Announcements
The winning PTA from our Donut Forget to Complete Your SOA Contest was randomly selected at the start of the meeting. Congratulations Woodin PTA!
 
Community Partners Updates

• Marco G., NSD Community Partnerships
  • Spring Art Docent Training is April 26 (Friday) from 11 AM - 1 PM.  
  • Networking meeting will be on April 30 from 11:30 AM - 1 PM to focus on how to partner with the district better. 
  • Complete volunteer now since processing time for applications, especially Level 2 clearance will take longer due to staff vacation schedule.
  • A Family Symposium will be held in May where all of the family engagement groups are meeting together.  More information to come later.

Council Business

• Treasurer Report
  • Standards of Affiliation (SOA) were reviewed.
  • Mid-year Financial Review Report – The reviewers Diana C., Terra D., and Laura S met in January and completed the mid-year financial review. 
  • The End-of-year review committee was selected. Diana C., Terra D., and Laura S. volunteered to serve on the committee in July. 
  • The treasurer presented the February treasurer report.
  • Budget for 2024-2025 will be presented at the next general membership meeting on May 20, 2024.

 

• Officer Elections – Holly M., chair of the nominating committee, read aloud the report of the committee and announced that all candidates meet the requirements of the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws. A vote was taken to elect the officers. Our new Council Executive Board for the 2024-2025 school year is as follows: 
  • President – Grace Jurado
  • First Vice President – Diana Christiansen
  • Secretary – Christine Roehnelt
  • Treasurer – Brenae Brix
  • VP of Events – Melissa Bennett and OPEN
  • VP of Advocacy – Holly Muenchow and Terra Droney
  • VP Communications – OPEN
  • VP Elementary Support – OPEN
  • VP Secondary Support – OPEN

Congratulations, new Executive Board members!
 
The positions of VP of Communications, VP of Elementary Support, VP of Secondary Support, and Co-VP of Events are still open. ​Council will continue to seek volunteers for the OPEN positions to hold an election at our General Membership Meeting on May 20, 2024. Learn more about the open positions and self-nominate by Wednesday, May 08, 2024.
  
Council Committee Update

• Membership – Currently 5,093 members, about 92% of last year's members. 
• Reflections – The Reflections Art Reception was amazing.  Over 250 people attended the event at Brightwater Center.  A music piece from Skyview and a 3D visual art piece from Canyon Creek is moving on to National level.
• Events – Save the Date: Council’s Spring Recognition will be held on June 7th, 2024. It will be the same format as last year with brunch. Local PTAs are encouraged to present their local recognition awards before the event so they can invite their awardees to come celebrate.
• Council Recognition Award Nomination Form will be ready to accept nominees in April. Consider nominating someone who deserves to be recognized for their service to the community. Complete nomination form and learn more about the varioius types of awards. 
• DEI/FACE – The DEI/Face Chairs have been involved with the NSD Family Engagement and Resource Center events this year. Each event has focused on cultural events. Local PTAs are encouraged to share with their local members about the resource center located at the Northshore District Administrative Center where families are provided with resources and/or directed to the providers of various services by local non-profits, cities, counties, and the state agencies. 
  
  

​Upcoming Reminders given by President
Please check Council’s calendar for upcoming events.

• Council is gathering messages of gratitude! Send a message of appreciation to the many Northshore School District Administrators and Staff.
• WA State PTA Convention is May 17 – May 19, 2024, at the Lynnwood Event Center. Register will open by end of March. Please considering sending voting delegates. There will be a review of bylaw amendments. Each PTA is allotted 4 voting delegates. Registration fees and more can be found on the WSPTA website. 

 
​We hope to see you on May 20, 2024, at 7 PM via Zoom. Register for Zoom meeting link.  

​Questions?  Please contact Northshore Council PTSA Co-President, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Questions?  Please contact Northshore Council PTSA Co-President, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Election Information:
At the close of the self-nomination period, if there is any contested position we will send out an electronic voting method to Northshore PTA/PTSA presidents and vice-presidents. If no position is contested, we will hold the election by voice vote during our next General Membership Meeting on Monday, March 18, 2024. 

