Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
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3/15 General Membership Meeting Recap

4/15/2021

 
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Thank you to all that attended our fourth membership meeting of the school year! Each general meeting provides us with an opportunity to connect with our wonderful local PTA leaders and community partners and learn more about the great things happening across our district.

A little bit of fun:
We started off our meeting with a 30 minute “social” time. We invited all to join us to chat with Council and other local PTA leaders. We had great conversations and learned that “Flight” was the most desired superhero power in our fun poll!

Guest Speaker:
Our guest speaker this month was Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid who graciously answered questions regarding the upcoming shift to hybrid learning in NSD. A great range of questions were asked including but not limited to: how PTAs can support the return to classrooms, the thinking behind the hybrid model, vaccination progress for teachers, when the learning model will be decided for Fall, what hybrid will look like for those 100% remote, and the latest updates on SBAC testing. We thank Dr. Reid for taking the time to join us during such a busy and stressful time.

Council Business:
After approving our minutes from our January general meeting, we moved on to hearing the Treasurer Report for the month of February. We then moved on to learning about our 2021-2022 preliminary budget. Our budget committee worked along with our Treasurer, Liz Nord, to evaluate what our needs would be for next year taking into consideration the decrease in memberships that we had experienced in 2020-2021 possibly continuing next year. A few changes were recommended, such as lowering our income expectations and cutting costs where we could (obtaining a smaller PO Box, lowering line items such as hospitality, grants, office supplies, etc.). We also added line items for our new DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) position and our new Mental Health committee. The preliminary 2021-2022 budget was approved by a unanimous voice vote.

Next up on the agenda was electing our 2021-2022 officers! Thank you to our hardworking Nominating Committee, Grace Jurado and Liz Nord, for putting together a rocking slate for next year! Liz Nord read the Nominating Report. The self-nomination period was held with no others submitting their names for nomination. The election script was followed with a reading from the WSPTA bylaws. A motion was cast to accept the slate as presented, seconded, and unanimously approved by a voice vote.

Congratulations to our incoming 2021-2022 officers!!
  • For the Office of President: Jane Chiodo
  • For the Office of First Vice President: Mary Khouzam
  • For the Office of Co-Secretary: Pauline Wray
  • For the Office of Co-Secretary: Cheri Hardin
  • For the Office of Treasurer: Serena Xu
  • For the Office of VP of Events: Karrie Palis
  • For the Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Diana Christiansen
  • For the Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Jennifer Drury
  • For the Office of VP of Communications: Rachel Fitzgerald
  • For the Office of VP of Elementary Support: Grace Jurado
  • For the Office of VP of Secondary Support: Brenae Brix

Council Reports:
Tracy Jokisch, our Emergency Prep and Safety Co-Chair, gave us an update regarding the bulk purchase of Stop the Bleed kits for district schools. There will most likely be over 500 kits ordered in total, which will include 2 kits per school contributed by Council. In conjunction with the Stop the Bleed effort, Clark Combs, district Eprep specialist on the district Safety and Security team, has been offering virtual ACT training to staff.

Diana Christiansen, our Council Vice President of Advocacy, gave us an update regarding the exceptional attendance by WA State PTA members at this years National PTA Legislative Conference. It was great to see big representation especially at “Hill Day” when attendees met directly with legislators and their staffers. Check out our NPTA LegCon recap here!

We got an update on the Reflections program. 55 pieces were forwarded to the state competition and we were waiting to hear results. (Results now in - check them out here!) The Council Reflections Celebration website was a big hit allowing many families – as well as family and friends around the country! - to experience all the works of art from artists all over the district. Next year’s theme was announced as, “I Will Change the World By…”.

Diana Christiansen and Karrie Palis announced that our Council Recognition Awards Nominations were open. They are looking for nominations for the following awards: Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Advocate, Outstanding Student Advocate, Outstanding Service, Golden Acorn, Honorary Life Membership. They are also looking for members to join their committee to review nominations and select winners.

