Every year, we look for nominations for the following awards:

Awards will be presented at our Council Membership Meeting in May.

Remember, multiple forms can be completed for multiple nominees!!!

Learn more about Council Awards and see previous recipients.

At the January 23, 2020 Northshore Council PTSA Membership meeting, local PTA leaders, school district representatives and community leaders were in attendance.

The first part of the meeting focused on PTSA business and updates, including review of minutes and finances and a membership update. Local PTAs were encouraged to participate in the Washington State PTA Membership Contest through February 14th.  PTAs simply need to keep adding in new members.  Each PTA which reaches a minimum threshold (on average 5 new members) will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card. Our current Council Goal is 8400 members. We currently have 7392.

School Board Director McGourty shared that at a Roundtable Event with students and U.S. Representative del Bene there was discussion about the relevance of the SBAC exam, funding school programs that are fee-based like summer music programs and mental health programs for students.

Sue Freeman of Northshore Nourishing Networks invited people to visit their website and Facebook page to find resources for feeding our communities like “How to Start Your Own Foodbank” and the new Hopelink Mobile Foodbank.

District Partnerships Coordinator Natalie Campbell shared information about upcoming events, including a district-sponsored presentation and discussion of the film, "Never Alone," noting that though tickets were sold out, they had started a waitlist.

Northshore Council PTSA's Nominating Committee is still taking recommendations for Executive Committee for 2020-21.  Visit the website for more information.

The Reflections Celebration on January 11 was a big success with 27 PTAs participating and great turn-out at the reception.  We had 67 state qualifiers and 54 pieces received Judges Choice.  The Leota Staff were very welcoming and helpful.

At Washington State PTA Focus Day in Olympia on January 20, a group of Northshore PTA members met with nine of the legislators who represent our school district to encourage them to support our PTA priorities.  Please subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network (linked on the Advocacy Page of WSPTA's website).  There will be an Advocacy Week with a writing campaign, February 24-28. 

The Council has awarded the rest of the budgeted grant money for the year to Kenmore Middle School for Artspring, Kenmore Elementary PTA for a screening of Angst, Inglemoor PTSA for “Top Three Parenting Hacks to Help Your Teen Manage Emotions” and Bothell PTSA for “Diversity Night”.  There will be more funds available next year! 

The meeting concluded with an overview of the 2020 Census by representatives of the U. S. Census bureau.

Parents and caregivers are invited to participate in the "Hidden in Plain Sight" experience on Wednesday, February 26th from 6:30 - 8:30pm at Northshore Middle School (12101 NE 160th St, Bothell, WA 98011). Space is limited, so reserve your FREE ticket today!

The “Hidden In Plain Sight” initiative helps parents spot signs of at-risk behaviors, using an interactive display of a teenager's bedroom. After walking through the display, participants will learn more about adolescent development and common signs of substance use provided by professionals in treatment, law enforcement, substance abuse prevention and other parents.

This exhibit educates and empowers parents to communicate with their children about at-risk behavior that could lead to substance use disorders. A strong parent-teen relationship is the most effective tool to prevent youth substance use.

Sponsored by Northshore Middle School PTSA, Woodmoor PTSA, and Northshore Council PTSA.

Eventbrite: hips-nms-2020.eventbrite.com
Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/481846335737421/

Kenmore Elementary PTA and Northshore Council PTSA are working together to present the movie "Angst." This movie is for parents and caregivers to help us navigate anxiety in our students and ourselves. It provides hope and help!

This FREE film screening and discussion event will be on Tuesday, February 11th, from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Kenmore Elementary Gym (19121 71st Ave NE, Kenmore, WA 98028). The movie is 55 minutes and will be followed by a moderated panel discussion afterwards. The YMCA will be providing child care on campus for children ages 3 and up.

If you are interested in attending, please reserve your tickets through Eventbrite to help us plan (please include a note in your reservation if childcare is needed):

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/angst-movie-screening-tickets-88561470743

To learn more about the movie, visit: https://angstmovie.com/

Kenmore Elementary PTA Event Info: kenmorepta.org/free-angst-film-screening-and-discussion-february-11th/
Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/577550536166745
Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/angst-movie-screening-tickets-88561470743

Congratulations to the 27 Northshore PTAs 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 at our open house on January 11, 2020 at Leota Middle School where we had more than 350 pieces on display.

Judging Results: There are 67 State Qualifiers (SQ) who will continue on to Washington State PTA for further judging.  There were also 54 pieces that received the honorable Judges Choice Award (JC).  Congrats to all the students who made it to the Council Level for judging. 

During the event, attendees had an opportunity to vote for their favorite pieces. The Votes Are In... Here are the People's Choice Pieces:

Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipients in our second (and final) round of Speaker & Event Grants for 2019-2020!

Each of these events will be open to the Northshore community. Be on the lookout for  announcements with detailed event information in the coming months!

Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events had an opportunity to apply for a Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Events Grant. 2019-2020 grants were offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and applications were reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA until the Council Programs budget was used in its entirety. This second round of grants used the remaining available funds for 2019-2020 so applications are now closed.

For more information about the Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Events Grant program, visit our Educational Speaker & Events Grants Program page.

WSPTA members can send a strong message by showing up in Olympia on Focus Day, January 20, 2020, for a day of talking to legislators. Members should consult with their local PTA, council or region legislative/advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments for Focus Day.

The Focus Day program will begin at First Christian Church (701 Franklin St SE, Olympia, WA 98501) starting at 9:30 am with an introduction to the day and information focused on the 2020 legislative session. WSPTA has reserved the church until 3 pm so that members can eat lunch or use it as a base between meetings.

