Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
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WSPTA Adopts Legislative Priorities for 2022-2024

10/21/2022

 
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At the 44th Annual Legislative Assembly members from across the state came together to learn, debate, and vote on the new legislative priorities WSPTA will focus on for the next two years. In addition to the issues the delegates ranked as the top five, an additional eight issues were added to the "also supported" list. ​

Jennifer Drury, Cherry Holmes, and Kim Ortiz represented Council as voting delegates. In addition to Council delegates, there were PTA leaders from across Northshore schools that attended either in-person or remotely as delegates for their PTAs. 

A few of our local Northshore schools PTA delegates got up to speak during the general session. We would like to give shout-outs to the following delegates: 
  • Mike Uehara-Bingen from Fernwood Elementary PTSA spoke in favor of Increasing Education Equity by Closing the Digital Divide at Legislative Assembly. This issue was added to the two-year legislative platform for Washington State PTA.
  • Carrie McKenzie from North Creek High School PTSA spoke on the issue of Harnessing the Benefits of Mastery-based Learning. This issue was also added to the new platform.
  • Laura Staneff representing Northshore Middle School PTSA and Leta Hamilton from Moorlands Elementary PTA spoke on suggested amendments to the Addressing Funding, Inclusion, and Supports in Special Education issue. This issue was added to the Top 5 Legislative Priorities. 
​Learn more about the top five and the 'also supported' issues. 
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Delegates from Northshore school PTA/PTSAs.
​In addition to voting on the legislative priority issues, delegates approved one new resolution "4.16 Equitable and Impactful Family Engagement in Education" and amendments to resolutions 2.23, 18.36, and 18.40 that encompass issues on gun violence, highly capable, and students with disabilities. Learn more about the resolutions.

​Thank you all for advocating for our students! 
More on Advocacy: 
  • Council's blog post PTA Advocacy 101 
  • Council's Advocacy Page
  • Questions? Contact Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury

The Great Shake Out 2022 - Earthquake Preparedness

10/19/2022

 
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This year's International ShakeOut Day is October 20, when millions of people worldwide will participate in earthquake drills at work, school, or home!

At 10:20 am (local time) on 10/20, you can join millions of people across the world practicing earthquake safety. While we encourage you to participate with everyone, you can register your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year, and drill at a time of your choice.

More information is available at shakeout.org.

Washington State now has an Earthquake Early warning application you can put on your phone.
 
The MyShake App sends a warning to mobile phone users that shaking is about to occur. The system uses ground-motion sensors to detect earthquakes that have already started and estimates their size, location, and impact. When it detects a significant magnitude, the system issues a ShakeAlert® Message, providing a warning a few seconds before shaking begins.

NOTE: The MyShake App will be sending a test alert at 10:20 a.m., Oct. 20. The test alert should include test audio telling people that this is a system test, and no action is required.

​More information about the app is available at https://mil.wa.gov/alerts#shakealert.
Resources in Multiple Languages: 
​Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA), an organization in California, has pertinent earthquake safety informational resources available to download in multiple languages. These resources are useful in any area prone to earthquakes, including Washington. Download resources in multiple languages.
Visit our E-Prep webpage or contact Council's Emergency Preparedness & Safety​ (E-Prep) Chair, Robin McKenzie
​for more information about the E-Prep committee. 
​

Presidents and Principals Luncheon 2022

10/19/2022

 
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Visit program webpage for more information.
Northshore Council PTSA
Presidents and Principals Luncheon

Wednesday, November 2, 2022
11am - 12:30pm

Brightwater Center
22505 State Route 9 SE | Woodinville | 98072

​​Council will provide a delicious boxed lunch
​for everyone's enjoyment.
​​​
​Please RSVP no later than Friday, October 28, 2022
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If you are a PTA/PTSA President who cannot attend this event, please consider inviting a representative from your PTA/PTSA. We would like to ensure that every Principal has a local PTA/PTSA member to connect with.
Questions? Email ​president@northshorecouncilptsa.org

Advocacy Coffee & Conversation

10/18/2022

 
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​You're invited to join Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury for coffee. It's a great time to connect and discuss Legislative Assembly and WSPTA's legislative priorities for the upcoming year.