Melissa Kline gave an update regarding membership. Three (3) PTAs had reached 100% staff membership and, in total, we have reached 4,826 members which is 62% of last year’s number. Melissa also gave an update about the newly formed Mental Health Committee. The committee had their first meeting recently, at which they discussed goals and things they would like to work on which included communicating about mental health awareness programs.

Lauren Lewis, our Council F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement) Chair, talked about the Equity Inventory Committee, which was established to assess where our Council stood in regards to equity and diversity. The goal of the committee was to look at all facets of our operation through a DEI lens and then to make suggestions on areas that we could improve on. Lauren was also working on finding a presentation about how to navigate the US high school system that could be offered to families in our district that speak other languages or who have moved here from other countries. Natalie Campbell, the District Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, said that we could partner with her and Elizabeth Meza to bring something like this to the district. It was also noted that through the Council Educational Speaker and Community Events Grants program, Woodin Elementary was offering "Guide to Helping Your Children Succeed in Elementary and Beyond", presented by Sistema Escolar, USA, to district parents.

District and Community Reports:
School Board Director David Cogan presented an update in regards to Northshore School District that included, but was not limited to:
  • NSD would be live streaming athletic games so all could watch from home
  • The lock update project at all schools was complete
  • A district Math program was adopted
  • The Capital Bonds Planning Task Force is underway

Natalie Campbell, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, reported the following:
  • Following up on the Mental Health Committee Update, Natalie said that the district was drafting a mental health webpage that was more robust and easier to navigate
  • She had been working on childcare options for families during hybrid learning
  • She reminded us to check out the Safety Protocol document as well as the English/Spanish videos on the district website
  • As of right now, volunteers are not allowed on school campuses

Carmin Dalziel of the Northshore Schools Foundation gave updates regarding her organization and their work to support NSD:
  • Each school in the district has a “Care Team” to help families that have helped at least 261 families since October
  • Because kids will be returning to school, backpacks will start to be provided for those that need them
  • NSF and volunteers have found homes for some 18,000 donated books!
  • NSF was partnering with all district middle school PTA’s to bring a Career Day to all middle schools
  • The Foundation’s “All In For Kids” fundraising event was be moving forward as a virtual event

Our last guest was Patsy Treece of the Citizens for Northshore Schools group to talk about Bond and Levy support. Her group’s purpose is to give citizens information about the bond and levies on the ballot and to urge them to vote. Bond and levy votes only happen every four years. Bonds need 60% to pass and levies need 50%. She was looking for volunteers to serve the group and was particularly interested in adding diversity so that all voices could be heard. She also asked if PTAs could add a line item to their budgets to help support the Citizens group. Learn more about Citizens for Northshore School here.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Monday, June 7th. We hope to see you there!

Stop the Bleed Kits

2/4/2021

 
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Northshore School District Bulk Purchase of Stop The Bleed Kits
Council PTSA E-Prep committee will be reaching out to each PTA/PTSA in the district to ask if they would like to participate in a one time buy to add additional Stop the Bleed Kits to their school. The recommended coverage is 1 per every classroom, but each PTA/PTSA could fund more or less than that amount. cost is $45.00/kit.
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Stop the Bleed Kits are designed to help stop traumatic, life-threatening bleeding. To save a life, kits are important to have during the first 2 to 5 minutes before first responders arrive.

Each kit contains the following:
  • High-quality C-A-T Tourniquet
  • 1 x 6-inch Responder Emergency Trauma Dressing
  • Two (2) packages of Compressed Gauze 
  • Two (2) pairs of Nitrile Bear Claw Gloves
  • Trauma Shears
  • Survival Blanket
  • One (1) small Permanent Marker
  • Instructions for using the kit

Each kit comes vacuum sealed for long life and no maintenance. For more information, visit this link.

Northshore Council PTSA is contributing $3500.00 to provide 2 of these kits per school to be located at the AEDs ensuring every school has a Stop the Bleed Kit. 