Let WSPTA know you are planning to attend by registering for the event. You will also have the option to pre-purchase a convenient boxed lunch.

The most important tip for those leaders is to make appointments with the legislators as far in advance as possible! Input addresses here to get the names of the Representatives and Senator(s) for your school district and their contact information.

Want to ride in style and comfort for free? Let us know that you want to join Northshore Council’s Focus Day Transportation.

Once again this year, WSPTA will also be will be asking members to take action from home or your phone throughout an entire week. Each day will have a new prewritten message for members to send to their legislators regarding WSPTA legislative priorities. To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed. Further details of this 2020 event, including the exact week, will be available soon!

Northshore Council PTSA invites you to join us in celebrating our amazing student artists who participated in this year's Reflections program. More than 350 pieces by students from across Northshore will be featured and on display Saturday, January 11, 2020, from 2:30 – 5:00pm at the Leota Middle School Cafeteria (19301 168th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA 98072). Any artists needing a quieter environment to look at art may arrive early for a quiet viewing time from 2:00 – 2:30pm.

We will need a number of helping hands for this event. Saturday morning we will need help setting up the art panels and displays and then help is needed after the event to take everything down and clean up. Please consider signing up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084babaf28a4fc1-2020

Questions? Please reach out to Jane Chiodo at vp@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

We are grateful to all who were able to attend our General Membership Meeting on Monday, November 18, 2019.

News of interest from the November 18th PTSA General Meeting included Dr. Reid’s report that the innovation lab high school located in Canyon Park will open next fall.  Peter Schurke is the planning principal and registration will likely coincide with that for Northshore’s other high schools.  Also, EAP Placement sites should be announced the week of November 25th.  Northshore Schools Foundation is partnering with NSD for Hour of Code again this year, December 9 – 16, with activities for families and awards for participation.  NSD Partnerships Coordinator Natalie Campbell reported that the district is partnering with local PTAs to bring the Northwest Art Project, a tour which includes eight original works of Northwest artists and supporting curriculum, to twice as many schools as last year.

Reflections Entries are due by November 26. Cindy Jensen will be collecting pieces at the Starbucks by Kenmore Lanes November 25 and 26th from 7 – 8:30pm.

Council's co-VP of Advocacy, Nancy Chamberlain, gave a brief summary on Washington State PTA's Legislative Assembly (October 26-27, 2019), noting that delegates adopted Family and Community Engagement as a new principal as well as  four new Resolutions including: the Vital Impact of Membership on PTAs Sustainability, Mission-Focused Fundraising, Equitable Education Opportunities to Close Gaps Across the Achievement Spectrum, and Gun Violence Prevention and Safety. She urges all members to sign up for Advocacy Action Alerts  and to mark calendars for Focus Day in Olympia on January 20, 2020. Kids are welcome! Sign up for free Focus Day transportation to Olympia with Council.

During the Emergency Preparedness Presentation, Council's E-Prep co-Chair, Robin McKenzie, urged families to make sure their contact information is correct in ParentVue, develop an emergency plan at home, and sign-up for King County/Snohomish County Alerts.  He suggested PTAs engage with their school on the Reunification Process plan.  He noted that the District will be doing a Reunification Exercise in March.

The Council also approved new goals, elected a Nominating Committee (many thanks to Jane Chiodo, Carmin Dalziel, and Tricia Woods for serving on the committee!), celebrated our 6840 members and discussed ways to boost membership. We are also thrilled to report that Tricia Woods has decided to continue on as our Treasurer. (Note: we are still seeking interested candidates to serve in other key roles, including VP of Events and Membership Chair. Contact Grace Jurado if you would like to learn more!)

After the meeting adjourned, members could choose between four training class options including:

✔️ Lining Up Your Leaders: How to Have a Successful Nominating Committee and Election
✔️ How to Use WSPTA Positions for Local Advocacy
✔️ Keep Your A$$ets Out of Trouble: Managing a Non-Profit
✔️ Emergency Preparedness: What Your PTA Needs to Know

Many thanks to Stacey Meyer, Nancy Chamberlain, Grace Jurado and Robin McKenzie for leading the classes and sharing their knowledge and experience with attendees.

The next General Membership meeting will be January 23, 2020 at the NSD Administration Building. Meet and Greet at 6:30 pm. Call to order at 7pm. We hope you will join us!

At its annual Presidents & Principals Luncheon on October 29, 2019, Northshore Council PTSA brought together PTA leaders, school principals, and district administrators from across Northshore.

After enjoying a lunch catered by Lombardi's (Mill Creek),  keynote speaker Julia Gonzalez (now a freshman at Inglemoor High School) shared her story about developing the "ME Space" program at Northshore Middle School. "ME" stands for "Mental Emotional" or "Mind Escape" and the space is a dedicated room for students struggling with anxiety or overwhelming emotions to visit during the day when they need a mental health break. The program, started in 2018, continues to serve 25-30 students every week, providing them with a safe space to reset and recharge so that they are are able to re-focus on learning. Julia's presentation and the success of her student-centered program inspired some wonderful discussion around opportunities for school-PTA partnerships and collaboration in supporting Social-Emotional Learning (SEL).

Many thanks to all who were able to attend as well as to event organizers Grace Jurado, Stacey Meyer and Carrie McKenzie. Gratitude to Evergreen Church for sharing their beautiful space with us for the event as well as to Lombardi's Mill Creek for providing a tasty lunch.

A few photos from the event: