Council is Excited to Invite You to This Year’s Reflections Art Reception! Please join us at this year’s event for an engaging presentation of art from our school community.
*Please consider arriving at the time listed for the beginning letter of your last name to assist with flow of event.
See times below:
It is an annual tradition to bring together our community from across the district and showcase the Art that was submitted from our K - 12th grade participants. We hope that this reception can continue to broaden our impact on education, the arts and family engagement. Council will provide coffee, tea and cookies for everyone's enjoyment. We look forward to seeing you at this special event! Volunteers Needed for this Event!
Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift. We have various volunteer shifts available throughout the day starting at 10:00 am when we gain access to the building and concluding at 9:00 pm when we return the venue to its original condition. Your support would be greatly appreciated. Sign up to volunteer at the event. On January 16, 2024, 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. Announcements
After the meeting was adjourned, membership was invited to join Co-VP's of Advocacy Terra Droney & Holly Muenchow to discuss how to continue the advocating momentum after Focus Day. We hope to see you at our next March 18, 2024 at 7PM via Zoom. Register for Zoom meeting link. Join us in making a positive impact on our PTSA community! Northshore Council PTSA is seeking two or more local PTA/PTSA leaders to collaborate in researching and crafting a new Council grant focused on promoting equity within PTAs across the district. This grant will be in addition to our current grant program. Council's Co-VP of Advocacy, Holly M. will be leading the committee. Council would like to appoint members of the committee at its next board meeting on February 05, 2024. If you are interested in learning more or ready to sign up, please contact Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald.
SAVE THE DATE:
2024 Reflections Reception Thursday, March 14, 2024 More Details to Follow Questions? Contact Council's Reflections Co-Chairs at reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org.
If you are interested in serving on Northshore Council PTSA’s 2023-2024 Nominating Committee, please complete Self Nomination Form by Wednesday, November 01.
Effective candidates for the nominating committee: • Are familiar with the needs and goals of Northshore Council PTSA. • Are enthusiastic about Northshore Council PTSA's mission, vision, and goals. • Are willing to work and devote considerable time to furthering the purposes and programs of Northshore Council PTSA. • Possess tact, integrity, discretion, and the ability to hold their own counsel. • Have the courage to express their ideas and defend their convictions • Demonstrate sound judgment and skill in evaluating potential nominees. • Are capable of understanding and maintaining complete confidentiality. • Represent the diversity that is present in the community and student population. • Should be elected on merit and ability – never on popularity. Members of the nominating committee are eligible to become nominees for elected office. No person may serve on this committee for more than two consecutive one-year terms. A candidate for a council nominating committee must be a member of a local PTA/PTSA in the council for at least 15 days preceding their election. The election of the nominating committee will take place at our November 14th Membership meeting. Please note: You do not need to be a Northshore Council PTSA Officer to be on the Nominating Committee. We encourage any interested and qualified Northshore PTA/PTSA member to volunteer for this vital role that will help shape the future of Northshore Council PTSA! Questions? Contact Council President Rachel Fitzgerald. WSPTA Free Training: Nominating Committee
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2023 Meetings
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Learn more about E-Prep and how to get involved.
The evening started with a presentation from Lake Washington Institute of Technology and Cascadia College titled “Community & Technical College: Preparing Students for Their Future”. This parent education event was organized by Brenae Brix, Council’s VP of Secondary Support, and included a Q&A session. For anyone wanting more information or to bring this presentation to their school community, email Brenae at vpsupportsec@northshorecouncilptsa.org.
Council Business
Following the presentation, Council business was accomplished. We approved the March 20,2023 General Membership Meeting Minutes, presented the April 2023 Treasurer’s Report, reported that our Annual Corporate Renewal was completed, and updated our membership that we had sent in a donation to the Washington State PTA College Scholarship Fund in accordance with our budget. We also held an election for Council’s 2023-2024 Office of VP of Events. We are excited to announce that Melissa Bennett was elected to this role! We are still looking to elect a Secretary as no nominations were submitted. To find out more about this position and other volunteer opportunities for next year’s Council, visit: http://www.northshorecouncilptsa.org/council-blog/council-volunteer-opportunities-for-2023-2024.