​In addition, Northshore School District (NSD), in partnership with Northshore Council PTSA E-Prep chairs, is offering a one-time bulk purchase of Stop the Bleed Kits to all PTAs/PTSAs. Each local PTA/PTSA can grant funds to their school by March 30th so that NSD can place orders for kits by April 30th. The E-Prep Committee is also requesting staff at each school attend a 1-hour A.C.T. Save a Life Training.

For more information, contact Robin McKenzie & Tracy Jokisch, Council Emergency Preparedness Co-Chairs.

1/21 General Membership Meeting Recap

1/28/2021

 
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Thank you to all that attended our 3rd membership meeting of the school year and our first meeting in 2021!
Each meeting provides us with an opportunity to connect with our wonderful local PTA leaders.

Council Business and Reports
Our meeting started off with an update from one of our Emergency Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch. We learned that NSD is monitoring zooms for welfare checks. They are working on protocols regarding locations of students because many are traveling with family while attending classes. Reminder that if you see something strange going in the background during a classroom zoom to call 911. If you see a problem, call or email NSD Safety and Security.

The PTSA E-Prep committee has been meeting with district rep, Clarke Combs, about various E-Prep items. From those discussions it was decided that there is a need for each school to have at least 2 Stop the Bleed kits on campus. Click here to learn more about Stop the Bleed Kits. A motion was passed to add funds to the E-Prep budget to cover the purchase of 2 Stop the Bleed kits per school. With support from local PTAs/PTSAs, this is a great start to reach the goal of having a kit at each school’s AED, rather than only at the nurse’s office.

After approving the minutes from the November membership meeting, we moved on to the Treasurer’s reports for November and December. Our Treasurer, Liz Nord, reported that we were receiving council program fees as well as additional membership fees via memberplanet. Liz concluded her report by sharing that the virtual mid-year financial review had been completed and detailed suggestions provided by the financial review team.

Next on the agenda was a report from our VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen. Diana shared with everyone that WSPTA Advocacy Week began on 1/18 and will conclude on 1/22. Each day had a different advocacy topic and Diana urged local leaders to visit the Northshore Council Blog for more information regarding Focus on Advocacy Week.

Then Grace Jurado and Liz Nord from our Nominating Committee reported that they have been in talks with current council leaders regarding who will be interested in staying on in their positions next year. They also put out a request for nominations and reminded everyone that there is a link in both the newsletter and the website for those interested in nominating. Learn more here.

Our Reflections Chair, Rachel Northquist, shared the exciting news that 55 submissions will be moving on to State! She is also currently working on a method to share and display the submissions and will keep council updated with the plan.

Melissa Kline, Membership Chair, reported that we currently have 4485 members and that we are at 77% of last years membership. She also reminded local leaders to think of your PTA as a brand and to share the good work that your PTA has been doing for your school and community.

Next on the agenda was a Family and Community Engagement (F.A.C.E.) report from Lauren Lewis. She offered some important reminders with regards to planning events for your community including attempt to reach everyone – not just your members. (School directories are available. Please send requests to our Council Secretary, Kimberly Ortiz.) Lauren also shared the importance of consulting the NPTA Multicultural Calendar when planning meetings or events.  Lauren is working on applications for the WSPTA FACE Awards and would also love to hear from anyone regarding how they think that Northshore Council is succeeding in Family and Community Engagement. You can email her directly at familyengagement@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Jane Chiodo gave an update on the Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants Program. She stated that the round 3
applications were due January 22nd . These funds are available for local PTA’s to apply for if they would like to host parent education events.

Concluding the council business and reports agenda was a reminder from Grace Jurado regarding WSPTA Awards. Grace shared that awards applications are due March 15th but you can contact them now in order to receive a dropbox link so your PTA can start collecting items for submission. She also reminded leaders that awards can often help with branding your PTA as well. If you have never applied for an award before she suggested that the Standards of Excellence award is the most general award but that there are also different categories choose to from. One recommendation was the F.A.C.E. award as it
doesn’t seem to receive as many applications as the others do. There was also a brief discussion regarding equity of the awards and the membership agreed that there may be a need to vocalize more prominently that awards are available for everyone to apply for as they are about your PTAs/PTSAs personal achievements, not comparing them to other PTAs (multiple PTAs can win the same award). Learn more about WSPTA Awards here.

