Category: Council Programs

Emergency Preparedness Chair Meeting 2/1/2022

1/6/2022

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!

11/15/21 General Membership Meeting Recap

12/6/2021

Last month Council held their 2nd General Meeting of the 2021-2022 school year. We appreciate all the local leaders from across the district as well as community and school partners who took the time to attend! Continue reading for a recap of this meeting.

General Updates from President Jane Chiodo:

Reminder to submit your directory requests to Council's Co-Secretaries, Cheri Hardin and Pauline Wray
Each PTA needs two insurance documents by December 1st on file with the district
3 Events coming up this week: Anxiety Presentation, Teen Independence Presentation, and a DEI Roundtable. Visit our Calendar page for more information on upcoming events.

Council Business: The minutes from the September 2021 meeting were approved as written. Council's AIM insurance for the year was renewed and paid for in October. The mid year financial review committee was appointed while the election for the Nominating Committee was postponed until the next membership meeting.

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Michelle Reid, Northshore School District Superintendent, presented information on the bond and levies coming up during the special election in February 2022. She discussed that we had the lowest drop in enrollment in the state from Covid. However, we still rely on and need the bond and levy money to fund many of our programs. She also mentioned that the bonds and levies are not looking for new taxes, they are renewed taxes that already exist. Finally, she shared that the presentation is available to share at other PTA meetings.
Sue Freeman came and shared information about Northshore Nourishing Network, an organization that has been around for 11 years. Visit their website to find information about local food banks as well as other programs to help families in need. Council also keeps a list of food banks hosted at our local schools. If your school/PTA has a food bank that you would like added to this list please email us. If you would like information on setting up a food bank at your school, contact Melissa Kline.
Darin Hanson and Salim Mohammed from Maywood Hills PTA shared their new and successful approach to membership. This year, membership was paid for by their PTA for anyone who opted in via a simple two step process on their website. With this shift in their membership campaign they are able to focus more efforts on volunteering, events, and engaging with their members & school community.

Council Reports:

F.A.C.E (Family and Community Engagement): Claudine Miller discussed strategies for engaging with your school by surveying your school's teachers and admins to find out the top three needs and/or top three wishes for this year.
Membership: Melissa Kline & Hanisha Bakshani shared our membership progress so far this year. For more information, visit our Membership page.
Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program: Mary Khouzam shared information about how to apply for this program. Click here to learn more. Council is also hosting an upcoming Parent Education event through the grants program called “Guiding Teens On the Bumpy Road to Independence”. To learn more about this event and others, visit our Parent Education Opportunities page.
Reflections: Jasmine Lee Fry provided information about submitting art to Council by the December 3rd deadline. Visit our Reflections page to learn more.
Advocacy: Diana Christiansen & Jen Drury gave several updates including:
- A survey for local leaders/advocacy chairs on how Council can better support local advocacy efforts.
- Save the Date for Advocacy Week which is taking place January 17-21, 2022
- WA state PTA blog has an article about the importance of filling out the paperwork for free and reduced lunch. By filling out the paperwork, it gives families and students access to more than just free and reduced lunches. Click here to learn more.
- A recap of the 2021 Legislative Assembly which included an update on approved resolutions and amendments to existing resolutions as well as our Top 5 priorities. They also noted that one primary focus for Advocacy right now is more nurses and mental health professionals in the schools.
Mental Health Committee: Melissa Kline and Pauline Wray shared that the Mental Health Committee will be hosting a Parent Education event on Wednesday, November 17th at 1pm titled "Identifying and Addressing Youth Anxiety with Kendra Read, PhD". Click here to view a recording of this presentation. They also shared some of the other efforts that the committee has been doing to bring more mental health awareness and resources to students and families around the district, including promoting NSD's December 9th Forefront Suicide Prevention Training for parents and caregivers of high school students.

We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on January 20th, 2022 @ 7pm.
For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar.

Emergency Preparedness Chair Meeting 12/7/2021

11/19/2021

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, December 7th
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!

Submitting Reflections to Council

11/12/2021

You have promoted Reflections and shared your due date with your school community. Some of you may even be receiving artwork!

So now what? Now it's time to submit artwork to Council! Deadline to submit is 9PM on Friday, December 3rd.

Check out our Step-by-Step Guide to Submitting Your PTA's Reflections Entries to Council below. For questions or help with your submissions, please contact Jasmine Lee Fry at reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Make sure you have registered your Local PTA Reflections Program with the National PTA.
Make sure the signature lines on all entry forms are filled in. Names can be signed or typed.
Take any necessary digital photos of visual arts pieces or work with families to get photos. Please check the rules to ensure the pieces are compliant.
Arrange for blind judging as necessary. Click here to read more on judging Reflections.
Determine the artwork you will be submitting to Council. Each local PTA can submit up to 20 pieces (+ up to 6 special artist pieces) to Council.
Each PTA has its own Dropbox folder. A link will be emailed to Reflections chairs and PTA presidents by Monday, November 15th. Once you have access to the folder, please upload a test file so we have time to troubleshoot any issues you may encounter.
Inside your folder you will see:
- Directions -- Please read this document before submitting.
- Spreadsheet -- You will fill in some information needed to coordinate judging and to advance pieces to WSPTA. All of the information you need should be on the entry forms.
Upload/copy/drag student art piece and entry form to the Dropbox folder. You should be submitting two files per student entry. The exception will be Music Composition entries that require notation; those entries will have three files (This is only for middle and high school divisions).
Please rename the files to match this format: Student First Name and Last Name - Arts Category - Form/Artwork/Notation (notation is only used for 6-12th Music Composition entries). This will help us make sure the hundreds of pieces of art we receive can be matched to an entry form.
1. Example 1: Jasmine Fry - Literature - Form
2. Example 2: Jasmine Fry - Literature - Artwork
When you have added all of the artwork and entry forms to your Dropbox, please email reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org and let us know you are done and how many pieces you are submitting, so we can verify that we have matching numbers.
Feel free to submit your artwork early! After 9PM on Friday, December 3rd, access will be restricted to the Reflections Dropbox folders.

For more information about Reflections, including entry forms and rules, visit our Reflections page.

Emergency Preparedness Chair Meeting 11/2/2021

10/22/2021

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, November 2nd
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!

Upcoming E-Prep Trainings

10/16/2021

Don't miss out on our upcoming Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Trainings!

Council's E-Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch and Robin McKenzie, will be hosting two (2) E-Prep Chair Trainings on Tuesday, October 19th - one at 11am and one at 7pm. Both will be held online via Zoom.

Topics to be covered during these trainings:

Recap of the E-Prep Mission, Goals, Values
Overview E-Prep Chair Role and School E-Coordinator, Vice-Principal Role
Overview of Preparedness Advocacy
How to Create a Culture of Preparedness
Council E-Prep Website Resources
How to Connect with other E-Prep Chairs
Tips and Q&A Time

These trainings are open to all Northshore PTA/PTSA E-Prep Chairs (new or returning), Presidents or Vice-Presidents, and active members interested in Emergency Preparedness & Safety.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86754289292
Meeting ID: 867 5428 9292
Passcode: *Available upon request

Please Note: This training is not an official WSPTA Approved Training and therefore cannot be used towards the training requirement listed in the SOA.

Upcoming Reflections Roundtables

10/10/2021

Council is hosting two (2) Roundtables focusing on Reflections!

Join us for one or both of these roundtables which are designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders with any questions they may have about the 2021-2022 Reflections Program.

Monday, October 18th • 7:00PM	Thursday, October 21st • 11:00AM
Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89529669181 Meeting ID: 9895 2966 9181 Passcode: *Available upon request	Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84478095827 Meeting ID: 844 7809 5827 Passcode: *Available upon request

Can't make it to the roundtable but still have questions? Check out these additional resources for help!

Email Jasmine Lee Fry (Council Reflections Chair) - reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org
Check out Council's Reflection page, WSPTA Reflections Site, and National PTA Reflections Site
Connect on Facebook by joining the WSPTA Reflections group and Council's Reflections group
Sign up for Council's "Almost Weekly" PTA Reflections Communications with everything you need to know:
Click this link to SIGN UP and SEE PAST ISSUES.

Announcing Round 1 Grant Recipients

10/8/2021

Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipient of our 1st round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants for 2021-2022!

Ruby Bridges Elementary PTSA, Canyon Creek Elementary PTA, Fernwood Elementary PTSA, Canyon Park Middle School PTSA, and Skyview Middle School PTSA - "Gender Diversity: Understanding Transgender, Gender Diverse and Non-Binary Children and Teens" presented by Aidan Key as a two (2) part speaker series on Zoom - February 2022 (Open to the Northshore community - Registration here.)
Canyon Park Middle School PSTA - "Guiding Teens on the Bumpy Road to Independence" - Zoom presentation - November 17, 2021 (Open to the Northshore community - Registration here.)

Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events were 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 next round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants is November 26, 2021.

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

Educational Speakers & Community Events Grant Program 2021-2022

8/26/2021

2021-2022 Educational Speakers & Community Events Grant Program - Apply Today!

Applications* are now being accepted for Northshore Council PTSA's 2021-2022 Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program!

This program is designed to help support Northshore 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.

Learn more about our grants program by clicking here.
Download & Print the 2021-2022 Grants Application Form

*2021-2022 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis where applications will be reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA or until the Council Programs budget is used in its entirety.

Submission Deadlines for Applications
September 24, 2021 (Review by Council on Oct. 4th)
November 26, 2021 (Review by Council on Dec. 6th)
January 21, 2022 (Review by Council on Feb. 1st)

Looking for a speaker or event to bring to your community? Check out our past Grant Recipients and our Community Resource Page for inspiration.

Questions? Email us!

2021-22 Reflections: I Will Change the World By...

8/25/2021

This year's Reflections Theme is "I Will Change the World By..."

The Reflections Program is a National PTA and WSPTA cultural arts competition. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works for the theme of "I Will Change the World By...".

Reflections is so much more than "just an art contest." It helps kids take risks, be inspired, think creatively, receive positive recognition and be celebrated for their works of art. It also allows our community to celebrate our students' creativity!
Encourage art by offering Reflections at your PTA!

Council is here to help make it easy! Check out our Reflections page for regular updates and links to the student entry form and rules (available in English and Spanish), join the Northshore Council PTSA Reflections and Art Docent Chairs Facebook group and be sure to sign up for our "almost weekly" Reflections communications.

Dates to Note:

December 3, 2021 - Council's Online Turn In Date
January 2022 - Council Celebration Open House

Please stay tuned for more information on submitting entries to Council and our Celebration Open House that will follow district and county public health requirements.

Questions? Contact Council's Reflections Chair, Jasmine Lee Fry.

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