Northshore Council is looking for awesome leaders!
Put all the PTA/PTSA knowledge you have to good use by becoming a Northshore Council Executive Team Member ​

Northshore Council PTSA is made up of volunteers from our Local PTAs and community that have chosen to use their skills to assist our community. The Nominating Committee is seeking interested candidates for Northshore Council PTSA's 2022-2023 Executive team. Positions include:

• President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• First Vice President
• VP of Advocacy
• VP of Events
• VP Elementary Support
• VP Secondary Support
• VP of Communications

Learn more about the job description for each position as well as qualification requirements below.

Qualification Requirements

Per the 2021-2022 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.

Below is a brief job descriptions of Council positions. For a more detailed job description, click here.

President: The President has many important jobs including serving as the official contact, communicator and representative of Council. They oversee and coordinate the work of the executive board, preside over meetings, are ex-officio members of all committees (except Nominating Committee) and are designated as an authorized signer for checks, contracts and authorizations for payment. But, most importantly, they work to connect PTAs which in turn helps them support families, schools and the community to work towards overall student success.
​
1st VP: Must be familiar with the Council president’s duties and responsibilities. Act as an aide to the president and perform the duties of the president in his or her absence. Is in charge of advertising and organizing the Council Grant Program and yearly Awards.
 
Treasurer: Is the authorized custodian of the funds of the association and receives and disburses all monies in accordance with the budget as approved by the  membership.

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 Events: Plans and coordinates Councils yearly events including Presidents and Principals Brunch, Reflections Celebration and Spring Recognition Event.

VP of Communications: Works to facilitate Northshore Council PTSA communications in order to inform, engage, educate and inspire local PTAs and beyond.

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

VP of Elementary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local elementary PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's.

VP of Secondary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local secondary (high school and middle school) PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's.

Last night at the January 20th General Membership Meeting Council's Board of Directors put forward the issue of supporting the bond and levies that are on the February ballot.

During this meeting we presented both the pro and con positions on the issue before calling for a motion to determine our PTSA’s support of or opposition to the bond and levies.

Council would like to announce that the motion to support the Northshore School District Bond & Levies on the February 8th Ballot was passed unanimously.


​Resources to Learn More about the Bond & Levies, including the Pro and Con Positions
General Bond & Levies Info: https://www.nsd.org/our-district/overview/bond-levies
Pro Position Info: https://citizensfornorthshoreschools.org/
Con Position Info: https://www.nsdstudentsfirst.com/home

February 8th, 2022 Special Election Dates & Voter Registration Information
January 21st - Ballots are mailed out and Accessible Voting Units (AVUs) are available at voting centers.
January 31st - Last day for voters to register or update voter information online
February 8th - Last day for voters to register or update voter information in person by 8pm​
February 8th - *Special Election Day* Deposit your ballot in an official drop box by 8pm
​
Additional Resources
​King County Ballot Information
Snohomish County Ballot Information

The Northshore Council PTSA’s Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program is designed to help support local PTAs in hosting relevant and timely speakers for our district families and to encourage them to create engaging events for our community.

ALL local PTAs, within the Northshore School District and in good standing, may apply for a grant through a simple application process. EXTENDED Final deadline is February 1, 2022!
 
Not sure what to apply for? Check out some of the programs supported through this grant program on our past recipients page.

​Learn more about our grants program by clicking here. ​Download & Print the 2021-2022 Grants Application Form.
​Questions? Email us!

Take advantage of the new year enthusiasm as we head into the second semester of the school year. Tell your school community about the new opportunities to get involved in & be a part of your PTA!

BONUS: Washington State PTA is offering a "Keep those members coming!" contest. Add 7 new members to your PTA between February 1 and March 14 to qualify. One fun way to increase membership is by promoting joining your PTA with a gift basket giveaway.

​Have questions on how to run a membership giveaway or help with your membership campaign? Contact Council's Membership Co-Chairs, Hanisha Bakshani & Melissa Kline.

​Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipients of our 2nd round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants for 2021-2022!

• Moorlands Elementary PTA, Sunrise Elementary PTA, and Wellington Elementary PTA - "Communications Counts - Talking about Sex and Sexuality" presented by Robin Wright - February 17, 2022

​
Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events are able to apply for a Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant. 2021-2022 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and applications will be reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA until the Council Programs budget is used in its entirety. The submission deadline for the final round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants has been extended to February 1st, 2022.

For more information about the grants program, visit our Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program page.

​Northshore Council PTSA will be holding online elections for the three (3) positions on its 2021-22 Nominating Committee on Thursday, January 20, 2022. 

The Nominating Committee is a special committee that holds the key to a successful PTSA. It is responsible for presenting the best qualified candidates to serve as the elected officers who will lead Northshore Council PTSA in 2022-23.

The slated candidates are as follows:​

• Diana Christiansen
• Cherry Holmes
• Jasmine Lee Fry

The period for self-declared nominations for these positions closed on Friday, January 7th, 2022.

Qualification Requirements:

• No person may serve on this committee for more than two consecutive one-year terms.
• A candidate for the local PTA nominating committee must be a member of the local PTA for at least 15 days preceding their election.
• For a council nominating committee, the candidate must be a member of a local PTA in the council for at least 15 days preceding their election.

Each of the slated candidates meets all qualification requirements.

