Thank you to all that attended our fourth membership meeting of the school year! Each general meeting provides us with an opportunity to connect with our wonderful local PTA leaders and community partners and learn more about the great things happening across our district.

A little bit of fun:
We started off our meeting with a 30 minute “social” time. We invited all to join us to chat with Council and other local PTA leaders. We had great conversations and learned that “Flight” was the most desired superhero power in our fun poll!

Guest Speaker:
Our guest speaker this month was Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid who graciously answered questions regarding the upcoming shift to hybrid learning in NSD. A great range of questions were asked including but not limited to: how PTAs can support the return to classrooms, the thinking behind the hybrid model, vaccination progress for teachers, when the learning model will be decided for Fall, what hybrid will look like for those 100% remote, and the latest updates on SBAC testing. We thank Dr. Reid for taking the time to join us during such a busy and stressful time.

Council Business:
After approving our minutes from our January general meeting, we moved on to hearing the Treasurer Report for the month of February. We then moved on to learning about our 2021-2022 preliminary budget. Our budget committee worked along with our Treasurer, Liz Nord, to evaluate what our needs would be for next year taking into consideration the decrease in memberships that we had experienced in 2020-2021 possibly continuing next year. A few changes were recommended, such as lowering our income expectations and cutting costs where we could (obtaining a smaller PO Box, lowering line items such as hospitality, grants, office supplies, etc.). We also added line items for our new DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) position and our new Mental Health committee. The preliminary 2021-2022 budget was approved by a unanimous voice vote.

Next up on the agenda was electing our 2021-2022 officers! Thank you to our hardworking Nominating Committee, Grace Jurado and Liz Nord, for putting together a rocking slate for next year! Liz Nord read the Nominating Report. The self-nomination period was held with no others submitting their names for nomination. The election script was followed with a reading from the WSPTA bylaws. A motion was cast to accept the slate as presented, seconded, and unanimously approved by a voice vote.

Congratulations to our incoming 2021-2022 officers!!

• For the Office of President: Jane Chiodo
• For the Office of First Vice President: Mary Khouzam
• For the Office of Co-Secretary: Pauline Wray
• For the Office of Co-Secretary: Cheri Hardin
• For the Office of Treasurer: Serena Xu
• For the Office of VP of Events: Karrie Palis
• For the Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Diana Christiansen
• For the Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Jennifer Drury
• For the Office of VP of Communications: Rachel Fitzgerald
• For the Office of VP of Elementary Support: Grace Jurado
• For the Office of VP of Secondary Support: Brenae Brix

Council Reports:
Tracy Jokisch, our Emergency Prep and Safety Co-Chair, gave us an update regarding the bulk purchase of Stop the Bleed kits for district schools. There will most likely be over 500 kits ordered in total, which will include 2 kits per school contributed by Council. In conjunction with the Stop the Bleed effort, Clark Combs, district Eprep specialist on the district Safety and Security team, has been offering virtual ACT training to staff.

Diana Christiansen, our Council Vice President of Advocacy, gave us an update regarding the exceptional attendance by WA State PTA members at this years National PTA Legislative Conference. It was great to see big representation especially at “Hill Day” when attendees met directly with legislators and their staffers. Check out our NPTA LegCon recap here!

We got an update on the Reflections program. 55 pieces were forwarded to the state competition and we were waiting to hear results. (Results now in - check them out here!) The Council Reflections Celebration website was a big hit allowing many families – as well as family and friends around the country! - to experience all the works of art from artists all over the district. Next year’s theme was announced as, “I Will Change the World By…”.

Diana Christiansen and Karrie Palis announced that our Council Recognition Awards Nominations were open. They are looking for nominations for the following awards: Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Advocate, Outstanding Student Advocate, Outstanding Service, Golden Acorn, Honorary Life Membership. They are also looking for members to join their committee to review nominations and select winners.

Melissa Kline gave an update regarding membership. Three (3) PTAs had reached 100% staff membership and, in total, we have reached 4,826 members which is 62% of last year’s number. Melissa also gave an update about the newly formed Mental Health Committee. The committee had their first meeting recently, at which they discussed goals and things they would like to work on which included communicating about mental health awareness programs.

Lauren Lewis, our Council F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement) Chair, talked about the Equity Inventory Committee, which was established to assess where our Council stood in regards to equity and diversity. The goal of the committee was to look at all facets of our operation through a DEI lens and then to make suggestions on areas that we could improve on. Lauren was also working on finding a presentation about how to navigate the US high school system that could be offered to families in our district that speak other languages or who have moved here from other countries. Natalie Campbell, the District Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, said that we could partner with her and Elizabeth Meza to bring something like this to the district. It was also noted that through the Council Educational Speaker and Community Events Grants program, Woodin Elementary was offering "Guide to Helping Your Children Succeed in Elementary and Beyond", presented by Sistema Escolar, USA, to district parents.

