 Don't miss out on our upcoming Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Trainings!
Council's E-Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch and Robin McKenzie, will be hosting two (2) E-Prep Chair Trainings on Tuesday, October 19th - one at 11am and one at 7pm. Both will be held online via Zoom. Topics to be covered during these trainings:
These trainings are open to all Northshore PTA/PTSA E-Prep Chairs (new or returning), Presidents or Vice-Presidents, and active members interested in Emergency Preparedness & Safety. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86754289292 Meeting ID: 867 5428 9292 Passcode: *Available upon request Please Note: This training is not an official WSPTA Approved Training and therefore cannot be used towards the training requirement listed in the SOA.  What happens if you have a vacant officer position?
If your nominating committee has had no luck finding a candidate to fill a position, if you have started the year with an empty officer position, or if one of your officers resigns from their position mid-year, here is the WSPTA recommended procedure that you should follow. NOTE: You do not have to create a nominating committee to find someone for this empty position! A nominating committee is only formed to find qualified nominees for the election that happens in the Spring for your next school year. Your executive committee can appoint a person to fill the vacant office. The appointed officer acts in an "interim" capacity until you can find a person that wants to step into the position in an official capacity and you can elect them OR until the appointed interim officer can be officially elected into their position at the next membership meeting. An interim officer at a local PTA/PTSA has no limitations on what they can/cannot do. An interim officer assumes all the rights and duties of that position. From the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws: If a vacancy occurs in a local PTA or council office, the executive committee may appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next membership meeting. At the next membership meeting, nominations shall be made from the floor with the consent of the nominee. The election shall be by ballot vote. A majority vote is necessary to elect. The election may be by voice vote if only one candidate is nominated for an office. The newly elected officer shall immediately assume the duties of the office. To learn more about nominating committee, elections, and officer resignations or removals see:
If you are still have questions or are in need of guidance, please reach out to Council - we are here to help!  Council is hosting two (2) Roundtables focusing on Reflections! Join us for one or both of these roundtables which are designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders with any questions they may have about the 2021-2022 Reflections Program.
Can't make it to the roundtable but still have questions? Check out these additional resources for help!
 A big part of PTA is Advocacy. Getting information out to voters is one way Council supports this advocacy work. In the upcoming November 2nd Election, three (3) Northshore School District School Board seats are up for election. To increase access to candidates for voters, Council held an in-person forum on October 5th, 2021. A recording of this forum can be found below. Before watching the forum, please read this message from Council: With events of this type, there were bound to be unexpected challenges and technical issues. And, unfortunately, our forum did not escape the gremlins. Initially, the candidates struggled with the 1 minute time limit on answers and a decision was made to extend their time to answer from 60 seconds to 90 seconds. There were also challenges with recording and especially with sound throughout the event. And, to cap it off, the microphone malfunctioned 10 minutes from the end of our event. When the microphone quit, we made the decision to switch to another video format and allow the candidates to remove their masks for their closing statements to ensure a clearer delivery. Because of these issues, you will notice that our recording is not as smooth as we had hoped. There are a few cuts in recording where we had to edit out some of the more obnoxious technical issues - especially the microphone squeaks and feedback - and our attempts to fix them. Any portion of the video where the candidates were speaking has been kept intact and unaltered. Despite the best efforts of our volunteers, you may also notice a sync issue between the audio and visual at times and most notably around the 1 hour mark. Please be assured that all answers candidates gave can be heard in their entirety. We sincerely appreciate the patience of those who were in person with us and the grace the candidates showed. We especially applaud our team of volunteers for demonstrating the meaning of "PTA Flexible". The School Board Candidate Forum can be viewed by clicking the image below.  Click the image above to watch the recording of the School Board Candidate Forum from October 5th, 2021. Additional Resources for Voters
  Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipient of our 1st round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants for 2021-2022!
Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events were able to apply for a Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant. 2021-2022 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and applications will be reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA until the Council Programs budget is used in its entirety. The submission deadline for the next round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants is November 26, 2021. For more information about the grants program, visit our Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program page.