Election Information:
As there are only three candidates, the election will be conducted via voice vote at the next General Membership Meeting, on Thursday, January 20, 2022:

1/20 General Meeting Zoom Information
Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting
Time: Jan 20, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81657900888

Meeting ID: 816 5790 0888
Passcode: *Available upon request.

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Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 816 5790 0888
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kcX2YUWjGJ

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 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, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Legislative session is upon us and starting Monday, January 17th, ​it's
​WSPTA's Focus on Advocacy Week!!

Here's a brief run-down on what you can expect out of this week long event and how you can get involved!

When is Focus on Advocacy Week?
This week long event runs Monday, January 17th through Friday, January 21st

Who should participate?
Anyone who wants to advocate for students, teachers, or their school community! Advocacy is for everyone and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Where does this take place?
This year, Focus on Advocacy Week is virtual! That means anyone wanting to participate can do so from their phone or computer.

What is the Legislative Session?
The Legislative session is the time when our senators and representatives work on bills. They will be debating, reading emails, and holding meetings about current bills for the session.

What is Focus on Advocacy Week?
Focus on Advocacy Week is the week where we as PTA members focus on calling, writing, and having meetings with our
legislators. We do this to get our Legislative Priorities into the hearts and minds of our elected officials and to educate them on what our members need and want.

Why does Focus on Advocacy Week matter?
This is the best time to get our priorities heard by our representatives. Washington State PTA members voted and approved our top 5 issues that we believe lawmakers should work on. Now is the time that we bring these issues to the forefront of their work. See below for a list of our Top 5 Issues as well as how PTA plans to put equity at the center
of everything we do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities.

How can someone participate?
1. Sign up for the WSPTA's Action Network Group to get timely alerts.
2. Find your Washington State Legislature Representatives.
3. Fill out this Focus Day Interest Google Form to schedule meetings with legislators
3. Set aside time during Focus on Advocacy Week to call and email. WSPTA has designated each day next week to a different focus topic:
   ◘ Monday, January 17 – Call to Action: Focus on dismantling racism
   ◘ Tuesday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
   ◘ Wednesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
   ◘ Thursday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
   ◘ Friday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness
4. Join Marie Sullivan, Washington State PTA’s legislative consultant, on January 11th from 7-8pm over Zoom as she presents Preparing for the 2022 Legislative Session - Your Questions Answered.
5. Check out the awesome videos and one page issue documents available on Washington State PTA’s Advocacy page about each of the priorities.
6. Spread the word! Invite others from your PTA community to join you in connecting with state legislative leaders. Use the hashtag #WSPTAOneVoice to share about Focus on Advocacy Week through your PTA's, and even your own, social media accounts. Remember to share updates via your PTA's other channels such as website or emails.

Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.

You are invited to join Council's next Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Chair meeting!
Anyone in PTA/PTSA is welcome to attend our meetings, and we encourage all local PTA/PTSA E-Prep chairs to attend as well as PTA/PTSA 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.  

Date: Tuesday, February 1st
Time: 11:00 AM to Noon, Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Zoom Link & Passcode: Available upon request

If you would like the zoom link and passcode in order to attend this meeting, or have questions concerning Emergency Preparedness, please email Council's E-Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch & Robin McKenzie. We look forward to seeing you!

​These sessions are intended for families, caregivers, educators, and community members. Students are welcome to attend, however content (and terminology used) may be more suited for middle & high school students.

Registration is required to attend. Deadline to register is Wednesday, February 2nd at 4pm. There is NO requirement to attend both sessions, however only Session 1 will be recorded and shared.

Information Regarding Session 1:
Join gender education specialist Aidan Key with Gender Diversity in examining the topic of gender diversity in children and teens, the challenges faced by these children youth and their families, exploring current research and identifying the best approaches for creating inclusive, supportive environments for these children. 

In our TWO PART WEBINAR, Aidan Key will address several key objectives (as well as several more):

• Increasing familiarity with terminology and concepts related to gender diversity, specifically transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary youth by establishing a framework of gender and core gender terminology.
• A comprehensive delineation of gender identity and gender expression as it relates to, and is distinctive from, biological sex and sexual orientation.
• Overview of gender diverse children in today’s society as well as past perspectives.
• Barriers to understanding and myths associated with gender diverse populations.
• Understanding the experiences of gender diverse youth and their families.
• Increased confidence and tools for having age-appropriate conversations about gender diversity with children of all ages.
• How to best support gender diverse students and their families.

Information Regarding Session 2:
Kids have questions. Adults have questions. We can get them answered in Session 2! NOW IS THE TIME to get clarity from a reliable source.

Questions may arise like these:

• How can a child be transgender or gender diverse?
  
• Aren’t they too young to know? 
  
• Shouldn't they wait until puberty? 
  
• What if this is a phase? They seem pretty confused. Are they just trying to get attention?
  
• Is it alright to talk with children about this and what is age-appropriate? 
  
• How is this different from being gay?  
  
• I hardly know what it means to be transgender, what do they mean by genderqueer, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, and gender fluid? 
  
• What about bathrooms, locker rooms, overnight trips, sports and other gender-segregated spaces?
  
• How do I handle teasing or bullying?

If you already have questions, please include them in your registration so the presenters can prepare in advance.