District and Community Reports:
School Board Director David Cogan presented an update in regards to Northshore School District that included, but was not limited to:

• NSD would be live streaming athletic games so all could watch from home
• The lock update project at all schools was complete
• A district Math program was adopted
• The Capital Bonds Planning Task Force is underway

Natalie Campbell, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, reported the following:

• Following up on the Mental Health Committee Update, Natalie said that the district was drafting a mental health webpage that was more robust and easier to navigate
• She had been working on childcare options for families during hybrid learning
• She reminded us to check out the Safety Protocol document as well as the English/Spanish videos on the district website
• As of right now, volunteers are not allowed on school campuses

Carmin Dalziel of the Northshore Schools Foundation gave updates regarding her organization and their work to support NSD:

• Each school in the district has a “Care Team” to help families that have helped at least 261 families since October
• Because kids will be returning to school, backpacks will start to be provided for those that need them
• NSF and volunteers have found homes for some 18,000 donated books!
• NSF was partnering with all district middle school PTA’s to bring a Career Day to all middle schools
• The Foundation’s “All In For Kids” fundraising event was be moving forward as a virtual event

Our last guest was Patsy Treece of the Citizens for Northshore Schools group to talk about Bond and Levy support. Her group’s purpose is to give citizens information about the bond and levies on the ballot and to urge them to vote. Bond and levy votes only happen every four years. Bonds need 60% to pass and levies need 50%. She was looking for volunteers to serve the group and was particularly interested in adding diversity so that all voices could be heard. She also asked if PTAs could add a line item to their budgets to help support the Citizens group. Learn more about Citizens for Northshore School here.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Monday, June 7th. We hope to see you there!

Join us for ‘Northshore PTAs Connect’ – an online roundtable discussion for PTA/PTSA leaders to ask questions, share ideas, and connect with one another.

​Northshore PTAs Connect Roundtables are designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders as we navigate membership, programs, and managing our organizations in an uncertain and ever-changing landscape.

This noon (12pm) roundtable will be an open discussion in order to give our Local Leaders the opportunity to ask questions and tackle emerging or ongoing areas of interest or concern.

Date: Thursday, April 22nd
Time: 12:00PM 
Location: Online via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97945642459
Meeting ID: 979 4564 2459
Passcode: *Available upon request

During our March 25th roundtable, PTA leaders discussed the upcoming return to classrooms and how to support students, teachers, and staff during this transition. We've included a list of the ideas that were discussed below. We want to remind each PTA that every school is different and that it is essential to check with your school administration before planning anything to get their okay. Also, we urge each PTA to keep in mind students choosing to stay 100% remote when planning events or celebrations so that they can be included as well.

• Welcome kits for all kids - items could include PTA branded sanitizer, lanyards, stickers, etc.
• Tears & Cheers handouts for parents - baggies could include tissues, single serve coffee/tea packet, PTA info, etc. Hand out via a table at the entrance/exit to campus, if allowed.
• Vinyl Banners or Yard Announcement signs to welcome back students and staff
• Signs with Inspirational Messages - examples being "You Got This, Jags!", "Woodmoor Dolphins Can Do Anything!", "Leota Strong!", or "Shelton View Sharks are Amazing!"
• Balloon Arches
• Back to School Drawing/Contest - prizes could include headphones, charging cords, blue light glasses, other school supplies, etc.
• Single Use Water Bottles - could purchase from places like Costco for classrooms to have available in case a student forgets to bring one from home or needs to refill water and can't use the water fountains.
• Classroom Grants for Teachers - if budget allows, split up remaining grant money and give some to each teacher. Note: There may be limits as to what PTAs can reimburse for, like PPE or sanitizer, as these are supplied by the district. Council is working to get clarification on this and will update once known.
• Post Amazon Wishlists for Staff - if teachers have them, consider sharing them out via your website or parent social media groups.
• First Aid Kits - small kits purchased for each classroom to limit the visits to the nurse for "little things" like Band-Aids or icepacks. Check with school nurse on needs.
• Virtual Gift Card Drive - Have a card for each teacher. NOTE: PTA does not purchase the gift cards, only organizes the collecting/distribution of them and must keep close track of gift cards.
• Partner with School Counselors to put the word out about Social/Emotional Health Tools for students and families during this transition.

💡 Helpful Tip: Shop PTA offers many options for signs, banners, goodie bag items, etc. for PTAs to purchase.

