January 2017 – Agenda Notes

Posted on by

January Agenda
12/15/16 Draft Minutes
December Treasurer Report
Council Awards Information
Membership Report
Training Survey

REMINDERS

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:   Flour and sugar. Thank you!

Council Award Nominations are being accepted now through February 15th: http://www.issaquahptsa.org/council-awards

Do not leave today’s meeting without your school’s Reflections artwork!

TREASURER

Reminder that if your PTA paid any subcontractors more than $600 in 2016 that you must issue them a 1099 by 1/31.  Subcontractors include after school program providers, accountants, etc.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Also, your Financial Review Committee should convene this month to do your mid year financial review (for July – December).  Results should be shared with your membership and included in your meeting minutes.  More information (including the review checklist) can be found on the WSPTA website in the Money Matters handbook.

ADVOCACY

In case you have not attended Focus Day in the past, we want you to have lots of information so you will know what to to expect! Focus Day draws WSPTA members to Olympia with the intent of giving them an in-person view of how the legislative process works, and how they can engage in it to advocate for their children. It also provides an opportunity for you to meet your local legislators and personally convey your priorities for your children. There will be focus on the “Top 5” WSPTA legislative priorities, which were decided by vote at the 2016 WSPTA Legislative Assembly. You can view details on each priority, as well as other supported issues and long-term resolutions at http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/index.html.

“TOP 5”

  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Amply Fund Basic Education
  • Closing the Opportunity Gap
  • Standards for Paraeducators
  • Breakfast after the Bell

On the agenda, Governor Inslee and new Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal will be speaking to us in the rotunda. The superintendent will share his vision for public education, and his top priorities for his first 100 days in office. You can view the governor’s new budget and $3.9B proposals to resolve the “McCleary problem” here:

http://wsptagrassroots.blogspot.com/2016/12/governor-releases-education-budget-asks.html?utm_source=Real%20Magnet&utm_medium=INSERT_CHANNEL&utm_campaign=INSERT_LINK_ID

Several people from Region 2 are working on setting up face to face meetings with legislators from districts 5 and 41. So far, there is an appointment set to meet with Jay Rodne at 2:30pm. You are welcome to attend this meeting! I will forward additional information if we receive more responses.

Check out the WSPTA Focus Day webpage to see the full agenda, as well as other details about the day and helpful links.  The link to register for Focus Day is also on this page. Kids are encouraged to attend, and there will be activities just for them on-site! You can also purchase boxed lunches on the registration page, or you can bring your own. Nearby food options are scarce, and the capitol cafeteria line can be very long! Focus Day page: http://www.wastatepta.org/meetings/focus_day/index.html. **Focus Day Registration for the morning program in the Columbia Room has sold out, but there are still many events available for those who didn’t register.

Lake Washington PTSA Council has generously offered a FREE bus ride to Focus Day! Priority will be given to riders from the Lake Washington district. Extra seats will likely fill up fast, so sign up here ASAP to reserve your seat https://www.signupforms.com/registrations/9253. They will also be coordinating carpools for those who aren’t able to ride the bus. If you are planning to drive, allow plenty of time to find parking. 

PLEASE NOTE: The LWPTSA bus will depart Olympia at 2:00pm. This will be BEFORE the scheduled 2:30pm meeting with Rep. Jay Rodne.

Blue Postcards – Please fill them out and return them at the January 12th Council meeting! If you missed the last Council meeting, postcards were given Council members that could be filled out with comments to legislators. Each president received 30 postcards to pass out to others. If you did not receive yours or would like to print more, you can find them here http://www.issaquahptsa.org/leg-postcard-art-4up-revised. I can also drop off extras to you. Take blank postcards to your next board meeting, school/social event, or to your neighbors. It only takes a minute to fill one out, and it really makes a difference to our legislators. If you will not be at the January meeting, please let me know and I will arrange to pick them up. I will be turning them in to the appropriate legislators on Focus Day. The more postcards we bring in, the bigger the impact!

If you have questions, please contact Korista at any time. Thank you for your dedication and all you do to make a difference for our kids!

See you at Focus Day!

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
Please pick up your art before leaving the meeting today.

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

Family partnership and Cultural Bridges are going to support the Kindergarten registration event at Apollo, Issaquah Valley Elementary School and Clark.  We will provide volunteers to translate flyers, help ELL families fill out the Kindergarten registration forms, answer questions.  We will make robo-calls to remind the families about the event and anything else the schools need to welcome the new families.     

We are also going to provide the same help for Issaquah Middle School at the transition event on March 6th.

HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences. Flyers: JPG | PDF

  • Saturday, February 4, Mary Queen of Peace Church in Sammamish PROGRAM
  • Saturday, March 11, Liberty High School in Renton
  • 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

 

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

.

MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

January Membership Report Details

OUTREACH

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

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:  The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank is asking for Flour & Sugar this month.  Thank you!

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

A ParentWiser representative will be attending your January or February General Membership Meeting in January or early February  to increase awareness of our new lecture series, and specifically engage parents in the Community Book Read for upcoming national keynote speaker, Jessica Lahey, author of “Gift of Failure – How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed” in Issaquah on April 25th.

Meantime, please post our monthly Enews blurbs (see 2 options below):

1)      Check out our new parent ed lecture series at http://ParentWiser.org.  Registrations open for Jan-April!
OR,
2)      Coming soon – ParentWiser presents…

Jan 12th  Birds & Bees Talks for the 21st Century: Raising Kids in the Age of Technology, by Amy Lang at 7-8:30pm at Cascade Ridge Elementary on how and when to talk about the birds and the bees and simple tips for handling all the yucky stuff tech can bring into kids’ lives.   For parents of grades K-5.  FLYERS:  DOC | PDF

Jan 17th Teen Kindness Advocate, Houston Kraft speaks to parents 6:30-7:30pm at Issaquah Middle School on what young people today NEED to be successful and kind.  For parents of grades 6-12.  FLYERS:  DOC | PDF

Feb 28th Changing the Game, by John O’Sullivan, author and keynote at 6:30pm at Issaquah High Theater on what athletics teaches us about life lessons, how to give our kids a competitive edge while allowing them to learn and grow through enjoyable, rewarding experiences.  FLYERS: DOC | PDF

Register for these and future events at http://ParentWiser.org.  Walk-ins are also welcome!

ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
We will be returning he Reflections artwork, that does not move on to the next stage, to the Presidents on Thursday.
Please do not leave without taking your school’s artwork. 

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Special Education Committee had its first meeting of the year with ISD Special Services Administrators on December 19, 2016 to begin talking about how we can work together. The next Parent Advisory Meeting will be in March during the monthly Special Services Staff Advisory Meeting. This committee is pushing to a survey to families with students receiving special services to gain a better understanding of what parents, guardians and students need in terms of resources, programming and advocacy. Please share the URL and blurb in your PTSA communications channels; it will be sent to Presidents and Communications chairs.

VICE PRESIDENTS

.

VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
.

WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

Presidents – Directories were distributed last month. If you missed that meeting, please pick up your copy before leaving.

SURVEYS – Surveys are great for many things, including collecting nominations for awards! Contact Cindy to set yours up.

Other

Council Awards

Every year the Issaquah PTSA Council awards those in the community that show extraordinary commitment to ensuring every student in our district gets an outstanding education.
Click HERE to submit your award nomination online. Award Nominations must be submitted by Wednesday, February 15th by Midnight. Entries will be submitted to the Awards Committee.
Award Guidelines and Award Rubric can be found HERE.

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.

Mid-Winter Conference Webinar Trainings:

Nominating Committee – Feb 7th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-2-nominating-committee-training-webinar-tickets-30891911539

Money Matters – Feb 11th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-2-money-matters-webinar-tickets-30891767107

*There is a 100 participant limit statewide for each of the webinars.

Gibson Ek Student Showcase – Friday, January 13th, 6 -8 pm at Gibson Ek High School.

This Friday is an amazing opportunity to meet Gibson Ek students; tour our campus and innovation spaces; see and hear about student project work; learn about our programs and clubs; hear from students about cool internships; and watch Gibson Ek‘s first music performance! Eat dinner with us at Charlie’s food truck- gourmet burgers and sandwiches and enjoy an evening getting to know the fabulous students of Gibson Ek. 
Friends, family, community members and future Gibson Ek students are invited to join us.

ESSA CONSOLIDATED PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED IN SEPTEMBER

State Superintendent, Chris Reykdal, announced on January 10 that Washington State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated Plan will not be submitted to the Federal Department of Education until September 18, 2017.  Public comment on the plan can be submitted here; closes February 13.