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Northshore Focus on Advocacy Day 2023 Recap

3/3/2023

 
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Northshore PTA members and students in Olympia at Focus on Advocacy Day. 
​On Presidents Day, about 25 Northshore PTA parents and students travelled to Olympia and met in person with three lawmakers that represent our district, Representatives Berg, Donaghy, and Kloba. Joining them was Interim Superintendent Mike Tolley and School Board Director Sandy Hayes. 

Leading up to and during Focus Day, members of Northshore PTSA Council met with all nine Senators and Representatives that cover the large territory of Northshore School District.  These advocates shared the Top Washington State PTA Legislative Priorities including Special Education Funding, Addressing Student Mental Health, Gun Safety and Suicide Prevention, School Safety, and Addressing Critical Gaps in Funding. Specifically, students and their families shared how educational policies and gaps in funding directly impact them. They also advocated for specific laws like raising the cap on Special Education Funding and Universal Highly Capable Screening.  Here is a complete description of Washington State PTA's Platform.  
Read more about Focus on Advocacy Day from WSPTA
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Northshore advocates meeting with Representative Berg.
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Northshore advocates meeting with Representative Donaghy.
Meeting with Rep. Kloba
Northshore advocates meeting with Representative Kloba.
More on Advocacy:
  • Council's blog post WSPTA Adopts Legislative Priorities for 2022-2024
  • Council's Advocacy Page
  • Questions? Contact Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury

Survey: Meetings with Legislators and Focus Day 2023

1/18/2023

 
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Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury is scheduling virtual appointments with our legislators leading up to Focus Week. Please indicate your interest in participating in any or all of these activities by completing this short survey by February 5, 2023. 

Focus on Advocacy Week is scheduled for February 6 - 10, 2023.  During this week, members can participate in daily calls to actions.  Subscribe to WSPTA Action Network.

Focus Day will be Monday, February 20, 2023 (Presidents Day), in Olympia and members are encouraged to meet with their legislators about our 2023-2024 Legislative Priorities. Washington State PTA is planning speakers and tours.

2023 Legislative Panel Preview
Key leaders of the Washington State Legislature provided a preview of priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session. You can watch the 2023 Legislative Panel Preview on WSPTA's YouTube page.

Complete Survey Here
Focus on Advocacy - Q&A "Office Hours" is being offered by WSPTA. This is an open opportunity to have your questions answered by experienced WSPTA Advocates and learn how to best hold effective meetings with legislators. There is no formal program, please just come by and let us help you. Register to receive meeting link. 
  • February 01 | 12pm - 1pm | Online
  • February 01 | 7pm - 8pm | Online
​Would you like to discuss more on how your PTA can participate this year? Please contact Northshore Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury.

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​More on Advocacy: 
  • Previous Advocacy Blog: January 2023 PTA Advocacy News
  • Council's blog post WSPTA Adopts Legislative Priorities for 2022-2024
  • Council's Advocacy Page
  • Questions? Contact Council's VP of Advocacy, Jennifer Drury

2021-2022 Advocacy Recap

6/2/2022

 
Advocacy Recap
​As we wrap up another school year, Council would like to take a moment to recap some of the amazing advocacy work that has been done this year.

​We also want to thank all of our local PTA Advocacy Chairs, for the work they do at their school and within their community to advocate for all children, and our PTA members, who help strengthen our voice by being a part of the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the country!


In October, PTA delegates came together for the 43rd Annual WSPTA Legislative Assembly. During this event, PTA delegates were able to learn, listen, debate and vote on additions to our grassroots legislative platform.

​Three new resolutions and two amended resolutions were approved during the 2021 Legislative Assembly!

New resolutions:
  1. Improving Literacy and Educational Outcomes (18.42) - adopted
  2. Increasing Access and Affordability of Post-Secondary Education (18.43) - adopted as amended
  3. Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth in Highly Mobile Populations (2.27) - adopted as amended
 
Amended resolutions:
  1. School Construction Bond Reform (18.20) - amendments adopted
  2. Student Assessment and Testing (18.13) - amendments adopted

The 60 day 2022 Washington state legislative session ran from January 10th to March 10th. This included the February 2022 Focus Week where PTA Members advocated to elected officials about WA State PTA's Top 5 Legislative Priorities for the current legislative session. 

Some key accomplishments from this year's legislative session include:
  • SHB 1590 will provide school districts with enrollment stabilization funds for the 2021/22 school year equal to half of their enrollment decline from the 2019/20 school year. It will also allow school districts to use 2019/20 enrollment levels to set limits on levy funds collected in 2023.
  • 2SHB 1664 will increase state funding for nurses, social workers, psychologists, and counselors in phases through the 2024/25 school year. Note: Northshore already pays for a lot more nurses and social workers than are funded by the state, this increase in state funding will not necessarily lead to an increase in these staff positions, but it will add some money to NSD's budget. It is a step in the right direction. 
  • E2SHB 1153 will require most school districts to adopt a language access policy and procedures that will help them engage with non-English speaking families.
  • ESHB 1699 will temporarily allow school districts to rehire retired school staff without jeopardizing their retirement benefits. This may help with our current staff shortage problem.
  • SSB 5933 establishes a school seismic safety grant program that will help schools make renovations to increase safety in case of earthquakes and tsunamis.
  • ESSB 5078 will limit the sale of high-capacity magazines to no more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

The end of the legislative session means it’s time to start looking and planning ahead. Here are a few actions you can take before the school year is over:
  • Thank your legislators! We’ve had some great wins this session, so it’s always a good idea to send legislators an email thanking them for their work.
  • Organize a Voter Registration Drive - It’s never too early to register to vote, especially since in Washington State, 16 and 17 year-olds can pre-register and automatically receive their ballots when they turn 18. And 17 year-olds can vote in a primary election, as long as they turn 18 by the time of the general election. Organizing a high school voter registration drive is easier than you think, particularly when you partner with the League of Women Voters Seattle/King County. They have a wealth of information on how to conduct a drive, and often are able to help you on-site with registration forms, signs, buttons, and stickers.
  • Organize a Candidate Forum - This fall, the whole WA State House and half of the Senate are up for re-election this fall, so consider holding a candidate forum. Candidate forums are a great way to get your community engaged in the electoral process, and to voice your issues to the candidates. WSPTA has a Candidate Forum Toolkit to help you have a successful event.
  • Connect with Advocates Across WA State - Want to hear what’s going on with advocacy in other regions across the state? Have information or insights to share? Or are you just looking for an online advocacy community? Join the FB group WA State Parent Legislative Chairs.
  • Save the Date for the 2022 Legislative Assembly, October 15th & 16th - At the 2022 Legislative Assembly, delegates will debate and vote on these submissions and whether to add them to our platform. This year is especially important as we will be voting on a new Top 5 to focus on over the next two years. Check with your local PTA about including a budget line to send delegates to the 2022 Leg Assembly if you don't currently have one.

If you would like to learn more about Council's Advocacy work or how you can get involved, visit our Advocacy page.

1/20/22 General Membership Meeting Recap

2/3/2022

 

​Last month Council held their 3rd 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 below for a recap of this meeting.
Recap: 1/20/22 General Membership Meeting
Council Business:
  • November 15th, 2021 meeting minutes were accepted as presented.
  • Serena Xu, Northshore Council PTSA Treasurer, reported that the mid year financial review will take place on Monday January 24th.
  • The Nominating Committee was elected and includes: Diana Christiansen, Jasmine Fry, and Cherry Holmes. Click here to learn more about serving on Council in the 2022-2023 school year or to make a nomination.

Bond & Levies Support/Opposition Vote:
Council's Board of Directors put forward the issue of supporting the bond and levies that are on the February ballot.
During this meeting, both the pro and con positions on the issue were presented before calling for a motion to determine our PTSA’s support of or opposition to the bond and levies. Council would like to announce that the motion to support the Northshore School District Bond & Levies on the February 8th Ballot was passed unanimously. Learn more...

District Updates:
  • We heard form NSD Partnerships & Volunteer Coordinator Marco Garcia who discussed how he organized a COVID testing clinic and food donations packages.
  • NSD School Board Updates were provided by Director Amy Cast which included reviewing the monitoring report and the budget.

