMINDER:

Issaquah PTSA Council Transition Luncheon
Thursday, May 18th at Pickering Barn
9:30 – General Meeting (Current & Incoming Presidents)
11:30 – Luncheon (PTSA Council, Principals & District Guests)
 
We look forward to seeing you all at the Issaquah PTSA Council Transition Luncheon, celebrating another successful school year! 
Current* & Incoming Presidents arrive at 9:30 for the General Meeting. Principals & Issaquah District Guests join us for the 11:30 Luncheon.
 
*Current Presidents, please bring a *store-bought* salad to serve 10+ guests. (Pickering Barn policy requires that all food served be prepared in a commercial kitchen, refrigeration is available.) 
  

TREASURER

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AWARDS

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ADVOCACY

Contacts:
5th Leg. District
Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov
41st Leg. District
Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Thank you again for your dedication! 😊

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
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BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

Council Transition Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

2017 ACTION FORUM FOR YOUTH
     JUNE 1, ISSAQUAH HOLIDAY INN, 7:00 TO 9:00 A.M.
     JUNE 6, SAMMAMISH X3 TEEN CENTER, 7:00 TO 9:00 A.M.
http://www.healthyyouthinitiative.org/action-forum-for-youth.html

 

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ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

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OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

Tools 4 School Class Packs link is now available through July 15th. Flyer. Donate.

FREE SAT practice exam at the Issaquah Library on May 20th. FLYER.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)
1. Thank you to those able to help during Jessica Lahey’s talks on April 25th!  Thanks to the many Presidents who stepped in, we ended up with sufficient volunteers making both day and evening events flow easily.   Thank you!!!
2. New Topics – Based on results from our March district-wide survey, we are currently planning speakers for next year.  The topics that emerged are:
1) Managing screen time
2) Managing academic/friendship stress
3) Parenting tweens & teens (grades 6-12)
4) Managing behavior challenges (in grades K-8)
5) Sibling Rivalry
Targeting these areas, we are considering a similar model to current year with 1 film documentary/panel discussion, and 3 additional speakers, including 1 national keynote speaker. Speakers and dates will be available in September.
3. Quarterly ParentWiser Committee Meeting will be via email this spring; please send any parent ed suggestions/comments for continual improvement to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org.  Please keep a parent ed rep on your PTA/PTSA roster as the local voice for parent ed at your school, and encourage them to participate in ParentWiser events as volunteers and idea generators.  They can also contact us for local speaker suggestions to draw attendance to your General Membership Meetings.
4. Back-to-School PTSA Check-In.  When creating your online membership/registration for back-to-school check-in, please add the following question/field, and then send your list of emails accumulated to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org :
“Add me to the monthly ParentWiser email distribution to learn about district-wide parent ed events                  (enter email here)               “
5.  ENEWS announcement for May/June.  (This was also sent directly to all parent ed reps and communication chairs.)
—————————————
(For ENEWS):
ParentWiser invites you to…
1.  Join us May 22 at 7pm for a Debrief Discussion on “The Gift of Failure” by Jessica Lahey to discuss key takeaways and implementing a cultural change in raising independent, resilient kids.
2.  Bookmark ParentWiser.org for the new speaker series coming 2017-18!
3.  Access online Parent Ed conferences over the summer.
…because parenting continues even when school ends.
————————————————-
Thank you !
Heidi Fuhs & Debbie Steinberg Kuntz
Co-Chairs

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ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
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STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)

ISD LEVY COMMITTEE UPDATE

The purpose of the ISD Levy Development Committee is to advise the Superintendent as he prepares a recommendation for the school board to approve levy issues for the 2018 ballot. The Committee is made up of 44 representatives from each of our Schools, Principals, Senior/Retired Community, PTSA Council, Certificated Staff Rep, Classified Staff Rep, and Community Members at Large. There are 3 proposed levies – Transportation, Capital Levy (Technology & Critical Repairs) and the M&O (Maintenance and Operations Levy).

Click here for Transportation Levy and May 3rd meeting details.
Click here to read the Capital Levy Priority 1 and Priority 2 proposals and May 17th meeting details.

The next meeting of the committee is May 31st.


WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

There is still time to do a member survey.

Other

Next month’s training following the GMM will be”Managing Your Nonprofit PTA: The Financial Responsibilities of Board Members” and is applicable to all board members counting for your 2017-2018 training requirement. 