Questions about how to make these or other PTA ideas happen for your school? Council is here to help!
VP of Secondary Support - Nancy Chamberlain
VP of Elementary Support - Grace Jurado

Is your PTA/PTSA planning a Welcome Back Event or showing your support for your school in a way not listed above? Let us know!

Congratulations to the 30 Northshore PTAs/PTSAs that participated in this year's Reflections program and to the artists who made it to Council-level judging!! It was fun celebrating you all on our 2020-2021 Reflections Virtual Art Showcase website where we displayed 229 pieces of artwork! We hope you were able to share this with friends and family! The Virtual Art Showcase will be available until March 31st, 2021 for viewing.

Judging Results: There were 55 State Qualifiers (SQ) who continued on to Washington State PTA for further judging.  There were also 59 pieces that received the honorable Judge's Choice Award (JC). Congrats to all the students who made it to the Council Level for judging!

We'd also like to honor and congratulate the following six (6) artists for their awards at the state level. The three (3) Outstanding Interpretation winners will advance to the National PTA for the final round of judging! ​

Sistema Escolar USA presenta "Guía para ayudar a sus hijos a tener exito en la primaria y más allá".

Abril 6, 6:30 PM en español a través de Zoom

¡Pulse aquí para registrarse!

Los invitamos a una charla para aprender cómo puede ayudar mejor a sus hijos desde la primaria y las oportunidades que existen en el distrito escolar, para obtener lo mejor que la educación pública tiene a su servicio.

En esta charla también conocerá un poco del sistema escolar y sabrá a quien recurrir cuando tenga preguntas o necesite ayuda académica, tecnológica o emocional para su hijo o hija.

La escuela tiene muchos recursos y queremos que usted conozca cuales son y lo mas importante, que usted sepa que es parte esencial de nuestra comunidad escolar.

Este evento es copatrocinado por Northshore Council PTSA y Woodin Elementary PTA.

Habrá interpretación al inglés disponible para quienes lo soliciten.

National PTA hosted the 2021 Legislative Conference (LegCon) March 9-11. This year’s LegCon was held virtually, making it possible for over 50 WSPTA Members to attend, including Northshore Council PTSA Leaders Nancy Chamberlain, Diana Christiansen, and Rachel Fitzgerald.
 
LegCon attendees were able to participate in a variety of PTA Advocacy Spotlights and Workshops. Some of these included “Driving Digital Equity”, “Advocating for Federal Resources”, “Keeping Students Safe at Home & School”, and “Supporting and Educating Families During the Pandemic”. One of the highlights of LegCon 2021 was the Mental Health Panel that provided attendees with a spirited discussion of the importance of mental health.
 
In addition to sharing great PTA ideas, members participated in NPTA’s first ever Virtual Hill Day. Hill Day provides the opportunity for PTA Advocates to meet with national congressional officials. In the pre-Covid times, this would have involved traveling to Washington D.C. to meet in person with elected officials. This year, however, advocates met virtually allowing a lot more members to participate in the meetings with our Senators and Representatives.

Highlights from Hill Day

During the Virtual Hill Day visits, PTA called upon our Members of Congress to:

1. Make meaningful, robust investments in education in the next COVID relief package.
2. Increase funding for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers to $20 million.
3. Include schools in any comprehensive infrastructure package. 
4. Improve the federal school meal program through Child Nutrition Reauthorization
5. Support policies which protect all students, including students from historically marginalized   populations and communities.

Learn More: National PTA 2021 Hill Asks
 
Advocates representing Northshore PTAs were able to meet with staff members from the offices of both Senator Cantwell and Senator Murray as well as Representative DelBene. During these meetings, attendees were given exciting updates about the COVID Relief Bill which will have over $100 billion for K-12 education. Washington is expected to receive $1.8 billion of that funding. Some of the big features this bill is addressing include childcare issues, after school and summer learning, head start, and higher education.


PTA Members Speak Their Own Truth to Advocate for Every Child

Many members shared personal stories and related them to our asks from congress. One of the most memorable stories was when former Seattle student, Aneesa Roidad, spoke on the importance for students to have access to nutritious food to be able to be focus on learning during the school day. She explained that it is important to improve and fully fund the Child Nutrition Reauthorization. She also emphasized the need for students to feel safe in their schools and how this especially impacts students of color and marginalized students. She asked Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell to support infrastructure funding for schools in the Reopen and Rebuild American’s Schools Act of 2021 so that buildings are clean, safe, and healthy.

Another powerful Hill Day testimony came from Olena Bedendo who shared how difficult it was for her children to keep up in school this year due to a pause in the ESL and reading programs that her children are eligible for. Her story emphasized how important Family Engagement is in a child’s education. One of National PTA’s asks is to increase federal funding for Statewide Family Engagement Centers to $20 million. Currently only 13 states have these programs because they are not fully funded (WA State is not one of them). We know that students whose families are involved in their education attend school more regularly, earn better grades, enroll in more challenging academic programs, and have higher graduation, which makes it even more important to advocate for!

