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Emergency Preparedness Wrap-up, 2019-20

6/22/2020

The following is a summary of 2019/2020 Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) activities.

We want to recognize and thank the following individuals for contributions to Emergency Preparedness, the Northshore School District, and our students:

Julie Beard (East Ridge PTA)

E-Prep Advocate: Supported our meetings with Northshore School District Superintendent Dr. Reid ensuring an E-Prep focus and she worked to bring attention to preventing child abuse and neglect; our community cares deeply about children and we know that school districts are one of our most important partners in keeping children safe. In 2019 she was a key participant in the Safe Schools Advisory Committee. Read the report.

Jennifer Blasi PTSA (Moorlands PTA)

E-Prep Advocate: Organized parents and lead regular meetings with district Superintendent Dr. Reid to ensure the focus on E-Prep including funding for food and water supplies, continued staff focused support, and mental health of our students.

Robyn Sims (Bear Creek PTA & Timbercrest PTSA)

E-Prep Leadership: Worked with PTA E-Prep chairs. Established feeder pattern working groups to share issues and resources to help each other. Helped identify common issues across feeder groups to focus efforts.

Graphic featuring awards certificates for each of the E-prep award recipients, incluindg Julie Beard, 2019-20 Emergency Preparedness Advocate; Jennifer Blasi, 2019-2020 Emergency Preparedness Advocate; and Robyn Sims, 2019-2020 Emergency Preparedness Leadership

Many thanks to our NSD team that has supported every Emergency-Preparedness (E-Prep) monthly meeting with updates and for giving PTSA parents a forum to vocalize both suggestions and concerns. We would like to specifically thank Clark Combs E-Prep TOSA, Bill Brooks, Security, and Henry Simon, Director Safety and Security, for their continued focus on the safety of our students and staff, security, and preparedness. Here are a few of the key things achieved this school year:

Tuff Shed for E-Prep supplies storage at Ruby Bridges elementary school will improve the storage environment for supplies.
Plastic bins have been delivered to every school for use in e-prep containers to store supplies and keep them safe.
20% of the food and water emergency supplies has been delivered to each school. A five-year plan has been established to rotate the food and water supplies in the E-prep containers.
Medical Emergency Trauma Kits went out to 21 sites, Pre-K to grade 5. All NSD sites have updated kits.
Fernwood Elementary held a reunification drill with students and parents. A large reunification with parents at an off-site location scheduled for the end of March had to be postponed due to COVID-19, hopefully it can be rescheduled for next year.
Each school now has a NSD-provided reunification kit that is customized by each school to fit their population needs.
E-Prep items delivered to schools included: hard hats, vests, safety glasses, gloves, solar chargers, bleed kits, large backpacks, headlamps, crowbars, knee pads, bull horns, and radios.
Woodinville High School is offering a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) elective course starting next year which will give our students training in disaster preparedness, leadership, teamwork, safety, first aid, CPR/AED, search and rescue, fire suppression, psychology and team organization.
Replaced existing mortise classroom locks with more secure functionality; installation of thumb turn locks with indicators in every classroom, is nearly complete.
Five visitor management pilot systems were obtained and NSD legal is working to ensure security of personal information.
Continuation of the NSD E-Prep TOSA position in 2020-21.
ACT (Antidote, CPR/AED, Tourniquet) to save a life training was provided to our PTSA e-prep group. ACT To Save a Life is a one hour first aid class that focuses on three skills you can use to save a life in the first few minutes of an emergency: Antidote for suspected opiate overdoses, CPR and AED training for cardiac arrest, tourniquet for severe bleeding control. Clark Combs is now prepared to do on-line or live training for our teachers in August before start of school.
During our COVID-19 event, NSD donated face masks, gloves, and gowns from school E-prep containers to a local hospital.
Northshore Council PTSA has donated funds towards 40 face shields for all NSD school nurses to use next year.

The Northshore Council PTSA E-Prep team is looking forward to next year’s opportunities to continue to help improve each school’s emergency preparedness and we will also be focusing on our family preparedness for emergencies and disasters. Next year you will also see an improved NS Council PTSA E-Prep webpage, on-line E-Prep meetings, meeting recordings and on-line training. One example is online CERT (Community Emergency Response Training), which will provide access to those who may have had trouble getting it and allow volunteers to acquire the CERT credential at their own pace. CLICK HERE for more info.