April 2017 – Agenda Notes

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April Agenda

March Draft Minutes
March Treasurer Report

Election Slate – Revised
May Luncheon Invitation

REMINDERS

LOCATION REMINDER – This month we are in the Eagle Room at the Issaquah Police Station on Sunset.

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:  Small monetary donation (see Outreach Notes below for more information).

TREASURER

Budget Reminder: This is the time to get your 2017-2018 budget committee together and work on your budget for next year. Survey your program chairs and officers to see if they need/want adjustments to their budgets. Council Dues and fees should likely stay the same.  Your interim budget must be approved by your General Membership before the end of the school year. Let Laila know if you need any help.

AWARDS

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ADVOCACY

Contacts:
5th Leg. District
Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov
41st Leg. District
Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Thank you again for your dedication! 😊

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
Kiln upkeep is NOT an action item, just an FYI.
Looking for a Conference Manager for next fall.

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

Council Transition Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences. Flyers: JPG | PDF

 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

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OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:    

Please consider a small monetary donation to support two schools who do not have PTAs/PTSAs to support their Staff Appreciation events.  Each year the Council provides a Staff Appreciation event for Echo Glen (the school at Youth Detention Facility in Snoqualmie) and the Academy for Community Transition (ISD program for 18-21 year-olds with qualifying disabilities).  It is incredibly difficult to collect food donations for this purpose across the district.  Funds collected will be used to supplement the small budget provided for these events.  Thank you!

 

FREE SAT practice exam at the Issaquah Library on May 20th. FLYER.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

Presidents – the following communications for ParentWiser went out to your Parent Ed Reps and Communication Chairs on April 6th.

Please ensure these get updated in your school ENews, we are still seeing most schools running the March info, which is outdated.  Note the location change to the Debrief book Discussion from IMS Library to Swedish Issaquah’s Café 1910. Revised flyers are also attached.

2)      Still seeking volunteers to help at both 10am and 7pm events on April 25th.  Signup here!

 

For Enews:

ParentWiser asks…

What do YOU do when your child makes mistakes or fails?

How you answer this question can change your relationship with your child and your child’s motivation and resilience. Join us for an exciting series of events this April as we host the NY Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey and her book: The Gift Of Failure. What to do next:

 

1. Read the Book: Get your copy of The Gift of Failure ASAP so you can read it over spring break. Issaquah Barnes & Noble has copies waiting for you.

 

2. Don’t miss Jessica Lahey’s talk: REGISTER to join us at 10am or 7pm on April 25th to hear Ms. Lahey’s potentially life-changing message. You will not want to miss it! (ALMOST SOLD OUT .Walk-ins welcome if space available.)

 

3. Debrief Discussion: Join us on May 22nd  at 7pm in the IMS Library Swedish Issaquah Café 1910 to debrief your key takeaways from the book and/or her talk. See you then!

 

ParentWiser’s district-wide parent ed in an ongoing success this year!  Thank you for your continued support!

  1. For 2017-18, please continue your budget for at least $250 Council fees for ParentWiser/Parent Ed (same as current year).
  2. Keep a Parent Ed Rep on your committee reports.  The Parent Ed Rep is your liaison between your specific school community and ParentWiser.  We rely on the input and volunteer help of parent ed reps at each school to run our speaker program.

Here is our recommended job description for Parent Ed Rep at your local PTSA:

  • Advertize all parent ed offerings forwarded to you by Parentwiser (Issaquah PTSA Council) at your school via flyers, school ENews, PTSA news, and any social media accounts linked to your school and/or PTSA), approx monthly
  • Use FEDEX PTSA discount code for printed materials:  052 088 2103
  • Attend quarterly ParentWiser committee meetings to provide input/planning for future speakers/events.
  • Act as liaison between your local school community and ParentWiser at the district level
  • Volunteer to assist at least 1 ParentWiser event per year, SignupGenius for pre/post-event volunteer needs go out 1-2 weeks prior to each event.
  • Organize/host any additional local speaker(s) at your school community, if desired by your PTSA.
  1. If open to other parents in the district, please forward details at least 3 weeks prior to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  2. For suggestions for local speakers/topics, contact parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  3. Turn-in receipts/expenses to your local PTSA unit for reimbursement
  • Encourage your school community to attend parent ed events or watch online at http://ParentWiser.org
  • ParentWiser parent education is FREE for Issaquah School District PTSA members only, non-members pay $. Encourage your PTSA membership with this tangible benefit!
  1. Below are the communications for March events.  This was sent to presidents, parent ed reps, and communications chairs on March 6th.  Please ensure they are advertized at your school.