Slate of Candidates:
In the 2024 Nominating Committee Report, the following slate of candidates were put forward for 2024-2025:
​
For the Office of President: Grace Jurado
For the Office of First Vice President: Diana Christiansen
For the Office of Secretary: Christine Roehnelt​
For the Office of Treasurer: Brenae Brix
For the Office of VP of Events: Melissa Bennett​ and OPEN
For the Office of VP of Advocacy: Terra Droney and Holly Muenchow
For the Office of VP of Communications: OPEN
For the Office of VP of Elementary Support: OPEN
For the Office of VP of Secondary Support: OPEN

Qualification Requirements
Anyone self declaring for a 2024-2025​ Northshore Council Elected Board Position must meet the following qualification requirements.

​Per the 2023-2024 Council Standing Rules:

All Candidates:

• Any position may be held jointly by two (2) people, except the role of Treasurer. 
• Nominees must be at least 18 years of age.
• Nominees must be a current member of at least one local PTA that falls within the Northshore Council PTSA membership area. 

Candidates for the office of President and First Vice President shall also:

• Have two years of elected officer experience on Northshore Council PTSA; 

-OR -

• Have served as President of a local PTA for at least one year and have one year of serving in an elected position on Council or higher.

Candidates for the offices of VP of Elementary Support and VP of Secondary Support shall also:

• Have served in PTA a minimum of 2 years, with one year as a local PTA President and one year in a board position at the educational stage that they are going to support.

Brief Job Descriptions of Council Positions  For a more detailed job description, click here.

President: The President has many important jobs including serving as the official contact, communicator and representative of Council. They oversee and coordinate the work of the executive board, preside over meetings, are ex-officio members of all committees (except Nominating Committee) and are designated as an authorized signer for checks, contracts and authorizations for payment. But, most importantly, they work to connect PTAs which in turn helps them support families, schools and the community to work towards overall student success.
​
1st VP: Must be familiar with the Council president’s duties and responsibilities. Act as an aide to the president and perform the duties of the president in his or her absence. Is in charge of advertising and organizing the Council Grant Program and yearly Awards.
 
Treasurer: Is the authorized custodian of the funds of the association and receives and disburses all monies in accordance with the budget as approved by the  membership.

Secretary: Keeps an accurate record of meetings, which become part of the permanent history of the PTA. Also responsible for taking attendance and monitoring quorum at meetings.

VP of Events: Plans and coordinates Councils yearly events including Presidents and Principals Brunch, Reflections Celebration and Spring Recognition Event.

VP of Communications: Works to facilitate Northshore Council PTSA communications in order to inform, engage, educate and inspire local PTAs and beyond.

VP of Advocacy: Help to educate local PTA's and disseminate information about current WSPTA and National PTA legislative priorities.

VP of Elementary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local elementary PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's.

VP of Secondary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local secondary (high school and middle school) PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's.

Below, please find the report from the Northshore Council PTSA Nominating Committee which lists the nominees for each of the officer positions for the 2024-2025 Executive Committee. 

The election will take place during the Northshore Council PTSA Membership Meeting on Monday, March 18, 2024. WSPTA Bylaws permit the nomination of candidates from the floor* before the vote takes place. *Nominations from the floor will be conducted through an online submission form prior to the meeting. Please refer to our post on Self-Declaring for 2024-2025 Elected Board Positions for more information.
​
Slate of Candidates:
In the 2024 Nominating Committee Report, the following slate of candidates were put forward for 2024-2025:
​

• For the Office of President: Grace Jurado
• For the Office of First Vice President: Diana Christiansen
• For the Office of Secretary: Christine Roehnelt​
• For the Office of Treasurer: Brenae Brix
• For the Office of VP of Events: Melissa Bennett and OPEN
• For the Office of VP of Advocacy:  Terra Droney and Holly Muenchow
• For the Office of VP of Communications: OPEN
• For the Office of VP of Elementary Support: OPEN
• For the Office of VP of Secondary Support: OPEN

Council meetings will build your PTA knowledge, give you the opportunity to network with other PTA, school district and community leaders, and they can be a lot of fun, too. Each PTA may send up to 4 voting representatives - but we encourage ALL who are interested to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions? Email Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald at [email protected].

Save the Date - View calendar for future meeting dates.

Missed a meeting? Read a recap of the meeting.