Council Committee Reports:
  • Advocacy: Diana Christiansen & Jen Drury provided updates regarding the recent Focus on Advocacy Week as well as information on signing up for the action alerts which can be found here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/subscribe-to-wsptas-action-network-group
  • Educational Speakers and Community Events Grants Program: Mary Khouzam, Grants Committee Chair, reminded us that there was still time to submit grant applications for the Jan 21st deadline. She also announced that the date may be pushed but that this decision is still pending. If you have further questions, please reach out to the Grants Committee.
  • Reflections: Jasmine Lee Fry, Reflections Chair, reported that the online showcase will be up and running at a later date as it is still be worked on. Council's Reflections Results now available!
  • Mental Health Committee: Melissa Kline, Co-Chair for the Mental Health Committee, provided an update regarding what the committee has been working on including advocating for more resources, putting out articles, and working with counselors on flyers and communication materials. The committee also put out a call for action - asking local PTA leaders to check how accessible mental health resources were at their school. Learn more about that here.
  • Membership: Co-Chairs, Hanisha Bakshani and Melissa Kline, provided an update that we have 5181 members across the district with many of our local PTAs already earning a WSPTA Membership Growth Award. The more members we have the stronger our voice is in the district!
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: DEI Chair, Cherry Holmes, hosted a DEI roundtable meeting early in the school year. Cherry asked for feedback on "What does DEI mean in your PTSA/School?" - send your response here.
  • PTA Support: VP of Elementary Support, Grace Jurado, asked that you please reach out with any questions or concerns or if you need any help. VP of Secondary Support, Brenae Brix, discussed that families are looking for more information on preparing around college and a local parent has volunteered to provide this information. This parent is partnering with Council to provide an info night on March 16th about preparing for college. More information will be coming soon. Middle school career days are being worked on at several middle schools. It will be a half day and presented within the students classroom.
  • Emergency Preparedness: Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch and Robin McKenzie, reported to us that an additional 117 Stop the Bleed! kits were obtained this round. That is a total of 862 kits in the district. The next meeting for E-Prep is Feb 1st at 11am and the guest speaker will be Deb Fuller. Learn more...
  • Special Education: Laura Staneff will soon be joining council as our new Special Education Chair.

We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on March 21st, 2022 @ 7pm.
For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar.

Focus Week 2022 Recap

1/31/2022

 
Northshore Council PTSA participated in Focus on Advocacy Week January 17-21!
Focus on Advocacy Week RECAP

​Earlier this month, Northshore Council PTSA leaders, along with local PTA leaders and members, connected virtually with 9 state legislators during Washington State PTA’s Focus on Advocacy Week.

​Members advocated to elected officials about WA State PTA's Top 5 Legislative Priorities for the current legislative session. 
​Every meeting started with the number one priority of the Washington State PTA, Mental Health. Advocates asked that representatives work to fund and create policies that support mental health in our schools and communities.
Additional Asks Included:
  • Advocating for legislation surrounding Safe Gun Storage
  • Advocating for legislation supporting Youth Suicide Prevention
  • To fully fund Special Education
  • Funding for education remain stable through this time of lower enrollment due to the pandemic

Throughout Focus on Advocacy Week, in addition to meeting with legislators, PTA advocates were asked to email their elected officials to advocate for children. Council and many of our local PTAs promoted Focus on Advocacy Week using social media accounts, websites, and newsletters to encourage members to participate as well.

Throughout the next sixty days, the Washington State Senate and House will debate and vote on issues that directly affect children and families in Washington State. If you would like to be kept up to date on these issues, please subscribe to Action Alerts.

Thank You
Northshore Council would like to thank the legislators and their assistants who met with us during Focus on Advocacy Week!
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  • Senator Manka Dhingra; assistant Ashley Jackson
  • Representative Davina Duerr; assistant Ann Dasch
  • Representative Roger Goodman; assistant Sydney Oliver
  • Representative Shelley Kloba; assistant Brian Haifley
  • Representative Larry Springer; assistant Lacey Stanage
  • Senator Marko Liias; assistant Jeremy Knapp
  • Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self; assistant Israel Rios
  • Representative Strom Peterson; assistant Joshua Apata
  • Senator Derek Stanford; assistants Stephen Cardamenis, Stella Mason and Chloe Lameire

Council would also like to recognize the PTA Advocates who took time out of their week to participate in the meetings:

  • Brenae Brix
  • Jane Chiodo
  • Diana Christiansen
  • Jennifer Drury
  • Rachel Fitzgerald
  • Sandy Hayes
  • Cherry Holmes
  • Mary Khouzam
  • Melissa Kline
  • Claudine Miller
  • Pauline Wray
If you would like to learn more about Council's Advocacy work or how you can get involved, visit our Advocacy page.