 

For ENews:

ParentWiser presents…

 

April 25th The Gift of Failure: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids by national keynote and author, Jessica Lahey, motivational talk and book signing at 10am or 7pm!  In today’s culture, do we coddle our kids enough?  Too much?  Jessica Lahey summarizes the current research on autonomy-supportive parenting and teaching, competence, rewards, praise, and failure, and gives us advice on how to allow students to succeed over the long term.  Join our community book read of Gift of Failure to prepare for a cultural change!  For parents of K-12. FLYER.

New – WATCH ONLINE!  Did you miss Amy Lang’s talk on Birds+Bees+Kids?  That event, plus 28 additional high caliber online parent ed talks from NextGenEd,  are now available on ParentWiser.org/watch-online! With a click, enjoy parent ed on a variety of current topics from the convenience of your home, anytime.  Audio downloads are included to listen on-the-go.  ParentWiser is thrilled to offer these FREE with your PTSA membership to any Issaquah district school.  Enjoy!

ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
ICYMI:  State Winners

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)

Call for Levy Committee Community Members 

Every four years, the Issaquah School District asks local voters to approve levies to pay for educational essentials that the state does not fund, including school buses, classroom technology, and about 20 percent of the operations budget. Because our current levies expire next year, the District is forming a community committee now to help plan the renewal levy measures. If you are interested in representing the community at large on the committee, please contact Lisa White (425-837-7024) for an application. Committee members will consider the overall need, proposed content, total cost, and tax impacts of the ballot measures and present a final recommendation to the Superintendent. The commitment is several Wednesday evening meetings in May and June. 

WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

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Other

WSPTA Convention April 27-30, 2017 SeaTac Hilton

March 2017 – Agenda Notes

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March Agenda
February Draft Minutes
February Treasurer Report
Golden Acorn Reception Invitation

REMINDERS

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:  New or gently used books for Lunch for the Break.

 

 

TREASURER

This is the time to get your 2017-2018 budget committee together and work on your budget for next year. Survey your program chairs and officers to see if they need/want adjustments to their budgets. Council Dues and fees should likely stay the same.  Your interim budget must be approved by your General Membership before the end of the school year. Let Laila know if you need any help.

 

AWARDS

The Issaquah PTSA Council will be awarding the Council Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate Awards at this meeting. Congratulations to all the nominees and award winners for the 2016-2017 school year. What an outstanding bunch of volunteers we have here in Issaquah!  The PTSA Council district reception honoring all of the Award winners will be Tuesday, April 4th 6:30-7:30pm at Issaquah Middle School. Paper invitations will be handed out to PTA Presidents to distribute to their PTA Award winners and Principal.

 

ADVOCACY

Two major events happened in the legislature on March 8th! 

  1. SB 5023 was brought to the floor of the Senate (this is the Senate version of the bill that would delay the levy cliff, and companion bill to HB 1059). The Senate voted and passed the bill! It will be sent to the House for consideration tomorrow.
  2. The Senate passed a Para-educator Bill! This bill (SB 5070) will require standards for para-educators, professional development, a career ladder, a more accessible path to teacher certification, and training for teachers who supervise para-educators. This aligns with one of the Top 5 priorities on this year’s WSPTA legislative platform.

 

March Action Items:

Below are 3 action items for this month. Email addresses for your local legislators are listed at the bottom of this email. So many of you have already sent in emails and blue postcards. Please keep them coming! Thank you all so much for all you do!

1. Contact your Senator re: bringing House Bill 1059 (Levy Cliff Extension Bill) to a vote. 
The House passed the levy cliff delay bill nearly a month ago and the Senate has rejected two attempts to bring it to the floor for a vote. This is top priority for Issaquah!
Sample subject line: Urgent – Please Pass the Levy Cliff Extension bill HB 1059
Sample email: I urge you to support HB 1059. Students are counting on you to keep teachers in classrooms next year. Our schools are trying to devise an operating budget for next year before April 1st. They are faced with the stress of uncertainty, and the possibility of having to RIF teachers. Levy dollars are voter approved. We cannot afford to lose teachers or funding in our schools. Thank you for taking care of our students and voting to pass HB 1059. (Please give your name and address in the body of the email.)
 
