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!

​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.

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. Next deadline is January 21, 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!

 In our area of the Pacific Northwest, many of us suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Often when
the seasons change to fall and winter and the days get shorter and darker, we might feel sad and not ourselves. We may have trouble sleeping, overeating, and have low motivation. Not only is SAD common in people with depressive disorders, but also those with anxiety, panic, or eating disorders, and those with ADHD. SAD affects mostly women, and generally the onset is between ages 20-30 years of age. This means it may not affect our children as much as us caregivers.
We need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our loved ones.

While it is not fully known what causes SAD, research shows that low levels of the brain chemical serotonin plays a large role, as well as high levels of melatonin. Both of these help maintain daily body rhythms, along with sufficient levels of vitamin D. Traditional treatments include light therapy, vitamin D, talking to a therapist, and possibly some medications.

Additionally, with the holidays approaching, even more of us may suffer the Holiday Blues. This time of year can bring more anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, unrealistic expectations, and even memories of the past that can lead to sadness. It might be helpful to remember that the Holiday Blues are short term, however, the effects can still feel all-consuming and should be taken seriously.

​You are invited to an upcoming FREE Parent Education event, "Guiding Teens on the Bumpy Road to Independence" a presentation by Kathy Slattengren of Priceless Parenting.

Date: Wednesday, November 17th
Time: 7:00-8:00PM
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guiding-teens-on-the-bumpy-road-to-independence-tickets-201101719657
Zoom link will be emailed to those who have registered prior to the event.

Have you found yourself thinking how you can balance trying to keep your teen safe while also allowing them increasing freedom? Or maybe, what is the best way to deal with teen attitude? During this presentation Kathy will discuss, and give some take-aways, on how to help teens to grow into adults who can thrive on their own.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

This event is co-hosted by Canyon Park Middle School PTSA and Northshore Council PTSA.

Council invites you to join our upcoming FREE Parent Education event: Identifying and Addressing Youth Anxiety

Date: Wednesday, November 17th
Time: 1:00PM
Presenter: Kendra Read, PHD
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMof-qsrj4sEtAo99u6WIpQ_dOQG5MqDX98 
​Zoom link will be emailed to those who have registered prior to the event.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns youth face. While it is a normal emotional experience, it can grow to become incredibly distressing and interfering, particularly during a global pandemic. When anxiety is present, caregivers (parents, educators, family members) have an important role in helping youth identify anxiety, and encouraging and reinforcing brave vs. anxious behavior. Kendra Read, PhD, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the UW School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will discuss how to identify, understand and begin to intervene in cases of problematic anxiety for the youth in your lives.

BIO: Kendra Read, PhD is a clinical psychologist, the Director of the Mood & Anxiety Program and Director of Anxiety Programs at Seattle Children’s. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA under the mentorship of Philip Kendall, Ph.D., and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department. Dr. Read specializes in the treatment of youth with anxiety disorders and OCD from a cognitive behavioral therapy perspective. Her research interests include understanding factors that contribute to treatment outcome, and the dissemination and implementation of CBT for anxiety disorders.

This event is brought to you by the Northshore Council Mental Health Committee.
For questions, please email mentalhealth@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Please Note: If you were trying to register recently and received an error message or a notice that the registration was full, please try again. There is still space available. If you are still having trouble registering, please contact Council at communications@northshorecouncilptsa.org.