2022 Focus on Advocacy Week Starts 1/17

1/7/2022

 
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Legislative session is upon us and starting Monday, January 17th, ​it's
​WSPTA's Focus on Advocacy Week!!
Here's a brief run-down on what you can expect out of this week long event and how you can get involved!

When is Focus on Advocacy Week?
This week long event runs Monday, January 17th through Friday, January 21st

Who should participate?
Anyone who wants to advocate for students, teachers, or their school community! Advocacy is for everyone and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Where does this take place?
This year, Focus on Advocacy Week is virtual! That means anyone wanting to participate can do so from their phone or computer.

What is the Legislative Session?
The Legislative session is the time when our senators and representatives work on bills. They will be debating, reading emails, and holding meetings about current bills for the session.

What is Focus on Advocacy Week?
Focus on Advocacy Week is the week where we as PTA members focus on calling, writing, and having meetings with our
legislators. We do this to get our Legislative Priorities into the hearts and minds of our elected officials and to educate them on what our members need and want.

Why does Focus on Advocacy Week matter?
This is the best time to get our priorities heard by our representatives. Washington State PTA members voted and approved our top 5 issues that we believe lawmakers should work on. Now is the time that we bring these issues to the forefront of their work. See below for a list of our Top 5 Issues as well as how PTA plans to put equity at the center
of everything we do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities.


How can someone participate?
1. Sign up for the WSPTA's Action Network Group to get timely alerts.
2. Find your Washington State Legislature Representatives.
3. Fill out this Focus Day Interest Google Form to schedule meetings with legislators
3. Set aside time during Focus on Advocacy Week to call and email. WSPTA has designated each day next week to a different focus topic:
   ◘ Monday, January 17 – Call to Action: Focus on dismantling racism
   ◘ Tuesday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
   ◘ Wednesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
   ◘ Thursday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
   ◘ Friday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness
4. Join Marie Sullivan, Washington State PTA’s legislative consultant, on January 11th from 7-8pm over Zoom as she presents Preparing for the 2022 Legislative Session - Your Questions Answered.
5. Check out the awesome videos and one page issue documents available on Washington State PTA’s Advocacy page about each of the priorities.
6. Spread the word! Invite others from your PTA community to join you in connecting with state legislative leaders. Use the hashtag #WSPTAOneVoice to share about Focus on Advocacy Week through your PTA's, and even your own, social media accounts. Remember to share updates via your PTA's other channels such as website or emails.
WSPTA Top 5 Legislative Priorities
Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:
Top Five Legislative Issues (including also supported issues)
WSPTA Long-term Resolutions
WSPTA Long-term Legislative Principles
Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.
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Advocacy Efforts Survey

11/16/2021

 
Advocacy Efforts Survey

​We're fresh out of Legislative Assembly and gearing up for Focus Week which will take place January 17 - 21, 2022!

Let us know how we can support advocacy efforts at your school! Please complete Council's short Advocacy Efforts Survey to help us serve you better.

Additionally, Council's Co-VPs of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen and Jennifer Drury, are happy to speak at one of your PTA's board or general meetings or talk with folks one-on-one about questions they have about getting involved in advocacy at all levels. Please reach out to us at advocacy@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Focus on Advocacy Week Starts Monday!

1/15/2021

 
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Legislative session is upon us and starting Monday, January 18th, ​it's
​WSPTA's Focus on Advocacy Week!!
Here's a brief run-down on what you can expect out of this week long event and how you can get involved!

When is Focus on Advocacy Week?
This week long event runs Monday, January 18th through Friday, January 22nd.

Who should participate?
Anyone who wants to advocate for students, teachers, or their school community! Advocacy is for everyone and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Where does this take place?
This year, Focus on Advocacy Week is virtual! That means anyone wanting to participate can do so from their phone or computer.

What is the Legislative Session?
The Legislative session is the time when our senators and representatives work on bills. They will be
debating, reading emails, and holding meetings about current bills for the session.

What is Focus on Advocacy Week?
Focus on Advocacy Week is the week where we as PTA members focus on calling, writing, and having meetings with our
legislators. We do this to get our Legislative Priorities into the hearts and minds of our elected officials and to educate them on what our members need and want.

Why does Focus on Advocacy Week matter?
This is the best time to get our priorities heard by our representatives. Washington State PTA members voted and approved our top 5 issues that we believe lawmakers should work on. Now is the time that we bring these issues to the forefront of their work. See below for a list of our Top 5 Issues as well as how PTA plans to put equity at the center of everything we do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities.

How can someone participate?
1. Sign up for the WSPTA's Action Network Group to get timely alerts.
2. Find your Washington State Legislature Representatives.
3. Set aside time during Focus on Advocacy Week to call and email. WSPTA has designated each day next week to a different focus topic:
   ◘ Monday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on anti-racism
   ◘ Tuesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
   ◘ Wednesday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
   ◘ Thursday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
   ◘ Friday, January 22 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness
4. Read the January 11 Focus on Advocacy Weekly Report by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Chair, which includes the status of current bills.
5. Spread the word! Invite others from your PTA community to join you in connecting with state legislative leaders. Don't forget to share about Focus on Advocacy Week through your PTA channels such as your website, emails, or social media.

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Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:
  • Top Five Legislative Issues (including also supported issues)
  • WSPTA Long-term Resolutions
  • WSPTA Long-term Legislative Principles

Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.
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Advocacy Week 2021 - 1/18-22

1/4/2021

 
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This year's Advocacy Week will be held January 18 – 22, 2021

In addition to our ongoing efforts, WSPTA will be asking members to take action from home or your phone throughout an entire week.  To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed. Once subscribed, you'll receive an email notification when a new issue arises and there will be a pre-written email ready to go, which you can customize and edit so you can tell YOUR story and make your voice heard.

Tentative schedule (likely to change):
  • Monday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on anti-racism
  • Tuesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
  • Wednesday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
  • Thursday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
  • Friday, January 22 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness

Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:
  • Top Five Legislative Issues (including also supported issues)
  • WSPTA Long-term Resolutions
  • WSPTA Long-term Legislative Principles


Don't forget to make appointments with your Legislators!
It's important to make appointments as far in advanced as possible. For this year's Advocacy Week, all appointments will be virtual.

Input your address here to get the names of the Representatives and Senator(s) for you, your school district, and their contact information. Members should consult with their local PTA, council, or region advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments. Appointments may begin as early as 8:00 am.

What do you say during an appointment with a legislator? Check out our previous Advocacy blog on writing Your PTA Story for helpful tips and resources. Additionally, WSPTA encourages you to visit their advocacy page, where you will find our 2021 WSPTA Legislative Platform, as well as a detailed one-page handout for each legislative priority in the drop-down lists under “Legislative Platform.” These one-page handouts are great sources of talking points and can be given to legislators as well.  In addition, due to the visual opportunities provided by a remote session, WSPTA be uploading position videos, which you can use as a start to your meeting or in advance to explain your support for a legislative priority.

Advocacy Tip: Tell legislators why WSPTA priorities are important to you and ask for their support!

Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.

Still have questions about Advocacy or how you can get involved? Contact Council's VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen.

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11/16 General Membership Meeting Recap

11/23/2020

 
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It was great to see so many local PTA leaders in attendance for our 2nd meeting of the 20-21 school year!

The meeting kicked off with a Q and A led by our Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid.  In addition to mentioning that the current plan with online schooling is to stay the course, she also answered many questions regarding topics such as homework, updates on the NSD curriculum resource web page, communication strategies for teachers and parents and building access for PTA’s.  There was also a discussion regarding ideas for the district to provide some morale boosting activities for students and families to help with community building while we are still isolating at home for online learning. Dr. Reid welcomed ideas from the group and will investigate how to best provide some community building activities in the district.  


During the Council Business portion of the meeting, the membership elected Grace Jurado, Liz Nord and Jane Chiodo as the 20-21 Nominating Committee.  Next on the agenda was a financial report given by Council Treasurer, Liz Nord.  Her report included the Treasurer’s Reports for both September and October, presentation of the newly adopted money handling policy and an update regarding the fulfillment of the Standards of Affiliation.  Liz noted that any PTA that needs to create or update their current money handling policy is welcome to use the council’s as a template found here.  
Lastly, there was an update regarding council goals which involved renaming the goal previously called Leading and Developing our Northshore PTAs and Leaders to Communicating with our Northshore Local PTAs and Leaders.  Grace Jurado, Nancy Chamberlain and Melissa Kline worked together to create a new title and verbiage surrounding the elements of the action items in effort to create goals that are concrete and attainable.   The membership unanimously voted to update the proposed changes to the council goals as presented.

