It was the first meeting of the year, and we were thrilled to (virtually) see over 25 attendees from across the district participate! The membership unanimously elected two new officers to the board: Kimberly Ortiz for the position of Secretary and Diana Christiansen for the position of Vice-President of Advocacy. Thank you to each of them for stepping up to help lead Northshore Council PTSA! In addition to elections, members revised new goals, approved Standing Rules, and voted on an updated budget. Membership Chair, Melissa Kline noted how local PTAs were quite creative in their membership drives this year, ensuring easy, online join options for members to renew their memberships. (Find your PTA/PTSA by clicking here.)

We’re happy to announce the continuation of our Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program. Local PTAs are encouraged to apply solo or in collaboration with another local PTA! Deadline for the 2nd round of applications is Nov. 27th.

During this packed meeting, we also had the pleasure of hearing from community leaders, including School Board Director Jacqueline McGourty, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator Natalie Campbell, each of whom shared updates and answered questions about recent projects and current initiatives, including exciting news about the ground breaking at the Northshore Concert Hall at Inglemoor High School and the opening of Ruby Bridges Elementary.

Northshore Nourishing Network Director Sue Freeman shared information on the increasing food insecurity facing members of this community. Ms. Freeman has been collaborating with Skyview Middle School PTSA to create a food pantry, and shared a plan to disseminate helpful information for those wishing to donate to foodbanks.  

Council meetings are a great way to reach other PTA leaders and learn about what is happening in the district and PTA. We hope you will join us for our next general membership meeting on Monday, November 16th!

Due to our extraordinary circumstances, the 2020 Reflections program is going Virtual! 

Even though parts of the Reflections Program will feel a little different this year, there are many aspects of the program that have not changed - especially the parts that are student facing. Students will still fill out their entry form, write their artists statement, choose a category and create their work of art using the theme "I Matter Because..."!

New for 2020! Online Submissions:

• Council & WSPTA will only accept online submissions for 2020-21. Each Local PTA President and Reflections Chair will receive a specific link and instructions for online submission to Council in a couple weeks. 
  • Try to submit high quality scans or digital photos as all artworks will be judged digitally at Council and State levels.​
  • When uploading to Council, please use the following file name format so we can attribute the artwork to the correct student: Student First Name and Last Name - Arts Category - Form or Artwork. Note: There should be two submissions for each student, the entry form and the artwork.
• Each local PTA can choose to accept submissions online, in person, or a combination of both. Make sure to set a due date that allows time to judge the submitted pieces in order to determine which 20 (+6 Special Artist) you will advance to Council.
  • Please do not submit pieces to council that are not in compliance with the guidelines for each category found in the "Student Entry Packets".
  • IMPORTANT: Encourage participants to read and follow all rules for submission for each category as if they would be submitting their actual pieces in person. Any submission that WSPTA sends to the National PTA for judging will need to be sent physically.
• Once pieces have been judged, local Reflections Chairs will need to upload any pieces they are submitting to Council into the National PTA student entry portal AND upload the entry form and digital version of the art piece to Council by December 2nd, 2020.
• Once you have submitted your 20 (+6 ) pieces:
  • Council will judge the pieces to determine which will advance to WSPTA
  • Council will share which pieces are advancing to WSPTA with Reflection Chairs and Presidents
  • All pieces submitted to Council will be displayed at the Celebration Open House and/or Digital Showcase on January 9, 2021. We will announce details about this event to the best of our ability by end of November, but please note that an in person event is subject to district and county safety requirements.
  • Council will digitally submit all pieces advancing to WSPTA.
    • WSPTA will judge and announce which pieces are advancing to National PTA.
    • Council will contact Reflections Chairs and Presidents who have pieces advancing to National PTA. As of right now, National PTA is requiring that state PTAs submit physical art pieces.

Below are some resources to help support your Reflections program:

• Register for your Reflections program with the National PTA. 
• Promote Reflections in your community. 
• Entry forms can be filled out online. (Contact reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org if you need assistance finding your National PTA number.)
• Please sign up for our Northshore Council PTSA Reflections newsletter here. The newsletter and website are the primary sources of information for Reflections this year.
• Our Northshore Council PTSA Reflections Facebook page is here and is a resource for you to exchange information and best practices.
• The WSPTA Reflections Facebook page is another great resource!

