Registration is NOW OPEN for WSPTA's 45th Annual Legislative Assembly! WSPTA Legislative Assembly 2023 Saturday, October 21 & Sunday, October 22 Registration Open Until October 5 at 12 noon. Virtual Event
Registration:
Important Dates and Deadlines:
Voting Delegates: During the 45th annual Washington State PTA Legislative Assembly, delegates will decide the public policy positions that guide state and local advocacy work for WSPTA and its associated local PTAs and councils. To learn more about being a voting delegate, visit WSPTA's Legislative Assembly Delegate Information page and the 2023 Voting Information page that has been created to help delegates prepare for the caucusing and general sessions. About Legislative Assembly: The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. On the even-numbered years, the new platform is voted on by members at the legislative assembly in the fall. The top five issues become our short-term platform and consist of our priority issues when advocating throughout the year. Other issues are placed on an “also supported” list. Learn about WSPTA's current legislative priorities and other supported issues by clicking here. It will be an incredible weekend of advocacy, education, and networking including informative guest presenters, workshops, panels, trainings, and of course, the important work of debating and voting on additions and updates to our legislative platform. This is an amazing opportunity to connect with PTA members and advocates statewide. Check out the Legislative Assembly web page to learn more about this year's event. More on Advocacy:
On September 18, 2023, Northshore Council PTSA held a virtual General Membership Meeting. We would like to say thank you to all of the local leaders from across the Northshore School District, as well as community and school partners for taking the time to join us! Continue reading below for a recap of the meeting. We had our first general meeting on September 18, 2023. It started out with a land acknowledgement and general information on how to find out more about this important topic.
Council Business We reviewed the purpose of Council and the benefits of contacting Council for help. Some of the advantages of Council is that we can help answer questions you may have in your local PTSA, communicate training, resolve conflict, or help you find answers on the Washington State PTA website. As a reminder, Council will not ask to review your books or report you to any agency - we are not the PTA Police. We are here to support our local PTA leaders. View the PTA Leaders Resource Chart that was shared with members at the meeting. We had an open board position and Christine Roehnelt was elected Secretary for the 2023-2024 year. Installation of all Council members was made by WSPTA Finance Officer Liz Nord. 2022-2023 Council Co-President Mary Khouzam was recognized for all of her work last year. During the meeting two breakout rooms were created. Membership Co-Chair Allison Torgesen presented and answered questions about memberplanet in one room while Brittany Hernandez, AIM representative, provided an overview of what you should know about your PTA insurance and answered questions in the second room. The proposed budget for 2023-2024 was presented and approved by the members at the meeting. Committee Updates
The President ended the meeting with a review of the upcoming events. All of the events dates and times are listed on the Northshore Council’s Calendar. We hope to see you at our next General Meeting on November 14th at 7 pm. National PTA is seeking a theme for the 2025-2026 Reflections Program Year.Washington students at schools with an active PTA/PTSA may submit their theme ideas (with parent/guardian authorization) via the form on the WSPTA website. The Washington State PTA Programs Committee will select a top 5 to submit to National PTA. The top 5 will be announced in November after the submission deadline. The deadline is November 1, 2023 12:00 PM (PDT).
Please review the past themes listed here, as repeat themes will not be considered. Please direct any questions to ptaprogdir@wastatepta.org. The submission form requires the entrant to create an account with SM Apply. The form itself should take about 5 minutes to complete. Here's a brief summary of what you will find on the application form, to assist with your preparation:
As a non-profit association, PTA can be vulnerable to cybercrimes. As a PTA leader, you are a person most likely to receive these types of emails. Scam Emails and Spoofing The senders email may appear to come from another officer in your PTA to help make the request look legitimate. But there are things to check for before you reply:
Common Scams
There are a few things you and your board should be doing in order to protect your PTA:
Money Handling Policy
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 Brenae Brix. More Online Safety Tips & How to Report Internet Fraud
If you got a phishing email or text message, report it. The information you give helps fight scammers.
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! Election Information:
Since the position of Secretary was not contested, the election will be by voice vote at the next General Meeting on Monday, September 18, 2023, at 7 PM. Questions? Email Council President Rachel Fitzgerald. You are invited to join our Council Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Chair meetings. Anyone in the PTA/PTSA is welcome to attend. The online meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month starting on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. We encourage local PTA/PTSA E-Prep chairs to attend and or Presidents and/or Vice Presidents or delegates. In this meeting we share and obtain updates from the NSD Safety team and discuss opportunities where the PTA can provide support to our schools in the areas of emergency preparedness, safety, and security.
We look forward to seeing you. Feel free to contact Council E-Prep Chair Robin McKenzie if you have any questions at eprep@northshorecouncilptsa.org.
Learn more about E-Prep and how to get involved. Northshore Council PTSA invites the community to join us at the School Board Candidates Forum. Tuesday, October 3, 2023 | 6pm to 7pm Northshore Administration Center 3330 Monte Villa Parkway, Bothell, WA 98021 Inform Your Vote!The purpose of the Candidate Forum is to ensure all voters can make an informed choice when voting in the November election for Northshore School District Director positions. Hosting this Candidate Forum demonstrates Northshore Council PTSA’s commitment to the PTA mission of being a strong advocate for the health, safety, well-being and education of every child. The event is free and open to the public. The structured forum will be moderated by Northshore Council PTSA. Each candidate will be asked the same questions. Potential questions for candidates can be pre-submitted at https://forms.gle/ARFDPvGiuBBpnhew6. Please submit your questions by Monday, September 25, 2023. The forum is free and community attendance is encouraged. However, distribution of campaign materials, including the carrying of signs, by candidates, volunteers or members of the public is prohibited. Please submit your questions by Monday, September 25, 2023. The following 2023 Northshore School District Director Candidates have been invited to participate: (Links for each candidate below is from King County Elections website)
Questions? Please contact Council Co-VPs of Advocacy, Terra Droney & Holly Muenchow, at advocacy@northshorecouncilptsa.org. Upcoming Election Information
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 - General Election
King County Election Information: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/elections.aspx Snohomish County Election Information: https://snohomishcountywa.gov/224/Elections-Voter-Registration WA Secretary of State: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections Northshore Council PTSA Mission Statement Northshore Council PTSA is a welcoming organization that works to support our Local PTAs and serve the children and youth of our community through advocacy, education, mentoring, collaboration, and leadership. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.
Can't make it to the roundtable but still have questions? Check out these additional resources for help!
The presentation outlines simple steps that all adults—whether they own guns or not—can take to keep our children and communities safer. About Webinar: Northshore parent and PTA member, Jaclyn Condra, will be presenting the 'Be SMART' educational program. The Be SMART framework is designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries. The presentation outlines simple steps that all adults—whether they own guns or not—can take to keep our children and communities safer. Register for Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqduGpqj0uH9ztyx-p8u0x9gZwjvRmDYZ3# Questions? Please email Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald.
October may seem far away, but now is the time to begin to identify your PTA's voting delegates for this year's WSPTA Legislative Assembly so they will be able to register when registration opens. Legislative Assembly will be held remotely through the Whova App on October 21 and October 22, 2023. Registration will open soon!
About Legislative Assembly: The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. On the even-numbered years, the new platform is voted on by members at the legislative assembly in the fall. The top five issues become our short-term platform and consist of our priority issues when advocating throughout the year. Other issues are placed on an “also supported” list. Learn about WSPTA's current legislative priorities and other supported issues. More on Advocacy:
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