We hope you find these resources helpful as you continue to navigate these often stressful and strange pandemic times. Always remember: Mental Health matters and reaching out for help if you are struggling is as important as going to the doctor if you feel physically unwell.  Northshore Council PTSA is seeking three (3) volunteers to serve on its 2021-2022 Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee is a special committee that holds the key to a successful PTSA. It is responsible for presenting the best qualified candidates to serve as the elected officers who will lead Northshore Council PTSA in 2021-2022.
Effective candidates for nominating committee: • Are familiar with the needs and goals of Northshore Council PTSA. • Are enthusiastic about Northshore Council PTSA's mission, vision, and goals. • Are willing to work and devote considerable time to furthering the purposes and programs of Northshore Council PTSA. • Possess tact, integrity, discretion, and the ability to hold their own counsel. • Have the courage to express their ideas and defend their convictions • Demonstrate sound judgment and skill in evaluating potential nominees. • Are capable of understanding and maintaining complete confidentiality. • Represent the diversity that is present in the community and student population. • Should be elected on merit and ability – never on popularity. Members of the nominating committee are eligible to become nominees for elected office. No person may serve on this committee for more than two consecutive one-year terms. A candidate for a council nominating committee must be a member of a local PTA/PTSA in the council for at least 15 days preceding their election. If you are interested in serving on Northshore Council PTSA’s 2021-2022 Nominating Committee, please contact Jane Chiodo by Friday, November 5th. Please note: You do not need to be a Northshore Council PTSA Officer to be on the Nominating Committee. We encourage any interested and qualified Northshore PTA/PTSA member to volunteer for this vital role that will help shape the future of Northshore Council PTSA!
 The number one reason to join PTA is to benefit your child.
The best part about being a PTA member is that you can make a difference in your child's education and well-being as well as an impact in your school community. Being a part of your school's PTA is a great way to get involved so that you become part of the solution to help make positive changes for your student as well as others. Many people believe that PTA is just about fundraising and volunteering. However, it is much more than that. PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the country. This means that being a member of your local PTA is also about having a voice in our children's education all the way up to the state and national level. When PTA representatives advocate for our children year round, they are there solely for the best interests of our children. PTA Advocacy work is made even more powerful with the full weight of local PTA members behind them. Click here to learn more about PTA Advocacy work. Even if you don't have the time to volunteer, you can still make an impact by joining your local PTA. Every membership increases the impact PTA has in regards to advocacy work. Even just being a member makes a difference! To join PTA and become a member today, visit our Northshore PTAs/PTSAs page to find a link to your local chapter.  Last week Council held their 1st General Meeting of the 2021-2022 school year. We appreciate all the local leaders from across the district as well as community and school partners who took the time to attend! Continue reading for a recap of this meeting.
General Updates from President Jane Chiodo:
Open Council Positions: Council is still looking for a VP of Events. If you know anyone who would be a good fit, please contact us! In October, Northshore Council will start to look for three people to be on the Nominating Committee. Tip for Local PTAs: Discuss the Nominating Committee at your next PTA/PTSA meeting in order to start the process early. Upcoming Trainings and Opportunities: Legislative Assembly will be virtual and is scheduled for October 23th and 24th. Training will be available beginning in October. Upcoming training courses are listed on Council's Training Opportunities page. Council Business: In our meeting we reviewed the Year End Financial Review, our Mission and Goals, and our Standing Rules. These updated documents can be viewed in the About Us section of our website. NSD School Board Update: Director Dave Cogan shared updates from the Northshore School Board updates.
Northshore Schools Foundation Update: Carmin Dalziel gave updates on the Northshore Schools Foundation and how they continue to work to give money to schools. She shared that classroom grants now have deadlines every other month. They also provide basic needs aid (crisis funds) now. Crisis funds are $200 per family that is sent to help buy gas, groceries and get people back on their feet. Each school has a staff care team lead available. Northshore Foundation are always looking for ambassadors at each school. The Bond and Levy committee will be available to come to general meetings, if needed. If you are at Kenmore School, the school foundation just received approval to do a cash disbursement for families in extreme need. Schools access these funds through the care team lead. The business and updates part of our meeting adjourned allowing for time for breakout rooms. We were thrilled that so many local leaders participated in these rooms in order to share ideas, ask questions, and support each other! We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on November 15th, 2021 @ 7pm. For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar. |
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