District and Community Reports
School Board Director, David Cogan, presented an update regarding Northshore School District that included but was not limited to:
  • Playgrounds now being open to the community
  • New guidelines regarding vaccine schedules that will allow school employees and teachers to be immunized more quickly
  • King County has  determined that March 1st is the date for opening of athletic fields
  • NSD was recognized by GFOA and the district budget was awarded the distinguished budget presentation
  • Dr. Reid was named WA State Superintendent of the Year
  • ELA pilots in place in K-8 and the district is working hard to ensure that reading metrics are working for all students learning to read
  • Due to campus closures, the district has been able to expedite the modern lock, fencing and camera upgrades
  • Inglemoor Concert Hall is making great progress and has a lot of the steel up.

NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, Natalie Campbell, reported the following:
  • Applications for Innovation Lab High School are currently open
  • There is a new Chinese language program at Sunrise Elementary
  • Wall of Honor applications are open
  • The Community Resource pages are continually being updated
  • NSD has continued its partnership with 6 Crickets which provides a fee-based database of afterschool programs
  • Volunteer applications are now available and can be submitted online

Carmin Dalziel, representing the Northshore School Foundation, shared that each school has scholarship money set aside in Care Teams. If someone needs a scholarship individually send them to a Care Team. It was also noted that the Basic Needs Fund is for a crisis, a one-time event that a family needs help with. Carmin also reminded us that there are many Northshore Gives campaigns that need donations. If there are any PTAs/PTSAs that would like to donate, please contact NSF. Lastly, the All in For Kids Virtual Fundraiser Event will be held 4/8/2021 and she encouraged people to enroll in groups.

Guest Speaker
Cherry Holmes, Region 6 DEI Chair, WSPTA FACE Committee and WSPTA DEI Chair, presented on and discussed WSPTA DEI resources that local leaders can use within their own units. By advancing diversity, equity and inclusion there will be better outcomes for families and students. The DEI presentation shared that diversity is the representation and respect for people from different backgrounds and identities. Equity provides fairness in resources, opportunities, and outcomes. Inclusion is actions and social norms that ensure ALL PEOPLE feel that they are safe, welcomed, and that they belong. The presentation asked PTAs/PTSAs to take a deeper look at what is happening in their local unit - that they may be colorblind or on autopilot with business as usual. It’s important to build membership and leadership from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Improvements for PTAs/PTSAs requires measurements. Know your school’s demographics and statistics; this info can be found on the OSPI school report card site. Know your school and community – does it represent your PTA/PTSA? Identify barriers in your community, including culture, socio economic, policies, and relevancy. Cherry’s DEI presentation will be shared in the meeting Dropbox so members can have access to the slide presentation to take back to discuss with their PTAs/PTSAs.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Monday, March 15th. We hope to see you there!

Resources on Mental Health During Covid

10/8/2020

 
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Mental health issues related to our lockdown and pandemic are difficult for everyone but especially hard for people with depression or who suffer from drug or alcohol abuse.

According to an article by the American Medical Association, there has been an increase in drug overdoses during this period. The CDC reported that symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably in the United States during April–June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.

Below you will find articles with additional information and resources to help if you or someone you know are struggling.

Article from HCP Live: Covid-10 Lockdown Having an Impact on Adolescent Mental Health

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):
Covid-19 Information & Resources (including NAMI Crisis Helpline)
Mental Health Coping 
Strategies during Coronavirus

Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
Article on Coping During Community Unrest
24/7 Online Chat & Phone Numbers


Crisis Text Line

Be #HealthyAtHome with Tips from the World Health Organization (WHO)

Resources from Northshore School District including Mental Health Providers in both King & Snohomish counties.