Council Co-President, Rachel Fitzgerald, then gave the following updates and reminders to the membership:
- Local PTAs were asked to update their newly elected officers into memberplanet and into Northshore Council’s Contact Document: http://www.northshorecouncilptsa.org/council-blog/time-to-update-2023-2024-leaders-contact-information-with-council.
- A thank you card from Northshore School Board Director McGourty was read out that thanked Council for the staff appreciation video that was put together for NSD and included thank you messages from Northshore PTA members to Northshore Staff. View the video here: http://www.northshorecouncilptsa.org/council-blog/we-appreciate-northshore-school-district-staff.
- They also gave a recap of Washington State PTA’s reimagined convention. This year the annual event was broken up into two separate parts. The first was a virtual business meeting on April 29th and 30th where Members elected the 2023-2025 Board of Directors and voted on changes to the Washington State PTA Bylaws. The second was the in person spring conference on May 5th and 6th which had several leaders from PTAs and PTSAs in Northshore in attendance. The in-person event was not only a lot of fun, but a great opportunity to receive annual training and connect with PTA leaders from across Northshore and the state!
The next part of our meeting was our Council Committee Reports.
Spring Recognition Celebration: Updates from Mary Khouzam. This event will be held on June 6th from 10:30-12:30 at Brightwater Community Center. Updates included reminding local PTAs to contact their President in order to RSVP and to submit their award recipients for recognition at the Council level. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekeNRBGfw7qzuQNA1alhcZq4DZkQirh3Ht8vJSgpWIkFVSQw/viewform
Special Education Chairs: Laura Staneff reported on their recent meeting with Assistant Superintendent Obadiah Dunham discussing supports for neurodiverse students and gave an update on where they were at in the process of forming of a new Special Education PTSA in NSD.
Membership: Kim Ortiz announced that Membership across Northshore PTAs is at 101% of last year with a total of 5521 members! There were special shoutouts to Shelton View PTA, Bothell High School PTSA, and Frank Love PTA for having the highest percent increase of members. We also gave a reminder to local PTAs to utilize the end of the year database checklist provided by WSPTA: https://www.wastatepta.org/pta-leaders/leader-resources/leadership-guides/
Advocacy: Jennifer Drury reported on her recent meeting with fellow Council board member Melissa Kline and School Board Directors Amy Cast and Sandy Hayes where they discussed overcrowding and communication between city and county councils and the school district. There were updates about the upcoming school board elections including working with the incoming Co-VPs of Advocacy on hosting a candidate forum. Jen also let us know that Washington State PTAs Legislative Session Scorecard is available to see what passed and what didn’t and that a draft of the conclusions of the Student Wellness and Safety Task Force from Northshore Schools is available to view.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Chair: Cherry Holmes gave a recap of our parent ed event “Northshore Panel Discussion: Beyond Black and White” in partnership with RARE. Feedback from attendees was that they really appreciated the event.
We ended the meeting with some timely calendar reminders.
- May 15 is the last day to submit award nominations for Council’s Awards.
- Friday May 20 is the last day to sign up for group registration for the National PTA Convention which is virtual.
- A Grant Cycle will be held right at the start of next school year with submissions due on September 4.
- Washington State PTA will host an Autumn Leadership Launch on August 25-26. Registration should open soon.
We want to thank all the volunteers, district employees, and community members who attended this meeting and all the previous meetings held this year. We hope you will continue to join us for our General Membership Meetings in the 2023-2024 school year.
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 2023-2024.
Jane Chiodo
Cherry Holmes
Laura Staneff
The period for self-declared nominations for these positions closed on Friday, December 16, 2022.
- 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 19, 2023.
Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting Information
Thursday, January 19, 2023
6:30 PM Meet & Greet
7 PM Meeting Begins
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88665634062
Meeting ID: 886 6563 4062
Passcode: Available Upon Request
Information about Northshore Council PTSA online elections procedures is available in its Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Policy.
Questions? Please contact Northshore Council PTSA Co-Presidents, Rachel Fitzgerald and Mary Khouzam.
*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, Jennifer Snyder.
We would like to say thank you to all of the local leaders from across the district, as well as community and school partners for taking the time to join us!
Council Business:
After reviewing and approving the meeting minutes from our September General Membership meeting, Council Treasurer Serena Xu presented the October 2022 financial report for review, as well as requesting volunteers for the Mid-Year Financial Review Committee. Please email Serena Xu if interested in serving on the committee.
Next on the agenda, Communications VP Jenn Snyder proposed changes to our social media policy by adding Instagram, as well as removing our inactive YouTube account, which were then approved by vote.
Co-President Mary Khouzam asked for volunteers to serve on the Nominating Committee. If you would like to serve on the Nominating Committee, please email the Council Co-Presidents at before December 16th. The election of the Nominating Committee will take place at the January 19 General Membership meeting.
Community Partners:
- Northshore School District - Community Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator Marco Garcia announced that COVID vaccine requirements have been lifted for volunteering in NSD schools, and will no longer be required. He also shared that Parent Square (district communication tool) will launch for all staff in January 2023, and for all paraeducators in February 2023. The NSD Communications newsletter will now be sent out to families on Mondays, with submissions due the Wednesdays before.
- NSD School Board - School Board member Amy Cast (shared via Council Co-President Rachel Fitzgerald, as Director Cast was unable to join us) let us know that the superintendent search has been awarded to GR Recruiting, who will now move forward with developing a profile of what staff and families are looking for in a superintendent. The search is to be completed by Spring 2023.
Thank you community partners for joining us!
- Advocacy - Jennifer Drury let us know that Coffee Conversations with NSD families has been a success, as well as ongoing conversations with the NSD School Board. Focus Day will be held on February 20th, and we are encouraged to email our legislators rather than send postcards, since the cards are not read anymore due to a lack of storage space in the legislative offices. Jennifer also shared that we would like to have more conversations with NSD students to give them an opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts regarding advocacy work in our schools. Legislative Assembly took place in October, and the Top 5 Priorities to focus on this year were determined to be 1) Addressing the Student Mental Health Crisis, 2) Addressing critical gaps in Education Funding, 3) Preventing and reducing gun violence and suicides, 4) Addressing funding, inclusion, and supports in Special Education, and 5) Building and maintaining safer school facilities.
- Membership - Kim Ortiz shared that we are now at 99.9% of last year’s membership numbers, with several schools above 100% of their last year’s membership numbers. Those schools are Cottage Lake Elementary, Frank Love Elementary, Sorenson Early Childhood Center, Shelton View Elementary, Westhill Elementary, Kenmore Middle School, Timbercrest Middle School, Bothell High School, and Woodinville High School.
- Reflections - Jasmine Lee Fry (via Rachel Fitzgerald, as Jasmine was unable to join us) shared that the deadline for local submissions is on December 2nd.
- Speaker and Events Grants Program - Grace Jurado shared that Northshore Council is the only Council that has all members in good standing, and only one grant request has been received for this grants quarter. The deadline for the second round of grants was November 25th. More information about the Council's next round of Educational Speakers and Community Events grant requests can be found on our blog.
Before adjourning the meeting, Co-President Mary Khouzam gave a thank you to those who planned and coordinated the Presidents and Principals Event, and reminded everyone to complete and submit the Presidents and Principals Event survey. Mary also shared that Council is looking for someone to volunteer as VP of Events, and another volunteer is needed to serve as Council’s Family and Community and Engagement (F.A.C.E.) Chair. If you are interested in volunteering, please email the Co-Presidents as soon as possible.
After adjourning our meeting, attendees were given an opportunity to join two training sessions (“Volunteers and How to Find Them”, and “Roles and Responsibilities of the Board”).
