Holding Virtual Meetings and Programs for your PTA/PTSA just got more accessible!

Zoom now offers Closed Captioning as a FREE feature. This option must be turned on for the start of each meeting. Check out the step by step guide below for how to as well as screenshots of what each step will look like. Click here to download and print the PDF version of this guide.

If you still need help turning on this feature, please feel free to contact us!

Thank you to all that attended our 3rd membership meeting of the school year and our first meeting in 2021!
Each meeting provides us with an opportunity to connect with our wonderful local PTA leaders.

Council Business and Reports
Our meeting started off with an update from one of our Emergency Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch. We learned that NSD is monitoring zooms for welfare checks. They are working on protocols regarding locations of students because many are traveling with family while attending classes. Reminder that if you see something strange going in the background during a classroom zoom to call 911. If you see a problem, call or email NSD Safety and Security.

The PTSA E-Prep committee has been meeting with district rep, Clarke Combs, about various E-Prep items. From those discussions it was decided that there is a need for each school to have at least 2 Stop the Bleed kits on campus. Click here to learn more about Stop the Bleed Kits. A motion was passed to add funds to the E-Prep budget to cover the purchase of 2 Stop the Bleed kits per school. With support from local PTAs/PTSAs, this is a great start to reach the goal of having a kit at each school’s AED, rather than only at the nurse’s office.

After approving the minutes from the November membership meeting, we moved on to the Treasurer’s reports for November and December. Our Treasurer, Liz Nord, reported that we were receiving council program fees as well as additional membership fees via memberplanet. Liz concluded her report by sharing that the virtual mid-year financial review had been completed and detailed suggestions provided by the financial review team.

Next on the agenda was a report from our VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen. Diana shared with everyone that WSPTA Advocacy Week began on 1/18 and will conclude on 1/22. Each day had a different advocacy topic and Diana urged local leaders to visit the Northshore Council Blog for more information regarding Focus on Advocacy Week.

Then Grace Jurado and Liz Nord from our Nominating Committee reported that they have been in talks with current council leaders regarding who will be interested in staying on in their positions next year. They also put out a request for nominations and reminded everyone that there is a link in both the newsletter and the website for those interested in nominating. Learn more here.

Our Reflections Chair, Rachel Northquist, shared the exciting news that 55 submissions will be moving on to State! She is also currently working on a method to share and display the submissions and will keep council updated with the plan.

Melissa Kline, Membership Chair, reported that we currently have 4485 members and that we are at 77% of last years membership. She also reminded local leaders to think of your PTA as a brand and to share the good work that your PTA has been doing for your school and community.

Next on the agenda was a Family and Community Engagement (F.A.C.E.) report from Lauren Lewis. She offered some important reminders with regards to planning events for your community including attempt to reach everyone – not just your members. (School directories are available. Please send requests to our Council Secretary, Kimberly Ortiz.) Lauren also shared the importance of consulting the NPTA Multicultural Calendar when planning meetings or events.  Lauren is working on applications for the WSPTA FACE Awards and would also love to hear from anyone regarding how they think that Northshore Council is succeeding in Family and Community Engagement. You can email her directly at familyengagement@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Jane Chiodo gave an update on the Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants Program. She stated that the round 3
applications were due January 22nd . These funds are available for local PTA’s to apply for if they would like to host parent education events.

Concluding the council business and reports agenda was a reminder from Grace Jurado regarding WSPTA Awards. Grace shared that awards applications are due March 15th but you can contact them now in order to receive a dropbox link so your PTA can start collecting items for submission. She also reminded leaders that awards can often help with branding your PTA as well. If you have never applied for an award before she suggested that the Standards of Excellence award is the most general award but that there are also different categories choose to from. One recommendation was the F.A.C.E. award as it
doesn’t seem to receive as many applications as the others do. There was also a brief discussion regarding equity of the awards and the membership agreed that there may be a need to vocalize more prominently that awards are available for everyone to apply for as they are about your PTAs/PTSAs personal achievements, not comparing them to other PTAs (multiple PTAs can win the same award). Learn more about WSPTA Awards here.

District and Community Reports
School Board Director, David Cogan, presented an update regarding Northshore School District that included but was not limited to:

• Playgrounds now being open to the community
• New guidelines regarding vaccine schedules that will allow school employees and teachers to be immunized more quickly
• King County has  determined that March 1st is the date for opening of athletic fields
• NSD was recognized by GFOA and the district budget was awarded the distinguished budget presentation
• Dr. Reid was named WA State Superintendent of the Year
• ELA pilots in place in K-8 and the district is working hard to ensure that reading metrics are working for all students learning to read
• Due to campus closures, the district has been able to expedite the modern lock, fencing and camera upgrades
• Inglemoor Concert Hall is making great progress and has a lot of the steel up.

NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, Natalie Campbell, reported the following:

• Applications for Innovation Lab High School are currently open
• There is a new Chinese language program at Sunrise Elementary
• Wall of Honor applications are open
• The Community Resource pages are continually being updated
• NSD has continued its partnership with 6 Crickets which provides a fee-based database of afterschool programs
• Volunteer applications are now available and can be submitted online

Carmin Dalziel, representing the Northshore School Foundation, shared that each school has scholarship money set aside in Care Teams. If someone needs a scholarship individually send them to a Care Team. It was also noted that the Basic Needs Fund is for a crisis, a one-time event that a family needs help with. Carmin also reminded us that there are many Northshore Gives campaigns that need donations. If there are any PTAs/PTSAs that would like to donate, please contact NSF. Lastly, the All in For Kids Virtual Fundraiser Event will be held 4/8/2021 and she encouraged people to enroll in groups.

Guest Speaker
Cherry Holmes, Region 6 DEI Chair, WSPTA FACE Committee and WSPTA DEI Chair, presented on and discussed WSPTA DEI resources that local leaders can use within their own units. By advancing diversity, equity and inclusion there will be better outcomes for families and students. The DEI presentation shared that diversity is the representation and respect for people from different backgrounds and identities. Equity provides fairness in resources, opportunities, and outcomes. Inclusion is actions and social norms that ensure ALL PEOPLE feel that they are safe, welcomed, and that they belong. The presentation asked PTAs/PTSAs to take a deeper look at what is happening in their local unit - that they may be colorblind or on autopilot with business as usual. It’s important to build membership and leadership from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Improvements for PTAs/PTSAs requires measurements. Know your school’s demographics and statistics; this info can be found on the OSPI school report card site. Know your school and community – does it represent your PTA/PTSA? Identify barriers in your community, including culture, socio economic, policies, and relevancy. Cherry’s DEI presentation will be shared in the meeting Dropbox so members can have access to the slide presentation to take back to discuss with their PTAs/PTSAs.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Monday, March 15th. We hope to see you there!

TREASURERS
You want to make sure you are continuing to maintain your physical binder, while putting together a digital binder that allows you to share it with your review committee. There are many different ways to create a digital binder, depending on your skill set. A super simple way is to use a program like Google Drive, Drop Box, or One Drive to create folders to store your digital documents. Below are steps you can take to create a simple and easy to use online binder:

1. ​Choose your online program. It should be simple to upload files to and you should be able to easily share it with the financial review committee.
2. Create a folder specifically for your financial review. You may already be keeping digital files, but keep in mind that the best way to keep files for you to find, may not be the best way for your review team to locate those files.
3. Set up folders for each section. There is a Financial Review Checklist found on the WA State PTA website. Section 4 will not need a folder as that is for the review committees comments and signatures.
4. Fill each section’s folder with digital copies of these documents. Each section has a list of documents needed to answer questions in that section. To make it easier for your committee to locate documents, if an item is needed for more than one section, put a copy of that document in both sections. To help organize each section folder, create folders within the folder to group items together. For instance, create a folder for each month where you can put your expenses and deposits for that month.
5. Clearly label all digital documents. Keep in mind, what will the review committee be looking for when naming it. In section 2, they ask for minutes where specific things were done (budget approval, elections, etc…) consider labeling those minutes with that title (Budget Approval Minutes). When labeling expenses, consider using the check number (7623 Reimburse Chambers), this puts your expenses in number order.
6. Go through the review questions. Once you have all your documents uploaded to your financial review folder, walk through answering each question and make sure you have all the needed documents. 

Following these steps will help you to feel confident when handing over your books to be reviewed. Before you hand over your binder, make sure you remove anything you store in it that shouldn’t be shared such as passwords. When it is time for the review, give the entire team access to your digital files. Also, if it is at all possible, give at least one person on your review team viewing access to your financial software.

FINANCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

Setting Yourself up for Success:

• Each committee member should have a copy of the Financial Review Checklist to follow along. One person should be in charge of note-taking. You will want to make notes on a draft and then sign the final draft to submit to the board.
• While working remotely, it’s helpful for each team member to take ownership of one section of documents: Meeting Minutes, Standing Rules, any additional Policies (such as money handling, password updates, etc.), Bank Statements, Reconciliation Reports, Treasurer’s Reports, Expenses Reports, Deposit Reports, Grant Documents, Budget, etc.

Quick Tips:

• As you work through the checklist, make note of any exceptions in the comments. If you are unable to answer a question based on what you have in hand, make a note of this and move on to the next question.
• The final page will require signatures from all parties of the Financial Review Committee as well as any feedback and recommendations for the board of directors to take under advisement. This is also a great place to provide positive feedback, too!