E-Prep Chair Training

10/1/2020

 
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Attention all Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) PTA Chairs

Join Council's E-Prep & Safety Co-Chairs, Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch, for online training* on Oct. 6th @ 10am and Oct. 22nd @ 7pm.

Topics to be covered during these trainings:
  • Recap of Mission, Goals, & Values
  • Overview of roles for E-Prep Chairs & School E-Coordinators
  • Preparedness Advocacy Information
  • Creating a Culture of Preparedness
  • Tips for E-Prep Chairs
  • Connecting Chairs within feeder pattern
  • Council E-Prep Resources
  • Next Steps

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 the Zoom for Oct. 6th @ 10am. (Passcode is available upon request.)


Join the Zoom for Oct. 22nd @ 7pm. (Passcode is available upon request.)
​

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

Emergency Preparedness Wrap-up, 2019-20

6/22/2020

 
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The following is a summary of 2019/2020 Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) activities.

We want to recognize and thank the following individuals for contributions to Emergency Preparedness, the Northshore School District, and our students:
Julie Beard (East Ridge PTA)  
  • E-Prep Advocate: Supported our meetings with Northshore School District Superintendent Dr. Reid ensuring an  E-Prep focus and she worked to bring attention to preventing child abuse and neglect; our community cares deeply about children and we know that school districts are one of our most important partners in keeping children safe. In 2019 she was a key participant in the Safe Schools Advisory Committee. Read the report.

Jennifer Blasi PTSA  (Moorlands PTA)
  • E-Prep Advocate: Organized parents and lead regular meetings with district Superintendent Dr. Reid to ensure the focus on E-Prep including funding for food and water supplies, continued staff focused support, and mental health of our students.

Robyn Sims (Bear Creek PTA & Timbercrest PTSA)
  • E-Prep Leadership: Worked with PTA E-Prep chairs. Established feeder pattern working groups to share issues and resources to help each other. Helped identify common issues across feeder groups to focus efforts.
Graphic featuring awards certificates for each of the E-prep award recipients, incluindg Julie Beard, 2019-20 Emergency Preparedness Advocate; Jennifer Blasi, 2019-2020 Emergency Preparedness Advocate; and Robyn Sims, 2019-2020 Emergency Preparedness Leadership
Many thanks to our NSD team that has supported every Emergency-Preparedness (E-Prep) monthly meeting with updates and for giving PTSA parents a forum to vocalize both suggestions and concerns. We would like to specifically thank Clark Combs E-Prep TOSA, Bill Brooks, Security, and Henry Simon, Director Safety and Security, for their continued focus on the safety of our students and staff, security, and preparedness. Here are a few of the key things achieved this school year:
  • Tuff Shed for E-Prep supplies storage at Ruby Bridges elementary school will improve the storage environment for supplies.
  • Plastic bins have been delivered to every school for use in e-prep containers to store supplies and keep them safe.
  • 20% of the food and water emergency supplies has been delivered to each school. A five-year plan has been established to rotate the food and water supplies in the E-prep containers.
  • Medical Emergency Trauma Kits went out to 21 sites, Pre-K to grade 5. All NSD sites have updated kits.
  • Fernwood Elementary held a reunification drill with students and parents.  A large reunification with parents at an off-site location scheduled for the end of March had to be postponed due to COVID-19, hopefully it can be rescheduled for next year. 
  • Each school now has a NSD-provided reunification kit that is customized by each school to fit their population needs.
  • E-Prep items delivered to schools included:  hard hats, vests, safety glasses, gloves, solar chargers, bleed kits, large backpacks, headlamps, crowbars, knee pads, bull horns, and radios.
  • Woodinville High School is offering a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) elective course starting next year which will give our students training in disaster preparedness, leadership, teamwork, safety, first aid, CPR/AED, search and rescue, fire suppression, psychology and team organization.
  • Replaced existing mortise classroom locks with more secure functionality; installation of thumb turn locks with indicators in every classroom, is nearly complete.
  • Five visitor management pilot systems were obtained and NSD legal is working to ensure security of personal information.
  • Continuation of the NSD E-Prep TOSA position in 2020-21.
  • ACT (Antidote, CPR/AED, Tourniquet) to save a life training was provided to our PTSA e-prep group. ACT To Save a Life is a one hour first aid class that focuses on three skills you can use to save a life in the first few minutes of an emergency: Antidote for suspected opiate overdoses, CPR and AED training for cardiac arrest, tourniquet for severe bleeding control. Clark Combs is now prepared to do on-line or live training for our teachers in August before start of school.
  • During our COVID-19 event, NSD donated face masks, gloves, and gowns from school E-prep containers to a local hospital.  
  • Northshore Council PTSA has donated funds towards 40 face shields for all NSD school nurses to use next year.
The Northshore Council PTSA E-Prep team is looking forward to next year’s opportunities to continue to help improve each school’s emergency preparedness and we will also be focusing on our family preparedness for emergencies and disasters. Next year you will also see an improved NS Council PTSA E-Prep webpage, on-line E-Prep meetings, meeting recordings and on-line training. One example is online CERT (Community Emergency Response Training), which will provide access to those who may have had trouble getting it and allow volunteers to acquire the CERT credential at their own pace. CLICK HERE for more info.
Have a wonderful and safe summer,

Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch
Emergency Preparedness Co-chairs
Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
A Culture of Preparedness in our Community

November Meeting Recap

12/1/2019

 
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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!

Emergency Preparedness Corner

10/2/2019

 
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Preparedness for emergencies and disasters, as well as the prevention of accidents is a serious concern of those who care for children in the home, at school, and in the community. Activities to promote safety/injury prevention can be incorporated in all PTSA/PTA interests.

To help inform our communities about the value and importance of emergency preparedness (e-prep), Northshore  Council PTSA E-Prep co-Chairs Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch have compiled some sample blurbs that local PTA/PTSAs can customize and include in their communications.
See some examples below (scroll all the way to the bottom for an easy, downloadable version!).

Be Prepared, Not Scared

Did you feel our 4.6 earthquake near Monroe in July? Are you prepared at home for an emergency or a disaster? Here are 12 ways you can get ready (click on the picture):
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The Great Washington Shake Out: October 17th  

On October 17, at 10:17am, [school name] will be participating in the Great Washington Shake Out, an earthquake preparedness drill. Participating is a great way for your family or organization to be prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes– wherever you live, work, or travel. Remember to drop, cover and hold during an earthquake! Stay where you are for several minutes afterward, bracing for possible aftershocks.  Click on the picture for more information.
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Northshore School District Emergency Reunification

The Northshore School District has created a standard Emergency Reunification process for all schools and conducted a drill in May 2019.  For information on the process (Click Here) .

[School Name] Family Reunification

Do you know what to do in the case of an emergency or crisis during school hours? 
Do not rush to school to pick up your child.  Our school is in an area where the additional traffic may impede needed emergency vehicles or personnel from arriving.  If a school evacuation is ordered, your presence at the site could delay evacuation and reunification. When the situation is under control, students and parents will be reunited in a safe, orderly, and timely manner.
  1. Wait for notification from Leota or the district for the pickup process. Your student could be relocated via bus to one of three or more reunification sites depending on the situation.
  2. ALL PARENTS AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS must have picture identification to pick up the student.
  3. The parent, guardian, trusted neighbor or authorized emergency contact’s name must be in  ParentVUE

Please take this opportunity to update the emergency contacts in ParentVueOpens a New Window. and consider including trusted neighbors or others that can respond to the reunification sites in case your response is delayed by other emergencies happening in our region.