Please join us for our next General Membership Meeting on January 19th at 7pm via Zoom!
The meeting kicked off with an approval of minutes from our March 21st general meeting, before moving on to hear the Treasurer’s Report for the month of April from Council Treasurer, Serena Xu.
Next on the agenda were updates from Council President, Jane Chiodo, which included:
- Information on Northshore School District's student-led Mental Health Awareness talk at North Creek High School on May 18, 2022 6-7:30pm in the NCHS Commons. Link to RSVP was available in the latest issue of Council's eNews.
- Introduction of the incoming board members and thank you to all the outgoing board members. Click here to see the list of volunteers who were elected to Council for 2022-2023 during our previous membership meeting.
- Reminders about our two open elected positions - Secretary & VP of Events. If you are interested in taking on either of these positions, please email president@northshorecoucilptsa.org. Our board of directors can appoint someone to the position temporarily. The election process will begin in the fall with the goal of holding the election at our first general membership meeting which will take place in September.
- Submitting local award winners to Council for recognition. We would love to highlight local PTA award winners to our communities. Please fill out our google form & let us know who your recipients are.
- Information on connecting with Council over the summer.
Our VP of Communications, Rachel Fitzgerald, then shared with everyone the importance of updating the contact information for positions being filled for next year in your PTA. If you are an officer next year, please update your contact information before July 1st, 2022. This information will be used to contact you by council board members that want to support your PTA. It is also how you will be on the list to receive communications from council, including the council newsletter, that will keep you updated on events and happenings in our district. Remember to update officers in memberplanet as well!
Jane Chiodo read a letter with messages of appreciation from Council leaders for all that Dr. Reid has done for our district over the years. Click here to read the thank-you letter.
- Marco Garcia, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, reminded us about the 2022 Community Serve Day taking place Sunday, August 21st and let us know about the CP & Dorothy Johnson awards ceremony which the district would be holding on Thursday, May 26th at 6p.m. He also let us know that the Connections newsletter would continue to have a dedicated section for district wide updates from PTA and to email him if there was anything we wanted included in future newsletters.
- School Board President, Jackie McGourty, gave an update explaining the current state of the interim superintendent search and that they planned to announce by June 1. She also talked about the School Board's refresh of the strategic plan.
- Representing the Northshore Schools Foundation, Hanisha Bakshani, gave updates about the Skills4Life podcasts, their grant program, and encouraged anyone who might be interested to learn more about the foundation and become an ambassador for their school.
After the updates were given by the community partners there was a reminder to the local PTA attendees to please remember to fill out the end of year survey from Council. This survey lets us know how we can better serve your PTA with your valuable feedback. We will be taking survey responses up until midnight on Friday, June 17th.
The event included performances from the Woodinville High School String Quartet and the Canyon Park Middle School Advanced Drama Class. Two of Northshore's Reflections artists were also able to showcase their submissions which received awards from National PTA!
The highlight of the event was celebrating all the achievements of our local PTAs/PTSAs that make us #PTAProud. Council would also like to celebrate the local award winners in a future blog. To include your local recipients, please complete this form.
During our Spring Recognition, Council was also honored to present this year's Council Recognition Awards.
Congratulations to the following eleven (11) individuals:
🌟 Golden Acorn: Diana Christiansen
🌟 Golden Acorn: Jennifer Drury
🌟 Golden Acorn: Rachel Fitzgerald
🌟 Outstanding Educator: Steven Hopkins
🌟 Outstanding Educator: Peter Schurke
🌟 Outstanding Advocate: Clark Combs
🌟 Outstanding Student Advocate: Esther Kim
🌟 Outstanding Service: Jane Chiodo
🌟 Outstanding Service: Melissa Kline
🌟 Outstanding Service: Pauline Wray
🌟 Honorary Life Membership: Tracy Jokisch
Click here to learn more about each of our 2021-2022 Council Award Recipients.
For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar.
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