2024 Presidents & Principals Recap

The theme for this year's Presidents and Principals Luncheon was "Communication Reboot!" The event took place on October 24, 2024, at the Brightwater Center in Woodinville.

​This annual tradition brings together PTA presidents, school principals, district administrators, and school board members, providing them with a wonderful opportunity to connect, engage, and strengthen their relationships with one another.

Attendees at the event heard from three panels discussing how schools and PTAs could work together to strengthen their communications, build community and highlight advocacy efforts.

• ​Communication - Tiffany Rodriguez, Principal of Innovation Lab HS, Allison Mitchell, President of Bear Creek Campus PTSA, and Jane Chiodo, Council VP of Communications, shared some insight into what makes school and PTA communication successful, how we can partner to amplify our messages and how we can reach as many families as possible. Rachel Fitzgerald, our Council VP of Secondary Support led the discussion.​​

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Community - Marco Garcia, NSD Community Partnership and Volunteer Coordinator, talked about the Art Docent program. Gus Reiber, a teacher at Bothell High School, explained his PTSA's "Fix One Thing" campaign to increase community engagement and pride in their campus. Finally, Dr. Srinivas Khedam, Assistant Director of the NSD Family Engagement and Resource Center, spoke about strategies for reaching out to the many families within our community. The panel discussion was moderated by Carri Campbell, NSD Executive Director of Communications.

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• Advocacy - You can find many useful resources provided by our panelists below!!
  Taanvi Arekapudi, a student advocate, spoke about her passion for helping fellow students through mental health challenges and founding the Nexus: Mental Health Hub for Students. Becky Cotter, a parent advocate, spoke about her advocacy journey regarding the importance of gun safety and gave ideas on how PTAs and schools can partner to advocate within their communities. ​Diana Christiansen, Council First Vice President, shared about the Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program available to PTAs to obtain assistance in funding programs or events. The panel was moderated by Council Co-VP of Advocacy, Terra Droney.
  
  

Here are links to Taanvi's Extensive Resources! 

• International bestselling book (first teen to teen book): Uplift Teens Today (avail. on Amazon & Website)
• Emotion Cards: Unveiling the Power of Emotions, One Card at a Time Card Deck (avail. on Website)
• Learn more and access nexus: www.nsd.nexusforschools.com
• Connect with Taanvi and see how you can continue to spread the word and break the stigma surrounding mental health challenges: 
  ​Website: www.taanvi.us, Email: [email protected], Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taanvis.inspiration/

Here are PDF gun safety resources you can use in your communities from Becky!

• Firearms: What You Can Do to Protect Your Child
• Gun Control and Safety; Get the Conversation Started
  
  

Council Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program:
These grants are available to PTAs to obtain assistance in funding programs or events. This program is a great way for Northshore PTAs to collaborate with each other and with our Council to bring programming to the local community. The next grant cycle closes on Monday, December 09. Visit our website to learn more and submit your application!

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Attendees engaged in interactive activities throughout the event and had time to share their ideas. Council members, Holly Muenchow and Allison Torgesen, facilitated the sharing portion of our event. 

Council member, Rachel Fitzgerald, prepared an 80's themed "Why I PTA" slideshow that incorporated a bit of 80's Council history in the form of multiple-choice questions. Check it out here!
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For lunch, we had delicious box lunches catered by the Northshore Culinary Arts students at Bothell High School, featuring a turkey wrap, a salad, and various allergy friendly options.

Many thanks to the PTA leaders, Northshore School District staff, and school board directors for attending. We hope you found the event inspiring and relevant to your work in our schools.
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​We also want to thank our Council Co-VPs of Events, Melissa Bennett & Ashely Russell, for all of their hard work planning and organizing this amazing event and to the many volunteers who assisted with the slideshows, brainstorming ideas and on the day of the event. 
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It was a day filled with inspiration and collaboration!

Your Feedback is Important to Us!
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We want to continue to improve this annual event and make sure it's both accessible and meaningful to those who attend. We kindly request a few moments of your time to complete this survey. Your responses will remain anonymous. Your input, whether you attended or not, will aid us in shaping future events.

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Please complete the survey by Friday, November 8th.