Shannon Otto also provided moving testimony when she spoke on supporting policies which protect all students, including those from historically marginalized populations and communities. Shannon is part of the View Ridge Elementary community, a school which made the news this year because staff members locked a student in a cage on the playground routinely.  (Click here to read an article published by KUOW Public Radio about the incident.)  Shannon, along with the other advocates from Washington State PTA, asked Senator Murray to reintroduce the Keeping All Students Safe Act, which she has sponsored in past years. Senator Cantwell’s assistant said she would speak to the senator about our concerns.

It was inspiring to hear the personal testimonies as PTA members were advocating for every child. The many events of LegCon 2021 gave advocates a voice nationally and strengthened their PTA knowledge in many different areas. If you want to learn more about how you can increase your advocacy efforts – locally, state-wide, or nationally – visit our Advocacy Page or contact Council’s VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen.

Does someone in your PTA deserve a shout out?
​WSPTA has a formal volunteer award recognition program allowing local PTAs to award honors for outstanding educator, advocate, student advocate, and volunteer (Golden Acorn), as well as the honorary life membership award.

Awards are a great way for PTAs to show their community how much they appreciate them and to celebrate the dedication of those who support your PTA's mission and goals!

Local PTAs should appoint an awards committee who will gather nominations, review them, and choose the award recipients. This can be done during a meeting or some PTAs even choose to have the previous year's award recipients chair this committee. When the awards committee advertises for nomination submissions, it can be done via social media, newsletters, website, email, or even school flyers. To make it even easier for members to submit nominations, the awards committee can create an online submission form using tools like Google Forms or Survey Monkey.

For recognizing the award recipients, your PTA can hold a volunteer recognition event or take time during a Membership Meeting to celebrate them. WSPTA offers a variety of items your PTA can order online to celebrate your award recipients including certificates, pins, plaques, and even yard signs!

Northshore Council PTSA is excited to offer this Parent Education Event on the conversation of screens & teens. This event is FREE for all Northshore parents and guardians.

Join us for a virtual movie* presentation of the film "Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience". Filmmaker and physician Dr. Delaney Ruston takes the conversation around screens and teens to the next level with a film that examines the science behind teen’s emotional challenges, the interplay of social media, and most importantly, what can be done in our schools and homes to help them build crucial skills to navigate stress, anxiety, and depression in our digital age.

​Click here to register and view a trailer for the film!

*Once registered, you will be given access to view the film virtually from home. This can be done "On Demand" anytime between the viewing period of March 8th-23rd.

Northshore Council PTSA will be holding online elections for the eleven (11) positions on its 2021-22 Executive Committee on Monday, March 15, 2021. 

Slate of Candidates:

In the 2021 Nominating Committee Report, the following slate of candidates were put forward for 2021-2022:

• For Office of President: Jane Chiodo
• For Office of First Vice President: Mary Khouzam
• For Office of Co-Secretary: Pauline Wray
• For Office of Co-Secretary: Cheri Hardin
• For Office of Treasurer: Serena Xu
• For Office of VP of Events: Karrie Palis
• For Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Diana Christiansen
• For Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Jennifer Drury
• For Office of VP of Communications: Rachel Fitzgerald
• For Office of VP of Elementary Support: Grace Jurado
• For Office of VP of Secondary Support: Brenae Brix​

The period for self-declared nominations for these positions closed on Friday, March 5, 2021.

Qualification Requirements

Per the 2020-2021 Council Standing Rules:

All Candidates:

• 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. 

Candidates for the office of President and First Vice President shall also:

• Have two years of elected officer experience on Northshore Council PTSA; 

-OR -

• Have served as President of a local PTA for at least one year and have one year of serving in an elected position on Council or higher.

Candidates for the offices of VP of Elementary Support and VP of Secondary Support shall also:

• Have served in PTA a minimum of 2 years, with one year as a local PTA President and one year in a board position at the educational stage that they are going to support.

Each of the slated candidates meets all qualification requirements.

Election Information:
As there is only one candidate per position, the election will be conducted via voice vote at the next General Membership Meeting, on Monday, March 15, 2021:

Topic: March 15, 2021 - Membership Meeting - Northshore Council PTSA
Time: March 15, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
​
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Meeting ID: 954 4206 8687
Passcode: *Available upon request.

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Meeting ID: 954 4206 8687
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Information about Northshore Council PTSA online elections procedures is available in its Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Policy.
Questions? Please contact Northshore Council PTSA President Jane Chiodo. 

​*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.