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Financial Review Questions:
For notes on what documents to reference for each individual question check out this helpful document below. Click here to print the PDF of this document.

Our local PTAs/PTSAs have been doing amazing things this school year that make us #PTAProud! And we think you should share that success with your community!! Sharing ways your PTA has supported students, staff, and your school community is a great way to increase your PTA/PTSA's visibility in the community as well as increase your membership.

Check out just a few of the different ways our local PTAs/PTSAs have been supporting their school community while adapting to the changes a virtual setting brings:

It's clear that our local PTAs/PTSAs have put in amazing volunteer effort and work to make the first half of this school year a success for students, which we know was no easy feat in a virtual environment. We can't wait to see what new events, programs, and ways to support our schools our local PTAs/PTSAs come up with the 2nd half of this school year. Whatever they are, we are sure they will make us #PTAProud!

Northshore Council is looking for awesome leaders!
Put all the PTA/PTSA knowledge you have to good use by becoming a Northshore Council Executive Team Member 

Northshore Council PTSA is made up of volunteers from our Local PTAs and community that have chosen to use their skills to assist our community. The Nominating Committee is seeking interested candidates for Northshore Council PTSA's 2021-2022 Executive team. Positions include:

• President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• First Vice President
• VP of Advocacy
• VP of Events
• VP Elementary Support
• VP Secondary Support
• VP of Communications

Learn more about the job description for each position as well as qualification requirements below.

​​When you serve on Council you are a RESOURCE to local PTA leaders; a communication LINK between districts, PTAs, and parents in the community; a MENTOR to future leaders; and a VOICE for children we all serve.

Qualification Requirements

Per the 2020-2021 Council Standing Rules:

All Candidates:

• Any position may be held jointly by two (2) people, except the role of Treasurer. 
• Nominees must be at least 18 years of age.
• Nominees must be a current member of at least one local PTA that falls within the Northshore Council PTSA membership area. 

Candidates for the office of President and First Vice President shall also:

• Have two years of elected officer experience on Northshore Council PTSA; 

-OR -

• Have served as President of a local PTA for at least one year and have one year of serving in an elected position on Council or higher.

Candidates for the offices of VP of Elementary Support and VP of Secondary Support shall also:

• Have served in PTA a minimum of 2 years, with one year as a local PTA President and one year in a board position at the educational stage that they are going to support.

Below is a brief job descriptions of Council positions. For a more detailed job description, click here.

President: The President has many important jobs including serving as the official contact, communicator and representative of Council. They oversee and coordinate the work of the executive board, preside over meetings, are ex-officio members of all committees (except Nominating Committee) and are designated as an authorized signer for checks, contracts and authorizations for payment. But, most importantly, they work to connect PTAs which in turn helps them support families, schools and the community to work towards overall student success.
​
1st VP: Must be familiar with the Council president’s duties and responsibilities. Act as an aide to the president and perform the duties of the president in his or her absence. Is in charge of advertising and organizing the Council Grant Program and yearly Awards.
 
Treasurer: Is the authorized custodian of the funds of the association and receives and disburses all monies in accordance with the budget as approved by the  membership.

Secretary: Keeps an accurate record of meetings, which become part of the permanent history of the PTA. Also responsible for taking attendance and monitoring quorum at meetings.

VP of Events: Plans and coordinates Councils yearly events including Presidents and Principals Brunch, Reflections Celebration and Spring Recognition Event.

VP of Communications: Works to facilitate Northshore Council PTSA communications in order to inform, engage, educate and inspire local PTAs and beyond.

VP of Advocacy: Help to educate local PTA's and disseminate information about current WSPTA and National PTA legislative priorities.

VP of Elementary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local elementary PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's.

VP of Secondary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local secondary (high school and middle school) PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's.

Legislative session is upon us and starting Monday, January 18th, ​it's
​WSPTA's Focus on Advocacy Week!!

Here's a brief run-down on what you can expect out of this week long event and how you can get involved!

When is Focus on Advocacy Week?
This week long event runs Monday, January 18th through Friday, January 22nd.

Who should participate?
Anyone who wants to advocate for students, teachers, or their school community! Advocacy is for everyone and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Where does this take place?
This year, Focus on Advocacy Week is virtual! That means anyone wanting to participate can do so from their phone or computer.

What is the Legislative Session?
The Legislative session is the time when our senators and representatives work on bills. They will be
debating, reading emails, and holding meetings about current bills for the session.

What is Focus on Advocacy Week?
Focus on Advocacy Week is the week where we as PTA members focus on calling, writing, and having meetings with our
legislators. We do this to get our Legislative Priorities into the hearts and minds of our elected officials and to educate them on what our members need and want.