2. Ask your Representatives to identify new progressive revenue sources to amply fund public education.
The House passed the Democrats’ Education Plan (HB 1843), but they have not yet announced how the state would pay for it.
3. Attend the Education Funding Forum for the 5th and 41st Legislative Districts! 
Join local legislators in a conversation about education funding.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
1:00-3:00pm
Tyee Middle School in Bellevue
Contacts:
5th Leg. District
Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov
41st Leg. District
Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Thank you again for your dedication! 😊
Portions of the above are from the Washington’s Paramount Duty website. 

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
  • March updates
    • Drawing the Face with Priyanka Misra March 3, 2017
    • Docents never having drawn a face before all succeeded!
  • Needed:
    • Coordinate facility rental, food, volunteers and marketing before event
    • Manage food, volunteers and registration day of event (mid October)
    • Work with Juliette Ripley-Dunkelberger
    • Contact Juliette at www.Juliette@isfdn.org
    • 2 to 4 people
    • Re-write and format collected art docent lessons
    • Paid position
    • Contact Juliette at www.Juliette@isfdn.org
    • Art Docent Conference Coordinator
    • Lesson Re-format/Writers
  • Upcoming events & Works in progress
    • Goal – to complete 20 lessons by end of school year
    • Have teachers assign GLE’s to them over summer
    • Have them available online by September 2017
    • Curriculum Development Project
    • Trainings funded by Schools Foundation Fine Arts Fund held at Art East

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences. Flyers: JPG | PDF

  • Saturday, March 11, Liberty High School in Renton | PROGRAM
  • Saturday, April 29, Issaquah High School in Issaquah

All Events will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Influence the Choice Video Contest is up and running. Deadline to submit is March 10th at 5pm.

High School Flyer: JPG | PDF
Middle School Flyer: JPG | PDF

JUDGES NEEDED! Flyer
Judging for the Influence the Choice video contest will take place on Monday, April 3. Middle and high school students, parents and community members are eligible. Each judge reviews a set of inspiring student videos and then meets with other judges on April 3rd to make final award decisions.  To volunteer, contact John Carney at john@isfdn.org.

 

Hidden In Plain Sight

Influence the Choice, with the support of seven community organizations, is hosting the first “Hidden In Plain Sight” parents-only event on Tuesday, March 28, 6:30 p.m. at Liberty High School.  This event helps parents spot signs of at-risk behaviors using an interactive display of a teenager’s bedroom. After walking through the display, participants will learn more about adolescent development and common signs of substance use provided by professionals in treatment, law enforcement, substance abuse prevention and other parents.  Event Flyer

Suicide Prevention Forums

Healthy Youth Initiative, in partnership with Friends of Youth, will present a Youth Suicide Prevention Forum on Thursday, March 30, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Issaquah Police Station Eagle Room.  The event is free, and open to middle school and high school students, parents, school staff and community members.  A second forum will be held on Thursday, April 13, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Beaver Lake Lodge in Sammamish.  Join us for a candid conversation about youth suicide, including warning signs, at-risk factors, prevention strategies, and tips on supporting teen healthy mental health development.  Event Flyer.

 

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

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OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:    New or gently used books for Lunch for the Break. Thank you!

Lunch for the Break seeking donations and volunteers.

Congratulations to the Lunch for the Break crew, who delivered 415 boxes of food to Issaquah School District students in need for the mid-winter break.  As of this year, Lunch for the Break is serving every school in the district.  A special thanks goes to Rebecca Rayner, Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, for her leadership.  The next, and final, Lunch for the Break collection and distribution dates are Wednesday, April 5 and Thursday, April 6.  Donations and volunteers are always welcome.  To learn more, go to https://www.lunchforthebreak.com/.

FREE SAT practice exam at the Issaquah Library on May 20th. FLYER.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

ParentWiser’s district-wide parent ed in an ongoing success this year!  Thank you for your continued support!