Have a wonderful and safe summer,

Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch
Emergency Preparedness Co-chairs
Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
A Culture of Preparedness in our Community

June Meeting Recap

6/14/2020

Thank you to all who joined us for the final Northshore Council PTSA general membership meeting of the year on Monday, June 1, 2020. It was an action-packed and celebratory evening! One key business item was a vote to change the 2020-21 Council budget. Due to COVID-19 related delays in chartering a new PTSA at Ruby Bridges Elementary (opening in Fall 2020), Northshore Council PTSA members voted to approve a line item in the budget to host a special school supplies fundraiser to benefit the Ruby Bridges community and future PTSA. Once the business portion of the agenda was concluded, President Grace Jurado took some time to thank the current officers and other volunteers, and we welcomed Washington State PTA President, Janice Kutzera, who did us the honor of installing our 2020-2021 Officers!

Natalie Campbell, Northshore School District (NSD) Partnerships Coordinator, shared that she keeps a Community Assistance page up-to-date on the district webpage. She noted that the district's Back to School Fair will likely not be held in-person this year and Community Serve Day, tentatively scheduled for August 23rd, is still up in the air. The Wall of Honor presentation will also be delayed. She was also excited to share that the NSD Volunteer Application will soon be available online for all volunteers at all schools.

School Board Director Jacqueline McGourty noted that NSD aced a recent audit, everyone is preparing for commencement, and the school board is being briefed regularly by OSPI on changes in policy and guidance as we head into fall.

NSD Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid also shared an update. On June 8th, the State will give out guidance about school opening in the Fall. With regards to sports, she noted that WIAA has not made a decision about fall sports. It is possible that we may even flip sports seasons with more-contact sports in the Spring and less-contact sports in Fall.

The highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the 2019-2020 PTSA Awards. Congratulations to this year's award recipients:

🌟 Outstanding Educator Award: Gary Keeler
🌟 Golden Acorn Award: Jane Chiodo
🌟 Golden Acorn Award: Michele Holowachuk
🌟 Honorary Lifetime Membership Award: Grace Jurado
🌟 Outstanding Student Advocate: Julia Gonzalez
🌟 Outstanding Advocate: Mayela Martinez
🌟 Outstanding Service: Nancy Chamberlain

Click here to learn more about each of our 2019-2020 Council award recipients.

The evening was adjourned with a celebratory toast to end the year.

Council Award Recipients - 2019-2020

6/5/2020

Each year, Northshore Council PTSA recognizes a few special people who have gone above and beyond in service to our community and who promote the well-being and education of children in our district and beyond. This year, Council was proud to recognize seven amazing individuals.

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Oustanding Educator Award recipient, Gary Keeler

Outstanding Educator - Gary Keeler
The Outstanding Educator Award honors individuals who go beyond the normal expectations of their jobs to make the learning environment fun, beneficial and challenging.

Mr. Keeler was the principal at Bear Creek Elementary for quite a few years before moving over to lead Lockwood Elementary, where he retired. He came out of retirement this year to guide the Bear Creek community in its transition to a home for the Northshore Family Partnership. His community overwhelmingly expressed their gratitude and love for this “one of a kind” principal. They talked about his “kind and gentle leadership style”, his ability to listen and to be a problem solver and, most of all, about his compassion for his staff, families and students. Over his years of work in Northshore, he has worked tirelessly to put the needs of his students first and foremost in every decision he has made. One of his famous sayings is, "Folks, the kids are the heart of everything we do!"

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Outstanding Advocate Award recipient, Mayela Martinez

Outstanding Advocate - Mayela Martinez
The Outstanding Advocate Award honors individuals for their continued and dedicated service to all children demonstrating a commitment to speaking up for children in the areas relating to health, welfare, safety, and education of children and youth.

Mayela has been a dedicated educator and advocate all of her life. She has been with the Northshore School District for over 20 years working in the dual language program, as an interpreter, with the ELL program and as a Family Outreach Liaison. Mayela goes above and beyond the call of duty for her students and their families making sure that needs are met, no matter where she has to look for the support that a student might need. She has provided invaluable outreach that is needed to communicate and engage the parents of our English learners. She has championed the Natural Leaders program at multiple schools and created a pipeline of engaged parents in grades K-12. Mayela was recently selected as the Regional Classified School Employee of the Year for Puget Sound ESD 121 by Office of Educator Growth and Development in the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and is a finalist for the Washington State Classified School Employee of the Year.

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Outstanding Student Advocate Award recipient, Julia Gonzalez

Outstanding Student Advocate - Julia Gonzalez
The Outstanding Student Advocate Award recognizes students who have made significant contributions through leadership and service in their school and community.

Julia Gonzalez has been an advocate all of her life. She has been involved with WE Day events, has won the C.P. & Dorothy Johnson Humanitarian award, been asked by WSPTA to testify in Olympia on mental health and school advocacy, and was a keynote speaker at our 2019 Presidents and Principals luncheon. In 2018, she created the "ME Space" program at Northshore Middle School. "ME" stands for "Mental Emotional" or "Mind Escape" and the space is a dedicated room for students struggling with anxiety or overwhelming emotions to visit during the day when they need a mental health break. The program continues to serve 25-30 students every week, providing them with a safe space to reset and recharge so that they are able to re-focus on learning. Julia's program has inspired other schools within the district to create “ME Spaces” of their own.

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Golden Acorn Award recipient, Jane Chiodo

Golden Acorn - Jane Chiodo
The Golden Acorn Award is presented to a Northshore Council PTSA volunteer in recognition of their dedication and service to children and youth.

In Jane’s first year serving on Council, she not only embraced her role as First VP, she quickly became an integral part across many aspects of Council, taking on projects such as editing and drafting existing and new standing rules and policies, spearheading the Speaker & Events Grant program, chairing this year’s Nominating Committee, planning and organizing our Reflections celebration, coordinating Awards and more. If there was a need-- Jane was there to help with grace, humor and an awesome ability to get things done. Her dedication and willingness to lead and serve have enriched Northshore Council beyond measure.

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Golden Acorn Award recipient, Michele Holowachuk

Golden Acorn - Michele Holowachuk
The Golden Acorn Award is presented to a Northshore Council PTSA volunteer in recognition of their dedication and service to children and youth.

Michele is the Special Education Representative for Council (she also holds that position at BHS PTSA as well). Over the three years she has been on Council, Michele has done a great job connecting with the Special Education parent community at every school, working to ensure that each local PTA has a representative and gathering them together to share issues, concerns and how they can help and support each other. Michele also works to bring in presenters and education events showcasing relevant topics for the Special Education families in our district. She has also been working towards the creation of a Special Education resource fair. Her dedication to the Special Education community is phenomenal and she has helped to magnify their voice.

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Honorary Lifetime Membership Award recipient, Grace Jurado

Honorary Lifetime Membership - Grace Jurado
The Honorary Life Membership recognizes an individual who has contributed significantly to a PTA at the local unit, council, or state level.

Grace has worked at many levels of PTA including local, council and region. She has served in many roles over the years including elected positions, chairs of events and as a volunteer. She is always ready to help, even when she is running out the door to go to work, her kids dance competition and sports. In her current role as Council president, Grace has created opportunities for our local units to connect and share information about how to work through the current COVID-19 crisis. Her leadership has been invaluable.

Northshore Council PTSA 2019-20 Outstanding Service Award recipient, Nancy Chamberlain

Outstanding Service - Nancy Chamberlain
The Outstanding Service Award is the highest volunteer award given by the Washington State PTA. It is awarded to someone who has gone beyond his or her own school community, job, or PTA in order to give dedicated volunteer service to children.

Nancy has been taking on leadership positions for 12 years. She has volunteered tens of thousands of hours in our school, council and state PTAs as well as in our communities in various positions. She has received multiple PTA awards including Golden Acorn, Outstanding Advocate at the school, council and just this year at the state level as well as earning the Crystal Level in the WSPTA Leadership Academy. During all that, she also served on at least eight time consuming education coalitions and workshops as well as co-moderated a NSD Discussion group on Facebook. Nancy is a true PTA professional and her work supporting students and families at the school, district and state level is incalculable.

Congratulations to this year's winners!

Northshore Council PTSA recognized its 2019-2020 award recipients at its general membership meeting on June 1, 2020 which was held online.

Emergency Preparedness Wrap-up, 2019-20

June Meeting Recap

Council Award Recipients - 2019-2020

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