During this meeting we also heard from Northshore Nourishing Network (NNN) Director Sue Freeman.  She shared information and tips for PTAs looking to start a successful food drive for their local units.  Sue noted that the Northshore Senior Center needs canned vegetables, tuna and chicken for those looking to donate. It was suggested by a member that coordination for a food drive combined with school supply pick up days or porch pick up to gather food donations.  Sue also shared that she has created helpful documents for suggested items to donate as well as how to start a free pantry.  Learn more about NNN here.

We then heard from community leaders including School Board Director Jacqueline McGourty, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator Natalie Campbell and the Northshore Schools Foundation Executive Director Carmin Dalziel.

  • Director McGourty reported that the school board just finished up the last round of ongoing discussions with our legislators, presenting them with their list of priorities.  The most prominent priority right now is digital equity.  She also shared that the board has started the refresh of their five year strategic plan.  Director McGourty mentioned that the board has also resumed school visits and that being able to see what is happening the classroom as well as with the principals and admins has been refreshing!  
  • Natalie Campbell spoke about the decision to pilot the Peach Jar flyer distribution program for one year.  As well as mentioning that there is continued support for the Art Docent program.  She noted that NSD is finishing their pilot with 6 Crickets and they are looking for input based on if they should continue the program, retool it or decide its not needed.  Natalie is continuing to work on an update to the PTA Resource Guide.  The guide will include reminders with regards to communications, what can be published on the website, accessibility standards, resources for translation and more. This will be especially helpful to those new PTA leaders in our district.
  • Carmin Dalziel reported that the Northshore Schools Foundation’s classroom grant process is now open.  PTA leaders are welcome to request grants for their schools. They will be sending out postcards to teachers.  Right now there is a big focus on high school seniors.  NSF is currently offering classes on things like financial aid among other things for seniors and their families to take advantage of. Carmin shared that all though last year when COVID hit they gifted $200 gift cards for families from their Basic Needs Aid program.  Now that COVID is more of a normal situation the Basic Needs Aid fund will be reserved for emergencies.  NSF is working with the district to make sure that there is a CARE team at each school for students and families in need.  In total they have donated $94K towards the success of this program. For more frequent NSF updates please refer the NSF blog.

​Lastly on the agenda was Council updates on Advocacy, Membership and F.A.C.E. as well as an update from our First Vice President, Jane Chiodo, regarding the WSPTA awards and the Speaker and Events Grants.
  • VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen shared the top five legislative priorities and the WSPTA supported issues for 20-21.  Diana also wanted to share thanks for the candidates that participated in the candidates forum.  She also shared a PDF for how to share a pitch with legislators.  Reminder that Focus Day is January 18th, and that week will be Focus on Advocacy Week.  Check out our Advocacy page for more legislative updates including a link to sign up for the WSPTA Action Network.
  • Membership Chair, Melissa Kline, shared that as a whole our district is at 52% for membership. There are 5 PTAs that have 75% of last years membership! She also explained how the 100% Staff Membership award is calculated and how to apply for it.  Melissa reminded members that personal connection is the best way to gain members.  More tips and suggestions are posted on our Membership webpage in the Membership Facebook group.
  • F.A.C.E. Chair, Lauren Lewis, encouraged all to join the new F.A.C.E. and DEI Facebook group.  The group is for F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement) & DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Chairs or anyone interested about learning and sharing more on these topics.  Lauren is working on putting together at least on event that is open for all PTAs to attend.  The biggest asks have been surrounding mental health and internet safety.  It was also highlighted that NSD has a strategic plan for inclusion – there is an inventory for all parent groups for a self-assessment.  The district spent time putting together these documents and there are clear takeaways.
  • First VP Jane Chiodo shared that the next Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant application deadline is November 27th.  The final deadline will be January 22nd, 2021.  For more information click here.  Lastly, Jane spoke about the WSPTA Awards of Excellence program.  PTAs are encouraged to check out the different categories to look at the criteria for the award and which ones your PTA might be interested in.  Some examples of awards include the Standards of Excellence, Communications, Significant Actions, Newsletter and Outstanding Website.  Applications for awards are due by March 15, 2021.

​Council meetings are a great way to reach other PTA leaders and learn about what is happening in the district and PTA. We hope you will join us for our next general membership meeting on Thursday, January 21st!
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