Why does Focus on Advocacy Week matter?
This is the best time to get our priorities heard by our representatives. Washington State PTA members voted and approved our top 5 issues that we believe lawmakers should work on. Now is the time that we bring these issues to the forefront of their work. See below for a list of our Top 5 Issues as well as how PTA plans to put equity at the center of everything we do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities.

How can someone participate?
1. Sign up for the WSPTA's Action Network Group to get timely alerts.
2. Find your Washington State Legislature Representatives.
3. Set aside time during Focus on Advocacy Week to call and email. WSPTA has designated each day next week to a different focus topic:
   ◘ Monday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on anti-racism
   ◘ Tuesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
   ◘ Wednesday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
   ◘ Thursday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
   ◘ Friday, January 22 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness
4. Read the January 11 Focus on Advocacy Weekly Report by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Chair, which includes the status of current bills.
5. Spread the word! Invite others from your PTA community to join you in connecting with state legislative leaders. Don't forget to share about Focus on Advocacy Week through your PTA channels such as your website, emails, or social media.

​


Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:

• Top Five Legislative Issues (including also supported issues)
• WSPTA Long-term Resolutions
• WSPTA Long-term Legislative Principles

Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.

Northshore Council PTSA is proud to co-sponsor two upcoming Parent Education Events taking place on Thursday, January 28th; one on digital safety and the other on instilling positive self-identity in our children. These events were made possible by the Educational Speaker and Community Event Grants Program. Check out the details for each of these events below!

Join us for ‘Northshore PTAs Connect’ – an online roundtable discussion for PTA/PTSA leaders to ask questions, share ideas, and connect with one another.

​Northshore PTAs Connect Roundtables are designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders as we navigate membership, programs, and managing our organizations in an uncertain and ever-changing landscape.

This midday (12 noon) roundtable will be an open discussion in order to give our Local Leaders the opportunity to ask questions and tackle emerging or ongoing areas of interest or concern as we head into the 2nd half of the 20-21 school year.

Date: Thursday, January 28th
Time: 12:00PM (noon)
Location: Online via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97945642459
Meeting ID: 979 4564 2459
Passcode: *Available upon request

Council is so proud of the work our Northshore PTAs/PTSAs are doing to support and engage our community, especially during these challenging times and we can't wait to see what you have to offer in 2021!

As a reminder, we are keeping an ongoing list of events our local PTAs are hosting. This is a great resource to help connect with each other on events or inspire one for your PTA to host. 
If you have an event to include, particularly if it's available to members of other PTA/PTSAs, please share with our larger membership community by completing this Google form. 
To view a list of upcoming events, click here.

To help connect further with other local leaders, check out our new FACE/DEI Facebook Group which is open to anyone interested in engaging and learning more about Family & Community Engagement and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. We would love to have you join us!

Finally, as you plan activities for 2021, please consider planning inclusive events. National PTA has put together a comprehensive Multicultural Calendar to highlight and celebrate the diversity of our PTAs and school communities. You can view this calendar below or click here to print the PDF.

This year's Advocacy Week will be held January 18 – 22, 2021

In addition to our ongoing efforts, WSPTA will be asking members to take action from home or your phone throughout an entire week.  To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed. Once subscribed, you'll receive an email notification when a new issue arises and there will be a pre-written email ready to go, which you can customize and edit so you can tell YOUR story and make your voice heard.

Tentative schedule (likely to change):

• Monday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on anti-racism
• Tuesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
• Wednesday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
• Thursday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
• Friday, January 22 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness

Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:

• Top Five Legislative Issues (including also supported issues)
• WSPTA Long-term Resolutions
• WSPTA Long-term Legislative Principles

Don't forget to make appointments with your Legislators!
It's important to make appointments as far in advanced as possible. For this year's Advocacy Week, all appointments will be virtual.

Input your address here to get the names of the Representatives and Senator(s) for you, your school district, and their contact information. Members should consult with their local PTA, council, or region advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments. Appointments may begin as early as 8:00 am.

What do you say during an appointment with a legislator? Check out our previous Advocacy blog on writing Your PTA Story for helpful tips and resources. Additionally, WSPTA encourages you to visit their advocacy page, where you will find our 2021 WSPTA Legislative Platform, as well as a detailed one-page handout for each legislative priority in the drop-down lists under “Legislative Platform.” These one-page handouts are great sources of talking points and can be given to legislators as well.  In addition, due to the visual opportunities provided by a remote session, WSPTA be uploading position videos, which you can use as a start to your meeting or in advance to explain your support for a legislative priority.

Advocacy Tip: Tell legislators why WSPTA priorities are important to you and ask for their support!

Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.

Still have questions about Advocacy or how you can get involved? Contact Council's VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen.