WSPTA members can send a strong message by showing up in Olympia on Focus Day, January 20, 2020, for a day of talking to legislators. Members should consult with their local PTA, council or region legislative/advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments for Focus Day.

The Focus Day program will begin at First Christian Church (701 Franklin St SE, Olympia, WA 98501) starting at 9:30 am with an introduction to the day and information focused on the 2020 legislative session. WSPTA has reserved the church until 3 pm so that members can eat lunch or use it as a base between meetings.

Let WSPTA know you are planning to attend by registering for the event. You will also have the option to pre-purchase a convenient boxed lunch.

The most important tip for those leaders is to make appointments with the legislators as far in advance as possible! Input addresses here to get the names of the Representatives and Senator(s) for your school district and their contact information.

Want to ride in style and comfort for free? Let us know that you want to join Northshore Council’s Focus Day Transportation.

Once again this year, WSPTA will also be will be asking members to take action from home or your phone throughout an entire week. Each day will have a new prewritten message for members to send to their legislators regarding WSPTA legislative priorities. To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed. Further details of this 2020 event, including the exact week, will be available soon!

Northshore Council PTSA invites you to join us in celebrating our amazing student artists who participated in this year's Reflections program. More than 350 pieces by students from across Northshore will be featured and on display Saturday, January 11, 2020, from 2:30 – 5:00pm at the Leota Middle School Cafeteria (19301 168th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA 98072). Any artists needing a quieter environment to look at art may arrive early for a quiet viewing time from 2:00 – 2:30pm.

We will need a number of helping hands for this event. Saturday morning we will need help setting up the art panels and displays and then help is needed after the event to take everything down and clean up. Please consider signing up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084babaf28a4fc1-2020

Questions? Please reach out to Jane Chiodo at [email protected].

We invite you to join us on Thursday, January 16, 2020, for a special FREE screening of the documentary “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety” at the North Creek High School Theater at 7:00 p.m.  The event will feature a viewing of the  film (presented in English with Spanish subtitles), followed by a moderated discussion. The film is 55 minutes long and appropriate for ages 10 and up.

"Angst" producers, Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick, have one goal: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. The film also includes a special interview with Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate and one of the greatest athletes of all-time. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources and tools available to address the condition.

Tickets are not required, but they help us plan and guarantee entry. Reserve your ticket at:

This event is co-sponsored by North Creek High School PTSA, Skyview Middle School PTSA and Northshore Council PTSA.

Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/470371383591053/
Event Brite: www.eventbrite.com/e/angst-raising-awareness-around-anxiety-tickets-84781829735

Inspired by Community Serve Day, an annual event held in August, the Frank Love PTA decided to take it to a new level in their community.  Born was the idea of Love 4 Frank which would work to bring the community together to beautify Frank Love Elementary four times a year.

The first event was held in November.  Over 25 adults and kids came out and worked together to accomplish tasks across campus.  They fixed the drainage of a leaky faucet, repainted the faucet, prepared a flower bed for the students to plant 700 tulips bulbs in the next few weeks, and they raked and removed 10 huge garden bags of dead leaves from the exterior walk way/parking lot.

The coolest project though was the “cupping project.” PTA members worked together to install 42 feet of of fence cups along the entrance to their lovely school to spell out the school name.  The project cost $500 but the end result was an eye-catching and colorful welcome when you drive up to the school.  Frank Love PTA also hopes the project helped make a better connection with their immediate neighbors and the sign shows pride!

If you have questions, reach out to the fabulous Frank Love PTA co-Presidents, Holly Batstone and Kelli Galloway.

We are grateful to all who were able to attend our General Membership Meeting on Monday, November 18, 2019.

News of interest from the November 18th PTSA General Meeting included Dr. Reid’s report that the innovation lab high school located in Canyon Park will open next fall.  Peter Schurke is the planning principal and registration will likely coincide with that for Northshore’s other high schools.  Also, EAP Placement sites should be announced the week of November 25th.  Northshore Schools Foundation is partnering with NSD for Hour of Code again this year, December 9 – 16, with activities for families and awards for participation.  NSD Partnerships Coordinator Natalie Campbell reported that the district is partnering with local PTAs to bring the Northwest Art Project, a tour which includes eight original works of Northwest artists and supporting curriculum, to twice as many schools as last year.

Reflections Entries are due by November 26. Cindy Jensen will be collecting pieces at the Starbucks by Kenmore Lanes November 25 and 26th from 7 – 8:30pm.

Council's co-VP of Advocacy, Nancy Chamberlain, gave a brief summary on Washington State PTA's Legislative Assembly (October 26-27, 2019), noting that delegates adopted Family and Community Engagement as a new principal as well as  four new Resolutions including: the Vital Impact of Membership on PTAs Sustainability, Mission-Focused Fundraising, Equitable Education Opportunities to Close Gaps Across the Achievement Spectrum, and Gun Violence Prevention and Safety. She urges all members to sign up for Advocacy Action Alerts  and to mark calendars for Focus Day in Olympia on January 20, 2020. Kids are welcome! Sign up for free Focus Day transportation to Olympia with Council.

During the Emergency Preparedness Presentation, Council's E-Prep co-Chair, Robin McKenzie, urged families to make sure their contact information is correct in ParentVue, develop an emergency plan at home, and sign-up for King County/Snohomish County Alerts.  He suggested PTAs engage with their school on the Reunification Process plan.  He noted that the District will be doing a Reunification Exercise in March.

The Council also approved new goals, elected a Nominating Committee (many thanks to Jane Chiodo, Carmin Dalziel, and Tricia Woods for serving on the committee!), celebrated our 6840 members and discussed ways to boost membership. We are also thrilled to report that Tricia Woods has decided to continue on as our Treasurer. (Note: we are still seeking interested candidates to serve in other key roles, including VP of Events and Membership Chair. Contact Grace Jurado if you would like to learn more!)

After the meeting adjourned, members could choose between four training class options including:

✔️ Lining Up Your Leaders: How to Have a Successful Nominating Committee and Election
✔️ How to Use WSPTA Positions for Local Advocacy
✔️ Keep Your A$$ets Out of Trouble: Managing a Non-Profit
✔️ Emergency Preparedness: What Your PTA Needs to Know

Many thanks to Stacey Meyer, Nancy Chamberlain, Grace Jurado and Robin McKenzie for leading the classes and sharing their knowledge and experience with attendees.

The next General Membership meeting will be January 23, 2020 at the NSD Administration Building. Meet and Greet at 6:30 pm. Call to order at 7pm. We hope you will join us!