Still have questions? Please contact Council's Reflections Chair, Rachel Northquist, at reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org or call/text (425) 319-0016.

Find out what is important to your members before your delegates vote at the 2020 Legislative Assembly!

WA State PTA has made it easy for PTA leaders to survey your members with this e-survey. Just send the link out to your members and WSPTA will send you the results for your school before legislative assembly starts to see your members’ responses. Your delegates can use these results to guide their votes along with the education and caucusing sessions available for all topics. This survey will provide great input to help your delegates represent your PTA.

Looking for help on how to communicate this e-survey with your members? Check out the wording from WSPTA's Communication Kit for local PTAs below that includes longer messaging for articles and shorter messaging for social media posts. The e-survey closes on October 9th, so make sure to start sharing it today!

Short Messaging to Promote the E-Survey
What issues are most important to you? Hurry - the e-survey closes on 10/9!

​Your  voice matters -- please take a few minutes and complete our  [insert your PTA or council name) PTA e-survey.
​There’s a wide range of topics and we need your input when we vote at the upcoming Washington State PTA Legislative Assembly.  The survey is just titles only, so take a few moments to review the WSPTA Voters’ Guide. But don’t delay, the e-survey closes on 10/9.

​Longer Messaging to Promote the E-Survey (Option A)

What issues are most important to you? Hurry - the e-survey closes on 10/9!
 
​Your voice matters -- please take a few minutes and complete our [insert your PTA or council name) PTA e-survey.
​There’s a wide range of advocacy issues and we need your voice to help our PTA delegates vote on the Top 5 issues that are most important to us. The survey also includes other proposed positions that delegates will vote on to develop the WSPTA platform.  
 
The issues all support the health, education, and welfare of children and youth --  from increasing access to mental health to preventing gun violence and suicide to closing the digital divide. Resolutions range from access to recess and unstructured play to improving outcomes in special education to dismantling institutional and systemic racism. Plus, one new principle against racism, discrimination, and oppression. 
 
The survey is just titles only, so take a few moments to review the WSPTA Voters’ Guide. But don’t delay, the e-survey closes on October 10/9.

​Longer Messaging to Promote the E-Survey (Option B)

​What issues are most important to you? Hurry - the e-survey closes on 10/9!

Member voice matters — please take a few minutes and complete our  [insert your PTA name) PTA e-survey. There’s a wide range of advocacy issues and we need your voice to help our PTA delegates vote on the Top 5 issues that are most important to us. The survey also includes other proposed positions that delegates will vote on to develop the WSPTA platform.  The issues all support the health, education, and welfare of children and youth but the proposed platform covers a wide spectrum of advocacy positions and legislative policies from increasing access to mental health to preventing gun violence and suicide to closing the digital divide. There are also eight resolutions with topics ranging from access to recess and unstructured play to improving outcomes in special education to dismantling institutional and systemic racism. Plus one new principle against racism, discrimination, and oppression. Take the e-survey and let us know what’s important to you.

There’s also a WSPTA Voters’ Guide to give you more information on all the issues as the survey just has the titles. Take a few moments to review that information as you take the e-survey.

Your replies will help guide our PTA’s delegates when they vote at the upcoming WSPTA Legislative Assembly in late October where the new 2020-2021 Platform will be set.

Take a few moments to learn more about the proposed positions and share your priorities with us with the e-survey But don’t delay the e-survey closes on October 9.

Registration is now open for the 42nd Annual WSPTA Legislative Assembly!

PTA delegates from across the state will come together to update the WSPTA legislative platform. At legislative assembly, discover the power PTA has to advocate for the success of every child – the whole child. In PTA every member has an equal voice, and your input matters a great deal to the success of PTA's grassroots member-driven platform. PTA is needed more than ever right now, and you can help!

Key Things to Note:

• WSPTA Legislative Assembly will take place virtually from October 24-25
• Caucusing, education sessions, and other activities will begin September 29
• Cost is $25 per attendee
  
• Registration Deadline is October 8th.
• A reduced student fee of $10 is available, which gives a student an all-access pass to classes, education sessions, and caucusing.
• Voting Delegates must be submitted by your PTA President no later than October 6th @ 11:59pm

​The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. This year, as with every even-numbered year, the new platform will be voted on by members during the legislative assembly. Learn about WSPTA's current legislative priorities and other supported issues by clicking here.

Be a part of the process and help direct the course for WSPTA advocacy by serving as a delegate for your PTA!  If you are interested in attending Legislative Assembly as a delegate for your local PTA, contact your local PTA president.
​
Check out the Legislative Assembly web page to learn more about this year's event.

This year it's even easier for your PTA/PTSA to pay the yearly Council Program Fee!

On your October Memberplanet invoice you will see a new line for $100 titled ‘Council Program Fees’. This will allow you to pay this fee through automatic deposit at the same time you pay your council membership fees.

A notice explaining more about the yearly fee and the payment process was emailed to local PTA/PTSA Presidents and Treasurers on August 31st. If you did not receive this email, or have any questions about the Council Program Fee, please contact Council Treasurer, Liz Nord.

​The Washington State PTA Standards of Affiliation Agreement Checklist 2020-2021 is now available!

This checklist is a tool to help your PTA keep up with its legal requirements, both as a non-profit and as a PTA. The requirements come from the IRS, the State of Washington, your insurance company,  and WSPTA.
What your PTA needs to do:

• Take care of all SOA requirements
• Use the SOA checklist to keep track of progress
• Keep a copy with your legal documents and/or Treasurer's binder
• Involve your entire board
• Update your membership on your SOA progress
• Ask for help if you need it!

There have been a few updates this year to make the SOA even better, including an introduction page that has clear instructions, calls out what’s new to the checklists in 2020-21, and offers a number of resources to answer questions and give more detail on all requirements.

This video from WSPTA offers a great overview of SOA and what it means for your PTA:

In addition, WSPTA offers a number of tools to help support your PTA in completing the SOA checklist, including:

• SOA Tips & Best Practices
• SOA FAQ
• SOA Standing Rules Suggested Language
• Training Requirement Flyer
• Training Tracking Spreadsheet
• 2020-21 Deadline Dates
  

​
Remember that sharing the progress of your SOA with your members also lets others know about how your PTA operates and shows the work that goes on, often behind the scenes, to keep your PTA legal, safe and operating within the very best practices of our state.
Questions? Council is here to help!

• Elementary PTA/PTSAs with questions should contact Grace Jurado.
• Middle and High School PTSAs should contact Nancy Chamberlain. 

As we move into a new school year with continued distance learning and public health concerns limiting in-person meetings, Northshore Council is hoping to promote collaboration between our local PTAs/PTSAs in developing opportunities for Parent Education and Community Connection to our members.

Please let us know what activities your PTA/PTSA is interested in planning to help parents learn, connect, and successfully support students in 2020-21 by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/HhvohMFnif1mZFGh7
Deadline to complete this form is September 23, 2020.

If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Lewis, Northshore Council's F.A.C.E. Chair.
​

​In lieu of an in-person Candidates Forum for the upcoming November election, Northshore Council PTSA is working on doing something a little different.  This year, we are working on creating a virtual forum where we gather education-related questions from Northshore community members and then compile questions and candidate responses together as a handy guide for voters.

Send in your education-related question for one of your legislators for our online candidate spotlight forum by emailing Council's Advocacy VP, Diana Christiansen, or submitting it via the form below. ​Deadline to submit a question is Friday, September 18th.

Northshore Council PTSA will be holding online elections for its two open board positions: Secretary and Vice President of Advocacy. The slated candidates are as follows:

• Secretary: Kimberly Ortiz
• VP of Advocacy: Diana Christiansen

 
Each candidate has been serving in their respective role after having been appointed by the Board of Directors on July 9, 2020.
 
Virtual nominations for these positions closed on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
 
Brief Job Descriptions:

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

 
Qualification Requirements:
Per the 2019-2020 Council Standing Rules:

• 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. 

Election Information:
Since neither position was contested, the election will be by voice vote at the next General Meeting, on Monday, September 21, 2020:
 
Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting
Time: Sep 21, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
 
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 957 3872 0814
Passcode: Available upon request*
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Questions?
Contact First Vice President Jane Chiodo or President Robin Zaback. They are happy to help!

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