Thursday, October 20th at 1 PM
Sidekick Coffee

17255 135th Ave NE Ste 1020, Woodinville
&
Wednesday, November 2nd at 7 PM
The Pizza Coop 
13317 NE 175th St., Woodinville 

There's no formal agenda; just casual conversation.
Come to one or both. 

Please RSVP to Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury.

General Meeting - Thursday, November 17

10/17/2022

 
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Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting
Thursday, November 17, 2022
6:30 PM Meet & Greet
7 PM Meeting Begins


Join Zoom Meeting: 
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88613087022?

​Meeting ID: 
886 1308 7022​
​Passcode: *Available upon request.
Please join us for our second general membership meeting for this school year on 
Thursday, November 17, 2022 via Zoom!
Meet & Greet:
​​
Join us before the meeting, at 6:30PM, to chat with Council and other local PTA Leaders! Come say hi, ask questions, or just hang out for social time before the meeting.

WSPTA Training:
Immediately following the meeting, Council will be offering two WSPTA approved trainings: 
  • Volunteers - Find Them and Keep Them
  • Roles and Responsibilities of the Board
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WSPTA Leadership Training Information: 
Immediately following our General Meeting, we will be offering two Leadership trainings; Volunteers - Find Them and Keep Them and Roles and Responsibilities of the Board. Training is free and will satisfy the WSPTA annual training requirement.

Training Descriptions 
Volunteers - Find Them and Keep Them
How can your PTA build the community of volunteers it needs to run a thriving association? How do you attract volunteers and keep them involved? How do you create a balance between your volunteer resources and your needs? Get more volunteers and keep them! We’ll show you how.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Board
This presentation will help all board members understand the basic responsibilities of their positions – and everyone else’s!  It will also cover items such as advocacy, fiduciary responsibility, membership and outreach. 

Additional Meeting Information:
​​Council meetings will build your PTA knowledge, give you the opportunity to network with other PTA, school district and community leaders, and they can be a lot of fun, too. Each PTA may send up to 4 voting representatives - but we encourage ALL who are interested to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

*A meeting passcode is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the passcode by emailing Council PTSA Communications VP, Jenn Snyder.

Connect with Council - Office Hours Nov. 08th

10/16/2022

 
​*PTA Leaders can find the meeting links in the emailed issues of the Council eNews. Please contact Jenn Snyder, Council's VP of Communications if you are not receiving the eNews via email.
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Tuesday, November 08, 2022 
6:30PM to 7:30PM
​
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85235713536?
​
​Meeting ID: 852 3571 3536
Passcode: *available upon request*
Connect with Council and other PTA leaders during the next Office Hours. ​

Council will be holding Office Hours on Tuesday, November 08, from 6:30PM to 7:30PM. This is the perfect time to connect with Council, ask questions, or even just stop in to say hello!

This time is designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders as you navigate membership, programs, and managing your organization. We hope you will join us!

If you have questions and need to connect with Council before this, please visit our Contact Page for a list of Council Officers and their emails.

*Please see calendar for future Office Hours dates and times. 

2nd Round: Now Accepting 2022 - 2023 Grant Applications!

10/13/2022

 

2022-2023 Educational Speakers & Community Events Grant Program

Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events may apply for a partnership grant from Northshore Council PTSA .
​Applications are due on November 25, 2022. 
​
Educational Speakers
  • ​​Is there a speaker your PTA would like to bring in to talk to your membership about a hot parenting topic, but you don't have enough budget for it?
​​Community Events
  • ​Does your PTA want to hold a great community event, but need help getting the word out and covering some of the cost?
​​​Apply for a partnership grant through Northshore PTSA's Educational Speakers & Community Events Grant Program!
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​Apply Today!
​Grant Applications Due November 25th, 2022. 
Download Application Form
Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants Program Policy
Please make sure to read Northshore Council PTSA's Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants Program Policy before submitting your application.

Need Ideas?
View the list of past recipients. ​

More Information
Learn more about Northshore PTSA's Educational Speakers & Community Events Grant Program.

Questions? Email ​grants@northshorecouncilptsa.org

Online Scam Alert - How to Protect Your PTA

10/12/2022

 
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PTAs are often the target of scammers. It's important for PTA officers to know the red flags and how to help keep your PTA safe from online fraud.
Scam Emails
Some scams may spoof the email of another officer to help make the request look legitimate. But there are things to check for before you reply:
  • Confirm the actual "from" address of the sender - don't just rely on the name that is shown.
  • Does this email look and sound like other emails you have received from this person?
  • Does this email ask you to do something that is not in alignment with current financial or money handling policies?
  • Often these emails will state the sender is unavailable in a meeting, or out of town and sending money is an urgent matter. 
  • If there is any question about an email, pick up the phone and talk to the person to double check on the message.  
​Common Scams
  • Asking for gift cards. Remember gift cards are the equivalent of cash and if the email is acted upon, there is likely no recourse to get the money back.
  • Requesting a wire transfer. Wire transfers are not recommended for PTAs. Instead you should have a clear funds disbursement procedure that is well documented for your records.
Protecting Your PTA
There are a few things you and your board should be doing in order to protect your PTA:
  • Establish clear lines of communication between board members.
  • Make your board aware of these type of scams and remind board of money handling best practices. 
  • Know your budget well. The best indicator of a potential fraudulent activity is a request that is made for something outside of your PTAs member-approved budget.
  • Make sure your board of directors is well trained! View upcoming trainings here.
  • Make sure you have well documented procedures and processes for money disbursement. (See below)
Money Handling Policy
  • Does your PTA have a money handling policy?
  • Has your PTA updated their policy to include online banking?
Money handling policies are important to have so that it is very clear how your members and board are handling the funds of the PTA. Having these policies written out, communicated, and followed helps safeguard your PTA from scammers, and mishandled money.  They should include how you handle your cash, checks, deposits, withdrawals, any online money access, and more.  

Need some help putting your money handling policies together or updating them? Council's money handling policies is available for you to use as a sample. Still have questions? Contact Council Treasurer, Serena Xu.
More Online Safety Tips & How to Report Internet Fraud
US.gov Online Safety
Remember: There is nothing more urgent for your PTA than to follow best practices and policies to ensure you don't get caught in a scam!

September 19th Membership Meeting Recap

10/7/2022

 
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Last month, on September 19th, Council held its first General Membership meeting of the 2022-2023 school year. We appreciate all the local leaders from across the district as well as all of the community partners who were able to attend!

Continue reading below for a recap of the meeting.
Meeting Recap:

The General Membership meeting began with the reading of a Land Acknowledgement, a small but important step in showing respect and honor for the Indigenous Peoples of the land that we work and live on, and their truth, stories, and histories, which we commit to protecting and preserving from erasure. 


Claudine Miller was presented as the nominee for Council’s Secretary, and was then elected into the role after a vote was taken. Region 6’s Area VP, Liz Nord, then officially installed the Council officers for the 2022-2023 school year. Thank you, Council officers, for your commitment to serving our local PTAs and our students! 

Interim Superintendent Michael Tolley took some time to share with us what his and Northshore Schools’ focuses will be going forward into the 2022-2023 school year. NSD’s mission of “strengthening our community through excellence in education by focusing on our school communities, school climate and welfare, and school systems” will be hopefully be achieved by strategic initiatives such increasing inclusionary practices, and determining the measures that will tell us what we are going to do to help our students be successful in their education. To hear more about these strategic initiatives, and to share your hopes, concerns, and questions with Mr. Tolley, please consider attending a Listen and Learn session. More information can be found at https://www.nsd.org/our-district/leadership/interim-superintendent/listen-and-learn . 