  1. For 2017-18, please continue your budget for at least $250 Council fees for ParentWiser/Parent Ed (same as current year).
  2. Keep a Parent Ed Rep on your committee reports.  The Parent Ed Rep is your liaison between your specific school community and ParentWiser.  We rely on the input and volunteer help of parent ed reps at each school to run our speaker program.

Here is our recommended job description for Parent Ed Rep at your local PTSA:

  • Advertize all parent ed offerings forwarded to you by Parentwiser (Issaquah PTSA Council) at your school via flyers, school ENews, PTSA news, and any social media accounts linked to your school and/or PTSA), approx monthly
  • Use FEDEX PTSA discount code for printed materials:  052 088 2103
  • Attend quarterly ParentWiser committee meetings to provide input/planning for future speakers/events.
  • Act as liaison between your local school community and ParentWiser at the district level
  • Volunteer to assist at least 1 ParentWiser event per year, SignupGenius for pre/post-event volunteer needs go out 1-2 weeks prior to each event.
  • Organize/host any additional local speaker(s) at your school community, if desired by your PTSA.
  1. If open to other parents in the district, please forward details at least 3 weeks prior to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  2. For suggestions for local speakers/topics, contact parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  3. Turn-in receipts/expenses to your local PTSA unit for reimbursement
  • Encourage your school community to attend parent ed events or watch online at http://ParentWiser.org
  • ParentWiser parent education is FREE for Issaquah School District PTSA members only, non-members pay $. Encourage your PTSA membership with this tangible benefit!
  1. Below are the communications for March events.  This was sent to presidents, parent ed reps, and communications chairs on March 6th.  Please ensure they are advertized at your school.

 

For ENews:

ParentWiser presents…

March 15th Disciplina Positiva para Padres (Positive Discipline, in Spanish), 6-8pm at Issaquah Valley Elementary.  A special invitation for our Spanish-speaking families, join parent educator Lupita Zamora for an informative 6-class series in positive discipline, in your native Spanish language.  This first session is FREE, where you can sign up for the 5 remaining classes at $40 per person. For parents of K-12, childcare provided if needed.

 

March 28th Hidden in Plain Sight, 6:30-8:30pm at Liberty High School Commons.   Come to a “Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit of a youth bedroom, and learn what signs of substance use to look for, and what to do if you find something.  Includes expert Q&A forum, and a brief professional talk on communicating with youth about at-risk behavior.  This is a PARENT ONLY event.

 

April 25th The Gift of Failure: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids by national keynote and author, Jessica Lahey, motivational talk and book signing at 10am or 7pm!  In today’s culture, do we coddle our kids enough?  Too much?  Jessica Lahey summarizes the current research on autonomy-supportive parenting and teaching, competence, rewards, praise, and failure, and gives us advice on how to allow students to succeed over the long term.  Join our community book read of Gift of Failure to prepare for a cultural change!  For parents of K-12. FLYER.

 

New – WATCH ONLINE!  Did you miss Amy Lang’s talk on Birds+Bees+Kids?  That event, plus 28 additional high caliber online parent ed talks from NextGenEd,  are now available on ParentWiser.org/watch-online! With a click, enjoy parent ed on a variety of current topics from the convenience of your home, anytime.  Audio downloads are included to listen on-the-go.  ParentWiser is thrilled to offer these FREE with your PTSA membership to any Issaquah district school.  Enjoy!

 

We value your input for ParentWiser!  Please take a moment before March 22nd to help select parent ed speakers or topics for next year that are relevant to your parenting needs. Thank you!

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REFLECTIONS

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
Dawn will be handing out letters to all Presidents explaining why it is important to keep the Volunteers for Issaquah Schools donation as a line item in your budget. You will also find your PTA’s past 3 years donation amount listed at the bottom of the letter. If you notice that you haven’t had a chance to mail a check for your donation this year, it is not too late. Please use this letter as your donation confirmation and we will also mail you a letter of receipt for your financial records. We are anticipating running a Levy Campaign for 2018, so now is the time that we are saving to finance the campaign. We are very grateful for all of our PTAs’ historic strong support of our Issaquah Bonds and Levies. Thank you very much for your continued support and donations!
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WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

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Other

 The 2016-2017 district-wide PTA/PTSA Awards Reception:

April 4th
7-8:30pm
Issaquah Middle School Commons

This reception is to honor all Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate Award Winners from all of our schools in the Issaquah School District.