How Can you Help?
Please remind your emergency contacts that when picking up a student during an emergency, everyone must have picture identification. These additional contacts will be critical if you cannot pick up your student.
  1. Ensure you have a ParentVUE account. If you do not have an account, contact Leota and request your 7-digit activation key.
  2. Login to ParentVUE, click on “Student Info” in the left-hand menu. Click the Edit Information button.
  3. Scroll down to find the Emergency Contacts area. Update existing emergency contacts and enter new contacts here.
  4. Click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the screen.

Emergency Supplies

Did you know….
that the supplies used in an emergency by the students and staff of [School Name] are funded by the [school name] PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association)! Parents thank you for your donations to our PTSA!
 
[insert Picture of School E-Prep Container]

Download them in Word format (.docx) so that they are easy to edit and copy and paste as needed:
Emergency Preparedness Communication Samples (Word)
File Size: 174 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

How do you share information about e-prep in your community? What ideas do you have about building e-prep awareness? We'd love to hear from you! Email Robin and Tracy with your ideas.

Council E-Prep - 2019 Recap & Recognition

6/9/2019

 
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The Northshore Council PTSA Emergency Preparedness Team, composed of E-Prep Chairs from schools across the district, meets monthly to discuss and support important school safety and preparedness initiatives. Topics have included NSD Emergency Management, Safety Policies, Emergency Containers, Safe School Emergency Operations Plans, Safe Schools Advocacy in Olympia, Student/Parent Reunification, School Active Threats, Security Cameras, Door Locks, Stop the Bleed Kits and much more. 

At the June 3rd, 2019 E-prep meeting, three individuals were recognized for outstanding contributions to Emergency Preparedness this year:
  • Tracy Jokisch for her contributions with the Bothell High School safety team, stop the bleed program and reunification work.
  • Robin Zaback for her Safe School Plans advocacy work and successful testimony/contribution at Olympia resulting in House Bill 2SHB 1216 passing.
  • Clark Combs, NSD E-Prep TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment), for outstanding support of Emergency Preparedness for all our schools E-Containers, Emergency Operations plans, EOC, Training and Reunification.
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Northshore Council PTSA 2019 E-Prep team picture, taken at the June 3, 2019 meeting. (Photo courtesy of Robin McKenzie.)
Next year we hope to expand our team to include every school PTSA in the district and create even more collaboration with the School District Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness group.
Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch will be serving as our Northshore Council E-Prep Co-Chairs for 2019-20. Please contact Tracy and Robin if you would like to be a part of our PTSA E-Prep team and join our Facebook group.

NSD Reunification Practice Drill

6/8/2019

 
NSD Reunification Practice Drill
The Northshore School District has established a consistent emergency Reunification methodology for all schools to ensure efficient and safe release of students to parents in the event of a crisis or emergency situation. It conducted a drill of the process in May 2019 that included district administrators, students, parents, and community members. As a part of the drill, students were bused from Woodinville High School to Pop Keeney Stadium and then were successfully reunited with their parents after a mock crisis/emergency. More drills are being planned for next year.
Here is a list of things parents should know:
  1. Ensure you have a ParentVUE account and update it with friends and family contacts. This will be critical if you cannot get your student. Learn more about ParentVUE, including how to set up your account, here: https://www1.nsd.org/resources/online-tools/parentvue
  2. Parents, friends or family must have picture identification and be in the ParentVUE list to be able to pick up the student.
  3. Do not rush to the school to pick up your child! Wait for notification from the School or School District. Your Student could be relocated via bus to one of three or more reunification sites depending on the emergency circumstances.
If you are interested in learning more about the process and methodology of parent-student reunification, here are a couple of resources:

Northshore School District "Reunification Process" page:
  • https://www1.nsd.org/our-district/who-we-are/safety-security/reunification-process
Standard Reunification Method handbook by The "I Love You Guys" Foundation:
  • https://iloveuguys.org/srm/Standard%20Reunification%20Method.pdf

Photo depicting a group of adults in safety vests who participated in the parent-student reunification drill.
Reunification drill organizers gathered outside of Pop Keeney stadium. (Photo courtesy of Robin McKenzie.)
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