Council Business: 
  • After the minutes for the August 2022 Board meeting were presented for review, Council Treasurer, Serena Xu, presented the 2021-2022 Financial Review, the July 2022 Treasurer Report, the 2021-2022 End of Year report, and the proposed 2022-2023 Council Budget, which was then approved by vote. 
  • Council Co-Chair, Rachel Fitzgerald, then presented proposed edits to the Council Standing Rules and Policies to keep our Council compliant with changes made by National PTA regarding Nominating Committees and membership. Proposed edits were accepted by vote. 
  • Council Co-Chair, Rachel Fitzgerald, also presented the Council's Mission Statement and the Goals & Objectives which were approved by vote. 

District and Community Partners:
  • School Board member Amy Cast gave a brief update on capital bond and levy projects, as well as letting us know that projects will be broken down into phases.
  • NSD Community Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, Marco Garcia, shared that religious and medical exemptions will now be available for people interested in volunteering in our schools who are not fully vaccinated against the COVID virus. For more information on how to sign up to volunteer, as well as how to apply for a religious or medical exemption, please visit https://www.nsd.org/get-involved/volunteer/become-a-volunteer . Background checks are also currently experiencing delays, so get your volunteer application in as soon as possible! Lastly, Marco was excited to share that he was invited by the NSD Racial and Educational Justice department to share his story as a Black Latino, in honor of Hispanic and Latino/a/x Heritage Month. To watch a recording of Marco’s presentation, and to learn more about Hispanic and Latino/a/x Heritage Month, please visit https://www.nsd.org/our-district/who-we-are/racial-educational-justice/monthly-observances/post/~board/observance/post/hispanic-heritage-month
  • Carson Sanderson joined us as a representative of the NSD Hi-Cap Parents Council, and shared with us the mission and focus of the Hi-Cap Parents Council, as well as how they are advocating on behalf of the Hi-Cap students in our schools. To learn more about the NSD Hi-Cap Parents Council, visit https://hcparents.blogspot.com/p/join-list-make-sure-you-stay-informed.html
  • Carmin Dalziel with the Northshore Schools Foundation shared with us some of the work that the Foundation is doing to support our NSD students. Some of the work includes providing grants programs, classroom grants, and grants for PTAs (which are currently available), the Skills4Life Podcast, which is a weekly short podcast for parents and guardians of high school teens, and the Foundation Works program that serves and supports NSD families and students experiencing hardships with one-time grants. For more information about Northshore Schools Foundation, visit https://www.northshoreschoolsfoundation.org/who-we-are . 

Lastly, our Council chairs gave us updates on the important work that they are doing to advocate for and support our NSD students and local PTAs. We are very excited for all that they are doing, and we hope that you will join us this school year in advocating for all of our NSD students! Thank you to all who joined us for the first General Membership meeting of 2022-2023, and we hope that you will continue to attend our meetings!​

Vote: General Elections November 8, 2022

10/7/2022

 
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Current Election Information:

November 8, 2022
is General Election Day.

Confirm or update your voter registration information today at VoteWA.gov. If you are registered to vote, your ballot is mailed automatically and there's no need to request one. View the Online Voters' Guide or the list of Candidates Who Filed.
​
October 21 ballots are mailed out by county election offices no later than 18 days prior to election day. Ballots for eligible military and overseas voters are mailed 45 days prior.

October 31 is the deadline to register or update your address online. You may also register and vote in person at a county voting center through election day. 
Ballots will begin arriving in two weeks! Learn more about what will be on yours with these resources:

Personalized voters’ guide: Log in to VoteWA.gov
Current election information 

¡Las boletas comenzarán a llegar en dos semanas! Obtenga más información sobre qué tendrá la suya con estos recursos: Guía para votantes personalizada: ingrese a VoteWA.gov
Información de la elección  actual

選票將在兩週內到達!請使用以下資源了解更多有關您的選票內容:
 個人化選民指南:登入 VoteWA.gov
 目前的選舉資訊

Các lá phiếu sẽ đến trong hai tuần nữa! Tìm hiểu thêm về thông tin trên lá phiếu của quý vị với những nguồn hỗ trợ sau:  Hướng dẫn cho từng cử tri: Đăng nhập vào VoteWA.gov
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