Who Should Be On The Nominating Committee? 
Nominating committee members should:

• Have a strong knowledge of the PTA goals needs and culture.  
• Possess tact, integrity, discretion, and the ability to hold their own counsel. 
• Demonstrate sound judgment and skill in evaluating potential nominees. 
• Have the courage to express their ideas and defend their convictions. 
• Represent the diversity that is present in the community and student population. 

​Nominating committee members:

• May not serve on the nominating committee for more than two consecutive years.  
• May not be the President or Principal. 
• Must have been a PTA member for at least 15 days preceding the election.  ​

When Should We Elect Our Nominating Committee? 
Elect the committee early in the school year so they have time to locate the best candidates! State guidance suggests that the Nominating Committee be elected at the first meeting of the school year. If you have not done that yet, make it a goal to elect the committee at your next General Membership meeting.  The nominating committee is discharged from service after the executive officers are declared elected. ​

Who Can Be Nominated:  
The candidate should be the person the committee thinks will best fill the role! Additionally, the candidate must:  

• Must be a PTA member for at least 15 days preceding the election. It is the responsibility of the nominating committee to confirm this.  
• Must be at least 18 years old. 
• Must be willing to attend required PTA training for the position to which he or she will be elected. 
• Must be enthusiastic, supportive, and believe in the mission of PTA.  
• Should have time for the necessary level of priority and commitment. 
• Should have good relationships with people in your community. 
• Must be fair, objective, and able to put personal interests aside to the well-being of the PTA. 
• Should have previous experience in PTA, though other experience may also be considered.  

 
Additional Things to Consider:  
* Candidates who wish to have co-officer positions can be considered together if both candidates agree to prior to the election.  
* Individuals should not be nominated by the committee just because someone is interested in or has volunteered for a position. The nominating committee should only nominate candidates whom they believe would be qualified candidates as described above.  
 * Current officers should be evaluated just as you would any candidate. If the committee finds a more qualified candidate, the committee should nominate the more qualified person. People are not guaranteed a nomination the second year. 
 ​

Can a Member of the Nominating Committee Run for a Position? 
Yes! But the member should recuse themselves from all discussion about their nominations and discussion of other potential nominees for that same position. 

What If You Cannot Find a Candidate for a Position? 
The committee can leave the position vacant by writing "Open" on the report. Someone may self-nominate during the election or during the self-nomination period. Additionally, your PTA may appoint a person to fill in until a long-term candidate can be elected.  
Here are a couple of ideas to broaden your reach when searching for candidates:

• Be sure to market your PTA! Let your community know what your PTA is doing to support them, the school and the students. The more they know about you, the more likely they will want to join your awesome team.
• Reach out to incoming families! If you are a secondary school, reach out to your feeder school PTA’s to put the word out that you are looking for recommendations for nominations. If you are an elementary school, consider reaching out to families of incoming kindergarteners. There’s no better way to get to know a school and its administration than volunteering for a PTA position!
• Hold an “Open House” type event. Whether virtual or in-person, this type of event is great for introducing people to your PTA and answering questions about PTA elected positions and their function.
• Make a personal ask. Do you know someone who you think would be great? Reach out to them and have a one to one conversation about why you think they would be the perfect fit.
• Advertise your search for candidates EVERYWHERE! Put it on your website, put it in your newsletter, post about it on all your social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), send an email directly to your members, or even send snail mail (like a postcard) to your members. 

​What if you STILL can’t find a candidate for a position?

• If there is an open position on your slate of candidates, you can leave that position vacant. At an in-person meeting, the president will ask if there are any nominations from the floor. In the case of a virtual election, there will be a period of time allowed for self-nominations prior to the membership meeting that mimic the function of “nominations from the floor”. Someone may step forward. 
• Consider whether you have enough time to continue your search. Can you send out another call for recommendations for nominations?
• If a position remains open, it is possible, depending on what is stated in your Standing Rules, for your Board of Directors to appoint a person into that position in the interim. The search for a candidate can continue with the hopes that someone can be elected at the next membership meeting.
• If you have some officers willing to stay on as interim, try again at the beginning of the next school year. People may be willing to jump into something new in September than at the end of a long school year when they’re looking forward to summer break.

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